NEW YORK - Defending CUNY Athletic Conference women's basketball champion Brooklyn edged defending regular season champion Hunter in the CUNYAC preseason coaches' poll announced Thursday morning.
The Bulldogs, who have won the last five CUNYAC tournament titles, collected four first place votes and 46 points to edge out the Hawks, who earned three first place votes and 44 points. Baruch picked up the other first place vote and totaled 32 points and was slotted third.
John Jay (30) and Lehman (29) rounded out the top five.
The 2025-26 CUNYAC women's basketball Players to Watch were also announced Thursday morning.
Brooklyn finished 17-12 last season and 10-4 in conference play and captured its fifth straight conference title with a 59-54 win over Hunter in the conference championship game. Hunter finished 21-7 a season ago and 13-1 in conference, reaching the ECAC final. Baruch also qualified for the ECAC Championship last season.
The 2026 CUNYAC Women's Basketball Championship begins with first round games on Saturday, February 21. The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, with the title game Friday, February 27 at 7 pm at Baruch's ARC Arena.
2025-26 CUNY Athletic Conference
Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
1. Brooklyn (4) - 46
2. Hunter (3) - 44
3. Baruch (1) - 32
4. John Jay - 30
5. Lehman - 29
6. CCNY - 18
7. Medgar Evers - 15
8. York - 10
2025-26 CUNYAC Women's Basketball
Players to Watch
Lilliana Morales, Baruch - Morales averaged 7.1 points over the final 12 games of her freshman season in 2024-25 and 3.9 ppg overall while grabbing 5.9 rebounds per contest. She had six double-digit rebounding performances and a pair of 12-point scoring efforts for the Bearcats.
Anna Kitch, Brooklyn - Kitch, a First Team CUNYAC All-Star last season, averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season while adding 46 steals, 13 blocks and 55 assists. She knocked down a team-high 61 three-pointers.
Joscelyn Ramos, CCNY - Ramos started alll 18 games she appeared in last season, averaging 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She has started 61 of a possible 62 games over her first three seasons.
Alexa Charles, Hunter - The returning CUNYAC Co-Player of the Year, Charles finished second in NCAA Division III in scoring last season (26.6 ppg) while also grabbing 11 rebounds per game. A six-time Player of the Week last season, she enters her senior season No. 7 in CUNYAC history in career scoring with 1,920 points.
Michaela Lattimore, John Jay - Lattimore was a First Team All-Star for the Bloodhounds in 2024-25. She averaged 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for John Jay, finishing the season with 12 double-doubles and ranking second in the conference in rebounding behind Charles.
Heaven Figueroa, Lehman - A First Team All-Star in her first season with the Lightning in 2024-25, Figueroa ranked third nationally in scoring with her 24.8 ppg average, while also grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game to tie for fifth in the conference in that category. She earned WBCA Honorable Mention All-America status.
Aaliyah Lyons, Medgar Evers - Lyons was the lone Cougar to start all 21 games last season. She averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2024-25 and also ranked second on the team with 45 steals.
Amaniya Aiken, York - Aiken appeared in seven contests last winter as a member of the Cardinal women's basketball program and averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She had a season-high 17 points on two occasions.
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