DALLAS – Charlotte has been voted by the league’s 14 head coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2021-22 Conference USA women’s basketball regular season championship. North Texas redshirt junior Quincy Noble and Charlotte fifth year Octavia Jett-Wilson were also named the Co-Preseason Players of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.
 
Charlotte collected six first-place votes and finished with a total of 185 points. The 49ers, led by Cara Consuegra who is in her 11^th year, return three starters from last year’s squad that finished second in the East Division with a 9-5 record. The 2021-22 Co-Preseason Player of the Year in C-USA, Octavia Jett-Wilson, who averaged 21.0 points and 6.4 rebounds a year ago, will return to the court in her fifth season after earning a degree in psychology and sociology in May of 2021. Additionally, fellow 2021-22 Preseason All-Conference USA selection Jada McMillian also returns, after averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 rebounds last season. The senior led the league in assists as well, averaging 5.4 per night while ranking third in field goal percentage (51.8%).
 
Old Dominion earned the runner-up spot with six first-place votes as well. The Monarchs picked up 173 points and feature a 2021-22 squad that has three Preseason All-Conference selections. ODU went 13-11 last season ending their year in the Conference USA semifinals. The Monarchs have the 2021 C-USA Newcomer of the Year, graduate transfer Iggy Allen on their squad this season, bringing with her a 22.3 points per game average. Additionally, ODU’s roster features senior Amari Young and senior Ajah Wayne, who both averaged over 13 points a game a year ago.
 
North Texas redshirt junior Quincy Noble will lead a Mean Green squad that is picked to finish tied for third in this year’s preseason poll. Noble averaged 17.9 points per game last season, was a First Team All-Conference USA selection in 2020-21 and helped UNT to a 13-7 record in the shortened year.
 
Joining Noble, Jett-Wilson, Young, Allen and Wayne on the eight-player Preseason team are sophomore Katia Gallegos (UTEP) and sophomore Savannah Wheeler (Marshall). Gallegos was a first team All-Conference USA selection last season and paced UTEP with 5.0 assists per game and 42 steals. She led the Miners with 13.8 points per night and 38 3-pointers made. Her assist average was also the second-best in UTEP history. Wheeler, a second-team All-Conference USA selection a year ago, was Marshall’s leading scorer at 17.0 points per game along with her team-high 36 made from long distance. She was the sixth-leading scorer in the league and led C-USA in FT percentage during conference action.
 
The 2021-22 campaign tips off Tuesday, Nov. 9, and culminates in the 2022 Conference USA Basketball Championships March 8-12 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
 
WBB Preseason Poll (first place votes)
1. Charlotte (6) – 185 pts
2. Old Dominion (6) – 173 pts
T3. Middle Tennessee (2) – 150 pts
T3. North Texas – 150 pts
T3. UTEP – 150 pts
6. LA Tech – 106 pts
7. FIU – 104 pts
8. Rice – 94 pts
9. Marshall – 85 pts
10. Florida Atlantic – 69 pts
11. UAB – 64 pts
12. WKU – 62 pts
13. Southern Miss – 56 pts
14. UTSA – 19 pts
 
Preseason Team/*Co-Preseason Player of the Year (in bold)
*Quincy Noble, North Texas, R-Jr., G
*Octavia Jett-Wilson, Charlotte, 5th year, G
Iggy Allen, Old Dominion, Gr., G
Katia Gallegos, UTEP, So., G
Savannah Wheeler, Marshall, So, G
Amari Young, Old Dominion, Sr., F
Jada McMillian, Charlotte, Sr., G
Ajah Wayne, Old Dominion, Sr., G/F