University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster
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Jersey Number 3
Jakayla Johnson
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 5-9
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Clinton, Miss.
- High School:
- Clinton HS
- Prev School:
- Jones College / Auburn / ULM
- Major:
- M.S. Sport Management
Career Accolades
Gillom Trophy Finalist – 2025-26
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team – 2024-25
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team – 2025-26
All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team – 2023-24
All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason First Team (2) – 2024-25, 2025-26
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week – Jan. 6, 2026
Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Third Team – 2023-24
WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American – 2020-21
All-MACCC First Team – 2020-21
All-NJCAA Region 23 Team – 2020-21
WBCA NJCAA All-Star Game – 2020-21
MACCC Player of the Week – March 23, 2021
2025-26 (Graduate Student): Starred for the Lady Eagles in her first and final season in the Southern Miss uniform . . . Earned All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team honors after leading Southern Miss with 15.6 points per game, 43 steals and 39.2 3-point percentage . . . Played in all 31 games and made 30 starts . . . Reached double-figures in 24 games on the year, including in 18 of the final 20 games of the season . . . Scored at least 20 points in 10 games on the year and thrice reached 30 points . . . Earned preseason All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors for the second time in her career ahead of the regular season . . . Made her Southern Miss debut on Nov. 3 against Northern Illinois as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge, dishing out five assists on pulling down five rebounds . . . Scored in double-figures for the first time against William Carey (Nov. 7) with a 15 point showing . . . Posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double against Southeastern (Nov. 18) . . . Opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 20-point performance against South Alabama (Dec. 18) . . . Set a season-high with four 3-pointers against Louisiana (Dec. 20), reaching 26 points on the day . . . Reached 20 points in Southern Miss' first five conference games, one of three players to do so in Division I this season . . . Opened the new year with a 14-of-16 free throw line performance against Arkansas State (Jan. 1), leading Southern Miss with 26 points . . . Led Southern Miss with 30 points in an all-time classic against Troy (Jan. 3), earning her Sun Belt Player of the Week honors after averaging 28 points per game . . . Reached 30 points against Old Dominion (Jan. 30), spearheading Southern Miss' 17-point, overtime comeback against the Lady Monarchs . . . Scored the first six points of the overtime period to seal Southern Miss' road victory, finishing with another career day at the free throw line, hitting 14 of her 16 attempts at the stripe, to go along with a season-high four steals . . . Set new career-high at the line with a 17-of-20 performance against Texas State (Feb. 14) . . . Saved her best scoring effort for the regular season finale, reaching 32 points in her return to Monroe against ULM (Feb. 27) . . . On the year, she posted five games with at least three steals and led Southern Miss 483 points, 15.6 points per game, 154 field gaols made, 39.2 3-point percentage, 137 free throws made, 166 free throw attempts and 43 steals . . . Named a finalist for the 2026 Gillom Trophy.
2024-25 (COVID-Senior // ULM): Earned All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors after leading ULM with 15.8 points per game and starting in all 30 games . . . Finished as the Sun Belt’s third leading scorer while also finishing top ten in the league free throw percentage (1st), in field goal percentage (7th), assists (8th), assist-to-turnover ratio (8th) and steals (9th) . . . Posted 25 games with double-figure scoring efforts, led by a season-high 31 points against Georgia Southern (March 5) in the Sun Belt Tournament . . . Led ULM with 475 points – 15.8 per game – while reaching the 20-point plateau nine times and 30 points once . . . Pulled down a double-double against Georgia Southern (Jan. 2), finishing the day with 16 points and 12 rebounds, setting a new career-best on the glass . . . Also led ULM in field goals (165), field goal attempts (414), three-point percentage (35.9), free throws (99), free throw attempts (119), free throw percentage (83.2), assists (98), assists per game (3.3), steals (53) and steals per game (1.8) . . . Dished out a season-best seven assists against Louisiana (Feb. 22) with eight games of five assists or more . . . Season-high five steals against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 11), tying her previous career-high . . . Tied her career-high with two blocks at Southern Illinois (Nov. 13) . . . Reset a career-high with 11 three-point attempts at Hawai’i (Nov. 22) . . . Career-best 22 field goal attempts at South Alabama (Feb. 8) . . . Finished 14-of-15 at the free throw line against Georgia Southern (March 5) in the Sun Belt Tournament, setting career records in both . . . Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team member, becoming the first Warhawk to earn the nod . . . Second player in program history to earn an All-Sun Belt First Team honor . . . Scored her 1,000th career point at the Division I level against Louisiana (Feb. 15) and her 1,000th point as a Warhawk against Georgia Southern (March 5).
