Wayne State College is picked seventh in the South Division and 13th overall in the NSIC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
Minnesota Duluth was voted the team to beat in NSIC women’s basketball this season collecting 12 first-place votes in voting conducted by league coaches. St. Cloud State was second with one first-place vote with Augustana third with two first-place ballots.
In the NSIC South Division poll, Augustana was first with three first-place votes. Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State tied for second with Sioux Falls fourth. Closing out the South Division poll were Winona State, Concordia-St. Paul, Wayne State and Upper Iowa.
The Wildcats return one starter from last year’s club that was 6-10 overall and 5-9 in the NSIC South Division. Wayne State’s Player to Watch in the NSIC this season is Wayne senior guard Kylie Hammer. She is the lone returning starter for the Wildcats this season after averaging 9.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Hammer had eight games of double digit scoring last season including two games of 20 or more points while shooting 37 percent from the field and 76 percent at the free throw line.
Wayne State plays an exhibition game at Creighton on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. and opens the 2021-22 season on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Newman in Wichita, Kansas at 2 p.m. The first home game for the Wildcats is Thursday, Nov. 18, hosting Chadron State at 6:30 p.m.
