Zags' Ike, Whittaker named WCC players of the year

MEN

SPOKANE — Gonzaga's Graham Ike was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. 

The Colorado native becomes the 21st Bulldog to earn the honor, but the first since 2023.

The Zags' Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supéry were both selected to the conference's All-Freshman Team.

Washington State's Ace Glass was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team and the All-WCC Second Team, and junior ND Okafor up All-WCC Honorable Mention.

All six major individual awards — along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team — were voted on solely by the league's 12 head coaches.

Ike ranks first in the WCC in scoring (19.7), second in rebounding (8.3), and first in field goal percentage (.564). In WCC play, he is first in scoring (21.9), in field goal percentage (.613), and second in rebounds (8.2). His 13 double-doubles this season ranks 17th in the nation. He had two games with nine rebounds with double-digit scoring. He's reached double-digit scoring in all but one game. Ike recorded his double-double of season in the win at Santa Clara, passing Drew Timme for the most games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (16) by a Gonzaga player in the last 30 seasons. Ike leads WCC with three 30-point games this season.

WOMEN

SPOKANE — Gonzaga freshman forward Lauren Whittaker was named the West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. 

Whittaker’s honor marks the fourth-straight season Gonzaga has produced the WCC Player of the Year and the second consecutive year a Zag has been named Freshman of the Year.

Gonzaga sophomore Allie Turner was named to the first team. Teammate Jaiden Haile was also named the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year and named to the All-WCC Freshman Team.

Whittaker, a national freshman of the year candidate, is just the second freshman in West Coast Conference women’s basketball history to be voted the conference player of the year. In 1986, 

Sonya Carter of U.S. International, an affiliate member of the conference, earned player of the year and freshman of the year honors as a freshman. 

Whittaker finished the regular season as the WCC leader in scoring (19.3 ppg), rebounding (10.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.568). She had a conference-best 17 double-doubles during the regular season, which is four more than all other freshmen nationally and is tied for 12th overall.

Washington State junior guard Eleonora Villa was named to the second team.