University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Bilderback Signs Mississippi Trio to Round Out Roster
6/4/2025 4:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss women's basketball head coach Missy Bilderback announces the signing of three transfers to round out her 2025-26 roster. Joining the Lady Eagles are Charlotte/Jackson State transfer Hayleigh Breland, Mississippi State transfer Anaisha Carriere and ULM transfer Miriam Prince.
All Mississippi natives, Breland and Prince return home to the Magnolia State after playing one season away from home while Carriere moves closer to her home of Gulfport.
Hayleigh Breland
Breland returns home to Mississippi after spending a year at Charlotte. A versatile guard, she led the 49ers in scoring with 11.4 points per game alongside 74 assists and 31 steals. She made the move to the Queen City alongside head coach and former Lady Eagle Tomekia Reed, leaving Jackson State after two seasons.
"We are thrilled for Hayleigh to join our Lady Eagle family," said Bilderback. "She is a very talented player that was arguably one of the top guards in the American Athletic Conference last season. She is tough, gritty and a hard-nosed player that possesses a lot of leadership intangibles. Hayleigh is an ultimate team player that loves to compete and, bottom line she is a winner. She is a tremendous addition for us, and we are so grateful she is back home wearing the Black & Gold."
The Wiggins, Miss., native began her career at Jackson State as a freshman in the 2022-23 season. She spent two years in the state capital under Reed and current Southern Miss assistant head coach Jonathan Williams, slowly developing her game. She played in 54 games in her two years at JSU, helping the team to the Postseason WNIT in 2023 and to the NCAA Tournament in 2024.
At Charlotte, she played in all 32 games with 31 starts on an average of 28.9 minutes per game. She drilled 47 threes with an overall field goal percentage of 33.2 percent. Charlotte started the season off slow, but Breland's leadership helped the 12th-seeded 49ers rattle off two straight wins in the AAC Tournament. The team's run ended in the semifinals to four-seed Temple but showed the growth the squad made over the season.
Anaisha Carriere
The former top-rated recruit in Mississippi, Carriere spent last season at Mississippi State where she played in 10 games as a reserve. Hailing from Gulfport, Miss., she was one of the top targets in the Bulldogs' highly rated 2024 signing class. At Southern Miss, she reunites with her former high school teammate Je'Mya Evans.
"We are excited to announce that Anaisha is a Lady Eagle," said Bilderback. "She is a super talented sophomore that we look forward to investing in. She will be able to provide some versatility with her size, length and ability to shoot the three. Anaisha has an extremely bright future, and we believe she is one of the big-time young players in the Sun Belt Conference. We can't wait to see the impact she will have on our team and program."
Carriere helped Harrison Central High School (Lyman, Miss.) to three consecutive MHSAA Final Fours in her tenure, leading the Red Rebelettes to the championship game as a sophomore. She was named to the Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen listing as a senior and signed with Mississippi State over Auburn and others.
As a senior, she was named as the state's top prospect by multiple outlets, including 247Sports and ESPNW HoopGurlz. Her 6-foot, 3-inch frame allows her to play as a guard and forward, offering her a wealth of playing time as a true sophomore in Hattiesburg.
Miriam Prince
Prince, a native of Philadelphia, Miss., rejoins Bilderback after playing last season at ULM. The 2024 MACCC Freshman of the Year spent one season at East Central Community College (Decatur, Miss.) before signing with Bilderback ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
"We are thankful that Miriam chose to join us in Hattiesburg," said Bilderback. "We have had the privilege to watch her grow as a player over the years. She is diligent in her approach and commitment each day. We believe her best basketball is ahead of her and we are super excited to coach her. Miriam and her family love Southern Miss and she will make our team better in every way."
While at ECCC, Prince led the Warriors to their best season in over a decade after scoring 16.3 points per game. Her 490 total points were second-most in the MACCC and her average ranked third, helping her garner the MACCC's Freshman of the Year award and a spot on the All-MACCC First Team. Before beginning her college career, she started at Leake Academy (Madden, Miss.) as a four-year starter for the Lady Rebels. She led Leake Academy to a 142-16 overall record with two MAIS state titles.
A former MAIS 5A Player of the Year, Prince also earned Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen status and a nod on the McDonald's All-American nominee list. Her father, Philip Prince, played basketball at East Central CC from 1994-96 and at Southern Miss from 1996-98 under former Golden Eagle head coach James Green.
