CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSU Strategic Communications) – The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference in the 2024-25 season. The MAC office released the Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll and the Preseason All-MAC Teams – determined via voting by the league's 12 head coaches – on Tuesday (Oct. 22).

Additionally, Amy Velasco and Erika Porter have been named to the Preseason All-MAC Team, with Velasco being named to the first team and Porter earning second-team honors.

Ball State was the choice of the coaches to win the MAC regular-season crown in '24-25. The Cardinals received 120 points and 10 of the 12 first-place votes. Kent State garnered 104 points and the other two first-place votes, with Buffalo getting 98 points, BGSU 96 and Toledo 82.

(Watch the MAC Basketball Tip-Off Show with The Field of 68)

Velasco, a native of Centerville, Ohio (Centerville), was named to the All-MAC Second Team last season, and also became BGSU's first Academic All-America® Team selection in 20 years, earning third-team honors by College Sports Communicators. One of just two Falcons to start all 31 games, Velasco averaged a team-high 35.5 minutes per game and also averaged 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-leading 4.7 assists per contest.

Velasco hit 43 three-point field goals to rank second on the team, and led the Falcons with a free-throw percentage of 87.5%, going 105-for-120 from the stripe. She finished seventh in the MAC in scoring, and ranked among the conference leaders in numerous other categories, including FT pct. (third), assists (also third), assist/turnover ratio (third), minutes (fourth), three-point FG pct. (seventh), three-pointers made per game (16th), steals (20th) and field-goal pct. (21st). Velasco led the entire league in assists in MAC games, (5.33 apg), while ranking in the top 10 in a total of six categories.

Porter, a native of West Windsor, N.J. (Notre Dame), shattered the BGSU single-season records for field-goal percentage, both overall and in MAC games, in her first year with the Falcons. She was named to the All-MAC Third Team, and recorded three of the top-nine single-game field-goal pct. performances in school history. Porter played in all 31 games, making 24 starts, and averaged 12.6 ppg. She lead the team in both rebounding (6.6 rpg) and blocked shots (23 total, 0.74 bpg).

Porter made 66.3% of her shots from the field, going 159-for-240 and breaking both the BGSU and the MAC records in that category. She finished second in the nation in field-goal pct. In MAC games only, Porter shot 68.2% from the floor, breaking that school mark and posting the second-best rate in MAC history. She also averaged 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game in MAC play, leading the Falcons in both rebounds and blocks. Porter was one of just two players in the league to be ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding in MAC games.

Falcon fans get their first chance to see Velasco, Porter and their  teammates in action next Tuesday (Oct. 29), as BGSU hosts Wittenberg in exhibition play. Tipoff is set for 11:00 a.m. at the Stroh Center.

Then, the regular season begins the following Monday (Nov. 4), as Southern Miss comes to the Stroh as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. That game is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m.

2024-25 MAC PRESEASON POLL
1. Ball State (10 first-place votes) – 120 points
2. Kent State (2) – 104
3. Buffalo – 98
4. Bowling Green – 96
5. Toledo – 82
T6. Northern Illinois – 64
T6. Ohio – 64
8. Miami – 44
9. Akron – 43
10. Western Michigan – 34
11. Eastern Michigan – 23
12. Central Michigan – 20

Votes to win MAC Tournament: Ball State 8; BGSU, UB, KSU, UT 1
 
2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-MAC TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Ally Becki, Ball State, Sr.
Amy Velasco, Bowling Green, Sr.
Chellia Watson, Buffalo, 5th
Jenna Batsch, Kent State, Sr.
Kirsten Lewis-Williams, Buffalo, So.

SECOND TEAM
Brooke Stonebraker, Northern Illinois, Gr.
Erika Porter, Bowling Green, 5th
Jaya McClure, Ohio, Jr.
Madelyn Bischoff, Ball State, Sr.
Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo, Gr.