Voters in the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball preseason poll are expecting the status quo from the Indiana State Sycamores in the upcoming 2024-25 season.

The Sycamores were picked to finish ninth this season, which ISU begins on Nov. 4 with a home-court matchup against Western Kentucky in Hulman Center. No Sycamore players were chosen for the Preseason All-MVC first or second teams.

Reigning MVC champion Drake was picked first in the voting by head coaches, sports information directors and some media, which the Valley office released Tuesday morning.

The Bulldogs’ 2023-24 regular-season championship marked their program’s 10th. Drake also won the Hoops in the Heartland postseason tournament title, DU’s ninth all-time.

Drake received 39 of 48 possible first-place votes and 566 total points, outdistancing Northern Iowa (504 points, 6 first-place votes) and Belmont (475 points, 3 first-place votes). Murray State (391 points), Missouri State (380 points), UIC (347 points) and Illinois State (341 points) grabbed the No. 4-7 spots in the poll, respectively. Valparaiso (193 points) edged Indiana State (189 points) in the No. 8 and No. 9 spots, while Southern Illinois (167 points), Bradley (97 points) and Evansville (96 points) rounded out the poll.

Preseason poll favorites in the Valley have played in 32 postseasons, including 23 NCAA Tournaments with two Sweet 16 and one Final Four appearances.

Last season’s Sycamores dealt with adversities and finished in ninth place with records of 6-14 in the MVC and 11-21 overall. Former coach Chad Killinger left the sidelines for an undisclosed health reason after ISU’s loss at Purdue on Dec. 20, and then top assistant Deidra Johnson guided the team the rest of the season.

In April, Killinger stepped down. On May 13, ISU hired Marc Mitchell as its 10th head coach, following successful runs at the University of Indianapolis, St. Peter’s University and Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham, where he won a NCAA Division III national championship.

Despite his late addition at ISU, Mitchell was able to land six recruits for the upcoming season to join nine returnees, the most experienced of whom is last season’s No. 4 scorer, 6-foot junior guard Bella Finnegan, who averaged 9.6 points per game and started 31 of 32 games.

ISU’s Nov. 4 game vs. Western Kentucky opens the women’s season. Conference games begin Sunday, Dec. 29. The 2025 MVC Tournament will be played March 13-16 in Ford Center at Evansville.

Drake’s Katie Dinnebier has been selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and highlights the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Dinnebier was named the 2024 Jackie Stiles Player of the Year, coming the ninth Bulldog in program history to win the honor. Joining Dinnebier on the first team is Northern Iowa’s Grace Boffeli and Maya McDermott, Drake’s Anna Miller, Missouri State’s Lacy Stokes and Murray State’s Katelyn Young.

The Preseason All-MVC Second Team features Belmont’s Jailyn Banks, Kendal Cheesman and Tuti Jones, UIC’s Keimari Rimmer, Illinois State’s Maya Wong and Valparaiso’s Leah Earnest.

Collectively, four of the league’s six specialty award winners from last season return this year and are featured on the preseason all-conference teams, including the Player of the Year (Dinnebier), Defensive Player of the Year (Miller), Newcomer of the Year (Stokes) and Freshman of the Year (Banks).

MVC women’s preseason pollTeam — Total points (first-place votes out of 48 possible)

1. Drake — 566 (39)

2. Northern Iowa — 504 (6)

3. Belmont — 475 (3)

4. Murray State — 391

5. Missouri State — 380

6. Illinois-Chicago — 347

7. Illinois State — 341

8. Valparaiso — 193

9. Indiana State — 189

10. Southern Illinois — 167

11. Bradley — 97

12. Evansville — 96

Preseason All-Conference TeamsFirst Team — Katie Dinnebier, Drake (Preseason Player of the Year); Grace Boffeli, Northern Iowa; Maya McDermott, Northern Iowa; Anna Miller, Drake; Lacy Stokes, Missouri State; Katelyn Young, Murray State.

Second Team — Jailyn Banks, Belmont; Kendal Cheesman, Belmont; Leah Earnest, Valparaiso; Tuti Jones, Belmont; Keimari Rimmer, Illinois-Chicago; Maya Wong, Illinois State.

Voting by head coaches, sports information directors and media.