ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Sep. 30, 2025) – 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. Fairfield University has been unanimously selected as the favorites to win a third-straight MAAC title in 2025-26, while the Stags standout junior, Meghan Andersen was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year.
Fairfield received 169 points and all 13 first place votes to lead the preseason poll unanimously for the second consecutive year. The Stags are in pursuit of their third straight MAAC Championship title and fourth title over the past five seasons, winning league crowns in 2022, 2024, and 2025. In 2024-25, Fairfield went 19-1 in the MAAC and 28-5 overall, clinching a MAAC Championship, a MAAC Regular Season championship, and a NCAA Tournament berth. The MAAC Championship was the program’s sixth overall and the NCAA Tournament appearance was their seventh selection. Fairfield holds a combined 45-1 record against MAAC opponents over the last two seasons which includes back-to-back conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. The Stags have also achieved the highest winning percentage in the country the past two seasons while receiving votes in the AP Top-25 poll in both years. Fairfield will look to become the fourth team in MAAC history to three-peat joining Saint Peter’s (1982-84), Marist (2006-14), and Quinnipiac (2017-19).
2025 MAAC runner-up, Quinnipiac University, was picked second in the poll, receiving 155 points, continuing its streak of never being voted outside of the preseason top five since joining the MAAC in 2013-14. The Bobcats finished second in the MAAC standings last year after securing an 18-2 league record and 28-5 overall mark while also being the only MAAC team to defeat Fairfield over the past two seasons. Quinnipiac is tied for fourth on the all-time championship leaderboard, having won four MAAC Championship titles (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) with seven title game appearances. Placing third in the preseason poll with 132 points was Mount St. Mary’s University. The Mountaineers were semifinalist last year and posted a 12-8 MAAC record and 15-16 overall record. The Mount has won five conference championships, all in the Northeast Conference (NEC), last winning a league title in 2021-22, the program’s final season in the NEC before joining the MAAC. Marist University was voted fourth in the poll, tallying 128 points. The Red Foxes went 11-9 in conference action and 16-15 overall during the 2024-25 campaign. The MAAC all-time leader in conference championship titles, Marist has garnered 11 total championships dating back to 2004, most recently winning the 2021 trophy. Additionally, the Red Foxes have made 15 total championship game appearances, which is also the most by any institution in league history. Siena University rounded out the league’s top five, with 103 points. The Saints are coming off of back-to-back 14 win MAAC seasons, going 14-6 in league play the past two seasons. Siena has made the MAAC Championship semifinals twice over the past three years and has one MAAC Championship in its program history, winning the 2001 title.
Meghan Andersen was voted as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team for the second consecutive preseason. A junior from Wantagh, NY, Andersen wrapped up the 2024-25 campaign being named to the All-MAAC First Team, as the MAAC Championship MVP, to the All-Met First Team, and as to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List. She averaged 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and shot 37 percent from beyond the arc last year. Andersen led the MAAC with a .483 field goal percentage while finishing in the top five in scoring, blocks, three-pointers, and three-point percentage. She also connected on her 100
th career three-pointer last season, becoming just the second sophomore in program history to reach that milestone.
Andersen was joined on the Preseason All-MAAC First Team by teammates Janelle Brown and Kaety L'Amoreaux, and Quinnipiac’s pair of Anna Foley and Jackie Grisdale.
The full Preseason Coaches’ Poll and remainder of the Preseason All-MAAC Teams can be found below.
| 2025 MAAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Fairfield* |
169 (13) |
| 2 |
Quinnipiac |
155 |
| 3 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
132 |
| 4 |
Marist |
128 |
| 5 |
Siena |
103 |
| 6 |
Iona |
100 |
| 7 |
Manhattan |
95 |
| 8 |
Merrimack |
76 |
| 9 |
Canisius |
69 |
| 10 |
Saint Peter’s |
51 |
| 11 |
Niagara |
48 |
| 12 |
Sacred Heart |
43 |
| 13 |
Rider |
14 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Meghan Andersen* – Fairfield |
| Preseason All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Meghan Andersen* |
Road Runner |
Jr. |
Fairfield |
| Janelle Brown |
Guard |
Gr. |
Fairfield |
| Kaety L'Amoreaux |
Guard |
Jr. |
Fairfield |
| Anna Foley |
Forward/Center |
Jr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Jackie Grisdale |
Guard |
Gr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Preseason All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Ella Fajardo |
Guard |
Gr. |
Iona |
| Lexie Tarul |
Guard |
Gr. |
Marist |
| Danielle Williamsen |
Guard |
So. |
Marist |
| Madison Roman |
Center |
Jr. |
Merrimack |
| Gabrielle Kennerly |
Guard |
R-So. |
Mount St. Mary's |
| Karson Martin |
Guard |
Jr. |
Quinnipiac |
| Preseason All-MAAC Third Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Shariah Gailes |
Forward |
Jr. |
Canisius |
| Alli Campbell |
Guard |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Cyanne Coe |
Road Runner |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Brianna Davis |
Guard |
Sr. |
Manhattan |
| Amelia Wood |
Guard |
Sr. |
Sacred Heart |
*Denotes unanimous selection
The 2025-26 campaign culminates with the 2026 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships from March 5-10 at Atlantic City's Historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall for the seventh consecutive year dating back to 2020. For all information regarding the 2026 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 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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