EL SEGUNDO, Calif. --- Gonzaga has been selected as the favorite to win the 2016 women's basketball league title in the annual preseason poll of the West Coast Conference's 10 head coaches. The Bulldogs claimed five of 10 first-place votes to earn the preseason favorite moniker by one point ahead of defending champion BYU.
The Pilots were picked to finish in a tie for ninth place.
Portland returns a veteran squad in 2016-17, which marks the third year for head coach Cheryl Sorenson. Sorenson, who was previously an assistant for the Pilots, assumed the reins of the program after long-time head coach Jim Sollars retired following the 2013-14 season.