SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State has been selected to finish ninth in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll and 10th in the media poll, it was announced today by the Big Sky office.
The Hornets earned 37 points in the coaches' poll, 25 points behind eighth-place Idaho State. In the media poll, Sacramento State earned 61 points, five behind Weber State.
Northern Colorado earned the top spot in both polls, receiving 115 points and nine first place votes in the coaches' poll and 176 points and eight first place votes in the media poll. Northern Colorado finished last season third in the conference with a 14-4. North Dakota was picked to finish second in both polls, as well.
Defending tournament champions, Montana State was picked to finish fourth in the coaches' poll with 83 points, six behind the third-place Montana. Montana State was picked to finish third in the media poll.
Prior to the 2016-17 season, the Hornets were selected to finish seventh in both the coaches' poll and media poll. They ended the season ninth in the conference with a 6-12 Big Sky record.
The Hornets return just two starters and four letter winners from last season's squad, though among those are last season's leading scorer, senior Maranne Johnson, and last season's assist leader, senior Justyce Dawson.
Sacramento State beings their season with an Exhibition Game on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Nest. Non-conference play begins on Friday, Nov. 10 as the Hornets travel east to take on Kentucky. Conference play begins on Dec. 30. See the full women's basketball schedule here.
2017-18 Big Sky Women's Basketball Polls
| Coaches Poll | Media Poll | |||
| 1. Northern Colorado (9) | 115 | 1. Northern Colorado (8) | 176 | |
| 2. North Dakota (1) | 100 | 2. North Dakota (2) | 156 | |
| 3. Montana (2) | 89 | 3. Montana State (3) | 144 | |
| 4. Montana State | 83 | 4. Idaho | 127 | |
| 5. Idaho | 82 | 5. Montana (2) | 120 | |
| 6. Portland State | 75 | 6. Eastern Washington | 118 | |
| 7. Eastern Washington | 73 | 7. Idaho State | 116 | |
| 8. Idaho State | 63 | 8. Portland State (1) | 110 | |
| 9. Sacramento State | 37 | 9. Weber State | 66 | |
| 10. Weber State | 34 | 10. Sacramento State | 61 | |
| 11. Northern Arizona | 24 | 11. Northern Arizona | 34 | |
| 12. Southern Utah | 17 | 12. Southern Utah | 20 | |
First place votes are in (parantheses).