SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference announced the 2025 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday morning.  Senior forward Meghan Downing and sophomore guard Carmen Richardson were tabbed to the Preseason All-Conference team and the program was picked to finish third overall in the SoCon.

Meghan Downing, a senior forward from New Madison, Ohio, was selected to the Preseason All-SoCon roster after a dominate 2024 season.  Through her junior season, Downing collected 77 FG, eight 3FP, 34 free throws, 23 assists, 70 blocks, 27 steals and 196 total points.  She was selected to the 2024-25 Southern Conference All-Defensive Team for her efforts.  Downing also tallied three double-doubles and led the SoCon in total blocks and blocks per game last season, while posting a career-high 18 points versus UNC Greensboro.  In her career at ETSU, Downing has accumulated 367 points, 117 blocks, 45 steals and 37 assists with a field goal percentage of .452 (140-310).

Carmen Richardson, a sophomore guard from Orlando, Florida, was tabbed to the Preseason All-SoCon team after recording 213 points, 28 steals, 63 assists and five blocks in the 2024-25 campaign.  She averaged 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.4 minutes per game en route to a nod to the 2045-25 SoCon All-Freshman Team. 

In her fourth season at the helm of ETSU women's basketball, head coach Brenda Mock Brown has been predicted to guide the Bucs to a third-place overall finish in the conference.  Mock Brown led the Bucs to a top-20 scoring defense nationally through 2024-25 and became the fastest coach in ETSU women's basketball history to reach 60 wins, doing so in three seasons. The Bucs look to record their fourth consecutive winning season in the 2025-26 campaign.

2025-26 Southern Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Chattanooga (6) - 48
2. UNC Greensboro (2) - 39
3. ETSU - 38
4. Wofford - 28
5. Furman - 26
6. Samford - 19
7. Western Carolina - 14
8. Mercer - 12
() denotes first-place votes
 
2025 Southern Conference Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Meghan Downing, Sr., F, ETSU 
Carmen Richardson, So., G, ETSU
Clare Coyle, So., F, Furman
Ariana Bennett, Sr., F, Mercer
Makiah Asidanya, Jr., G, UNCG
Jaila Lee, Sr., G, UNCG
Emily Bowman, R-Sr., C, Samford 
Gianna Corbitt, So., F, Chattanooga
Caia Elisaldez, Jr., G, Chattanooga 
Molly Masingale, So., G, Wofford

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