NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Dayton Flyers were voted as favorites to claim the Atlantic 10 Conference Women’s Basketball Championship in the league’s 2021-22 preseason poll. The conference announced the poll along with the preseason all-conference awards Wednesday in conjunction with the league’s Media Days, conducted virtually via ESPN+. The awards and poll were chosen by a panel of the Atlantic 10 head coaches.
The back-to-back regular-season champion Flyers aim to clinch their second championship title in the past three seasons, as well as third within six years, as Dayton collected a total 193 points in the poll, including 11 first-place votes. UD returns Preseason All-Conference selections Jenna Giacone, Erin Whalen and Tenin Magassa along with 2021 Defensive Player of the Year Araion Bradshaw, and will be led by two-time A-10 Champion coach Shauna Green. The Flyers wrapped up last season at 14-5 overall and managed to secure the Atlantic 10 regular-season title via a 12-1 mark in league play.
Rhode Island, which ended last season with a third-place regular-season finish, is second in the poll, earning 174 points overall, including a pair of first-place votes. URI brings back A-10 Co-Player of the Year Emmanuelle Tahane along with Preseason All-Conference pick Marie-Paule Foppossi while adding Seton Hall transfer and third-team selection Dez Elmore, all under the direction of defending A-10 Coach of the Year Tammi Reiss. The Rams finished the 2020-21 campaign with an 11-8 record, 11-4 in conference competition.
Fordham slotted into the poll at third with 163 points. Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year Anna DeWolfe returns for the Rams as well as fellow Preseason All-Conference choice Kendell Heremaia; the duo leads a Fordham squad that put together a 12-6 overall mark last season along with an 8-2 record in league play, good for a second-place finish.
Saint Louis and VCU tied for fourth in the Preseason Poll with 144 points, the latter of which picked up a single first-place vote. The Billikens bring back a versatile duo in Preseason All-Conference and All-Defensive picks Ciaja Harbison and Brooke Flowers while the Rams return an All-Conference and All-Defensive selection Taya Robinson. VCU, who concluded the year 10-5 in A-10 competition and 16-11 overall, comes off a strong finish to the 2020-21 campaign having won their first A-10 Women’s Basketball Championship to advance to the program’s second-ever NCAA Tournament. SLU wrapped up the season with a 14-6 record along with a 9-4 mark in league play, good for fourth overall.
Led by repeat Preseason All-Conference First Team Sam Breen along with second-team selection and All-Defensive choice Destiney Philoxy, Massachusetts logged 140 poll points to lock down sixth. The Minutewomen fought their way into the league title game in 2020-21, wrapping up the year at 16-8 overall and 7-5 in the league competition. Richmond, which brings back Preseason All-Conference pick Kate Klimkiewicz along with Rookie of the Year Addie Budnik, notched 104 points in the poll for seventh while La Salle earned eighth with 100 points. The Explorers will see the return of Preseason All-Conference selections Kayla Spruill and Claire Jacobs.
Duquesne slotted in at ninth via a total 83 points and Saint Joseph’s rounded out the Top 10 with 68 points. Guided by Preseason All-Conference choice Suzi-Rose Deegan, Davidson ranked 11
th while George Washington was tabbed for 12
th. St. Bonaventure, which returns Asianae Johnson as a Preseason All-Conference selection, is 13
th and George Mason closes out the poll.
The 2021-22 women’s basketball season tips off on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The season will culminate with the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship, which returns to a neutral site at CHASE Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Del., from March 2-6, 2022.
PRESEASON POLL
| 1. |
Dayton (11) |
193 |
| 2. |
Rhode Island (2) |
174 |
| 3. |
Fordham |
163 |
| 4. |
Saint Louis |
144 |
|
VCU (1) |
144 |
| 6. |
Massachusetts |
140 |
| 7. |
Richmond |
104 |
| 8. |
La Salle |
100 |
| 9. |
Duquense |
83 |
| 10. |
Saint Joseph's |
68 |
| 11. |
Davidson |
66 |
| 12. |
George Washington |
41 |
| 13. |
St. Bonaventure |
32 |
| 14. |
George Mason |
18 |
Number in parenthesis indicates number of first-place votes
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Jenna Giacone |
Dayton |
Gr. |
G |
6-1 |
12.4 |
3.8 |
2.2 |
| Anna DeWolfe |
Fordham |
Jr. |
G |
5-8 |
20.8 |
1.7 |
2.8 |
| Sam Breen |
Massachusetts |
Gr. |
F |
6-1 |
18.0 |
10.0 |
1.8 |
| Emmanuelle Tahane |
Rhode Island |
R-Sr. |
F |
6-1 |
14.8 |
10.2 |
2.5 |
| Ciaja Harbison |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
G |
5-6 |
16.9 |
1.9 |
4.0 |
| Taya Robinson |
VCU |
Gr. |
G |
5-10 |
14.3 |
6.0 |
2.2 |
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Erin Whalen |
Dayton |
Gr. |
G/F |
6-1 |
13.6 |
4.8 |
0.6 |
| Kendell Heremaia |
Fordham |
Gr. |
G |
5-9 |
12.7 |
7.4 |
3.2 |
| Kayla Spruill |
La Salle |
Sr. |
G/F |
6-0 |
15.0 |
6.1 |
1.1 |
| Destiney Philoxy |
Massachusetts |
Sr. |
G |
5-7 |
11.5 |
6.5 |
1.5 |
| Marie-Paule Foppossi |
Rhode Island |
R-Jr. |
F |
6-1 |
12.7 |
4.7 |
2.6 |
| Kate Klimkiewicz |
Richmond |
Sr. |
G |
6-0 |
14.3 |
6.9 |
1.2 |
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Suzi-Rose Deegan |
Davidson |
Jr. |
G |
5-10 |
10.7 |
5.4 |
1.1 |
| Tenin Magassa |
Dayton |
So. |
C |
6-5 |
9.6 |
7.3 |
0.6 |
| Claire Jacobs |
La Salle |
Jr. |
G |
6-0 |
16.3 |
4.5 |
1.3 |
| *Dez Elmore |
Rhode Island |
Gr. |
G |
5-10 |
17.4 |
9.1 |
3.3 |
| Asianae Johnson |
St. Bonaventure |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
13.5 |
4.3 |
3.0 |
| Brooke Flowers |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
F/C |
6-5 |
10.2 |
10.2 |
0.6 |
PRESEASON ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
SPG |
BPG |
| Araion Bradshaw |
Dayton |
Gr. |
G |
5-6 |
7.2 |
1.6 |
0.2 |
| Destiney Philoxy |
Massachusetts |
Sr. |
G |
5-7 |
11.5 |
1.5 |
0.4 |
| Brooke Flowers |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
F/C |
6-5 |
10.2 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
| Ciaja Harbison |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
G |
5-6 |
16.9 |
1.3 |
0.4 |
| Taya Robinson |
VCU |
Gr. |
G |
5-10 |
14.3 |
1.6 |
0.6 |
*
Dez Elmore is a transfer, and her statistics are from Seton Hall last season