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ATLANTA – FGCU is favored to capture the 2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Basketball title after being selected to the top spot in both the preseason coaches and media polls, announced by the league office Monday. The Eagles secured a total of 48 first-place votes combined between the two polls.

FGCU is coming off a 33-4 campaign that saw Karl Smesko's squad go 17-1 in conference play and claim the program's 13th regular-season league title,10th ASUN Championship banner and ninth NCAA Tournament berth. Lipscomb, who rewrote the program's record book in 2022-23 as it set a new standard for regular-season victories during its 20-12 display on the hardwood, was selected second in the coaches poll. The Bisons earned a first-round bye and a No. 3 seed last March in the 2023 ASUN Championship. The preseason media rankings saw the same results in the top two positions, with a tie taking place between EKU and Austin Peay for third.

The Colonels' Antwainette Walker was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year. The graduate guard was the ASUN Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-ASUN selection last season. She averaged just shy of a double-double with 21.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. The Lisle, Ill., native led the ASUN in 10 offensive categories while sitting in the top 15 nationally in six. Bellarmine's Gracie Merkle joined Walker with a preseason superlative as she was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. Merkle was the 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-ASUN choice a season ago. She led the nation in field-goal percentage (.702) while ranking first in the conference in rebounding (11.0), field-goal percentage (.702) and double-doubles (19). Merkle also set program records for field-goal percentage and total rebounds (340), while ranking second all-time in total blocks (72). 

2023-24 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. FGCU (10), 142
2. Lipscomb (2), 128
3. EKU, 121
4. Austin Peay, 107
5. Kennesaw State, 84
6. Stetson, 78
7. North Alabama, 72
8. Bellarmine, 65
9. Jacksonville, 48
10. Central Arkansas, 35 
11. North Florida, 33
12. Queens, 23

2023-24 Preseason Media Poll
1. FGCU (38), 500
2. Lipscomb, 434
3. EKU, 368
3. Austin Peay, 368
5. Kennesaw State, 278
6. North Alabama,  276
7. North Florida (2), 234
7. Stetson, 234
9. Jacksonville, 214
10. Bellarmine, 186
11. Central Arkansas, 106
12. Queens, 78

2023-24 Preseason All-ASUN Team
*Antwainette Walker, EKU
*Gracie Merkle, Bellarmine
*Shamarre Hale, Austin Peay
*Bella Vinson, Lipscomb
Alice Recanati, EKU
Uju Ezeudu, FGCU
Aleah Sorrentino, Lipscomb
Jalyn Holcomb, Lipscomb
Lyric Swann, North Florida
Khamya McNeal, Stetson

* - Denotes unanimous selection