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Dogs garner top preseason honors

Fresno State was picked to finish in the Mountain West preseason poll while Haley Cavinder was selected Preseason Player of the Year.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the second straight year, Fresno State was selected to finish first in the Mountain West as voted on by the league's head coaches and select media, the conference office announced Wednesday morning. Reigning MW Player of the Year, Haley Cavinder , was picked to repeat that feat.

Along with being recognized as the Preseason Player of the Year, the junior earned a spot on the five-member preseason All-Mountain West Team for the second consecutive year. Last season, she became the first player in league history to earn the conference's top honor the year after being named Freshman of the Year.

Joining Haley on the preseason All-MW Team is her sister, Hanna Cavinder. The two are the top returning scorers in the league with Haley averaging 19.8 points per game during 2020-21 and Hanna at 17.0. Haley was also second in the MW in free-throw percentage (.846), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.07), sixth in rebounding (7.54), steals (1.68) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48), and eighth in assists (3.75). Hanna led the MW in field goal percentage (.464) and finished third in the MW in points per game (17.0), fifth in steals (1.79), sixth in assists (3.89) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45).

Both Haley and Hanna were selected to the postseason All-Mountain West Team after each of their first two seasons at Fresno State. 

Fresno State is coming off a year in which it finished 12-6 in conference play, 17-11 overall. Along with the Cavinder twins, the Bulldogs also return starting forward Wytalla Motta. Six others retuned to the squad this year in Keely Brown, Daylee Dunn, Charisse Fairley, Maria Guimaraes, Auniona James and Yanina Todorova. Six newcomers join the 'Dogs transfers Imani Lacey (Long Beach State/Nevada) and Amiee Book (Cal State Fullerton), and freshmen Sydney Dethman, Jessica Peterson, Tamia Stricklin and Angela Whitfield. 

2021-22 MOUNTAIN WEST PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

Rank    Team (First-Place Votes)            Points

    1.     Fresno State (13)                       266

    2.   New Mexico (7)                          251

    3.   UNLV (3)                                     232

    4.     Colorado State (1)                      207

    5.     Wyoming                                    190

    6.     Boise State                               166

    7.     San Diego State (2)                     135

    8.   Nevada                                      123

    9.   San Jose State (1)                      105

  10.   Air Force                                      62

  11.     Utah State                                   42

2021-22 PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM

Pos.     Name                           Yr.                   Team

G      McKenna Hofschild    Sr.          Colorado State

G           Haley Cavinder         Jr.                     Fresno State

G           Hanna Cavinder         Jr.                    Fresno State

G/F       Antonia Anderson      Sr.                  New Mexico

C          Desi-Rae Young          So.                  UNLV

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Haley Cavinder, Jr., Guard, Fresno State

PRESEASON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Asia Avinger, Fr. Guard, San Diego State

PRESEASON NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Kylie Jimenez, Sr., Guard, Nevada