PORTLAND, Ore. – The West Coast Conference announced the conference schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 women's basketball season on Friday, revealing the 16-game schedule for all nine teams. For the Portland Pilots, the schedule is highlighted by a rematch against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the opener for WCC play on Jan. 4.
The Pilots open conference play on Jan. 4 in a WCC Championship rematch against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Pilots and Bulldogs played each other in the 2023 WCC Tournament championship last season, with the Pilots edging out the Zags to win their second tournament in four years. The Zags were an impressive 28-5 overall last season and 17-1 in WCC play, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Portland hits the road right after on January 6 to take on the San Francisco Dons. The Pilots beat the Dons in both showdowns last year, including a 77-46 drubbing at home and a thrilling 83-80 win in overtime on the road. The Pilots also added former San Francisco wing Kennedy Dickie to the roster for this season.
The Pilots return home to host the San Diego Torreros and the Santa Clara Broncos on Jan. 11 and Jan 13 respectively. Portland went 3-1 against those two squads, taking both contests against the Broncos and splitting their series against the Torreros. The Broncos went 15-17 last season and finished seventh in the WCC while the Torreros finished third with a 19-14 record, qualifying for the WNIT.
Portland will stay home at the Chiles Center for a showdown against Saint Mary's on Jan. 18. Saint Mary's finished eighth in the WCC with a 13-18 record, losing both contests against the Pilots. The Pilots hit the road for the second time in WCC play later that month, playing the Pepperdine Waves on Jan. 25 and the San Diego Torreros for the final time on Jan. 27. The Waves finished 11-19 last season and ninth in the WCC, with Portland winning both matchups against them.
The Pacific Tigers come to town on Feb. 1 for their first showdown against the Pilots. The Tigers and Pilots faced off last year in the semifinals of the WCC Tournament, with the Pilots squeaking by with a 75-72 win to advance to the championship. The Tigers were 15-17 overall last year and 8-10 in WCC play to finish sixth.
Portland plays Saint Mary's on the road on Feb. 3 to finish off that series before returning home to host the LMU Lions and the Pepperdine Waves on Feb. 8 and Feb. 10 respectively. The Pilots beat the Lions handily in both matchups last year, with LMU finishing 4-14 in WCC play and 7-23 overall for last in the conference. LMU is also coached by Aarika Hughes, a former player of Portland head coach Michael Meek.
The Pilots travel to Northern California after those showdowns to play Pacific and Santa Clara one last time in regular season play. Portland plays the Tigers on Feb. 15 and the Broncos on Feb. 17. The Pilots are back in action the following week on Feb. 24 at the Chiles Center, hosting San Francisco for their final home contest of the regular season.
The regular season ends on the road for the Pilots. Their first stop is still in the Pacific Northwest, as they head to Spokane for a showdown against the Zags on Feb. 29 before finishing the season on March 2 against LMU.
The Pilots are coming off one of the best seasons in recent program history. They went 23-9 overall for their best record since the 1996-97 season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament after winning the WCC Tournament championship for the second time in four seasons. They played the Oklahoma Sooners in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, participating in their first tournament game since 1997.
Season ticket deposits are being accepted now by visiting
PortlandPilots.com/wbbtickets. See below for the complete schedule.
2023-24 Portland Women's Basketball WCC Schedule
Jan. 4 vs. Gonzaga, 6 PM
Jan. 6 at San Francisco, TBA
Jan. 11 vs. San Diego, 6 PM
Jan. 13 vs. Santa Clara, 5 PM
Jan. 18 vs. Saint Mary's^, 5 PM
Jan. 25 at Pepperdine, 6 PM
Jan. 27 at San Diego, TBA
Feb. 1 vs. Pacific, 6 PM
Feb. 3 at Saint Mary's, TBA
Feb. 8 vs. Loyola Marymount, 6 PM
Feb. 10 vs. Pepperdine^, 3 PM
Feb. 15 at Pacific, TBA
Feb. 17 at Santa Clara, TBA
Feb. 24 vs. San Francisco, 5 PM
Feb. 29 at Gonzaga, TBA
Mar. 2 at Loyola Marymount, TBA
Home games are in bold
^ Indicates doubleheader
