LA JOLLA, Calif.—The Big West Conference announced the women's basketball preseason polls and all-conference team, as selected by the conference's head coaches and select media.
UC San Diego was picked to finish seventh in the coaches poll with 38 points and ninth in the media poll with 46 points. Senior
Sydney Brown also appeared on two or more ballots for both the coaches and media preseason All-Big West teams.
"We are excited for the start of the season," said head coach
Heidi VanDerveer. "We are playing a challenging non-conference schedule to help prepare us for how competitive the Big West Conference will be this season. After our first season of playing in the conference, we have a much better understanding of the high level of play in the league, including the talented players, outstanding teams, and excellent coaches that we will have to face night in night out."
Defending champion UC Davis was the consensus pick to finish first in both preseason polls with nine of the 11 first-place votes and 99 total points. UC Irvine was picked to finish second with 88 points and one first-place vote, while UC Santa Barbara rounded out the top three with 75 points and the final first-place vote among the league's coaches.
Long Beach State (74 points) took fourth in the coaches poll, followed by Hawai'i (67) and CSU Bakersfield (54). Trailing the Tritons in the poll was UC Riverside (35), Cal Poly (25), Cal State Fullerton (22) and CSUN (18) to round out the group.
The media poll strayed from the coaches' predictions after the top spot with Long Beach State (100 points) in second, followed by UC Irvine (98), Hawai'i (76), CSU Bakersfield (73), UC Santa Barbara (72), Cal Poly (54), UC Riverside (48), UC San Diego (46), CSUN (30) and Cal State Fullerton (25).
Long Beach State, Hawai'i, CSU Bakersfield, UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside all received one first-place vote in the media poll.
Each team was discussed in depth and preseason selections were unveiled as part of
the Big West's preseason women's basketball show on ESPN+, which debuted on Nov. 2, and will be available on-demand for the next 30 days.
The Tritons return 11 letterwinners from the 2020-21 season—their first in Division I—where they finished eighth in the Big West final standings. UC San Diego will also add eight newcomers for the upcoming season, including transfers
Alex Obouh Fegue (R-Sr., Virginia Tech) and
Ula Chamberlin (Jr., Weber State) and six freshmen.
The season tips off Nov. 11, when the Tritons travel to face their first nonconference opponent at Portland (5 p.m. PT). League play is slated to begin for UC San Diego on Dec. 30 at UC Santa Barbara.
2021-22 BIG WEST PRESEASON POLLS
Coaches Poll
| Place |
Institution |
Points (First place votes) |
| 1. |
UC Davis |
99 (9) |
| 2. |
UC Irvine |
88 (1) |
| 3. |
UC Santa Barbara |
75 (1) |
| 4. |
Long Beach State |
74 |
| 5. |
Hawai'i |
67 |
| 6. |
CSU Bakersfield |
54 |
| 7. |
UC San Diego |
38 |
| 8. |
UC Riverside |
35 |
| 9. |
Cal Poly |
25 |
| 10. |
Cal State Fullerton |
22 |
| 11. |
CSUN |
18 |
Media Poll
| Place |
Institution |
Points (First place votes) |
| 1. |
UC Davis |
104 (6) |
| 2. |
Long Beach State |
100 (1) |
| 3. |
UC Irvine |
98 |
| 4. |
Hawai'i |
76 (1) |
| 5. |
CSU Bakersfield |
73 (1) |
| 6. |
UC Santa Barbara |
72 (1) |
| 7. |
Cal Poly |
54 |
| 8. |
UC Riverside |
48 (1) |
| 9. |
UC San Diego |
46 |
| 10. |
CSUN |
30 |
| 11. |
Cal State Fullerton |
25 |
2021-22 ALL-BIG WEST PRESEASON TEAM
Coaches Team
Amy Atwell, Hawai'i
Keilanei Cooper, UC Riverside
Cierra Hall, UC Davis
Justina King, Long Beach State
Ila Lane, UC Santa Barbara
Kayla Williams UC Irvine
Also appearing on two or more coaches ballots:
Sydney Brown (UC San Diego), Taylor Mole (UC Santa Barbara), Sage Stobbart (UC Davis), Chloe Webb (UC Irvine)
Media Team
Amy Atwell, Hawai'i
Keilanei Cooper, UC Riverside
Cierra Hall, UC Davis
Justina King, Long Beach State
Taylor Mole, UC Santa Barbara
Kayla Williams, UC Irvine
Also appearing on two or more coaches ballots:
Sydney Brown (UC San Diego), Jayden Eggleston (CSU Bakersfield), Ila Lane (UC Santa Barbara), Sage Stobbart (UC Davis), Maddi Utti (Long Beach State)
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
