Portland Pilots Pick Second in WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Portland Pilots Picked Second in WCC Preseason Coaches Poll
The Portland Pilots women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the annual West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, capturing four first-place votes and 71 total points, portlandpilots.com reported. Santa Clara edged out the Pilots for the top spot with 74 points and four first-place votes of their own.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Portland secured the number two position in the WCC preseason poll with 71 points and four first-place votes.
Dyani Ananiev and Florence Dallow earned selections to the 2026-27 WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Team.
- The Pilots open their regular season schedule at the Chiles Center against the Willamette Bearcats on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.
Ananiev and Dallow Earn Preseason Team Honors
Dyani Ananiev and Florence Dallow represented Portland on the 2026-27 WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Team. This marks the second preseason team selection for Ananiev, who led the Pilots last year with 11.4 points per game and topped the conference with 79 total steals and a 2.5 steals average. Ananiev also averaged 1.1 blocks per game, placing her among a select group of NCAA Division I players to hit those defensive thresholds.
Dallow earned All-WCC honorable mention honors last season after averaging 9.9 points and a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game. Her campaign included a statistical performance against the Pepperdine Waves where she became the sole WCC player in the 2000s to record at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a single contest.
Portland Pilots Start Season Against Willamette Bearcats
The program enters the new campaign following a 20-15 overall record and an 11-7 mark in conference play last season. Head coach Michael Meek has guided the Pilots to at least 20 wins in five consecutive seasons, establishing a program record. All eligible players from last year’s roster return alongside four newcomers.
Portland starts its schedule on Monday, Nov. 2, hosting the Willamette Bearcats at the Chiles Center. The matchup forms part of a doubleheader alongside the men’s team, with the men tipping off at 5 p.m. and the women following at 7:30 p.m.