NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – George Mason women's basketball student-athletes Nicole Cardaño-Hillary and Jacy Bolton were announced as members of the 2019-20 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Preseason Teams, the league released on Thursday. 
 
Cardaño-Hillary was named to the Preseason All-Conference First Team while Bolton tabbed All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team preseason honors. 

"To receive preseason honors for two of our student-athletes is a true sign of the progress we have made in our program," said head coach Nyla Milleson. "We are very excited about the potential of this team as we start the season next week."  
 
Cardaño-Hillary, the 2018-19 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, adds another preseason accolade to her resume. The junior guard was also named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list on Oct. 21 – given to the nation's top point guard. She is the first player in A-10 history to win A-10 Rookie of the Year and A-10 Player of the Year honors in back-to-back years.
 
"Nikki has established herself as one of the top scorers in the A-10 Conference as well as the country," said Milleson. "We are pushing her hard every day to continue to improve her overall game and lead this team to places we have not been before."
 
Last season, she led the league and was 21st in the country in scoring (20.4 ppg). She ranks fourth in Division I women's basketball returning leading scorers.
 
She currently ranks 14th on Mason's all-time scoring with 1,218 points and is 13th in career steals (149). She sits 12th in three-point field goals made (111) and 18th in assists (197).
 
Bolton, a six-foot guard, was recognized as a member of the Preseason All-Conference Teams for the first time in her career. She was named Preseason All-Conference Second Team and notched a spot on the Preseason All-Defensive Team. 
 
"Jacy came into our program from day one and helped establish our culture with strong work ethic both on and off of the floor and tremendous leadership," said Milleson. "For her to receive these honors is a true testament of her commitment to this program."
 
The Drexel, Mo., native finished second in the league in rebounds per game (9.1) and first in defensive rebounds per game (7.4) in 2018-19. She posted a career-best 10 double-doubles last season, including a career-high 35 points and 16 rebounds in the first round of the A-10 Women's Basketball Championship against UMass on March 5, 2019 in Fairfax, Va.
 
She currently ranks 17th on Mason's all-time rebounding with 556 rebounds and is 12th in blocked shots (61). She sits at 15th in three-point field goals made (100), 21st in assists (174) and 28th in scoring (870) in program history. 
 
The Patriots were selected to finish sixth in the Atlantic 10 women's basketball preseason poll for their highest preseason projection since joining the league prior to the 2013-14 season. Mason will open the 2019-20 campaign at College of Charleston on Wednesday, Nov. 6 in Charleston, S.C.