For the first time, Winona State University was selected as the Northern Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ favorite, edging out defending NSIC champ Wayne State.
The Warriors received 208 points and eight first place votes to edge Wayne State by seven points. Sioux Falls was ranked third overall with 176 points. The same three teams were picked 1-2-3 in the south division poll. Minnesota Crookston and St. Cloud State were fourth and fifth overall, but the Huskies edged the Golden Eagles by one point to earn the north division preseason nod. SCSU had three first place votes in the north while UMC had four.
NSIC coaches rank each team from 1 to 15 with a first place vote receiving 15 points, second place 14, third place 13, etc. Coaches do not rank their own team or vote for their own players.
| Overall | Points | North Division | Pts |
| 1. Winona State (8) | 208 | 1. St. Cloud State (3) | 43 |
| 2. Wayne State (5) | 201 | 2. Minnesota Crookston (4) | 42 |
| 3. Sioux Falls (3) | 176 | 3. MSU Moorhead | 40 |
| 4. Minnesota Crookston | 170 | 4. Northern State (1) | 30 |
| 5. St. Cloud State | 168 | 5. U-Mary | 24 |
| 6. Minnesota State | 151 | 6. Minnesota Duluth | 19 |
| 7. MSU Moorhead | 149 | 7. Minot State | 17 |
| 8. Augustana | 138 | 8. Bemidji State | 9 |
| 9. Concordia-St. Paul | 117 | South Division | Pts |
| 10. Northern State | 113 | 1. Winona State (4) | 44 |
| 11. U-Mary | 97 | 2. Wayne State (1) | 41 |
| 12. Minnesota Duluth | 72 | 3. Sioux Falls (3) | 39 |
| 13. Minot State | 58 | 4. Minnesota State | 29 |
| 14. Upper Iowa | 54 | 5. Augustana | 26 |
| 15. Bemidji State | 31 | 6. Concordia-St. Paul | 24 |
| 16. Southwest Minnesota State | 17 | 7. Upper Iowa | 13 |
| first place votes in ( ) | 8. Southwest Minnesota State | 8 |
