South Dakota and Coyote senior guard Ciara Duffy were named The Summit League preseason favorite and Preseason Player of the Year, respectively, for the upcoming 2019-20 women’s basketball season.

The Coyotes, who topped the preseason poll with 527 points, were selected as preseason favorites for the first time since joining the league in 2011. South Dakota received 20 of the 34 first-place votes in the preseason poll, while the remaining 14 went to reigning Summit League Tournament Champion South Dakota State (2nd; 496 points; 13 first-place votes) and Denver (3rd; 394 points; 1 first-place vote).

Duffy was voted The Summit League Women’s Basketball Player of the Year after receiving 28 of the 34 first-place votes. Joining Duffy on the Preseason All-Summit League First Team is teammate Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota State forwards Myah Selland and Tagyn Larson along with Denver forward Madison Nelson and guard Lauren Loven.