America East Conference releases women's basketball preseason poll

America East Conference women's basketball preseason coaches' poll UMBC Retrievers NJIT Highlanders

The America East Conference has released its 2026-27 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Binghamton was selected as the preseason favorite, earning 60 points and six first-place votes.

UMBC finished second in the poll with 57 points and two first-place votes, following a 17-15 season that included a WNIT appearance. The Retrievers return six players who started multiple games last season, including senior Tiara Bellamy and Preseason All-Conference selection Heidi Williams.

NJIT was picked to finish sixth with 29 points. The Highlanders are coming off a record-breaking 19-win season and their first Division I-era postseason appearance. Other top-five selections include Vermont in third, Maine in fourth, and Bryant in fifth.

Entities

America East Conference · Binghamton · NJIT · UMBC · Vermont

Sources

Women’s Hoops Selected Sixth in 2026 America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll - New Jersey Institute of Technology Athletics [njithighlanders.com]

about 16 hours ago

Women's Basketball Picked Second in America East Preseason Poll - University of Maryland, Baltimore County [umbcretrievers.com]

about 16 hours ago