ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Oct. 17, 2023) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has announced its 2023-24 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Preseason All-MAAC honors, as voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. Niagara University has been selected as the favorite to win the MAAC title, while the Purple Eagles standout guard, Aaliyah Parker was tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year.
2023-24 marks the first time in program history that Niagara has been chosen as the preseason favorite and the Purple Eagles are seeking their first MAAC Championship crown in program history, last appearing in the championship title game in 1997. Niagara received 116 points and saw seven first-place votes to secure the top spot in the preseason poll. The Purple Eagles are led by head coach Jada Pierce, who is in her ninth year leading Niagara. Last season, Pierce led the team to their most MAAC wins in program history (16), their first top-two finishes since 1992-93, and the program’s first ever postseason tournament appearance (WNIT). The Purple Eagle’s offense ranked second in scoring in the MAAC with an average of 65.8 points per game and led the league in team offensive rebounds, with an average of 17.0 per game. Niagara’s defense is something to note as the Purple Eagles lead the nation in steals with an average of 15.23 steal per game and in forced turnovers, forcing an average 28.06 turnovers a game.
Finishing second in the poll, Siena College garnered 112 votes with three first-place votes. This was the Saint’s highest preseason pick since 2018-19, where they were also selected second. Siena has one MAAC Championship under their belt, winning the 2001 title. Siena paced the conference in points last season, scoring a MAAC-high 67.9 points per contest. The Saints also led the MAAC in bench points (19.9) and sat in second in defensive rebounds (26.1). Head coach Jim Jabir led the Saints to a fourth-place finish during the 2022-23 regular season, as well as the team’s first winning season and semifinals berth since 2018.
Fairfield University takes the third place slot as the Stags earned 87 points with one first-place vote. Fairfield has been picked in the preseason top-five four years in a row and has four MAAC Championships to date, the most recent being in 2022. Coming off a top-five finish in her first season at the helm of the Stags, Carly Thibault-DuDonis begins her second season as Fairfield’s head coach in 2023-24. On the MAAC leaderboard, the Stag’s defense ranked third in forced turnovers and fourth in scoring defense and steals per game.
Coming in fourth was Marist College with 86 points. The MAAC all-time leader in conference championship titles, the Red Foxes have claimed 11 total championships dating back to 2004, most recently winning the 2021 trophy. Additionally, Marist has made 15 total championship game appearances, which is also the most by any institution in league history. The Red Foxes are entering the 2023-24 season under new head coach, Erin Doughty, who steps into this role after spending the past 18 years on the coaching staff. Last season, Marist averaged 57.6 points per game and led the league in free throws made average, while ranking third in both free throw percentage and in blocked shots.
Quinnipiac rounded out the top-five of the poll, collecting 81 points. The Bobcats have never been voted outside of preseason top-five since joining the MAAC in 2013-14 and Quinnipiac has secured four MAAC Championship titles with six title game appearances to date. Under the veteran leadership of Tricia Fabbri, the Bobcats head coach enters her 29th season as the all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac history with over 500 wins. Anchored by solid defensive play last season, the Bobcats finished tied for second in the league a year ago with a 16-4 league record and were the top MAAC team in defensive scoring, allowing 54.0 points per game, which ranked ninth in the nation. Moreover, Quinnipiac’s defensive led the MAAC in defensive rebounding and blocked shots, averaging 26.4 rebounds a game and 4.4 blocks, respectively.
Finishing out the poll was Manhattan College (6
th), Iona University (7
th), Mount St. Mary’s University (8
th), Canisius University (9
th), Rider University (10
th), and Saint Peter’s University (11
th).
Aaliyah Parker was voted as the 2023-24 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year as well as being unanimously selected to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. A Cheektowaga, New York native, Parker averaged 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds last year, placing her first in scoring and third in rebounding among the MAAC charts. Defensively, she led the MAAC and ranked second in the nation in steals per game (3.66) and sixth in the nation in total steals (106). In her two seasons at Niagara, Parker was selected to the All-MAAC First Team last year, was named unanimous 2022 MAAC Rookie of the Year and chosen to the MAAC All-Rookie Team unanimously in 2022.
Parker was joined on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team by her sister and teammate Angel Parker, who was also a unanimous choice, the Marist duo of Zaria Shazer and Kiara Fisher, both top-10 scorers in the MAAC last season, and Fairfield’s Janelle Brown who was a top-10 three-point scorer in the MAAC a season ago.
Below is the full poll and preseason honors list:
| 2023-24 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Niagara |
116 (7) |
| 2 |
Siena |
112 (3) |
| 3 |
Fairfield |
87 (1) |
| 4 |
Marist |
86 |
| 5 |
Quinnipiac |
81 |
| 6 |
Manhattan |
65 |
| 7 |
Iona |
49 |
| 8 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
47 |
| 9 |
Canisius |
34 |
| 10 |
Rider |
33 |
| 11 |
Saint Peter’s |
16 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Aaliyah Parker – Niagara |
| Preseason All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Janelle Brown |
Guard |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Kiara Fisher |
Guard |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Zaria Shazer |
Forward |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Aaliyah Parker* |
Guard |
Jr. |
Niagara |
| Angel Parker* |
Guard |
Gr. |
Niagara |
| Preseason All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Petra Juric |
Forward |
Jr. |
Manhattan |
| Jackie Grisdale |
Guard |
Jr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Makayla Firebaugh |
Guard |
Sr. |
Rider |
| Anajah Brown |
Forward |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Elisa Mevius |
Guard |
So. |
Siena |
| Preseason All-MAAC Third Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Sisi Eleko |
Forward |
So. |
Canisius |
| Izabela Nicoletti Leite |
Guard |
R-Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Jessica Tomasetti |
Guard |
Sr. |
Mount St. Mary’s |
| Ahniysha Jackson |
Guard |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Teresa Seppala |
Guard |
So. |
Siena |
*Denotes unanimous selection
The 2023-24 campaign culminates with the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 12-16 at Atlantic City's Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the fifth consecutive year dating back to 2020. For all information regarding the 2024 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 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, 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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