After a subpar season, the Georgetown University women’s basketball team ranked No. 8 in the Big East preseason poll — but Head Coach Darnell Haney believes the team will change the narrative. 

The team’s ranking matched the Hoyas’ final place in the 2025-26 season, which ended in a Big East tournament quarterfinal loss to the University of Connecticut that capped an under-500 record. 

Haney said he will not allow the ranking to define how the team sees itself. 

“I think when you go into this, and you look at what other people or what other people judge as your success in the future, I think that’s a bad and slippery slope to be on,” Haney said in a Big East Media Day press conference. “I think we need to judge our performance on how we see ourselves every single day in practice, how we see ourselves every single day in those games.”

The Hoyas finished last year’s season with a 14-17 record (6-14 Big East). 

Haney said eighth is not where the Georgetown program belongs.

“I envision this program to be one of the prominent programs in the Big East, and one of the prominent programs in the country,” Haney said. “And we’re doing everything we have to do to do that.”

Senior forward Brianna Byars said she understands why Georgetown was ranked where it was, given last season’s results, but anticipates that number to rise throughout the season.

“Considering how the year went, I would say it’s pretty accurate,” Byars told The Hoya. “I think once games start rolling, I think that will change. I think our rank will go up.”

Moving up in the rankings will be a challenge for a roster with little continuity. Georgetown brought in eight newcomers this season, while returning just four players: Byars, senior guard Khia Miller, junior guard Destiny Agubata and junior guard Amanda Ajobiewe. 

The Hoyas’ offense will be critical. Byars said she plans to take on more of a scoring role to fill gaps left by departing players.

“I’ll have to step up on the scoring end more, whether it’s just a little bit or a lot,” Byars said. “You know, some games probably need it more than most.”

Haney said first-year guard Bo Frost, who has represented Great Britain in international play, demonstrates how far the Georgetown name travels.

“Georgetown is a brand,” Haney said. “Georgetown women’s basketball is a brand. Starbucks is a brand. Chick-fil-A is a brand. High academic, high-level athletics is the brand that you’re going to get, and that brand reaches leaps and bounds outside of the United States.”

“She can shoot the cover off the ball, she’s got a very high IQ and she’s playing amongst pro players where she was playing before,” Haney added.

With so many new faces, the players made clear that chemistry matters.

Agubata said the team’s success is dependent on their close bond.

“Winning is built on the power of friendship,” Agubata said. “So, making sure that we’re bonded and locked in is very important.”

Byars said she agreed.

“Friendship is very important,” Byars said. “It’ll take you a long way, so I think just having that and then building a culture around the friendship that we do create is going to be a big piece of the tightest moments.”

Byars said the team’s personality will translate into entertaining basketball and urged fans to come to games. 

“For this year I would say our team has much more personality, whether it’s off the floor, on the floor,” Byars said. “We have a really great group of young ladies, and I think that it’s gonna show. I think it’s gonna show in ways that people aren’t expecting women to show it.”

“I think it’ll be a great experience, and just as a student, why not?” Byars added.

Haney said that he aims to recruit players whose personalities mesh with his own.

“When I go into the portal, I’m going to get a player that I know we need at that position or that type of player, but I’m also going to get a player with the personality that I think can fit me,” Haney said. “And I know we’re kind of speed dating when we’re going into the portal, but the personality has to fit right.”