PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland junior guard Haylee Andrews and sophomore forward Alex Fowler both landed on the 2020-21 All-West Coast Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Team and the Pilots were picked to finish third in the annual poll of the league's 10 head coaches. The Pilots also picked up a first-place vote, and this is the first time ever Portland has placed two players on the league's preseason team.
 
Last year the Pilots went 21-11 overall and won their first WCC Tournament Championship since 1994. Portland returns most of their roster this year, only losing guard Kate Andersen to graduation.
 
As a sophomore, Andrews averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, which ranked 17th nationally and was tops in the WCC. She nabbed 2019-20 All-WCC Second Team honors, and she was selected to the WCC All-Tournament team after hitting a handful of clutch shots during Portland's run to the title in Las Vegas.
 
Fowler is coming off perhaps one of the best seasons in program history. The forward led the conference in scoring with an 18.0 points per game mark, she was named the WCC's Newcomer of the Year, was voted to the All-WCC First Team, was tabbed the WCC Tournament MVP, and she joined Andrews on the all-tournament team. Fowler also collected seven double-doubles and averaged 8.0 boards per contest. Nationally, she ranked fourth in field goals made (242) and was 21st in total points (577).
 
The Pilots are under the guidance of second-year head coach Michael Meek, who in his first year led the team to their first 20-win season since 1997. Portland also went 11-7 in the WCC last winter, good for fourth place, and they earned their first berth to the NCAA Tournament since 1997.
 
Gonzaga was selected as the league favorite, and BYU finished just ahead of the Pilots in the preseason poll.
 
 
2020-21 WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Vote), Points
1. Gonzaga (7), 79
2. BYU (2), 73
3. Portland (1), 64
4. San Diego, 53
5. Saint Mary's, 44
6. Pacific, 42
7. Pepperdine, 28
8. LMU, 25
9. Santa Clara, 22
10. San Francisco, 20
 
2020-21 All-WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Team
Name, Year, Pos., Institution
Haylee Andrews, Jr., G, Portland
Alex Fowler, So., F, Portland
Shaylee Gonzales, So., G, BYU
Sara Hamson, Sr., C, BYU
Valerie Higgins, Sr., G, Pacific
Paisley Johnson Harding, Sr., G, BYU
Brooklyn McDavid, Sr., F, Pacific
Myah Pace, Sr., G, San Diego
Sam Simons, Jr., G, Saint Mary's
Jill Townsend, Sr., G, Gonzaga
Jenn Wirth, Sr., F, Gonzaga