ST. LOUIS --- UNI women's basketball has been voted as the favorite in the 2023-24 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) preseason poll as announced by the league ahead of the it's annual women's basketball tip-off event on Tuesday morning. The poll, along with the conference's two preseason teams, were voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members.
The Panthers earned 33 of the 48 first-place votes with a total of 517 points, edging out defending MVC Tournament champion Drake who garnered 12 first-place votes with 482 points. Last season's regular-season champion Illinois State was picked third (433 points / two first-place votes), while Belmont was tabbed to finish in fourth (401 points / one first-place vote).