SAN MATEO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference announced its 2022-23 All-WCC Preseason Team this morning, with the Gaels' Ali Bamberger voted in as a member of the squad.
 
The red-shirt junior took home the WCC Newcomer of the Year Award last year in her first season of competition as a Gael after transferring from the University of Washington.
 
The Walnut Creek, Calif. native was also named to the WCC All-Conference First Team after she sat out the previous year while rehabbing a knee injury that took two surgeries and 16 months of rehab. She returned to play to finish with 15.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game while starting all 33 contests for Saint Mary's last season.
 
Bamberger had big games in the semi-finals and finals of the Women's Basketball Championship, with 18 points and nine rebounds in the semis and 21 points and 10 boards in the finals on the way to the Gaels first ever WBI title.
 
She was named the WCC player of the week on December 6, 2021 after putting up 22 points and 20 rebounds against Fresno State and 25 points and 19 boards against San Jose State. It was the first time a Gael recorded a 20-point, 20-rebound game since Danielle Mauldin in December of 2013 vs. Gonzaga.
 
Bamberger finished the season with 10 double-doubles and had five other occasions of being just one rebound shy of a double-double. She finished sixth in WCC play in points per game, second in rebounds per game, and led the Gaels in blocked shots.
 
Her father Eric played for the Men's Basketball team at SMC from 1988-92, earning All-WCC honors in 1991 and 1992, and is one of 31 players to score 1,000 in program history.
 
The WCC Preseason Coach's Poll was also released, with the Gaels picked to finish fifth in the conference standings, which is where SMC ended up at the end of the 2021-22 regular season.
 
FULL WCC PRESEASON POLL
 
     1^st Place Votes              Points
1. Gonzaga          (9)                          81
2. Portland          (1)                          71
3. BYU                                                 55
4. San Francisco                                54
5. Saint Mary's                                  47
6. San Diego                                      46
7. LMU                                                39
8. Santa Clara                                    29
9. Pacific                                             17
10. Pepperdine                                 11
 
FULL ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM
 
Name                                    Yr.           Pos.        School
Haylee Andrews                  Sr.           G             Portland
Ali Bamberger                      Jr.           F              Saint Mary's
Yvonne Ejim                         Jr.           F              Gonzaga
Alex Fowler                          Jr.           F              Portland
Lauren Gustin                      Jr.           F              BYU
Ariel Johnson                       Sr.          G             LMU
Ioanna Krimili                      Jr.           G             San Francisco
Myah Pace                           Sr.          G             San Diego
Kayleigh Truong                  Sr.           G            Gonzaga
Kaylynne Truong                 Sr.           G            Gonzaga
 
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