NEW ORLEANS – James Madison is the favorite ahead of the 2026-27 Sun Belt Women’s Basketball season after taking the top spot in the Preseason Coaches Poll for the fourth consecutive season. Fourth year Arkansas State guard Crislyn Rose claims Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year honors as the Sun Belt’s top returner from last season.
A year removed from their second Sun Belt Tournament championship, the Dukes are preseason favorites once again after garnering 189 total votes, including 11 first-place selections, from Sun Belt women’s basketball coaches. James Madison finished 2025-26 26-9 overall and 14-4 in Sun Belt play before earning the fourth overall seed in the conference tournament. JMU earned a 12-seed in the NCAA’s Morgantown Regional where they fell 71-56 to 5-seed Kentucky.
Troy, the 2026 Sun Belt Tournament runner-up, was picked second with 166 votes while Arkansas State (165) came third with a first-place vote. Reigning WNIT champion Marshall (151) is fourth, and Sun Belt newcomer Louisiana Tech (148) rounds out the top five with both the Thundering Herd and Lady Techsters receiving a first-place vote.
Arkansas State’s Crislyn Rose takes the Preseason Player of the Year honor for the first time in her career after a stellar 2025-26 campaign. She spearheaded a Red Wolf attack that averaged 76.4 points per game and a plus-10.2 scoring margin. Arkansas State finished the year 27-10 and 14-4 in league play, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Rose led the Red Wolves with 169 assists (4.6 per game) and started in all 37 games en route to the WNIT Fab Four. Rose is the Red Wolves’ first Preseason Player of the Year since Aundrea Gamble ahead of the 2015-16 season.
Rose is joined on the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team by Coastal Carolina’s Tessa Grady, Louisiana Tech’s Jordan Marshall, App State’s Daisia Mitchell and James Madison’s Bree Robinson. Eleven different programs had at least on player represented across the 15-member All-Sun Belt Preseason Teams with James Madison leading the way with three selections and App State and Louisiana Tech both earning two spots.
The Sun Belt Conference hosts Women’s Basketball Media Day tomorrow, Oct. 20, via Zoom with all 14 head coaches will join the media to preview the 2026-27 season of Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball.
The 2026-27 regular season begins on Monday, Nov. 2, and sees 12 Sun Belt teams visit MAC opponents for round one of the season’s MAC-SBC Challenge. Round two of this season’s conference clash is set for Saturday, Feb. 6.
Sun Belt Conference play begins on Wednesday, Dec. 16, with all teams playing an 18-game league slate that concludes on Friday, Feb. 26. The 2027 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championships presented by Air Force Reserve returns to the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, for the seventh year and begins on Tuesday, March 2, with the championship game set for Monday, March 8, on ESPNU.
Preseason Player of the Year
Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State [4th | G | Sachse, Texas]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Tessa Grady, Coastal Carolina [R-Jr. | G | Dublin, Ohio]
Jordan Marshall, Louisiana Tech [3rd | F | Little Rock, Ark.]
Daisia Mitchell, App State [Sr. | G | Riverside, Calif.]
Bree Robinson, James Madison [4th | G | Mississauga, Ontario]
Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State [4th | G | Sachse, Texas]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Imani Daniel, Louisiana [So. | F | Gramercy, La.]
Aniya Hubbard, Troy [5th | G | Hoover, Ala.]
Olivia Olson, Marshall [So. | G | New Smyrna Beach, Fla.]
Zakiya Stephenson, James Madison [4th | G | Virginia Beach, Va.]
Joi Williams, App State [Sr. | G | Leesburg, Va.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Kayla Cleaveland, Georgia Southern [2nd | F | Woodstock, Ga.]
Grace McDonough, James Madison [2nd | F | Harleysville, Pa.]
Chrysta Narcisse, Southern Miss [R-Jr. | G | Lafayette, La.]
Riley Stack, Old Dominion [4th | F | Piedmont, S.C.]
Alexia Weaver, Louisiana Tech [4th | G | Louisville, Ky.]
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison – 189 (11)
2. Troy – 166
3. Arkansas State – 165 (1)
4. Marshall – 151 (1)
5. Louisiana Tech – 148 (1)
6. Old Dominion – 106
T7. Coastal Carolina – 99
T7. Southern Miss – 99
9. App State – 79
10. ULM – 77
11. Georgia Southern – 62
12. South Alabama – 61
13. Louisiana – 42
14. Georgia State – 26
*
Parentheses indicate first-place votes