Maine Tabbed #AEHoops Preseason Favorite, Millan Headlines Preseason All-Conference Team
BOSTON – The America East women’s basketball season pushed closer to tip-off on Thursday as the conference announced the 2018-19 preseason poll and preseason all-conference team. As defending champions, Maine was voted atop the poll while six former all-America East honorees highlighted the preseason all-conference team. The poll and all-conference team were voted on by the league’s nine head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team.
On the heels of their first league title since 2004, the Black Bears were unanimously selected as preseason favorites with 64 points. Hartford was voted second with 53 points and one first-place vote following a season in which it became the first No. 6 seed to advance to the championship game.
The preseason all-conference team is comprised of six student-athletes from five teams. Three seniors and three juniors were selected, all of whom have previously earned all-league honors. Two First-Team All-Conference choices from a season ago headline the cast including Maine guard Blanca Millan, who was named Most Outstanding Player in last year’s championship.
2018-19 America East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
No. School Points (1st Place Votes)
1. Maine 64 (8)*
2. Hartford 53 (1)
Stony Brook 53
4. Albany 39
5. Binghamton 34
6. Vermont 28
7. New Hampshire 25
8. UMBC 19
9. UMass Lowell 9
2018-19 America East Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Blanca Millan, Jr., Guard, Maine
Shania Johnson, Sr., Guard, Stony Brook
Hanna Crymble, Jr. Forward, Vermont
Tanesha Sutton, Sr., Guard, Maine
Kai Moon, Jr., Guard, Binghamton
Lindsey Abed, Sr., Guard, Hartford
Eleven student-athletes who earned All-Conference, All-Defensive or All-Rookie honors last season are back for 2018-19.
The season tips off on November 6 with conference play commencing January 2. For the first time in over 20 years, league games will play a more pivotal role for the #AEPlayoffs as the conference announced a change to its women’s basketball championship format in the spring. Beginning this season, the entire tournament will take place on campus sites with the top-four seeds hosting opening rounds and the higher-seeded school hosting each game throughout the championship. The league champion will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, where America East teams have collected five wins, most recently in 2016 when Albany upset Florida.
Fans will once again be able to watch every #AEHoops home game on
The AE on ESPN. The majority of games will air on ESPN+ or ESPN3.
Follow the
@AEHoopsNews Twitter account to stay up-to-date on #AEHoops news all season long.
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