DeLAND, Fla. — Stetson Women's Basketball was selected to finish fourth in the 2026-27 ASUN Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
The Hatters enter the new season under first-year head coach Melissa DeVore and a new coaching staff after finishing 20-12 overall and 12-6 in ASUN play a season ago. Stetson advanced to the ASUN Tournament semifinals before earning a postseason berth in the WNIT, extending a season that featured 20 victories and several notable wins both in and out of conference play.
Jacksonville and FGCU shared the top spot in the preseason poll, with the Dolphins receiving four first-place votes and the Eagles earning three. Lipscomb was selected third, followed by Stetson in fourth. North Florida, Queens, West Florida and Bellarmine rounded out the eight-team poll.
Stetson will enter the season with a considerably different look than the group that reached the conference semifinals last March. Six newcomers have joined the roster, including five freshmen, while several returning Hatters who contributed in supporting roles a season ago will have opportunities to assume greater responsibility within DeVore's system.
Among the returners are Eva Bradshaw, Jorah Eppley, Sophie Locatelli, Candela Garcia-Escribano Pozo, Favour Nmecha Anyaele and Cici Driessen.
Bradshaw brings the most starting experience among the returning group after appearing in all 32 games and making 16 starts last season. Eppley returns after connecting on 37 three-pointers and appearing in 30 games, while García-Escribano Pozo played in 28 contests and shot 46.6 percent from the field during her first season in DeLand. Locatelli, Anyaele and Driessen also return with a year of experience in the program as the Hatters begin the transition to a new system and coaching staff.
The newcomers give Stetson a mix of international experience, size and youth. Bowling Green transfer Sofia Moschen joins the Hatters after two seasons with the Falcons. Freshman Desireck Nieves arrives following a decorated prep and international career that included helping Puerto Rico capture gold at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games over the summer.
The combination of returning experience and a large freshman class will shape the early stages of DeVore's first season as the Hatters establish roles within a revamped roster.
Stetson will not have long to settle in once the season begins.
The Hatters open the 2026-27 campaign next Monday, Nov. 2, when Flagler visits Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center for a 7 p.m. tip. From there, Stetson begins an early road stretch featuring games at Louisville, Miami, FIU, Clemson and UCF before returning to DeLand to host Wright State on Nov. 22.
The challenging non-conference slate will provide Stetson with several early tests before the Hatters turn their attention toward ASUN play and a conference race in which they were picked among the league's top four entering the season.
Jacksonville's Tatum Brown was selected as both the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Brown was also one of three Jacksonville players named to the 10-member Preseason All-ASUN Team.
2026-27 ASUN Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Jacksonville (4)
1. FGCU (3)
3. Lipscomb
4. Stetson
5. North Florida
6. Queens (1)
7. West Florida
8. Bellarmine
First-place votes in parentheses
2026-27 ASUN Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Tatum Brown, Jacksonville
Defensive Player of the Year: Tatum Brown, Jacksonville
Preseason All-ASUN Team:
Tatum Brown, Jacksonville
Sinai Douglas, Jacksonville
McKayla Miller, Lipscomb
Triniti Ralston, Bellarmine
Aniah Smith, Jacksonville
Hope Counts, Lipscomb
Alonya Waldon, North Florida
Denika Lightbourne, FGCU
Brenae Jones-Grant, Queens
Eve Alexander, FGCU
Tickets
Season tickets for the 2026-27 Stetson Basketball season start at $99 and include admission to every home men's and women's basketball game at Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center.
Fans can purchase season tickets at tickets.gohatters.com and view the complete women's basketball schedule at GoHatters.com.
Fans can also follow Stetson Women's Basketball throughout the season on the team's social media channels and visit GoHatters.com for schedules, results, news and additional coverage.
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
