ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TEAMS: Hickman, Ike, Nembhard, Fortier, Ejim, Turner among Zags honored

• MEN

Gonzaga's Nolan Hickman, Graham Ike, and Ryan Nembhard were named First Team All-West Coast Conference, the league announced Tuesday.

Ike and Nembhard earned the honor for the second straight season, while Hickman was second team in 2023-24. All five major individual awards — along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team — were voted on solely by the league's nine head coaches.

Nate Calmese and Lejuan Watts of Washington State earned honorable mention, and Tomas Thrastarson was named to the all-freshman team.

Hickman is averaging 11.4 points per game. He’s shooting 44 percent from behind-the-arc, which ranks third in the league, and a conference-best 95 percent (19-of-20) from the free-throw line. The senior’s 71 three-pointers are the second-most in the WCC.

Ike is fourth in the conference scoring 17 points per game, shooting a league-best 59.9 percent from the field. He made 61.1 percent from the field during WCC play, which also topped the league. The Aurora, Colo., native’s 7.9 rebounds per conference game ranked third. He ranks eighth making 79.5 percent from the free-throw line, while shooting the fifth-most attempts. The senior scored in double figures in 25 of the 31 games this season, reaching 20 or more 12 times.

Nembhard is the national leader in assists at 311. He is one of 21 players in NCAA Division I history with at least 300 assists in a single season. The senior broke the conference’s single season assist record, in and out of WCC play, the program single season record, and matched the league’s and program’s single game assist records. His 849 career assists are not only the most by an active player, but 30th all-time in NCAA D-I history.

2024-25 West Coast Conference Major Awards

Coach of the Year — Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's

Player of the Year — Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary's

Defensive Player of the Year — Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary's

Newcomer of the Year — Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s

Sixth Man of the Year — Mikey Lewis, Saint Mary’s

Freshman of the Year — Austin Rapp, Portland

All-Conference First Team

Adama-Alpha Bal, Santa Clara; Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga; Graham Ike, Gonzaga; Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary’s; Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s; Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga; Michael Rataj, Oregon State; Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary’s; Malik Thomas, San Francisco; Marcus Williams, San Francisco

All-Conference Second Team

Parsa Fallah, Oregon State; Max Mackinnon, Portland; Carlos Stewart, Santa Clara; Christoph Tilly, Santa Clara; Lamar Washington, Pacific

All-Conference Honorable Mention

Luke Barrett, Saint Mary's; Nate Calmese, Washington State; Nate Kingz, Oregon State; Jevon Porter, LMU; Caleb Stone-Carrawell, LMU; Stefan Todorovic, Pepperdine; Lejuan Watts, Washington State

All-Freshman Team

Tony Duckett, San Diego; Mikey Lewis, Saint Mary’s; Austin Rapp, Portland; Tyrone Riley IV, San Francisco; Tomas Thrastarson, Washington State

• WOMEN

Zags Fortier, Ejim, Turner earn awards

Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim was voted the West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year. Ejim, who has been named to the watch lists for five national awards, is one of only five active players in Division I with 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

Gonzaga coach Lisa Fortier was voted the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, capturing the award for the third consecutive year and seventh time overall. Gonzaga guard Allie Turner was tabbed West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. Turner and Ejim were named to the All-WCC First Team and Maud Huijbens was given All-WCC honorable mention honors. Turner was also tabbed to the all-freshman team.

Washington State had five named all-conference.

Tara Wallack headlined the group with an All-WCC first team nod, while Eleonora Villa was named second team, Astera Tuhina was honorable mention, and Charlotte Abraham and Dayana Mendes were each named to the all-freshman team.

All six major individual awards, along with the all-conference teams and the all-freshman team, were voted on solely by the league’s 11 head coaches.

In her 11th season leading Gonzaga, Fortier directed the Bulldogs to a share of the West Coast Conference regular season crown. It is GU’s third consecutive conference regular season title. After opening the conference slate 1-2, Gonzaga won 14 consecutive games and 16 of its final 17 games to finish the WCC schedule 17-3. With Gonzaga’s win over Santa Clara in the regular season finale, Fortier tied Jim Sollars (Portland, 1986-2014) for second on the West Coast Conference all-time coaching wins list with 171 career conference victories. Her seventh West Coast Conference Coach of the Year award is the second-most in conference history, one shy of former Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves.

