A Grip on Sports: Lisa Fortier’s summer wasn’t what she had planned but did give her an opportunity to teach us all about toughness

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We’re going to talk about toughness today. The many forms it comes in. And one way we observed it this summer.

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• You may have seen Tuesday the video of Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier. She sat in front of a camera and talked. Not about back cuts or rebounding or the transfer portal. Something harder. Something more personal. Something, yes, tougher.

She talked about the past seven months. Ever since she found out she had breast cancer.

That came in February, in the middle of the most successful season of her career. With a team made up of more fifth-year players than any she had ever coached, players in their last go-round not only at Gonzaga but, in some cases, with the sport they love. With everyone around the program expecting success.

And she was forced to contemplate what anyone who has ever fought the disease has to contemplate. Her body was at war with itself.

While those with the expertise mapped out the game plan on the treatment front, she did what basketball coaches do. She focused on helping her team reach its potential. Success. A 32-4 record. A couple NCAA Tournament wins. A Sweet-16 appearance. Then a whole bunch of goodbyes to players who she knew as well as many of us know our family.

Family. That’s a term thrown around a lot in the world of sports. It’s a cliché – with some loose connection to the truth. Teams do become families in a few regards. For some, it’s all the support they have when faced with such circumstances. Not in Fortier’s case. She had layers and layers or support, and she knew it. Was thankful for it. At the heart of it, though, was her immediate family. Husband Craig, who is not only her life partner but also her basketball one, an assistant coach on the Gonzaga bench. Their three children, Marcus, Calvin and Quincy, stairsteps who have grown up behind the bench, watching as their parents worked in about the most public business our society has.

This is where our vision of Lisa Fortier’s toughness, and her family’s, took shape.

We’ve known the Fortiers in their career roles for years. Our wife Kim started attending Gonzaga women’s games when the Kennel had a different home. Followed them to the new place. Has sat in the same seats for most of their home games since, from when Lisa was an assistant for Kelly Graves and then his successor. Even during the dark time, when Kim dealt with her breast cancer.

We first met Craig when he was Jim Hayford’s assistant with the Whitworth men, got to know him a bit better while he was at Eastern and has observed him on the Bulldogs’ bench for the past decade. And, of course, we’ve written about Lisa and her teams often the past few years.

This summer, though, we made a different connection. We were entrusted with coaching their eldest, Marcus, in the sport his parents excel in.

We witnessed a family whose love and dedication helped them face a journey no one ever desires. They weren’t alone, of course. There are more family members in the area. Lots of friends as well, all of whom hold them dear, willing to do whatever needed to help. The Gonzaga community fit that role too. As did many in the larger basketball one.

But, in a way known only to those who have traveled the obstacle course cancer and its treatment presents, when the sun sets and you are home with the people you love, that’s when it is real. And the Fortiers are real.

We saw it. Often, actually, through the spring and summer. In many ways. Real. And real tough.

Those who have been through cancer know. So too do those who walk the path with them. It takes a certain toughness to face what you suspect is ahead, what actually comes, what is still on the horizon. A different type of toughness than finishing a game on a rolled ankle, or battling bigger folks on the boards or keeping focused enough to make the right decisions under pressure with a game on the line. It’s different, sure. Less common. Not as publicly visible.

Lisa Fortier kept her struggles out of public view as much as someone in such a visible position can. Dealt with it. All of it. Quietly.

Watched, when possible, as her son went through his summer journey. A journey of learning. Of competing. Of experiencing the joy the game can provide.

All the while, Lisa modeled a toughness those who watched will never forget. And did what coaches do. Taught lessons we didn’t even know we were learning.

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WSU: We aren’t going to have a lot of links today. We will say “a lot of reasons,” and leave it at that. But we do have all of the S-R sports stories to pass along, including this one from Greg Woods on a key player on the Cougars’ opportunistic defense, Tyson Durant. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Jon Wilner has his weekly look at the bowl picture. … John Canzano has quite a few thoughts on this week, as well as the conference’s future. … What does Jedd Fisch think of the Apple Cup and its future? … Arizona State is trying its best to become relevant again. … In the Mountain West, Boise State will host WSU at the end of the month. But not in 2025.

Gonzaga: We had our thoughts on Lisa Fortier above. We also linked Greg Lee’s story above and again here.

EWU: When we covered the Cougars year ago, we had to make a trip to Texas a day early due to a hurricane. It forced WSU to reschedule a football game with Baylor. That type of change may not be on the Eagles’ agenda this week as they travel to Southeastern Louisiana but, as Dan Thompson tells us, other changes might happen due to a tropical storm. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Northern Colorado will be without its starting quarterback this week. … Idaho State has a new go-to receiver. … Weber State bounced back in the polls.

Preps: Hey, it’s that time again. A roundup of fall sports’ action. Dave Nichols has this one from Tuesday night.

Indians: A road split is assured. Spokane will come home from Vancouver with at least on Northwest League title series win. Jose Cordova made sure of that by driving in the go-ahead run in the ninth and the Indians earned a 4-3 victory. Dave has all the particulars in this story.

Seahawks: Seattle and DK Metcalf agreed to a restricting of the receiver’s contract yesterday, freeing up more cap space. How much? Bob Condotta delves into that. … Marshawn Lynch and Mike Macdonald during the game. Discuss.

Mariners: George Kirby has pitched more at this point of a season than any time in his career. And it might be showing a bit. He’s given up 17 earned runs in the last five games, including five last night as the M’s lost a game, 7-3, to the Padres and a chance to pick up a game on the A.L. West-leading Astros. … Luis Castillo is on the injured list. He has a bad hamstring.

Sounders: The U.S. Men’s National Team management finally was able to work out a contract with its new coach, Mauricio Pochettino.

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• We are headed home. A long journey 23 years to the day after we all began a long, awful journey together. Another long journey tomorrow. All of it by myself. Lots of bad 1970s rock on the car sound system. Diet Pepsi. Popcorn. Occasional doughnuts and In-N-Out. Cussing at other drivers. The usual. We’ll be here tomorrow unless we have trouble on the road, which may include not getting as far north today as we plan. If we are not available, we’ll let you know on Twitter. Or X, if that’s your preference. Until later …