ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Southern Conference announced today at 2023 Southern Conference Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles the results of its preseason balloting. The Wofford women's basketball team was predicted to finish as high as third in the media poll, and junior guard Rachael Rose was named the Preseason Player of the Year alongside her Preseason All-SoCon Team honor.
 
"With so many great players in this league, for Rachael to be picked as the Preseason Player of the Year says a lot of what the head coaches throughout the league think of her. She's one heck of a player," said head coach Jimmy Garrity.
 
The league announced the results of two preseason polls at the Harrah's Cherokee Center – coaches and media. The league's coaches selected the defending regular season champion Terriers to place in fourth with 26 voting points. ETSU was picked as the favorite with four first-place votes and 39 total points. Chattanooga (38) and Mercer (31) earned two and one first-place votes, respectively, ahead of Wofford. The media poll tabbed defending SoCon Tournament champion Chattanooga to finish first with five votes, 88 total points. Wofford earned three first-place votes and 84 points with a third-place prediction, one total point behind ETSU, which gained five votes to match the Mocs, falling just three points shy of the first-place spot.
 
"We are excited for the start of another basketball season. From top to bottom, the Southern Conference is as strong and as deep as it's ever been," said Garrity. "Although I do not put a lot of stock in preseason polls, to be picked in the top half is quite an accomplishment for our program and gives us an indication of the progress we have made over the years."
 
A preseason all-conference team was also announced with 10 total members, and Wofford's Rachael Rose led the bunch with 60 voting points to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors. The recognition comes after Rose was named the league's Player of the Year upon the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The junior led the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.02), shooting percentage (51.3) field goals made (197) and total points (550) last season while ranking second in assists (133) and assists per game (4.2). The Scranton, Pennsylvania, native averaged 17.2 points per game last season en route to aiding the Terriers to a regular season title, SoCon Tournament Championship Game appearance and WNIT first-round appearance. Among her many accolades, Rose earned two SoCon Player of the Month honors, the first of which was the first ever for the program, and she was recognized on the SoCon All-Tournament Team.
 
Rose and the Terriers enter the 2023-24 season after pushing the program to new heights last season. The aforementioned title game appearance was Wofford's second in three seasons, and the WNIT berth was a second-straight appearance. The regular season title was the first in program history and for any women's team sport ever at Wofford. With a 22-10 overall record, the Terriers earned their first 20-win season at the Division I level and posted their second-most wins ever (23 in 1992-93).
 
The Terriers begin the 2023-24 campaign with a road contest at Wake Forest on Monday, November 6. Wofford's home opener in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium is set for Thursday, November 9, against Erskine. SoCon play begins on Thursday, January 11, when Wofford travels to UNCG.
 
Preseason All-Conference Team
POY - Rachael Rose, Wofford (60 pts.)
Enjulina Gonzalez, Mercer (52 pts.)
Kendall Folley, ETSU (47 pts.)
Raven Thompson, Chattanooga (47 pts.)
Tate Walters, Furman (44 pts.)
Nevaeh Brown, ETSU (38 pts.)
Masyn Marchbanks, Samford (37 pts.)
Jada Guinn, Chattanooga (36 pts.)
Isys Grady, UNCG (25 pts.)
Mya Love, Western Carolina (10 pts)
 
Coaching Poll

1. ETSU 39 pts (4) 
2. Chattanooga 38 pts (2)
3. Mercer 31 pts (1)
4. Wofford 26 pts
5. Furman 20 pts
6. UNCG 19 pts
7. Samford 17 pts
8. Western Carolina 6 pts

Media Poll

1. Chattanooga 88 pts (5)
2. ETSU 85 pts (5)
3. Wofford 84 pts (3)
4. Mercer 68 pts 
5. Samford 43 pts 
6. UNCG 42 pts
7. Furman 37 pts
8. Western Carolina 21 pts