Bulldogs women gain WAC coaches' respect

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009

It took two Western Athletic Conference championships for the Fresno State women's basketball team to convince people it's for real.

WAC coaches made the Bulldogs the favorite to win a third straight title in Tuesday's preseason polling.

"We haven't traditionally been picked to win it," Bulldogs fourth-year coach Adrian Wiggins said. "We're usually not on a lot of people's minds, so it is an accomplishment."

Fresno State received five of the nine first-place votes and 60 points from the coaches. Louisiana Tech earned three firsts and 58 points. Boise State, with one first, had 53 points.

Members of the media, however, aren't sold on a Bulldogs threepeat. They chose Louisiana Tech to win it all with 14 of 21 first-place votes and 180 points. Fresno State was second with six firsts and 167 points. Boise State had one first-place vote and 136 points.

"The fact that there's no clear-cut No. 1 pick proves that the middle of our league has gotten a lot better," said Wiggins, who returns his starting five from a 24-9 team.

While the Bulldogs team is getting more respect, junior guard Jaleesa Ross remains an afterthought when sizing up the WAC's best player.

Lady Techsters forward Shanavia Dowdell, coming off 2008-09 WAC Player of the Year honors, was named Preseason Player of the Year in both polls.

Ross, the two-time WAC tournament MVP, made the all-conference first team, and junior forward Haley Munro was a second-team choice.

"The reality is that Jaleesa is a really good player," Wiggins said, "and hopefully by the time she leaves here, she'll prove she's one of the best and get her awards."

Louisiana Tech returns the core of a team -- including preseason All-WAC forward Adrienne Johnson -- that won 21 games and tied Fresno State at 12-4 for the WAC regular-season title. Under new coach Teresa Weatherspoon, a former Lady Techsters All-American, her team won eight of its last nine games and is set to make a run back to the program's glory years when it ranked among the top teams in the nation.

"Everyone is talking about last year, but we're in a different stage," Weatherspoon said. "We've never been off the map. We have the historical foundation to build on, and our team is looking forward to doing some great things.

"We feel we're the team to beat."

Boise State will contend with preseason All-WAC guard Tasha Harris and the return of Jessica (Thompson) Van Hoogen, who sat out last season with an injury.

Idaho and New Mexico State both have their key players back, and Nevada is rebuilding off its run to the WAC tournament championship game last season.

Hawaii, with new coach Dana Takahara-Dias, Utah State and San Jose improved through recruiting and no longer should be cakewalks.

"Our league proved last year that anyone can beat anyone, and that will stay the same," said Utah State coach Reagan Pebley, pointing to Idaho's upset of Fresno State at the Save Mart Center and Nevada's shocker over Louisiana Tech at the WAC tournament.

Since the margin for errors is slim this season, the Bulldogs have made avoiding those kinds of losses an emphasis. Wiggins won't let them forget.

"We always talk about being WAC champions," he said, "and break out every day saying we want more. It's a goal to represent the WAC well, and it manifests in good basketball play."