SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The Portland Pilots were picked to finish second in the annual WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, with Dyani Ananiev and Florence Dallow making the preseason team.
This is the second time that Ananiev has made the preseason team. Ananiev led the Pilots with 11.4 points per game and also led the Pilots in steals (79). That steal total and her steals average (2.5) led the WCC. Ananiev's 1.1 blocks per game also ranked fourth in the WCC, and she was one of just four players in NCAA Division I last year to average at least 2.5 steals and one block per game and one of just three to total at least 75 steals and 35 blocks. She was an All-WCC Second Team selection last year.
Dallow also earned All-WCC honors last year, nabbing honorable mention. Dallow was second on the Pilots in scoring last year at 9.9 points per game and led the team in rebounds at 5.4 per game while adding 1.6 steals. Dallow put up a historic stat line in a matchup against the Pepperdine Waves, becoming the only WCC player in the 2000s to tally 15 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a single game.
The Pilots were just three points below the Santa Clara Broncos in the preseason poll, with both teams receiving four first-place votes each. In third place was the defending regular season champs in the LMU Lions, with the Pepperdine Waves and San Francisco Dons close behind in fourth and fifth place respectively. The San Diego Toreros and Pacific Tigers, with 35 and 34 points respectively, were picked sixth and seventh while the Seattle U Redhawks sit at eighth with 24 points. The Saint Mary's Gaels and Denver Broncos round out the poll.
The Pilots finished last year at 20-15 overall and 11-7 in WCC play, earning at least 20 wins for the sixth time in seven years and the fifth season in a row. It's the first time in program history the Pilots have posted five straight years of at least 20 wins in a row. They made the WNIT for their seventh straight season qualifying for postseason play, earning two wins to make the Super 16. All seven wins for the Pilots ever in the postseason have come under head coach Michael Meek. They return all eligible players who played last season while adding four newcomers.
Portland opens the season against the Willamette Bearcats on Monday, Nov. 2 at the Chiles Center. The game is part of a doubleheader with the men, who also play the Bearcats. The men will play at 5 p.m. while the women play at 7:30 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for tickets, live stats and video options.
See below for the poll and full preseason team.
2026-27 WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
| RANK |
SCHOOL (First-Place Votes) |
PTS. |
| 1. |
Santa Clara (4) |
74 |
| 2. |
Portland (4) |
71 |
| 3. |
LMU (2) |
63 |
| 4. |
Pepperdine |
59 |
| 5. |
San Francisco |
58 |
| 6. |
San Diego |
35 |
| 7. |
Pacific |
34 |
| 8. |
Seattle U |
24 |
| 9. |
Saint Mary's |
22 |
| 10. |
Denver |
10 |
2026-27 WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Team
| NAME |
YR. |
POS. |
SCHOOL |
| Dyani Ananiev |
Sr. |
G |
Portland |
| Aina Cargol |
So. |
G |
San Francisco |
| Florence Dallow |
5th |
G |
Portland |
| Candy Edokpaigbe |
Jr. |
G |
San Francisco |
| Lina Falk |
Sr. |
G |
Pepperdine |
| Elli Guiney |
Jr. |
G |
Pepperdine |
| Maya Hernandez |
Sr. |
F |
LMU |
| Maia Jones |
Gr. |
G |
Santa Clara |
| Kylie Ray |
Jr. |
G |
San Diego |
| Ava Schmidt |
Sr. |
F |
Santa Clara |
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