South Carolina was tabbed as the WER preseason favorite in the SEC women's basketball, taking home the top spot in the 2021-22 WER preseason poll as voted on by the WER Poll Committee.
South Carolina won the SEC Tournament Championships in 2021, with tournament crowns in six of the past seven seasons and its second in a row.
Gamecocks tops the order of finish, with Tennessee, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU, and Ole Miss rounding out the top half the league. Arkansas, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Missouri round out the bottom half.
Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard was voted as the World Exposure Report SEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year. Howard, a WER Second Team All-America in 2021, averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 24 starts last season.
Joining Howard on the WER All-SEC Preseason First Team are Aliyah Boston, South Carolina; Moon Ursin, LSU; Zia Cooke, South Carolina; Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State; Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State; Shakira Austin, Ole Miss; and Rae Burrell, Tennessee.
The WER Preseason Second Team All-SEC is comprised of Lavender Briggs, Florida; Jenna Staiti, Georgia; LaShondra Monk, Ole Miss; Jordan Horston, Tennessee; Jessika Carter, Mississippi State; Aijha Blackwell, Missouri; Destanni Henderson, South Carolina; and Khayla Pointer, LSU.
2021-22 SEC Women's Basketball WER Preseason Poll
Team (First-Place Votes) | Points |
1. South Carolina (12) | 81 |
2. Tennessee | 68 |
3. Texas A&M | 67 |
4. Kentucky | 66 |
5. Mississippi State | 56 |
6. LSU | 55 |
7. Ole Miss | 42 |
8. Arkansas | 36 |
9. Georgia | 35 |
10. Vanderbilt | 32 |
11. Alabama | 22 |
12. Auburn | 19 |
13. Florida | 12 |
14. Missouri | 7 |
Preseason Players of the Year
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Preseason Coach of the Year
Kim Mulkey, LSU
Preseason Assistant Coach of the Year
Bob Starkey, Auburn
Preseason International Player of the Year
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Preseason Junior College Transfer of the Year
Nia Daniel, Alabama
Alexus Dye, Tennessee
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Saniya Rivers, South Carolina
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Moon Ursin, LSU
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Rae Burrell, Tennessee
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Lavender Briggs, Florida
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
LaShondra Monk, Ole Miss
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Khayla Pointer, LSU