Gonzaga received five first-place votes and 92 points in the West Coast Conference women's preseason poll, edging newcomer Washington State by one point.

The coaches poll, which kicks off WCC men’s basketball media day in Las Vegas, tabbed Gonzaga as the preseason favorite. The Bulldogs received nine of 11 first place votes and easily outpolled second-place Saint Mary’s.

Scott Rueck's Oregon State Beavers play their first season in the West Coast Conference this year, beginning in just a few short weeks. The WCC released their 2

Saint Mary’s, who won both the regular season and WCC Basketball Championship last season, is second in the poll with 86 points and one first-place vote. Gonzaga also led the way with four of the 11 honorees on the All-WCC Preseason Team.

After a one-year hiatus, Gonzaga has returned to its familiar spot atop the West Coast Conference preseason coaches’ basketball poll. The Zags received nine of 11 first-place votes and 99 points, easily outdistancing rival Saint Mary’s (one first-place vote and 86 points) in the poll,