The Big Green, who finished the 2005-2006 season 23-7, will take on the University of Hartford Hawks (27-4) on their home turf in the opening round on November 10 at 7 p.m.
"For the team to be invited to the tournament is a great accomplishment," Elise Morrison '07 said. "I think we are finally getting the recognition we deserve after working so hard and doing well against many talented opponents."
The Big Green captured national attention last season after nearly upsetting basketball powerhouse Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Rutgers game last March was a heartbreaker as Dartmouth fell five points short of becoming the first 14th-seeded team in history to win a game in the tournament.
If Dartmouth defeats Hartford, the Big Green will take on the winner of the Purdue-Belmont contest on Nov. 12-13 in the second round of the single-elimination tournament. The semifinals will be played on Nov. 15-16 while the final match is scheduled for Nov. 19.
"We're honored to be a part of the preseason WNIT and we're going to do the best we can to represent Dartmouth and the Ivy League," Dartmouth head coach Chris Wielgus said. "It's going to be exciting and challenging to open up this season with a tournament like this."
Dartmouth, Hartford and Purdue are among the eight teams invited to the preseason that played in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, along with Baylor, Brigham Young University, North Carolina State, St. John's and Stanford. However, the trip to the Preseason WNIT will be the first for both the Big Green and the Hawks.
BYU, Hofstra, Idaho State, High Point, Iona, Loyola-Marymount, North Texas and Wichita State round out the 16-team field.
The Hawks enjoyed one of the best seasons in program history last year, winning their second consecutive America East Championship. Their postseason was cut short, however, in the second round of the tournament by 3rd seed Georgia.
All but four Hartford players from last year's team are returning, including two of last year's top three scorers.
"The game against Hartford will be extremely competitive," Morrison said. "Hartford knows that we are not the underdogs; we are a legitimate contender in this game and our team will have that mentality when we play."
The Big Green last clashed with Hartford in the 2004-2005 season in a 72-64 loss, but leads the all-time series 6-5.
Dartmouth, led by nine returning letter-winners, will look to improve on its impressive 23-7 overall record from the 2005-2006 season.
The three rising Big Green seniors, Morrison, Fatima Kamara '07 and Ashley Taylor '07, will lead the team. Morrison, the Ivy League rookie of the year during her freshman year, will return to her center position after missing the 2005-2006 season because of a foot injury.
The Big Green will also have help from three first-year players in the upcoming season.
Michelle Meyer '10, whose older brother Jason Meyer '06 also played basketball for Dartmouth, is a 5'9" guard from Covington, Ohio. Margaret Smith '10 is a 6'1" forward from Ft. Worth, Texas.
Finally, Betsy Williams '10 is a 6'0" guard from nearby Norwich, Vt. Williams averaged 10.3 points per game last season and helped Hanover High School to its second consecutive Class I championship.
