IRVING, Texas – Defending American Conference Tournament champion South Florida has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 American Conference women’s basketball title in voting conducted by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced on Thursday.
The Bulls were selected as the conference favorite for a sixth consecutive season, earning 11 first-place votes and 143 total points. UTSA, the defending American Conference regular-season champion, finished second in voting with one first place vote and 119 total points. Rice earned the final first place vote and totaled 113 points to finish third. Temple (107 points) and Tulane (104 points) rounded out the top five.
North Texas finished sixth in the voting with 95 points, followed by East Carolina (82 points), Tulsa (72 points), Memphis (52 points), Charlotte (50 points), UAB (38 points), Wichita State (23 points) and Florida Atlantic (16 points).
South Florida senior forward Carla Brito was voted the American Preseason Player of the Year. Brito, a Second Team All-Conference selection last season, ended the season strong, guiding the Bulls to the American Conference Tournament Championship and earning the Most Outstanding Player.
Brito, a unanimous preseason all-conference selection, is joined on the first team by graduate forward teammate L’or Mputu (9.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, American Conference Most Improved Player in 2024-25), Rice senior guard Dominique Ennis (12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, Second Team All-Conference in 2024-25), Temple junior guard Kaylah Turner (9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, American Conference Sixth Player of the Year in 2024-25) and UTSA junior forward Idara Udo (8.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, Second Team All-Conference in 2024-25).
Players named to the preseason all-conference second team were Rice sophomore guard Aniah Alexis (6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, All-Freshman Team in 2024-25), Rice junior guard Victoria Flores (9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, All-Newcomer Team in 2024-25), Tulane senior forward Amira Mabry (10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds in 2024-25), Tulane sophomore guard Kendall Sneed (10.9 points, 4.1 assists, American Conference Freshman of the Year in 2024-25) and Tulsa junior guard Mady Cartwright (10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds in 2024-25).
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.
North Texas (25-9), South Florida (23-11), Temple (20-11) and UTSA (26-5) all reached the 20-win mark a season ago. The Bulls claimed their second American Conference Tournament championship to earn the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. UTSA earned an invitation to the WBIT, while UAB, North Texas and Tulsa received WNIT bids.
Beginning this season, the American Basketball Championship will feature the top 10 teams in a new five-day bracket format. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will advance directly to the semifinals, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will maintain byes to the quarterfinals. The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds will receive byes to the second round. The 2026 Championship will run Tuesday through Saturday, March 10-14 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
2025-26 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll and Honors
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- South Florida (11) 143
- UTSA (1) 119
- Rice (1) 113
- Temple 107
- Tulane 104
- North Texas 95
- East Carolina 82
- Tulsa 72
- Memphis 52
- Charlotte 50
- UAB 38
- Wichita State 23
- Florida Atlantic 16
First-place votes in parenthesis
Preseason Player of the Year
Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Dominique Ennis, Sr., G, Rice
Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida*
L’or Mputu, Gr., F, South Florida
Kaylah Turner, Jr., G, Temple
Idara Udo, Jr., F, UTSA
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Aniah Alexis, So., G, Rice
Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice
Amira Mabry, Sr., F, Tulane
Kendall Sneed, So., G, Tulane
Mady Cartwright, Jr., G, Tulsa
* denotes unanimous selection