ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Lenoir-Rhyne has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2026-27 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball title, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. The conference also announced its 2026-27 Women's Basketball Players to Watch, recognizing 25 student-athletes expected to make an impact this season.

The Bears earned 10 of the 12 first-place votes and totaled 120 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll. Carson-Newman received the remaining two first-place votes and finished second with 108 points.

Wingate secured third place with 92 points, followed closely by Lincoln Memorial in fourth with 89 points. Anderson rounded out the top five with 72 points, narrowly edging Coker, which finished sixth with 71 points.

UVA Wise was picked seventh with 68 points, followed by Catawba in eighth with 62 points. Newberry (42), Emory & Henry (31), Mars Hill (24) and Tusculum (13) rounded out the preseason rankings.

In addition to the coaches' poll, the SAC unveiled its annual Women's Basketball Players to Watch list, featuring representatives from each of the conference's 12 institutions. The 25-player group highlights student-athletes to keep an eye on as teams prepare for the upcoming campaign.

The complete preseason coaches' poll and Players to Watch list are below.

2026-27 SAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

?First-place votes in parentheses.

2026-27 SAC Women's Basketball Players to Watch
Anderson: Rose Gravel, Ashley Hill
Carson-Newman: Mattie Nuckolls, Keeleigh Rogers
Catawba: Sheree Gidney, Brayla Harris
Coker: Kamari Thompson, Dasia Ferguson
Emory & Henry: Rhyan Harris, Gracyn Hall
Lenoir-Rhyne: Aaliyah El, Abigail Brown, Elyseia Brown
Lincoln Memorial: Kallie Housley, Keyonee Neal
Mars Hill: Jadyiah Peoples, Shyann McCummings
Newberry: Mary Kate Grant, Sanae Graham
Tusculum: Marin Lind Agustsdottir, Angela Gomez
UVA Wise: Alissa Cheek, Grace Vyborny
Wingate: Kyleigh Bacon, Laura Montiel