ROME, Ga.  The USA South Athletic Conference released its 2025–26 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Friday morning, with Methodist University projected to finish fourth after receiving 59 points and one first-place vote.
 
Two-time defending champion Southern Virginia University was selected as the favorite to repeat, earning 81 points and nine of the possible 10 first-place votes. Brevard College followed in second with 69 points, while North Carolina Wesleyan University rounded out the top three with 64 points.
 
Just seven points behind the Monarchs, Pfeiffer University ranked fifth with 52 points. The next three spots went to William Peace University (38 pts.), Greensboro College (27 pts.), and Meredith College (26 pts.). Sharing the final position in the poll are Salem College and Mary Baldwin University, with MBU returning to competition for the first time since the 2023-24 season.
 
The 2026 USA South Women's Basketball Tournament will once again be held on campus sites. The top eight seeded teams will advance to postseason play, beginning with the first round on Tuesday, February 24. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, February 26, followed by the finals on Saturday, February 28. The higher-seeded team in each contest will host.