CANTON, Ga. — The Millsaps College women's basketball team was selected first in the 2026-27 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) preseason poll among nine conference opponents, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
It marks the first time ever that a Millsaps program has been picked No. 1 in the conference's preseason since polls began in the 2021-22 season.
Last season, the Majors finished with an impressive 21-8 overall record and a 9-5 mark in conference play. Millsaps secured its second SAA postseason crown in program history and its second in the last three seasons by defeating Southwestern, Centre and Trinity in the tournament.
The Majors also earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. Senior Garin Freeman will return after being named to the 2025-26 All-SAA First Team, earning 2026 SAA Women's Basketball Tournament MVP honors, and being selected to the 2026 SAA Women's Basketball All-Tournament Team.
Classmate Tia Anderson will also be a key contributor after earning All-SAA Second Team honors during the 2025-26 season.
Millsaps was the favorite in the 2026-27 preseason poll, earning 71 points and seven first-place votes. Trinity finished behind the Majors with 62 points and two first-place votes, while Berry secured the third spot with 55 points.
The Majors will be led by head coach Jeff Wilbur and assistant coach Ciara Jackson. Millsaps opens the season at Huntingdon, and faces the Hawks at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
2026-27 SAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
| 1. Millsaps – 71 (7) |
| 2. Trinity – 62 (2) |
| 3. Berry – 55 |
| 4. Centre – 51 |
| 5. Southwestern – 49 |
| 6. Oglethorpe – 35 |
| 7. Maryville – 28 |
| 8. Sewanee – 26 |
| 9. Rhodes – 19 |
First-place votes in ()
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Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
