APPALACHIAN STATE (13-18, 6-12)
Head coach Adrienne Shuler begins her sixth season at Appalachian State with her youngest team yet. Five freshmen will vie for playing time, as just two starters, senior Whitney Tossie and sophomore GiGi Thomas, return from last year’s squad. The team will face a rigorous non-conference schedule, with tournaments in Orlando and San Diego and the season opener at NC State, before looking to improve on last year’s 6-12 SoCon record. Tossie, an all-conference selection from last year, is less than 100 points away from the 1,000 mark, and will try to lead the Apps further than last year’s quarterfinal exit at the conference tournament.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (10-20, 5-13)
The biggest question for the College of Charleston women’s basketball team this year will be how to fill the spot vacated by Junior Jade Hughes. Hughes, the only Cougar last season to average in double-figures (11.1 ppg), will sit out 2007-08 after sustaining injuries in a car accident early in the fall. Jill Furstenburg should assume the starting guard role and share time with sophomores Ashley Scott and Erica Williams and Freshmen Tonia Gerty and Megan King. Erika Smith will start at forward along with Junior Nikki Williams and be helped by Sophomore Brooke Kotcella. At center will be Sophomore Deidra Jones and Freshman Jayme Warner. Charleston, which enters its 10th season in the Southern Conference, opens its season at Coastal Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in a 7:00 p.m. contest.
CHATTANOOGA (25-8, 15-3)
This season the Lady Mocs will look to continue their success with a team that has remained virtually intact. At the hub of Chattanooga’s rotation will be 6-1 senior forward Alex Anderson who averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season and was nationally ranked by the NCAA in four categories. Anderson became just the third person in SoCon history to be selected the league’s Player of the Year and tournament MVP in the same season. Along with Anderson, the Lady Mocs return starters Laura Hall, Kristen Spann and Brooke Hand. Hand was also listed among the best in the nation last year with a conference-record 90 three-pointers. She also holds the career mark for treys with 232 over three years.
DAVIDSON (23-9, 13-5)
Davidson returns nine letter winners from a year ago, including 2006-07 All-Southern Conference Second Team member senior Katie Hamilton. The redshirt senior paced the Wildcats with a 10.7 points per game average and led the conference in three-point accuracy at 38.9 percent. Hamilton will have plenty of support with the return of fellow senior Danielle Hemerka, and juniors Mercedes Robinson and Kelly Gassie. Hemerka was fourth in field goal percentage (.487) in the league, while Robinson registered two of Davidson's four double-doubles last year. Eleven postseason participants highlight the Wildcats' schedule this year, including trips to Georgia Tech, Georgia and Virginia along with two in-season tournaments.
ELON (10-20, 4-14)
One of the keys to improving upon Elon's 2006-07 campaign is the return of junior power forward Kitara McMoore who sat out last season with a knee injury. The 5-11 forward led the league in both scoring and rebounding in 2005-06, averaging 14.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. Nicole Allison will lead the Phoenix at the small forward position, serving as an experienced mentor for the younger players in the position. Tierra Bumbrey started every game last season and offered a team-best 8.4 points per game and tallied a career-best 3.73 assists per outing - fourth in the SoCon - on her way to earning team MVP honors. Sophomore Tiffany Davis became Elon's first-ever member of the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team last season.
FURMAN (11-20, 5-13)
Head coach Sam Dixon’s 2007-08 women’s basketball team looks to improve their ranking in the Southern Conference with the return of top scorer and team MVP Chrissy Phelps, as well as experienced starters Sarah Baker, Katie Johnson, and Lee Stephens. Phelps earned a SoCon ranking in four categories in 2006-07, including a third-place ranking in free throw percentage (.785) and an eighth-place ranking in steals/game (2.10). Furman welcomes three newcomers to a team whose defense ranked third in scoring in the SoCon a year ago. The Lady Paladins will host 14 games in Timmons Arena, including contests against in-state rival Clemson and Conference USA foe Rice.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN (13-18, 7-11)
Georgia Southern women’s basketball commences the 2007-2008 campaign in possession of something unique; something that has eluded the program in recent years. Experienced leadership, fresh talent, refined skill and a challenging schedule are all given. But the thing that is so unique to the 2007-2008 Lady Eagles basketball team is its depth. “We feel like for the first time in three or four years that we’re two-deep at every position, and that we’ve finally gotten back the depth going into the year,” said head coach Rusty Cram. “That’s what I’m excited about.” Returning are 10 letter winners, all five starters, including ?Freshman of the Year’ Carolyn Whitney and All-SoCon team-member Tiffany Brown, plus three newcomers.
UNC GREENSBORO (20-10, 13-5)
The Spartans will be in a bit of a rebuilding mode this season after losing three starters from last years’ squad but will be led by senior point guard and Southern Conference Player of the Year candidate, Kristen Boone. Boone was a first team all-conference selection a year ago and broke UNCG's all-time steals record last season with 313 steals in her tenure at UNCG. UNCG will also call on the services of five seniors. Meghan Chamberlain, Kemena Brooks, Jasmine Dixon, Brittany Frazier and Boone will be the heart and soul of this season's Spartan squad. Head coach Lynne Agee enters her 27th year at UNCG and 30th year overall during the 2007-08 season. Agee owns a 559-236 career record.
WESTERN CAROLINA (24-10, 15-3)
Western Carolina shared the Southern Conference regular season title in 2006-07 and reached the finals of the SoCon Tournament for the second time in Head Coach Kellie Harper’s three-year tenure. The Lady Cats earned a bid in the WNIT, reaching the second round by defeating East Tennessee State, 91-63, before falling to Virginia Tech, 74-64. The 2007-08 season holds a wealth of promise for Western Carolina as the club returns four starters and nine letter winners. The four returning starters, Lauren Powell, Monique Dawson, Chevon Keith and Jessika Johnson, accounted for 56 percent of the Lady Catamount offense. The club also benefit from the sure hand of guard Ashley Pellom. Powell and Keith were both first-team all-SoCon selections last season.
WOFFORD (13-16, 7-11)
Fourth-year head coach Edgar I. Farmer Jr. has transformed the Wofford women's basketball team into a winning and competitive program in his three short years at the helm. The Terriers will hit the court in 2007-08 with four starters remaining, including their top three scorers from a year ago, and are led by lone senior Kelsi Koenig. Koenig enters her final campaign needing just 266 to become the 12th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. Junior Liz Miller, another offensive threat, is also Wofford's top defensive player, recording 82 steals a year ago. As the team's point guard, she directs an up-tempo offense that helped guide the Terriers to their best record in five seasons last winter and an opening round bye in the Southern Conference Tournament.