GREENVILLE, S.C. – In the 2026-27 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, Francis Marion University was picked as the league's champion by the women's basketball coaches the conference office announced on Thursday.
Francis Marion finished as east division champions in 2025-26 and received 210 points to sit atop the 2026-27 preseason poll. The Patriots received 6-of-16 first place votes with 2025-26 tournament champion, Lees-McRae College receiving seven first place votes. The Bobcats received 206 total points following to land in the second spot ahead of last year's Conference Carolinas North Division Champion Belmont Abbey College. The Crusaders compiled 198 points and the final three first place votes. Barton College came in fourth with 179 points and 2025-26 tournament runner-up, Chowan University rounded out the top five with 152 points.
Young Harris College is picked sixth with 150 points, followed by UNC Pembroke with 147 points in seventh. King University came in eight with 135 points, followed by Emmanuel University in ninth with 104 points. The top 10 is concluded by Shorter University's 96 points.
Ferrum College (95), North Greenville University (73,) University of Mount Olive (68), Converse University (49), Southern Wesleyan University (43), and Erskine College (15) concluded the poll.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
The 2027 Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will get underway on Sunday, February 28 and Monday, March 1. The fourth, fifth and sixth seeds in men's and women's basketball will host two games over the two days. The 12th-seeded team will battle the seventh-seeded team on February 28 at the sixth seed for the right to face the sixth seed on March 1. The 11th-seeded team will battle the eighth-seeded team on February 28 at the home of the fifth seed for the right to face the fifth seed on March 1, while the 10th-seeded team will take on the ninth-seeded team at the home of the fourth seed on February 28 for the chance to take on the fourth seed on March 1.
The 2027 Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 5 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 6, while the men's and women's basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 7.
2026-27 Conference Carolinas
Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Points (First Place) |
| 1 |
Francis Marion |
210 (6) |
| 2 |
Lees-McRae |
206 (7) |
| 3 |
Belmont Abbey |
198 (3) |
| 4 |
Barton |
179 |
| 5 |
Chowan |
152 |
| 6 |
Young Harris |
150 |
| 7 |
UNC Pembroke |
147 |
| 8 |
King |
135 |
| 9 |
Emmanuel |
104 |
| 10 |
Shorter |
96 |
| 11 |
Ferrum |
95 |
| 12 |
North Greenville |
73 |
| 13 |
Mount Olive |
68 |
| 14 |
Converse |
49 |
| 15 |
Southern Wesleyan |
43 |
| 16 |
Erskine |
15 |
2026-27 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Layne Sleight, Sr., G, Jackson, Michigan (2025-26 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Makayla Noble, Jr., F, Salisbury, North Carolina
- Celeste Bailey, Jr., G, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Belmont Abbey
- Leigha Dennison, Sr., G, Hilliard, Ohio
- Brielle George, So., F, West Palm Beach, Florida (2025-26 Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team)
- Janiah Shular, Sr., F, Huntersville, North Carolina
Chowan
- Wisdom Banks, Sr., G, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Janiya Davis, Jr., G, Austin, Texas
- Alexandria James-Fearon, Sr., G, Toronto, Canada
Converse
- Tatiana Brown, Sr., C, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Madison Fileen, So., G, Monroe, New York
- Olivia McKinney, Fr., G, Greenville, South Carolina
Emmanuel
- Naomi Roberts, Sr., G, Cleveland, Georgia
- Kate Jackson, Sr., F, Dahlonega, Georgia
- Jaden Young, So., G, Madison, Georgia
Erskine
- Faith Scandrett, Sr., G, Clayton County, Georgia
- Chaelyn Tifre, Fr., F, Lexington, South Carolina
- Tykirea Johnson, Fr., F, Greenwood, South Carolina
Ferrum
- Breyana Kimmons, So., G, Sacramento, California
- Aleksandra Kubiak, So., G, Poznan, Poland
- Sofia Ponce, So., F, Panama, Panama
Francis Marion
- Uriah Jennings, Sr., G/F, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
- Terriana Gray, Jr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Trinity Fields, Jr., G, Old Hickory, Tennessee
King
- Aliyah Hawkins, So., G, Crossville, Tennessee, (2025-26 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year and second team all-conference)
- Emma Larios, Sr., G, Piney Flats, Tennessee
- Alayna Smith, Sr., G, Youngstown, Ohio
Lees-McRae
- Nadiya Hairston, Sr., G, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (2025-26 All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship MVP)
- Braelyn Stilwell, So., G, Connelly Springs, North Carolina
- Sydney Gueterman, Sr., F, Charlotte, North Carolina (2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team)
Mount Olive
- Jayla Hicks, So., G, Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Janna Tupola, Jr., G, Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Emily Wiebelhaus, Jr., G Bellevue, Nebraska
UNC Pembroke
- Shaymiah Bailey, So. F/C, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Mia Lewis, Jr., G, Paterson, New Jersey
- Bre'Asia Washington, Sr., G, Lakeland, Florida (2025-26 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
North Greenville
- Quinn Johnston, So., SG, Spring Hill, Tennessee
- Maliyiah Mason, Jr., C, West Columbia, South Carolina
- Amiyah Clark-Lamelle, Jr., PG, Greer, South Carolina
Shorter
- Raegan Byrd, Jr., G, Saginaw, Michigan
- Allison Farr, Jr., G, Howell, Michigan
- Kaela Ward, Sr., G, Atlanta, Georgia
Southern Wesleyan
- Makayla Raines, Sr., G, Jonesboro, Georgia
- Erin Frazier, Jr., F, Teaneck, New Jersey
- Ahrianna Scott, Jr., G, Anderson, South Carolina
Young Harris
- Olivia Vandergriff, Jr., G, Guntersville, Alabama
- Joy Tchamabe, So., F, Woodstock, Georgia
- Courtney Davis, Jr., G, Blue Ridge, Georgia