University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagle Assistant Head Coach Barbara Farris Inducted into Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame
8/28/2024 1:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame today announced its nine-member 2025 Hall of Fame class, which included current Southern Miss women's basketball assistant head coach Barbara Farris. Farris and her fellow 2025 inductees will officially join the Hall of Fame at the Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony on April 15, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge, La.
"I am humbled beyond words to have been blessed with this tremendous honor," said Farris. "Basketball has allowed me to live a life I never dreamed of and this journey began with my playing career in countless high school gyms around the state of Louisiana. My coaches and teammates enabled me to be all I could be and I hoped to share my experiences and love for the game with the young ladies I have had the privilege of coaching. My success as a coach would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of the amazing student-athletes who believed in the process. I am truly honored and grateful for this recognition."
Entering her second year with the Lady Eagles, Farris will work the 2024-25 season as the team's assistant head coach. The WNBA veteran oversees Southern Miss' frontcourt development as well as the team's academic progress. Under her tutelage, Lady Eagle center Melyia Grayson earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the first time in her career.
Farris, a native of Harvey, La., was inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a competitor and coach. A two-year letterwinner at Saint Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie, Farris led the Saints to back-to-back state titles in 1993 and 1994 in women's basketball as well as back-to-back championships in track & field in 1993 and 1994, respectively. For her efforts, she earned All-State First Team honors in 1993 and 1994.
In 1994, she signed to play at Tulane under first-year head coach Lisa Stockton. The Green Wave not only signed one of the best players in the state, but in the nation, as Farris and the Olive & Blue soared to never-before-seen heights. As a freshman in 1994-95, No. 54 earned All-Metro Conference honors, a spot on the All-Metro Rookie Team and was named Metro Conference Rookie of the Year en route to the 1995 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
During her four seasons at Tulane, Farris played in 118 games and helped Tulane to an 88-32 record, a conference tournament title and four consecutive NCAA Tournaments all while collecting countless individual accolades. She was named to the All-Conference USA First Team in 1996-97 and nabbed Second Team honors in 1995-96 and 1997-98. She scored 1,729 – sixth most by any player in Tulane history – along with 939 rebounds, 105 assists, 47 blocks, 144 steals with a career field goal percentage of 63.7 (660-of-1036) percent – the best mark of any player in team history.
In the 1996-97 season, Farris earn WBCA/Kodak All-American honorable mention honors as the second member of the Green Wave program to earn such laurels. She led the Green Wave to a 27-5 record with 21 games in double-figure scoring will claiming the top spot in Conference USA, the 1997 Conference USA Tournament Title and a trip to the Second Round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
She still holds spots in 11 Tulane career categories: field goal percentage (1st), free throws attempted (3rd), offensive rebounds (3rd), free throws made (4th), rebounds (4th), defensive rebounds (4th), rebounds per game (4th), career starts (4th), field goals made (6th), points per game (8th) and minutes per game (9th).
After graduating from Tulane in 1998 with a degree in sociology, Farris began her professional career in 1998. She was selected with the third overall pick by the American Basketball League's New England Blizzard. The Blizzard and Farris played half a season before the ABL folded during the 1998-99 season.
She joined the WNBA's Detroit Shock for the 2000 season – the first of her 10 years in the league. Farris spent her first six seasons entirely with the Shock, winning the 2003 WNBA Championship in 2003 under Coach Bill Laimbeer. She played the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the New York Liberty, posting her best statistical season with the Liberty in 2006 with 261 points and 178 rebounds across 34 games. The 2008 season saw her sign with the Phoenix Mercury and she played her final season, 2009, with both Sacramento and Detroit.
Farris scored 1,094 points, grabbed 777 rebounds, dished out 160 assists, swiped 103 steals and blocked 32 shots in 280 career WNBA games. She shot 43.3 percent from the floor over her career while reaching the playoffs five times all while playing with a variety of FIBA and international teams from 2000-08.
