Oct. 24, 2006

Washington, D.C.--George Mason University's women's basketball team was chosen to finish eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association's Preseason Poll as announced by the league office at CAA Basketball Media Day Wednesday afternoon at the ESPN Zone in Washington, D.C. The voting was done by members of the media, sports information directors and league head coaches prior to Wednesday's event.

The Patriots return four starters from last year's squad, as well as 12 letterwinners. Junior Moni Akintunde is one of two Mason players who started every game last year and she closed out the season leading Mason in rebounds with 7.2 per game, which was also 10th among CAA peers. Senior Tracy Ann Holness saw action in all 29 games and was in the starting line-up every game except for two. Holness closed out the year second among teammates in both points and rebounds with 9.3 and 4.8, respectively.

Nikkia Slade, a junior college transfer, saw action in all 29 games in 2005-06 and started three of those contests. Slade ended the year third on the team in rebounds with 4.1 per game and garnered a field goal percentage of .407. Redshirt sophomore center Jessica Smith missed only one game for the Patriots and was in the starting line-up on 24 occasions.The Patriots closed out last season with an overall record of 12-17 and a 7-11 mark in league play to finish the year eighth in the conference.

Old Dominion, which has captured the past 15 Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball titles, was a favorite to repeat as conference champion in 2006-07. The Lady Monarchs, who posted their 15th consecutive 20-win season last year, were followed in the voting by James Madison, Delaware, Hofstra and William & Mary. Picked sixth was UNC Wilmington, followed by Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason, Drexel, Georgia State, Towson and Northeastern.

William & Mary's Kyra Kaylor was chosen as the CAA Pre-Season Player of the Year for 2006-07. She was joined on the pre-season All-CAA First Team by JMU's Meredith Alexis and Tamera Young, Hofstra's Vanessa Gidden and Delaware's Tamera Young.

Voted to the pre-season second team were VCU's Quanitra Hollingsworth, ODU's T.J. Jordan and Sherida Triggs, Hofstra's Cigi McCollin, as well as Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen of Georgia State.

The Patriots open up their regular season on Nov. 12 at Maryland, the defending NCAA National Champions, at 2 p.m. and play their first game at the Patriot Center against Liberty on Nov. 14 (7 p.m.). Mason also has a home exhibition game scheduled for Nov. 7 versus Columbia Union at 7 p.m.

2006-07 Preseason CAA Women's Basketball Poll
Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
1.	Old Dominion
2.	James Madison
3.	Delaware
4.	Hofstra
5.	William & Mary
6.	UNC Wilmington
7.	VCU
8.	George Mason
9.	Drexel
10.	Georgia State
11.	Towson
12.	Northeastern
Preseason First Team All-CAA
Meredith Alexis, James Madison
Vanessa Gidden, Hofstra
Kyra Kaylor, William & Mary
Tyresa Smith, Delaware
Tamera Young, James Madison
Preseason Second Team All-CAA
Quanitra Hollingsworth, VCU
T.J. Jordan, Old Dominion
Cigi McCollin, Hofstra
Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen, Georgia State
Sherida Triggs, Old Dominion
Preseason Player of the Year
Kyra Kaylor, William & Mary