INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Horizon League released its 2023-24 Women's Basketball Preseason Teams and Preseason Poll Wednesday afternoon, with Cleveland State senior Destiny Leo earning #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year honors once again.
Leo, who earns Preseason Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, is the only Viking in program history to earn the recognition more than once.
As a three-time all-league honoree – and reigning 2022-23 #HLWBB Player of the Year – Leo returns as Cleveland State's leading scorer from a season ago, as she averaged 17.9 points per game to lead all league players. In addition, Leo led the Vikings and the league with a .911 free throw percentage (164-180), which ranked seventh among all Division I players last season.
Leo enters her senior campaign at the top of the CSU Career Record Book in Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.389) and Free Throw Percentage (.903), while ranking third with 214 Three-Point Field Goals and 11th with 1,433 Total Points.
2023-24 HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON FIRST TEAM
Destiny Leo, Cleveland State {Preseason Player of the Year}
Bailey Butler, Green Bay
Jazmyn Turner, IUPUI
Brooke Quarles-Daniels, Oakland
Amellia Bromenschenkel, Purdue Fort Wayne
2023-24 HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON SECOND TEAM
Irene Murua, Detroit Mercy
Kendall Nead, Milwaukee
Kailee Davis, Northern Kentucky
Shayla Sellers, Purdue Fort Wayne
Malia Magestro, Youngstown State
In the 2023-24 Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Vikings were selected to finish second, picking up 107 points. In addition to Leo, the Vikings return five letterwinners from last season's team that captured the 2023 #HLWBB Tournament Championship and set a program record with 30 wins on the year.
This marks the third time in program history that the Vikings were selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with Cleveland State also tabbed in the top-two prior to the 2011-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
Cleveland State posted a 30-5 record last season, marking the fifth 20-win campaign in program history and the third over the last four years. The Vikings' #HLWBB Tournament Title marked the third in program history, while they earned the program's highest seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The Vikings will be under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who eclipsed the 500-win mark last season and currently owns a 512-170 career record. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 96-54, and has guided the Vikings to three straight postseason appearances.
Both the preseason poll and preseason all-league teams were voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.
2023-24 HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
1. Green Bay (11) – 121
2. Cleveland State – 107
3. Youngstown State – 95
4. Purdue Fort Wayne – 90
5. Northern Kentucky – 63
6. Milwaukee – 59
7. Wright State – 54
8. Oakland – 53
9. IUPUI – 49
10. Detroit Mercy – 21
11. RMU – 14
