High Point Women Share Big South Preseason Favorite Status With Radford

HIGH POINT — High Point University and Radford share the top spot in the Big South Conference's 2026-27 women's basketball preseason poll, giving the Panthers another prominent target as they pursue a third straight conference tournament championship. The league announced the voting Wednesday, October 14, at Basketball Media Day in Johnson City, Tennessee.

High Point and Radford each received 75 points and four first-place votes from the league's head coaches. UNC Asheville collected the remaining first-place vote and tied Winthrop for fifth. Longwood was third with 63 points, followed by Gardner-Webb with 43. The tie marks only the third time in conference history that two teams have shared the preseason top position.

The Panthers are coming off a 26-7 season, including a 13-3 Big South record, and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance as the league's tournament champion. High Point returns seven players, according to the conference. Radford also returns seven players and reached the second round of the WNIT last season, setting up what the preseason vote suggests could be a close title race.

High Point begins this campaign under first-year head coach Wyatt Foust. A coaching transition creates questions about how returning players and newcomers will fit together, even when the program enters with strong recent results. The Panthers have been the league's preseason favorite for six consecutive seasons, a sign of the expectations surrounding the program.

Two High Point players earned preseason second-team All-Big South recognition. Graduate guard Taylor Feldman transferred after playing at Purdue and Northern Arizona, where she earned first-team All-Big Sky honors during her junior season. Forward Juliann Woodard previously played at Michigan State. Their selections provide early recognition for two players expected to contribute as the Panthers prepare for the season.

The coaches chose Radford's Georgia Simonsen as the league's Preseason Player of the Year. The distinction underscores that High Point's co-favorite designation is not a prediction of an easy repeat. The women's regular season begins November 2, with Big South play scheduled to start December 30. The conference tournament is set for March 3-7 in Johnson City. Until games are played, the preseason rankings remain an indication of expectations rather than results.