Gonzaga women’s basketball avoids major losses as transfer portal closes

Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga women's basketball team rode a group of young, talented players to a WCC Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last year, where as a No. 12 seed they lost to No. 5 Ole Miss in the first round.

With only one graduating senior, much of the discussion around Gonzaga this offseason was whether they would be able to keep their young core together in the transfer portal era.

Well, the portal closed on Monday, April 20, and Gonzaga managed to avoid any catastrophic losses. Only two players entered the transfer portal, one who redshirted this past year and another who played a limited role as a freshman.

That puts this team in an incredible spot heading into the Pac-12 in 2026-27, with four returning starters and six of their seven leading scorers all back in action.

Below is a look at who left, who is back, and who is joining the Zags heading into next season:

Departures (3)

Guard Ines Bettencourt (Eligibility)

After two years at UConn, Bettencourt transferred to Gonzaga and played a big role for this team in 2024-25 and again last year. As the lone senior on the roster, Bettencourt's leadership and tenacity on defense were crucial to the team's success.

She closed out her career averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in 26.2 minutes per game, and her toughness and experience will be hard to replace.

Guard Paige Lofing (Transfer - Montana)

Lofing is the lone Zag who played last year to enter the transfer portal. As a freshman, the 5'9 guard averaged 2.2 points in 27 games, while shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc.

The native of Billings, MT, will return home to play for Montana after making her commitment in the portal on Saturday, April 18.

Guard Vera Gunaydin (Transfer - TBD)

Gunaydin was the first Zag to go portaling as she looks for a new home for her final season of eligibility. The 5'9 guard from Turkey played 17 games in 2024-25, scoring three total points, before redshirting this past season.

Returners (10)

Forward Lauren Whittaker

Whittaker returns for her redshirt sophomore season after lighting college basketball on fire last year, averaging 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds on her way to winning WCC Freshman of the Year AND WCC Player of the Year.

She'll be among the top post players in the country next season.

Guard Allie Turner

Turner is back for her junior year after posting nearly identical numbers as a freshman and sophomore. This past year, the sharpshooter averaged 14.8 points and 3.5 assists while shooting a league leading 47.1% from beyond the arc.

Guard Zee Aokuso

Aokuso is back for her senior year after spending her first two seasons at Saint Mary's with the Gaels. This past year with Gonzaga, the 5'10 guard finished third on the team with 8.4 points per game, along with 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Forward Taylor Smith

Gonzaga's fourth returning starter is Taylor Smith, a 6'1 forward entering her senior year after spending her first two years at Weber State.

Smith averaged 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last year for the Zags, serving as a do-it-all forward for coach Fortier.

Guard Teryn Gardner

Gardner was a critical piece of GU's guard rotation last year. The Spokane native spent her first year at Boise State but came home as a sophomore, and scored 6.0 points with 3.1 rebounds off the bench, while shooting a blistering 46% from beyond the arc.

Forward Jaiden Haile

One of the biggest wins for coach Fortier in the transfer portal was keeping Haile, a dominant, physical freshman post who earned WCC Sixth Woman of the Year while backing up Whittaker.

Haile averaged 7.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game last year, and will be a big part of the team's plans next season and beyond.

Forward McKynnlie Dalan

Dalan enters her senior year having served as a depth option in the frontcourt. The former Minnesota forward averaged 1.6 points and 1.8 rebounds last year in 26 games.

Guard Julia Wilson

Wilson was one of three freshmen in last year's recruiting class for coach Fortier, and she returns after averaging 2.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

Guard Cristobal Osarobo

Osarobo is back for her junior year after averaging 0.8 points in 5.9 minutes last year in a reserve role.

Forward Sierra Lichtie

Licthie came over from Cal Poly and battled injuries in her first season in Spokane, averaging 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 20 games last year as a junior.

Newcomers (1)

Forward Abby Lusk

Lusk is Gonzaga's lone commitment in the 2026 class as of now. The 6'1 forward from Pocatello, ID led Pocatello to its first 5A State Championship, earning Player of the Year after averaging 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.5 steals per game.

Lusk will provide Gonzaga with valuable depth as a freshman and will be primed to step into a bigger role as a sophomore with Smith, Lichtie, and Dalan all entering their senior years.

What's next

With ten returners and one newcomer so far, Gonzaga still has four open roster spots it can fill this offseason.

However, it's worth noting the Zags carried just 13 players last year, so they may not fill all four spots.

With Whittaker, Smith, Haile, Dalan, Lichtie, and Lusk all available in the frontcourt, it seems likely that coach Fortier will prioritize adding guards to fill out the roster.

Gardner will likely take Bettencourt's spot in the starting lineup, and if the staff can find 1-2 guards capable of filling depth roles - and shooting from the perimeter - this will be a wildly successful offseason as the program heads into the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27.