The Atlantic 10 enters 2026-27 with a coaching shakeup among some of the top programs. Five programs open the year with new head coaches, including two of the three teams that landed at the top of last season's standings. The league has seen significant talent turnover, which will
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Skim Milkey's Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Saint Joseph's
2 - vcu
3 - Saint Louis
4 - Davidson
5 - George Mason
6 - George Washington
7 - Rhode Island
8 - Richmond
9 - Dayton
10 - Duquesne
11 - Fordham
12 - La Salle
13 - Loyola Chicago
14 - St. Bonaventure
Skim Milkey's Preseason All-Conference Team
Katie Donovan, G, Davidson
Jordyn Poole, G, Dayton
Olivia Kulyk, G, Fordham
Sara Lewis, F, George Washington
Gabby Reynolds, G, George Washington
Mary Amoateng, G, George Mason
Ally Sweeney, G, Richmond
Sophia Vital, G, Rhode Island
Alyssa Koerkenmeier, C, Saint Louis
Tyonna Bailey, G, Saint Louis
Gabby Casey, G, Saint Joseph's
Aleah Snead, G, Saint Joseph's
Katarina Knežević, G, vcu
Lexi Fleming, G, vcu
Macy Spencer, G, vcu
George Mason
Record: 23-10, 16-2 A-10 (1st, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Vanessa Blair-Lewis, 6th season, 99-58 (27th overall, 415-361 career)
George Mason shared the 2025-26 regular-season title at 16-2 in league play and reached the A-10 Tournament final before falling to Rhode Island 53-51, capping a 23-10 season. The Patriots have been one of the league's best programs under Vanessa Blair-Lewis, who won the 2025 tournament title in her fourth George Mason season and now enters her sixth year. The offseason tested that stability, though: first-team All-Conference forward Zahirah Walton and first-team guard Kennedy Harris both transferred to West Virginia, taking a large share of the Patriots' scoring and playmaking with them.
That double departure would sink most programs, but Mason has two things going for it: an excellent coach and a rising sophomore in Mary Amoateng, who earned A-10 All-Rookie honors and All-Defensive Team recognition as a freshman while putting up 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a night. Amoateng projects as a focal point rather than a complementary piece in 2026-27, and her defensive versatility should remain an asset even with the roster around her reshaped. The Patriots also return Trinity Massenburg from the group last season, along with guards Madison Bob and Kayla Johnson, giving Blair-Lewis four pieces to continue to build around.
No team worked the portal harder than George Mason this offseason. Blair-Lewis landed seven transfers, and the headliner is Anovia Sheals, a Second Team All-ASUN pick at Austin Peay who put up 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds a night. Summer Yancy, from UCF, started 16 of 29 games last season, and Desirae Ashton joins from Bucknell after averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field. Tia Dobson (UNCW) and Lourdes Da Silva Costa (Alabama) add further depth, and Roisin Grandberry, a forward, arrives from Loyola Chicago after 41 career games there. Mary-Kate Tshibuabua also transfers in, coming straight from Rhode Island's championship roster. The freshman class brings in guards Kailani Merrell and Irati Franco Dominguez.
George Mason's defense should remain a strength here, with Amoateng anchoring a group that will need to establish new chemistry fast. The bigger question is offense, where Walton and Harris were the engine of the team, and replacing 32.1 points per game between two players is a difficult ask. If Sheals's scoring translates immediately and Amoateng's growth covers even most of the remaining gap, Mason's coaching and defense should be enough to keep it in the top tier, even if the roster's returning offensive prowess doesn't match what it has been the last two seasons.
Players to watch: Mary Amoateng, Summer Yancy, Anovia Sheals, Desirae Ashton
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