ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Siena Women's Basketball used the brunt of the 2022-23 season to prove that they are not only an up-and-coming entity, but they may be planted at the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) for years to come.

Entering the third season in the second stint of head coach Jim Jabir in Loudonville, the Saints were selected second in the 2023-24 MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll by the league's ten other head coaches, the league announced as part of the return of MAAC Basketball Media day in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Tuesday morning.

Additionally, a league-high four members of the Green and Gold were placed on one of the three Preseason All-MAAC squads. No other team in the MAAC received more than two Preseason All-MAAC selections.

Matching its highest MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll since being picked as the favorite prior to the 2002-03 campaign, Siena received 112 total votes and three first-place ballots to finish just behind preseason favorite Niagara, who garnered 116 total votes and seven first-place ballots. Fairfield finished third in the vote with a distant 87 votes and received the final first-place selection.

Returning six of its top seven scorers and all five starters from last season, the Saints saw junior forward Anajah Brown and sophomore guard Elisa Mevius honored as Second Team Preseason All-MAAC selections, while sophomore guard Teresa Seppala and senior guard Ahniysha Jackson earned Third Team Preseason All-MAAC honors.

A Third Team All-MAAC honoree last year, Brown led the team and ranked 14^th in the MAAC with 11.3 points per-game, while ranking second in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per-contest. The Norristown, Pennsylvania native Ranked second in the MAAC in field goal percentage (56.2), second in total blocks (41) and tied for second in blocks per-game (1.4).

The reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year, Mevius was also the 2022-23 Siena Female Rookie of the Year and earned both Third Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Rookie Team honors last year. The Grunberg, Germany product Averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per-game, ranking sixth nationally among freshmen in the latter and ranking fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (80.4).

A member of last year's MAAC All-Rookie Team, Seppala averaged 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per-game, ranking second on the team in both scoring and rebounding. She also led the team, ranked fifth in the MAAC in three-point percentage (37.7), and was named MAAC Rookie of the Week a league-best seven times last season.

The team's lone senior entering the 2023-24 season, Jackson Averaged 9.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per-game, ranking fourth on the team in scoring. She led the team with 57 three-pointers and went for double-digit scoring 16 times.

Niagara's Aaliyah Parker was named the 2023-24 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
 

2023-24 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1	Niagara	116 (7)
2	Siena	112 (3)
3	Fairfield	87 (1)
4	Marist	86
5	Quinnipiac	81
6	Manhattan	65
7	Iona	49
8	Mount St. Mary's	47
9	Canisius	34
10	Rider	33
11	Saint Peter's	16

 

Preseason Player of the Year

Aaliyah Parker – Niagara

 

Preseason All-MAAC First Team
Player	Position	Year	Institution
Janelle Brown	Guard	Sr.	Fairfield
Kiara Fisher	Guard	Sr.	Marist
Zaria Shazer	Forward	Sr.	Marist
Aaliyah Parker*	Guard	Jr.	Niagara
Angel Parker*	Guard	Gr.	Niagara

 

Preseason All-MAAC Second Team
Player	Position	Year	Institution
Petra Juric	Forward	Jr.	Manhattan
Jackie Grisdale	Guard	Jr.	Quinnipiac
Makayla Firebaugh	Guard	Sr.	Rider
Anajah Brown	Forward	Jr.	Siena
Elisa Mevius	Guard	So.	Siena

 

Preseason All-MAAC Third Team
Player	Position	Year	Institution
Sisi Eleko	Forward	So.	Canisius
Izabela Nicoletti Leite	Guard	R-Sr.	Fairfield
Jessica Tomasetti	Guard	Sr.	Mount St. Mary's
Ahniysha Jackson	Guard	Sr.	Siena
Teresa Seppala	Guard	So.	Siena

*Denotes unanimous selection