BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Valdosta State junior women's basketball standout Erin Whalen was named to the All-Gulf South Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Team, the league office announced Monday.  In addition, the Lady Blazers were picked fifth in the preseason coaches' poll.  
 
Defending league champion Union was tabbed league favorite with ten first-place votes and 119 points, topping the preseason league predictions for the sixth time in seven seasons.  Lee was picked second with 107 points, followed by The University of Alabama at Huntsville with 106 points and the remaining two first-place votes.  West Florida was picked fourth with 92 points, followed by VSU with 80 points. 
 
Delta State was picked sixth (55), while Mississippi College was tabbed seventh with 54 points, followed by Montevallo (53), Auburn Montgomery (41) and West Alabama rounded out the top ten with 40 points.  Trevecca Nazarene was picked 11^th with 33 points and Christian Brothers was selected 12^th with 12 points.
 
Whalen, who had an outstanding sophomore campaign for VSU earning second team all-conference honors a season ago, joins UAH duo of Millie Brown and Lili Wilken, along with Union's Olivia Lee and West Alabama's Kendall Lacoste on the preseason all-league team.  
 
A Cumming, Ga., native, Whalen played in 29 games with 27 starts for the 17-12 Lady Blazers in 2024-25 who finished 12-10 in Gulf South Conference play under first year head coach Chandler Merkerson.  Whalen averaged 10.7 points per game last season and went 132 of 321 from the field (.411), while draining 28 triples in 93 attempts for a .301 clip.  Whalen finished with 251 rebounds and a team-best 8.7 average on the glass, while she had 54 assists and a team-high 58 steals for the season averaging 30.7 minutes per game.  She had 18 games in double figures and 11 games double double-digit rebounds, along with 13 double-doubles.  She earned GSC Academic Honor Roll accolades for the second-straight season.
 
In addition to the preseason all-conference team and predicted conference standings, the GSC All-Newcomer Team also was announced as honorees were submitted by their coaches.  For VSU, sophomore College of Charleston transfer Raeanne Eccleston, along with sophomore Western New Mexico transfer Alina Martin and sophomore Cedarville (Ohio) transfer Ka'Miah Pryor were named to the newcomer team.  Click here for the All-Newcomer Team.
 
For the third consecutive season, GSC basketball will be streamed exclusive on FloCollege. For subscription prices and how to sign-up for FloCollege, click here. 
 
The 2025-26 season tips off on Friday, Nov. 7, with all 12 programs opening conference play on December 4. Teams will play a double-round robin conference schedule that will comprise of 20 games over 12 weeks. 

The league will take winter break December 22-28. The 2026 GSC Women's Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 2-8. Click here to see the full schedule.

VSU opens the 2025-26 season with the annual regional crossover as West Florida, Eckerd College and Palm Beach Atlantic all visit The Complex on Nov. 14-15, 2025.  Click here for the 2025-26 schedule.
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