Gonzaga WBB Alum Ines Bettencourt Seeks Fifth Year of Eligibility

There were plenty of mixed emotions when Inês Bettencourt walked off the Williams Arena hardwood in Minnesota back on March 20. The starting point guard for Gonzaga women’s basketball had presumably played her final college game after four seasons split in Spokane and Storrs as a member of UConn.

But with the NCAA’s recent rule change, which adopted an age-based eligibility model that grants student-athletes five years to complete five seasons, Bettencourt has become one of many vying for a fifth and final collegiate season.

Joining a California lawsuit that includes at least 45 other athletes, Bettencourt searches for another year of eligibility in the NCAA because the new “5-in-5” rules don’t grandfather in the most recent graduating class. This 2022 recruiting class is filing for an injunction, and if granted, Bettencourt and the Zags could seek a reunion for the upcoming season.

Bettencourt was one of two graduating players from the Bulldogs’ roster, along with Vera Günaydin, who redshirted during the 2025-26 campaign. Günaydin transferred to North Alabama after the season, while freshman Paige Lofing moved back to her home state and will play for Montana. But outside of those three, Gonzaga has retained 10 of the 13 players on its roster, an impressive feat in this era of college basketball with constant portal movement.

Starting in all 33 games during her senior season, Bettencourt was the glue for GU on both ends. The 5-9 guard averaged 6.3 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals a game. Bettencourt led the Zags in steals (48) and was second on the team in assists (100). Her 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked eighth in the WCC, as she took pressure off her backcourt mate, sharpshooter Allie Turner, with facilitating duties.

Her efficiency soured as the season waned, finishing with shooting splits of 34%/32%/71%, equating to a paltry true shooting clip of 43.2%. But with Bettencourt’s prowess as an experienced half-court processor and point-of-attack defender, she added plus value during Gonzaga’s 24-10 season, in which it returned to the NCAA Tournament. And she was also a notable presence in the locker room, as a vocal leader and emotional backbone of a very young squad.

During her junior year in Spokane, the Portuguese point guard started 16 of the team’s 35 contests, posting similar per-game stats to this past season. The biggest difference was Bettencourt’s 35% clip from three-point territory, which came from fewer on-ball responsibilities and more chances as a catch-and-shooter. She’s never been an above-average shooter inside the arc, averaging 37% on such attempts in her collegiate career, consistently struggling to convert mid-range jumpers and finish inside.

Before her increased role with the Bulldogs, however, Bettencourt received limited playing time in her first two collegiate seasons with the Huskies. Earning just one start and averaging only 7.2 minutes over the course of her UConn tenure, Bettencourt sought a better path for her development amidst the prestige of the Huskies’ program and playing alongside now-WNBA stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.

A decision to return to the Zags wouldn’t be perfectly seamless, as the program has already operated this offseason with the belief that Bettencourt would be pursuing future endeavors. While the transfer portal was open, Gonzaga added 6-0 Emmy Roach from Rider and 5-6 Jocelyn Medina from Denver. Both will factor into the Bulldogs’ backcourt depth, bringing heightened experience with more workloads as off-ball players at their previous stops.

GU will also enroll its lone freshman in this cycle – a 6-1 forward Abby Lusk out of Pocatello, Idaho. The three newcomers still leave the Zags with two open roster spots, making a reunion with Bettencourt possible. She can still add needed playmaking, as it would best serve Gonzaga if Turner, one of the best shooters in the country, had fewer on-ball responsibilities.

There is no current timetable on when the lawsuit will be resolved, but Bettencourt’s familiarity with the Bulldogs’ system certainly alleviates onboarding if she recommits to the program. A little over three months remain until the college basketball regular season opens, and answers to this case will be provided soon enough.