Lady Tops ranked fifth in preseason coaches poll predictions
Exciting Start to CUSA Women’s Basketball Season: Western Kentucky Ranked Fifth in Preseason Poll
The Western Kentucky Lady Tops women’s basketball team has been ranked fifth in the Conference USA (CUSA) preseason coaches’ poll, as announced on Thursday. This potential positions them well for an exhilarating season in the league.
Louisiana Tech: The Preseason Favorite
Louisiana Tech has been voted by the league’s 12 head coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 CUSA women’s basketball regular-season championship. The Lady Techsters gathered five first-place votes, securing a total of 128 points.
Entering her 10th season, coach Brooke Stoehr remains the longest active head coach at Louisiana Tech. The team is set to return an impressive 71% of its scoring and 59% of its rebounding from last season.
Liberty and Middle Tennessee in the Top Three
Liberty, the reigning CUSA champions, is expected to finish second, getting five first-place votes and totaling 125 points. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee secured third place in the preseason poll, coming off a successful season where the Lady Raiders were co-regular season champions.
Spotlight on Preseason Player of the Year and All-Conference Team
The league has named Paris Bradley from Louisiana Tech as the Preseason Player of the Year. Bradley, who was the 2024-25 Freshman of the Year, is known for her outstanding performance, including averaging 14.4 points per game.
- Paris Bradley, LA Tech
- Parris Atkins, FIU
- Mya Barnes, Jax State
- Keyarah Berry, Kennesaw State
- Avery Mills, Liberty
- Emmy Stout, Liberty
- Jordan Marshall, LA Tech
- Alyana Contreras, MTSU
- Faith Lee, Missouri State
- Deborah Ogayemi, Sam Houston
- Ivane Tensaie, UTEP
Conference Preview and Coaches’ Predictions
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Tech (5) | 128 |
| 2 | Liberty (5) | 125 |
| 3 | MTSU (2) | 123 |
| 4 | Missouri State | 107 |
| 5 | WKU | 96 |
| 6 | FIU | 74 |
| 7 | Sam Houston | 59 |
| T-8 | UTEP | 57 |
| T-8 | Kennesaw State | 57 |
| 10 | NM State | 51 |
| 11 | Delaware | 36 |
| 12 | Jax State | 23 |
As the 2025-26 season gears up for an exciting start on November 3, teams across CUSA aim to make their mark in the league, leading up to the Championship set for March 10-14 at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama. The title game, scheduled for March 14, will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
