University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball Celebrates 40 Years
10/28/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss Athletic Department announced the women's basketball 40th-Year Anniversary, in conjunction with the Lady Eagles' game against UTEP on Jan. 10. This will be the first reunion since the 30-year reunion in 2004-05 season.
Events for the day include a tour of campus, a pre-game Lady Eagles' alumni basketball game and a special post-game social. All former Lady Eagles are asked to email stanisha.garlington@eagles.usm.edu or call 601-266-6984 in an effort to continue to build a database to send out invitations to this once-in-a-lifetime event.
"We're just so excited about the opportunity to have all the former players returning for this celebration," said the reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year Joye Lee-McNelis. "It's because of them that our players now have the privilege to play at a high level. They laid the foundation and our players now are reaping the benefits. It is our goal to make sure our team continues to work very hard to build upon the winning tradition here at Southern Miss so they, too, can create memories with the Lady Eagle basketball program that will last a lifetime."
Twelve teams have played in post season with the most recent being the 2013-14 team that advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Eight teams have participated in the NCAA Tournament including the 1993-94 squad that advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16".
Forty-one players have earned all-conference accolades, five conference tournament MVP's, four Players of the Year, three Freshmen of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year and one Defensive Player of the Year.
Janice Felder (1990-94), perhaps the most decorated player in Lady Eagle history, was named to the 1994 Kodak All-American First Team while earning Kodak Honorable mention honors in 1991-92 and 1992-93. Felder Also earned Women's Basketball News Service All-American honors in 1991-92. She was also named Metro Conference Player of the Year three consecutive years as well as earning four consecutive first team all-conference honors. She is the all-time leader in points and rebounds and the only women's basketball player in the Legend's Club.
Most recently, Jamierra Faulkner (2010-14) completed her career becoming just the third player in Southern Miss history to top the 2,000-point plateau. Faulkner became the school's and Conference USA's all-time leader in assists and steals. She was drafted in the third round of the WNBA by the Chicago Sky. Faulkner guided the 2013-14 team to a school-tying record of 27 wins and a second-place finish in C-USA. She won the 2014 C Spire Gillom Trophy, awarded to the top female collegiate basketball player in Mississippi.
Other Southern Miss greats include, Portland McCaskill (1981-85) was the first player to earn All-American honors as she was named to the Fast Break All-America team in 1984-85. Lesha Franklin (1986-88)-Fast Break All-America Third Team in 1987-88, Brenda Williams (1986-87)-Fast Break All-America Honorable Mention, Gina Griffin (1986-90)-AWSF Fast Break Magazine All-American Fourth Team in 1989-90, Brandy Reed (1994-96) -UPI Honorable Mention All-American in 1995-96, and Kendra Reed (2005-09)-National Strength and Conditioning All-American in 2006. Brandy Reed was named the first Conference USA Player of the Year in the inaugural season. Diana Lyons (1977-79), who earned MAIAW All-Region III honors in 1977-78. Lyons, along with Nancy Faulk (1977-81), was named MAIAW All-State for two-straight seasons.
The Lady Eagles have also had representation for academic success as well. Three players have received Conference USA All-Academic team honors a total of five times including Kristin Chaney (2005-07), Kendra Reed, who was a three-time honoree, and Liz Biland (2004-08). Chaney and Reed earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine All-District First Team honors.
The program has only had four coaches over the 40 years with Bob McBee (1975-77), Kay James (1977-99), Rick Reeves (1999-2004) and current head coach Joye Lee-McNelis (2004-present). James was named Conference Coach of the Year three times in the Metro Conference and was the first one named in Conference USA. James also received the Carol Eckman Award in 1998.
Nine Lady Eagles have been inducted into the M-Club Alumni Sports Hall of Fame that include Shirley Jones-Hill (Class of 1986), Portland McCaskill Brown (Class of 1992), Helen Grant (Class of 1993), Joye Lee-McNelis (Class of 1997), Janice Felder (Class of 2000), Nancy Faulk (Class of 2001), Diana Lyons Jones (Class of 2002), Tanya Bullock (Class of 2003), Angela Atterberry Jackson (Class of 2011) and Nedra Hosey (Class of 2014). Kendra Reed was named to the University of Southern Mississippi Hall of Fame (Class of 2006).
