ARLINGTON – The 2020-21 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll was released on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 5), with the UT Arlington women's basketball team being picked to finish first in the west division by the league's head coaches.

The Lady Mavs, 2018-19 SBC Regular Season Co-Champions, earned one first place vote and received 115 total points to lead all West Division teams. Louisiana followed with 111 points and one first place vote, while Little Rock came in third with 99 points. Rounding out the West Division is Arkansas State (78), Texas State (37) and ULM (20).

In the East, the 2019-20 Sun Belt Regular Season Champs Troy emerged as the favorite to win the division, as they received nine first place votes and totaled 140 points. Following behind the Trojans in the East Division was South Alabama, who received one first place vote and accumulated 112 points. Coastal Carolina came in third with 83 points, followed by App State (56), Georgia State (44) and Georgia Southern (41). 

The Lady Mavs finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-11 overall record (14-4 Sun Belt), marking the 11th overall 20+ win season for the program. UTA returns three of its top-5 scorers from a season ago in Claire Chastain (10.9 ppg), Terryn Milton (7.6 ppg) and Misty Dossey (6.9 ppg). New head coach Shereka Wright, a Texas High School Hall of Fame member and former Associate Head Coach at Vanderbilt and Assistant Coach at Texas Tech and Alabama, inherits a squad that returns 10 letterwinners from last season. UTA also welcomes Wichita State transfer Shyia Smith and welcomes back Jordynn Hernandez, who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury.

Women's Basketball 2020-21 Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division

1.	Troy (9)	140
2.	South Alabama (1)	112
3.	Coastal Carolina	83
4.	Appalachian State	56
5.	Georgia State	44
6.	Georgia Southern	41

West

1.	UTA (1)	115
2.	Louisiana (1)	111
3.	Little Rock	99
4.	Arkansas State	78
5.	Texas State	37
6.	ULM	20

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