BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team makes its annual trek North to Alaska for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference road games.

 

WWU opens its trip to the 49th state taking on Alaska Fairbanks (5-8, 0-5 GNAC) on Thursday and concludes Saturday taking on first-place Alaska Anchorage (14-2, 5-0 GNAC). Both games will feature a live and free webcast on YouTube with direct links available at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

The Vikings enter the week 9-6 overall and in 3rd place in the GNAC standings at 4-2. The team is coming off a home split vs. Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, dropping a 63-51 contest to the Nighthawks and storming back from a 13-point 4th quarter deficit vs. the Wildcats for a 67-65 victory.

 

Saturday's victory over CWU marked career win No. 700 for head coach Carmen Dolfo, becoming 13th NCAA Division II women's basketball coach to reach the 700-win milestone. Over the last six seasons Dolfo has helped lead the Vikings to a 110-32 record (.775).

 

WWU is led by a pair of players ranking in the top 10 in the GNAC in scoring, with senior guard Olivia Wikstrom listed 8th averaging 14.7 points per game and junior forward Alyson Deaver 9th averaging 14.4 points per game. Wikstrom also leads the conference with five double-doubles and is 2nd averaging 8.2 rebounds per game. Deaver is having a fine Viking debut also ranking 2nd in the conference with 1.4 blocked shots per game. Senior guard Maddy Grandbois is 8th in the GNAC with a 47.4-percent field goal percentage (46-for-97) and sophomore guard Demi Dykstra is 8th averaging 1.9 steals per game.

 

Western has been short-handed all season due to injuries with sophomore guard Libby Stump, freshman forward Jaylyn Arosemena, junior forward Ellie Croco and senior forward Aspen Garrison missing substantial time.

 

 

WWU head coach Carmen Dolfo recorded her 700th career victory in her 968th career game in 34 seasons as the head coach of the Vikings. Her career record now stands at 700-268 for a .723 winning percentage. Here are a few fun facts about Dolfo's 700 career wins:

 

• Among all-time NCAA Division II women's basketball head coaches, only 13 have reached the 700-win mark.
• Among active NCAA II women's basketball head coaches, only 5 have reached the 700-win mark.
• Only 45 head coaches at all levels of NCAA women's basketball have reached 700 career wins.
• Dolfo became the 18th active women's basketball head coach with 700 career wins.

 

In the Vikings last victory, a 67-65 triumph over Central Washington on January 11, they overcame a 13-point 4th quarter deficit to record Carmen Dolfo's 700th career win. WWU was down 58-45 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game prior to the Vikings going on a 19-4 run to take the lead and ultimately gain the two-point victory over the Wildcats. 

 

The Vikings offense is led by its five starting players that have accounted for over 90-percent of the total scoring during the first 15 games of the season (890 of 974 points). The Vikings 84 bench points – 5.6 per game – ranks last in the nation out of 290 teams. WWU has used just two different starting lineups this season. Senior Olivia Wikstrom leads the team and ranks 8th in the GNAC averaging 14.7 points per game, followed closely by junior Alyson Deaver averaging 14.4 points per game. To rank No. 9 in the conference.

 

Senior guard Olivia Wikstrom has recorded five double-doubles to lead the GNAC this season. Overall Wikstrom is ranked 2nd in the conference averaging 8.2 rebounds per game and 8th averaging 14.7 points per game. In her fifth collegiate season, Wikstrom has combined for 873 points in 127 games and 494 rebounds at Northern Colorado (2020-21), Utah State (2021-23) and WWU (2023-25).

 

A reminder that matches played in Alaska are played in Alaska Standard Time, which is one hour behind Pacific Standard Time (or Bellingham time). Thursday's game vs. UAF in Fairbanks features a 7 pm local start time (8 pm in Bellingham) and Saturday's afternoon game in Anchorage will have a 5:15 pm tip-off (6:15 pm in Bellingham).

 

WWU's remaining 12 games are all Great Northwest Athletic Conference games, continuing this week with a pair of road games in Alaska. All 10 GNAC teams play an 18-game league schedule, with the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season advancing to the GNAC Championships that will be held March 6-8 at Marcus Pavilion in Lacey. WWU is the two-time defending postseason GNAC Tournament champions.

 

The Vikings (9-6, 4-2 GNAC) are back on the road this week making their annual trip to Alaska, beginning with a Thursday game at Alaska Fairbanks (7 pm AKT) and continuing Saturday at Alaska Anchorage (5:15 pm AKT). The complete season schedule, with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/WBB.

