PHILADELPHIA – UConn was selected as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the 2018-19 American Athletic Conference women’s basketball title as voted upon by the conference’s head coaches.
The Huskies earned all 121 possible points and 11 first place votes to top the poll for the sixth-consecutive year. Two-time American Player of the Year, UConn senior Katie Lou Samuelson, was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year and joins classmate Napheesa Collier as returning All-Americans from last season’s 36-1 squad. The 2017-18 Huskies posted an unblemished 16-0 record in league play, claiming their fifth-straight American Women’s Basketball Championship and advancing to their 11
th-consecutive Final Four.
USF earned the second-place spot in the poll, collecting 111 points. The Bulls, led by 2018 Coach of the Year Jose Fernandez, return four key starters, including 2018 First Team All-Conference honoree Kitija Laksa and redshirt senior Laura Ferreira. In 2017-18, USF advanced to its fifth NCAA tournament in the past six seasons and finished with a 26-9 record and 13-3 conference slate. Both Laksa and Ferreira garnered Preseason All-Conference accolades to begin their final seasons.
With 95 points and in third place, Houston receives its highest preseason poll ranking in the six-year history of The American. The Cougars look to build upon last season’s 20-12 record – the first 20-plus win season for the program since the 2010-11 season. Head coach Ron Hughey returns both of his top scorers for their junior seasons, Jasmyne Harris and Angela Harris, both of whom were All-Conference picks last year and are Preseason All-Conference selections heading into this season.
UCF lands in the top four of the poll for the second-straight season, falling narrowly behind Houston with 92 points. The Knights tied the program’s highest win total since joining Division I last season, going 22-11 and advancing to the second round of the WNIT.
Cincinnati, beginning its first season under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, took fifth in the poll (74 points) followed closely by Temple (72 points). SMU (55), ECU (46) and Tulane (42) placed seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, with Wichita State (35), Memphis (25) and Tulsa (24) rounding out the poll.
Samuelson gathers her first Preseason Player of the Year honor heading into her senior campaign. A two-time AP, USBWA and WBCA First Team All-American and two-time American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, she led last year’s UConn roster with 17.4 points per game and was the conference leader with her 47.5 percentage from beyond the arc. Collier and junior guard Crystal Dangerfield join Samuelson as Huskies selected to the Preseason All-Conference First Team.
UConn and USF culminated the 2017-18 season with trips to the NCAA tournament, while UCF, Cincinnati and Houston earned WNIT bids. Since the conference’s inaugural season in 2013-14, all 12 women’s basketball programs have made at least one postseason appearance.
All 12 teams will tip off the 2018 conference schedule the weekend of Jan. 5. The 2019 American Women’s Basketball Championship will be held March 8-11 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
2018-19 American Athletic Conference
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
UConn (11) |
121 |
| 2. |
USF (1) |
111 |
| 3. |
Houston |
95 |
| 4. |
UCF |
92 |
| 5. |
Cincinnati |
74 |
| 6. |
Temple |
72 |
| 7. |
SMU |
55 |
| 8. |
ECU |
46 |
| 9. |
Tulane |
42 |
| 10. |
Wichita State |
35 |
| 11. |
Memphis |
25 |
| 12. |
Tulsa |
24 |
Preseason Player of the Year
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Napheesa Collier, UConn*
Crystal Dangerfield, UConn
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn*
Jasmyne Harris, Houston
Kitija Laksa, USF*
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Angela Harris, Houston
Laura Ferreira, USF
Alicia Froling, SMU
Alliya Butts, Temple
Mia Davis, Temple
*denotes unanimous selection