OSU women's basketball is 6th in preseason USA Today Coaches Poll, 5 Big Ten teams ranked
The Ohio State women's basketball team is ranked sixth in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 28-8 season in which they made it to the Elite 8 before falling to Virginia Tech 84-74.
Taylor Mikesell led OSU in scoring (17.2 points per game) during her final year of college eligibility and was taken by the Indiana Fever in the second round of the WNBA draft (No. 13 overall). The team does return it's next three leading scorers: forward Cotie McMahon (15.1), guard Taylor Thierry (13.5) and guard Jacy Sheldon (13.2).
Point guard Madison Greene is expected back in early November after missing most of last season with a knee injury, and the team has added transfers Celeste Taylor, a defensive stalwart from Duke, and Taiyier Parks, who led Michigan State in rebounds in 2022-23.
Defending champion LSU topped the preseason poll. UConn, whom Ohio State beat in the Sweet Sixteen last year, checked in second. Iowa was the top-ranked Big Ten program at No. 3.
All told, there were five Big Ten teams to make into the top 25. Also appearing were No. 9 Indiana, No. 11 Maryland and No. 25 Michigan.
When does Ohio State play Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes?
One of the most popular stars in the sport (in addition to LSU's Angel Reese), Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark will travel to Columbus to face Ohio State on Jan. 21. The Buckeyes then round out their regular season with a trip to Iowa on March 3.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State women's basketball ranks 6th in preseason Coaches Poll
