SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior women's basketball team was selected to finish fourth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in the 2023-24 season, as the league released its preseason poll in an announcement Thursday.
 
The Yellowjackets picked up 32 points in the poll of UMAC coaches. Leading the poll with seven-out-of-eight first place votes is Northwestern, picking up 49 points. The Rams of North Central earned the final first place vote with 42 points, while Minnesota Morris secured a third-place finish with 36 points.
 
UW-Superior welcomes eight new players to the program this season. The top returners for the Yellowjackets are headlined by senior Erika Mattson (Ely, Minn./Ely Memorial), and juniors Elise Besonen (Ewen, Mich./Ewen-Trout Creek) and Katie Dobson (Black River Falls, Wis./Black River Falls).
 
Mattson played in all 24 games for the Yellowjackets last season, compiling 338 minutes and averaging 14.1 minutes per game. Securing a .374 field goal percentage, she also ended the campaign with a .364 free-throw percentage and was responsible for 96 points. Defensively Mattson totaled 80 rebounds, blocked four opposing shots, and tallied 16 steals.
 
Besonen was slated to the All-UMAC Honorable Mention list in 2022-23, starting all 24 games. Averaging 7.5 points per game and 181 total points (third-best on the team), she compiled a team-leading 36 steals and tallied 77 rebounds. Besonen also played the most minutes with 721, averaging 30 per game.
 
Dobson played in 22 out of 24 games for the Yellowjackets. Starting 19, she was fourth in total minutes with 527, averaging 24 minutes per game. Offensively Dobson boasted a .415 field goal percentage, a .376 three-point percentage and a .818 free throw percentage. She was ranked fifth-best in FG%, while being tabbed second-best for three-point and free throw percentages. For her efforts, she was slated to the All-UMAC Honorable Mention list.
 
Following UWS in the circuit's preseason poll in fifth place was Bethany Lutheran with 23 points and Crown in sixth with 18 points. Rounding out the conference in seventh place is Martin Luther with 17 points and Northland with seven points.
 
The Yellowjackets begin the 2023-24 campaign Saturday, Nov. 11 against Denison. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Ratner Center, on the campus of the University of Chicago.