FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Basketball team will tip-off the 2023-24 campaign when they travel to Arkansas to face the Razorbacks on Monday night at 7:30pm EST. The Stags were chosen as the unanimous MAAC preseason favorite and are coming off an historic season that featured a 31-2 record, top-25 national ranking, and MAAC Championship.
The Stags will also begin the season receiving votes in both national polls, with three votes in the Associated Press (AP) and seven in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Top-25 polls. Fairfield returns 91 percent of its scoring from last year's team which includes four starters.
Fairfield enjoyed one of the most historic seasons in conference history with a 31-2 overall record and a perfect 23-0 clip against MAAC opponents which culminated in a MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The record was highlighted by a conference-record 29-game winning streak which was the second-longest in the nation behind only No. 1 South Carolina.
This season, the Stags will return the bulk of that success with 91 percent of their scoring and 90 percent of their assists.
Among the returners is the reigning MAAC Player of the Year
Janelle Brown who was the most efficient guard in the nation with her .572 field goal percentage. She was also named the MAAC Championship MVP after leading the Stags in scoring in all three games in the MAAC Championships. She was voted the Preseason MAAC Player of the Year as she enters her fifth season with the Stags.
Brown was one of two players unanimously selected to the Preseason All-MAAC squad joining her teammate and the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year
Meghan Andersen. The sophomore is coming off the best rookie season in program history, breaking the rookie scoring mark with 497 points. Both players earned a spot on the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Preseason Player of the Year Watch List.
In total, the Stags had four players on the Preseason All-MAAC squads which also included
Emina Selimovic and
Kaety L'Amoreaux.
Along with the talent returning, the Stags add five newcomers with three transfers and two freshmen –
Cyanne Coe and
Julia Karpell Fairfield will also welcome
Jillian Huerter from Rutgers and
Sydni Scott from Marshall. The duo combined for 484 points and 118 made 3-pointers. The Stags also bring in Division II All-American
Raiana Brown who netted 2,070 points in her career, the fifth-most among active players in the country.
Arkansas will be looking to replace five of their top six scorers from last year's team that had an overall record of 18-15.
The Stags will have a week off before their home opener against Richmond on Tuesday at 7pm.
