SoCon women's hoops preseason all-conference team, poll announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs were tabbed as the preseason favorites to win the Southern Conference women’s basketball title for the 2025-26 season, according to a vote by the league’s head coaches.  

Chattanooga junior guard Caia Elisaldez was voted the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year.  The Whittier, California, native averaged 14.1 points per game last season, ranking second in the league in the category and first in total points scored, with 437.  
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes as part of the balloting. 

Chattanooga picked up six of the eight possible first-place votes in the coaches’ poll, earning 48 points overall. The Mocs finished 17-15 overall and 9-5 in SoCon play last season. Chattanooga was the conference tournament runner-up before going 1-1 in the WNIT. Head coach Deandra Schirmer’s team returns two starters, including Elisaldez and Gianna Corbitt, both of whom made the preseason all-conference team.  

UNCG finished the 2024-25 campaign 25-7 overall and 13-1 in SoCon play, winning the 2025 Ingles SoCon Women’s Basketball Championship for the second time in program history. The Spartans were selected second by the coaches with two first-place votes and 39 points. UNCG guards Makiah Asidanya and Jaila Lee were preseason all-conference selections.  
 
ETSU picked up 38 points to finish third in the coaches’ poll, with Meghan Downing and Carmen Richardson being selected to the preseason all-conference team to represent the Bucs. Wofford’s Molly Masingale made the preseason all-conference team, as the Terriers tallied 28 points, ranking fourth in the poll.  
 
Furman (26 points) and Samford (19 points) followed ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. They each placed one player on the all-conference team, as Clare Coyle was named from the Paladins and Emily Bowman from the Bulldogs. 
 
Western Carolina was picked seventh in the poll with 14 points.  

Mercer rounded out the poll with 12 points and accounted for the final selection to the preseason all-conference squad as Ariana Bennett made the team. 

The 2024-25 season will tip-off on Monday, Nov. 3, with seven teams in action. Two days later, UNCG opens its season. The conference slate of games begins on Thursday, Jan. 8. The 2026 Ingles Southern Conference Championship will be held March 5-8 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. 
 

2025-26 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll  

Team (1st-place votes)     Total  

Chattanooga (6)      48 

UNCG (2)           39 

ETSU                38   

Wofford             28 

Furman             26    

Samford            19     

Western Carolina     14 

Mercer              12 

2025-26 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year  

Caia Elisaldez, Jr., G, Chattanooga  

2025-26 Preseason All-Southern 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