NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was predicted to finish in third place this season by Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference coaches, as the league announced its 2024-25 Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday morning.

Defending AMCC champion Penn State Behrend was picked first in the poll, while La Roche University took second place.

Penn State Altoona women's basketball went 15-12 overall in 2023-24, including an 11-7 mark within the AMCC that placed the Lions third in the conference's regular season standings. Head coach Halee Hutchinson returns for her fifth year overall and fourth season with the program.

Named as "Players to Watch" for Penn State Altoona this season in the poll were junior forward Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) and junior guard/forward Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis).

Sayles was a second-team All-AMCC selection last season, during which she led the conference in field goals made (207) while ranking third in defensive rebounds (160), total rebounds (229), and points per 40 minutes (23.6), fourth in blocks (32), blocks per game (1.4), and points (476), fifth in points per game (17.6), and sixth in rebounds per game (8.5).

McCracken was voted to the third team of the All-AMCC squad last year, when she ranked third in the league in three-pointers made (64), fourth in three-point percentage (34.6), eighth in defensive rebounds (133), assists (82), assists per game (3.2), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), 10th in points (370), 11th in field goals made (137), and 12th in points per game (14.2) and total rebounds (169).

Penn State Altoona women's basketball begins its 2024-25 schedule on Friday, November 8, at 6 p.m., when the Lions hit the road to face York College (Pa.).