The University of Connecticut (UConn) is once again positioned at the top of the Big East preseason poll. The Huskies, who have claimed the regular-season conference title 25 times and the Big East Tournament 24 times, were the unanimous choice. They are led by Sarah Strong, named the preseason Big East Player of the Year. Strong, a junior, was honored as the conference's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season, and she also received the AP Player of the Year award. UConn finished last season with an impressive 38-1 record and a perfect 20-0 in conference play.
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This offseason, UConn lost two key players to the WNBA: guard Azzi Fudd, the first overall pick, and forward Serah Williams, who was selected in the third round.
Villanova secured the second spot in the poll after completing its fifth consecutive 20-win season and reaching the Big East Tournament title game. The Wildcats are led by Jasmine Bascoe, who averaged 18.9 points and 4.0 rebounds last season. Villanova will open its season against Notre Dame in Rome, participating in the Eternal City Tip-Off.
Creighton, St. John's, and Seton Hall rounded out the top five teams, with Marquette in sixth place. Providence, Georgetown, and Xavier followed, while Butler, under new head coach Maria Marchesano, and DePaul completed the rankings.
The Big East held its annual media day at a venue in New York instead of its traditional location at Madison Square Garden, which has hosted the event since 2014. New conference commissioner Tim Brosnan presided over the event, succeeding Val Ackerman, who retired at the end of August after leading the conference since 2013.