Ejim was voted the Player and Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row after another standout regular season where she led the West Coast Conference in points (642), points per game (20.7), rebounds (270), rebounds per game (8.7), field goals (244), and double-doubles (11). She was also second in the conference in field goal percentage (.527) and free throws made (143), and eighth in the league in blocks per game (1.0). Ejim ranks ninth nationally in points and 15th in the country in points per game. Ejim ranks second in West Coast Conference history in career scoring in all games (2,301) and conference games (1,223). She also ranks fifth in WCC history (all games) with 1,085 career rebounds. Ejim is the first Gonzaga player to win back-to-back WCC Defensive Player of the Year. She is also the first player to win WCC Player of the Year back-to-back since Courtney Vandersloot. 

Ejim is a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award and on the Top 10 watch list for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year award. She is on the Top 20 watch list for the John R. Wooden Award and on the midseason watch lists for the Naismith and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale awards.

Turner leads all freshmen and ranks eighth overall in three-point field goals made nationally with 91. She ranks seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.453). The freshman was the WCC leader in both categories during the regular season. Turner, who started 28 of Gonzaga’s 31 games, averaged 12.7 points per game during conference play. Turner is the first freshman to be given All-WCC First Team honors and given WCC Freshman of the Year since Vandersloot.

The lone senior on the team, Wallack was second in the WCC in total blocks (58) and blocks per game (1.9), sixth in total rebounds (219), fourth in total minutes (1,035), eighth in rebounds per game (7.1), 11th in total points (409), and 12th in points per game (13.2).

Villa finished as the team's scoring leader, and as one of the top scorers in the WCC, ranking eighth in total points (417), seventh in field goal percentage (.445), and ninth in scoring average (13.9). She is also 11th in minutes played (990) and 11th in minutes per game (33.0).

In the WCC, Tuhina ranked third in assist/turnover ratio (2.0), sixth in total assists (113) and in assists per game (3.6), 12th in total steals (40), 13th in steals per game (1.3) and 15th in both made threes (40) and 3-pointers per game (1.3).

Abraham has averaged 5.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.4 steals over 17.0 minutes per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the floor and 37.0 percent from deep, and has totaled 159 points, 78 rebounds, 18 assists and 10 steals.

Mendes has averaged 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.6 steals over 17.7 minutes per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 25.7 from deep. She has totaled 214 points, 130 rebounds, 35 assists, 17 steals and 18 blocks.

2024-25 West Coast Conference Major Awards

Coach of the Year — Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga

Player of the Year — Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga

Defensive Player of the Year — Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga

Freshman of the Year — Allie Turner, Gonzaga

Newcomer of the Year — Kennedy Johnson, Saint Mary's

Sixth Woman of the Year — Emily Foy, Saint Mary's

All-Conference First Team

Maisie Burnham, Portland; Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga; Alexis Mark, Portland; Aj Marotte, Oregon State; Olivia Pollerd, Santa Clara; Kelsey Rees, Oregon State; Emme Shearer, Portland; Allie Turner, Gonzaga; Tara Wallack, Washington State; Freja Werth, San Francisco

All-Conference Second Team

Naudia Evans, LMU; Anaya James, Pacific; Liz Smith, Pacific; Emma Trawally Porta, San Francisco; Eleonora Villa, Washington State

All-Conference Honorable Mention

Zeryhia Aokuso, Saint Mary's; Elizabeth Elliott, Pacific; Kylie Horstmeyer, San Diego; Maud Huijbens, Gonzaga; Kennedy Johnson, Saint Mary’s; Maia Jones, Saint Mary's; Truitt Reilly, San Diego; Astera Tuhina, Washington State

All-Freshman Team

Charlotte Abraham, Washington State; Dayana Mendes, Washington State; Chloe Sotell, Pepperdine; Allie Turner, Gonzaga; Angeliki Ziaka, San Francisco