California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine was picked to finish second in the 2025-26 Big West Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, and senior Hunter Hernandez was named to the All-Big West Preseason Team the conference office announced Thursday afternoon.
 
The Anteaters were predicted to place among the top-three in the league for the seventh time in the last eight years. They earned four first-place votes and 90 total points in a narrow race with Hawai'i, which won the 2024-25 Big West regular-season title. The Rainbow Wahine (91) also received four first-place votes and came in one point ahead of the 'Eaters.
 
UC Davis was picked third with 83 points (one first-place vote), while UC San Diego had two first-place nods but took fourth with 77 points. UC Santa Barbara (61) rounded out the top-five.
 
Hunter Hernandez is the conference's only returning first-team All-Big West selection. The 5-foot-9 guard led the Anteaters in both scoring (13.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) last year. She had 22 double-figure scoring games and a pair of double-doubles. Hernandez was also a first-team all-conference pick in 2022-23, and was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team in 2021-22.
 
UC Irvine will begin the 2025-26 campaign at home, hosting San Diego in their annual Kids Day game at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
 
 
2025-26 Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Hawai'i – 91 (4)
2. UC Irvine – 90 (4)
3. UC Davis – 83 (1)
4. UC San Diego – 77 (2)
5. UC Santa Barbara – 61
6. Long Beach State – 57
7. UC Riverside – 51
8. Cal Poly – 34
9. CSUN – 27
10. Cal State Fullerton – 20
11. Cal State Bakersfield – 14
 
2025-26 All-Big West Preseason Coaches' Team
Skylar Burke – UC Santa Barbara
Erin Condron – UC San Diego
Shelley Duchemin – UC Riverside
Hunter Hernandez – UC Irvine
Megan Norris – UC Davis
Imani Perez – Hawai'i
Ritorya Tamilo – Hawai'i