FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference women's basketball coaches and media polls were released on Tuesday morning. The Idaho Vandals women's basketball team was selected third in both the preseason coaches poll and media poll. 

The Vandals received one first-place vote in the coaches poll, and seven first-place votes in the media poll – tied for second most in the conference. 

Idaho has a healthy mix of returning players and newcomers. Head Coach Arthur Moreira's squad is returning seven players from last year's 18-win team; he also brought in eight new faces, which is tied for the second most in the Big Sky Conference. Moreira and his coaching staff signed the 23^rd-ranked transfer class in the nation this past offseason, highlighted by Debora Dos Santos, who was a five-star transfer and a first team all-conference player at San Francisco. Dos Sanots is joined in Moscow by her former teammate, Lorena Barbosa, who stands at 6'5" and instantly becomes one of the tallest players in the conference. 

Other newcomers on the team include Seattle native Niveya Henley, an all-conference performer during her time at Furman. Mary McMorris, a guard from Las Vegas, transferred back to the Big Sky after spending time at Valdosta State. McMorris started her collegiate career at Northern Arizona. Kyra Gardner made her way across the Palouse from Washington State. 

Idaho returns all-conference guard Hope Hassmann, who was one of the top scorers and distributors in the Big Sky last season. Moreira and the Vandals are also excited about the progression that sophomores Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva and Ana Pinheiro experienced over the summer, having played with their respective national teams of Brazil and Portugal. 

UI is also bringing back Sarah Brans, Ella Uriarte, and Anja Bukvic.

The polls in their entirety are as follows:

2025-26 Big Sky Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
 
1: Montana State (5) – 74 
2: Montana (3) – 72
3: Idaho (1) – 65 
4: Idaho State (1) – 57
5: Sacramento State – 50
6: Eastern Washington – 38 
7: Northern Colorado – 36
8: Weber State – 28
T9: Northern Arizona – 15
T9: Portland State – 15 
 
() – Denotes First-Place Votes
 
2025-26 Big Sky Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
 
1: Montana State (11) – 238
2: Montana (7) – 224
3: Idaho (7) – 220
4: Sacramento State (2) – 177
5: Idaho State – 161
6: Eastern Washington – 123
7: Weber State – 120
8: Northern Arizona – 102
9: Northern Colorado – 86
10: Portland State – 34
 
() – Denotes First-Place Votes
 
Last season, the Vandals outperformed the poll prognostications last season, finishing the season in third after being picked eighth and ninth in the preseason polls. 

UP NEXT: Idaho opens the season on Monday, Nov. 3, at Washington State. That game starts at 11 a.m. and can be seen on ESPN+. Idaho's home opener is Sunday, Nov. 9, against Walla Walla, tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

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TICKETS: Season ticket deposits here or by calling the Idaho ticket office at (208)885-6466.