BELLINGHAM, Wash. – It's taken over 1000 days, but at long last, the Western Washington University women's basketball team will get the chance to play a game in Hawai'i.
 
WWU advanced to play in the 2020 NCAA Division II West Regional Championships as the No. 7 seed and was scheduled to play No. 2 seed Alaska Anchorage on March 13, 2020 at The Shark Tank in Honolulu. That game would never happen with the beginning of the global pandemic, but nearly three years later the Vikings return to O'ahu to play three games in the Hoops in Hawai'i Classic this weekend.
 
The Vikings enter the three-game tournament with a 5-1 record (and a five-game winning streak) and are ranked in the top 10 nationally at No. 8 (D2SIDA – Media) and No. 10 (WBCA – Coaches). WWU is coming off a GNAC championship season in 2021-22, making a historic postseason run to play in the national title game.
 
After dropping the opening game this season in a one-point loss to No. 21 Azusa Pacific, the Vikings have rattled off five consecutive victories, with the latest a nine-point 69-60 win over Simon Fraser on December 3 to open conference play.
 
The Vikings are led by junior forward Brooke Walling who is averaging a double-double with 14.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Walling is shooting .544 from the field (37-for-68) and also contributing 3.3 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. Senior guard Avery Dykstra is second on the team averaging 9.8 points per game and has been clutch at the free throw line going 18-for-19 from the charity stripe (.947).
 
WWU's balanced offensive attack features six players averaging at least 6.0 points per game.
 
The Vikings have been winning games with their defense, holding opponents to 53.2 points per game to rank No. 8 in the nation for scoring defense. WWU is also listed No. 3 in rebound margin (+13.5) and tied for 5th in rebounds per game (46.0).
 
Following the three-game trip to Hawai'i the Vikings return to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play hosting nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage on December 29 (7 pm) and Alaska Fairbanks on December 31 (2 pm) on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
 
The complete 2022-23 WWU women's basketball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/22-23_WBB.
 

THIS WEEK IN WWU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Friday, December 16	Live Coverage
at Hawai'i Pacific  »  5 pm PT/3 pm HT  »  Honolulu, HI  »  The Shark Tank	📊 LiveStats   🎥 Webcast
Sunday, December 18	Live Coverage
vs. Fairmont State  »  7 pm PT/5 pm HT  »  Honolulu, HI  »  The Shark Tank	📊 LiveStats   🎥 Webcast
Monday, December 19	Live Coverage
vs. Chaminade  »  8:15 pm PT/6:15 pm HT  »  Honolulu, HI  »  The Shark Tank	📊 LiveStats   🎥 Webcast

 CELEBRATE NEW YEAR'S WITH THE VIKINGS
WWU returns to Carver Gym for a pair of key GNAC home games December 29 (7 pm) and 31 (2 pm) hosting the Alaska schools. Each game will feature a canned food drive offering free admission by donating a non-perishable food item. Free admission will also be offered for WWU faculty and staff and all youth that wear their favorite sports jersey will gain free admission. And each game will feature a free big-ticket giveaway with a raffle for an iPad and Air Pods.
  Here is a look at the series history between WWU and its opponents this week at the Hoops in Hawai'i Holiday Classic:

• Hawai'i Pacific: WWU leads all-time series 1-0…defeated the Sharks 64-62 on a last-second shot by Kiana Gandy at the O'ahu Thanksgiving Classic (11/27/15).
• Fairmont State: First meeting between two schools.
• Chaminade: Vikings are 1-0 vs. the Silverswords recording a 61-53 victory at the O'ahu Thanksgiving Classic in 2015.

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2022-23 season:
 

RECORD BREAKDOWN
Overall	5-1
GNAC	1-0
Non-Conference	4-1
Home	3-1
Away	2-0
Neutral	0-0
vs. Ranked Teams	1-1
Leading at Half	5-1
Trailing at Half	0-0
Tied at Half	0-0
Overtime	0-0
BY UNIFORM
White	3-0
Black	2-1
Navy	0-0

The Vikings are making a return trip to O'ahu for a regular season tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 season. WWU played Chaminade and Hawai'i Pacific in a pair of games over the Thanksgiving holiday break. The Vikings were scheduled to play in the 2020 West Regional Championship in March 2020 before it was canceled due to the start of the COVID 19 pandemic.
  Junior forward Brooke Walling has been filling the stat sheet this season ranking amongst GNAC leaders in several categories. Here is a look at where Walling is listed in the GNAC and NCAA II this season:

• Blocked Shots: 2.2 blocks per game (1st in GNAC, 10th in NCAA II)
• Scoring: 14.5 points per game (11th in GNAC)
• Rebounding: 11.2 rebounds per game (2nd in GNAC, 12th in NCAA II)
• FG Pct: .544/37-for-68 (4th in GNAC, 43rd in NCAA II)
• Assists: 3.3 assists per game (6th in GNAC)
• Steals: 1.7 steals per game (T-13th in GNAC)
• Double-Doubles: 3 (2nd in GNAC)

Senior guard Avery Dykstra is 18-for-19 from the free throw line this season to rank 5th in NCAA II with a .947 free throw percentage. Even more impressive is that Dykstra is perfect 12-for-12 in the last five minutes of games this season from the charity stripe.
  Here is a list of Vikings current national and West Region rankings:

