IRVING, Texas– The 2026-27 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll was revealed on Friday, with UTSA being slotted second, while senior Idara Udo was named Preseason All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive season.
Udo was awarded after helping UTSA win the 2026 American Conference Tournament Championship a season ago and earning all-tournament honors. At the event, she averaged a double-double with 10.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game en route to the title, lifting the Roadrunners to their first NCAA Tournament since 2009 and third in program history.
Overall, she started 24 of 26 games, averaging 9.3 points per game with 7.4 rebounds per game, 20 steals, and 19 blocks.
Udo adds the accolade to her trophy case, which also includes a second-team all-conference nod in 2024-25, earned through stellar play that led to a regular-season title.
UTSA was picked second in the preseason coaches poll, receiving two first-place votes. Rice took the top spot, earning 10 first-place votes for 142 total points, 21 more than UTSA’s 125. Not far behind, South Florida was third with 121 points and one first-place vote.
Tulsa also cleared the century mark with 117 points, slotting them fourth, while Temple was fifth with 96 and UNT sixth with 87. East Carolina took seventh with 82, Florida Atlantic was eighth with 60, and Memphis ninth with 54. Charlotte, meanwhile, finished 10th with 44, Tulane 11th with 41, UAB 12th with 26, and Wichita State rounded out the group in 13th with 19.
The complete Preseason Coaches Poll and All-Conference teams can be found below.
2026-27 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
|
1 |
Rice (10) |
142 |
|
2 |
UTSA (2) |
125 |
|
3 |
South Florida (1) |
121 |
|
4 |
Tulsa |
117 |
|
5 |
Temple |
96 |
|
6 |
UNT |
87 |
|
7 |
East Carolina |
82 |
|
8 |
Florida Atlantic |
60 |
|
9 |
Memphis |
54 |
|
10 |
Charlotte |
44 |
|
11 |
Tulane |
41 |
|
12 |
UAB |
26 |
|
13 |
Wichita State |
19 |
Note: First-place votes denoted in parentheses
2026-27 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Victoria Flores, Sr., G, Rice
2026-27 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference First Team
Victoria Flores, Sr., G, Rice
Stefanie Ingram, 5th, G, South Florida
Kaylah Turner, Sr., G, Temple
Idara Udo, Sr., F, UTSA
Mady Cartwright, Sr., G, Tulsa
2026-27 American Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Daejah Richmond, Sr., G, Memphis
Tamya Smith, Jr., F, Memphis
Hailey Adams, R-Sr., G, Rice
Kanija Daniel, Sr., G, Tulane
Saniyah Craig, Sr., F, Temple
Keep up with UTSA Women’s Basketball on goUTSA.com and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAWBB, X (Twitter) @UTSAWBB, and on Instagram @UTSA_WBB.
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