Basketball: Media picks Wolf Pack women to finish fifth in preseason poll

DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference women's basketball media have selected Louisiana Tech as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2009-10 season. Lady Techster senior forward Shanavia Dowdell was selected the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year.

Louisiana Tech, which shared last year's WAC regular-season title with Fresno State, received 14 first-place votes, earning 180 points. Fresno State was picked to finish second with 167 points and six first-place votes, followed by Boise State with 136 points and one first-place vote. Idaho was picked to finish fourth with 114 points, followed by Nevada with 104 points. In sixth place was New Mexico State with 100 points, with Utah State following in seventh with 72 points. Hawai'i was slated to finish eighth with 46 points and San Jose State was picked to finish ninth with 26 points.

Louisiana Tech's Dowdell was voted Player of the Year and is the on the preseason all-WAC first team. The reigning WAC Player of the Year, she led the league a year ago in scoring. Teammate Adrienne Johnson was also named to the Preseason all-WAC first team, along with Yinka Olorunnife of Idaho, Jaleesa Ross of Fresno State and Madison Spence of New Mexico State.

The Preseason all-WAC second team is comprised of New Mexico State's Crystal Boyd, Tasha Harris and Jessica Van Hoogen of Boise State, Fresno State's Hayley Munro and Derisa Taleni of Idaho.

2009-10 Preseason Women's Basketball Media Poll

Rank

Teams (1st-Place Votes)

Points

1

Louisiana Tech (14)

180

2

Fresno State (6)

167

3

Boise State (1)

136

4

Idaho

114

5

Nevada

104

6

New Mexico State

100

7

Utah State

72

8

Hawai'i

46

9

San Jose State

26

Preseason All-WAC Teams

First Team

Shanavia Dowdell, Sr., F, Louisiana Tech

Adrienne Johnson, Jr., F, Louisiana Tech

Yinka Olorunnife, Jr., P, Idaho

Jaleesa Ross, Jr., G, Fresno State

Madison Spence, Jr., G, New Mexico State

Second Team

Crystal Boyd, New Mexico State

Tasha Harris, Sr., G, Boise State

Hayley Munro, Jr., G/F, Fresno State

Derisa Taleni, Sr., G/P, Idaho

Jessica Van Hoogen, Sr., G, Boise State

Player of the Year: Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech