JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Atlantic Sun Conference announced its 2024-25 Women's Basketball preseason awards on Thursday as the league's 12 head coaches voted on. FGCU is favored to capture this year's league crown after receiving 57 first-place votes across the preseason coaches and media polls.
The Eagles went 29-5 overall last season and hoisted the ASUN Championship trophy for the 11th time in program history. FGCU garnered every first-place vote in the coaches poll and topped the rankings with 144 points. Central Arkansas ranked second in both the coaches and media polls after reaching the ASUN Championship Final last season for the first time in program history under first-year Head Coach Tony Kemper.
After making league history last spring by becoming the first individual to be named ASUN Player, Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year in the same season, FGCU's Emani Jefferson was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year. She averaged 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the Eagles last season and helped them earn another bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Central Arkansas' Bree Stephens and FGCU's Skyler Gill were voted the Preseason Defensive Players of the Year. Stephens helped the Sugar Bears advance to the program's first appearance in the championship final. The Australian was second in the league in blocks (46) while compiling 45 steals, only one of seven players in all of Division I to achieve that. Gill, a the 2022 and 2023 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and 2022 Freshman of the Year, played in 31 games last season for Kansas. She finished last season with 66 points and 38 rebounds. In her previous stint in the ASUN as part of the North Alabama Lions, she averaged 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and totaled 161 blocks in 53 games.
2024-25 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. FGCU (12) 144
2. Central Arkansas 128
3. Lipscomb 110
4. EKU 92
5. Jacksonville 90
5. Austin Peay 90
7. Stetson 85
8. Bellarmine 61
9. North Florida 47
9. North Alabama 47
11. Queens 26
12. West Georgia 16
First-place votes in parentheses
2024-25 Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
1. FGCU (45) 540
2. Central Arkansas 444
3. Lipscomb 429
4. Stetson 390
5. EKU 369
6. Austin Peay 309
7. North Alabama 282
8. Jacksonville 231
9. North Florida 177
10. Bellarmine 168
11. West Georgia 96
12. Queens 75
First-place votes in parentheses
2024-25 Women's Basketball Preseason All-ASUN Team
Emani Jefferson, FGCU^
Edyn Battle, Jacksonville^
Hayley Harrison, Bellarmine
Hope Sivori, Bellarmine
Kinley Fisher, Central Arkansas
Jade Upshaw, Central Arkansas
Randrea Wright, Central Arkansas
Alice Recanati, EKU
Dolly Cairns, FGCU
Claira McGowan, Lipscomb
Bella VInson, Lipsomb
^ - denotes a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-ASUN Team
Note - a tie in voting resulted in an 11-person Preseason All-ASUN Team