4 Returning WBB #AEHoops Standouts Highlight 2017-18 Preseason All-League Team 10/18/2017 1:01:45 PM BOSTON – After a season that was highlighted by several firsts, including playing the America East Women’s Basketball Championship in Portland, four returning All-Conference members from three different programs were named to the 2017-18 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team Wednesday afternoon. The team was determined by a vote of the nine coaches in the league, who were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes. After the majority of last year’s all-conference first team graduated, two members of the team are back, including 2016-17 Player of the Year Carlie Pogue from New Hampshire. Binghamton’s Imani Watkins is the other returning first-team All-Conference selection. The preseason all-conference team also comprises Binghamton’s Alyssa James, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Albany’s Jessica Féquière, and Harford’s Sierra DaCosta, the reigning America East Rookie of the Year. Read more about the five selections: 2017-18 America East Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team Carlie Pogue, Sr., New Hampshire One of two returning first-team All-Conference selections from last year. Led the Wildcats to their first outright regular season title and a program-record 25 wins in 2016-17. Pogue ranked third in the conference last season averaging 16.6 points per game and her 7.3 rebounds per game ranked second. Alyssa James, Sr., Binghamton James led the league in blocks and ranked 28th nationally, averaging 2.3 blocks per contest and ranked third in America East with 7.0 rebounds per game, resulting in her second Defensive Player of the Year award and an all-conference second-team selection. The senior set a single-game conference record with 11 blocks against Stony Brook as part of her first career triple-double. James ranked third in America East with seven rebounds-per-game. Imani Watkins, Sr., Binghamton Watkins was the league’s second leading scorer a season ago and ranked 37th in the country scoring 18.8 points per game. The guard also ranked second in the conference with 2.2 steals per game last year. Watkins joins Pogue as the only returning First-Team All-Conference selections from last year. Jessica Féquière, Sr., Albany A second-team All-Conference selection, the Albany senior averaged 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds this past season, the latter of which ranked third in the conference. Aided Albany in leading the league in field goal percentage last season, making just over 41% of her shots. Féquière notched a double-double in the America East semifinals against Hartford to help the Great Danes win their sixth-straight league title. Sierra DaCosta, So., Hartford The 2016-17 America East Rookie of the Year ranked second among America East freshmen in scoring last season, averaging 11.3 points per game. The lone non-senior on the Preseason All-Conference squad, DaCosta scored a career-high 23 points against Binghamton and played in 29 games last season for the Hawks. This is the second-straight year a Hawk has made the team after Deanna Mayza did so last year. The 2017-18 America East women’s basketball preseason poll will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. Follow the brand-new @AEHoopsNews Twitter account to stay up-to-date on #AEHoops news all season long. - #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete -