Basketball | 10/19/2026 2:15:00 PM

RICHARDSON, Texas (Oct. 19, 2026) – The Texas Woman's basketball team was selected to finish first in the 2026-27 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, announced Monday by the league office.

The Pioneers enter the 2026-27 season following another successful campaign capturing their fourth consecutive LSC Regular Season Championship and third straight LSC Tournament Championship.

TWU finished the 2025-26 season with a 31-2 overall record and a perfect 20-0 mark in LSC play.

The Pioneers went undefeated on the road with a 13-0 record while finishing 13-1 at home and 5-1 at neutral sites. TWU advanced to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship game, where their season concluded with a narrow 65-64 loss to Colorado Mesa.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Beth Jillson the Pioneers have established themselves as one of the top programs in the LSC.

For the 2026-27 season, TWU welcomes a roster of 14 student-athletes as the Pioneers look to continue their championship success.

The Pioneers received 31 first-place votes and 828 points in the preseason poll, earning the first spot among conference programs.

"It's an honor to be recognized, but we understand that being picked first is just a prediction, not an accomplishment." Coach Jillson said. " We have a lot of work ahead of us, and our focus is on the process, continual improvement, and being the best team we can be."  

Behind the Pioneers, West Texas A&m was ranked second with 10 first-place votes, followed by UT Tyler in third, Lubbock Christian in fourth and Eastern New Mexico rounding out the top five.

As part of the preseason poll announcement, each conference institution also recognized a Preseason Player to Watch.

For the Pioneers, senior guard Madi Lumsden was selected as the team's Preseason Player to Watch.

Lumsden, earned Third Team All-LSC honors following the 2025-26 season. She appeared in and started all 33 games for the Pioneers, averaging 10.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

She totaled 335 points while shooting 43.6% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 82.8% from the free throw line. Lumsden also recorded 87 rebounds, 69 assists, 33 steals and 12 blocks during the season.

She played a total of 1,046 minutes, averaging 31.7 minutes per game.

Lumsden returns for her senior season after helping lead the Pioneers to their fourth consecutive LSC Regular Season Championship and third straight LSC Tournament title.

Kerbie Cash from West Texas A&M was named the LSC Preseason Player of the Year.

The LSC Preseason Poll and Preseason Player of the Year are voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors ,and media members.

The release of the preseason poll kicks off LSC Hoops Week 2026, which features online media day interviews with teams across the conference.

On Friday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. CT, a video interview featuring Jillson, Lumsden and Kaylie Morgan will be released as part of LSC Hoops Week.