Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Baugus, Kone Earn Preseason All-Conference Honors, MTSU Picked Second in CUSA
10/8/2026 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DALLAS – Middle Tennessee sophomore guard Blair Baugus and senior guard Mya Kone have been named to the 2026-27 Conference USA Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team, while the Blue Raiders were picked second in the league's preseason poll, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Middle Tennessee received one first-place vote and totaled 84 points in the preseason poll, finishing just six points behind preseason favorite Missouri State. Liberty was picked third with 83 points.
Baugus returns for her sophomore season after a record-setting freshman campaign that saw her earn CUSA First Team All-Conference, CUSA Freshman of the Year and CUSA All-Freshman Team honors. She also earned eight CUSA Player of the Week awards.
The Tennessee native started all 33 games for the Blue Raiders in 2025-26, averaging 13.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. She led Middle Tennessee in rebounding and finished the season with 304 boards while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from three-point range.
Baugus recorded 15 double-doubles, the second-most among all NCAA Division I freshmen, while scoring in double figures 22 times and recording 10 or more rebounds in 18 games. She scored 20 or more points six times, including a career-high 29 points against Missouri State.
Kone joins the Blue Raiders as an experienced Conference USA player following two seasons at FIU. The Miami transfer was named the 2024-25 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year after earning CUSA Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2023-24.
As a sophomore at FIU, Kone played in all 33 games and averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. She led the Panthers in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots while recording eight double-doubles and reaching double figures in scoring 19 times.
Kone closed the 2023-24 season with a double-double against Troy in the Second Round of the WNIT, finishing with 13 points and 15 rebounds. She followed that breakout season by being selected as the league's preseason player of the year entering 2024-25. In her lone appearance that season, Kone recorded 21 points and 14 rebounds before an injury ended her season.
The 2026-27 season marks the first under head coach Matt Insell, who enters his first season leading the Blue Raiders after previously serving as an associate head coach at Middle Tennessee for eight seasons.
The Blue Raiders will host a pair of exhibition games against Lemoyne-Owen on Monday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m. and Johnson on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m., before opening the 2026-27 season at home on Monday, Nov. 2, against Saint Louis. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will air on the Blue Raider Network and broadcast on ESPN+.
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2026-27 CUSA Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Kaemyn Bekemeier, Missouri State, Sr., G
2026-27 CUSA Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Sophia Gregory, Liberty, Jr., F
Ify Nwaobi, Liberty, Jr., F
Emmy Stout, Liberty, Jr., C
Blair Baugus, MTSU, So., G
Mya Kone, MTSU, Sr., G
Kaemyn Bekemeier, Missouri State, Sr., G
Lainie Douglas, Missouri State, Jr., F
Maiesha Wasington, Missouri State, So., F
Deborah Ogayemi, Sam Houston, Gr., F
Trinity Rowe, WKU, Jr., G
2026-27 CUSA Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
- Missouri State (8) – 90 pts.
- MTSU (1) – 84 pts.
- Liberty (1) – 83 pts.
- FIU – 70 pts.
- Sam Houston – 60 pts.
- WKU – 42 pts.
- Delaware – 37 pts.
- NM State – 31 pts.
- Jax State – 29 pts.
- 10. Kennesaw State – 24 pts.
