DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball media have selected Louisiana Tech as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2011-12 season, and Utah State senior forward Ashlee Brown has been selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

Louisiana Tech, which won last year’s WAC regular-season title with a 15-1 record, received 13 first-place votes, earning 144 points. Fresno State was picked to finish second with 129 points and three first-place votes, just ahead of Utah State with 126 points and the other three first-place votes. Nevada was picked to finish fourth with 80 points, followed by Hawai‘i with 72 points. New Mexico State was picked to finish in sixth place with 59 points, followed by Idaho in seventh with 52 points and San Jose State in eighth with 22 points. 

Reigning WAC Newcomer of the Year Brown was voted Preseason Player of the Year and is the on the preseason all-WAC first team. Joining her on the Preseason all-WAC first team Louisiana Tech’s Jasmine Bendolph, Kamilah Jackson of Hawai‘i, Fresno State’s Rosie Moult and Tabytha Wampler of New Mexico State.

The Preseason all-WAC second team is comprised of LA Tech’s Shantale Bramble-Donaldson and Whitney Jones, Amanda Johnson and Kayla Williams of Nevada, and Fresno State’s Taylor Thompson.


2011-12 Preseason Women’s Basketball Media Poll

Rank	Teams (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1	Louisiana Tech (13)	144
2	Fresno State (3)	129
3	Utah State (3)	126
4	Nevada	80
5	Hawai‘i	72
6	New Mexico State	59
7	Idaho	52
8	San Jose State	22

2011-12 Preseason Women’s Basketball Media All-WAC Teams
First Team
Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech
Ashlee Brown, Utah State
Kamilah Jackson, Hawai‘i
Rosie Moult, Fresno State
Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State

Second Team
Shantale Bramble-Donaldson, Louisiana Tech
Amanda Johnson, Nevada
Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech
Taylor Thompson, Fresno State
Kayla Williams, Nevada

Preseason Player of the Year:  Ashlee Brown, Utah State