KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Griffon Women's Basketball was picked to finish seventh in both the MIAA media and coaches' preseason polls put out on Monday morning.

Griffon Women's Basketball enters the second season of the Luke Scheidecker era in 2026-27, coming off of a 15-16 mark in 2025-26, including a 9-10 mark in the MIAA.

The Griffs ended last season on a great run, winning nine of their last 11 games and reaching the MIAA tournament semifinals. MoWest returns a pair of all-MIAA starters from that team, including MIAA Newcomer of the Year Mia Morel and honorable mention all-MIAA forward Nakiya Harris.

MoWest also signed 10 new players for the coming season - six transfers and four freshmen.

The Griffons finished last season No. 1 in the MIAA in made three-pointers (262 - 10th NCAA DII), No. 1 in steals per game (9.2), No. 2 in three-point percentage (32.5%) and No. 3 in scoring offense (71.8).

Morel finished No. 3 in the MIAA last season with 18.3 points per game, scoring 30+ points on six different occasions. She also set a new MIAA tournament record with 90 total points scored in the event this past March.

Morel was also second best in the MIAA in three-point percentage (34.8%), knocking down a league-best 81 triples in 2025-26. The 81 made threes tied for ninth most among all players in NCAA Division II, and is the third most in a single season at MoWest.

Harris finished No. 6 in the MIAA with 8.2 rebounds per game, totaling seven double-doubles last season. Women's basketball opens the season in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic in Owensboro, Kentucky, playing Gannon on November 6 and Roosevelt on November 7.

WOMEN'S PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

1. Central Missouri [10] – 163 points

2. Fort Hays State [1] – 147 points

3. Missouri Southern [1] – 143 points

4. Northwest Missouri – 120 points

5. Washburn [1] – 113 points

6. Pittsburg State – 108 points

7. Missouri Western [1] – 107 points

8. Nebraska Kearney – 93 points

9. Northeastern State – 91 points

10. Emporia State – 56 points

11. Central Oklahoma – 53 points

12. Rogers State – 35 points

13. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 28 points

14. Newman – 17 points

WOMEN'S PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

1. Central Missouri [16] – 372 points

2. Fort Hays State [13] – 355 points

3. Missouri Southern – 325 points

4. Washburn [1] – 298 points

5. Pittsburg State – 281 points

6. Northwest Missouri – 245 points

7. Missouri Western – 204 points

8. Northeastern State – 201 points

9. Emporia State – 171 points

10. Nebraska Kearney – 149 points

11. Central Oklahoma – 122 points

12. Rogers State – 109 points

13. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 75 points

14. Newman – 33 points