Troy University Athletics
Women’s Basketball Tabbed Second in Preseason Polls for Second Straight Season, Wagner & Dyer Earn Preseason Nods
10/14/2024 2:00:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – The Troy women's basketball program set the tone early by earning the second-most votes in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Polls at 169 for the second straight season – including two first-place votes. Meanwhile, Shaulana Wagner received a Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team nod, while Zay Dyer was selected to the third team, the conference announced Monday afternoon.
2024-25 sees the Trojans bring in a highly experienced roster with nine newcomers from the transfer portal to trail just James Madison in the polls. In the 12-woman roster, the Trojans have seven seniors, five juniors and zero underclassmen.
"Due to the number of high-level players that we lost last year to graduation, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of votes from my fellow coaches," head coach Chanda Rigby said. "However, we are hungry to elevate any preseason rankings to number one when we can earn those wins with our hard work and sweat equity."
Troy returns three players from last year's roster, which saw the first-ever postseason victory in program history. The 2023-24 team pushed to the WNIT Fab 4, with a 22-12, 15-3 SBC record to finish second in the league. They also ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st – 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
After leading the conference and ranking 28th nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 2.27, Wagner earns her first league accolade with Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. No. 13 started in 25 of 31 games played in 2023-24, averaging 4.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Her 150 total assists and 4.8 per game placed her sixth and ninth in Troy D-I single-season history while ranking 69th and 50th nationally, respectively. She was just one point and two assists from the first-ever triple-double in Troy women's basketball history with a 12-rebound, 9-point and 8-assist performance at Bowling Green.
Zay Dyer earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team on 6.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in just 16.0 minutes. The then-sophomore shot efficiently at 44.1 percent from the field, 40.0 from deep and 66.7 at the line – her 40.0 percent from 3-point range led the Trojans (min. 10 attempts). Dyer also was a double-double machine, earning her first at Memphis on 15 points and 10 rebounds. She accumulated her fourth on a season-high 20-point, 17-rebound performance against App State. She also scored in double-digits eight times.
"I just want to congratulate Zay and Shaulana for earning Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Teams," Rigby said. "I know they will use it as motivation to prove the coaches in the conference correct for having confidence in their abilities. I fully expect they will elevate to first-team selections by the end of 2024-25."
Nov. 4 marks the season-opener for Troy women's basketball as it prepares for the MAC-SBC Challenge at Buffalo.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Emily Carver, App State [Sr. | G | Asheville, N.C.]
Aislynn Hayes, Marshall [Sr. | G | Murfreesboro, Tenn.]
Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [So. | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Jakayla Johnson, ULM [Sr. | G | Clinton, Miss.]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [Sr. | G | Melbourne, Fla.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
En'Dya Buford, Old Dominion [Gr. | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [5th Yr. | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
Jaylyn James, Louisiana [Jr. | G | Madisonville, La.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-Sr. | C | Moscow, Russia]
Katlyn Manuel, ULM [Sr. | F | Lawtell, La.]
Shaulana Wagner, Troy [Sr. | G | Detriot, Mich.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Ramsey Alancia, Coastal Carolina [So. | F | Delray Beach, Fla.]
Zay Dyer, Troy [Jr. | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Anna Griffin, Arkansas State [Sr. | G | Aurora, Ill]
Kelsey Thompson, Old Dominion [Jr. | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Ro Scott, James Madison [Gr. | G | Earle, Ark.]
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison (12) – 191
2. Troy (2) – 169
3. Old Dominion - 167
4. ULM - 150
5. Louisiana - 122
6. Marshall - 118
7. Southern Miss - 113
8. Georgia State - 107
9. Coastal Carolina - 77
10. Texas State - 67
11. App State - 61
12. Georgia Southern - 53
13. Arkansas State - 50
14. South Alabama - 25
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes
2024-25 sees the Trojans bring in a highly experienced roster with nine newcomers from the transfer portal to trail just James Madison in the polls. In the 12-woman roster, the Trojans have seven seniors, five juniors and zero underclassmen.
"Due to the number of high-level players that we lost last year to graduation, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of votes from my fellow coaches," head coach Chanda Rigby said. "However, we are hungry to elevate any preseason rankings to number one when we can earn those wins with our hard work and sweat equity."
Troy returns three players from last year's roster, which saw the first-ever postseason victory in program history. The 2023-24 team pushed to the WNIT Fab 4, with a 22-12, 15-3 SBC record to finish second in the league. They also ranked in the top two within the conference for assist/turnover ratio (1st – 1.09), rebounds (1st – 47.88), scoring (2nd – 80.9), defensive and offensive rebounds (2nd – 30.8, 17.1), rebound margin (2nd – 7.8) and assists (2nd – 15.4) – also led the nation in rebounding.
After leading the conference and ranking 28th nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 2.27, Wagner earns her first league accolade with Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. No. 13 started in 25 of 31 games played in 2023-24, averaging 4.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Her 150 total assists and 4.8 per game placed her sixth and ninth in Troy D-I single-season history while ranking 69th and 50th nationally, respectively. She was just one point and two assists from the first-ever triple-double in Troy women's basketball history with a 12-rebound, 9-point and 8-assist performance at Bowling Green.
Zay Dyer earned Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team on 6.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in just 16.0 minutes. The then-sophomore shot efficiently at 44.1 percent from the field, 40.0 from deep and 66.7 at the line – her 40.0 percent from 3-point range led the Trojans (min. 10 attempts). Dyer also was a double-double machine, earning her first at Memphis on 15 points and 10 rebounds. She accumulated her fourth on a season-high 20-point, 17-rebound performance against App State. She also scored in double-digits eight times.
"I just want to congratulate Zay and Shaulana for earning Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Teams," Rigby said. "I know they will use it as motivation to prove the coaches in the conference correct for having confidence in their abilities. I fully expect they will elevate to first-team selections by the end of 2024-25."
Nov. 4 marks the season-opener for Troy women's basketball as it prepares for the MAC-SBC Challenge at Buffalo.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Emily Carver, App State [Sr. | G | Asheville, N.C.]
Aislynn Hayes, Marshall [Sr. | G | Murfreesboro, Tenn.]
Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [So. | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Jakayla Johnson, ULM [Sr. | G | Clinton, Miss.]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [Sr. | G | Melbourne, Fla.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
En'Dya Buford, Old Dominion [Gr. | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [5th Yr. | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
Jaylyn James, Louisiana [Jr. | G | Madisonville, La.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-Sr. | C | Moscow, Russia]
Katlyn Manuel, ULM [Sr. | F | Lawtell, La.]
Shaulana Wagner, Troy [Sr. | G | Detriot, Mich.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Ramsey Alancia, Coastal Carolina [So. | F | Delray Beach, Fla.]
Zay Dyer, Troy [Jr. | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Anna Griffin, Arkansas State [Sr. | G | Aurora, Ill]
Kelsey Thompson, Old Dominion [Jr. | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Ro Scott, James Madison [Gr. | G | Earle, Ark.]
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison (12) – 191
2. Troy (2) – 169
3. Old Dominion - 167
4. ULM - 150
5. Louisiana - 122
6. Marshall - 118
7. Southern Miss - 113
8. Georgia State - 107
9. Coastal Carolina - 77
10. Texas State - 67
11. App State - 61
12. Georgia Southern - 53
13. Arkansas State - 50
14. South Alabama - 25
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes
Players Mentioned
G
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