ARLINGTON, Texas – Abilene Christian was named as the preseason favorite in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll for the 2025-26 season. All seven WAC head coaches voted on the predicted order of finish and all-conference awards that were released on Wednesday.

Abilene Christian received two first-place votes and 32 points to finish one point ahead of predicted runner-up California Baptist, who claimed four first-place votes. UT Arlington also received one first-place vote and 25 points with Utah Valley and Tarleton State rounding out the top five in the preseason poll.

Abilene Christian junior guard Payton Hull was chosen as the 2025-26 WAC Preseason Player of the Year. Hull led the WAC last season in scoring with 19.0 points per game and notched the best free-throw percentage in the conference at 81.8 percent (72-of-88). Hull put up the second most 20-point games in the WAC despite missing 13 conference games due to injury. Hull recorded double-digit points in all but one of 22 games played last year and averaged 22.7 points in the three WNIT games ACU played in.

Joining Hull on the Preseason All-WAC Team was her Wildcat teammate junior guard Meredith Mayes, California Baptist’s junior guard Khloe Lemon, Tarleton State’s senior guard Jakoriah Long and Utah Valley’s redshirt-senior guard/forward Amanda Barcello.

2025-26 WAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 

Rank	Team (1st- Place Votes)	Points
1.	Abilene Christian (2)	32
2.	California Baptist (4)	31
3.	UT Arlington (1)	25
4.	Utah Valley	23
5.	Tarleton State	18
6.	Utah Tech	12
7.	Southern Utah	6

 
2025-26 WAC Preseason Player of the Year
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
 
2025-26 Preseason All-WAC Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Meredith Mayes, Jr., C, Abilene Christian
Khloe Lemon, Jr., G, California Baptist
Jakoriah Long, Sr, G, Tarleton State
Amanda Barcello, R-Sr., G/F, Utah Valley