The star forward in Spokane, Washington, wasn’t receiving any preseason notoriety across the national media. Now, she should be up there with the likes of USC’s Jazzy Davidson, LSU’s Grace Knox, and Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez.
Among freshmen in the national rankings, Whittaker is second in points per game (19.4) and sixth in rebounds per game (9.8). Her six double-doubles lead the nation among freshmen.
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After redshirting in 2024-25, Lauren Whittaker has now won five of the eight West Coast Conference Freshman of the Week awards.
The Canterbury, New Zealand native was clutch down the stretch of the conference opener against the Loyola Marymount Lions. The Zags came out on top in a double overtime thriller at the Kennel, 87-80.
Next for coach Lisa Fortier’s group (9-5, 1-0 WCC) is the Pepperdine Waves (9-4, 0-1 WCC) on Tuesday, Dec. 30, inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. Tip-off will take place at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
