ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Oct. 8, 2024) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Preseason All-MAAC honors have been revealed, as voted on by the league’s 13 head coaches. Reigning MAAC Champions, Fairfield University, has been selected as the favorites to repeat in 2024-25, while the Stags standout graduate student, Janelle Brown was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year.
Fairfield earned 169 points and all 13 first-place votes, to lead the preseason poll. The Stags are in pursuit of their second straight MAAC Championship title and third title over the past four seasons, winning the league in 2024 and 2022. Fairfield is coming off the most historic season in program history after finishing 2023-24 with a 31-2 overall mark which featured a conference-record 29-game winning streak, a MAAC Championship, a MAAC Regular Season crown, and a NCAA Tournament berth. The Stags recorded a perfect 20-0 MAAC record, leading to their fifth regular season title in program history and were unbeaten against conference foes, compiling a 23-0 mark overall against the league. In addition to winning its fifth overall MAAC Championship, and making its sixth trip into the NCAA Tournament, Fairfield saw its first-ever national ranking in the AP Top-25 Poll.
Siena College was picked second in the poll for the second straight season, receiving 136 points. The Saints are coming off of back-to-back MAAC Championship semifinals appearances and the program's most MAAC wins (14) in 21 years. Siena has one MAAC Championship under their belt, winning the 2001 title. Both Niagara University and Quinnipiac University received 132 points, good for a third-place tie in the poll. 2024 MAAC Championship runner-up, the Purple Eagles went 15-5 in league play last year and 21-14 overall, earning their second-consecutive berth into the WNIT field. The Bobcats continued their streak of never being voted outside of preseason top five since joining the MAAC in 2013-14 and the program has secured four MAAC Championship titles with six title game appearances to date. Rounding out the top five is league newcomer Sacred Heart University, which collected 124 points in the poll. The Pioneers enter their inaugural MAAC campaign as the back-to-back Northeast Conference (NEC) Champions, following a 24-10 season last year.
Brown was voted as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and was one of two players unanimously selected to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. A graduate student guard from Middle Island, NY, Brown was named the 2023-24 MAAC Player of the Year after averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. She ranked top-five in the MAAC in points, assists and steals. Brown was one of the most efficient guards in the country, leading all guards with a .571 field goal percentage which was also the third-highest in program history and the most in over 30 years for the Stags. She was a key figure in the Stags winning the MAAC Championship trophy claiming Championship MVP honors. Additionally, Brown was All-MAAC First Team, All-MET First Team, and All-ECAC Second Team last year.
Brown was joined unanimously on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team by teammate and 2023-24 MAAC Rookie of the Year, Meghan Andersen. Also making the Preseason All-MAAC First Team were Aaliyah Parker of Niagara, Ny'Ceara Pryor from Sacred Heart, and Siena’s Teresa Seppala.
The full Preseason Coaches’ Poll and remainder of the Preseason All-MAAC Teams can be found below.
| 2024 MAAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Fairfield* |
169 (13) |
| 2 |
Siena |
136 |
| T3 |
Niagara |
132 |
| T3 |
Quinnipiac |
132 |
| 5 |
Sacred Heart |
124 |
| 6 |
Manhattan |
115 |
| 7 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
89 |
| 8 |
Iona |
76 |
| 9 |
Rider |
59 |
| 10 |
Saint Peter’s |
49 |
| 11 |
Marist |
43 |
| 12 |
Merrimack |
32 |
| 13 |
Canisius |
27 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Janelle Brown – Fairfield |
| Preseason All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Meghan Andersen* |
Road Runner |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Janelle Brown* |
Guard |
Gr. |
Fairfield |
| Aaliyah Parker |
Guard |
Sr. |
Niagara |
| Ny'Ceara Pryor |
Guard |
Jr. |
Sacred Heart |
| Teresa Seppala |
Guard |
Jr. |
Siena |
| Preseason All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Emina Selimovic |
Road Runner |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Petra Juric |
Forward |
Sr. |
Manhattan |
| Jo Raflo |
Guard |
Sr. |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Anna Foley |
Forward/Center |
So. |
Quinnipiac |
| Anajah Brown |
Guard |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Ahniysha Jackson |
Guard |
Gr. |
Siena |
| Preseason All-MAAC Third Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Kaety L'Amoreaux |
Guard |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Ines Gimenez-Monserrat |
Guard/Forward |
Gr. |
Manhattan |
| Jackie Grisdale |
Guard |
Sr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Karson Martin |
Guard |
So. |
Quinnipiac |
| Fatmata Janneh |
Forward |
So. |
Saint Peter's |
*Denotes unanimous selection
The 2024-25 campaign culminates with the 2025 Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 11-15 at Atlantic City's Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the sixth consecutive year dating back to 2020. For all information regarding the 2025 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 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist College, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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