2023-24 (COVID-Junior // ULM): Started in all 35 games in her first season in Monroe, helping ULM to the Postseason WNIT Great Eight . . . Earned Sun Belt Conference Third Team honors after averaging 15.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 31.2 minutes per contest . . . Also named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Women’s Basketball Third Team . . . Top ten in Sun Belt free throw percentage (4th), scoring (8th) and minutes played (9th) . . . Finished second on the squad with 545 points and a 15.6 scoring average . . . Led ULM in free throws made (159), free throw attempts (188) and free throw percentage (84.6) . . . Opened the year with a career performance, scoring a career-high 34 points at Arkansas (Nov. 7) . . . Swiped a career-high five steals against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 21) . . . Career-high two blocks against James Madison (Dec. 30) . . . New career-high eight assists at Georgia State (Jan. 4) . . . Drilled five three-point baskets in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against Georgia Southern (March 6), setting a career high water mark . . . Recorded 28 games with double-figure scoring efforts with 10 of 20-or-more and four games with 30-or-more points . . . Dished out at least five assists on five occasions while recording three steals in seven games . . . Recorded one double-double at Toledo (Feb. 10) with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
2022-23 (Junior // Auburn): Began her Division I career at Auburn, playing in 30 of the Tigers’ 31 games . . . Earned 17 starts in her season on The Plains, averaging 2.4 points (72 total) and 1.8 rebounds (54 total) per game . . . Debuted against Sam Houston (Nov. 8), tallying two points, two steals, two blocks and two rebounds . . . Earned her first starting assignment against Missouri (Jan. 1), going for a season-high nine points, six boards and four helpers . . . Tied her season high in scoring against Arkansas (Feb. 5) . . . Dished out six assists at Kentucky (Jan. 26) . . . Entered the transfer portal after the season, signing with ULM.
2021-22 (Sophomore // Jones College): Started in the Bobcats’ first five games before suffering a season-ending injury . . . Averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game . . . Season-best 25 points against Arkansas State Mid-South (No. 18) . . . Left Ellisville after the fall to enroll at Auburn in spring 2022 . . . Committed to Auburn over LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
2020-21 (Freshman // Jones College): Named as a 2021 WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American as a true freshman after starting in 17 of her 20 games . . . Also earned All-MACCC First Team and All-NJCAA Region 23 laurels in her debut season in Ellisville . . . Averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to help JC to its first-ever No. 1 ranking and a 20-1 (13-0 MACCC) record . . . Also averaged 2.9 (59 total) assists and 2.4 (48 total) steals per game on a 40.1 (108-of-269) percent mark from the floor and 80.2 (89-of-111) percent average from the charity stripe . . . Reached double-figures on 16 occasions with six games of 20-or-more and a season-best 39 points against Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (March 20) . . . Named March 23 MACCC Player of the Week for her efforts . . . Played in WBCA’s NJCAA 13th Annual All-Star Game.
High School: Prepped at Clinton High School for Coach Pearlene Fairley . . . An honor roll student at CHS . . . Averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.9 assists per game as a senior . . . Led the Lady Arrows to a 25-5 record in her senior season that culminated in a runner-up finish . . . Named MVP of the Region 4-6A Tournament as well as to the All-Tournament Team . . . Held a 50 percent mark from the floor with an 81 percent make rate at the charity stripe . . . Career-high 37 points in a 75-54 win over Vicksburg . . . Named to MHSAA All-State Team First Team as well as Mississippi Gridiron/Capital Sports First Team and Clarion-Ledger All-State Fourth Team . . . Made the playoffs in all four of her seasons with the varsity squad . . . Committed to play for Missy Bilderback at Jones College.
Personal: Born on Nov. 18, 2001, in Jackson, Miss., to Jimmy Holiday (April Holiday) and Precia Johnson (Tommy Jones) . . . Has five siblings: Jimmy, Javon, Jalen, BJ and Jamal . . . Graduated with a bachelor’s degree at ULM in December 2024 . . . Plans to enroll in the Master of Science in Sport Management program at Southern Miss.
