STOCKTON, Calif.—The final countdown is on for the start of the Pacific women's basketball season as the Tigers open the 2023-24 campaign with back-to-back home games over the first weekend of the season, hosting Cal State Fullerton at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 followed by a 2 p.m. game against Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday, Nov. 12.
It's expected to be an exciting season for Pacific. Last year, the Tigers finished the 2022-23 season with a 15-17 record and an 8-10 mark in West Coast Conference play.
The biggest moment for Pacific was the run in the final stretch. The Tigers won its final four road games of the season to clinch a first-round bye in the 2023 WCC Tournament. Pacific picked up tournament wins over Saint Mary's, 82-77, and San Diego, 71-57, to advance to its first WCC semifinals since 2018.
As a result, the Tigers were picked to finish tied for third in the 2023 WCC Preseason Poll behind conference favorite Gonzaga and defending champion Portland.
The motivation that started in the latter part of last year carries into 2023-24 along with even higher expectations on the line, according to Davis. One of them is Pacific's goal of being "in the conversation for a WCC Championship this year", which would be the first league tournament title in program history.
The Tigers also grew their chemistry off the court. During the summer, Pacific took an international trip to Spain. The program can do this every four years to give players an opportunity for a "cultural and educational experience". The Tigers got to practice and play in international competitions during their time in the country, which is a key factor that will benefit Pacific going into 2023-24.
Head coach
Bradley Davis enters his 18th season and ninth season as head coach. He plans for the resiliency from last season to carry over. Davis's program returns eight of 12 players from last year, including
Liz Smith who was a member of the All-WCC First Team after leading the Tigers with 14.0 points per game. The Dallas, Texas native was recently named to the All-WCC Preseason Team. Junior
Anaya James also makes her return after averaging 10.4 points per game.
Davis returns fifth-year senior
Josephine Millard, who sat out last season and welcomes six new additions. Pacific will have depth in the frontcourt with the two transfers,
Lauren Glazier from the Pac-12 champion Washington State and
Endigo Parker from Mt. San Antonio College. The Tigers have a talented freshmen class with
Kenlee Durrill,
Jamie Kent,
Nyah Lowery and
Stella Szabo.
"I think we learned a lot of lessons early in the season last year," said Davis. "Hopefully those are lessons we don't have to relearn, but something we can start with going into the year. With this group, the chemistry is off to a fantastic start, and now it's about sharpening things up."
Fans can catch Pacific in 16 contests at home this season, including the four-team Tiger Turkey Tipoff on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 24-25. The 2023 field includes Butler, St. Thomas (Minn.) and UC Irvine.
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now. Click the
link to purchase your tickets for the 2023-24 season.
