NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s basketball was voted the top team in the Sun Belt Conference for the third consecutive season, while Peyton McDaniel was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year and Ashanti Barnes earned an All-Sun Belt Second Team nod, as announced by the league on Monday afternoon.

The Dukes, coming off a program-record 30 wins and their third straight trip to the Sun Belt Conference title game, received nine first-place votes for 189 points to be named league favorites. Since taking over the reins of the program in 2016, Head Coach Sean O’Regan has seen his squad picked to finish first eight times.

Arkansas State collected three first-place votes for second with 174 points, while Troy (3rd – 171) and Old Dominion (4th – 151) split the remaining two votes. Southern Miss rounded out the top five with 125 points, also boasting two All-Sun Belt selections in Jakayla Johnson (First Team) and Meloney Thames (Third Team).

McDaniel, the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, returns after averaging 16.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and helping lead James Madison to a 30-6 (18-0 SBC) record. The All-Sun Belt First Team honoree produced 14 double-doubles, including recording five straight from Jan. 18 through Feb. 1. The guard’s historic season places her eighth in program history in scoring (1,668 points) and is 29 boards away from cracking JMU’s top-10 rebounding list (764 rebounds). Since the 2020-21 season, McDaniel and Caitlin Clark are the only Division I players to have averaged 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with at least 250 makes from three.

Barnes, an All-Sun Belt Tournament team and Third Team selection a season ago, is back after averaging 10.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. The versatile forward dished out 69 assists last year, making her the only Sun Belt Conference player in 2024-25 to average at least 10 points and seven rebounds per game, while dishing out 50 or more assists. Barnes upped her game in Sun Belt play with 11.1 points and 8.8 boards per outing against league opponents, highlighted by six double-doubles and three 20-plus point performances.

The Dukes open the 2025-26 season with a five-game homestand, starting with a MAC-SBC Challenge matchup against Kent State on Monday, Nov. 3. Action inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center is slated for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

Fans can join the Duke Club today – in addition to supporting JMU student-athletes, a Duke Club membership provides numerous benefits, including access to exclusive events, game day experiences (i.e. game day parking and access), informational updates, and a 10% discount at the JMU Bookstore. For more information on how to join, visit JMUDukeClub.com or call (540) 568-6461.

Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 basketball season are on sale now! Two mini-plan options are also available and can be purchased at JMUTickets.com or by calling 540-568-3853.

2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Awards

Preseason Player of the Year
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Sr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
En’Dya Buford, Old Dominion [Gr. | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Zay Dyer, Troy [Sr. | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Jakayla Johnson, Southern Miss [Gr. | G | Clinton, Miss]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Sr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Crislyn Rose, Arkansas State [Jr. | G | Sachse, Texas]

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Ashanti Barnes, James Madison [Gr. | F | Norfolk, Va.]
Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [Jr. | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Rachel Leggett, Troy [Sr. | G | Navarre, Fla.]
Zyion Shannon, Arkansas State [Sr. | G | Smyrna, Tenn.]
Kristin Williams, Coastal Carolina [Gr. | G | San Diego, Calif.]

Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Ashley Baez, Troy [Sr. | G | Dominican Republic]
Simone Cunningham, Old Dominion [Sr. | G | Pleasant Grove, Ala.]
Meredith Maier, Marshall [Sr. | F | Fairmont, W.Va.]
Elena Pericic, App State [Sr. | F | Rijeka, Croatia]
Meloney Thames, Southern Miss [Gr. | G | Philadelphia, Miss.]

2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison (9) – 189
2. Arkansas State (3) – 174
3. Troy (1) – 171
4. Old Dominion (1) – 151
5. Southern Miss – 125
6. Coastal Carolina – 104
7. Georgia State – 102
8. Marshall – 100
9. App State – 94
10. Georgia Southern – 73
11. Louisiana – 67
12. Texas State – 55
13. ULM – 36
14. South Alabama – 29

Parentheses indicate first-place votes

— JMU Athletics —