Southern Miss Women's Basketball Completes First Official Practice

Southern Miss Women's Basketball Completes First Official Practice

10/17/2020 7:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

HATTTIESBURG, Miss. - The 2020-21 Southern Miss women's basketball team took the floor for its first official preseason practice on Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum.

Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis returns for her 17^th season at the helm of the Southern Miss women's basketball program in the 2020-21 season with a team that will look to improve upon a 15-15 record a season ago.

Returning just 55 starts from last season, veteran players will be asked to step up for the Golden Eagles and bring leadership to an inexperienced squad. Daishai Almond will once again run the point for the Lady Eagles after dishing out 120 assists in 27 starts as a sophomore. Seniors Allie Kennedy and Jalise Smallwood will also see an increased role on the court while providing senior leadership for the Golden Eagles. Kelsey Jones will be looked to hold her own at the 5 position and build upon her 9.5 points per game last year. Juniors Imani Carter and Destiny Smith provide stability at the power forward position, having both made strides in their game during the offseason.

The Lady Eagles bring in valuable experience with a pair of transfers joining the team. Lauren Gross, who sat out the 2019-20 season due to the NCAA transfer rule, will add an extra level of depth and talent at the guard position after coming to the program from North Florida. "Lauren can flat out shoot the ball. She also has the ability to make reads with the ball to help others score. She's an offensive weapon that will be valuable to us," McNelis added. Forward Fess Hawkins joins the squad from Vincennes University. The third-team JUCO All-American had 890 points and 755 rebounds in her two years, leading her team to back-to-back 20-win seasons. She averaged 15.7 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. "As we closely evaluated her, we were so impressed with how she seemed to always be around the basketball on both ends of the floor," McNelis said of Hawkins. "She has something you don't teach: a knack to rebound the ball and score the ball efficiently."

The Golden Eagles lose four starters from a season ago, but bring in a wealth of talent with a freshman class that shares a common bond – state championships. All five first-year players have won or played in the state championship in their respective states. Local product Melyia Grayson highlights the class as she is the first player from Hattiesburg to sign under McNelis. Puckett's Ross Warren and West Jones' Brikayla Gray round out the Mississippi contingency for the Lady Eagles. Emmy James, the top player in Florida, joins the Golden Eagles after capturing two state titles for Wekiva HS in Orlando, Fla. while leading the Mustangs to three straight state final appearances. Rated as the No. 1 point guard in Louisiana, Kahia Warmsley completes the freshman class as she will look to fill the role of previous All-Conference selection Shonte Hailes. "All of them have experienced winning at the highest level of their high school careers," McNelis added. "Sacrifice, teamwork, work ethic, and discipline are just a few of the adjectives that are used to describe the character of this recruiting class. Each of them understands that success only comes when opportunity presents itself and one is determined to go get it."

McNelis returns her entire staff as Assistant Head Coach Jack Trosper and Assistant Coach Stephanie Stoglin-Reed return for a second season, while Assistant Coach Patosha Jeffrey is back for a third year with the Gold and Black. New to the Lady Eagles this year is Graduate Assistant Warner Parkes who joins the staff after serving as a student manager at Mississippi State.

Fans are invited to meet the 2020-21 Lady Eagles via Zoom for a Q&A with players and the coaching staff. Fans are asked to complete the form and will be sent an email with an invitation to join the team on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. Sign ups can be found here.

Schedule and ticket information will be announced at a later date.