Gonzaga women's basketball faces daunting non-conference schedule before Pac-12 debut

Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga women's basketball team head into the Pac-12 with a talented roster chock-full of continuity, looking to build off an excellent finish to last season.

The Zags will have plenty of chances to prepare for the added challenge of Pac-12 play after putting together an exceptionally strong non-conference slate, which was released Monday morning on social media.

Gonzaga is scheduled to play one exhibition game and 15 regular season matchups, and will play 16 games as part of the Pac-12 regular season: twice each against the other eight teams in the league.

Power opponents

Mar 29, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Talana Lepolo (10) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga will play four teams in the power conferences - two in the ACC in Stanford and Cal, one in the Big 12 in Arizona State, and one in the Big Ten in Michigan State.

Michigan State will be on Dec. 19 at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA, as part of a double-header with the men's program. Last year, the Spartans went 23-9, finished sixth in the Big Ten and earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, beating fellow Pac-12 school Colorado State in the opening round before falling to No. 4 Oklahoma in the Round of 32.

Gonzaga also continues its longstanding rivalry with Stanford, heading to Palo Alto to take on the Cardinal Nov. 15. Stanford went 21-14 last year and struggled to an 8-10 record in the ACC, but under new coach Kate Paye, this is a talented squad that will challenge the Zags very early in the season.

Gonzaga's other true road game vs. a Power 5 opponent will be in Tempe against Arizona State on Dec. 6. The Sun Devils were a play-in team last year, losing to Virginia after going 24-10 in coach Molly Miller's first season at the helm.

Cal is part of a two-game tournament, the North Shore Showcase in Hawaii, where Gonzaga will play Hawaii on Nov. 21 and the Golden Bears on Nov. 23.

Other key matchups

South Dakota State Jackrabbits women’s basketball cheers for their team at the bench during game against the Kansas City Roos on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at First Bank & Trust in Brookings, South Dakota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga has two other non-conference matchups against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year, including South Dakota State, which earned a No. 11 seed but got beaten badly, 72-54, by No. 6 Washington in the first round.

The Jackrabbits have long been among the best mid-major programs in women's college hoops, so it's no surprise to see these two teams continuing to battle it out. This year's game will be on Dec. 30 at the Kennel.

Idaho was a dominant force in the Big Sky, going 17-1 and cruising into the Big Dance, where they earned a No. 13 seed and lost in Round 1, 89-59, to Oklahoma. Gonzaga will host the Vandals on Nov. 6, the second home game of the season after bringing the Bison of North Dakota State to Spokane for the season opener on Nov. 2.

North Dakota State went 15-1 and won the Summit League regular season, but got bounced by South Dakota State in the conference tournament, giving Gonzaga another formidable mid-major opponent early - in this case, as early as possible - in the season.

Lastly, Gonzaga will face an old foe in LMU, which actually won the WCC last year with a 15-3 record before being bounced by Oregon State in the conference tournament. This former conference matchup will take place Dec. 10 in Spokane.

A first glimpse of coach Fortier's roster can be had on Oct. 10 at the annual Numerica FanFest. The doors will open at 1:00 PM for the free event.

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