STORYLINES
• The 2016-17 season officially gets underway for the Western Oregon women's basketball team this Saturday hosting the WOU/Hampton Inn D2 Shootout in the New P.E. Building. The Wolves will take on San Francisco State on Saturday at 4 p.m. and conclude the opening weekend against Cal State East Bay on Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Last time out: Western Oregon saw their 2015-16 season end at home with a pair of conference losses to Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific. The Wolves finished the year with a 4-24 overall record and 3-17 mark in the GNAC.
 
WOU IN SEASON OPENERS
• The 2016-17 season marks the 41th season of women's basketball at Western Oregon.
• Western Oregon is 17-23 all-time in season openers since 1976-77.
• Western Oregon lost its season opener last season, falling to Cal State East Bay 57-42
 
ABOUT WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon returns two starters from last season in junior guard Sydney Azorr and sophomore forward Ali Nelke. Sophomore guard Kaylie Boschma, who started in the eight games of 2015-16, and junior forward Jasmine Miller, with six starts, also return for the Wolves.
• Lettermen returning for the Wolves include senior guard Launia Davis and sophomore center Natalie DeLonge.
• Western Oregon welcomes seven new faces to the teams for 2016-17:
    o   guards Shelby Snook (transfer from Lane), Kennedy Corrigan (transfer from Walla Walla), Tori Cambra (transfer from McCook), Kory Oleson (Jesuit)
    o   forwards Savannah Heugly (transfer from Blue Mountain), Melanie Schakohl (Inglemoor), Maddy Pape (transfer from Umpqua, will redshirt)
• Head coach Holli Howard-Carpenter is in her fourth season at Western Oregon. She has compiled an 18-42 career record at WOU.
• Familiar faces appear on Howard-Carpenter's bench with the Katie Girten, Nia Bravo and Micah Walker all returning to the Western Oregon staff.
• Western Oregon was picked to finish 11^th in the 2016-17 GNAC regular season title race by the league's coaches.
 
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO STATE
• Head coach Dennis Cox enters year three at San Francisco State after leading the Gators to one of the best season-to-season winning improvements in the country last year.
• San Francisco State was 10-17 overall last season, improving 8.5 games from their record in 2014-15. The Gators went 5-2 over their last seven games and had a marquee win against Chico State earlier in the season
• The Gators return five letterwinners from 2015-16 including 6-foot-5 center Kiara Ginwright, who broke the school and CCAA record for blocked shots with 120.
 
ABOUT CAL STATE EAST BAY
• Cal State East opens the season under first-year head coach Shanele Stires, who served as an associate head coach at the University of San Francisco before taking the helm of a very good Pioneers program.
• East Bay was 27-5 overall in 2015-16 with an 18-2 mark in the CCAA. The Pioneers won the CCAA Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA West Regionals where they fell in the first round to league foe UC San Diego.
• The Pioneers lost six of their top seven scorers from 2015-16, including four All-CCAA honorees. Senior center Remy Puou is the most tenured player on the roster returning after averaging 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.