Feature Stories
"Homecoming With a Head Start: Bilderback Reunites Her Core at Southern Miss" by Triple Crown Sports (October 6, 2025)
https://cancunchallenge.net/news/2025/10/6/womens-basketball-homecoming-with-a-head-start-bilderback-reunites-her-core-at-southern-miss.aspx
Gillom Trophy Finalist – 2025-26
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team – 2024-25
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team – 2025-26
All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team – 2023-24
All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason First Team (2) – 2024-25, 2025-26
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week – Jan. 6, 2026
Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Third Team – 2023-24
WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American – 2020-21
All-MACCC First Team – 2020-21
All-NJCAA Region 23 Team – 2020-21
WBCA NJCAA All-Star Game – 2020-21
MACCC Player of the Week – March 23, 2021
2025-26 (Graduate Student): Starred for the Lady Eagles in her first and final season in the Southern Miss uniform . . . Earned All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team honors after leading Southern Miss with 15.6 points per game, 43 steals and 39.2 3-point percentage . . . Played in all 31 games and made 30 starts . . . Reached double-figures in 24 games on the year, including in 18 of the final 20 games of the season . . . Scored at least 20 points in 10 games on the year and thrice reached 30 points . . . Earned preseason All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors for the second time in her career ahead of the regular season . . . Made her Southern Miss debut on Nov. 3 against Northern Illinois as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge, dishing out five assists on pulling down five rebounds . . . Scored in double-figures for the first time against William Carey (Nov. 7) with a 15 point showing . . . Posted a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double against Southeastern (Nov. 18) . . . Opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 20-point performance against South Alabama (Dec. 18) . . . Set a season-high with four 3-pointers against Louisiana (Dec. 20), reaching 26 points on the day . . . Reached 20 points in Southern Miss' first five conference games, one of three players to do so in Division I this season . . . Opened the new year with a 14-of-16 free throw line performance against Arkansas State (Jan. 1), leading Southern Miss with 26 points . . . Led Southern Miss with 30 points in an all-time classic against Troy (Jan. 3), earning her Sun Belt Player of the Week honors after averaging 28 points per game . . . Reached 30 points against Old Dominion (Jan. 30), spearheading Southern Miss' 17-point, overtime comeback against the Lady Monarchs . . . Scored the first six points of the overtime period to seal Southern Miss' road victory, finishing with another career day at the free throw line, hitting 14 of her 16 attempts at the stripe, to go along with a season-high four steals . . . Set new career-high at the line with a 17-of-20 performance against Texas State (Feb. 14) . . . Saved her best scoring effort for the regular season finale, reaching 32 points in her return to Monroe against ULM (Feb. 27) . . . On the year, she posted five games with at least three steals and led Southern Miss 483 points, 15.6 points per game, 154 field gaols made, 39.2 3-point percentage, 137 free throws made, 166 free throw attempts and 43 steals . . . Named a finalist for the 2026 Gillom Trophy.
2024-25 (COVID-Senior // ULM): Earned All-Sun Belt Conference First Team honors after leading ULM with 15.8 points per game and starting in all 30 games . . . Finished as the Sun Belt’s third leading scorer while also finishing top ten in the league free throw percentage (1st), in field goal percentage (7th), assists (8th), assist-to-turnover ratio (8th) and steals (9th) . . . Posted 25 games with double-figure scoring efforts, led by a season-high 31 points against Georgia Southern (March 5) in the Sun Belt Tournament . . . Led ULM with 475 points – 15.8 per game – while reaching the 20-point plateau nine times and 30 points once . . . Pulled down a double-double against Georgia Southern (Jan. 2), finishing the day with 16 points and 12 rebounds, setting a new career-best on the glass . . . Also led ULM in field goals (165), field goal attempts (414), three-point percentage (35.9), free throws (99), free throw attempts (119), free throw percentage (83.2), assists (98), assists per game (3.3), steals (53) and steals per game (1.8) . . . Dished out a season-best seven assists against Louisiana (Feb. 22) with eight games of five assists or more . . . Season-high five steals against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 11), tying her previous career-high . . . Tied her career-high with two blocks at Southern Illinois (Nov. 13) . . . Reset a career-high with 11 three-point attempts at Hawai’i (Nov. 22) . . . Career-best 22 field goal attempts at South Alabama (Feb. 8) . . . Finished 14-of-15 at the free throw line against Georgia Southern (March 5) in the Sun Belt Tournament, setting career records in both . . . Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team member, becoming the first Warhawk to earn the nod . . . Second player in program history to earn an All-Sun Belt First Team honor . . . Scored her 1,000th career point at the Division I level against Louisiana (Feb. 15) and her 1,000th point as a Warhawk against Georgia Southern (March 5).
