University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Johnson Named Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
1/6/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS – Southern Miss graduate student guard Jakayla Johnson was selected as the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Week the league announced today.
Johnson led the Sun Belt in scoring with 56 total points and 28.0 points per game in the second week of league action. She began the week with a game-high 26 points against Arkansas State on Jan. 1, finishing 6-of-11 from the field and a career-best 14-of-16 at the free throw line. She tied her career high in made free throws and set a new high with 16 attempts at the line. She also assisted two buckets and grabbed three steals on just 23 minutes of floor time.
She led the Lady Eagles to a 98-95 shootout victory over Troy on Jan. 3 with a season-high 30 points. She finished 11-of-20 from the floor with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. She helped Southern Miss dig out of an early eight-point deficit and fend off the Trojans to pick up Southern Miss' third conference win of the year and match last season's total win total of 10.
The Clinton, Miss., native leads the Lady Eagles with 13.3 points per game this season and leads the Sun Belt Conference with 24.0 points per game in conference games. Johnson is one of three players in Division I to score at least 20 points in four-or-more conference games this season and the only player in the Sun Belt to do so in 2025-26.
In her third year in the Sun Belt Conference, this is Johnson's first Player of the Week Award and Southern Miss' first of the season. It is the eighth time a Lady Eagle has earned Player of the Week distinction since joining the Sun Belt in 2022-23. Domonique Davis leads Southern Miss with five all-time selections and is followed by Trinity Rowe and Melyia Grayson, who most recently earned the honor on March 3, 2025.
2025-26 Sun Belt Conference Players of the Week
Nov. 11 – Fortuna Ngnawo (Troy)
Nov. 18 – Peyton McDaniel (James Madison)
Nov. 25 – Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (Marshall)
Dec. 2 – Peyton McDaniel (James Madison)
Dec. 9 – Destiny Garrett (Georgia Southern)
Dec. 16 – Ashanti Barnes (James Madison)
Dec. 23 – Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (Marshall)
Dec. 30 – Crislyn Rose (Arkansas State)
Jan. 6 – Jakayla Johnson (Southern Miss)
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball by purchasing your season tickets today for just $75. Visit smttt.info/WBBTix today to purchase your seats.
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.
Johnson led the Sun Belt in scoring with 56 total points and 28.0 points per game in the second week of league action. She began the week with a game-high 26 points against Arkansas State on Jan. 1, finishing 6-of-11 from the field and a career-best 14-of-16 at the free throw line. She tied her career high in made free throws and set a new high with 16 attempts at the line. She also assisted two buckets and grabbed three steals on just 23 minutes of floor time.
She led the Lady Eagles to a 98-95 shootout victory over Troy on Jan. 3 with a season-high 30 points. She finished 11-of-20 from the floor with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. She helped Southern Miss dig out of an early eight-point deficit and fend off the Trojans to pick up Southern Miss' third conference win of the year and match last season's total win total of 10.
The Clinton, Miss., native leads the Lady Eagles with 13.3 points per game this season and leads the Sun Belt Conference with 24.0 points per game in conference games. Johnson is one of three players in Division I to score at least 20 points in four-or-more conference games this season and the only player in the Sun Belt to do so in 2025-26.
In her third year in the Sun Belt Conference, this is Johnson's first Player of the Week Award and Southern Miss' first of the season. It is the eighth time a Lady Eagle has earned Player of the Week distinction since joining the Sun Belt in 2022-23. Domonique Davis leads Southern Miss with five all-time selections and is followed by Trinity Rowe and Melyia Grayson, who most recently earned the honor on March 3, 2025.
2025-26 Sun Belt Conference Players of the Week
Nov. 11 – Fortuna Ngnawo (Troy)
Nov. 18 – Peyton McDaniel (James Madison)
Nov. 25 – Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (Marshall)
Dec. 2 – Peyton McDaniel (James Madison)
Dec. 9 – Destiny Garrett (Georgia Southern)
Dec. 16 – Ashanti Barnes (James Madison)
Dec. 23 – Timaya Lewis-Eutsey (Marshall)
Dec. 30 – Crislyn Rose (Arkansas State)
Jan. 6 – Jakayla Johnson (Southern Miss)
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball by purchasing your season tickets today for just $75. Visit smttt.info/WBBTix today to purchase your seats.
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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