RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – SWOSU Women's Basketball has been picked to finish third in the annual Great American Conference Coaches Poll, released Wednesday.

The Lady Bulldogs collected 106 total points and three first-place votes. Harding and Southern Nazarene shared the top spot with 111 points apiece — Harding received five first-place votes while SNU earned the other four.

SWOSU finished fifth in the conference a year ago, going 16-13 overall and 12-10 in GAC play. The Lady Dawgs qualified for the postseason tournament before falling to fourth-seeded Southeastern Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals.

Ten newcomers — six freshmen and four transfers — join five returners from last year's squad. The returning group combined to average just 6.4 minutes per game in 2023-24, with none averaging more than 10.

Head coach Jeff Zinn enters his fourth season at the helm, coming off his first winning campaign at SWOSU and his second consecutive postseason appearance.

The 2025-26 season tips off November 14-15 at the GAC/MIAA Crossover, hosted by SWOSU in Weatherford. The Lady Dawgs will open with five straight home games to begin the year before starting conference play December 4 on the road. The GAC Tournament is scheduled for March 5-8 in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

2025-26 GAC Preseason Coaches Poll