Photo by: Katie Gilmore
Lezama, McElrath Earn Preseason All-CAA Women's Basketball Honors; Team Picked 10th
10.15.26 | Women's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 15, 2026) … The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) announced its 2026-27 Women's Basketball Preseason Awards and Coaches Poll on Thursday and Hampton had two players earn honors. Kayla Lezama was picked as a second team honoree, while Kiki McElrath was an honorable mention selection.
Lezama, a Boston, Mass. native, was a third team All-CAA pick last season when she averaged 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In CAA games, she topped the league in three-point percentage (.389), was second in free throw percentage (.900) and 11th in scoring (13.1 ppg).
She put on a three-game stretch to start conference averaging 25 points per game with 23 at Elon (1/4/26), a career-high 29 against Charleston (1/11/26) and 23 at William & Mary (1/16/26).
McElrath, a Columbus, Ohio native, averaged 13.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 assists per game last season. She had seven games of 20 or more points topped by 23 against N.C. A&T (2/1/26). Made a team-best 59 three-pointers – topped by five twice against Edward Waters at HBCU Invitational (12/6/25) and against Elon in CAA Tournament (3/12/26).
Last season in the CAA she ranked third in free throw percentage (.811), sixth in three-pointers made per game (1.9), eight in scoring, 10th in three-point percentage (.282) and 17th in field goal percentage (.364).
In the coaches poll, the Pirates were picked 10th with Northeastern, Campbell and UNCW trailing them. Monmouth picked up 12 of the 13 first-place votes to take the top spot, followed by Elon and Drexel.
Hampton opens its season with a pair of games in Texas as they'll face Houston on Nov. 2 and SMU on Nov. 5.
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Lezama, a Boston, Mass. native, was a third team All-CAA pick last season when she averaged 12.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In CAA games, she topped the league in three-point percentage (.389), was second in free throw percentage (.900) and 11th in scoring (13.1 ppg).
She put on a three-game stretch to start conference averaging 25 points per game with 23 at Elon (1/4/26), a career-high 29 against Charleston (1/11/26) and 23 at William & Mary (1/16/26).
McElrath, a Columbus, Ohio native, averaged 13.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 assists per game last season. She had seven games of 20 or more points topped by 23 against N.C. A&T (2/1/26). Made a team-best 59 three-pointers – topped by five twice against Edward Waters at HBCU Invitational (12/6/25) and against Elon in CAA Tournament (3/12/26).
Last season in the CAA she ranked third in free throw percentage (.811), sixth in three-pointers made per game (1.9), eight in scoring, 10th in three-point percentage (.282) and 17th in field goal percentage (.364).
In the coaches poll, the Pirates were picked 10th with Northeastern, Campbell and UNCW trailing them. Monmouth picked up 12 of the 13 first-place votes to take the top spot, followed by Elon and Drexel.
Hampton opens its season with a pair of games in Texas as they'll face Houston on Nov. 2 and SMU on Nov. 5.
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| Preseason Poll (1st Place Votes) | Points |
| Monmouth (12) | 144 |
| Elon | 116 |
| Drexel | 109 |
| William & Mary (1) | 108 |
| Towson | 99 |
| North Carolina A&T | 89 |
| Stony Brook | 88 |
| Charleston | 71 |
| Hofstra | 56 |
| Hampton | 51 |
| Northeastern | 35 |
| Campbell | 30 |
| UNCW | 18 |
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Players Mentioned
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