BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign that saw the program go 16-2 in conference action and compete in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, the Navy women's basketball team was announced on Thursday as the preseason favorites in the 2026-27 Patriot League Coaches' Poll. Going 22-9 overall and finishing atop the conference standings for the first time since 2014, the Midshipmen under the guidance of seventh-year head coach Tim Taylor have been locked in all off- and preseason with taking that next step and securing the Patriot League title and automatic berth in the the NCAA Tournament this coming March. Leading the charge for Navy's hopes this upcoming season is the Patriot League Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year Zanai Barnett-Gay.

The Mids were the unanimous preseason favorite collecting all nine available first-place votes and 81 polling points as head coaches are disqualified from voting for their own team. Army received nearly all of the second-place votes and ranked second in the poll with 71 points, four ahead of Lehigh, who obtained the other first-place vote and recorded 67 total points. After a bit of a break, Holy Cross and Lafayette round out the top five with respective point totals of 53 and 52 points. Another separation occurs with Bucknell coming in sixth at 37 and Boston University in seventh with 26 points. Colgate (22), Loyola (21) and American (20) complete the polling in positions eight, nine and ten, respectively.

As a team, the Mids return four starters, 82.9 percent of its points, 70.1 percent of its rebounds and 80.7 percent of its assists from its 2025-26 roster, while adding three talented freshmen to its ranks. Returning players to watch include the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Barnett-Gay (16.9 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game), the reigning PL Rookie of the Year sophomore guard Zoe Mesuch (13.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 2.7 three-pointers per game) and All-Patriot League Third Team honoree Julianna Almeida (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 2.5 apg).