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PROVO — One week into the 2023-24 season, the BYU women's basketball team is still undefeated.
And may have picked up a bigger win on the recruiting trail, too.
Lauren Gustin had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and BYU jumped out to a 22-8 lead and never looked back en route to a 77-49 win over Weber State in front of 8,000 local elementary-school children Friday at the Marriott Center.
Kailey Woolston added 19 points with four 3-pointers for the Cougars, who improved to 2-0 after rallying for a 68-60 win Tuesday at Montana State.
Four-star freshman Amari Whiting — who had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in her collegiate debut — had 8 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Wildcats (0-2), who felt the press of Amber Whiting defense early and never recovered.
"Amber obviously has a huge focus on defense, and I think we brought a lot of players who also have that focus," Woolston said. "You have to get stops to score; you can't just focus on the offensive end, and you have to get stops to win. I love that mentality and what she's brought to the table with that."
Woolston went 3-for-3 with a pair of 3-pointers for 10 points in the first quarter as BYU shot 82% from the field en route to a 22-8 lead.
The Cougars didn't stop from there, extending the advantage to 38-8 midway with a 16-0 run capped by Kaylee Smiler's triple with 4:44 left in the half. In all, BYU shot 17-of-26 (65%) from the field before the break, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range, while holding the Wildcats to just 5-of-23 (22%) with six blocks, four steals and 10 turnovers forced that led to 18 points.
Kendra Parra and Jadyn Matthews each had 11 points to lead Weber State, which forced 16 turnovers including eight steals.
BYU also kept winning on the recruiting trailing, adding another high-end class during the early signing period, that is headlined by by four-star prospect and Canadian international point guard Delaney Gibb.
"Every single girl coming in has won at each of the levels they've played on. I always look for winners," Whiting said. "I look for kids that are blue-collar, hard-nose, and want to make things happen for their team. But they're also really good individuals and people, and they're a really good culture fit for my team — outside of basketball. That's another thing that helps with chemistry."
BYU women's basketball recruiting class of 2024
Delaney Gibb, PG, Raymond HS (Raymond, Alberta)
Delaney Gibb, a four-star Canadian prospect from Raymond High in Alberta formalized her commitment made earlier this summer with an NLI, adding the No. 48 recruit in the Class of 2024 by ESPN to Whiting's second recruiting haul.
Gibb initially prepped at Timpview High and played on the adidas 3SSB circuit with BYU freshman Amari Whiting before her family returned home to Canada last year, but the 5-foot-10 point guard kept in contact with the Whiting clan before her commitment in June.
The younger sister of Utah Valley guard Saige Gibb helped Canada's U-19 squad win bronze at the FIBA World Cup in July, and averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.4 steals per game at Timpview in 2020-21 before returning north of the border.
Sarah Bartholomew, C, Lone Peak HS (Highland, Utah)
The 6-foot-3 center averaged 7.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game as a junior in helping the Knights to back-to-back 6A state titles, teaming with current BYU freshman Kailey Woolston and 2025 BYU commit Kennedy Woolston.
With a 6-foot-5 wingspan, Bartholomew also featured on the Nike EYBL circuit with Premier, and also played in the Utah Top 50 Elite League.
"Sarah is a versatile big who is a threat on the perimeter and takes care of business in the paint," Whiting said. "Defense is important to her and she doesn't back down. She wants to win and has a great work ethic."
Brinley Cannon, G, Shelley HS (Shelley, Idaho)
The 6-foot guard carried Shelley High to its first-ever trip to Idaho's 4A state title game a year ago en route to All-Area Player of the Year averaging 20.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game before winning a championship on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
"Brinley is a tough-nosed kid that makes people around her better," Whiting said of the younger sister of former BYU and Weber State guard McKay Cannon. "She uses her length to her advantage on both ends of the floor and is a mismatch nightmare."
Kambree Barber, F, Rigby HS (Rigby, Idaho)
A dual-sport athlete in volleyball and basketball, Barber averaged 14.7 points, 15.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as a junior en route to All-Idaho 5A girls basketball second-team honors by the Idaho Statesman.
"Kambree has a nonstop motor," Whiting said of the 6-foot wing. "She's a gritty player that has a nose for the ball and does all the little things to help her team win. She can run the floor, down shots, and is a great rebounder."
