PORTLAND, Ore. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team was picked to finish second in a tight race for the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
CWU finished last season with a 23-8 overall record and a 14-4 GNAC record that helped the 'Cats tie for second in the GNAC standings. The crimson and black advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships a season ago where they advanced to the programs first-ever Sweet 16 taking down the third-seeded Point Loma Sea Lions by a 74-53 margin before taking down seventh-seeded Chico State in the battle of the Wildcats by a 79-73 score before falling to the top-seeded and eventual national runners-up the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros by a 70-47 score.
 
The crimson and black welcome six newcomers to the program including four transfers and two freshmen. Kayla Thornton and Sierra Eddie are joining the 'Cats from Western Wyoming Community College while Fiona Snashall and Nicole Wertenberger will doan the crimson and black from fellow Division II programs Regis (CO) and Hawaii Pacific. Washington natives Kaiya Dotter (Lynnwood) and Mackenzie Schulz (Richland) will join the squad for their freshmen seasons.
 
The 'Cats will welcome back D2CCA All-West Region and Unanimous First Team All-GNAC honoree Asher Cai for her senior campaign. Cai will look to make history, accumulating 1,547 points over her first three seasons and will look to break the CWU record set last season by Sunny Huerta of 1,960 points and maybe even the conference record of 2,001 points.
 
Joining Cai as a returnee this year will be Honorable Mention All-GNAC honoree Capri Sims. After improving in almost all aspects of the game from freshman to sophomore year, Sims will look to continue the incline into her junior season after posting 10 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game and 21 blocks on the season after starting all 31 games last season.
 
2025-26 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank   Team (1st Place Votes)         Pts.     24-25 Record            GNAC Record (finish)
1          Western Washington (5)      90        18-11                           12-6 (4th)
2          Central Washington (4)        89        23-8                           14-4 (T-2nd)
3          Saint Martin's                         72        18-11                           9-9 (6th)
4          Montana State Billings (1)    64       25-8                            14-4 (T-2nd)
5          Northwest Nazarene            63       16-12                          10-8 (5th)
6          Alaska Anchorage                62        28-5                            16-2 (1st)
7          Simon Fraser                         42       14-13                          7-11 (7th)
8          Western Oregon                    32       9-17                            5-13 (8th)
9          Seattle Pacific                       24       8-23                            2-16 (9th)
10        Alaska Fairbanks                  12        6-20                            1-17 (10th)
 
Read the full GNAC story HERE