Coach Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga women’s basketball team head into the new look Pac-12 with almost the exact same roster as the one that earned them a WCC Tournament championship and a No. 12 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Ten key players are returning for the Zags, including WCC Player of the Year Lauren Whittaker, First Team guard Allie Turner, and WCC Sixth Woman of the Year Jaiden Haile, along with starters Zee Aokuso and Taylor Smith and key reserves Teryn Gardner, Julia Wilson, and McKynnlie Dalan.
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And now the staff is hard at work putting the finishing touches on the roster as they look to challenge Oregon State, Colorado State, and San Diego State atop the Pac-12 in 2026-27.
After adding Rider transfer Emmy Roach to join incoming freshman Abby Lusk, the Zags now have their second transfer addition in Denver guard Jocelyn Medina.
The team announced the signing of Medina on social media Thursday morning, making her the team’s 13th player on the roster – the same number they rolled with last year.
Who is Jocelyn Medina?
Medina is a 5’6 guard from Arbuckle, CA who began her college career at College of the Sequoias in the Central Valley Conference (JuCo), where she led her team to a perfect 28-0 record. Medina was named Co-MVP of the league after averaging 22.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game while shooting 44.3% from beyond the arc.
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She then took her talents to Denver in the Summit League, where she averaged 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 19 minutes per game. The 5’6 guard started three of 28 games played, all which game in late February.
After a slow start to the season, which included nine scoreless games between mid-November and mid-January, Medina found her stride late – rattling off eight double-digit performances in her final 12 games. That included a season-high 23 points on 8-10 shooting at North Dakota, and 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists at Omaha in the regular season finale.
Fit at Gonzaga
Gonzaga’s three departures from last year’s team were all in the backcourt: senior Ines Bettencourt exhausted her eligibility after serving as a valuable starter and tough defender, while freshman Paige Lofing and redshirt senior Vera Gunaydin hit the transfer portal and landed at Montana and North Alabama, respectively.
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Gardner is expected to step into the starting role vacated by Bettencourt, while newcomer Roach could fill a similarly versatile role for the Zags as well.
Medina provides more depth in the backcourt, competing for minutes with players like Roach, Wilson, Sierra Lichtie, and Cristabel Osarobo. Her experience and previously elite three point shooting could make her a regular contributor for coach Fortier’s team as they look to get to the NCAA Tournament for a second year in a row.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga women’s basketball lands second transfer portal commitment.
