What Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier said after punching ticket to NCAA Tournament

Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga Bulldogs won the WCC Tournament championship for the first time since 2022, officially punching their ticket into the 2026 NCAA Tournament after defeating Oregon State, 76-66, at the Orleans Arena on Tuesday afternoon.

It will be Gonzaga's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years, and gives the team a little revenge on the Beavers after they eliminated the Zags in the WCC semifinals last year.

Gonzaga was once again anchored by superstar freshman Lauren Whittaker, who recorded 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Zags on her way to earning the WCC Tournament MVP Award.

Gonzaga came up clutch late, outscoring Oregon State 11-3 in the final 2:15 to turn a two point lead into a comfortable 10 point victory. The Zags went 9-10 from the free throw line and got key stops defensively - including a blocked three point shot by Taylor Smith with 30 seconds to go that sent the Orleans crowd into a frenzy.

Coach Fortier spoke about her young team's resilience in closing out a tough Oregon State squad, and what it means to get back to the big dance with this group:

On Gonzaga pulling away late

"We got a couple stops finally. We shot the ball really well from the free throw line in the end. We took care of the basketball, and that makes a huge difference. We have five free throw shooters out there, we have multiple ball handlers, both our forwards can handle the ball. I think we just did a good job of taking care of the ball in the end."

On Lauren Whittaker's dependability

"The best thing about Lauren is that it doesn't matter the stage. She's just going to go to work every second. Someone asked about the nerves, I think we're all aware of it, we try to downplay it a little bit, but she knows that she's gonna be at her best if she takes what they give her each time, and if she works hard, and she posts up every time. She's diligent, she's really good, and she just loves the work. I actually can't say enough about her, she's just really fun to be on the team with."

On officially punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament

"I think for these guys, none of them have done it. It's just so exciting to be in that situation where you get to dance. My kids are about to be too old to care about confetti, but they're not quite. So my daughter has a shirt full of confetti and that's the biggest win for me."

On recruiting Lauren Whittaker despite her torn ACL

"It just takes the right situation. When recruits are looking for a place to go, they should do their job to figure out what's a good fit. A lot of people pick schools for a lot of different reasons, and sometimes the setup could be terrible. There could be too many players at your position, or they don't play like you play. Lauren going to a place that doesn't play with forwards would have been a bad decision, but we play with forwards."

"We did know how good she was going to be. She picked the right spot, where she was gonna get the opportunity, she was going to get developed. We were going to believe in her and work through whatever she needed to work through."

On playing her final game in the WCC

"It's a little bit bittersweet. I love the West Coast Conference, and I love the Orleans, and I love the setup that we have here. The conference has been great to us. It was a great fit for Gonzaga. We're excited for what's next, but we're just going to be appreciative of all that we've gotten to do."

On the leadership of senior Ines Bettencourt

"What she did leaving Connecticut was something that alot of people think was a questionable decision. She was trying to find a great fit for her, she had different goals in mind. She did get to play in a Final Four when she was with them, and I think that she made the right choice when she was finding a place where she was going to be valued, and we were going to help her develop. We need everything that she does, she's our defensive anchor. She does such a good job guarding people. Today she stepped up and made quite a few baskets, but really she has been able to grow and lead our team this year with such a young group. [Bettencourt] led us the last couple weeks like a senior would. You can't replicate that. If I had to pick someone to be most happy for it would be her, that she didn't leave and then never get to do that [make the NCAA Tournament] again.