HENRICO, Va. – George Mason women's basketball senior Nalani Kaysia was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Third Team, announced by the league on Thursday. Meanwhile, the team earned its' second-most preseason points since joining the league, garnering 111.
 
Kaysia is joined on the Third Team by Suzi-Rose Deegan (Davidson), Mariah Perez (Dayton), Mayowa Taiwo (George Washington), Tenin Magassa (Rhode Island) and Makenzie Smith (Saint Joseph's).
 
The senior out of Washington, D.C. begins her second season with the Patriots after transferring to George Mason last year after a successful three-year stint at Charlotte playing Division I volleyball. Kaysia earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie honors, the first time since the 2017-18 season that a player has earned the postseason award, with Nicole Cardaño-Hillary being named to the A10 All-Rookie team in 2018.
 
Last season, she averaged a team-best 8.5 rebounds (7^th, A-10) and 1.1 blocks (6^th, A-10) per game and was on the team averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting .429 from the field. During the regular season, she registered 35 blocks, the most by a Patriot since the 2018-19 season.
 
Against conference opponents, she averaged 12.3 points (19^th, A-10) and 10.4 rebounds (t-2nd, A-10) per game, making her one of five players to average a double-double against Atlantic 10 opponents. Kaysia also registered 25 of her 35 blocks against conference opponents for an average of 1.6 blocks/game, good for fifth in the conference.
 
The Patriots were picked to finish eighth overall among the 15 Atlantic 10 teams, up six spots from last season's 14^thplace preseason-pick. Mason's 111 points are the second-most since joining the conference, just five points behind their 116 and sixth-place pick prior to the 2019-20 season.
 
A season ago, Mason went 8-8 against conference opponents in the regular season to earn the No. 9 seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament and a first-round bye. Mason downed eighth-seed La Salle in the second round to advance to the quarterfinals, where it ultimately fell to top-seeded Massachusetts. 
 
Mason opens the 2023-23 season at home on Nov. 6 against Bowie State, with the Atlantic 10 season kicking off on Dec. 30 against La Salle in EagleBank Arena.
 
Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team
Nalani Kaysia, George Mason
Suzi-Rose Deegan, Davidson
Mariah Perez, Dayton
Mayowa Taiwo, George Washington
Tenin Magassa, Rhode Island
Makenzie Smith, Saint Joseph's
 
Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
1) Rhode Island (12) - 218
2) Saint Joseph's - 203
3) Saint Louis (2) - 186
4) Richmond - 176
5) Duquesne (1) - 172
6) George Washington - 150
7) Davidson - 124
8) George Mason - 111
9) Dayton - 100
10) VCU - 96
11) Massachusetts - 70
12) La Salle - 66
13) Fordham - 54
14) St. Bonaventure - 39
15) Loyola Chicago - 35