No. 1 Colorado Mesa

Nickname: Mavericks

Colors: Maroon and gold

Location: Grand Junction

Enrollment: 8,930

Record: 28-1 (21-1 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)

Coach: Taylor Wagner (first season)

Key Players: Kelsey Sigl (18.5 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game), Katrina Selsor (14.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg)

Notes: RMAC Shootout and regular-season champions ... Sigl, Wagner RMAC Player and Coach of the Year, respectively ... Only loss came Feb. 2 at Colorado Christian (77-73)

No. 2 Midwestern State

Nickname: Mustangs

Colors: Maroon and gold

Location: Wichita Falls, Texas

Enrollment: 5,464

Record: 24-5 (16-4 Lone Star Conference)

Coach: Noel Johnson (fifth season)

Key Players: Andrea Carter (13.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg), Kirsti Degelia (11.7 ppg, 68 assists)

Notes: LSC tournament and co-regular-season champions ... Carter first-team All-LSC selection ... Degelia second-team All-LSC

No. 3 St. Mary’s

Nickname: Rattlers

Colors: Blue and yellow

Location: San Antonio

Enrollment: 2,508

Record: 22-6 (10-2 Heartland Conference)

Coach: Jason Martens (seventh season)

Key Players: Jackie Woods (15.9 ppg, 3.0 assists per game), Morgan Pullins (11.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg)

Notes: HC tournament champions ... Felecia Jacobs named HC Defensive Player of the Year ... Woods named HC tournament MVP

No. 4 Texas-Permian Basin

Nickname: Falcons

Colors: Black and orange

Location: Odessa, Texas

Record: 20-7 (11-1 HC)

Coach: Jerome Willis (first season)

Key Players: Teisha King (19.1 ppg, 4.2 apg), Taniqua Ards (15.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Notes: HC regular-season champions ... King a first-team All-South Central Region selection ... Willis named HC Coach of the Year

No. 5 Abilene Christian

Nickname: Wildcats

Colors: Purple, black and white

Enrollment: 4,371

Location: Abilene, Texas

Record: 21-6 (16-4 LSC)

Coach: Julie Goodenough (first season)

Key Players: Mackenzie Lankford (14.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Renata Marquez (13.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

Notes: Lankford second-team All-South Central Region ... Co-regular season LSC champions ... Final year at Division II level before moving to Division I Southland Conference in July

No. 6 Metro State

Nickname: Roadrunners

Colors: Blue and red

Location: Denver

Enrollment: 23,789

Coach: Tanya Haave (third season)

Key Players: Amy Nelson (11.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Kristin Valencia (9.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg)

Notes: Valencia named RMAC Defensive Player of the Year ... Third NCAA appearance in a row ... Last two tournament appearances ended in Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively

No. 7 Tarleton State

Nickname: Texans

Colors: Purple, black and white

Location: Stephenville, Texas

Enrollment: 11,693

Coach: Ronnie Hearne (10th season)

Key Players: Kiara Wright (18.1 ppg, 14.1 ppg), Peyton Adamson (15.5 ppg)

Notes: Wright named South Central Region Player of the Year ... Third consecutive NCAA appearance ... Adamson second-team All-South Central Region

No. 8 Fort Lewis

Nickname: Skyhawks

Colors: Blue and gold

Location: Durango

Enrollment: 3,856

Coach: Jason Flores (first season)

Key Players: Katerina Garcia (11.6 ppg, 139 assists), Ashley Kuchar (12.4 ppg)

Notes: Sixth consecutive NCAA appearance ... Four different players average in double figures offensively ... Flores first FLC coach to lead team to NCAAs in first season ... Garcia, a Durango High School alumna, is the Demons’ all-time leading scorer

Durango Herald