FAIRFAX, Va. – The Atlantic 10 has announced its preseason polls for the 2024-25 women's basketball season. Four Patriots have been named to preseason teams and the team is picked to finish third overall.
 
George Mason junior and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Zahirah Walton has been named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Second Team. Graduate student Nalani Kaysia, graduate student Ta'Viyanna Habib, and sophomore Kennedy Harris have been named to the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Third Team. Four preseason honorees is the most the women's basketball program has had recognized since George Mason joined the A-10 in 2013-14.
 
Walton, a junior out of Seattle, Washington, averaged 11.6 ppg, a team-best 5.6 rpg, and shot 43.4% from the field. She was named the 2023-24 A-10 Rookie of the Year, and to the All-A-10 Third Team and All-Rookie Team. The 6x A-10 Rookie of the Week posted her career-high 24 points in the WBIT first-round game at Penn State.
 
A Washington, D.C. native, Kaysia has been named to the All-A-10 Preseason Third Team for the second year in a row. The 6'2" forward only played in five games last year, but averaged 6.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and shot 44.8% from the floor in those games. A member of the 2023 A-10 All-Rookie Team, Kaysia is healthy and back for her final season in the Green & Gold.
 
The 5'11" graduate student out of Tampa, Fla, Habib shined in her first season with the Patriots last year. Averaging 10.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 44.3% FG, and 35.6% 3FG, Habib made herself known as a solid, consistent player on last year's roster. Her double-digit performances at St. Bonaventure and against Richmond garnered her the A-10 Player of the Week award for the week of February 26.
 
A 4x A-10 Rookie of the Week and member of the 2023-24 All-Rookie Team, Harris made an immediate impact in her rookie season with the Patriots. She played in 25 games, averaging 9.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 38.5% FG. As one of the team's top three-point shooters, she finished with 41 makes at a .390 clip. Harris' career-high 27 points and eight rebounds came against Davidson last year.
 
Last year, the women's basketball program finished fourth in the A-10, earning them a postseason bid to the inaugural WBIT tournament. The Patriots were picked to finish third amongst 15 Atlantic 10 teams, up five spots from last year's 8^th place preseason pick. The team's 188 votes is the most the program has received in the preseason poll since joining the A-10.
 
The Patriots open their 2024-25 season on November 4 at 2 p.m. vs. Johnson C. Smith University at EagleBank Arena. Their Atlantic 10 season begins on December 3 at George Washington.
 
Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team
Charlise Dunn, Davidson
Zahirah Walton, George Mason
Rachel Ullstrom, Richmond
Mackenzie Smith, Saint Joseph's
Peyton Kennedy, Saint Louis
Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, VCU
 
Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team
Ta'Viyanna Habib, George Mason
Kennedy Harris, George Mason
Nalani Kaysia, George Mason
Anaelle Dutat Rhode Island
Sophie Phillips Rhode Island
Mary-Anna Asare VCU
 
Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
1. Richmond (10) - 216
2. Saint Joseph's (4) - 211
3. George Mason - 188
4. Davidson (1) - 173
5. VCU - 153
6. Duquesne - 148
7. Saint Louis - 132
8. Rhode Island - 122
9. Fordham - 96
    Loyola Chicago - 96
11. Dayton - 84
12. George Washington - 71
13. Massachusetts - 40
14. St. Bonaventure - 38
15. La Salle - 32