USF Athletics

Bulls Ranked No. 21 in USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll

November 01, 2018

TAMPA, Nov. 1, 2018 – USF women's basketball is ranked No. 21 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, voted on by Women's Basketball Coaches Association members, announced Thursday. USF is one of two American Athletic Conference teams in the top-25. 

The Bulls, under the direction of 19^th-year head coach Jose Fernandez, have made four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and earned a 26-8 record in 2017-18, and checked out at No. 24 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll last season. USF has posted six-straight 20+ win seasons and is one of 15 teams in the nation to post six-straight 22 win seasons. 

USF returns four starters including WBCA Honorable Mention All-American Kitija Laksa, a unanimous first team all-conference selection in the preseason American Athletic Conference coaches poll. Fifth-year senior Laura Ferreira was selected second team all-conference in then American preseason poll and returns in her final year of eligibility for the Bulls. Junior post Alyssa Rader looks to suit up for her first full year of action with USF after sitting out the first nine games of 2017-18 due to NCAA transfer rules. Tamara Henshaw is the fourth Bull to return after seeing starts in 2017-18, and USF is bolstered by six freshmen, Elisa Pinzan (Murano, Italy), Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal), Sydni Harvey (Nashville, Tenn.), Makaela Kestner (Bealeton, Va.), Janeta Rozentale (Dobeles, Latvia), and Iris Tsafara (Athens, Greece). 

USF will open the season on the road at Ohio State on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. on BTN Plus, and will return home three days later for its home opener at the Yuengling Center on Nov. 9 against Albany at 7 p.m. 

2018-19 Preseason USA Today Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll 
Rank        Team                         Record                      Points
1          Notre Dame     35-3                 798                  30 
2          Connecticut     36-1                 757                  2
3          Oregon            33-5                690                   0      
4          Louisville         36-3                 687                  0     
5          Baylor              33-2                656                   0      
6          Mississippi St.   37-2                 594                0 
7          Stanford           24-11               578                 0    
8          Texas                28-7                535                 0  
9          Oregon State    26-8                 514                0  
10        Maryland          26-8                 511                 0    
11        South Carolina  29-7                 502                0  
12        Tennessee        25-8                 444                0 
13        Georgia            26-7                411                  0 
14        Missouri           24-8                 318                 0  
15        DePaul            27-8                293                   0 
16        N. C. State        26-9                 283                0  
17        Iowa                 24-8                262                  0 
18        Syracuse           22-9                 208               0 
19        Marquette       24-10               199                  0   
20        Duke                24-9                164                 0 
21        South Florida    26-8                 159               0
21        Texas A&M       26-10               159               0
23        UCLA                27-8                116                0
24        Miami-Florida   22-11               92                  0
25        West Virginia    25-12               73                 0 

Tickets
Season tickets may be renewed or purchased by visiting USFBullsTix.com or calling 1-800-Go-Bulls. An exciting new season ticket option is available for 2018-19, an $89 women's basketball season ticket, a value at less than $7 per game to see opponents such as Oklahoma, Connecticut, and rival UCF. 
 
The Fifth Third Bank Club in the Sun Dome will also feature new season ticket opportunities. Fans may now purchase bar railing seats in the Fifth Third Bank Club in both men's and women's basketball season ticket packages for the 2018-19 season and reserve their spot in one of the most prime viewing locations in the Sun Dome. Men's and women's basketball fans may also now purchase a season ticket in sections 101-104 that features a pregame buffet in the Fifth Third Bank Club.
Group ticket packages and single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2018-19 basketball season. 

About Kitija Laksa 
With USF, Laksa broke the junior scoring record with 717 points in her junior season. She set two NCAA records in 2017-18, including free-throw percentage with 96.5 percent efficiency, and consecutive three-pointers made in a game with 11 on Dec. 15, 2017. The Riga, Latvia native averaged 21.1 points per game on the year and returns in 2018-19 as the Bulls' leading scorer for her senior season. 
 
Laksa currently ranks sixth in program history on the all-time scoring list, amassing 1,715 points in her career. She will chase the all-time scoring record at USF in 2018-19, currently held by Jessica Dickson (2003-07) with 2,402 points. 
About USF Women's Basketball
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
 
USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15. 
 
USF has made 14 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 18 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.