The Bulls earned the top spot in a preseason conference poll for the third time in program history
IRVING, Texas (Oct. 12, 2022) – The University of South Florida women’s basketball team has been picked to finish atop the American Athletic Conference (AAC) this season in a poll of league coaches announced by the conference on Wednesday. It marks the third time in program history – and the third-straight year – that the Bulls have been selected first in a preseason conference poll.
In addition, Elena Tsineke (Thessaloniki, Greece) was tabbed The American Preseason Player of the Year and named First Team All-Conference, where she is joined by fellow First Team selection, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (Nkongsamba, Cameroon).
Click here to see the complete conference release.
The Bulls earned the top spot with 99 total points and nine of 11 first-place votes. Houston (89) was picked to finish second and SMU (73) third, while Tulsa (66), Tulane (56) and Memphis (56) rounded out the top five spots in the preseason poll. Temple (43), Central Florida (38) and Cincinnati (34) were slotted seventh through ninth, respectively, with Wichita State (32) and East Carolina (19) rounding out the bottom two teams.
South Florida (9) and Houston (2) were the only two schools to earn first-place votes.
Last season, South Florida posted a 24-9 overall record and a 12-3 mark in the American Athletic Conference, capping off the season with its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, and its seventh trip to the Big Dance in the last 10 years.
Included in their 24 wins were victories over No. 9 Oregon, 71-62, and a thrilling 57-54 win over defending national champion and No. 7-ranked Stanford.
Tsineke, the Bulls’ top returning scorer, continues to prove that she is one of the top guards in The American and one of the most dangerous shooting guards in the nation. Last season she was tabbed an American Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference selection after averaging 14.3 points per game, which was third in the conference, and shooting 38.7 percent (173-for-447) from the field and 83.7 percent (82-for-98) from the free-throw line, good for first in the league. Tsineke was also named to the AAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 17.0 points per game in the Bulls’ three contests.
The 5-foot-8 senior became the 26th player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau, netting 18 points in the regular season finale against Houston on March 2, 2022, and finished the season with 1,076 points for her career, 19th on the school’s all-time scoring list. In addition, she scored in double figures in 27 games for the Green and Gold, including seven outings of 20-or-more points.
Fankam Mendjiadeu, a 6-foot-4 redshirt senior, was a Second Team All-Conference selection last season and was one of the top centers in The American during her first season in the Green and Gold. A transfer from American Athletic Conference foe Memphis, Fankam Mendjiadeu was third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game, and second in rebounding, grabbing 7.1 boards per contest, and ranked ninth in The American in both categories. She shot 46.9 percent (135-for-28) from the field on the year and 66.4 percent (71-for-107) from the free-throw line while recording seven double-doubles.
Fankam Mendjiadeu netted double-figure points in 17 games and double-digit rebounds eight times. She was also second on the roster in blocked shots (26).
The Bulls open the 2022-23 campaign with four consecutive home games in 10 days, beginning with their season-opener against Morehead State on Monday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+). South Florida will also face Florida A&M on Friday, Nov. 11 (6 p.m., ESPN+), Jacksonville on Sunday, Nov. 13 (1 p.m. ESPN+) and Alabama on Wednesday, Nov. 16 (7 p.m., ESPN+) during the homestand.
All home games and conference games not televised nationally will be televised on ESPN+.
Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
For questions or to purchase season tickets, please visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GoBulls.
Click here for South Florida’s complete season schedule.
Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. South Florida (9) 99
2. Houston (2) 89
3. SMU 73
4. Tulsa 66
5. Tulane 56
Memphis 56
7. Temple 43
8. UCF 38
9. Cincinnati 34
10. Wichita State 32
11. East Carolina 19
First-place votes in parenthesis
Preseason Players of the Year
Elena Tsineke, Sr., G, South Florida
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Laila Blair, Jr., G, Houston*
Elena Tsineke, Sr., G, South Florida
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, Sr., F, South Florida
Savannah Wilkinson, Sr., F, SMU*
Temira Poindexter, So., F, Tulsa
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Jillian Hayes, Jr, G, Cincinnati
Jamirah Shutes, 5th, G, Memphis
Dynah Jones, Gr., G, Tulane
Maddie Bittle, Sr., G, Tulsa
Maya Mayberry, Sr., G, Tulsa
* Denotes unanimous selection
About USF Women’s Basketball
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women’s basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
South Florida recorded its 10th 20-win season during the 2021-22 campaign while playing in its sixth American Athletic Conference championship game in its nine years in the conference. The Bulls achieved their highest national ranking of the season when it checked in at No. 13 in the Nov. 30 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, and advanced to their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years.
USF has made 17 postseason tournament appearances and had eight NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 22 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to 10 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, and has won over 400 career games. Fernandez was named a finalist for the WBCA and semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also tabbed the 2021 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2020-21 campaign.
In 2021-22, the Bulls had three players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference Second Team) and Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (All-Conference Second Team).
In addition, Tsineke and Mununga were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team.
–#GoBulls –