After retiring from the WNBA, Farris became the head girls' basketball coach at John Curtis Christian School in Metairie, La., in 2009. In 10 seasons at John Curtis, Farris posted a 291-64 record on the court and sent 15 Lady Patriots to the collegiate level, including JerKaila Jordan: Louisiana's 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year, No. 1 recruit in the 2020 class, unanimous five-star recruit and 2020 Miss Basketball.
John Curtis won five state titles and made the finals matchup six times. The Lady Pats claimed nine district titles in four different districts and three classifications as well as the state title in four-peat fashion from 2016-20.
Farris also worked as an assistant for the WNBA New York Liberty from 2012-14 and 2018-19 and as a the WNBA's Player Liaison to the National Basketball Retired Players Association from 2016-17.
Before arriving at Southern Miss, Farris spent three seasons in DeLand, Fla., as an assistant coach with the Stetson Hatters.
The Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame will be Farris' fourth overall induction into a Hall of Fame. She is a member of the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame (2004), Saint Martin's Episcopal School Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame (2011), the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame (2017) and now the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2025).
Farris and the members of the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be inducted on April 15, 2025, at The Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. Tickets will be available to purchase through the LHSAA website at a later date.
2025 Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Michael Boyer - Contributor
Melissa "Ashley" Aldredge Brooks – Competitor
Ronnie Coker – Coach
Tony Lee Cutright – Competitor
Barbara Farris – Competitor/Coach
O.M. "Butch" Helveston – Coach
Br. Martin Hernandez, S.C. – Contributor
Jennifer Streiffer Mascaro – Competitor
Ruby Smith Qualls – Coach
About the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame
Each year the LHSAA and LHSCA invites all member school principals and coaches to make nominations of deserving coaches, athletes, administrators, officials, and athletic contributors for consideration into the Hall of Fame. Certain criteria are required for the application to be accepted and the individual's name placed on the list for consideration.
On Thursday August 22, 2024, the Hall of Fame Selection Committee met to review the nominations and decide this year's inductees. The committee is made up of Keith Alexander, Kim Gaspard, Jimmy Anderson, Kenny Gennuso, Eddie Bonine, Kathy Holloway, Shannon Foolkes, Ryan Gallagher, Karen Hoyt, James Simmons, Eric Held, Robin Fambrough, Phillip Timothy, and Ken Wood.
"I am humbled beyond words to have been blessed with this tremendous honor," said Farris. "Basketball has allowed me to live a life I never dreamed of and this journey began with my playing career in countless high school gyms around the state of Louisiana. My coaches and teammates enabled me to be all I could be and I hoped to share my experiences and love for the game with the young ladies I have had the privilege of coaching. My success as a coach would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and sacrifice of the amazing student-athletes who believed in the process. I am truly honored and grateful for this recognition."
Entering her second year with the Lady Eagles, Farris will work the 2024-25 season as the team's assistant head coach. The WNBA veteran oversees Southern Miss' frontcourt development as well as the team's academic progress. Under her tutelage, Lady Eagle center Melyia Grayson earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors for the first time in her career.
Farris, a native of Harvey, La., was inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a competitor and coach. A two-year letterwinner at Saint Martin's Episcopal School in Metairie, Farris led the Saints to back-to-back state titles in 1993 and 1994 in women's basketball as well as back-to-back championships in track & field in 1993 and 1994, respectively. For her efforts, she earned All-State First Team honors in 1993 and 1994.
In 1994, she signed to play at Tulane under first-year head coach Lisa Stockton. The Green Wave not only signed one of the best players in the state, but in the nation, as Farris and the Olive & Blue soared to never-before-seen heights. As a freshman in 1994-95, No. 54 earned All-Metro Conference honors, a spot on the All-Metro Rookie Team and was named Metro Conference Rookie of the Year en route to the 1995 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
During her four seasons at Tulane, Farris played in 118 games and helped Tulane to an 88-32 record, a conference tournament title and four consecutive NCAA Tournaments all while collecting countless individual accolades. She was named to the All-Conference USA First Team in 1996-97 and nabbed Second Team honors in 1995-96 and 1997-98. She scored 1,729 – sixth most by any player in Tulane history – along with 939 rebounds, 105 assists, 47 blocks, 144 steals with a career field goal percentage of 63.7 (660-of-1036) percent – the best mark of any player in team history.
