It was announced on Monday that WKU women’s basketball received four and five votes, respectively, in the latest USA Today Preseason Coaches’ Poll and the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll.

“I think it means a lot,” Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard said. “…We’re just trying to get better each and every day. Looking forward to having the opportunity to compete. I also think it says a lot for the players that have been invested these past couple of years and the things that they’ve done.”

The Lady Toppers are loaded with talent this year as they return 2013 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and senior forward Chastity Gooch, redshirt sophomore guard Kendall Noble and senior guard Alexis Govan.

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Gooch and Govan are two of three 1,000-point scorers in Conference USA this season, with 1,322 and 1,050 career points, respectively. Gooch, who was named Conference USA’s Preseason Player of the Year, is the only player in program history to have recorded at least 400 points, 300 rebounds, 50 blocks and 50 steals in a single season.

Noble is coming off a breakout season in which she was named Sun Belt Conference Freshman on the Year and an all-conference second team member after averaging 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 steals in 31 games a season ago.

Govan, who played in just 11 games last season due to a stress fracture in her left tibia, is ready to pick up where she left off.

“I’ve literally counted down the days, counted up the months,” Govan said. “I told Coach Heard when we get on the court for the first time, it’ll be almost 11 months until I was last on Diddle’s court. …I’m just really excited.”

The Lady Toppers will open their 2014-15 campaign tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in an exhibition against Bellarmine University at Diddle Arena.