College basketball: Murekatete honored again; Fortier, Ejim earn WCC awards

PAC-12

LAS VEGAS — Washington State's Bella Murekatete, a fifth-year senior from Genesis Prep Academy in Post Falls, earned honorable mention honors for the second straight year as the Pac-12 Conference announced its women's basketball postseason awards, as voted on by the league coaches.

WSU senior Charlisse Leger-Walker earned an All-Pac-12 selection for the fourth time in her career, and freshman Eleonora Villa earned an All-Pac-12 Freshman Team selection.

Murekatete averaged 12.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game which rank 22nd, eighth and 11th, respectively, in the conference. She has shot at a 53.0% clip from the field, which currently ranks ninth in the Pac-12. This season, she has become the all-time leader in program history in career rebounds (952), blocks (184), games played (148), and games started (140).

WSU, the ninth seed, plays No. 8 California today at 2:30 p.m. (PAC12) in the first round of the conference tournament.

ALL-PAC12

AWARDS

Player and Defensive Player of the Year — Cameron Brink, Stanford 

Freshman of the Year — JuJu Watkins, USC 

Sixth Player of the Year — Timea Gardiner, Oregon State 

Most Improved Player of the Year — Kiki Iriafen, Stanford 

John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year — Tara VanDerveer, Stanford

TEAM

Raegan Beers, Oregon State, F, so.; Lauren Betts, UCLA, C, so.; Cameron Brink, Stanford, F, sr.; McKenzie Forbes, USC, G/F, gr.; Timea Gardiner, Oregon State, F, so; Kiki Iriafen, Stanford, F, jr., Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State, G, sr.; Charisma Osborne, UCLA, G, gr.; Alissa Pili, Utah, F, sr.; Helena Pueyo, Arizona, G, 5th; Kiki Rice, UCLA, G, so.; Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado, G, gr.; Talia von Oelhoffen, Oregon State, G, jr.; Aaronette Vonleh, Colorado, C, jr.; JuJu Watkins, USC, G, fr.

Honorable Mention (received at least one vote): Jalyn Brown, ASU; Dalayah Daniels, Washington; Friday Formann, Colorado; Jenna Johnson, Utah; Hannah Jump, Stanford; Ioanna Krimili, California; Phillipina Kyei, Oregon; Elle Ladine, Washington; Talana Lepolo, Stanford; Rayah Marshall, USC; Esmery Martinez, Arizona; Kennedy McQueen, Utah; Quay Miller, Colorado; Bella Murekatete, WSU; Lauren Schwartz, Washington; Grace VanSlooten, Oregon; Ines Vieira, Utah. 

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Lauren Betts, UCLA, C, so.; Cameron Brink, Stanford, F, sr.; Charisma Osborne, UCLA, G, gr.; Helena Pueyo, Arizona, G, 5th; Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado, G, gr.; 

Honorable Mention (received at least one vote): Raegan Beers, OSU; Dalayah Daniels, Washington; Donovyn Hunter, OSU; Rayah Marshall, USC; Esmery Martinez, Arizona; Jaddan Simmons, ASU; Ines Vieira, Utah; Talia von Oelhoffen, OSU; JuJu Watkins, USC; Kindyll Wetta, Colorado. 

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Donovyn Hunter, Oregon State, G; Sayvia Sellers, Washington, G; Eleonora Villa, Washington State, G; JuJu Watkins, USC, G; Jada Williams, Arizona, G. 

Honorable Mention (received at least one vote): Nunu Agara, Stanford; Breya Cunningham, Arizona; Skylar Jones, Arizona; Lulu Laditan-Twidale, Califonia; Courtney Ogden, Stanford; Dominika Paurova, OSU. 

WCC WOMEN

Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim was named the 2023 West Coast Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Lisa Fortier was named the WCC Coach of the Year the league announced Wednesday. Maud Huijbens also won a major award, winning the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year.

Ejim, Kayleigh Truong, Kaylynne Truong and Brynna Maxwell were selected All-WCC First Team. Eliza Hollingsworth was tabbed All-WCC Second Team.

is second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (40.4) and third in the NCAA in assists per game (20.1). GU led the league in scoring at 82.9 ppg and win margin at 22.3. In Conference games only, the Zags finished with a staggering win margin of 30.7 ppg.

The No. 1 seeded Zags will begin the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas on March 11 with a noon tipoff against a foe to be determined.

All-WCC Women’s Basketball Major Individual Honors

Coach of the Year — Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga

Player of the Year — Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga

Newcomer of the Year — Freja Werth, Santa Clara

Defensive Player of the Year — Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga

Sixth Woman of the Year — Maud Huijbens, Gonzaga

All-WCC First Team

Yvonne Ejim, sr., F, Gonzaga; Debora dos Santos, jr., F, San Francisco; Jasmine Gayles, gr., G, San Francisco; Tess Heal, so., G, Santa Clara; Anaya James, jr., G, Pacific; Brynna Maxwell, gr., G, Gonzaga; Olivia Pollerd, jr., F, Santa Clara; Emme Shearer, jr., G, Portland; Kayleigh Truong, gr., G, Gonzaga; Kaylynne Truong, gr., G, Gonzaga.

All-WCC Second Team

Zeryhia Aokuso, fr., G, Saint Mary's; Maisie Burnham, jr., G, Portland; Elizabeth Elliott, jr., C, Pacific; Veronica Sheffey, so., G, San Diego; Eliza Hollingsworth, gr., F, Gonzaga.

All-WCC Freshman Team

Dyani Ananiev, G, Portland; Zeryhia Aokuso, G, Saint Mary's; Maia Jones, G, Saint Mary's; Maddie Naro, G, Santa Clara; Jorynn Ross, F, Pepperdine.

All-WCC Honorable Mention 

Ali Bamberger, Saint Mary's; Cecilia Holmberg, Pacific; Alexis Mark, LMU; Jane Nwaba, Pepperdine.

WCC MEN

Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, Ryan Nembhard, and Anton Watson were named First Team All-West Coast Conference, the league announced Tuesday. Nolan Hickman earned second-team honors and Braden Huff was tabbed All-Freshman.

All five major individual awards — along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team — were voted on solely by the league's 10 head coaches.

ALL-WCC MEN

Individual Awards

Coach of the Year — Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's

Player of the Year — Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary's

Defensive Player of the Year — Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's

Freshman of the Year — Ryan Beasley, San Francisco

Newcomer of the Year — Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco

Sixth Man of the Year — Deuce Turner, San Diego

All-Conference Team

First Team

Michael Ajayi, Pepperdine; Adama-Alpha Bal, Santa Clara; Graham Ike, Gonzaga; Aidan Mahaney, Saint Mary's; Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary's; Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco; Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga; Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's; Anton Watson, Gonzaga; Marcus Williams, San Francisco.

Second Team

Alex Ducas, Saint Mary's; Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga; Wayne McKinney III, San Diego; Tyler Robertson, Portland; Deuce Turner, San Diego.

Honorable Mention

Joshua Jefferson, Saint Mary’s; Houston Mallette, Pepperdine; Carlos Marshall Jr., Santa Clara; Alex Merkviladze, LMU; Ndewedo Newbury, San Francisco; Jevon Porter, Pepperdine; Malik Thomas, San Francisco; Christoph Tilly, Santa Clara

All-Freshman Team

Ryan Beasley, San Francisco; Jake Ensminger, Santa Clara; Tyler Harris, Portland; Braden Huff, Gonzaga; Kevin Patton Jr., San Diego.