HENRICO, Va. – Rhode Island has been voted as the Atlantic 10 Conference Women’s Basketball 2023-24 season favorite in the league’s annual Preseason Poll. The A-10 announced the poll along with the Preseason All-Conference awards Thursday during the league’s Media Day. The poll and awards are chosen by a panel of the Atlantic 10 head coaches.
The 2022 Co-Regular Season Champions, the Rams return Preseason All-Conference selections Mayé Touré and Tenin Magassa, and also welcome Syracuse transfer Teisha Hyman, who also received preseason A-10 honors. Rhody received 12 first-place votes for 218 poll points. Rhode Island was 14-2 in league play last year, and closed out the season at 26-7, earning one of five A-10 WNIT bids. The Rams reached the Super 16 round of the WNIT,
Saint Joseph’s was chosen second in the poll with 203 points. The Hawks were 9-7 last year in league play, finishing tied for sixth, and 20-11 overall, claiming an WNIT bid. They return preseason selections Talya Brugler, Laura Ziegler and Mackenzie Smith, who combined to average more than 42 points per game for SJU last year.
Defending A-10 champion Saint Louis checks in at third with 186 points and two first-place votes. The Billikens are led by Preseason All-Conference First Team selection Kyla McMakin, whose 17.2 points per game makes her the top returning A-10 scorer. SLU also returns Julia Martinez, a preseason second team selection, and Kennedy Calhoun, who, along with Martinez, was named to the Preseason All-Defensive Team. The Billikens closed out the last year 17-18 overall, earning their first-ever NCAA bid, and placed tied for third in the A-10 at 10-6.
Richmond tallied 176 poll points, good for fourth. The Spiders return the services of preseason honorees Addie Budnik and Maggie Doogan, who combined for 25.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game for UR. Richmond was 21-11 overall last year and 8-6 in conference games, earning fifth place and a WNIT bid, advancing to the second round.
Duquesne brings back Preseason All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive guard Megan McConnell, and was picked fifth in the poll with 172 points and one first-place vote. The Dukes finished tied for ninth in the A-10 last season with an 8-8 record and were 19-12 overall.
George Washington was picked sixth with 150 points and two preseason honorees in Nya Robertson and Mayowa Taiwo. Davidson ranked seventh with 124 points with Elle Sutphin and Suzi-Rose Deegan each earning a spot on the preseason awards teams. George Mason’s Nalani Kaysia was named to the preseason third team and leads the eighth-place Patriots, who tallied 111 points. Dayton slotted in at ninth with 100 points and a preseason selection in Mariah Perez. VCU finished 10th with 96 points and Sarah Te-Biasu on the Preseason Second Team, while defending Regular Season Co-Champion Massachusetts earned 11th in the poll with 70 points.
La Salle (66 points), Fordham (54 points), St. Bonaventure (39 points) and Loyola Chicago (35 points) rounded out the poll.
Sutphin, McConnell, Touré, Budnik, Burgler and McMakin comprised the six-member Preseason All-Conference First Team while Robertson, Hyman, Doogan, Ziegler, Te-Biasu and Martinez were named to the Preseason Second Team.
The Preseason Third Team was Deegan, Perez, Kaysia, Taiwo, Magassa and Smith while the Preseason All-Defensive Team rounded out the honors with McConnell, Taiwo, Martinez, Calhoun and Rhody’s Anaelle Dutat.
The 2023-24 women’s basketball campaign tips off on Monday, Nov. 6 with league play beginning on Dec. 5 with a double-header. The season will culminate with the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship, at the new Henrico Sports & Events Center in Henrico, Va., from March 6-10, 2024.