United Athletic Conference

 

Utah Valley's Nehaa Sohail has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for November 23-29.

 

Sohail, a redshirt junior forward from El Paso, Texas, helped lead the Wolverines to a 58-47 win over Southern Utah as she posted her first career double-double. She finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds, reaching career-highs in both categories. Sohail helped propel the Wolverines to victory as nine of her 16 points came in the fourth quarter. She also shot 80 percent from the line and added in three assists, two blocks and a steal in UVU's season-opener.

 

Other nominees included: California Baptist's Ane Olaeta averaged a league-best 6.5 assists over the weekend and also poured in 17 points in a win over UC Irvine… Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell put up a career-high 21 points while also snagging seven boards to lead the Lopes to victory over Weber State… Seattle U's McKenzi Williams recorded back-to-back 20-point games while also hitting a nation's best 21 free throws during the Redhawks' opening weekend… Tarleton's Iyana Dorsey led the way for the Texans, averaging 17.5 points on 75 percent shooting in a pair of games over the weekend… UT Rio Grande Valley's Halie Jones led the Vaqueros with 12 points in the season-opener at Texas Tech.

 

Week two of the season tipped off Monday and includes 13 more scheduled games. Chicago State hosted DePaul while UT Rio Grande Valley traveled to UTSA. UTRGV turns around and hosts Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Wednesday while California Baptist heads to San Diego State, Tarleton is at home against Bacone College, Chicago State sees Illinois Chicago and Utah Valley battles Idaho State to end the day.

 

Thursday's lone matchup pits Seattle U against Utah State at the Redhawk Center while Chicago State takes on Oakland on Friday. Saturday, UT Rio Grande Valley travels to Texas Southern, Tarleton heads to Lamar, Grand Canyon hosts Loyola Marymount, Utah Valley hosts UNLV and California Baptist is at home against UC Riverside. Seattle U caps off the weekend with a road trip to Portland on Sunday.

 

Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring offense (93.0) and turnover margin (+16.0). Utah Valley and California Baptist are tied for the league's top scoring defense, allowing just 47 points per game. The Lancers also have the best scoring margin (+34.0), rebounding offense (55.5), rebounding margin (+12.0), blocked shots (6.5), assists (22.0), assist to turnover ratio (1.5), defensive rebounds (42.5) and three-pointers made (9.0). NM State sits atop the conference in three-point percentage (.469) steals per game (13.5) and offensive rebounds (18.5). Chicago State leads the WAC in free throw percentage (.778) while Tarleton leads in field goal percentage (.505). 

 

Individually, Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell leads the conference in scoring at 21 points per game. She also is tied for the league lead in free throw percentage (1.000) and three-point percentage (1.000). The Lopes Venla Varis and Chicago State's Christiana Britter are also perfect from the charity stripe while the Cougars Precious Adediran and Utah Valley's Eleyana Tafisi are perfect from three. Utah Valley's Nehaa Sohail is the top rebounder, pulling down 11 boards per game. Sohail is also tied with teammate Josie Williams for the lead in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). Grand Canyon's Kennedi Shorts has the best field goal percentage (.800) and California Baptist's Ane Olaeta paces the league in assists per game (6.5) and steals per game (4.5). The Lancers' Nicole Avila-Ambrosi, NM State's Soufia Inoussa and Tarleton's Emily Cunningham each average 2.5 three-pointers per game to lead the conference. Tarleton's Callie Boyles' 3.0 blocks per game is good for the league lead and Chicago State's Laura Segues holds the best assist/turnover ratio (4.0). California Baptist's Caitlyn Harper leads in offensive rebounds per game (4.5) and Chicago State's Ana Haklicka leads the WAC in minutes played (39.0).

 

Preseason WAC Player of the Year Ane Olaeta had a strong start to her 2020-21 campaign as she led CBU to a pair of wins over the weekend. After leading the WAC in assists a season ago she is back on top once again, averaging 6.5 assists per game. Olaeta also looked sharp on the defensive side of the ball as she posted a career-high seven steals in the Lancers win over UC Irvine. Olaeta ranked second in steals per game among CBU last year and currently leads the league in steals per game (4.5).

 

Grand Canyon Head Coach Molly Miller collected her first win as the Lopes leader as GCU toppled Weber State 93-72. In the Lopes first outing with Miller at the helm, Grand Canyon set a team Division I-era scoring record and tied the team DI-era record for turnovers forced (27).

 

Utah Valley was scheduled to open the season at Utah on Nov. 25, but with Ute athletics put on pause due to COVID-19, the in-state battle was cancelled. With Southern Utah also suffering a cancelLed game against Utah, the Wolverines were able to fit in a game with the Timberwolves. In the short notice matchup, TicketSmarter WAC Player of the Week Nehaa Sohail posted her first career double double to lead Utah Valley over SUU 58-47.