2023-24 (COVID-Junior // ULM): Started in all 35 games in her first season in Monroe, helping ULM to the Postseason WNIT Great Eight . . . Earned Sun Belt Conference Third Team honors after averaging 15.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on 31.2 minutes per contest . . . Also named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Women’s Basketball Third Team . . . Top ten in Sun Belt free throw percentage (4th), scoring (8th) and minutes played (9th) . . . Finished second on the squad with 545 points and a 15.6 scoring average . . . Led ULM in free throws made (159), free throw attempts (188) and free throw percentage (84.6) . . . Opened the year with a career performance, scoring a career-high 34 points at Arkansas (Nov. 7) . . . Swiped a career-high five steals against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 21) . . . Career-high two blocks against James Madison (Dec. 30) . . . New career-high eight assists at Georgia State (Jan. 4) . . . Drilled five three-point baskets in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against Georgia Southern (March 6), setting a career high water mark . . . Recorded 28 games with double-figure scoring efforts with 10 of 20-or-more and four games with 30-or-more points . . . Dished out at least five assists on five occasions while recording three steals in seven games . . . Recorded one double-double at Toledo (Feb. 10) with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
2022-23 (Junior // Auburn): Began her Division I career at Auburn, playing in 30 of the Tigers’ 31 games . . . Earned 17 starts in her season on The Plains, averaging 2.4 points (72 total) and 1.8 rebounds (54 total) per game . . . Debuted against Sam Houston (Nov. 8), tallying two points, two steals, two blocks and two rebounds . . . Earned her first starting assignment against Missouri (Jan. 1), going for a season-high nine points, six boards and four helpers . . . Tied her season high in scoring against Arkansas (Feb. 5) . . . Dished out six assists at Kentucky (Jan. 26) . . . Entered the transfer portal after the season, signing with ULM.
2021-22 (Sophomore // Jones College): Started in the Bobcats’ first five games before suffering a season-ending injury . . . Averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game . . . Season-best 25 points against Arkansas State Mid-South (No. 18) . . . Left Ellisville after the fall to enroll at Auburn in spring 2022 . . . Committed to Auburn over LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
2020-21 (Freshman // Jones College): Named as a 2021 WBCA Two-Year College Coaches All-American as a true freshman after starting in 17 of her 20 games . . . Also earned All-MACCC First Team and All-NJCAA Region 23 laurels in her debut season in Ellisville . . . Averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to help JC to its first-ever No. 1 ranking and a 20-1 (13-0 MACCC) record . . . Also averaged 2.9 (59 total) assists and 2.4 (48 total) steals per game on a 40.1 (108-of-269) percent mark from the floor and 80.2 (89-of-111) percent average from the charity stripe . . . Reached double-figures on 16 occasions with six games of 20-or-more and a season-best 39 points against Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (March 20) . . . Named March 23 MACCC Player of the Week for her efforts . . . Played in WBCA’s NJCAA 13th Annual All-Star Game.
High School: Prepped at Clinton High School for Coach Pearlene Fairley . . . An honor roll student at CHS . . . Averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.9 assists per game as a senior . . . Led the Lady Arrows to a 25-5 record in her senior season that culminated in a runner-up finish . . . Named MVP of the Region 4-6A Tournament as well as to the All-Tournament Team . . . Held a 50 percent mark from the floor with an 81 percent make rate at the charity stripe . . . Career-high 37 points in a 75-54 win over Vicksburg . . . Named to MHSAA All-State Team First Team as well as Mississippi Gridiron/Capital Sports First Team and Clarion-Ledger All-State Fourth Team . . . Made the playoffs in all four of her seasons with the varsity squad . . . Committed to play for Missy Bilderback at Jones College.
Personal: Born on Nov. 18, 2001, in Jackson, Miss., to Jimmy Holiday (April Holiday) and Precia Johnson (Tommy Jones) . . . Has five siblings: Jimmy, Javon, Jalen, BJ and Jamal . . . Graduated with a bachelor’s degree at ULM in December 2024 . . . Plans to enroll in the Master of Science in Sport Management program at Southern Miss.
Feature Stories
"Homecoming With a Head Start: Bilderback Reunites Her Core at Southern Miss" by Triple Crown Sports (October 6, 2025)
https://cancunchallenge.net/news/2025/10/6/womens-basketball-homecoming-with-a-head-start-bilderback-reunites-her-core-at-southern-miss.aspx
Friday, January 23
Saturday, January 03
Saturday, January 03
Monday, December 08
