Mel Greenberg previews the women's City Six basketball teams

Here is a look at the women's City Six basketball teams.

The season will open Friday night with Temple at St, Joseph's, Lafayette at La Salle, and Villanova at 10th-ranked Mississippi State. On Sunday afternoon, Penn will visit Duke, and on Wednesday Drexel will be at Vanderbilt.

Last season: 23-12

Coach: Tonya Cardoza (9th season). Record at Temple: 164-101.

Outlook: Picked second by the American Athletic Association coaches behind the behemoth that is four-time defending NCAA champion Connecticut, the Owls return four of five starters and nine of 10 letter-winners. They are looking to parlay two deep runs in the WNIT into a return to the NCAA tournament in March.

The roster features talented guards in junior Aliyah Butts, the sole all-AAC team unanimous pick, and senior Feyonda Fitzgerald, another all-AAC preseason pick. Juniors Tanaya Atkinson, Donnaizha Fountain, and Khadijah Berger also should contributre.

Size comes by way of 6-foot-4 seniors Safiya Martin and Taylor Robinson, 6-2 senior Monasia Bolduc and 6-0 Ruth Sherill. Two freshmen, 6-4 Shannen Atkinson and 6-3 Shantay Taylor, also should be in the mix.

Last season: 20-12

Coach: Harry Perretta (39th season). Record at Villanova: 703-439.

Overview: Perretta has talent in both his veterans and newcomers, and how quickly he gets them to blend will determine how successful they might be.

A new star on the Main Line might be junior guard-forward Jannah Tucker, a transfer from Tennessee who lit up Division II East Stroudsburg for 21 points in a recent exhibition game. Freshman Kelly Jekot was named the top Big East preseason freshman.

A new sister act will be on display in redshirt freshman Bridget Herlinhy, who had 15 points in the ESU game, and true freshman Brianna Herlinhy.

Junior Alex Louin, a Mount St. Joseph's graduate, and sophomore Adrianna Hahn, last season's rookie sensation, made the all-Big East preseason team. Other veterans are senior Jordan Dillard and junior Meghan Quinn. Two other freshman of note are Mary Gedaka of Gloucester Catholic High and redshirt Grace Stant.

Last season: 24-5

Coach: Mike McLaughlin (8th season). Record at Penn: 111-92.

Outlook: A unanimous pick by the media to repeat as Ivy League champions, the Quakers are loaded with experience and depth and are no longer the doormat among the Big Five women.

Penn has two bona-fide WNBA prospects in 6-3 shot-blocking senior sensation Sydney Stipanovich, the reigning Ivy player of the year and a defensive star, and 6-3 junior Michelle Nwokedi. Senior forward Jackie Falconer adds to the frontcourt attack.

Perimeter shooters among the guards are senior Kasey Chambers and juniors Lauren Whitlatch, Anna Ross, and Beth Brzozowski. Standouts among the newcomers include Germantown Academy graduate Kendall Grasela, Phoebe Sterba, 6-4 Emily Anderson, Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, and junior Alexis Glasgow, a transfer from Northwestern.

The inaugural four-team Ivy League tournament is scheduled for the Palestra in March.

Last season: 5-25

Coach: Jeff Williams (7th season). Record at La Salle: 67-114.

Outlook: Despite a 12th-place forecast in the Atlantic Ten by the conference coaches, the Explorers have experience with leading scorer Amy Griffin (17.7 ppg.), a junior and preseason second-team all-A-10 pick, and seniors Micahaya Owens (13.4 ppg.) and Jasmine Alston. Alston is a preseason A-10 all-defense pick.

Two promising newcomers are freshmen Shaquana Edwards, the Gatorade Connecticut state player of the year out of Hartford, and Shalina Miller, an all-Catholic honoree out of Bonner-Prendergast High.

Last season: 14-15

Coach: Cindy Griffin (16th season). Record at St. Joseph's: 273-198.

Outlook: The Hawks, a traditional A-10 favorite, have been dealt an underdog role with a preseason ranking of eighth by the conference coaches. A loss of three starters could be a reason, but hope is offered through senior forward Amanda Fiorvanti and junior forwards Chelsea Woods and Adashia Franklyn, the daughter of Temple great Marilyn Stephens. Franklyn starred in the local women's summer league.

Also among the veterans is sophomore guard Alyssa Monaghan, a two-time Catholic League MVP at Bonner-Prendergast.

Redshirt sophomore guard Avery Marz, a former Philadelphia Belles AAU standout and top prospect, is fully recovered from a stroke. Guard-forward Katie Armstrong, out of Perkiomen Valley High, and Nailah Delinois are the Hawks' only freshmen.

Last season: 19-14

Coach: Denise Dillon (14th season). Record at Drexel: 503-483.

Overview: Picked third in the Colonial Athletic Association, the Dragons offer a veteran force in the trio of senior Meghan Creighton, named to the Nancy Lieberman point guard watch list; senior forward Sarah Curran; and senior guard Jessica Pellechio, who originally played at VCU. Junior forward Kelsi Lidge should also be a significant contributor.

Dillon, a Villanova graduate, has three prized newcomers: Archbishop Wood's Aubree Brown, who was redshirted, and Bailey Greenberg, the daughter of former La Salle men's star Chip Greenberg and niece of former Explorers women's great Kelly Greenberg. The other freshman, Niki Mentzel, comes off a high school state championship at Rutgers Prep.

Then there is the foreign legion group of sophomore Eline Maesschalck of Belgium, sophomore Tereza Kracikova of the Czech Republic, and freshman Ana Ferariu from Romania. Redshirt sophomore Megan Marecic is from Bethel Park, Pa.