Staff report

Catawba women’s basketball has been picked as the favorite to win the South Atlantic Conference by the league’s head coaches.

Catawba got 10 of 13 first-place votes. Carson-Newman got two, while Lincoln Memorial got one.

Catawba (29-6) made history in the 2022-23 season, finishing with a No. 6 national ranking, a regional championship, a Final Four appearance and a program-record for wins.

Catawba’s Lyrik Thorne and Janiya Downs (South Rowan) are preseason first team All-SAC picks. Thorne was conference and regional player of the year.

Catawba’s Sara McIntosh is a second team pick.

1 Catawba (10) 141

2 Carson-Newman (2) 124

3 Wingate 122

4 Anderson 106

5 Lenoir-Rhyne 105

6 Lincoln Memorial (1) 92

7 Limestone 71

8 Tusculum 63

9 UVA Wise 57

10 Coker 44

11 Newberry 37

12 Mars Hill 29

13 Emory & Henry 23

2023-24 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference

First Team

Janiya Downs, Catawba

Lyrik Thorne, Catawba

Blaikley Crooks, Lenoir-Rhyne

Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne

Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman

Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman

Second Team

Sara McIntosh, Catawba

Hannah Clark, Wingate

Emily Hege, Wingate

Diamond McDowell, Anderson

Alexa Smiddy, Lincoln Memorial

Caitlyn Ross, Virginia-Wise

Third Team

Lauren Flowers, Lincoln Memorial

Kalisha Hill, Limestone

Kristynn Knight, Coker

Campbell Penland, Carson-Newman

Brittney Stafford, Anderson

Breanna Yarber, Emory & Henry