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ULM Women’s Basketball Finalizes 2023-24 Roster

ULM Women’s Basketball Finalizes 2023-24 Roster

Women's Basketball Sep 22
MONROE, La. – First-year ULM women's head basketball coach Missy Bilderback finalized her 2023-24 roster at the beginning of the fall semester with the addition of two guards, in 5-foot-9 Lauren Gross, a graduate transfer from Southern Miss, and 5-7 Sania Wells, a transfer from Auburn. 
 
A three-year letterwinner at Southern Miss, Gross appeared in 64 games, including 35 starting assignments. She shot 30 percent (61-of-201) from 3-point range and 77 percent (27-of-35) from the free-throw line. Gross was presented the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal twice (2019-20 and 2020-21) and earned a spot on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Rolls in 2021-22.  
 
In 2022-23, Gross started all 31 games and led the team in 3-point field goals made, with a career-high 35. She recorded career highs in both assists (36) and steals (34). Gross scored in double figures in six games and made at least one 3-point field goal in 19 games.  
 
She scored 12 points against Arkansas State, connecting on 4-of-6 3-pointers, in the Sun Belt Championship quarterfinals in Pensacola, Florida. Gross netted 13 points each at Ole Miss, hitting 4-of-5 shots from the floor including 2-of-3 3-pointers, and at South Alabama, connecting on 5-of-9 field-goal attempts including 3-of-6 behind the 3-point arc. She collected a career-best nine rebounds against North Alabama. 
 
A native of Southaven, Mississippi, Gross was one of two student-athletes to play NCAA Division I women's basketball in 2022-23 while working on a doctorate degree (international development). Last season, she also served as team captain for the Sun Belt regular-season Co-Champions.
 
Gross played five seasons of varsity basketball at Northpoint Christian School and helped lead the Trojans to a combined record of 142-18 (.888), with five consecutive trips to the to the Division II-A Final Fours including back-to-back state championships in 2016 and '17. She was named to the state all-tournament team twice and became a two-time West All-Region Team selection (2015 and '17). As a senior in 2017-18, Gross was named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II-A All-State Team. She amassed 1,654 points, 738 rebounds, 394 assists and 313 steals during her prep career. 
 
"We are thrilled that Lauren has decided to play her last year with us at ULM," Bilderback said. "She is a winner, and adding her to our roster was an absolute no brainer. Lauren has already elevated our team with her day-to-day leadership and ability to shoot the ball. She's an excellent 3-point shooter and a coach on the floor. We have known and watched Lauren for a long time and always had so much respect for her as a player. We are thankful for her impact and mentality she brings to our program." 
 
A native of Moss Point, Mississippi, Wells played in 106 games, including 34 starts, at Auburn from 2019-23 while averaging 17.8 minutes per contest. She posted double figures in scoring 25 times while hitting nearly 80 percent of her career free-throw attempts (148-of-186). Her .796 career free-throw percentage ranks third in program history.  
 
As a senior in 2022-23, Wells appeared in 31 games, including eight starting assignments, and scored in double digits in 10 games. She netted 10 points and collected a season-high six assists at Tennessee. Wells converted 11-of-12 free-throw attempts and totaled 13 points in 14 minutes against Texas A&M. She made 6-of-8 field-goal attempts and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line at Kentucky and finished with a season-best 16 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Wells contributed 13 points each in back-to-back games at South Carolina and against Alabama. She played a solid all-around game against Samford, posting 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in 18 minutes.  
 
As a junior in 2021-22, Wells started 25 of 27 games for the Tigers while averaging career highs for points (9.0 per game), rebounds (2.3), assists (2.6), steals (1.1) and minutes played (28.7). She connected on better than 90 percent of her free-throw attempts (76-of-84) and reached double figures in scoring in 13 games, including four in a row during one stretch. Wells hit 9-of-20 shots from the floor en route to a career-high 20 points while playing 44 minutes in an overtime loss at Missouri. She recorded a career-high seven assists against Alabama State. Wells tallied 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in the season opener against Georgia Southern.    
 
"We are beyond excited to add Sania to our program," Bilderback said. "We recruited Sania in high school and have always had a tremendous amount of belief in her. Our team will be gaining valuable experience from her four-year career in the SEC.
 
"She is an explosive athlete that can handle the ball, has a great mid-range game and will be able to stretch the floor from 3. Her work ethic, personality, and competitive spirit are contagious. We are thrilled Sania is a Warhawk." 
 
Wells was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2020. 
 
She was ranked among the nation's top point guards (No. 27) coming out of East Central High School, according to ESPN HoopGurlz. Wells was named to The Clarion Ledger All-State First Team after averaging 27.3 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals as a senior. A three-time All-South Mississippi selection by the Sun Herald, she was chosen 2019 Player of the Year. She was listed on The Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen as both a junior and senior. Wells, who finished third in the state in scoring as a junior after averaging 25.7 points per game, was named Defensive MVP of the 2018 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. She began to emerge as an elite scorer as a sophomore, averaging 24.2 points per game. A five-year varsity starter, Wells eclipsed 3,000 career points.
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