Gonzaga women wait on Truong sisters’ decision to determine Senior Day plans
Senior Day is just four days away for Gonzaga women’s basketball, but it’s unclear just what it will look like – or even whether the Zags will have one at all.
That depends on the Truong sisters.
Saturday’s game against Saint Mary’s is the final home contest of the year, when graduating seniors are joined by family and friends in a farewell to fans at the Kennel.
Last year, Gonzaga said goodbye to four seniors. This year it may be just two – or none, if seniors Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong decide to return for a fifth year.
It’s a decision they may already have made, but no one is talking. During an interview last month with The Spokesman-Review, the Truongs declined to commit one way or the other.
“We’ve talked about it, but we haven’t really sat down and made a decision,” Kayleigh said. “But it will be a family decision.”
As of Monday, the Truongs still had not given a definitive, public answer on their plans. However, a spokesperson for the program, Grace Whiteley, said Monday that an announcement is expected to be made on Saturday.
What kind of announcement, and under what circumstances, isn’t clear.
During the same interview last month, the Truongs talked about how they’d looked forward to starting together for the first time since their high school days back in Texas.
Last season, Kayleigh was an every-game starter, with Kaylynne coming off the bench. This year, their dream was realized, with both sisters starting in the backcourt.
But the dream was short-lived.
In the fourth game of the season, against Louisville in a tournament in the Bahamas, Kayleigh suffered what appeared to be a sprained ankle. Two games later in the same tournament, she felt a twinge. Tests confirmed a more serious foot injury, and she hasn’t played since.
Meanwhile, Kaylynne has emerged as the key player for a 23-3 GU team that’s ranked 20th in Division I.
Averaging almost 17 points and more than five assists, she’s become one of the top playmakers in the country. But the success has been bittersweet without Kayleigh on the court.
Kayleigh’s foot has healed to the point where she’s walking without a boot. Last weekend at the Kennel, she was shagging balls for her teammates as they prepared to play Portland.
But time is running out. Only four games remain in the regular season, followed by one or two more in the WCC Tournament and an expected berth in the NCAAs.
“I believe because I think everything happens for a reason and there’s obviously a plan out there for me that I don’t have any control over,” Kayleigh said. “So I’m going to let God control this one.”
The Truongs’ decision will have major implications for next year’s team.
The Zags’ only other senior, guard Brynna Maxwell, announced earlier that she plans to be back at Gonzaga next year.
If the Truongs stay at GU and no one leaves via the transfer portal, the Zags would return every player. However, the Truongs’ departure would leave redshirt freshman Payton Muma as the only experienced point guard.