Providence women’s basketball picked for third in Big East; who’s above them

NEW YORK — Providence College could be set to both move forward and turn back the clock if its women’s basketball season plays out as predicted.

The Friars were selected third on Wednesday morning at the league’s annual media day, which was held at Madison Square Garden. Perennial power Connecticut was the unanimous favorite while Creighton picked up a lone remaining first-place vote, one obligatorily cast for a different program by Huskies coach Geno Auriemma.

Providence hasn’t finished at .500 in conference play since the 1995-96 season, its last under school Hall of Fame coach Bob Foley. He’s the only leader at Alumni Hall who has been able to reach the NCAA Tournament, doing so five times from 1985-96. Second-year head coach Erin Batth and her roster are stoking the sort of optimism that’s rarely been generated by the Friars over the last three decades.

“To have them think of us in that way is a true blessing,” Batth said. “It blows me away. But again, reality is about the process and the journey — let’s do that.”

Providence College’s Grace Efosa goes up for a shot over the outstretched arms of Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers during a game in March. Efosa has been named a preseason All-Big East selection while Beuckers was honored as the Preseason Big East Player of the Year.

The Huskies, Bluejays and Friars were the only three teams in the league who had multiple players selected to the all-conference team. Grace Efosa and Olivia Olsen were among the 10 named preseason All-Big East, a veteran guard and forward, respectively. They’re two of the combined 10 graduate students or seniors on the Friar roster entering 2024-25.

“The Big East has always been a very good league,” Efosa said. “We’re excited to play all these teams. Any given night, it’s just going to be a fun game.”

“We’re very thankful to be in the spot we’re in,” Olsen said. “We’re going to try our best and work very hard to stay in that spot or be above it.”

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