Women’s basketball ranks third in preseason poll
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Simpson College women's basketball has been picked third in the 2022-23 American Rivers Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon.
The Storm collected 51 points overall with one first-place vote. Wartburg received five first-place votes and a total of 61 points to rank first, while Loras came in second with the three remaining first-place votes and 58 points overall.
Simpson is coming off an incredible 26-2 campaign which included a perfect 15-0 mark against A-R-C opponents. The Storm won regular and postseason conference crowns and earned a trip to the NCAA DIII Tournament for the first time since 2013, eventually bowing out in the second round. The team ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation and led all Division III programs in five statistical categories including field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage, assists per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Nine-time conference coach of the year Brian Niemuth enters his 36th season and looks to continue the success from the last two seasons, but will have to do so without all five starters and 60% of the team's scoring from a year ago. The Storm will lean heavily on the experience of senior Cassie Nash and fifth-year Anna Wanek, who both came off the bench and averaged over 20 minutes per game last season.
Nash finished her junior campaign as one of the best defenders and most efficient scorers in the nation, earning first team all-conference and second team all-region honors for her efforts. She averaged 14.8 points with the ninth-highest field goal percentage (57.9) in the country, and led the conference and ranked seventh in the DIII with 89 steals. Across Simpson's 38-2 run over the last two seasons, Nash has reached double figure scoring in all but six games.
Returning for her third season with the Storm and fifth overall, Wanek is coming off a season where she averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She earned second team all-conference accolades, ranking fourth in the league in 3-point percentage (.390) and eighth in overall field goal percentage (.504). Wanek had 16 double-digit scoring outputs as a true senior.
Simpson will begin its new season on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Loras Tip-Off Classic. The Storm will take on Augustana (Ill.) on opening day before facing Marian (Wis.) the next afternoon. Following another nonconference game at Gustavus Adolphus, the team will play at home for the first time on Nov. 19 against UW-Superior. Simpson hosts Loras for the A-R-C opener on Nov. 22.
2022-23 American Rivers Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Wartburg (21-6, 13-3 A-R-C) - 61 points
2. Loras (19-8, 12-4 A-R-C) - 54 points
3. Simpson (26-2, 15-0 A-R-C) - 51 points
4. Dubuque (15-11, 9-7 A-R-C) - 44 points
5. Coe (8-18, 5-11 A-R-C) - 31 points
6. Luther (10-17, 6-10 A-R-C) - 28 points
7. Central (6-15, 4-11 A-R-C) - 26 points
8. Buena Vista (7-15, 5-11 A-R-C) - 14 points
9. Nebraska Wesleyan (4-20, 2-14 A-R-C) - 11 points
