Angelo State is picked to win the 2023-24 Lone Star Conference women’s basketball title with a tight race predicted in the preseason poll of LSC head coaches, media and sports information directors announced by the conference office.
Forty-six points separate the top four teams in the preseason poll. The reigning LSC Tournament champion, Angelo State tallied 652 points and 15 of the 44 first place votes, outdistancing LSC Tournament runner-up Texas Woman’s (633 points), despite the Pioneers’ 17 first place votes. Division II Elite Eight quarterfinalist UT Tyler received nine first place votes and 627 points for third in the poll while Division II South Central Regional finalist Lubbock Christian totaled 606 points and three first place votes to rank fourth.
Division II South Central Regional qualifier West Texas A&M was picked fifth (524) followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville (492), St. Edward’s (379), and Cameron (311) listed six through nine. Oklahoma Christian and UT Permian Basin tied at No. 10 (270).
Eastern New Mexico, Western New Mexico, Texas A&M International, UAFS, Midwestern State and St. Mary’s complete the preseason ranking of the 16 LSC women’s teams.
LSC women’s basketball teams open their 2023-24 schedules in tournament or single-game play during early November weekends. Nine teams start seasons at D2CCA or Canadian Tipoff Classics beginning November 3, three teams play in South Central Region Challenges November 10, and another hosts a tournament November 10. The new season for three remaining LSC women’s teams starts with single games in one of the two weekends.
The 42nd Lone Star Conference women’s basketball championship tournament is scheduled March 7-10, 2024, played at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The eight-team bracket includes the East and West Division winners, who automatically receive berths, with the remaining qualifying teams and all seeds based on results versus all LSC teams. The Division II Women’s Basketball Championship starts with regionals March 15-19 and the Elite Eight March 25-29 in St. Joseph, Mo.
Preseason Player Accolades
Last season’s most-decorated players for basketball and academic accomplishments –
Grace Foster of Lubbock Christian and
Sawyer Lloyd of Angelo State – were voted LSC 2023-24 Co-Preseason Players of the Year.
An LSC First Team pick, LCU junior forward Foster collected 2023 LSC Player of the Year, D2CAA South Central Region Most Outstanding Player, WBCA All-America First Team, and all-region awards following the 2022-23 season where she averaged 8.9 rebounds and 16.4 points while shooting .915 from the line and .460 from the field. A criminal justice major, Foster earned a place on the LSC All-Academic team.
Lloyd was named the 2023 LSC Defensive Player of the Year, All-LSC First Team and All-Defensive Team after leading the conference in steals (80, 2.8 per game). The senior guard contributed to the ASU offense averaging 15.5 points, 4.9 assists and 8.1 rebounds during the 2022-23 season. Lloyd was named D2CAA South Central Region First Team and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention. An exercise science major, Lloyd was the 2023 LSC Academic Player of the Year and a member of the conference All-Academic Team.
Foster and Lloyd headline a list of 16 Lone Star Conference Players to Watch in the 2023-24 season. Named by the head coaches, returners include individuals who earned conference, regional and national athletic and academic awards for the 2022-23 season.
LSC Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Preseason Poll
|
No.
|
Team (1st votes)
|
Points
|
|
1.
|
Angelo State (15)
|
652
|
|
2.
|
Texas Woman’s (17)
|
633
|
|
3.
|
UT Tyler (9)
|
627
|
|
4.
|
Lubbock Christian (3)
|
606
|
|
5.
|
West Texas A&M
|
524
|
|
6.
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
492
|
|
7.
|
St. Edward’s
|
379
|
|
8.
|
Cameron
|
311
|
|
9.
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
270
|
|
|
UT Permian Basin
|
270
|
|
11.
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
248
|
|
12.
|
Western New Mexico
|
233
|
|
13.
|
Texas A&M International
|
225
|
|
14.
|
UAFS
|
202
|
|
15
|
Midwestern State
|
172
|
|
16.
|
St. Mary’s
|
140
|
LSC Players to Watch in 2023-24
Players listed alphabetically; # Co-Preseason Players of the Year
|
Name
|
Cl
|
Pos
|
Team
|
Major
|
Hometown
|
|
Deja Adrian
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
Physical Education
|
Houston, Texas/Aldine Senior HS
|
|
Kertisa Amos
|
Sr.
|
W
|
Midwestern State
|
M.S. Sports Administration
|
Burleson, Texas/Centennial HS
|
|
Brooklin Bain
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Oklahoma Christian
|
Biology
|
Comanche, Okla/ Comanche HS
|
|
Raiana Brown
|
Sr.
|
F
|
Texas A&M International
|
Multi-Disciplinary Studies
|
Wheatley Hgts., N.Y./No.Babylon HS
|
|
# Grace Foster
|
Jr.
|
F
|
Lubbock Christian
|
Criminal Justice
|
Childress, Texas/Childress HS
|
|
Riley Hayes
|
Jr.
|
G
|
UAFS
|
Business Administration
|
Cave Springs, Ark./Bentonville HS
|
|
Ashley Ingram
|
Jr.
|
F
|
Texas Woman's
|
Kinesiology/Pre-Occupational Therapy
|
Bridgeport, Texas/Bridgeport HS
|
|
Katie King
|
Sr.
|
PG
|
Cameron
|
Business Administration
|
Harrah, Okla./Harrah HS
|
|
# Sawyer Lloyd
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Angelo State
|
Exercise Science
|
Wall, Texas/Wall HS
|
|
Meagan Mendazona
|
So.
|
G
|
UT Tyler
|
Psychology
|
Independence, Ore./Central HS
|
|
Jayda Ruffus-Milner
|
Gr.
|
F
|
St. Edward's
|
Business Administration
|
No. Hills, Calif./Harvard-Westlake HS
|
|
Karley Motschenbacher
|
Jr.
|
G
|
West Texas A&M
|
Finance
|
Moorhead, Minn./Park Christian HS
|
|
Alexus Quaadman
|
Gr.
|
P
|
UT Permian Basin
|
MBA
|
Las Vegas, Nev./Spring Valley
|
|
Mia Rivers
|
Jr.
|
G
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
Kinesiology
|
College Station, Texas/College Stn. HS
|
|
Natalia Ryng
|
Gr.
|
F
|
St. Mary's
|
Management
|
Gdynia, Poland/SMS Pzkosz Lomianki
|
|
Sydney Wright
|
Sr,
|
G
|
Western New Mexico
|
Interdisciplinary Studies
|
Houston, Texas/Henley HS
|