BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – This time last year, the Western Washington University women’s basketball team was in the midst of one of their strongest seasons in program history. Unexpectedly, their season was cut short after an upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

This year, in the final season for two key starters, the team is hoping for a different result.

Crucial to the success of the nationally ranked Vikings are seniors Brooke Walling and Stephanie Peterson. Both were present for last year’s 71-53 opening round loss to Azusa Pacific, and both agree the game served as greater motivation to make it further in their last season together. Western ended that season with a 24-4 record, a conference championship and their third straight trip to the national tournament. Still, the team feels like they left more on the table.

“I think we all knew we could have gone a lot farther last year and so those of us that came back really worked hard this offseason,” Walling said. “Losing just pushed us to work even harder.” 

Despite transferring to Western earlier in their college career, both players feel a deep connection to the school’s community. Walling began her career at Fresno State for two years before joining the Vikings in 2021 and Peterson spent three seasons at Cameron University in Oklahoma before joining the Vikings in 2022. Looking back, both seniors say they wish they had made the decision to come to Western earlier.

Brooke Walling (15) boxes out an opponent while Stephanie Peterson awaits the result of the play. Image courtesy of WWU Athletics.

“I could tell it was a family the second I stepped on campus, and I really wanted to be a part of that,” said Peterson.

“We just love each other, we support each other, and we push each other every single day,” Walling added, speaking about the team. “I think the commitment to that is different here than it is at a lot of schools.” 

Walling, a 6’3” forward, has no shortage of accolades during her three years at Western. She earned All-West Region first team honors as well as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships MVP last year. Walling was also named GNAC Preseason Player of the Year ahead of the ‘23-’24 season. Walling has proven herself to be an all around player, ranking in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and blocks in the conference. 

Meanwhile, Peterson has seen a greatly inflated role on this year’s team compared to last season. She went from getting two starts and playing 13 minutes per game to starting every game this season with just over 30 minutes per game.

Peterson has thrived as a facilitator and staunch defender for the Vikings, leading the GNAC in both steals and assists this season. She credits her new found role to a change in her approach over the offseason. 

Stephanie Peterson (12) looks to pass from the top of the key at a home game against SMU. Image courtesy of WWU Athletics.

“I think my mentality shifted after last season, of work ethic and not being afraid of hard work. I feel like I used to be afraid of being tired,” Peterson said. 

Both seniors’ unselfish play has made a big impact on a team whose greatest strength is getting good looks at the basket. The Vikings lead the GNAC in scoring, field goal percentage and assists per game; a testament to the open shots the team creates for one another. 

Their approach towards offense has resulted in a team where any player can have a big scoring binge on any given night. The Vikings’ last four games have all featured different scoring leaders. 

“It just makes us harder to guard, if everybody’s a threat you can’t really hone in on one person,” said Walling. “If we can share the ball really well, it just makes the defense have to work even harder to have to stop us.”

“We’re always trying to find that better shot and we don’t care who takes it, we just want the best shot possible,” added Peterson.

Another major strength for the team this season was their play at home. The Vikings went 12-1 at Carver Gym to thousands of enthused fans. 

“We’re really big on protecting our home court,” Peterson said. “We really value it, it’s really like a sacred place for us, so when people try to come on our court it’s just like a different mentality.”

It hasn’t hurt that Western is letting students attend all their teams’ home games for free this season as part of a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni. It’s allowed their student section, known as the Carver Crazies, to get an added spark of energy during games.

Unfortunately, the Vikings will be far from home for the rest of the season. The team will be on the road for its last regular season game before the GNAC’s postseason tournament takes place in Ellensburg, WA. There, the Vikings could be on a collision course with the conference’s top team Montana State Billings.

Walling and Peterson have helped lead the women’s basketball team to an almost perfect record at home, resulting in a home record of 12-1. Image courtesy of WWU Athletics.

The Vikings and Yellowjackets have a rivalry that has flared up in recent years. MSU-Billings defeated Western twice in the regular season last year before the Vikings mounted an incredible 17-point comeback to stun them in the GNAC title game to earn a tournament berth. 

This year, each school earned a win over the other heading into the postseason. Vikings players feel those games against the Yellowjackets carry a different sense of importance, and they believe the feeling is mutual.

“Every time we play them [MSU-Billings] we want to beat them so bad and I’m sure they feel the same way about us,” Peterson said. “It’s just like a different energy coming from both teams in that game, it’s so competitive.”

Still, no matter what happens in the postseason, both seniors are just trying to appreciate every last moment they have with their team. 

Peterson plans to start studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before applying to medical school. Walling, a Math/Secondary Education major, hopes to continue her career by playing basketball overseas. They both agree that ending their college playing days takes a backseat when compared to missing the tight-knit connection with their teammates. 

“It’s more [about] losing playing with the people,” Peterson said. “Not playing basketball anymore is whatever, but not playing with the team is the sad part.”

“Each game that we get from here on is a privilege,” added Walling.

The WWU Vikings (21-5) conclude their regular season on Saturday, March 2, on the road against Simon Fraser. The six-team GNAC Championships begin on Thursday, March 7, in Ellensburg, WA.