The ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches’ poll came out last week, and the GW women’s basketball team missed the Top 25 by a single point. The Colonials were beat out for the 25th spot by Auburn University, last year’s WNIT winner. The University of Virginia, which went 17-14 last year and lost its leading scorer, came in at a surprising No. 24, 25 points ahead of GW.

The University of Connecticut is atop the poll after winning the last two national championships. The Associated Press poll will be released Monday.

Street and Smith’s magazine put GW 19th in its preseason rankings and ESPN.com’s Nancy Lieberman ranked the Colonials 21st, but only the coaches’ poll and the AP poll affect the Ratings Percentage Index.

“I don’t look at it as a lack of respect,” GW head coach Joe McKeown said. “I think there’s probably 30 to 40 teams in college basketball that could beat each other right now and I think we are in that mix. To me, that’s more important than how good someone else thinks you are.”