Women's Basketball Receiving Votes in WBCA Preseason Poll

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) released its NCAA Division III Preseason Coaches' Poll for the 2025-26 season featuring the UMass Dartmouth women's basketball team. The reigning Little East Conference Champions were receiving votes in the WBCA preseason poll after finishing last year with an impressive 23-5 overall record.
 
Following a historic 2024-25 campaign, the Corsairs garnered national recognition by the WBCA in anticipation for the upcoming season. Throughout last year, UMass Dartmouth were ranked multiple times in both the Top-25 WBCA Coaches' Poll and the D3hoops.com poll. The Corsairs received its highest rankings early in the 2024-25 season during the second week report of both the WBCA (No.10) and D3hoops.com (No.13) national polls.
 
The nationally ranked UMass Dartmouth Corsairs capped off a historic season after capturing its first-ever Little East Conference Championship title in program history on March 1, 2025, by defeating Southern Maine, 94-50, on the Tripp Athletic Gym. The Corsairs snapped a 38-year long drought with their victory over the Huskies to capture the program's first conference title. Graduate student forward Carly Whiteside, who was named LEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, recorded her sixth double-double of the season in the cham­pionship game with 18 total points (6-10 FG, 6-7 FT) and a game-high 10 total rebounds.
 
UMass Dart­mouth's 23-5 overall record last season marked the seventh time in program history the team has posted 20-or-more wins in a single season. Additionally, six of the seven 20-plus wins in a single season have come under the guidance head coach Matt Ducharme. Entering his 12^th year at the helm, Ducharme also etched his name into the record books after becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 201^st victory on January 16, 2025. Ducharme surpassed Judy Sullivan's previous 200-167 head coaching record after de­feating Southern Maine, 78-38.
 
The Corsairs are set to open the 2025-26 season on Saturday, November 8^th at Johnson & Wales University. The season opener is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff from the Wildcat Center.