MILWAUKEE, Wis. -  With 13 returners including nine upperclassmen, the Milwaukee women's basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League, announced by the league office Thursday morning. After earning All-Freshman Team honors in 2018-19, Megan Walstad was named to this season's Preseason First Team.
 
Voted on by the league coaches, the Panthers collected 57 total poll points to sit in fifth of 10 teams.
 
In total, Milwaukee returns four of its top five scorers and are poised with experience as 10 of the 13 returners saw action in 24 or more contests. After finishing 15-15 overall and 10-8 in the Horizon League a year ago, four of the Panthers' five regular starters are back for the black and gold.
 
In her first year at Milwaukee last season, Walstad appeared in all 30 games and led the team with 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The sophomore converted 54.5 percent of her field goals in 23.6 minutes per game. Joining Walstad on the Preseason First Team is Frankie Wurtz (Green Bay), Macee Williams (IUPUI), Michal Miller (Wright State), and Mary Dunn (Youngstown State).
 
Green Bay and defending Horizon League regular and tournament champions Wright State split first-place votes and were predicted to tie for first with 91 total poll points. The Raiders edged the Phoenix 55-53 in last year's title game.
 
With two first-place votes and 85 total poll points, IUPUI was selected to place third while Youngstown State (71 points) was also ahead of Milwaukee.
 
Northern Kentucky was close behind the Panthers in sixth with 51 points while Cleveland State (37 points) and Oakland (31 points) were predicted to finish seventh and eighth. With 19 and 17 points, respectively, Detroit Mercy and UIC round out the poll.
 
The Panthers are just under two weeks away from first tip off as they host Viterbo University in a 7:00 pm exhibition on Wednesday, October 30. The first official regular season contest is scheduled for November 6 at the Klotsche Center. Tickets along with live coverage links can be found on MKEPanthers.com.