ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The defending champion Lyon College Scots were selected first in the American Midwest Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, with Columbia College in a close second and Missouri Baptist University in a distant third.
 
1. Lyon College (74 points)
The Scots come into the 2021-22 campaign as the reigning AMC champions and will be led by last season's AMC Player of the Year and AMC Defensive Player of the Year, Jade Giron. Giron was all over the court in 2020-21, posting 18.4 points per game, 104 assists, 39 steals, and 8.7 rebounds per game and will look to maintain a similar level of success. A pair of all-conference recipients return to Batesville, Arkansas as well, in Katie Turner (8.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and Mari Hanna-Newsome (8.4 PPG, 50 assists). After a 15-2 record last season and few key subtractions from that squad, the Tracy Stewart-Lange's squad is gearing up for another run at the title.
 
2. Columbia College (71 points)
Columbia made a deep conference tournament run again last year before being cutdown by Lyon in the finals with a 66-56 road loss. The Cougars have a long list of key returners including NAIA All-American Honorable Mention Mallory Shetley (13.1 PPG), Allison Stiers (10.1 PPG), Abby Backes (5.5 PPG), and defensive anchor Bria Jones. Though they lost AMC All-Defensive Team member Geena Stephens and Co-AMC Newcomer of the Year Sofia Popp, they make a key addition in junior college transfer Peyton Crowe who has averaged 10.5 points-per-game over the last two seasons. Falling just short of the top spot in the preseason poll, the Cougars hope to bounce back to earn their first AMC tournament championship since 2018.
 
3. Missouri Baptist University (58 points)
The Spartans turned in an impressive 2020-21 campaign that saw them go 17-6 (12-3 AMC) and win a quarterfinal matchup with Harris-Stowe State before getting taken down by the first-seeded Lyon. MBU loses first team all-conference point guard Taylor Norris (15.0 PPG, 107 assists) and Kim Shaw (6.9 PPG), but add Saint Louis University transfer Jaidah Stewart and Murray State University transfer Jalexis Russell. All-Conference recipients Tionne Taylor (13.1 PPG), Lauren Ebert (8.5 PPG, 46 assists), Alexis Allstun (9.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG), and leading rebounder Joelle Atkins all return to St. Louis determined to lead their re-tooled program to another deep tournament run.
 
4. Central Baptist College (53 points)
Alexis Augustus (14.2 PPG) and the Mustangs will look to improve on a down year last season after going 4-6 in conference play. Despite their record, the sixth-seeded Mustangs dominated Williams Baptist in an upset victory in the quarterfinals before losing to the second-seeded Columbia in the semifinals. CBC loses major pieces to the team in all-time Mustangs leading scorer Holly Allen (3x All-AMC selection) and their leader in assists Izzy Arnold. They do, however, bring in Diana Rivera, a 5-8 guard who was a two-time NJCAA Region Eight Defensive Player of the Year at Hillsborough Community College (Fla.). Augustus, Grace Coates (10.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG), and Rivera will look to make some noise in the AMC in 2021-22.
 
5. Williams Baptist University (51 points)
Despite an upset loss in the quarterfinals in last season's AMC postseason tournament, the Eagles had a solid year going 15-6 overall and 12-3 in the conference. NAIA All-American Taylor Freeman (16.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG) and first team all-conference recipient Tasia Bland (15.8 PPG) will represent Williams Baptist once again after leading the team in scoring 2020-21. WBU loses third team all-conference forward Kelsey Abney but bring in 6-1 guard Nya Moody from Tarlton State. The Eagles appear to have the motivation and offensive firepower to turn heads this season in conference play.
 
6. University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (41 points)
The Eutectics set numerous program records in 2020-21, earning the most wins (11) in their history and collecting their first NAIA All-American recipient in Grace Beyer (28.7 PPG, led the AMC).  Beyer, along with Elizabeth Allanach (13.9 PPG) and Makenzie Schierding (7.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG), will look to take a squad full of familiar faces to the next level after finishing 6-10 in conference play last season.
 
7. Harris-Stowe State University (36 points)
Harris-Stowe State University is hoping for a bounce back season after a 5-6 finish in the AMC in 2020-21 and an exit in the quarterfinals in the tournament. New Head Coach Dexter Holt enters his first season at the helm for the Hornets, looking to right the ship in 2021-22.
 
8. William Woods University (26 points)
Second Team All-Conference recipient Natalie Thomas (15.2 PPG) and senior forward Kasey Hazell (6.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG) will look to fuel a bounce back season for the Owls in their return this winter. William Woods has several key additions to the roster including freshman guard Makenna Wuelling, freshman forward Sydney Booker, Evangel University transfer Olivia Hanks, and freshman point guard Macie Edwards. Despite losing Tori Nesslage (7.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG), the young Owls team is looks to shock the conference after being picked eighth in the preseason coaches' poll.
 
9. Hannibal-LaGrange University(25 points)
With 25 points, the Trojans have been selected to finish ninth in the conference by the coaches. Hannibal-LaGrange hopes to improve on a 2020-21 campaign that saw them get bounced in the opening round of the AMC tournament after going 3-13 in conference play.  
 
10. Stephens College (15 points)
New head coach Andre Bell hopes to turn around a Stephens program that picked up just one win in the conference last season before losing an opening round matchup in the tournament to UHSP. Leading scorer Cedreanna Lee (9.4 PPG) returns to the Stars while all-conference honorable mention Ida Pieschl stands as their only key subtraction from last year's squad.
 

AMC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
	School	PTS
1	Lyon College	74
2	Columbia College	71
3	Missouri Baptist University	58
4	Central Baptist College	53
5	Williams Baptist University	51
6	Health Sciences & Pharmacy	41
7	Harris-Stowe State University	36
8	William Woods University	26
9	Hannibal-LaGrange University	25
10	Stephens College	15