University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Johnson Selected as a Finalist for the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game
3/11/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PHOENIX – Southern Miss graduate student guard Jakayla Johnson was named a finalist for the 2026 Lilly Women's College All-Star Game scheduled for April 4 at Grand Canyon's Global Credit Union Arena.
The game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN2 at Noon CT (11 a.m. MT).
The 2026 finalist list features 107 players from 75 Division I schools representing 19 conferences. Johnson is one of five Sun Belt Conference selections, which is the sixth-most by individual league. The 107 individuals were selected as finalists based on WNBA mock drafts and consultation with a national media panel. The final team of 20 student-athletes and coaches will be announced later this month.
Johnson, a native of Clinton, Miss., currently leads Southern Miss with 15.6 points per game, 43 steals and an 82.5 percent mark from the free throw line. She also averages 4.1 rebounds per game and shoots from the floor at a 45.7 percent clip.
She was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team this season and now owns three career selections to the All-Sun Belt team, earning first team honors in 2024-25 and third team honors in 2022-23. After leading the Sun Belt Conference in scoring over the first week of the 2026, she earned her first career Sun Belt Player of the Week honor on Jan. 6, 2026.
Prior to transferring to Southern Miss ahead of this season, she played two seasons under Missy Bilderback at ULM. She led the Warhawks lasts season with 15.8 points per game after starting in all 30 contests. She finished third in the Sun Belt in scoring and also own top ten finishes in free throw percentage, field goal percentage, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals.
Her first year in Monroe saw her become a key piece of the Warhawks' Postseason WNIT Great Eight run, earning her Third Team honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana listings. She spent a year at Auburn in 2022-23, playing in 30 of the Tigers' 31 games with 17 starts.
Her collegiate career began at Jones College (Ellisville, Miss.) where she was named a WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American as a true freshman. She also earned All-MACCC First Team and All-NJCAA Region 23 laurels in her freshman campaign after posting 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, leading JCJC to its first ever No. 1 ranking and 20-1 record.
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.
The game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN2 at Noon CT (11 a.m. MT).
The 2026 finalist list features 107 players from 75 Division I schools representing 19 conferences. Johnson is one of five Sun Belt Conference selections, which is the sixth-most by individual league. The 107 individuals were selected as finalists based on WNBA mock drafts and consultation with a national media panel. The final team of 20 student-athletes and coaches will be announced later this month.
Johnson, a native of Clinton, Miss., currently leads Southern Miss with 15.6 points per game, 43 steals and an 82.5 percent mark from the free throw line. She also averages 4.1 rebounds per game and shoots from the floor at a 45.7 percent clip.
She was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team this season and now owns three career selections to the All-Sun Belt team, earning first team honors in 2024-25 and third team honors in 2022-23. After leading the Sun Belt Conference in scoring over the first week of the 2026, she earned her first career Sun Belt Player of the Week honor on Jan. 6, 2026.
Prior to transferring to Southern Miss ahead of this season, she played two seasons under Missy Bilderback at ULM. She led the Warhawks lasts season with 15.8 points per game after starting in all 30 contests. She finished third in the Sun Belt in scoring and also own top ten finishes in free throw percentage, field goal percentage, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals.
Her first year in Monroe saw her become a key piece of the Warhawks' Postseason WNIT Great Eight run, earning her Third Team honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana listings. She spent a year at Auburn in 2022-23, playing in 30 of the Tigers' 31 games with 17 starts.
Her collegiate career began at Jones College (Ellisville, Miss.) where she was named a WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American as a true freshman. She also earned All-MACCC First Team and All-NJCAA Region 23 laurels in her freshman campaign after posting 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, leading JCJC to its first ever No. 1 ranking and 20-1 record.
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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Players Mentioned
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