DALLAS – Missouri State was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2026-27 Conference USA women's basketball regular season championship, as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. The Lady Bear’s Kaemyn Bekemeier was named the Preseason Player of the Year and headlined the conference's 10 Preseason All-Conference honorees, announced Thursday by the league.
Missouri State (23-13, 11-7 CUSA) tallied eight first-place votes and finished with a total of 90 points. Beth Cunningham enters her fifth season as head coach of the Lady Bears. She led Missouri State to its first-ever Conference USA Tournament championship and the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance. Mo State returns seven players from a season ago and welcomes a group of seven newcomers that features four freshmen and three transfers.
Middle Tennessee (17-16, 11-7 CUSA) was picked to finish second in the league, garnering one first-place vote and a total of 84 points. Liberty (18-13, 11-7 CUSA) rounded out the top three, also receiving one first-place with a total of 83 points.
Six of the 10 preseason all-conference honorees earned All-CUSA recognition last season, including Bekemeier who earned CUSA Tournament MVP and First Team All-Conference honors after averaging 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season. She ranked inside the top 10 in CUSA last season in points per game (2nd), free throw percentage (2nd), defensive rebounds per game (3rd), rebounds per game (4th), minutes per game (4th) and field goal percentage (6th).
Bekemeier is joined by teammates, Lainie Douglas and Maeisha Washington. Douglas, a Second Team All-Conference member, averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season. She posted the fifth-most blocks in a single season in Missouri State’s program history with 55 blocks. Washington, a 2025-26 CUSA All-Freshman honoree returns after averaging 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
Liberty also had three players selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Sophia Gregory, Ify Nwaobi and Emmy Stout represent the Lady Flames. Henry, a transfer from Youngstown State was named the 2026 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. Nwaobi, earned CUSA All-Freshman Team honors after leading CUSA and ranking No. 7 nationally amongst freshmen with 9.5 rebounds per game. Stout, a First Team All-Conference member averaged 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 campaign.
Middle Tennessee boasts two representatives on the Preseason Team in Blair Baugus and Mya Koné. Baugus earned CUSA Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 13.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Koné returns to Conference USA in a Blue Raiders uniform after stints at FIU and Miami. She earned CUSA Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2023-24 at FIU after averaging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. She also earned CUSA Preseason Player of the Year while at FIU during the 2025-26 season.
Rounding out the preseason team are Sam Houston’s Deborah Ogayemi and WKU’s Trinity Rowe. Ogayemi, a Second-Team All-Conference recipient, returns to the Bearkats, averaging 11.9 points, a team-leading 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game in 27 games. Rowe received All-CUSA Honorable Mention last season after leading the Lady Toppers in scoring, putting up10.8 points per game.
The 2026-27 campaign is set to tip off Monday, November 2, and will conclude at the 2027 Conference USA Basketball Championships March 9-13 at Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. The women’s Championship title game is scheduled for Saturday, March 13 and will be aired on CBS Sports Network.
2026-27 CUSA WBB Preseason Player of the Year
Kaemyn Bekemeier, Missouri State, Sr., G
2026-27 CUSA WBB Preseason All-Conference Team
Sophia Gregory, Liberty, Jr., F
Ify Nwaobi, Liberty, Jr., F
Emmy Stout, Liberty, Jr., C
Blair Baugus, MTSU, So., G
Mya Koné, MTSU, Sr., G
Kaemyn Bekemeier, Missouri State, Sr., G
Lainie Douglas, Missouri State, Jr., F
Maiesha Washington, Missouri State, So., F
Deborah Ogayemi, Sam Houston, Gr., F
Trinity Rowe, WKU, Jr., G
2026-27 CUSA WBB Preseason Poll (First-place votes)
1. Missouri State (8) 90 points
2. MTSU (1) 84 points
3. Liberty (1) 83 points
4. FIU 70 points
5. Sam Houston 60 points
6. WKU 42 points
7. Delaware 37 points
8. NM State 31 points
9. Jax State 29 points
10. Kennesaw State 24 points