Riley Casey & Sydney Wagner Named Preseason All-CAA
William & Mary women's basketball graduate students Riley Casey MBA '23 and Sydney Wagner MBA '23 were named to the Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team, the league announced on Thursday.
The Tribe duo earned a spot on the first team alongside Charleston's Jenna Annecchiarico, Towson's Anissa Rivera, and Drexel's Keishana Washington. Washington was also named the preseason player of the year in the league.
A stalwart presence in the backcourt, Wagner was ranked 28th in the nation and led the conference in minutes played per game at 36.54 last season. Her efforts earned her third-team All-CAA honors as she led the Tribe in points per game (14.6) and points overall (408). Wagner also ranked among the CAA leaders in scoring (ninth at 14.6 ppg), assists (ninth at 3.3 apg), and steals (11th at 1.7 spg). Additionally, she scored her 1,000th career point in W&M's win at UNCW.
In her first season with the Green and Gold last year, Casey was named third-team All-CAA. She joined Wagner as one of the conference's top offensive performers, leading the CAA in 3-point shooting (37.9%) and three-pointers per game (2.7). Casey notched seven 20-plus point performances, including a 27-point showing against Charleston that saw her knock down a season-high seven three-pointers.
Drexel was the preseason favorite to win the CAA with 10 first-place votes. Charleston (1), Stony Brook, Elon, Towson (2), and Delaware rounded out the top six. William & Mary came in seventh in the preseason standings, with Northeastern and North Carolina A&T following. Hampton and Monmouth tied for a projected tenth-place finish, while UNCW and Hofstra filled the final two spots.
The Tribe opens the season against Navy on Monday, Nov. 7, with a men's and women's doubleheader. The women's game starts at 5 p.m. with the men to follow at 7:30 p.m. inside Kaplan Arena.
