The Gonzaga women's basketball program just landed a major piece of its offseason puzzle. Head coach Lisa Fortier had one clear priority heading into the transfer portal: find a taller point guard. Mission accomplished.
Emmy Roach, a 6-foot guard from Rider University, announced her oral commitment to the Bulldogs on Tuesday via Instagram. The junior-to-be hails from Littlehampton, Australia, and brings a combination of size, skill, and composure that Gonzaga desperately needs.
Last season, Roach started 15 of 28 games for Rider, averaging 27.2 minutes per contest. While the Broncs struggled—finishing 11th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at 5-15—Roach quietly put together a solid all-around campaign. She averaged 6.6 points on 40.6% shooting, including 34.3% from beyond the arc, while pulling down 4.8 rebounds per game. Her defensive versatility showed in 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest.
But here's the stat that should make Zags fans smile: Roach committed just 38 turnovers all season, averaging a mere 1.3 per game. That's a glaring area of need for Gonzaga, which ranked 250th nationally last year with 17.3 turnovers per game—a program trend that has persisted over the past two seasons.
Roach's career high came against Long Island University, where she dropped 19 points. As a freshman, she played in 28 games with one start, averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.3 minutes.
Gonzaga's backcourt depth chart is taking shape. The Bulldogs lost starting guard Ines Bettencourt to graduation, while Vera Gunaydin (transferring to North Alabama) and freshman Paige Lofing (headed to Montana) have also departed. But reinforcements are arriving.
Junior-to-be Teryn Gardner, a 5-foot-10 guard who transferred from Boise State and sat out last season, appears poised to step into Bettencourt's starting role. Sophomore Julia Wilson and Roach will provide quality depth behind returning starters Allie Turner and Zeryhia Aokuso, along with Gardner, who was the first guard off the bench last year.
The Bulldogs are also getting taller overall. Incoming freshman Abby Lusk, a 6-foot-1 guard from Idaho, joins the program, and Gonzaga has replaced three 5-foot-9 players with Roach (6-foot) and Lusk (6-foot-1). Fortier now has 12 scholarship players on the 2026-27 roster, one fewer than last season, but don't be surprised if she's not done shopping.
Roach projects as an early substitute off the bench, but her basketball IQ and steadiness with the ball could earn her more minutes. She also fits Gonzaga's culture of academic excellence, having been named to the MAAC All-Academic team.
With the Zags coming off a 24-10 season that included a West Coast Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance, adding a smart, tall, and turnover-averse guard might be exactly what the Bulldogs need to take the next step.