ATLANTA -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2026-27 preseason all-conference women's basketball teams, individual honors and predicted order of finish on Tuesday, featuring six returning players from the 2025-26 All-SIAC lineup.
 
Headlining the preseason honors is Benedict College senior guard Alaysia Nash, who was named to the preseason first team and was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Nash established herself as one of the most disruptive perimeter defenders in the SIAC during the 2025-26 season. She averaged 2.56 steals per game, which ranked fourth in the SIAC and 55th in the nation. She was the defensive leader for a Benedict team that ranked 10th in the nation in steals per game and 11th in turnovers forced per game. Nash also led Benedict in scoring at 11.7 points per game, and scored a career-high 28 points against Lane.
 
Senior wing Aaliyah Lawrence was also named to the preseason third team. Lawrence was second on the team in scoring last season, averaging 9.7 points per game. She also led Benedict with 7.3 rebounds per game, which ranked seventh in the SIAC.
 
Benedict was picked to finish fourth in the predicted order of finish. The Lady Tigers are coming off a 2025-26 season that saw them go 19-9, advance to the quarterfinals of the SIAC Tournament and win the Black College Invitational Championship tournament.


Preseason honors are as voted by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 

FIRST TEAM
NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Imani Harris*	Guard	Tuskegee	Sr.	Bronx, N.Y.
Samarian Franklin*	Guard	Miles	So.	Birmingham, Ala.
Dyani Bernstine*	Guard	Lane	Sr.	Richmond, Calif.
Alaysia Nash*	Guard	Benedict	Sr.	Taylors, S.C.
Tan Brown*	Guard	Edward Waters	Sr.	Eustis, Fla.
– * RETURNING 2025-26 ALL-SIAC SELECTION

 

SECOND TEAM
NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Tenea Robinson*	Guard/Forward	Tuskegee	Sr.	Baltimore, Md.
Sariah Johnson	Forward	Albany State	So.	Orlando, Fla.
Lauren Lain	Guard	Lane	Sr.	Bryant, Ark.
Paris Triplett	Center	Albany State	Jr.	Orlando, Fla.
Jayden Boykin	Forward	Savannah State	Jr.	Franklin, Ga.
– * RETURNING 2025-26 ALL-SIAC SELECTION

 

THIRD TEAM
NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Kimora Wade	Forward	Fort Valley State	Jr.	Valdosta, Ga.
Aaliyah Lawrence	Forward	Benedict	Sr.	Aiken, S.C.
Nayla Wesley	Forward	Miles	So.	Birmingham, Ala.
Ma'Kayla Williams	Guard	Central State	Jr.	Dayton, Ohio
Jenice Adjessom	Guard	Spring Hill	Jr.	Mobile, Ala.

 

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Samarian Franklin	Guard	Miles	So.	Birmingham, Ala.

 

PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NAME	POSITION	SCHOOL	CLASS	HOMETOWN
Alaysia Nash	Guard	Benedict	Sr.	Taylors, S.C.

 

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. Miles

2. Edward Waters

3. Lane

4. Benedict

5. Tuskegee

6. Albany State

7. Clark Atlanta

8. Allen

9. Fort Valley State

10. Kentucky State

11. Savannah State

12. Central State

13. Spring Hill

14. LeMoyne-Owen