BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's basketball team is back on the road with three games in the Bay Area to complete the non-conference portion of its 2021-22 schedule.

 

The Vikings are 7-0 to start the season and take a 13-game season-spanning winning streak into games this week against PacWest opponents Academy of Art (Tuesday, 6:30 pm), Dominican (Thursday, 5:30 pm) and Holy Names (Friday, 5:30 pm). All games on the road this week will feature a pay-per-view webcast and free live statistical updates, with direct links available at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

WWU has moved inside the national top 10 in both top 25 polls, climbing to No. 8 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and No. 10 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. This marks the Vikings highest national ranking in the coaches poll since being a consistent top-10 team and finishing the 2012-13 season at No. 3. 

 

The Vikings hot start is the best since winning the first nine games of the 1999-2000 season and the 13-game winning streak (includes 6-0 2021 spring season) is tied for the 10th-longest in program history.

 

Western's perfect 7-0 record includes a 5-0 mark away from Bellingham (all against West Region schools) and a win 22-point home victory over Simon Fraser to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. 

 

WWU has been winning games with its trademark defense, limiting opponents to 52.9 points per game, and by out-scoring opponents by an average of nearly 20 points per game. WWU is 5th in the nation with a +12.4 rebounding margin and 24th holding opponents to a .339 field goal percentage. Heading into games this week, WWU is one of 12 unbeaten NCAA Division II programs.

 

Senior Emma Duff leads the Vikings averaging 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50-percent from the field (.494/39-for-79). Duff enters this week 31 points shy of becoming the 28th player in program history to record 1,000 career points. Senior guard Dani Iwami is shooting 52.6% from 3-point range (10-for-19) to lead the conference and is also averaging 8.9 points and 2.9 assists per game. Freshman guard Riley Dykstra is averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, and sophomore forward Brooke Walling is 9th in the GNAC averaging 7.0 rebounds per game. 

 

WWU's overall balanced offense features seven players averaging at least 5.0 points per game, with every player on the roster (12 players) averaging at least eight minutes played per contest. 

 

 

Here is a look at the series history between WWU and its opponents during this week's three-game road trip to the Bay Area:

 

• Academy of Art: WWU has won both meetings between the two schools, last a 82-66 victory on Nov. 25, 2017 in Carver Gym.
• Dominican: First meeting.
• Holy Names: WWU won only meeting 89-57 on Nov. 26, 2016 at Whatcom Community College.

 

The Vikings moved up to No. 8 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and No. 10 in the WBCA Coaches Poll entering play this week. Marks WWU's highest ranking in any poll since cracking the top 10 in the media poll during the second week of February in 2017. The Vikings entered the top 10 in the coaches poll for the first time since concluding the 2012-13 season at No. 3 in the nation.

 

WWU is off to one of its best seasons in the last 20 years and has won its last 13 games dating back to the abbreviated 6-0 2020-21 season that was played in February and March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a look at the best winning streaks and starts to season in program history:

 

 

Here is a look at where WWU is listed in the official NCAA statistics rankings:

 

 

The three-game road trip to the Bay Area concludes the Vikings nine-game non-conference schedule, with the remaining 17 games all coming in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. WWU returns to WECU Court in Carver Gym for games vs. Western Oregon (Dec. 30) and Saint Martin's (Jan. 1), both featuring a 7 pm tip-off. The complete 2021-22 schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/21-22_WBB.

  

Senior Emma Duff has recorded a pair of double-doubles this season and now has nine in her career. For the season, Duff has started all seven games and leads the team averaging 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She enters this weekend's three-game road trip with 969 points, 31 shy of becoming the 28th player in program history to hit the 1,000-point milestone as a Viking.

 

Junior Avery Dykstra and freshman Riley Dykstra have proven to be a tough sister combination this season for the Vikings. Avery has started all seven games averaging 7.6 points while shooting 61.1% (22-for-36), and is tied for the team lead with eight steals. Riley is averaging 7.9 points on 21-for-40 shooting (.525) and is also averaging 5.0 rebounds per game.

 

Here is a look at the results for the Vikings in the first seven games of the 2021-22 season:

 

 

Senior guards Emma Duff and Dani Iwami rank in the top 15 in WWU program history for career 3-pointers made. Here is a list of the all-time leader since the rule was adopted in 1987-88:

 

 

Please note that all spectators ages 12 and older are required to provide proof of vaccination, including a CDC-issued Vaccination Record Card (or photo of the card) to enter ticketed events per WWU's updated fan policy for indoor events (went into place Oct. 18). Fans ages 12 and older who cannot provide proof of vaccination may present proof of negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours instead of proof of vaccination (for non-WWU students). WWU students need to show just their "Green Badge" that they are in good standing with the campus vaccination policy.

 

Fans wishing to purchase season tickets for the 2021-22 season can call the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6103 to reserve their seats for the upcoming season. 

 

WWU led the way with three selections to the 2021-22 GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team. Senior guards Dani Iwami and Emma Duff, along with sophomore transfer forward Brooke Walling were among the 15 players who were selected to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team based on voting by GNAC head coaches. Duff was one of nine unanimous selections to the team.

 

The Vikings have been voted No. 2 in the GNAC 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.

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 31st season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 621-245 (.717) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 17 trips to the NCAA Championships and a pair of Elite 8 appearances. She became the winningest coach in WWU Athletics history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279). Dolfo tallied her 600th career victory on January 11, 2020 vs. Seattle Pacific, in her 840th career game. Dolfo became the 36th active NCAA women's head coach across all divisions to join the 600-win club and is one of 73 women's coaches all-time in NCAA history to reach the milestone. WWU has recorded 21 seasons with 20-or-more wins under Dolfo.

 

The 2021-22 coaching staff includes 10th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, along with graduate assistant Bobbi Westendorf, volunteer assistant Annalisa Fishand student assistant George Irwin.

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 625 wins and Hall of Fame coach Lynda Goodrich totaling 411 wins leading the Vikings for 19 seasons from 1971-1990. The program owns an all-time record of 1057-380 for a career winning percentage of .736.

 

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 625, 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 1,057 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.