• WBCA NCAA II Coaches Poll: #10
• D2SIDA NCAA II Media Poll: #8
• D2SIDA West Region Media Poll: #1
• GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll: #1 (8 of 10 first-place votes)

The Vikings hold the top spot in the current D2SIDA West Region Media Poll:
 

Rk	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.	Prev.
1.	Western Washington (4)	5-1	45	1
2.	Montana State Billings (1)	10-1	43	2
3.	Azusa Pacific	9-2	36	3
	Central Washington	8-1	36	4
5.	Cal State San Marcos	7-1	32	6
6.	Alaska Anchorage	8-1	28	5
7.	Cal State Dominguez Hills	8-0	25	7
8.	Cal Poly Pomona	6-2	14	8
9.	Northwest Nazarene	6-2	9	9
10.	Cal State Los Angeles	5-3	3	RV

The Vikings landed a league-high four players on the 2022-23 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team. Junior forward Brooke Walling, senior guard Mollie Olson, senior guard Avery Dykstra and sophomore guard Riley Dykstra were all selected following their GNAC Championships victory and run to the NCAA Division II Championship title game last season.
  WWU entered the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA II West Regional, but went on a five-game winning streak – knocking off four higher seeded teams – to play for the national championship. The Vikings battled Glenville State in the championship game at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, falling 85-72 to earn national runner-up honors. Marked the Vikings third trip to the Elite 8 and first since 2013. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Championships in 18 of 23 possible seasons.
  The Vikings reached the 20-win mark (25-6) in 2021-22, marking the 36th 20-win season in the 51-year history of the program, and 22nd in 31 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo. In addition to several NCAA Tournament and Elite 8 appearances that hang in the rafters in Carver Gym, WWU added a fifth GNAC Championships regular-season banner last season. The Vikings claimed the GNAC regular-season title in 2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2021-22. WWU also won back-to-back GNAC Tournament titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
  Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 32nd season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 648-252 (.720) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Entering the 2022-23 season, Dolfo ranked 13th all-time in NCAA II in wins. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 18 trips to the NCAA Championships and a trio 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 22 seasons with 20-or-more wins under Dolfo. She was named the 2021-22 GNAC Coach of the Year. That was her fifth GNAC honor and 12th Coach of the Year accolade overall. Dolfo was also a volleyball and basketball student-athlete at WWU in the 1980s.
  The 2022-23 coaching staff includes 11th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Bobbi Westendorf, volunteer assistants Annalisa Fish and Mike Li, and student assistant George Irwin.
  Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 648 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 1080-387 for a career winning percentage of .736.
  Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season heading into the three-game schedule at the Hoops in Hawai'i Classic:
 

Date	Opponent		Score	Top Scorer	Top Rebounder
11/18	#21 Azusa Pacific (Whatcom CC)	L	58-59	Walling (17)	Walling (11)
11/19	#12 Cal St. San Marcos (Whatcom CC)	W	63-46	Walling (16)	Walling (10)
11/25	Dominican (Lynda Goodrich Classic)	W	84-40	R. Dykstra (18)	Walling (11)
11/26	Bemidji State (Lynda Goodrich Classic)	W	68-50	Walling (21)	Walling (17)
11/29	at Point Loma	W	73-64	A. Dykstra (19)	Reilly (13)
12/3	at Simon Fraser (GNAC)	W	69-60	Walling (18)	Walling (8)
12/16	at Hawai'i Pacific (Hoops in Hawai'i Classic)			3:00 pm HT
12/18	vs. Fairmont State (Hoops in Hawai'i Classic)			5:00 pm HT
12/19	at Chaminade (Hoops in Hawai'i Classic)			6:15 pm HT
12/29	Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)			7:00 pm
12/31	Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)			2:00 pm
1/5	at Central Washington (GNAC)			5:15 pm
1/7	at Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)			5:15 pm MT
1/12	Saint Martin's (GNAC)			7:00 pm
1/14	Western Oregon (GNAC)			7:00 pm
1/19	at Seattle Pacific (GNAC)			7:00 pm
1/21	at Montana State Billings (GNAC)			7:00 pm MT
1/26	at Alaska Fairbanks (GNAC)			7:00 pm AKT
1/28	at Alaska Anchorage (GNAC)			7:00 pm AKT
2/2	Northwest Nazarene (GNAC)			7:00 pm
2/4	Central Washington (GNAC)			7:00 pm
2/9	at Western Oregon (GNAC)			5:15 pm
2/11	at Saint Martin's (GNAC)			5:15 pm
2/16	Montana State Billings (GNAC)			7:00 pm
2/18	Seattle Pacific (GNAC)			7:00 pm
2/23	Simon Fraser (GNAC)			7:00 pm
GNAC Basketball Championships – March 2-4 in Bellingham, WA (Carver Gym)

  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in nine of the last 13 full seasons, and 36 times in the 52-year history of the program. WWU has 22 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 648, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 18 of 23 possible seasons at the Division II level with three trips to the Elite Eight (including 2022) and played in the 2022 national championship game. The program has 1,080 all-time wins in the 52-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.