LOS ANGELES -- For the third straight season, the Gonzaga women's basketball team was picked as the West Coast Conference preseason favorite. Shelby Cheslek and Elle Tinkle were both named to the preseason All-WCC team. The poll and team were both announced at the fifth annual #WCChoops Tip-Off event Monday.

The Zags, which have won the last 11 regular season WCC titles, received six of the nine possible first-place votes for 78 points in the poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. BYU was picked second and received four first-place votes and 76 points. It marked the third time GU and the Cougars were the top two teams in the poll since BYU joined the conference four years ago.

The two-point separation is also the second closest margin between first and second in the poll over the last 10 years. BYU had a 61-60 edge over the Bulldogs in the 2012-13 poll, before Gonzaga won the conference regular season title for the ninth straight season. The Zags have now been picked the WCC preseason favorite in eight of the last 11 years.

Saint Mary's (61), San Diego (58) and San Francisco (51) rounded out the top half of this year's preseason poll.

In the preseason All-Conference selections, Tinkle received the recognition for the first time. She was named to the All-WCC First Team last season after averaging 14.9 points per game during conference play, which was ninth in the WCC. In conference action, the senior was second in the league shooting 50.6 percent from the field, and 43.8 percent from behind-the-arc, which was fourth in the WCC. Also in conference play, she was fifth in steals (2.1), seventh in blocks (1.0), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.9), and 16th in rebounds (5.9).

Cheslek, a two-time honorable mention Academic All-Conference selection, also received her first preseason All-WCC nod. Last year, she averaged 1.6 blocks per game, which was third in the West Coast Conference. The senior was also fourth in the WCC averaging 8.2 rebounds per outing. She recorded four double-doubles in 2014-15, while grabbing at least eight rebounds in 14 games.

In her first season as head coach, Lisa Fortier led the Zags to a 26-8 overall mark that ended in the Sweet 16. She was tabbed the Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year following the phenomenal season.

Gonzaga has amassed a conference record of 152-14 (.916) during its 11-straight West Coast Conference regular season titles.

The Bulldogs open 2015-16 by hosting Carroll College (Mont.) in an exhibition on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., then officially start the regular season against Air Force on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m.

2015-16 WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll

2015-16 All-WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Team