South Florida Selected as 2023-24 American Women’s Basketball Favorite in Preseason Coaches’ Poll

IRVING, Texas – South Florida has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2023-24 American Athletic Conference women’s basketball title in voting done by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced Monday, Oct. 9.

The Bulls were selected as the conference favorite for a fourth consecutive season, earning 10 first-place votes and 166 total points. East Carolina, the defending American Athletic Conference tournament champion, earned the other four first-place votes and 159 total points to be picked second. Incoming member Rice is third with 135 total points, followed by SMU (118) in fourth and Memphis (115) in fifth.

Tulane finished sixth in the voting with 110 points, followed by Tulsa (104), UTSA (75), Temple (72), Charlotte (62), Wichita State (53), North Texas (47), UAB (30) and Florida Atlantic (28).

East Carolina graduate guard Danae McNeal was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year. McNeal, the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player, was a unanimous first team all-conference selection a season ago, finishing as the second-leading scorer in The American with 17.42 points per game, while leading the league in steals per game (2.94).

McNeal is joined on the preseason all-conference first team by teammate and 2022-23 American Freshman of the Year Amiya Joyner. The sophomore forward averaged 10.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in her first season. Memphis fifth-year guard Madison Griggs (12.3 points per game in 2022-23; Memphis career made three-point leader), South Florida senior guard Sammie Puisis (15.7 points per game, .387 three-point percentage in 2022-23) and Tulsa junior forward Temira Poindexter (16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds per game in 2022-23) round out the first-team selections.

Players named to the preseason all-conference second team were Charlotte redshirt-junior guard Dazia Lawrence (16.9 points, 2.2 assists per game in 2022-23), Florida Atlantic sophomore guard Aniya Hubbard (14.1 points per game, Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2022-23), Rice junior forward Malia Fisher (11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds per game in 2022-23), Temple fifth-year guard Aleah Nelson (15.4 points, 3.3 assists per game in 2022-23) and UTSA senior guard Jordyn Jenkins (20.6 points per game, Conference USA Player of the Year in 2022-23).

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.

East Carolina (23-10), Memphis (22-11), Rice (23-9) and South Florida (27-7) all reached the 20-win threshold a season ago. The Pirates earned the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid in the 2023 American Athletic Conference Championship game with a 46-44 win over Houston. South Florida earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. Five current American squads competed in the WNIT – Memphis, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Wichita State

All 14 league teams are scheduled to compete for the 2024 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The tournament is scheduled for March 9-13 on the ESPN Networks.

2023-24 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll and Honors

1.	South Florida (10)		166
2.	East Carolina (4)		159
3.	Rice	135
4.	SMU		118
5.	Memphis		115
6.	Tulane		110
7.	Tulsa		104
8.	UTSA		75
9.	Temple		72
10.	Charlotte		62
11.	Wichita State		53
12	North Texas		47
13.	UAB		30
14.	Florida Atlantic		28