CLEVELAND, Tenn.-There were no surprises when the Gulf South Conference released the 2023-24 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Union University was the No. 1 choice, followed by Lee University , Valdosta State University, the University of West Florida, and the University of West Georgia.

Lee senior guard Mallory Hampton was named to one of the five spots on the GSC Preseason All-Conference Team while senior forward Haley Cameron, freshman guards Kara Williams and Abby McFarland were listed on the Newcomer Watchlist as they prepare to join the Lady Flames this season.  

"It is always humbling to see how your peers view our program but this is obviously a new year and team so we will need to prove ourselves again," said Lee coach Marty Rowe after looking over the voting. "We are excited to get started this season and looking forward to the challenges the GSC presents."

Playing all 12 teams in the conference means each team will face the other on a home-and-away basis. "Union, Valdosta State, and West Florida will be as good as ever," stressed Rowe. "We know that, but I am interested to see who else in our conference will make a push at the top four teams. Someone always does and that is what makes this league so good in women's basketball."

The Lady Flames will waste no time in seeing two of the top contenders. They will host Valdosta State on Nov. 25 and turn right around and test the visiting West Florida team on Nov. 27. Lee will not face Union until Jan. 13. Last season the Lady Flames won both regular-season meetings with Valdosta State, but home court meant little in the series with West Florida and Union. Lee defeated both teams on the road but lost to each other at home.

Replacing Top Performers
Coach Rowe and his staff will be faced with replacing All-American Haley Schubert and three other quality players who had been consistent contributors to his program, each bringing a key element to the team. The four, including Macy Woodworth, Hannah Garrett, and Morgan Carbaugh, combined to tally  almost half the points scored per game last season (41 ppg.) and pulled down nearly half the rebounds (16 rpg.) 

Players Returning
The head coach is excited about the new opportunities that a returning group of players presents. "I think people will immediately look at (senior) Mallory (Hampton) and (junior) Anna (Muhonen)" the veteran coach explained. "Mal is one of the best players at this level in the country, and Anna just getting back healthy, is a key for us.
"We have other people that will need to continue growing. Senior Addi Smith and (junior) Haylee Jo (Johnson) had great seasons last year. Junior Mia Hurst has a skill set that we need to be more consistent. Senior Ally Welfel, (R-sophomore) Baylee Delbridge, (sophomore) Bailey Burgess, and (sophomore) Susanna Rogers have all improved which makes us so much better depth wise."

New Recruits/Transfer
"We brought in a good recruiting class with five freshmen," added Rowe. "We also have (senior) Haley Cameron, a transfer from Eastern Illinois and Kara Williams (freshman), is getting back for us from an injury. They will give our team multiple options at several positions." The new freshmen are Abby McFarland, Milah Williams, Keira Leffew, Mia Alexander, and Callie Brewer.

Team Will Look Different
Coach Rowe points out that he has three returning starters in Hampton, Smith, and Muhonen. "Honestly (Haley Jo) Johnson stepped in last year and has proven that she is ready for that transition. We like our depth at every position. We are expecting multiple players to constantly keep competing for playing time this year.
"Even though we have a lot of returning players, this team is going to look completely different in several areas," the coach noted. "Change is always healthy, and we have relied on Schubert greatly over the last several years to make plays for us on both ends. We do not have that luxury anymore, attention to detail and high execution both offensively and defensively will be very important for this team."
The coach added, "We are going to be a work in progress early on as a team. With all these new faces and new roles, patience is going to be a key. I am talking about players and coaches, but I think this is a group with a high ceiling and we will work hard to improve daily in all areas."

Tough Non-Conference Schedule
After facing Maryville College in an exhibition game on Homecoming, the Lady Flames will travel to Huntsville, Alabama on Nov. 10-11 for the GSC/SSC Challenge and will face the University of Tampa, one of the top NCAA DII programs. The Spartans defeated Lee in the national tournament last season and are followed in the Challenge by Florida Southern College. Trevecca Nazarene University, a team which will join the GSC next year, will come to Walker Arena on Nov.18. The other non-conference date is visiting Bethel University (Tennessee) on Dec. 30.

Best Coaching Staff
Coach Rowe says he has "the best coaching staff in the country. They are all talented and bring something unique to the group." he allows. "Having Jan (Spangler), Kelly (Kiser), Jeff (Seve) and Mindy (Kiser) who understand what our program is all about and the pride they have taken in each team over the years is special to me. NaKeia (Burks) is just a godsend and adding Drew (Lyness) has been a good fit for our team. Our players are extremely blessed to be surrounded by so many quality coaches."