RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Harding Lady Bisons picked up 10 of the available 11 first-place votes (coaches could not vote for their own teams) and 120 total points to nab the top spot in the 2026-27 Great American Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Southeastern Oklahoma State picked up the two other first-place nods with 108 total points, while the rest of the top-five was separated by just seven points. Southwestern Oklahoma State (87), Northwestern Oklahoma State (82) and Henderson State (80) occupied the remaining top spots.

Harding enters 2026 after taking the GAC regular season crown before reaching the conference semifinals in the postseason tournament. The Lady Bisons return their top five scorers from a year ago, including leading-scorer senior guard Josie Williams at 13.3 points per game and sophomore guard Kori Sanders coming off a 10.8 point-per-game campaign. Reigning Coach of the Year Tim Kirby's squad has finished each of the last four regular seasons no worse than second in the league standings.

Southeastern comes into 2026 returning all four of its top scorers from 2025, including last year's GAC Freshman of the Year and All-Central Region recipient Tori Kilburn and Second Team All-Conference performer Kenzli Warden. The Savage Storm closed last season winning 13 of their final 15 games, falling in the GAC Tournament Championship Game.

Southwestern Oklahoma State files in at third with the momentum of 2025 GAC Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year Landry Allen returning to Weatherford, along with league honorable mention Sincere Jackson. The Bulldogs finished ninth last year in the league.

Defending GAC Tournament Champion Northwestern Oklahoma State comes into 2026 as the fourth favorite in the women's standings. After winning the program's first-ever conference title, head coach Tasha Diesselhorst will need to replace Offensive Player of the Year Kira Bass. Diesselhorst will look to do so with key returners junior Kennedy Hight, sophomore Conley Cayot, senior Catyn Graham and senior Madi Denison.

Henderson State sees eight returning players from last year's squad as the Reddies take hold of the fifth spot in the conference preseason rankings. Leading the charge for head coach Jill Thomas' 2026 squad will be First Team All-GAC honoree Natalie Cardenas and Sam Basson, both of whom are returning for their senior seasons and started all 27 games for HSU last season.

Arkansas Tech is slotted sixth with 73 total points. The Golden Suns will be tasked with replacing two of their top three scorers in First Team All-GAC selection Logan Young and double-digit scorer Perina Leime, while retaining honorable mention junior forward AbbiGrace Cunningham. 

Three-time GAC regular season champion Southern Nazarene comes in at seventh, just four points behind Arkansas Tech. Head coach Trent May returns for his ninth season in Bethany, Okla., with 2025 leading scorer senior guard Jillian Crawford set to lead the charge for the Crimson Storm.

East Central adds five freshmen and four transfers ahead of the 2026-27 campaign as the Tigers are selected eighth in the preseason poll. Head coach Heather Hurt will lean on the experience and leadership of all-conference performer Katie Edelen to help lead her young Tiger squad.

Oklahoma Baptist and head coach Bo Overton come in at ninth as the Bison return a pair of double-digit scorers from a year ago in guards Kate Davis (10.7 ppg) and Jordyn Anderson (10.4 ppg) while losing First Team All-Conference selection Jaedyn Getman to graduation. The Bison finished 14-14 overall last year, including a 10-12 record in GAC play.

Southern Arkansas files in behind Oklahoma Baptist at 10th. The Muleriders return their top four scorers from a year ago as well as three freshman who all played significant minutes off the bench. Third-year head coach Darrick Matthews does bring in a slew of transfers, including a Division I guard from CSU Bakersfield as well as two forwards from Division II programs Washburn and William Jewell.

Ouachita Baptist takes up the 11th spot as head coach Nick Long returns just one starter from a year ago, losing his top five scorers in the process. Coach Long does bring in four transfers, including Appalachian State transfer and former NJCAA Division I All-Region performer Marta Gutierrez, Gracie Burckhartzmeyer from Grayson College and Jordan Gregory of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Arkansas-Monticello completes the 2026-27 GAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll as head coach David Midlick and the Blossoms will be relying on four returners for leadership. Taleigha Ealy, Brilynn Findley and Alyssa Batton all started for Midlick in 2025 while Nicole Weaver was a significant contributor off the bench. 


2026-27 GAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
 

Rank	Team	Total Points	1st-Place Votes
1	Harding	120	10
2	Southeastern Oklahoma State	108	2
3	Southwestern Oklahoma State	87
4	Northwestern Oklahoma State	82
5	Henderson State	80
6	Arkansas Tech	73
7	Southern Nazarene	69
8	East Central	52
9	Oklahoma Baptist	47
10	Southern Arkansas	34
11	Ouachita Baptist	26
12	Arkansas-Monticello	14