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 once again. The Huskies have won the conference regular season 22 times, along with 21 BIG EAST Tournament titles, sweeping both in 2022-23 despite an overwhelming number of injuries. UConn collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes in the preseason poll.
 

BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1.	Connecticut (10)	100
2.	Creighton (1)	90
3.	Marquette	79
4.	Villanova	76
5.	Seton Hall	58
6.	St. John’s	52
7.	DePaul	49
8.	Butler	37
9.	Providence	32
10.	Georgetown	20
11.	Xavier	12

With four starters returning, Creighton finished second in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 90 points and the remaining first-place vote. Coming off its second NCAA appearance in the last three seasons, Marquette was slotted third with 79 points. Villanova, which advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, was picked fourth with 76 points, while Seton Hall rounded out the top five with 58 points. St. John’s, which earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2016, was slotted sixth in the Preseason Poll with 52 points, edging out DePaul in seventh with 49. Butler was picked eighth with 37 points. The ninth, 10^th and 11^th-ranked teams are under the direction of new head coaches this year: Providence (32 points), Georgetown (20) and Xavier (12).
 
UConn was dealt significant challenges even before the 2022-23 season began, with 2021 national player of the year Paige Bueckers and No. 5 ranked recruit Ice Brady suffering season-ending injuries in the summer. Despite only two players on the roster playing all 37 games last season, the Huskies went 31-6, including 18-2 in BIG EAST play, capturing the regular season and tournament titles and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. UConn begins the 2023-24 season with a healthy Bueckers, Brady and Azzi Fudd, who was limited to just 15 games last season, while also boasting All-BIG EAST picks Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Mühl, and top-ranked recruits KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuels. The Huskies’ non-conference schedule will test them early and often, with notable matchups against South Carolina, Notre Dame, Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina and others.
 
Coming off its second straight NCAA Tournament berth, Creighton returns 84-percent of its scoring from that squad, including its top four scorers in Lauren Jensen, Morgan Maly, Emma Ronsiek and Molly Mogensen. The experience-heavy unit has six seniors on the roster, all of which have played significant minutes for the Bluejays. Creighton went 22-9 overall and 15-5 in BIG EAST play a season ago, finishing in third place in the standings and advancing to the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals. The Bluejays came up short in the NCAA Tournament, a year after advancing to the program’s first ever Elite Eight, as No. 6 seed Creighton was upset in the First Round by 11^th-seeded Mississippi State. The Bluejays have earned four NCAA Tournament berths since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
 
Entering its fifth season under Megan Duffy, Marquette went 21-11 overall last year and tied for fourth in the BIG EAST standings with a 13-7 league mark. The Golden Eagles made their second NCAA Tournament in the last three years and have averaged nearly 22 wins per season under Duffy. MU returns leading scorer Jordan King and No. 2 rebounder Liza Karlen but will have a big hole to fill with the graduation of Chloe Marotta, who was second on the team in scoring and tops in rebounding. The Golden Eagles added a number of key pieces in the offseason, including Lehigh transfer Frannie Hottinger, who was the 2023 Patriot League Player of the Year.
 
Villanova had one of its finest seasons in program history in 2022-23, tallying a 30-7 overall record and advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. The Wildcats finished runner-up in the BIG EAST standings (17-3) and conference tournament. However, 2023-24 marks the first season post-Maddy Siegrist, who finished as the BIG EAST’s all-time leading scorer and led the nation with 29.2 points per game last year. Siegrist was the No. 3 overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft. The cupboard is not empty for Villanova, however, as experienced juniors Lucy Olsen and Christina Dalce, who spent much of the offseason with the Team USA’s U21 3X3 team competing internationally, are primed to take on greater roles. Seniors Maddie Burke and Bella Runyan also provide plenty of upside for the Wildcats.  
 
Azana Baines was also a Team USA 3X3 member this summer and will look to lead Seton Hall in 2023-24. The Pirates lose a trio of starters, but Baines anchors an experienced group along with Kae Satterfield, Amari Wright and Sha’Lynn Hagans. The Hall went 19-15 overall and 10-10 in BIG EAST play a season ago, advancing to the second round of the WNIT. The Pirates lost their top two scorers, but bring in impact transfers, including All-MAC selection A’Jah Davis from Northern Illinois, and SWAC Freshman of the Year Micah Gray from Texas Southern.
 
St. John’s (23-9, 13-7 BIG EAST) enjoyed a remarkable season in 2022-23, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2016, going unbeaten in regular-season non-league play, and scoring a noteworthy win at UConn in late February. The Red Storm will have to replace four starters from that squad, however, with Jillian Archer and BIG EAST Sixth Woman of the Year Unique Drake the lone returnees who saw notable minutes last season.
 
DePaul will also have a new look in 2023-24 following the departure of its top three scorers. Veterans Anaya Peoples and Jorie Allen will lead the Blue Demons, who also added transfers from Notre Dame, UCLA and Michigan, along with a hefty freshman class. DePaul nearly upset No. 2 seed Villanova in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals, finishing the year 16-17 overall and 8-12 in conference play.
 
In its first season under head coach Austin Parkinson, Butler enjoyed a 10-win improvement, including six in BIG EAST play – its most since 2019-20. The Bulldogs welcome back two of their top three scorers from a year ago including Syndey Jaynes and Anna Mortag.  Butler went 11-19 overall and 6-14 in BIG EAST play to tie for eighth in the standings.
 
Under first year head coach Erin Batth, Providence returns an experienced bunch, including four starters. Notable returners include Olivia Olsen, Grace Efosa and Kylee Sheppard. Batth also brings in Ugne Sirtautaite from Lithuania, who has significant international experience, and Wake Forst transfer Marta Morales Romero. The Friars went 13-19 overall and 4-16 in BIG EAST play in 2022-23. Batth spent last season as an assistant at Michigan and the previous four before that on staff at NC State.
 
Georgetown tied with Butler for eighth in the standings last season at 6-14, going 14-17 overall. Associate head coach Darnell Haney, who most recently served as head coach at Jacksonville University, steps in to lead the team this season. The Hoyas return leading scorer Kelsey Ransom, who averaged 13.1 points in league play, while also finishing among the national leaders in steals (2.52 per game).
 
Billi Chambers takes over at Xavier after 10 seasons as head coach of Iona. The Musketeers return leading scorer Mackayla Scarlett, while Chambers signed seven for the 2023-24 season. XU went 7-23 overall last year and 0-20 in BIG EAST games.