BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team returns to Carver Gym this week hosting a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games on WECU Court.

 

The No. 21/16 nationally-ranked Vikings are 10-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play heading into home games against Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, with both games featuring a 7 pm tip-off. 

 

WWU returns to Carver Gym after going 3-2 during a five-game road trip to California (3 games) and Alaska (2 games), taking a perfect 6-0 record in home games into the contests against the Wildcats and Nighthawks. This week's games mark the first home games since December 2 against Simon Fraser.

 

The Vikings feature one of the top defenses in the nation limiting opponents to a .331 field goal percentage to rank No. 6 in NCAA II and are holding opponents to 55.9 points per game (No. 16 in NCAA II). 

 

Western is ranked No. 16 in the D2CSC media poll, tied for No. 21 in the WBCA coaches poll and continues to hold the No. 2 ranking in the West Region just behind Montana State Billings. The Vikings early-season 2-1 conference record is tied for 3rd in the GNAC standings.

 

Senior All-American forward Brooke Walling continues to lead the Vikings in several statistical categories averaging 16.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game. Walling leads the GNAC with a .639 field goal percentage (92-for-144) and is also the top rebounder in the conference.

 

Senior Steph Peterson has been excelling in her final collegiate season ranking second in the GNAC averaging a team-best 2.4 steals per game and third with 3.6 assists per game. Peterson is 56 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career. Junior guard Riley Dykstra is coming off a 20-point performance vs. Alaska Fairbanks and is averaging 9.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Dykstra ranks second in the GNAC shooting .432 from three-point range (19-for-44). Sophomore guard Mason Oberg missed last week's games in Alaska but is averaging 12.5 points and 2.8 assists per game. 

 

WWU's balanced offense features six players averaging at least 7.0 points per game. The Vikings also lead the conference shooting .445 as a team (332-for-746) and ranks third averaging 39.9 rebounds per game.

 

Following home games vs. CWU and NNU, the Vikings are back on the road next week traveling to play at Saint Martin's and Western Oregon. Including this week, six of the Vikings next eight games will be played on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

 

The Vikings carry a perfect 6-0 home record into action this week and have won 38 of their last 42 games on WECU Court combining to go 38-4 since the 2019-20 season.

 

Here is a list of promotions and events for this week's games in Carver Gym:

 

• Thursday vs. CWU – Free Hot Chocolate and Brownies pregame to first 350 fans, WWU Basketball Alumni pregame event, clothing drive donating gently-used items for WWU entities, raffle giveaway includes gift cards (Doordash & Starbucks, Sprocket printer, AirPods Pro Max), free WWU student admission.
• Saturday vs. NNU – Clothing drive donating gently-used items for WWU entities, free WWU student admission, gift card raffle giveaway (Doordash & Haggen).

 

Prior to Thursday's home game vs. Central Washington, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni will be sponsoring a pregame treat of free hot chocolate and brownies to the first 350 fans. The goodies will be handed out in the lobby of Carver Gym.

Here is a look at the series history between WWU and opponents this week:

 

• Central Washington: WWU has won three straight and four of last five games vs. CWU…swept season series last year winning 82-70 in Moses Lake (CWU gym renovation) and 78-60 in Carver Gym…WWU leads the all-time series 101-17 with a 12-7 advantage in the last 19 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season.
• Northwest Nazarene: WWU swept the season series over NNU in 2022-23 winning 86-70 in Nampa and 73-41 in Carver Gym…marked first regular-season sweep over NNU since 2017…Vikings lead the all-time series 34-17 with an 18-7 record vs. the Nighthawks in home games.

 

Thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, all current WWU students will receive free admission to all regular-season athletic events in Carver Gym and at Harrington Field. Students just need to show their W card at the door and then head over to the WECU Student Section to cheer on the Viks. 

 

Parking for all WWU home events in Carver Gym is free and now located in the 19G Lot by the Student Recreation Center. Season ticket parking will be in the 9G lot. A parking map is available at wwuvikings.com.

