The Whitman Blues have claimed the top spot in the 2024-25 Northwest Conference (NWC) women’s basketball preseason poll, earning 64 total points and securing eight first-place votes from conference head coaches. This early endorsement positions the Blues as strong contenders for the upcoming NWC title.
Following closely, the Puget Sound Loggers garnered 51 points in the poll. They are coming off an impressive 2023-24 season in which they clinched the NWC automatic qualification for the national tournament. The defending NWC regular season champions, the Willamette Bearcats, ranked third with 47 points, narrowly edging out Linfield, which earned 44 points and one first-place vote. Tied for fifth, George Fox, Pacific, and Pacific Lutheran each scored 31 points, highlighting the competitive depth within the conference. Rounding out the poll, Whitworth received 16 points, while Lewis & Clark secured 9 points.
The NWC teams are set to return to action on Friday, November 8. This season will culminate with the NWC Women’s Basketball Tournament, scheduled for February 28 to March 1, 2025, hosted by the regular season champion.
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
2024 NWC Finish
|
|
Whitman (8)
|
64
|
2nd
|
|
Puget Sound
|
51
|
4th
|
|
Willamette
|
47
|
1st
|
|
Linfield (1)
|
44
|
5th
|
|
George Fox
|
31
|
5th
|
|
Pacific
|
31
|
2nd
|
|
Pacific Lutheran
|
31
|
8th
|
|
Whitworth
|
16
|
5th
|
|
Lewis & Clark
|
9
|
9th
|