BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team always has high expectations heading into a season, and 2021-22 will be no different.
 
WWU has been voted No. 2 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, earning 89 total points to narrowly trail the 92 points obtained by preseason favorite Alaska Anchorage. UAA received seven of the 10 first-place votes, followed by two for WWU and one for Northwest Nazarene, who was picked to finish third with 70 poll points.
 
The Vikings return nearly the entire roster from the perfect 6-0 spring season and a bulk of the players that led the 2019-20 squad to the NCAA Division II Championships, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the tournament. WWU advanced to the finals of the GNAC Championships in 2019 after finishing the regular season third with a 14-6 record (22-9 overall). Head Coach Carmen Dolfo will lead the Vikings in her 31st season at WWU and is one of the winningest coaches at the NCAA level, with 618 career victories.
 
The Vikings return all but two players from last spring, highlighted by top scorer Mollie Olson (11.5 points per game, .439 FG% in 2020-21), along with senior guards Dani Iwami (9.2 points per game in 2020-21) and Emma Duff (7.5 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game in 2020-21). Guards Gracie Castaneda (95 career games) and sharp-shooter Monique Fierke round out the four-player senior class, with junior guard Avery Dykstra, junior forward Katrina Gimmaka and sophomore post player Carley Zaragoza adding to the wealth of talent returning for the 2021-22 season. The WWU coaching staff also brought in a deep recruiting class that features five freshmen and 6-3 sophomore forward Brooke Walling, who played the last two seasons at Fresno State.
 
The Vikings will officially begin preseason practices this week and open the exhibition schedule November 6 playing Oregon State University in Corvallis. WWU will also play a closed-door scrimmage against a Division I opponent and host Viking Madness on October 26 in Carver Gym to get ready for the upcoming season.
  The Vikings are listed No. 2 in the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving a pair of first-place votes and 89 total points.
 

2021-22 GNAC PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
Rk	Team	2020-21	2019-20 (Finish)	Pts.
1.	Alaska Anchorage (7)	3-0	31-2, 19-1 (1st)	92
2.	Western Washington (2)	6-0	22-9-14-6 (3rd)	89
3.	Northwest Nazarene (1)	7-7	22-7, 17-3 (2nd)	70
4.	Simon Fraser	DNP	18-13, 13-7 (t4th)	69
5.	Central Washington	0-2	19-11, 13-7 (t4th)	60
6.	Saint Martin's	7-6	14-13, 9-11 (t6th)	48
7.	Montana State Billings	5-3	14-16, 9-11 (t6th)	47
8.	Seattle Pacific	7-7	8-20, 6-14 (8th)	43
9.	Western Oregon	DNP	6-21, 3-17 (10th)	20
10.	Alaska Fairbanks	DNP	7-22, 2-18 (11th)	12
Votes awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis

  Head Coach: Carmen Dolfo (Western Washington, 1986, 618-245, 31st Season)
Assistant Coaches: Stacey Turrell, Bobby Westerndorf, Annalisa Fish
2020-21 Overall Record: 6-0                2019-20 Overall Record: 22-9                      GNAC Record (Finish): 14-6 (3rd)
Total Players Returning: 9                   Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Returning Starters: Mollie Olson (G, 5-10, Jr., Napavine, Wash. – Napavine, 2020-21: 11.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .439 FG Pct., .875 FT Pct., 18 assists, 9 blocks, 10 steals), Dani Iwami (G, 5-8, Sr., Seal Beach, Calif. – Hawaii Pacific, 2020-21: 9.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 18 assists), Emma Duff (G, 6-0, Sr., Tumwater, Wash. – Black Hills, 2020-21: 7.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, .846 FT Pct.), Avery Dykstra (G, 5-10, Jr., Everson, Wash. – Lynden Christian, 2020-21: 6.8 ppg, 3 rpg, .536 FG Pct., .429 3 Pt. Pct., 1.000 FT Pct. (8-8)
 
Other Returning Players: Katrina Gimmaka (F, 5-11, Jr., Everson, Wash.  – Nooksack Valley, 2020-21: 7.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .463 FG Pct.), Gracie Castaneda (G, 5-8, Sr., Arlington, Wash. – Arlington, 2020-21: 4.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Carley Zaragoza (C, 6-1, So., El Dorado, Calif. – Union Mine, 2020-21: 6.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, .576 FG Pct.), Monique Fierke (G, 5-7, Sr., Monroe, Wash. – Monroe, 2020-21: 2.2 ppg)
 
Key Losses: Kelsey Rogers (P), Maddison Coleman (G)
 
Top Freshmen: Riley Dykstra (G, 5-10, Everson, Wash. – Lynden Christian), Mason Oberg (G, 5-5, Vancouver, Wash. – Union), Truitt Reilly (C, 6-1, Silverton, Ore. – Silverton), Maddy Grandbois (G, 5-9, Marysville, Wash. – Marysville Getchell), Jamie Johnson (G, 5-10, Ferndale, Wash. – Ferndale)
 
Top Transfers: Brooke Walling (F, 6-3, So., Vancouver, Wash. – Fresno State)
  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in eight of the last 12 full seasons, and 35 times in the 50-year history of the program. WWU has 21 seasons of 20 or more wins under head coach Carmen Dolfo, who is the winningest coach of any sport at WWU and ranks among Division II active and all-time coaching leaders in wins with 618, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 16 of 21 seasons at the Division II level with two trips to the Final Four. The program has 1,050 all-time wins in the 50-year history of the program, and according to available records, is one of less than 20 women's college basketball team across all divisions and levels to reach the 1,000-victory milestone.