Missouri State Lady Bears ranked No. 1 in preseason Conference USA poll

Missouri State women's basketball has been voted No. 1 in the Conference USA preseason coaches poll. The Lady Bears received eight of the ten first-place votes and a total of 90 points following a successful inaugural season in the league. Last year, they finished 23-13 and won the CUSA Tournament Championship, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in program history. Head coach Beth Cunningham acknowledged the significance of the ranking but emphasized that postseason performance is what truly matters. Senior guard Kaemyn Bekemeier was named CUSA Preseason Player of the Year, joined by teammates Lainie Douglas and Maiesha Washington on the preseason All-CUSA team. The Lady Bears will now look to convert these expectations into results during the upcoming season.

• 7:03 PMYahoo Sports — Missouri State Lady Bears voted No. 1 in preseason Conference USA poll