2024-25 WAC WBB Week 18 Release

ONE WEEK TIL WACVEGAS
Week 18 will mark the final slate of regular season WAC-play as the league looks forward to the 2025 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament that begins in less than a week. Grand Canyon has locked up the No. 1 seed in the tournament as Utah Tech and Seattle U will head to the Burns Arena to compete in the opening round on Tuesday, March 11 at 12 PM MT.
 
GRAND CANYON LOCKS OUTRIGHT TITLE WITH 25TH STRAIGHT WIN; ADF ON RECORD WATCH
Grand Canyon has extended its historic winning streak to 25 games after wins against UT Arlington and Seattle U. The victory over the Lady Mavs clinched the No. 1 WACVegas seed for the Lopes as well as the outright regular season title. Senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas increased her season total of 3-pointers to 105 at the end of the week, just nine away from the WAC record of 114 made 3-pointers set by Becky Hammond of Colorado State in 1998-99. With two more regular season games along with the postseason tournament, Durazo-Frescas has a very good chance to rewrite the WAC record books.
 
THE BATTLE FOR SECOND
With the No. 1 seed secured by the Lopes, the attention now turns to the fight for the second through sixth seeds. California Baptist (9-5), Tarleton State (9-5), UT Arlington (9-6), Utah Valley (8-6) and Abilene Christian (8-6) all have the opportunity to lock up the second seed as the teams are separated by one game. Tiebreakers start with the head-to-head matchups followed by the resume seeding system.
 
WILDCATS AND WOLVERINES HEATING UP
Abilene Christian and Utah Valley have turned up the heat as the league inches close to the postseason as both the Wildcats and Wolverines have won their last three games. ACU has won six of its last seven contests including defeating the previously second and third place teams in the WAC standings, Tarleton State and UT Arlington last weekend. UVU's is coming off a lone win last week against Southern Utah 53-48 to grow their winning streak to three games. The Wildcats and Wolverines will meet on Thursday, March 6 as part of the battle for the second and higher seeds in the WAC Basketball Tournament.
 
SAMANTHA JOHNSTON: SUU IRONMAN
In last Thursday's win versus Utah Tech, Southern Utah's Samantha Johnston broke the all-time program record for most games played as a Thunderbird with 137. Johnston began her career as a Thunderbird back in the 2020-21 season as a freshman and has spent the last five years with the SUU squad that included a WAC Championship back in 2022-23. Johnston has started in 106 of 138 Southern Utah games and is currently at 999 career points scored. She holds a career field goal percentage of 33.9 percent (322-of-950) and 3-point percentage of 32.2 percent (259-of-804).
 
ONE FINAL RIDE AT WISDOM GYM FOR THE TEXANS
After 55 years of hosting Tarleton State Basketball, the Texans' women's basketball team will play its final ever game at Wisdom Gym this Thursday, March 6 against California Baptist. The women's squad will tip off the Wisdom Farewell Tour and the men's team will play the last ever game on the court on Saturday.