In the 1996-97 season, Farris earn WBCA/Kodak All-American honorable mention honors as the second member of the Green Wave program to earn such laurels. She led the Green Wave to a 27-5 record with 21 games in double-figure scoring will claiming the top spot in Conference USA, the 1997 Conference USA Tournament Title and a trip to the Second Round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
She still holds spots in 11 Tulane career categories: field goal percentage (1st), free throws attempted (3rd), offensive rebounds (3rd), free throws made (4th), rebounds (4th), defensive rebounds (4th), rebounds per game (4th), career starts (4th), field goals made (6th), points per game (8th) and minutes per game (9th).
After graduating from Tulane in 1998 with a degree in sociology, Farris began her professional career in 1998. She was selected with the third overall pick by the American Basketball League's New England Blizzard. The Blizzard and Farris played half a season before the ABL folded during the 1998-99 season.
She joined the WNBA's Detroit Shock for the 2000 season – the first of her 10 years in the league. Farris spent her first six seasons entirely with the Shock, winning the 2003 WNBA Championship in 2003 under Coach Bill Laimbeer. She played the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the New York Liberty, posting her best statistical season with the Liberty in 2006 with 261 points and 178 rebounds across 34 games. The 2008 season saw her sign with the Phoenix Mercury and she played her final season, 2009, with both Sacramento and Detroit.
Farris scored 1,094 points, grabbed 777 rebounds, dished out 160 assists, swiped 103 steals and blocked 32 shots in 280 career WNBA games. She shot 43.3 percent from the floor over her career while reaching the playoffs five times all while playing with a variety of FIBA and international teams from 2000-08.
After retiring from the WNBA, Farris became the head girls' basketball coach at John Curtis Christian School in Metairie, La., in 2009. In 10 seasons at John Curtis, Farris posted a 291-64 record on the court and sent 15 Lady Patriots to the collegiate level, including JerKaila Jordan: Louisiana's 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year, No. 1 recruit in the 2020 class, unanimous five-star recruit and 2020 Miss Basketball.
John Curtis won five state titles and made the finals matchup six times. The Lady Pats claimed nine district titles in four different districts and three classifications as well as the state title in four-peat fashion from 2016-20.
Farris also worked as an assistant for the WNBA New York Liberty from 2012-14 and 2018-19 and as a the WNBA's Player Liaison to the National Basketball Retired Players Association from 2016-17.
Before arriving at Southern Miss, Farris spent three seasons in DeLand, Fla., as an assistant coach with the Stetson Hatters.
The Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame will be Farris' fourth overall induction into a Hall of Fame. She is a member of the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame (2004), Saint Martin's Episcopal School Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame (2011), the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame (2017) and now the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2025).
Farris and the members of the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be inducted on April 15, 2025, at The Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. Tickets will be available to purchase through the LHSAA website at a later date.
2025 Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Michael Boyer - Contributor
Melissa "Ashley" Aldredge Brooks – Competitor
Ronnie Coker – Coach
Tony Lee Cutright – Competitor
Barbara Farris – Competitor/Coach
O.M. "Butch" Helveston – Coach
Br. Martin Hernandez, S.C. – Contributor
Jennifer Streiffer Mascaro – Competitor
Ruby Smith Qualls – Coach
About the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame
Each year the LHSAA and LHSCA invites all member school principals and coaches to make nominations of deserving coaches, athletes, administrators, officials, and athletic contributors for consideration into the Hall of Fame. Certain criteria are required for the application to be accepted and the individual's name placed on the list for consideration.
On Thursday August 22, 2024, the Hall of Fame Selection Committee met to review the nominations and decide this year's inductees. The committee is made up of Keith Alexander, Kim Gaspard, Jimmy Anderson, Kenny Gennuso, Eddie Bonine, Kathy Holloway, Shannon Foolkes, Ryan Gallagher, Karen Hoyt, James Simmons, Eric Held, Robin Fambrough, Phillip Timothy, and Ken Wood.
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