Dakota Wesleyan and Morningside each totaled 95 points to top the preseason coaches’ poll to win the 2016-17 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Tigers of DWU tallied six first place votes while the Mustangs picked up five first place votes.
Concordia was tabbed third by the coaches with 76 points, followed closely by Briar Cliff with 72 points, Northwestern with 67 points and Hastings with 60 points were fourth and fifth respectively.
Last year Morningside took the regular season and tournament titles in the GPAC, with DWU finishing as runner-up in the tournament. In all, six teams (Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan, Concordia, Mount Marty, Briar Cliff and Hastings) qualified for the NAIA Women’s Basketball DII National Championship Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Tyson Events Center.
Points were awarded on an 10-1 basis and coaches’ could not vote for their own team.
Here is the complete 2016-17 GPAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:
| Place | School | Points | First Place Votes |
| 1. | Dakota Wesleyan | 95 | 6 |
| 1. | Morningside | 95 | 5 |
| 3. | Concordia | 76 | |
| 4. | Briar Cliff | 72 | |
| 5. | Northwestern | 67 | |
| 6. | Hastings | 60 | |
| 7. | Doane | 39 | |
| 8. | Mount Marty | 31 | |
| 9. | College of Saint Mary | 27 | |
| 10. | Dordt | 22 | |
| 11. | Midland | 21 |