Despite being voted to finish first in the Patriot League for the first time in women’s basketball history, Loyola Maryland has adopted “Prove It” as its team motto.

Koi Sims is taking the same approach.

Sims, a 6-foot power forward, sat out last season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the previous campaign. When she steps on the court on Nov. 7 at James Madison, it will mark her first appearance in a game in 652 days — and launch her objective of being a key cog in the team’s goals this winter.

“I’m excited to get back out on the court and be able to prove it myself and go hard and get everything back that I wasn’t able to do while I was out with my injury,” the Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate said.

Coach Danielle O’Banion believes that if Sims had played last year, the Greyhounds (16-15, 10-8 Patriot League) would have captured the conference’s regular-season title and had a better-than-average chance of playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994-95.

“She adds a degree of toughness that we were missing,” O’Banion said of Sims.

Sims’ return is expected to strengthen a frontcourt anchored by 6-1 senior power forward Alexa Therien, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 15.7 points on 55.4% shooting, 10.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals last winter.

Here’s what else you need to know about the other Baltimore-area women’s college basketball teams:

Coppin State

Coach: Jermaine Woods, third season

Last season: 12-18, 8-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Postseason: MEAC Tournament semifinal, No. 4 seed

Preseason conference poll: Third of eight teams

Starters gone (2): SF Faith Blackstone (11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg), PG Mossi Staples (6.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg)

Starters back (3): PF Laila Lawrence (14.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.7 spg), SG Angel Jones (10.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg), SG Tiffany Hammond (6.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg)

One-liner: The Eagles will lean on Lawrence, an All-MEAC preseason first-team selection, and Jones, a preseason second-team choice, to see if they can improve on last year’s run to the MEAC Tournament semifinal, which was their first appearance since 2016.

Loyola Maryland

Coach: Danielle O’Banion, fourth season

Last season: 16-15, 10-8 Patriot League

Postseason: Patriot League Tournament semifinal, No. 4 seed

Preseason conference poll: First of 10 teams

Starters gone (1): SF Ava Therien (7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Starters back (4): PF Alexa Therien (15.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 spg), PG Laura Salmerón (10.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.6 apg), SG Kelly Ratigan (8.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), SG Meliah Van-Otoo (4.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.4 spg)

One-liner: With Ava Therien as the only loss from last year’s roster, the Greyhounds return 88.5% of their scoring, 87.1% of their rebounding, 86.8% of their assists and 92.6% of their steals.

Maryland

Coach: Brenda Frese, 23rd season

Last season: 19-14, 9-9 Big Ten

Postseason: Big Ten Tournament semifinal, No. 8 seed; NCAA Tournament first round, No. 10 seed

Preseason conference poll: Fourth of 18 teams

Starters gone (2): PF Jakia Brown-Turner (13.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 apg), SG Brinae Alexander (9.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

Starters back (3): PG Shyanne Sellers (15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.5 apg), SG Bri McDaniel (12.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.7 spg), PF Allie Kubek (9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

One-liner: The arrival of seven transfers — led by Arkansas shooting guard and Middletown native Saylor Poffenbarger (10.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg) and Virginia Commonwealth point guard Sarah Te-Biasu (16.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.0 spg) — will be crucial in determining whether the Terps can contend with USC, UCLA, Ohio State and Indiana in a deep Big Ten.

Morgan State

Coach: Edward Davis Jr., ninth season

Last season: 8-22, 3-11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Postseason: MEAC Tournament quarterfinal, No. 7 seed

Preseason conference poll: Fifth of eight teams

Starters gone (3): SF Joelle Johnson (8.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 apg), SG Sedayjha Payne (6.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 spg), SG Amari Smith (5.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Starters back (2): PG Gabrielle Johnson (6.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.7 apg), SG Emily Jones (2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 spg)

One-liner: Power forward Laila Fair, who was named to the All-MEAC preseason third team, averaged 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds despite playing in just 15 games, including 12 starts.

Mount St. Mary’s

Coach: Antoine White, fourth season

Last season: 14-17, 10-10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Postseason: MAAC Tournament quarterfinal, No. 6 seed

Preseason conference poll: Seventh of 13 teams

Starters gone (3): PG Jessica Tomasetti (13.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg), PG Jada Lee (9.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.0 spg), PF Isabella Hunt (8.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg)

Starters back (2): SG Jo Raflo (12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg), SF Jaedyn Jamison (2.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

One-liner: Finding consistent 3-point shooting will be a premium for the Mountaineers, who return without two of their top three snipers in Tomasetti (41 3-point baskets) and Lee (18) from a year ago.

Navy

Coach: Tim Taylor, fifth season

Last season: 14-17, 9-9 Patriot League

Postseason: Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal, No. 7 seed

Preseason conference poll: Seventh of 10 teams

Starters gone (1): SF Sydne Watts (8.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Starters back (4): SG Zanai Barnett-Gay (18.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.0 spg), PG Kyah Smith (12.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg), SG Maren Louridas (5.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.7 apg), C Kate Samson (5.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg)

One-liner: After fueling the Midshipmen’s 13-win improvement from 2022-23, Barnett-Gay and Smith seek to build on explosive debuts as freshmen.

Towson

Coach: Laura Harper, third season

Last season: 20-11, 11-7 Coastal Athletic Association

Postseason: CAA Tournament semifinal, No. 6 seed

Preseason conference poll: Third of 14 teams

Starters gone (2): SG Kylie Kornegay-Lucas (12.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.3 spg, 1.2 bpg), PF Quinzia Fulmore (7.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Starters back (3): SG Patricia Anumgba (14.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.4 spg), PG Alexia Nelson (9.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg), SF Anaiah Jenkins (2.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

One-liner: The Tigers must turn to other sources to replace 36.8% of their scoring, 43.6% of their rebounding, 36.5% of their assists and 46.7% of their steals from last year’s team.

UMBC

Coach: Candice Hill, first season

Last season: 10-19, 6-10 America East

Postseason: America East Tournament quarterfinal, No. 6 seed

Preseason conference poll: Sixth of nine teams

Starters gone (2): C Anna Blount (13.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg), PG Trinity Palacio (6.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Starters back (3): SG Jaliena Sanchez (8.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.0 apg), SF Jaden Walker (7.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), SF Jordon Lewis (7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

One-liner: One of Hill’s top priorities in her debut at the helm should be fixing a defense that ranked second-to-last in the America East in points allowed (63 per game) and opponents’ field-goal percentage (.422).