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball with a gift today! Your contribution will make an immediate impact on the program as head coach Missy Bilderback prepares for her first season leading the Lady Eagles! Visit smttt.info/SupportWBB to donate!
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
All Mississippi natives, Breland and Prince return home to the Magnolia State after playing one season away from home while Carriere moves closer to her home of Gulfport.
Hayleigh Breland
Breland returns home to Mississippi after spending a year at Charlotte. A versatile guard, she led the 49ers in scoring with 11.4 points per game alongside 74 assists and 31 steals. She made the move to the Queen City alongside head coach and former Lady Eagle Tomekia Reed, leaving Jackson State after two seasons.
"We are thrilled for Hayleigh to join our Lady Eagle family," said Bilderback. "She is a very talented player that was arguably one of the top guards in the American Athletic Conference last season. She is tough, gritty and a hard-nosed player that possesses a lot of leadership intangibles. Hayleigh is an ultimate team player that loves to compete and, bottom line she is a winner. She is a tremendous addition for us, and we are so grateful she is back home wearing the Black & Gold."
The Wiggins, Miss., native began her career at Jackson State as a freshman in the 2022-23 season. She spent two years in the state capital under Reed and current Southern Miss assistant head coach Jonathan Williams, slowly developing her game. She played in 54 games in her two years at JSU, helping the team to the Postseason WNIT in 2023 and to the NCAA Tournament in 2024.
At Charlotte, she played in all 32 games with 31 starts on an average of 28.9 minutes per game. She drilled 47 threes with an overall field goal percentage of 33.2 percent. Charlotte started the season off slow, but Breland's leadership helped the 12th-seeded 49ers rattle off two straight wins in the AAC Tournament. The team's run ended in the semifinals to four-seed Temple but showed the growth the squad made over the season.
Anaisha Carriere
The former top-rated recruit in Mississippi, Carriere spent last season at Mississippi State where she played in 10 games as a reserve. Hailing from Gulfport, Miss., she was one of the top targets in the Bulldogs' highly rated 2024 signing class. At Southern Miss, she reunites with her former high school teammate Je'Mya Evans.
"We are excited to announce that Anaisha is a Lady Eagle," said Bilderback. "She is a super talented sophomore that we look forward to investing in. She will be able to provide some versatility with her size, length and ability to shoot the three. Anaisha has an extremely bright future, and we believe she is one of the big-time young players in the Sun Belt Conference. We can't wait to see the impact she will have on our team and program."
Carriere helped Harrison Central High School (Lyman, Miss.) to three consecutive MHSAA Final Fours in her tenure, leading the Red Rebelettes to the championship game as a sophomore. She was named to the Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen listing as a senior and signed with Mississippi State over Auburn and others.
As a senior, she was named as the state's top prospect by multiple outlets, including 247Sports and ESPNW HoopGurlz. Her 6-foot, 3-inch frame allows her to play as a guard and forward, offering her a wealth of playing time as a true sophomore in Hattiesburg.
Miriam Prince
Prince, a native of Philadelphia, Miss., rejoins Bilderback after playing last season at ULM. The 2024 MACCC Freshman of the Year spent one season at East Central Community College (Decatur, Miss.) before signing with Bilderback ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
"We are thankful that Miriam chose to join us in Hattiesburg," said Bilderback. "We have had the privilege to watch her grow as a player over the years. She is diligent in her approach and commitment each day. We believe her best basketball is ahead of her and we are super excited to coach her. Miriam and her family love Southern Miss and she will make our team better in every way."
While at ECCC, Prince led the Warriors to their best season in over a decade after scoring 16.3 points per game. Her 490 total points were second-most in the MACCC and her average ranked third, helping her garner the MACCC's Freshman of the Year award and a spot on the All-MACCC First Team. Before beginning her college career, she started at Leake Academy (Madden, Miss.) as a four-year starter for the Lady Rebels. She led Leake Academy to a 142-16 overall record with two MAIS state titles.
A former MAIS 5A Player of the Year, Prince also earned Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen status and a nod on the McDonald's All-American nominee list. Her father, Philip Prince, played basketball at East Central CC from 1994-96 and at Southern Miss from 1996-98 under former Golden Eagle head coach James Green.
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball with a gift today! Your contribution will make an immediate impact on the program as head coach Missy Bilderback prepares for her first season leading the Lady Eagles! Visit smttt.info/SupportWBB to donate!
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
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