Temple University Athletics
Davis Named AAC Preseason Player of the Year
10.28.20 | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA - Senior Mia Davis was named the American Athletic Conference Co-Preseason Player of the Year and earned a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-AAC First Team as the Temple women's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2020-21 preseason poll.
Cincinnati's Ilmar'I Thomas was also tabbed the conference's Preseason Player of the Year alongside Davis. This is the second-straight preseason the American has seen co-players of the year. Davis, Thomas and Krystal Freeman of Tulane were all unanimously selected to the Preseason All-Conference First Team.
Davis concluded the 2019-20 season with numerous accolades including First Team All-American Athletic Conference, Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year, First Team All-Big 5, top 10 finalist for the Cheryl Miller award and USBWA All-American Honorable Mention. The Baltimore, Md. native averaged a double-double of 18.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game to lead the Owls. Davis concluded her third season in the Cherry and White with 18 double-doubles, including 28 games with double-digit points and 14 games where she scored 20 or more. The senior boasts a total of 35 career double-doubles as she enters her fourth season on Broad Street.
The coaches voted USF as the favorite to win the league title for the first time since the league's inception in 2013. The Bulls collected 8-of-12 first-place votes as USF totaled 98 points to finish ahead of UCF (79) for the top spot in the preseason rankings.
UCF earned one first-place vote, while Cincinnati earned two first-place nods despite only tallying 73 points to sit at fourth. Tulane grabbed the third-place spot with 78 points, followed by Temple (57), Wichita State (54), Houston (49), Memphis (40), East Carolina (36), SMU (31) and Tulsa (10).
Temple finished their 2019-20 campaign at 16-15 overall after falling to top-seeded UConn in the second round of the American Athletic Conference tournament. The Huskies went on to win their seventh-straight conference title in their final game as a member of the AAC.
2020-21 American Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Co-Preseason Players of the Year:
IImar'I Thomas, F, Cincinnati
Mia Davis, F, Temple
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Brittney Smith, F, UCF
IImar'I Thomas, F, Cincinnati*
Lashonda Monk, G, East Carolina
Mia Davis, F, Temple*
Krystal Freeman, F, Tulane*
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, F, Memphis
Elisa Pinzan, G, USF
Elena Tsineke, G, USF
Arsula Clark, G, Tulane
Mariah McCully, G, Wichita State
*denotes unanimous selection
Cincinnati's Ilmar'I Thomas was also tabbed the conference's Preseason Player of the Year alongside Davis. This is the second-straight preseason the American has seen co-players of the year. Davis, Thomas and Krystal Freeman of Tulane were all unanimously selected to the Preseason All-Conference First Team.
Davis concluded the 2019-20 season with numerous accolades including First Team All-American Athletic Conference, Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year, First Team All-Big 5, top 10 finalist for the Cheryl Miller award and USBWA All-American Honorable Mention. The Baltimore, Md. native averaged a double-double of 18.8 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game to lead the Owls. Davis concluded her third season in the Cherry and White with 18 double-doubles, including 28 games with double-digit points and 14 games where she scored 20 or more. The senior boasts a total of 35 career double-doubles as she enters her fourth season on Broad Street.
The coaches voted USF as the favorite to win the league title for the first time since the league's inception in 2013. The Bulls collected 8-of-12 first-place votes as USF totaled 98 points to finish ahead of UCF (79) for the top spot in the preseason rankings.
UCF earned one first-place vote, while Cincinnati earned two first-place nods despite only tallying 73 points to sit at fourth. Tulane grabbed the third-place spot with 78 points, followed by Temple (57), Wichita State (54), Houston (49), Memphis (40), East Carolina (36), SMU (31) and Tulsa (10).
Temple finished their 2019-20 campaign at 16-15 overall after falling to top-seeded UConn in the second round of the American Athletic Conference tournament. The Huskies went on to win their seventh-straight conference title in their final game as a member of the AAC.
2020-21 American Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Place (first place votes) | Points |
| 1. USF (8) | 98 |
| 2. UCF (1) | 79 |
| 3. Tulane | 78 |
| 4. Cincinnati (2) | 73 |
| 5. Temple | 57 |
| 6. Wichita State | 54 |
| 7. Houston | 49 |
| 8. Memphis | 40 |
| 9. East Carolina | 36 |
| 10. SMU | 31 |
| 11. Tulsa | 10 |
Co-Preseason Players of the Year:
IImar'I Thomas, F, Cincinnati
Mia Davis, F, Temple
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Brittney Smith, F, UCF
IImar'I Thomas, F, Cincinnati*
Lashonda Monk, G, East Carolina
Mia Davis, F, Temple*
Krystal Freeman, F, Tulane*
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, F, Memphis
Elisa Pinzan, G, USF
Elena Tsineke, G, USF
Arsula Clark, G, Tulane
Mariah McCully, G, Wichita State
*denotes unanimous selection
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