KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the results of its men’s and women’s preseason coaches and media polls for the 2026-27 seasons. The league’s defending women’s regular season champion, Central Missouri, was predicted to reclaim the conference crown by both MIAA head coaches and media representatives.
Central Missouri collected 163 points and received 10 first-place votes to secure the top spot in the 2026-27 MIAA women’s basketball preseason coaches poll. The Jennies were also picked MIAA favorites by media members who cover MIAA teams with 372 points and 16 first-place selections in the 2026-27 MIAA women’s basketball preseason media poll.
Central Missouri enters the 2026-27 season as the league’s defending regular season champions with an MIAA record of 17-2. The Jennies earned an at-large bid into the NCAA postseason, where their season ended in the regional semifinals with a conference-leading overall record of 26-7. Central Missouri returns All-MIAA First Team and All-Defensive Team selection
Taylor Wieshaar, who ranked in the league’s top ten in scoring, rebounding and blocking with 14.5 points, 7.8 boards, and 1.6 blocks per game last season. Jennies’ 23-year Head Coach
Dave Slife also returns as the reigning MIAA Coach of the Year.
Fort Hays State was selected second in both the coaches and media preseason polls. The Tigers earned one first-place vote and totaled 147 points from MIAA head coaches, and received 13 first-place votes and 355 points from media representatives. The Fort Hays State went 25-6 overall and finished as the runner-up in the regular season with a MIAA record of 15-4. The Tigers also earned an at-large bid from the NCAA into the 2026 postseason and ended their season in the regional semifinals.
Missouri Southern was picked third by both MIAA head coaches and media members. Northwest Missouri, Washburn and Pittsburg State also made it into the top-six in both preseason polls. The complete results for both 2026-27 MIAA women’s basketball preseason coaches and media polls are listed below.
2026-27 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLLS
| PRESEASON COACHES POLL |
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL |
| 1. Central Missouri [10] – 163 points |
1. Central Missouri [16] – 372 points |
| 2. Fort Hays State [1] – 147 points |
2. Fort Hays State [13] – 355 points |
| 3. Missouri Southern [1] – 120 points |
3. Missouri Southern – 325 points |
| 4. Northwest Missouri – 120 points |
4. Washburn [1] – 298 points |
| 5. Washburn [1] – 113 points |
5. Pittsburg State – 281 points |
| 6. Pittsburg State – 108 points |
6. Northwest Missouri – 245 points |
| 7. Missouri Western [1] – 107 points |
7. Missouri Western – 204 points |
| 8. Nebraska Kearney – 93 points |
8. Northeastern State – 91 points |
| 9. Northeastern State – 91 points |
9. Emporia State – 171 points |
| 10. Emporia State – 56 points |
10. Nebraska Kearney – 149 points |
| 11. Central Oklahoma – 53 points |
11. Central Oklahoma – 122 points |
| 12. Rogers State – 35 points |
12. Rogers State – 109 points |
| 13. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 28 points |
13. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 75 points |
| 14. Newman – 17 points |
14. Newman – 33 points |
[#] – First Place Votes
Other key returners in the 2026-27 season include the reigning MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, Northwest Missouri's
Sadie Maas. The 6-1 junior forward from Waukee, Iowa, ranked second in the MIAA and seventh in Division II with 2.5 blocks per game (72 total) last season. She also led the Bearcats in rebounds and ranked fifth in the MIAA with 8.3 boards per game. The reigning MIAA Newcomer of the Year, Missouri Western's
Mia Morel, returns of the Griffons. the fifth-year guard led the MoWest offense and ranked third in the MIAA last season with 17.1 points per game. She also led the league from the free point range with 71 total (2.5 per game) and ranked fifth with 3.6 assists per game. Also returning in the 2026-27 season is Nebraska Kearney's
Myleigh Weers, league's reigning Freshman of the Year. In her first collegiate season, Weers led the Lopers' offense and ranked fourth in the MIAA with 15.0 points per game. She also ranked in the league’s top ten in field goal percentage (.398), free throw percentage (.810), three-point field goals per game (1.6) and steals per game (1.6).
MIAA coaches, student-athletes, officials, administrators and media members are in downtown Kansas City today for the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day, presented by Seigfreid Bingham, at the College Basketball Experience. All MIAA head coaches will participate in 15-minute press conferences to share their thoughts on the upcoming season. Basketball fans can watch all the action from the 2026 MIAA Basketball Media Day live, for free, on
theMIAANetwork.com/MIAA.
The first official games of the 2026-27 NCAA Division II men’s and women’s basketball seasons begin on November 9, but teams selected to play in designated showcases will play their first games as early as October 30. The first MIAA contests of the season are scheduled to begin on December 3.
The 2027 MIAA Basketball Championships return to Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium March 3-7. To view the week-by-week schedules for all 14 MIAA women’s basketball programs, visit
theMIAA.com/womensbasketball.