 

Through the first 15 games of the season, the Vikings have had a tough schedule facing three teams that are currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation (Cal St. Dom. Hills - #3, MSUB - #6, Azusa Pacific - #8). Saturday's opponent Alaska Anchorage is the first team listed outside of the national top 25 in this week's WBCA Coaches Poll.

 

WWU has played just five of 15 games at home in Carver Gym, playing 10 games on the road (3-1 away, 3-3 neutral). The Vikings play their next three games on the road (UAF, UAA, SFU) and will play seven of their final 12 games away from Bellingham.

 

The Vikings have battled the injury bug through the early part of the season with sophomore guard Libby Stump, junior forward Ellie Croco, freshman forward Jaylyn Arosemena and senior forward Aspen Garrison missing substantial time. 

 

Both road games this week feature a live (and free) webcast on YouTube with links available at WWUVikings.com/Live. All home games will stream live on YouTube via Vikings TV. Additionally, every away GNAC game will feature a webcast on YouTube produced by the visiting team. To watch WWU home games 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 Nanooks). 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 games)
• 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)

 

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

 

• Alaska Fairbanks: Swept the Nanooks last season winning 72-55 at home and 86-45 on the road…current 28-game winning streak vs. UAF dating back to the 2008-09 season…Vikings lead the all-time series 58-5…Western is 28-5 all-time in games played in Fairbanks with a 15-game winning streak
• Alaska Anchorage: WWU and UAA met three times last season, with the Seawolves sweeping the regular-season series winning 61-54 in Anchorage and 77-67 in Bellingham…WWU won the third match-up 75-60 in the semifinal round of the GNAC Championships…Vikings lead the all-time series 36-30 with a 6-2 record over the last eight games.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2024-25 season:

 

 

Junior guard Mason Oberg has made 127 career three-pointers (in 64 games) to rank No. 10 in program history. For her career Oberg is 127-for-332 to record a .383 three-point field goal percentage, currently No. 9 in program history. Here is a look at the top three-point shooters in program history by three-pointers made and accuracy from beyond the arc:

 

 

In the 63-30 road victory at Western Oregon, the Vikings defense limited WOU to under 20-percent shooting in the game (.197/12-for-61) and nearly held the Wolves without a field goal in the first quarter. The 30 points allowed are fewest allowed by a Viking team since holding Lincoln to 26 points on December 2, 2021 and the fewest in a GNAC breaking the old mark of 32 points allowed in a 77-32 win over Alaska Fairbanks on February 26, 2009. WWU just missed the GNAC record for fewest points allowed in a conference game, 27 set by Saint Martin's in 2003 vs. Western Oregon. WWU ranks 4th in the GNAC this season holding opponents to 60.7 points per game.

 

The Vikings made an in-season roster addition with junior guard Anna VanderYacht joining the program after the completion of the volleyball season. The Lynden native has appeared in 10 games averaging 10.1 minutes per game to etch her name as a two-sport student-athlete. VanderYacht appeared in all 24 matches for the WWU volleyball team this fall while recording 11 service aces.

 

Here is a look at the 2024-25 GNAC Women's Basketball standings and overall records heading into this week's action. Updated standings and conference statistics can be viewed online at GNACSports.com. The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships held March 6-8 in Lacey:

 

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2024-25 season heading into this week's schedule:

 

Over the last six seasons (since 2019-20), the Vikings have combined to go 110-32 for a .775 winning percentage. WWU won back-to-back GNAC regular-season championships in 2022 and 2023 and have won the last two GNAC Tournament titles. The Vikings played in the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship Game in Birmingham, Alabama, earning runner-up honors.

 

The Vikings made their 20th NCAA Championships appearance in 25 possible seasons (since 1998-99) and fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA West Regional Tournament. WWU has advanced to the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 49 of 52 possible seasons of program history and has won three regional championships to advance to the Elite Eight in 2000 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), 2013 (San Antonio, TX) and 2022 (Birmingham, AL). The Vikings own an all-time 21-19 record in NCAA tournament play, recording at least one win in 12 of 19 prior regional appearances (with a game played).

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 34th season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 700-268 (.723) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Entering the 2024-25 season, Dolfo as 10th all-time in NCAA II in wins. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 20 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 2024-25 coaching staff includes 13th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Katrina Gimmaka, 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 700 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 1132-403 for a career winning percentage of .737.

 

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in 11 of the last 14 full seasons, and 38 times in the 53-year history of the program. WWU has 24 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 700, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 20 of 25 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 1,132 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.