2015–16 West Coast Conference women's basketball season

The 2015–16 West Coast Conference women's basketball season began with practices in October 2015 and ended with the 2016 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena March 3–8, 2016 in Paradise, Nevada. The regular season started in November, with the conference schedule starting at the end of December.

This was the 31st season for WCC women's basketball, which began in the 1985–86 season when the league was known as the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC). It was also the 27th season under the West Coast Conference name (the conference began as the California Basketball Association in 1952, became the WCAC in 1956, and dropped the word "Athletic" in 1989).

Pre-season

 * Pre-season media day took place in October at the Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes Studios. Video interviews will be hosted on the WCC's streaming video outlet, TheW.tv, beginning at 11:30 AM PDT. Jeff Lampe of WCC Live interviewed each coach and got a preview of their respective season. The regional television schedule announcement, the Pre-season Conference team, and the pre-season coaches rankings were some of the additional events that took place.

2015–16 West Coast Women's Basketball Media Poll

 * Rank, School (first-place votes), Points
 * 1. Gonzaga (6), 78
 * 2. BYU (4), 76
 * 3. Saint Mary's, 61
 * 4. San Diego, 58
 * 5. San Francisco, 51
 * 6. Pacific, 40
 * 7. Santa Clara, 30
 * 8. Loyola Marymount, 25
 * 9. Pepperdine, 20
 * 10. Portland, 11

2015–16 West Coast Women's Preseason All-West Conference Team

 * Player, School, Yr., Pos.
 * Kylie Maeda, BYU, Sr., G
 * Lexi Eaton Rydalch, BYU, Sr., F
 * Shelby Cheslek, Gonzaga, Sr., C
 * Ellie Tinkle, Gonzaga, Sr., G
 * Sophie Taylor, Loyola Marymount, Sr., F
 * Hailie Eackles, Pacific, Sr., G
 * Shannon Mauldin, Saint Mary's, Sr., G
 * Lauren Nicholson, Saint Mary's, Sr., G
 * Malina Hood, San Diego, Sr., F
 * Taylor Proctor, San Francisco, Sr., F

College Sports Madness Preseason All-West Conference Team

 * Coach of the Year- Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
 * Player of the Year- Lexi Rydalch, BYU
 * Freshman of the Year- Andee Velsaco, Loyola Marymount

First Team
 * Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's
 * Malina Hood, G, San Diego
 * Elle Tinkle, G/F, Gonzaga
 * Taylor Proctor, F/C, San Francisco

Second Team
 * Hailie Eackles, G, Pacific
 * Shannon Mauldin, G, Saint Mary's
 * Zhane Dikes, G, San Francisco
 * Leslie Lopez-Wood, G/F, Loyola Marymount
 * Shelby Cheslek, F/C, Gonzaga

Rankings
The AP Poll does not do a post-season rankings. As a result, their last rankings are Week 19. The Coaches Poll does a post-season poll and the end of the NCAA Tournament.

Non-Conference games
BYU defeated #12/11 Texas A&M 72–64 to win the Tom Weston Invitational.

Composite Matrix
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play.

Conference tournament

 * March 3–8, 2016– West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament, Orleans Arena, Paradise, Nevada.

Head coaches
The 2015-16 season sees one new face in the WCC. Lynne Roberts left Pacific to become the new head coach at Utah.


 * Jeff Judkins, BYU
 * Lisa Mispley Fortier, Gonzaga
 * Charity Elliott, Loyola Marymount
 * Bradley Davis, Pacific
 * Ryan Weisenberg, Pepperdine
 * Cheryl Sorensen, Portland
 * Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's
 * Cindy Fisher, San Diego
 * Jennifer Azzi, San Francisco
 * JR Payne, Santa Clara

WCC Player-of-the-Week
The WCC player of the week awards are given each Monday.


 * Nov. 16- Sydney Raggio, F, Saint Mary's
 * Nov. 30- GeAnna Luaulu-Summers, G, Pacific & Morgan McGwire, F, Santa Clara
 * Dec. 14- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Dec. 28- Maya Hood, F, San Diego
 * Jan. 11- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU
 * Jan. 25- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU
 * Feb. 8- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Feb. 22- Marie Bertholdt, F, Santa Clara
 * Nov. 23- Malina Hood, G, San Diego
 * Dec. 7- Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's
 * Dec. 21- Ameela Li, G, Pacific
 * Jan. 4- Georgia Stirton, Gonzaga
 * Jan. 18- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU
 * Feb. 1- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Feb. 15- Taylor Proctor, F, San Francisco
 * Feb. 29- Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's

College Madness West Coast Player of the Week
College Madness WCC player of the Week Awards are given every Sunday.


 * Nov. 15 - Maya Hood, F, San Diego
 * Nov. 29 - Morgan McGwire, F, Santa Clara (also High Major Player of the Week)
 * Dec. 13 - Malina Hood, F, San Diego (also High Major Player of the Week)
 * Dec. 27 - Lori Parkinson, F, Santa Clara
 * Jan. 10 - Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Jan. 24 - Malina Hood, G, San Diego
 * Feb. 7 - Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Feb. 21 - Marie Bertholdt, F, Santa Clara
 * Nov. 22 - Malina Hood, F, San Diego
 * Dec. 6 - Taylor Proctor, F, San Francisco
 * Dec. 20 - Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's
 * Jan. 3 - Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Jan. 17 - Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU
 * Jan. 31 - Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU (also High Major Player of the Week)
 * Feb. 14 - Erica Ogwumike, G, Pepperdine
 * Feb. 28 - Maya Hood, F, San Diego

All West Coast Conference teams
Voting was by conference coaches:
 * Player of The Year: Lexi Rydalch, BYU
 * Newcomer of The Year: Kalani Purcell, BYU
 * Defensive Player of The Year: Maya Hood, San Diego
 * Coach of The Year: Jeff Judkins, BYU

College Sports Madness Selections
 * To be posted after the WCC Tournament.

All-Conference First team
College Sports Madness Selections
 * To be posted after the WCC Tournament.

All-Conference Second team
College Sports Madness Selections To be posted after the WCC Tournament.