Towson, Kornegay-Lucas Headline CAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Honors
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 19, 2023) – Towson has been selected as the favorite to win the 2023-24 CAA Women’s Basketball title and the Tigers’ redshirt senior guard Kylie Kornegay-Lucas was named CAA Preseason Player of the Year as determined by a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches.
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Towson collected nine first-place votes and 163 points to sit atop the preseason predicted order of finish. Stony Brook and Northeastern followed, receiving two first-place votes apiece, with 139 and 138 points, respectively. Delaware was fourth, totaling 123 points, and Charleston rounded out the top five, earning the final first-place vote and 117 points. Monmouth (115 points), Drexel (104 points) and North Carolina A&T (103 points) were pegged sixth through eighth, with the three teams separated by just 12 points. William & Mary, Campbell, Elon, Hofstra, Hampton and UNCW followed to round out the 14-team poll.
Kornegay-Lucas was accompanied on the Preseason All-CAA First Team by Northeastern senior guard Derin Erdogan, Charleston fifth-year guard Jada Logan, Stony Brook junior forward Sherese Pittman and Elon sophomore guard Raven Preston.
In addition, the Preseason All-CAA Second Team consisted of Charleston fifth-year guard Jenna Annecchiarico, North Carolina A&T senior guard Maleia Bracone, Stony Brook graduate guard Gigi Gonzalez, Northeastern junior guard Gemima Motema and William & Mary graduate forward Nylah Young.
Towson earned a share of the CAA regular season title for the first time in program history before advancing to the CAA Championship game last season. The Tigers return four starters from 2022-23, led by Kornegay-Lucas (14.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 apg), who was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-CAA selection last season. She is joined by Quinzia Fulmore (10.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) after both set career highs in points, rebounds and shooting percentage in 2022-23.
Stony Brook had its sixth straight winning season last year and finished sixth in the CAA (11-7) during its inaugural campaign. The Seawolves return three players to their starting lineup, including two All-CAA honorees. Gonzalez (12.5 ppg, 4.3 apg) is back for her fifth year with the program after receiving Third Team All-CAA honors in 2022-23, and Pittman (13.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg) returns after garnering Second Team All-CAA accolades in her first season on Long Island.
Northeastern was also CAA co-regular season champion last season after winning a program-record 13 conference games last season. First-year head coach Priscilla Edwards-Lloyd looks to carry that momentum into 2023-24, retaining 12 players from last year’s roster. Erdogan (15.0 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Motema (12.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) highlight the Husky returners. Last season, Erdogan was a First Team All-CAA selection, and Motema earned Third Team All-CAA and All-CAA Defensive team accolades.
Delaware is two years removed from its CAA Championship victory in 2021-22, and Sarah Jenkins led the Blue Hens to their third straight winning season (16-14) in her first year at the helm. Jenkins dealt with roster turnover in year one and will face the same task this season; however, the Blue Hens benefit from returning Klarke Sconiers (12.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg), a Third Team All-CAA honoree, to the starting lineup. Among the newcomers expected to make an impact is Chloe Wilson (17.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg), who was a First Team All-NEC selection at Fairleigh Dickinson last year.
Charleston had a disappointing season after high expectations in 2022-23, but there is cause for optimism in the Lowcountry. The Cougars welcome back their entire starting lineup and will be a force with Annecchiarico and Logan (18.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) on the court together. Annecchiarico (16.6 ppg, 6.3 apg) missed last season due to injury but was a Second Team All-CAA honoree two years ago, and Logan was selected to the All-CAA Second Team in 2022-23, forming one of the best backcourts in the league.
CAA Women’s Basketball expands to 14 teams with the addition of Campbell this winter after adding Hampton North Carolina A&T, Stony Brook and the defending CAA Champions, Monmouth, who elevated the league’s competitiveness in 2022-23.
The 2023-24 women’s basketball season tips off November 6, with nine teams starting their journey for a CAA title. The year culminates March 13-17 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
2023-24 CAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team (1st) | Points |
| 1. Towson (9) | 163 |
| 2. Stony Brook (2) | 139 |
| 3. Northeastern (2) | 138 |
| 4. Delaware | 123 |
| 5. Charleston (1) | 117 |
| 6. Monmouth | 115 |
| 7. Drexel | 104 |
| 8. North Carolina A&T | 103 |
| 9. William & Mary | 75 |
| 10. Campbell | 68 |
| 11. Elon | 56 |
| 12. Hofstra | 33 |
| 13. Hampton | 28 |
| 14. UNCW | 21 |
2023-24 Preseason All-CAA Women’s Basketball Teams
| First Team | School | Height | Class | Pos. | Hometown / High School |
| Derin Erdogan | Northeastern | 5-6 | Sr. | G | Istanbul, Turkey / Istanbul Universitesi SK |
| Kylie Kornegay-Lucas | Towson | 5-10 | R-Sr. | G | Camden, Del. / New Hope Academy |
| Jada Logan | Charleston | 5-9 | Fifth | G | Rutherfordton, N.C. / R-S Central |
| Sherese Pittman | Stony Brook | 6-2 | Jr. | F | Richmond, Va. / The Steward School |
| Raven Preston | Elon | 5-11 | So. | G | Greensboro, N.C. / Southeast Guilford |
| Second Team | School | Height | Class | Pos. | Hometown / High School |
| Jenna Annecchiarico | Charleston | 5-6 | Fifth | G | Baldwin, N.Y. / Baldwin HS |
| Maleia Bracone | North Carolina A&T | 5-10 | Sr. | G | Anderson, S.C. / T.L. Hanna HS |
| Gigi Gonzalez | Stony Brook | 5-7 | Gr. | G | Miramar, Fla. / Nova |
| Gemima Motema | Northeastern | 5-9 | Jr. | G | Portland, Maine / Portland HS |
| Nylah Young | William & Mary | 5-11 | Gr. | F | Suffolk, Va. / Kings Fork |
2023-24 CAA Preseason Player of the Year: Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, Towson
Honorable Mention: Jordyn Dorsey (G), North Carolina A&T; Christabel Ezumah (F), Campbell; Quinzia Fulmore (F), Towson; Klarke Sconiers (C), Delaware; Shy Tuelle (G), Campbell; Ariana Vanderhoop (G), Monmouth; Chole Wilson (F), Delaware
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