Gonzaga women fill top offseason need in transfer guard Emmy Roach

May 14—Gonzaga women's basketball coach Lisa Fortier has been transfer-portal shopping for a taller point guard.

That was Fortier's top offseason priority, and she found what she wanted. Junior-to-be Emmy Roach from Rider University, a 6-foot guard, has given Gonzaga an oral commitment, Roach announced on her Instagram account Tuesday.

Roach, from Littlehampton, Australia, started 15 of 28 games last year, averaging starter-like minutes (27.2) for a Rider team that finished 11th out of 13 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) at 5-15, 7-22 overall.

She averaged 6.6 points per game, shooting 40.6% from the field and 34.3% from behind the 3-point line. She also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Perhaps Roach's most impressive statistic is she committed just 38 turnovers last year, an average of 1.3 per game. Gonzaga averaged 17.3 per game, ranked 250th in the nation. The Zags have committed record turnovers the past two seasons.

She had a career-high 19 points in a game against Long Island University last season. As a freshman, she played in 28 games, starting one. She averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.3 minutes a game.

Gonzaga lost one starter — senior guard Ines Bettencourt — off a team that finished 24-10, captured the West Coast Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Vera Gunaydin, a senior guard who redshirted last season, and freshman guard Paige Lofing, of Billings, Montana, both transferred. Gunaydin is headed to North Alabama and Lofing has landed at Montana.

The Zags also welcome 6-1 forward Abby Lusk, who signed in November. That gives Gonzaga 12 scholarship players on the 2026-27 roster. The Bulldogs carried 13 on the team last year.

Whether Fortier is done adding to the roster remains to be seen.

Graduation and transfers coupled with additions means Gonzaga has gotten taller overall. The Zags replace three 5-9 players with 6-foot and 6-1.

Roach projects as an early substitute off the bench. Junior-to-be guard Teryn Gardner (5-10), a former three-sport standout at Mead who transferred to Gonzaga prior to last season after a year at Boise State, figures to replace Bettencourt in the starting lineup.

Sophomore-to-be Julia Wilson (5-10) and Roach will be in the mix behind two-year starter Allie Turner (5-8), returning starter Zeryhia Aokuso (5-10) and Gardner, the first guard off the bench last year. Lusk, who played point guard at Pocatello High (Idaho) last year, and junior-to-be Christabel Osarobo (5-11) give Fortier other options.

Roach also fits in well with a Gonzaga roster full of high academic achievers. She was named to the MAAC All-Academic team.