1 Idaho Vandals

The Idaho Vandals are one of the top teams in the conference defensively as their offense continues to improve. Losing senior captains Isabelle Hadden and Lizzy Klinker to graduation will play a factor in how the Vandals play this season but adding veteran recruits Gabi Harrington from Montana and Rylee Alexander from Pratt Community College adds depth to the team. Offensive leader Gina Marxen and rebound leader Natalie Klinker will lead the team to a strong defensive as the Vandals ranked first in defense in the Big Sky last season.

Sophomore guard Gina Marxen takes the ball past the half-court line and up the floor while an NAU player defends her on Feb. 1 in Cowan Spectrum. Saydee Brass | Argonaut

2 Montana State

Montana State finished first in the Big Sky last season with a 19-1 record in the conference. Sophomore guard Darian White played lights out last season as she arguably had the best freshman season in Montana State women’s basketball history with 394 points, 150 rebounds, 104 assists and 76 steals. White looks to continue that dominance this season as Montana State will continue to be one of the best teams in the Big Sky.

3 Montana

Montana finished fourth in the Big Sky last season but is a well-rounded team. This season they’re surrounded by a young team with six freshmen but with still a fair amount of veteran players as well. They look to remain in the top half of the conference this season.

4 Idaho State

Idaho State finished third in the Big Sky but will look to fight Montana for the number three spot. They were one win better than Montana last season so the fight for the third spot will be heavily contested between these two teams.

5 Portland State

Portland State had a fairly young team last season and with more experience going into this season they will look to be in the fifth spot. They surprised many in the Big Sky Women’s Basketball Tournament with their near upset performance, putting up a close game against Idaho.

Junior forward Natalie Klinker gets in position for a rebound during the Portland State game on Feb. 17 in Cowan Spectrum. Saydee Brass | Argonaut

6 Northern Arizona

Northern Arizona will be a good team going into the season with Jacey Bailey putting up great numbers shooting from beyond the arc. They played well in conference games last season and will look to continue that performance by being an excellent three-point shooting team. Northern Arizona overcame Montana in the Big Sky Women’s Basketball Tournament and put up a good fight against Montana State so expect them to do well this season.

7 Sacramento State

Sacramento State will look to get off to a hot start this season as they could upset Idaho in the season opener but it will be difficult for them to get things going against a strong and defensive team. They struggled in the Big Sky last season with only six wins but will look to change as the season approaches.

Freshman guard Beyonce Bea goes to the hoop on Feb. 11 in Cowan Spectrum against Sacramento State. Saydee Brass | Argonaut

8 Southern Utah

Southern Utah will most likely struggle this season compared to last season with their star player Rebecca Cardenas unable to return as their offensive leader. The team is actively looking for a new offensive leader for this season.

9 Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado struggled against top teams in the Big Sky, and that trend is likely to continue as they will look to find a solution to win big games this season. Alisha Davis will be a key player on the team to be an offensive scorer as the team will look to her to make plays.

Sophomore guard Hailey Christopher attempts to pass the ball to senior guard Lizzy Klinker on Feb. 27 in Memorial Gym against Northern Colorado. Saydee Brass | Argonaut

10 Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington struggled last season to get things going with a very young core, and that will follow them this season. The young core will need more time to grow and improve as the season goes on.

11 Weber State

Weber State will continue to struggle like they did last season as the wins will be difficult to get against other teams in the conference. With only two wins in the conference last season, it’ll be hard to get things going against other top teams.

Armin Mesinovic can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @arminmesinovic.

POWER RANKINGS: Preseason Big Sky Women’s Basketball