SPOKANE, Wash. — If you have watched the Gonzaga Women’s basketball team this season, you’ve likely seen Yvonne Ejim putting up all sorts of numbers around the court.
Stand out Zag Ejim ranks in the Top 10 in the nation in field goal percentage, points scored, and made field goals.
She is also studying to become a doctor and is unquestionably the vocal leader of the Zags squad, which has now won 12 games in a row.
“Now as I understand the system a little bit more, I understand my game and my teammates' game a little more, I feel like I try my best to use my voice because I want to help them,” Ejim said. “ I want to use my voice to help people and make them better and make the team better. So, I want to be that player for my team that is always doing what they need and being consistent at that.”
Ejim has become a superstar this season. A process which began in the offseason following back to back losses to end last year's campaign.
“Throughout the offseason and the summer, focusing on, how can we stay resilient, how can we be uncomfortable, how can we be consistent,” Ejim said. “I think those are the main things that we lacked at the end of the season, that we’ve tried our best this year and that we’re continuing to try to get better at.”
The Zags opened this season 7 and 2 before a big matchup with Stanford which really got this team going.
“Being able to play in that game, that environment, against those players, against that team, I think it really showed us what we are capable of and being able to know that and being able to be like, we can replicate that, we can consistently become that type of team,” Ejim said. “I think that's really what set the stage for us to continue on how we have been and just continue to keep ourselves at a high standard.”
Ejim’s success this season is no surprise to Zags Head Coach Lisa Fortier.
“She’s playing great,” Fortier said. “You know I don't always get to be on all the award watch-lists but if she’s not on one then someone made a mistake because she is playing really well. She can score it around the basket, she rebounds.”
Now the Zags are riding a win streak and if they win out, they would host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament right here in Spokane.
“I think our fans really buy into who we are and I’m very thankful for them and being able to have that, it would truly be something special and something so rewarding for us as well,” Ejim said.
As Ejim finishes out her human physiology degree and her senior season at Gonzaga, she hopes to leave behind a strong example to follow.
“I hope that my experience and what I’ve done here can kind of be an inspiration for people to be like, I want to do that or I want to be more than that," she said. "I hope that I have been a pretty good leader to my teammates and my community and kind of help become a leader for the coaching staff as well.”
Ejim and the Zags hope to stretch their winning streak to 13 in a row Thursday, Jan. 25, on the road at Santa Clara.
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