 

With the Aggies unable to compete in front of their home crowd in Las Cruces, N.M., they packed their bags and relocated to Tucson. In their temporary home at LEAD Athletics, NM State collected their first win of the season, dominating Park University Gilbert (Ariz.) 92-38.

 

California Baptist's Ane Olaeta returns for her senior season after leading the WAC in assists (6.0). The WAC Preseason Player of the Year is also the leagues leading scorer amongst returners as she finished ninth a year ago, averaging 12.2 points per game. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham is also back after leading the conference in three-point percentage (.427). 

 

Utah Valley has been named the favorite to win the 2020-21 women's basketball title and California Baptist's Ane Olaeta was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.

 

After finishing second in the conference a year ago, the Wolverines earned the top spot with 57 points and two first-place votes in the preseason poll. California Baptist collected four first-place votes and tallied 55 points, followed by Grand Canyon with two first-place votes and 47 points. NM State garnered the final first-place vote and a total of 45 points as they were picked to finish fourth while UT Rio Grande Valley came in just behind the Aggies with 44 points. Seattle U claimed sixth with 29 points. Newcomer Tarleton followed the Redhawks to capture the seventh spot with Dixie State and Chicago State rounding out the group.

 

Olaeta is atop the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. The senior guard is joined on the first team by Utah Valley's Josie Williams and Maria Carvalho, UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham and Aaliyah Prince of NM State.

 

Second team honors went to Grand Canyon's Laura Piera, NM State's Soufia Inoussa, Tarleton's Alexa Hoy and Seattle U's duo Courtney Murphy and McKenzi Williams.

 

The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media have selected California Baptist as the preseason favorites to be named the 2020-21 conference champions while the Lancers' Ane Olaeta was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

 

In just their third year in the league, California Baptist earned five first-place votes and 61 points from the media to capture the top spot. Utah Valley came in just behind CBU with 60 points and received one first-place vote. UT Rio Grande Valley collected the third spot as they earned 56 points while NM State picked up a first-place vote to put them in fourth with 53 points. The media gave the fifth spot to Seattle U with 41 points. Grand Canyon tallied the final first-place vote and 39 points to finish sixth, followed by Tarleton in seventh, Dixie State in eighth and Chicago State in ninth.

 

Olaeta leads the group of Preseason All-WAC award getters and is joined by teammate Britney Thomas. UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham, Utah Valley's Maria Carvalho and NM State's Aaliyah Prince are also among the first-team honorees.

 

Second-team selections include Utah Valley's Josie Williams, Seattle U's Courtney Murphy, California Baptist's Georgia Dale and Caitlyn Harper, and NM State's Soufia Inoussa.

 

There will be a total of four new faces among head coaches in the WAC. JD Gustin and Misty Wilson will lead newcomers Dixie State and Tarleton into the league, respectively. Chicago State brings in rookie head coach Tiffany Sardin to lead their program and Molly Miller, who currently holds the nation's best active winning percentage, will be at the helm for Grand Canyon.

 

With a fluid schedule that is bound to change, the WAC has 12 games against

teams that advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and four games against

teams that participated in the 2019 NIT. The complete list is below.

 

Nov. 28 Seattle U at Oregon, 11 a.m. PT

Nov. 30 Chicago State at DePaul, TBA

Dec. 1 BYU at Dixie State, 3 p.m. MT

Dec. 15 Utah Valley at BYU, 3 p.m. MT

 

Dec. 2 Utah Valley at Idaho State, TBA

Dec. 5 Loyola Marymount at Grand Canyon, 1 p.m. MT

Dec. 5 Tarleton at Lamar, 2 p.m. CT

Dec. 15 California Baptist at Pepperdine, 5 p.m. PT

Dec. 18 Prairie View A&M at UT Rio Grande Valley, 7 p.m. CT

Dec. 19 UT Arlington at UT Rio Grande Valley, 4 p.m. CT

Dec. 21 Seattle U at Idaho, 2 p.m. PT

 

The WAC adds two new schools as Dixie State and Tarleton join the conference. The Dixie State Trailblazers come over from the DII Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and while the Texans of Tarleton competed in the DII Lone Star Conference a year ago. The two newcomers are replacing CSU Bakersfield (Big West) and Kansas City (Summit League). Dixie and Tarleton join California Baptist as schools transitioning from Division II to Division I. The Lancers enter the third year in the WAC and will be eligible for NCAA postseason in the 2022-23 season. Dixie and Tarleton will complete their transition and be eligible for NCAA postseason play in 2024-25.

 

After COVID-19 cut the 2020 WAC Basketball Tournament short, the conference will head back to #WACVegas for the 2021 tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament will be held March 10-13 and will include all six NCAA-eligible teams as well as transitioning member California Baptist.