Women’s basketball is predicted to finish ninth in the Atlantic 10, according to a press release Monday.

The ranking is the lowest the Colonials have received since the 2011-12 campaign and two spots lower than last year’s poll. The squad has slid six spots in the past two years since achieving a No. 3 ranking ahead of the 2018-19 season.

GW finished No. 8 in the regular season standings last year under head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, sporting a 14-16 overall record and a 8-8 conference record. But the program will need to boost its scoring this season after losing its three highest scorers during the offseason.

VCU was selected as the favorite to win the conference title for the second year in a row with 10 first-place votes from head coaches in the league. The Rams finished second in last season’s regular season and have been the runner-up in the A-10 Tournament for the last two years.

Reigning regular season and A-10 Tournament Champion Dayton, which went 15-1 in the league last season, received two first-place votes while Saint Louis and Duquesne both received one vote each.

Redshirt junior forward Neila Luma was chosen to the preseason All-Conference Third Team. Luma extends her preseason award streak to two years after making last year’s preseason All-Conference Second Team.

The 2020-21 season will tip-off on Nov. 25, although GW’s schedule has not yet been released.

Women’s basketball 2020-21 A-10 preseason poll

1. VCU (10 first-place votes)
2. Dayton (2)
3. Saint Louis (1)
4. Davidson
5. Duquesne (1)
6. Fordham
7. Massachusetts
8. Richmond
9. George Washington
10. La Salle
11. Rhode Island
12. St. Bonaventure
13. Saint Joseph’s
14. George Mason