EDISON, NJ (Oct. 18,
2022) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has unveiled the 2022-23 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-MAAC Teams. The announcement was made tonight during the MAAC Preseason Awards Show on ESPN3 that Quinnipiac University was selected as the favorites to claim the MAAC title in 2022-23, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.
Quinnipiac University garnered eight of the 11 possible first-place votes and finished with 117 points. Led by the all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac history Tricia Fabbri, the Bobcats finished in a tie for second in the final 2021-22 MAAC regular-season standings. Last season, Quinnipiac (21-12, 14-6 MAAC) ranked second in the conference in 12 categories, including scoring offense (67.5 ppg), field goal percentage (41.3 percent), assists (444), rebounds (1,287), and blocked shots (122). The Bobcats defeated seventh-seeded Saint Peter's before falling to third-seeded Manhattan in the MAAC Tournament Semifinals last season. Since joining the MAAC in 2013-14, Fabbri has led the Bobcats to six MAAC Championship finals, winning four total conference championships.
Manhattan College was voted to finish second in the preseason poll with three first-place votes and 112 total points. Led by seventh-year head coach Heather Vulin, the Jaspers finished in a tie for second in the final 2021-22 MAAC regular-season standings (21-11, 14-6 MAAC) and led the conference in rebounds (1,398) and rebounds per game (43.7). Manhattan defeated 11th-seeded Canisius and second-seeded Quinnipiac before falling to top-seeded Fairfield in the MAAC Tournament Championship Game.
Niagara University was chosen third entering the 2022-23 season with 94 points. Under the direction of eighth-year head coach Jada Pierce, the Purple Eagles finished 15-15 overall (11-9 MAAC) last season while leading all of the country in steals per game (13.8) and forced turnovers per game (25.4) and the conference in scoring offense (69.9 ppg).
The reigning MAAC regular-season and tournament champion Stags finished fourth in this season's Coaches' Poll with 74 points. Coming off of the program's fourth overall MAAC crown, the Stags led the conference in field goal percentage (42.2 percent), three-point field goal percentage (34.3 percent), and scoring defense (57.0 ppg) last season.
Closing out the top-five was Iona University with 71 points. Marist College (62 points) and Rider University (62 points) tied for the sixth spot, Mount St. Mary's University (43 points) sat eighth, Canisius College (39 points) and Siena College (39 points) tied for the ninth spot, and Saint Peter's University (13 points) closed out the poll.
Manhattan's Dee Dee Davis was voted the 2022-23 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, Davis earned All-MAAC First Team honors after ranking second in the conference in scoring with 18.7 points per game. Davis recorded the MAAC's top-two highest individual scoring games last season, putting up 35 points against Fairfield in the MAAC Championship title game and scoring 33 points on March 2 against Quinnipiac. She also finished sixth in the MAAC in assists, averaging 3.2 per game, and seventh in steals with 1.8 per game. Davis enters her senior season having earned First Team honors as a junior, Second Team honors as a sophomore, and Rookie Team honors as a freshman.
Joining Davis as additional unanimous selections on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team were Niagara's Angel Parker and Quinnipiac's Mackenzie DeWees as well as Iona's Juana Camilion and Quinnipiac's Mikala Morris. Parker and DeWees were 2021-22 All-MAAC First Team picks at the conclusion of last season while MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Camilion and Morris landed on the 2021-22 All-MAAC Second Team.
The Preseason All-MAAC Second Team features Canisius' Dani Haskell, Fairfield's Callie Cavanaugh, Iona's Ketsia Athias, Manhattan's Brazil Harvey-Carr, and Niagara's Aaliyah Parker. Haskell, Cavanaugh, and Harvey-Carr were 2021-22 All-MAAC Third Team selections while Parker was the league's unanimous Rookie of the Year a season ago.
The Preseason All-MAAC Third Team includes Fairfield's Andrea Hernangomez, Marist's Kiara Fisher and Zaria Shazer, Mount St. Mary's Michaela Harrison, Quinnipiac's Rose Caverly, and Rider's Makayla Firebaugh.
Below is the full poll and preseason honors list:
| 2022-23 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| 1 |
Quinnipiac |
117 (8) |
| 2 |
Manhattan |
112 (3) |
| 3 |
Niagara |
94 |
| 4 |
Fairfield |
74 |
| 5 |
Iona |
71 |
| T6 |
Marist |
62 |
| T6 |
Rider |
62 |
| 8 |
Mount St. Mary's |
43 |
| T9 |
Canisius |
39 |
| T9 |
Siena |
39 |
| 11 |
Saint Peter's |
13 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Dee Dee Davis, Manhattan |
| Preseason All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Juana Camilion |
Guard |
Sr. |
Iona |
| Dee Dee Davis* |
Guard |
Sr. |
Manhattan |
| Angel Parker* |
Guard |
Sr. |
Niagara |
| Mackenzie DeWees* |
Guard |
Gr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Mikala Morris |
Forward/Center |
Sr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Preseason All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Dani Haskell |
Guard |
Jr. |
Canisius |
| Callie Cavanaugh |
Forward |
Gr. |
Fairfield |
| Ketsia Athias |
Forward/Center |
Sr. |
Iona |
| Brazil Harvey-Carr |
Forward |
Sr. |
Manhattan |
| Aaliyah Parker |
Guard |
So. |
Niagara |
| Preseason All-MAAC Third Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Andrea Hernangomez |
Forward |
Gr. |
Fairfield |
| Kiara Fisher |
Guard |
Jr. |
Marist |
| Zaria Shazer |
Forward |
Jr. |
Marist |
| Michaela Harrison |
Guard |
Gr. |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Rose Caverly |
Guard |
Gr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Makayla Firebaugh |
Guard |
Jr. |
Rider |
*Denotes Unanimous Selection
The 2022-23 campaign culminates with the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships from March 7-11 at Atlantic City's Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the fourth consecutive year. For all information regarding the 2023 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, please visit
MAACSports.com/basketball and by following @MAACHoops and #MAACHoops on Twitter.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary's University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.
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