Whitman has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026-27 Northwest Conference women’s basketball coaches poll, earning five first-place votes and 61 points. Puget Sound and Linfield round out the top three, with two first-place votes each.
The poll was voted on by conference head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Linfield claimed the 2025-26 regular season championship, while Whitman captured the NWC Tournament title and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.
The 2026-27 conference season tips off Tuesday, December 1, with the NWC Tournament scheduled for February 26-27, 2027. The tournament will be hosted by the regular season champion, with the winner earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament.
2026-27 NWC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
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Whitman (5) – 61 points
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Puget Sound (2) – 53 points
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Linfield (2) – 50 points
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George Fox – 47 points
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Willamette – 35 points
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Whitworth – 30 points
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Pacific – 25 points
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Pacific Lutheran – 12 points
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Lewis & Clark – 11 points
First-place votes are indicated in parentheses.