NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll was announced on Tuesday with reigning champion Connecticut the unanimous favorite to win the league. The Huskies, who competed in the BIG EAST last season for the first time since 2012-13, have won the conference regular season 20 times, along with 19 BIG EAST Tournament titles. UConn collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes to top the preseason poll.
 
Six-time BIG EAST regular-season champion DePaul finished second in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 90 points and the remaining first-place vote. Seton Hall was slotted third with 80 points, while Marquette, the 2020-21 runner-up in both the regular season and conference tournament, was fourth with 74 points. BIG EAST Tournament semifinalists a season ago, Villanova (62 points) and Creighton (54) were picked fifth and sixth, respectively. With 51 points, St. John’s followed in seventh, while Providence landed in eighth with 32 points. Georgetown (ninth, 27 points), Xavier (10^th, 18 points) and Butler (11^th, 17 points) rounded out the poll.
 
UConn returned to the BIG EAST in impressive fashion in 2020-21, going 18-0 in conference play and 28-2 overall, including a run to its 13^th straight Final Four. The Huskies return all five starters from a season ago, including BIG EAST Player and Freshman of the Year, AP Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy Winner and Wooden Award winner Paige Bueckers. UConn also boasts the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class, as ranked by espnW, highlighted by top-ranked prospect Azzi Fudd. Entering his 37^th season at the helm, head coach Geno Auriemma eclipsed the 1,100 win mark last season, moving to No. 2 all-time in career wins.  
 
Also returning all five starters in 2021-22, DePaul went 14-10 overall and 11-5 in BIG EAST play a season ago to finish fourth in the standings. The Blue Demons earned an invite to the WNIT this past March after 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Among DePaul’s top returners are 2021 All-BIG EAST First Team selections Sonya Morris and Lexi Held. DePaul finished in the top 10 nationally in three statistical categories in 20-21, including No. 8 in scoring offense at 81.5 points per game.
 
After a 12-5 BIG EAST record, Seton Hall posted a third-place finish for the second straight year and earned the conference’s automatic bid to the WNIT. The Pirates finished 14-7 overall and return a trio of starters from that squad, including All-BIG EAST First Team performers Lauren Park-Lane and Andra Espinoza-Hunter. Park-Lane was voted BIG EAST Most Improved Player after nearly tripling her scoring average from her rookie campaign.
 
Marquette advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament final for the fifth consecutive season and claimed its fourth straight NCAA Tournament invite in 2020-21.  With a 14-4 BIG EAST record, the Golden Eagles were No. 2 in the conference standings and finished with an overall mark of 19-7. MU returns three starters from a season ago, including BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award winner and Second Team honoree Lauren Van Kleunen. Marquette will look to bolster its lineup with transfers Karissa McLaughlin, an All-Big Ten First Team performer from Purdue, and Kennedi Myles out of Illinois.
 
In its first season under head coach Denise Dillon, Villanova went 17-7 overall and 9-5 in BIG EAST play to finish fifth in the standings. The Wildcats scored a BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal upset over fourth-seeded DePaul to advance to its first Semifinal since 2015. Villanova earned a WNIT invite and advanced to the third round. The Wildcats return three starters from a season ago, highlighted by Katrina McClain Award finalist Maddy Siegrist, who led the BIG EAST in scoring both overall (22.8) and in league play (23.1).
 
Creighton also scored a BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal upset in 2021 as the sixth-seeded Bluejays bounced the third-seeded Pirates. Creighton went 6-7 in league action, missing nearly the entire month of January due to COVID-19 pauses and cancellations. The Bluejays went 10-12 overall, which included a trip to the WNIT where they advanced to the second round. Among Creighton’s three returning starters is sophomore Emma Ronsiek, who finished second on the team in scoring with an 11.6 rookie average.
 
St. John’s is coming off an 8-15 season, including a 4-12 BIG EAST mark. After finishing in eighth place in the standings, the Red Storm advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals before falling to the top-seeded Huskies. St. John’s returns four starters from last season’s squad, highlighted by All-BIG EAST First Team performer Leilani Correa. Correa finished fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring with an overall average of 17.6 points per game. St. John’s added a pair of impact transfers in the offseason in Notre Dame’s Danielle Cosgrove and Indiana’s Danielle Patterson.
 
Providence scored a BIG EAST Tournament win for a third straight year, advancing to the Quarterfinals before falling to the second-seeded Golden Eagles. The Friars finished 2020-21 with a 7-14 overall record and 4-10 mark in BIG EAST play to land seventh in the standings. PC returns two of its top-three scorers from a year ago, including Mary Baskerville who was an All-BIG EAST Second Team honoree. Providence will have a revamped lineup this winter as the roster features eight newcomers, including two-time Maine Gatorade Player of the Year Emily Archibald.
 
After being limited to just BIG EAST competition, Georgetown went 2-14 in the regular season and fell in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round to finish 2-15 on the year. The Hoyas were without 2019-20 BIG EAST blocks leader Anita Kelava in 20-21, but the graduate student forward is back for 21-22. GU also returns BIG EAST All-Freshman Team member Kelsey Ransom, who led the Hoyas in scoring during her rookie season.
 
Limited to just 10 conference games due to COVID-19 disruptions, Xavier went 2-8 in BIG EAST action and 5-10 overall, landing in ninth place in the standings. The Musketeers will have a new look this year with seven newcomers, but return their No. 2 and 3 scorers from a year ago in Nia Clark and Kae Satterfield. Notable fresh faces include JUCO All-American Shaila Beeler, Virginia Tech transfer Shelby Calhoun and Clemson transfer Mikayla Hayes.
 
Limited to just one non-conference regular-season game a year ago, Butler finished with a 3-17 overall record and 3-15 mark in BIG EAST play to place 10^th. The Bulldogs will replace three starters, but return No. 2 scorer Genesis Parker. The Bulldogs hope to fortify their lineup with Furman transfer Celena Taborn as well as Eastern Kentucky’s Kendall Wingler.
 
BIG EAST Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll
1.    UConn (10)     100
2.    DePaul (1)       90
3.    Seton Hall       80
4.    Marquette      74
5.    Villanova        62
6.    Creighton       54
7.    St. John’s        51
8.    Providence     32
9.    Georgetown   27
10.  Xavier              18
11.  Butler              17