SAN BRUNO, Calif. – BYU’s women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in its first year as a member of the West Coast Conference, as voted by the league coaches.
The Cougars return seven letterwinners from a team that won its third and final Mountain West Conference regular season title and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the postseason WNIT.
Senior center Kristen Riley was one of 10 players selected to the Preseason All-WCC Team.
BYU received one first-place vote for a total of 52 points. Gonzaga was picked to finish first, getting eight first-place votes for 64 points. Pepperdine follows the Cougars in third place with 50 points.
The Cougars have two exhibition games this week on Thursday and Friday and officially open the year hosting Duke on Fri., Nov. 11.
| 2011-12 WCC Preseason Poll | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team (First Place Votes) | Points | ||
| 1. Gonzaga (8) | 64 | ||
| 2. BYU (1) | 52 | ||
| 3. Pepperdine | 50 | ||
| 4. Loyola Marymount | 36 | ||
| 5. St. Mary's | 34 | ||
| 6. Portland | 32 | ||
| 7. San Diego | 26 | ||
| 8. Santa Clara | 22 | ||
| 9. San Francisco | 8 | ||
| 2011-12 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | School | Year | Position | |
| Kristen Riley | BYU | Sr. | C | |
| Dominique Conners | San Diego | Sr. | G | |
| Alex Cowling | LMU | RS.-Jr | G/F | |
| Natalie Day | Portland | Sr. | G/F | |
| Jazmine Jackson | Pepperdine | Sr | G | |
| Katelan Redmon | Gonzaga | Sr. | G/F | |
| Alyssa Shoji | Santa Clara | Sr. | G | |
| Jasmine Smith | Saint Mary's | RS-Sr. | G | |
| Kayla Standish | Gonzaga | Sr. | F | |
| ReZina TecleMariam | Portland | Sr. | G | |