As the Gonzaga Lady Bulldogs battle to win the West Coast Conference for a third straight year, their Head Coach, Lisa Fortier (For-TEE-A) is in a fight of her own. Diagnosed with stage two to three breast cancer in February 2024, Fortier is confronting a new reality while continuing to coach. Amidst her struggles, she has guided a new-look Gonzaga team to a 9-8 overall record as conference play continues. Although battling cancer has been strenuous for her, Fortier’s team has rallied behind her as she progresses closer to full health.
After completing her treatment in August before the season, Coach Fortier is navigating a new perspective on life and with her team. The Bulldogs only returned four players from last year’s roster but added new talent over the summer. While this season has been challenging for both Fortier and Gonzaga, her perspective on appreciating life has outweighed basketball at certain times.
“This season has been a little bit unique and challenging for us in different ways, and it’s helped me to stay (in the mindset of) ‘this is basketball, this is what we do.’ Although we care deeply about it, it’s basketball, not like life and what we didn’t know I was going to be dealing with.”
Fortier has received a ton of support from her players and coaches since her diagnosis, including star forward and future WNBA prospect, Yvonne Ejim (YUH-Von E-JIM). When she initially heard about Coach’s diagnosis, Ejim relied on her leadership skills to help her team and Coach navigate the challenge.
“(I'm) making sure on and off the court I’m being the best leader I can be for (Fortier) and her team, so that’s how I want to help most during the season.”
Ejim described her coach as selfless and inspiring even after her diagnosis and highlighted her consistency in showing up and doing her job amidst her cancer struggles.
“(Fortier) is somebody that shows up every day for others and that’s one of the best characteristics a person can have.”
For Coach Fortier, the love from her players has played a big part in her recovery. Through all the hard moments that a cancer journey brings, the support from her family and the team has been a pivotal reason why she continues to fight.
“They’re a big part of my ‘why’,” Fortier said. “My family and my team are a big motivator for me. Anytime I got to spend time with them was a highlight and they’ve all been really great.”
When asked if there was one specific person who has supported her the most, she singled out her husband, Craig Fortier, who also happens to be one of her assistants on the sidelines. Although Fortier singled out her husband, she also mentioned how many of her current and former players are talented at doing the littlest thing.
“Coach Craig (Fortier) was with me at every doctor’s appointment and every chemo session. He’s there with me every day,” She said. “There’s a lot of (players) who are pretty talented on checking in on me, so I’ve had a lot of love from all those guys.”
For anyone fighting a battle against cancer, it can be mentally exhausting. While Fortier’s battle is no different, it occasionally leaves her in a state of regret. Any newly formed team like Gonzaga goes through typical struggles like injuries. However, if the team fails to perform well because Fortier is absent due to treatments, it’s hard for her not to feel responsible.
“We’ve had a lot of different things like injuries, but when our team isn’t performing on the level we are used to, I start to wonder ‘Is it because I wasn’t here and took a lot of the summer to do treatment’,” Fortier said. “That mental aspect of it is challenging to not blame myself or wonder if I should have done more.”
Fortier is fighting a common battle that has taken many lives over the years. She gets through it by taking it one step at a time, a motto she established with her team, instead of looking at the big picture.
“(Fighting cancer) is an everyday grind and you can just take it one step at a time because when you look at the big picture, it seems daunting,” Fortier said. “Our motto is ‘put one foot in front of the other’ and just keep doing that over and over again. After you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you get to the end and you don’t realize that you got there.”
Although Coach Fortier’s battle has been tough ever since she received her diagnosis, she has been recovering nicely while coaching the Bulldogs. From getting bloodwork done every three months, and receiving updates periodically, she continues to fight one day at a time.