ACC: North Carolina is the near-unanimous pick to win the ACC title. The Tar Heels, the 2001 NCAA Division I runners-up, have won the last 13 ACC championships. They return three All-Americans: Catherine Reddick, Alyssa Ramsey and Sara Randolph. Virginia claimed the second spot, followed by Clemson, Florida State, Duke, Wake Forest, Maryland and N.C. State.
BIG EAST: Notre Dame (Mid-Atlantic) and Connecticut (Northeast) are again picked to capture the Big East regular-season divisional titles. The divisional preseason rankings: Northeast — 1. Connecticut; 2. Boston College; 3. Syracuse; 4. Miami (Fla.); 5. Virginia Tech; 6. Providence; 7. St. John's. Mid-Atlantic — 1. Notre Dame; 2. West Virginia; 3. Rutgers; 4. Villanova; 5. Georgetown; 6. Seton Hall and Pittsburgh. Notre Dame senior defender Vannessa Prunzinsky was chosen for the second year in a row as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Rutgers sophomore Carli Lloyd was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
WAC: Defending champion SMU has been selected to earn its third-straight regular-season championship. Head coach George Van Linder welcomes back eight starters and 14 letterwinners, including 2001 WAC Player of the Year and 2002 Preseason Player of the Year Tara Comfort and 2001 Freshman of the Year Jill Heinemann. The WAC picks: 1. SMU; 2. Hawaii and Rice; 4. Boise State and Fresno State; 6. Tulsa; 7. San Jose State; 8. UTEP; 9. Nevada.
WCC: Defending NCAA Division I champion Santa Clara is the unanimous choice to repeat as WCC champ. The Broncos return 2001 WCC Player of the Year and Hermann Award candidate Aly Wagner. Senior Devvyn Hawkins and junior Veronica Zepeda, both All-WCC picks, also return. Portland, which reached the final four for the third time in four years, is picked second. The Pilots return nine starters, led by Canadian forward Christine Sinclair. The WCC preseason rankings: 1. Santa Clara; 2. Portland; 3. Saint Mary's; 4. Pepperdine; 5. San Diego; 6. Loyola Marymount; 7. San Francisco; 8. Gonzaga.