GREENVILLE, SC – The Francis Marion University women's basketball program has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026-27 Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released by the league office on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 29).

Francis Marion finished as the outright East Division champions, made it to the Conference Carolinas Tournament Semifinals with a 19-11 record, and earned a consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Patriots received 210 points, including six first-place nods, to sit atop the 2026-27 preseason rankings.

Defending tournament champion Lees-McRae College is picked second with seven first-place votes and 206 points. Belmont Abbey College, the winner of the Northwest Division in 2025-26, garnered the final three first-place nods with 198 points.

Barton College is picked fourth with 179 points, followed by Chowan University (152), Young Harris College (150), UNC Pembroke (147), King University (135), Emmanuel University (104), Shorter University (96), Ferrum College (95), North Greenville University (73), University of Mount Olive (68), Converse University (49), Southern Wesleyan University (43), and Erskine College (15).

Twelfth-year FMU head coach Jeri Porter welcomes back nine returnees, including two starters, from last season's squad. The returning starters include senior guard Uriah Jennings, who averaged 10.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game, and junior guard Terriana Gray, who averaged 10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 2.9 apg after appearing in all 30 contests. Junior forward Trinity Delaney also returns to the Patriots after missing all of last season due to suffering an injury in the season-opener. In 2025-26, she averaged 8.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg while shooting 46.3 from the field.

Newcomers included three freshmen and three transfers – including junior guard Trinity Fields, who competed in 23 contests with two starts at Division I UNC Asheville in 2025-26. Junior La'Sonja Hill transferred in from Division II Union University in the Gulf South Conference and averaged 6.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 24 games as a reserve.

Francis Marion will host its season-opener on Tuesday, Nov. 10, versus Shaw University, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.

The team's 2026-27 schedule consists of 28 games, including 13 home contests and a 20-game conference slate.

The 2027 Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championship Tournament will get underway on February 28 and March 1 at on-campus sites. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals are set for March 5, 6, and 7 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College.

The poll was voted on by the conference head coaches.