Dayton Flyers Ranked Fifth in Atlantic 10 Poll

The conference released its preseason basketball poll following the announcement of individual honors for two Dayton players.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a basketball player in red and navy, capturing the kinetic motion of collegiate play. — The Atlantic 10 Conference ranked the Dayton Flyers fifth in its 2026-27 women's basketball preseason poll following recent roster adjustments. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Atlantic 10 Conference has officially placed the Dayton Flyers fifth in its 2026-27 women's basketball preseason poll. The team enters the season managing roster adjustments following a series of player injuries.

Why it matters

The preseason ranking sets expectations for the Flyers as they look to build on their program history, which includes a regular-season championship title won in 2022.

Olivia Leung enters the season after averaging 8.7 points per game last year, while teammate Fatima Ibrahim recorded 7.3 points per game. The current Dayton roster consists of 12 players, including five newcomers.

The players

Tamika Williams-Jeter

She serves as the head coach of the Dayton Flyers women's basketball program.

Olivia Leung

She is a key player for Dayton who earned a selection to the Atlantic 10 preseason third team.

Fatima Ibrahim

She is a defensive standout for the Dayton Flyers who was named to the Atlantic 10 all-defensive team.

The details

Head coach Tamika Williams-Jeter holds a career record of 54-67 at Dayton and is working to integrate three freshmen and two transfers into the rotation. Despite these changes, the squad received individual recognition with Leung earning a spot on the preseason third team and Ibrahim being named to the all-defensive team.

2022: Dayton secured the regular-season championship.
October 19, 2026: The Atlantic 10 released the preseason poll.
November 5, 2026: Dayton hosts Illinois State at UD Arena.
November 9, 2026: Dayton faces Penn State at home.

Season Trajectory

The preseason ranking establishes a benchmark for the Flyers as they attempt to return to the top of the conference standings. The team must navigate early injury challenges to improve upon their projected mid-table position throughout the conference schedule.

Fans should monitor the status of the injured players as the team prepares to host Illinois State on November 5 and Penn State on November 9. The successful integration of the three freshmen and two transfers will be critical to determining if the team exceeds their current fifth-place projection.

The takeaway

The Flyers are positioning themselves for a competitive season despite needing to integrate several new faces into the roster. Staying healthy will remain the most important factor for the team to climb the conference rankings in the coming months.