The Mountain West Conference announced its 2009-10 preseason women's basketball poll and all-conference team today at its Basketball Media Day held at The Mtn. Studios in Denver, Colo. The Wyoming Cowgirls were picked to finish fifth in the nine-team league, which matches where UW was seeded in last year's MWC Championship.

The voting panel consisted of the league's nine head coaches and select women's basketball media.

Last season, UW was 16-14 overall, 8-8 in the MWC. The Cowgirls return three starters and nine letterwinners, including 2008-09 Second Team All-MWC selection Hillary Carlson and Kristen Scheffler, who was named Honorable Mention All-MWC as a freshman. Carlson will be a junior this season, while Scheffler will be a sophomore. UW also will benefit from the return of redshirt junior Aubrey Vandiver, who missed last season. Vandiver was a Third Team All-MWC selection in 2007-08 as a sophomore. Wyoming will be coached by Joe Legerski, who is in his seventh year

San Diego State was tabbed as the preseason favorite after sharing the 2008-09 MWC regular-season title and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs received 25 first-place votes and 240 total points. TCU collected three first-place votes and finished second with 216 points, followed by Utah with 185 points. New Mexico (168 points) placed fourth, followed by Wyoming (121 points), BYU (109 points), UNLV (97 points), Colorado State (57 points) and Air Force (31 points).

Last year's all-MWC first-team member, San Diego State senior guard Jené Morris, earned Preseason Player of the Year honors, while teammate Jessika Bradley was named Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Utah's Taryn Wicijowski was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year. Four of the nine MWC teams were represented on the all-conference team, including three seniors and two juniors. Morris is a two-time all-MWC selection and earned WBCA State Farm Honorable Mention All-American accolades last season. She is joined on the preseason all-MWC team by teammate Paris Johnson, New Mexico's Amy Beggin, TCU's Helena Sverrisdottir and Utah's Kalee Whipple.