WWU's conference games this week in Alaska will feature live webcasts on YouTube provided by Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage. All live links are available at wwuvikings.com/Live. All home games during the 2023-24 season will stream live on YouTube via Vikings TV and every away GNAC game contest will feature a webcast on YouTube produced by the visiting team. To watch WWU home matches on your Smart TV, navigate to the YouTube application and search for WWU Athletics, or for away games search for the opposing school's YouTube channel (example: Alaska Anchorage Athletics). All WWU links to follow the Vikings online can be found online, but be sure to bookmark the following links for easy access:

 

• Vikings TV (WWU home matches)
• GNAC Live Streams
• Direct Link to watch WWU games (wwuvikings.com/WBB_Watch)
• Direct Link to follow WWU games via live stats (wwuvikings.com/WBB_Stats)

 

WWU heads into the week as one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking 6th in NCAA II limiting opponents to a .331 field goal percentage and recording a national-best 6.5 blocked shots per game. The Vikings are also listed No. 16 in the nation holding opponents to 55.9 points per game.

WWU enters this week ranked No. 16 in the D2CSC (College Sports Communicators) National Poll, tied for No. 21 in the WBCA Coaches Poll, and No. 2 in the West Region. The Vikings have appeared in each of the last 40 regular-season national rankings.

 

Following this week's slate of home games hosting Central Washington (Thursday) and Northwest Nazarene (Saturday) in 7 pm games on WECU Court in Carver Gym, the Vikings are back on the road next week with games at Saint Martin's (Jan. 18, 5:15 pm) and Western Oregon (Jan. 20, 2 pm). The complete 2023-24 WWU women's basketball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/23-24_WBB.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2023-24 season:

 

 

If you don't read anything past this portion of the preview on the Vikings, you should find out everything you need to know on the Vikings in the following bullet points:

 

• The Record – Off to a 10-3 start to the season (2-1 in GNAC play) with 2-1 record against ranked opponents.
• Home Sweet Home – Perfect 6-0 record on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season…over last five seasons (since 2019-20) WWU is 38-4 in home games.
• National Polls – Current national rankings of No. 21 (WBCA) and No. 16 (D2CSC).
• High West Region Ranking – Holds No. 2 spot in D2CSC West Regional Poll.
• All Around Brooke – Brooke Walling leads the team in scoring (16.9), rebounds (9.8), blocked shots (2.8) and field goal percentage (.639/92-for-144)…paces the GNAC with seven double-doubles while ranking 4th in scoring average, 1st in rebounding, 1st in field goal pct., and 2nd in blocked shots.
• Steph's Steals and Assists – Senior Stephanie Peterson is 2nd in the GNAC averaging 2.4 steals per game and 3rd with 3.6 assists per game.
• 3 for THREE – Junior Riley Dykstra is shooting .432 from three-point range (19-for-44) to rank 2nd in the GNAC…also 11th overall in the conference with a .479 field goal pct. (46-for-96) and averaging 9.0 points per game while starting all 13 games.
• Road Trippin – Back home this week after playing five consecutive road games in California (3 games) and Alaska (2 games).
• Double Doubles – Brooke Walling has recorded seven double-doubles through the first 13 games of the season to lead the GNAC…23 double-doubles during WWU career, including 11 in 2022-23.
• Always Dancing – Made 19th NCAA Championships appearance in 24 possible seasons in 2022-23.
• Back-to-Back GNAC Champions – Won 2021-22 and 2022-23 GNAC regular-season titles.
• That's a SWAT – Leads all of NCAA II averaging 6.5 blocked shots per game (84 total blocked shots).
• Defensive Lockdown – Ranks 6th in NCAA II in opponent field goal percentage holding opponents to .331 from the field (260-for-785)…also limiting teams to 56.9 points per game to lead the GNAC and rank No. 16 in NCAA II.
• On the Mark – Leads the GNAC and ranks No. 31 NCAA II with .445 field goal percentage (332-for-746).
• Postseason Pulse – Program has played in the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 48 of 51 possible seasons.
• Coach Dolfo – Head Coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 33rd season leading the program and 40th overall associated with WWU Basketball as a student-athlete and coach…all-time record of 677-258 (.724)…23 seasons with 20+ wins.

