ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE: Women's Basketball Preview, Nov. 2 - No. 5
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CURRENT ASUN STANDINGS
Team OVR CONF
Bellarmine 0-0 0-0
FGCU 0-0 0-0
Jacksonville 0-0 0-0
Lipscomb 0-0 0-0
North Florida 0-0 0-0
Queens 0-0 0-0
Stetson 0-0 0-0
West Florida 0-0 0-0
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STARTING FIVE
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Jacksonville and FGCU each earned 58 total points to be named Preseason favorites in this season’s coaches poll. The Dolphins received four first-place votes while the Eagles garnered three from the league’s eight head coaches. Lipscomb was voted third, followed by Stetson to round out the top-half of the poll.
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After helping Jacksonville notch a 24-9 record last season that saw the program’s second ASUN Tournament title, Tatum Brown was named both Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Brown led the ASUN last season with 2.33 steals per game while averaging 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds. She recorded a season-high six steals on three occasions and tallied at least three steals in 14 games.
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Stetson enters the 2026-27 season under the leadership of first-year head coach, Melissa DeVore. DeVore comes to DeLand after a stint at Coker University, where she earned SAC Coach of the Year honors and orchestrated an impressive NCAA Division II Elite Eight run.
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West Florida head coach Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, has been at the helm of the University of West Florida women’s basketball team since 2012, amassing well over 200 wins and leading the program to notable postseason runs, including an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance. Under her leadership, the Argonauts built a tradition of competitive consistency in the Gulf South Conference before entering their milestone Division I era and the Atlantic Sun Conference.
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The 2026-27 season opens with eight power opponent matchups spanning across the first week of the season. ASUN teams will take on opponents including Vanderbilt, Louisville, Alabama, Butler, Miami and Florida State.
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ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday, November 2
Lipscomb at Vanderbilt // Nashville, Tenn. // Noon ET
Bellarmine at Louisville // Louisville, Ky. // 5 p.m. ET
Queens at Alabama // Tuscaloosa, Ala. // 7 p.m. ET
Stetson vs Flagler // DeLand, Fla. // 7 p.m. ET
North Florida vs Florida Tech // Jacksonville, Fla. // 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, November 3
West Florida at ETSU // Johnson City, Tenn. // 7 p.m. ET
Jacksonville at FIU // Miami, Fla. // 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 4
Queens at Vanderbilt // Nashville, Tenn. // 7:30 p.m. ET
Stetson at Louisville // Louisville, Ky. // 8:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, November 5
North Florida at Florida State // Tallahassee, Fla. // 11 a.m. ET
West Florida at Western Carolina // Cullowhee, N.C. // 6 p.m. ET
Lipscomb at Butler // Indianapolis, Ind. // 6:30 p.m. ET
Bellarmine vs Simmons College of Kentucky // Louisville, Ky. // 6:30 p.m. ET
Jacksonville at Miami // Coral Gables, Fla. // 7 p.m. ET
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ASUN PRESEASON COACHES POLL | Following a 2026 tournament run that saw the Dolphins earn their second title in program history, 10 years after the first, Jacksonville was selected atop the Preseason Coaches Poll alongside FGCU. FGCU, which has claimed 12 titles in program history - eight consecutive from 2017-2025 - received three first-place votes to tie Jacksonville for the top spot. Last season, the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Bellarmine, 94-28 in the first round.
WEST FLORIDA JOINS THE ASUN | On April 2, the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the UAC announced that the University of West Florida will transition to the NCAA Division I level and join both leagues beginning Fall 2026. UWF will compete in the ASUN as a full multi-sport member, in addition to joining the UAC as a football-playing affiliate. UWF became the 17th member of Unisun Sports.
TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH - NCAA WBB | Several key contributors return across the ASUN this season. Jacksonville welcomes back reigning Freshman of the Year Tatum Brown, who led the conference with 2.3 steals per game alongside 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. FGCU returns junior guard Sinai Douglas (11.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), while Bellarmine gets senior guard Triniti Ralston (13.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.4 apg) back from injury. Lipscomb returns rim protector Hope Counts, who posted a program freshman-record 77 blocks last year. North Florida brings back senior guard Alonya Waldon following 15 double-figure scoring games, and Queens returns Brenae Jones-Grant (8.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg on 49.7% shooting) as one of four returning players under head coach Jen Brown.
MELLISA DEVORE LEADS STETSON INTO NEW SEASON | Melissa DeVore steps in as the ninth head coach in Stetson women's basketball history, taking over a program with a strong conference pedigree. Competing in Division I since 1981, the Hatters have captured four conference tournament titles (1989, 2005, 2011, and 2013) and an ASUN regular-season crown in 2017. Before taking over at Stetson, DeVore served as the head women's basketball coach at Coker University, where she led the program to a postseason berth. Prior to her head coaching tenure, she spent more than a decade as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Limestone University. Her extensive experience as both a program builder and former standout student-athlete prepares her to lead the Hatters into a new era.
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DIVISION l WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: ASSOCIATED PRESS
*as of October 20, 2026
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South Carolina
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UConn
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Southern Cal
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Duke
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Michigan
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Texas
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Louisville
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VAnderbilt
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LSU
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Iowa
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UCLA
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North Carolina
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Notre Dame
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Kentucky
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TCU
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Washington
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Minnesota
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Ohio State
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Ole Miss
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Maryland
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Oklahoma
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Oklahoma State
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Illinois
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West Virginia
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NC State
Others receiving votes: Nebraska, Arizona State, Baylor, Virginia, Michigan State, Kansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Syracuse, Fairfield, Oregon, Rice, Georgia, Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson
