The Northwest Conference women’s basketball season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Linfield entering as the early favorite. The Wildcats, who earned six of the nine first-place votes and 60 total points in the coaches’ preseason poll, look poised to challenge for the conference crown.
Puget Sound follows close behind in second with 56 points and two first-place votes, while George Fox, collecting the remaining first-place vote and 51 points, sits just behind in third—setting up what could be a three-way battle at the top.
Whitman, last year’s regular season and tournament champion, is picked fourth with 43 points and remains a proven contender capable of making another deep run. Willamette rounds out the top five with 36 points, aiming to build on a strong campaign.
Pacific and Whitworth are tied for sixth with 25 points apiece, while Lewis & Clark (17 points) and Pacific Lutheran (11 points) complete the poll as they look to make their mark in a competitive field.
The NWC regular season tips off on Friday, January 2nd, as teams begin their pursuit of the 2026 Northwest Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament title, set for February 27–28, 2026, and hosted by the regular season champion.
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first-place votes.)
2025-26 NWC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team |
Pts. |
2024-25 NWC Finish |
| Linfield (6) |
60 |
3rd |
| Puget Sound (2) |
56 |
3rd |
| George Fox (1) |
51 |
2nd |
| Whitman |
43 |
1st |
| Willamette |
36 |
6th |
| Pacific |
25 |
5th |
| Whitworth |
25 |
6th |
| Lewis & Clark |
17 |
9th |
| Pacific Lutheran |
11 |
6th |