DALLAS - Rice was tabbed the 2019-20 Conference USA women's basketball preseason favorite on the heels of its most accomplished campaign in program history. The Owls' senior guard Erica Ogwumike was deemed the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year for the second season in a row. The league's preseason poll and team are decided on by vote of its 14 head coaches.

2019-20 C-USA Preseason Poll (first-place votes)
1. Rice (11)
2. Middle Tennessee (3)
3. WKU
4. UAB
5. Old Dominion
6. Charlotte
7. North Texas
8. Southern Miss
9. Louisiana Tech
10. Florida Atlantic
11. Marshall
12. UTEP
13. UTSA
14. FIU

2019-20 C-USA Preseason Team
Anastasia Hayes, Middle Tennessee
*Erica Ogwumike, Rice
Nancy Mulkey, Rice
Shonte Hailes, Southern Miss
Rachael Childress, UAB
Miyah Barnes, UAB
Dee Givens, WKU
Raneem Elgedawy, WKU

*Preseason Player of the Year

Rice established itself as a powerhouse in 2018-19, landing a spot among the nation's elite in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time in its tenure. The Owls broke into the national rankings in February and finished the season at No. 21, rattling off a program-best 21 consecutive wins along the way. The squad set a school record with 28 victories and became just the third-ever C-USA team to polish off a perfect 16-0 record in conference play. Rice also made league history as the first unit to sweep the regular-season and conference tournament titles en route to its first Big Dance in 14 years. The Owls, projected to repeat, garnered 11 first-place votes in the preseason poll.

Reigning C-USA Coach of the Year Tina Langley returns four starters from that championship crew, including Ogwumike and Defensive Player of the Year Nancy Mulkey. Both appear on the annual preseason team as the defending C-USA Player of the Year and the nation's leader in blocks per game, respectively.

Predicted runner-up Middle Tennessee is coming off of its 16^th-straight postseason appearance after receiving an at-large ticket to the 2019 WNIT, where it reached the second round. The Lady Raiders advanced to the C-USA title game as the third seed after posting their 15^th 20 -win campaign in the last 16 years. Featured in head coach Rick Insell's arsenal this season will be 2019 C-USA Freshman of the Year Taylor Sutton and highly-anticipated preseason nod Anastasia Hayes, a sophomore guard from Tennessee who was awarded 2018 SEC 6^th Woman of the Year. Middle Tennessee received three first-place votes from league coaches.

WKU rounds out the top three picks now entering its second season with head coach Greg Collins at the helm. The fourth-place Lady Toppers fought their way to the C-USA semifinals and secured their seventh 20-win slate in a row, positioning the program toward a WNIT invite. The Toppers reached the tournament's Round of 16, marking the furthest advancement out of five competing C-USA teams. WKU rosters a seasoned squad that turns the page with five of its top scorers. Senior Dee Givens, C-USA all-defensive and first-team honoree, and second-team selection Raneem Elgedawy were both voted preseason team members.

C-USA embarks on its 25^th women's basketball campaign set to tip off Tuesday, Nov. 5. Twelve teams will battle for a conference crown and NCAA Tournament bid at the 2020 Air Force Reserve Conference USA Basketball Championships presented by Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center at The Star, March 11-14, in Frisco, Texas. C-USA will host the tournament for the third-straight year with the final scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT Saturday, March 14, to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.