COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball was picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference by a select voting panel of both SEC and national media members. The selection is the highest predicted finish for Mizzou since the Tigers joined the league.

The only two teams picked to place higher than Mizzou in 2017-18, South Carolina and Mississippi State, earned trips to last season’s National Championship game.

Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was one five players in the league to receive Preseason All-SEC recognition in the media poll. Cunningham was the only other player outside of South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson to garner votes for Preseason SEC Player of the Year.

In 2016-17, Cunningham averaged a team-best 17.5 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per contest. She earned First Team All-SEC honors and received AP All-America Honorable Mention recognition after pouring in 19.1 points per game during league play and reaching double figures in 26 of 31 games. Cunningham has 989 career points heading into her junior season, the second-most by any Tiger sophomore through two campaigns in program history.

As a team, Mizzou is coming off back-to-back 22-win seasons and victories in consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. The Tigers finished tied for third in the SEC last season, their highest conference finish since 1990. Mizzou went 15-1 at home in 2016-17 and the Tigers are 31-4 at Mizzou Arena since Feb. 5, 2015.

PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
Order of Finish
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Missouri
4. Tennessee
5. Texas A&M
6. Kentucky
7. LSU
8. Georgia
9. Alabama
10. Auburn
11. Vanderbilt
12. Florida
13. Ole Miss
14. Arkansas

Player of the Year
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Morgan William, Mississippi State
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee

— Mizzou Athletics —