 

Senior Brooke Walling crossed the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career with a three-pointer at the 6:05 mark in the second quarter in WWU's Dec. 16 game at Cal State East Bay. Walling has combined for 1,054 points in 126 collegiate games, with 913 in 70 games with the Vikings (13.0 ppg). She began her collegiate career at Fresno State totaling 141 points in 56 games for the Bulldogs.

Here is an updated look at the 2023-24 GNAC Women's Basketball standings heading into this week's action:

 

 

The WWU roster once again shows a pair of Dykstra's, but this year it features cousins Riley (junior guard) and Demi (freshman guard). Riley teamed with her older sister Avery (graduated last year) the last three years playing together in a pair of NCAA Championships appearances. Riley and Demi are the latest in a long line of Dykstra family members that have had a big impact on WWU Athletics. Uncle Grant was a Division II Basketball All-American in 2005-06 and won the 2006 V Foundation Comeback award. Demi's father, Greg, was an all-conference football player, and mother, Kelly, was an all-conference basketball player. The Dykstra cousins are local products that prepped at Lynden Christian, playing two years in high school together.

 

Over the last four seasons (since 2019-20), the Vikings have combined to go 87-22 for a .798 winning percentage. WWU is the two-time defending GNAC regular-season champions and played in the 2022 NCAA II National Championship Game.

Seniors Brooke Walling (transfer from Fresno State) recently reached 1,000 career collegiate points and Steph Peterson (transfer from Cameron) is nearing the milestone scoring mark. Here is a look at their collegiate points nearing the scoring milestone:

 

• Brooke Walling (1054 points – 913 in 70 games at WWU, 141 in 56 games at Fresno State)
• Steph Peterson (944 points – 181 in 41 games at WWU, 763 in 73 games at Cameron)

 

Here is a listing of individual honors for Viking players during the 2023-24 season:

 

Brooke Walling:

• WWU Veterans Day Classic MVP
• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team
• Preseason All-GNAC & GNAC Player of the Year
• GNAC Player of the Week (Nov. 6-12 & Dec. 11-19)

Stephanie Peterson:

• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team

Riley Dykstra: 

• WWU Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team
• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team
• Preseason All-GNAC

Mason Oberg:

• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team
• Preseason All-GNAC

Aspen Garrison:

• WWU Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team

WWU is coming off a double GNAC Championship season in 2022-23, winning both the regular season and postseason conference titles. WWU won its sixth GNAC regular-season title, adding to championships won 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 and again last season.

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2023-24 season heading into home games vs. CWU and NNU:

 

 

The Vikings reached the 20-win mark (24-4) in 2022-23, marking the 37th 20-win season in the 52-year history of the program, and 23rd in 32 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo.

 

The two-time defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion WWU women's basketball team will open the 2023-24 season picked to finish runner-up in the annual preseason coaches poll. The Vikings are coming off an impressive 24-4 season, winning the league title with a 16-2 record and claiming the GNAC Tournament title with an instant-classic 76-71 win over Montana State Billings in the final on WECU Court in Carver Gym. Making its third consecutive trip to the NCAA postseason, Western was upended in the first round of the West Regional by Azusa Pacific. MSUB was picked to finish just ahead of WWU in the GNAC preseason poll with 94 points and five first-place votes. Western was just back of the Yellowjackets with 91 points and four first-place votes. Alaska Anchorage picked up the final first-place vote in the No. 3 spot with 75 points. Simon Fraser (68) and Central Washington (66) round out the top five.

 

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 33rd season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 677-258 (.724) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Entering the 2023-24 season, Dolfo ranked 11th all-time in NCAA II in wins. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 19 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 23 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 2023-24 coaching staff includes 12th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Bobbi Westendorf, volunteer assistant Mike Li, and student assistants George Irwin, Ben Allen and Grant Brewer.

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 677 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 1109-393 for a career winning percentage of .738.

 

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in 10 of the last 14 full seasons, and 37 times in the 52-year history of the program. WWU has 23 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 677, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 19 of 24 possible seasons at the Division II level with three trips to the Elite Eight (last in 2022) and played in the 2022 national championship game. The program has 1,109 all-time wins in the 53-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.