TIP-OFF

• The ULM women's basketball team (3-4) wraps up a four-game road trip by playing its second autonomy conference opponent of the season, traveling to take on nationally-ranked Georgia Tech (9-0) on Wednesday (Dec. 11). The Warhawks are looking to end a four-game losing streak after falling to No. 22 Alabama, going 0-2 in Honolulu at the Bank of Hawaii Classic and dropping a road game to Lamar.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –

Wednesday's game will be available to stream on ACCNX or fans can listen on KRJO 1680 AM. Links to live stats for all games can be found at ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the women's basketball schedule page and select that day's opponent.

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS –

After earning its best start in 47 seasons, Georgia Tech cracked into the Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll on Monday at No. 25. The 9-0 Yellow Jackets most recently defeated Mercer on the road and are one of 10 unbeaten teams in the country. Georgia Tech returned its four top scorers from the 2023-24 season including Tonie Morgan, who is averaging 11.4 points per game this season. The Yellow Jackets are led in scoring by true freshman Dani Carnegie, who has averaged 13.9 points per game. Carnegie was the No. 29 ranked recruit in the nation by ESPN and was rated a four-star recruit by HoopGurlz.

LEADING THE TEAM –

Jakayla Johnson led the team with a 25-point game and four three-pointers against Hawaii on Nov. 22. She leads the team in points per game (15.3), field goals made (38) and free throws (22). Johnson is also fourth in the Sun Belt in points per game. Sakyia White opened the season going 9-9 vs. Central Baptist (Nov. 4), dropping 18 points and leading the team in the home opener, leading the team with a .574 field goal percentage.

DOUBLE DOUBLE–

Laila Walker logged the team's first double-double of the season against Louisiana Christian (Nov. 11), posting 10 points and 11 rebounds. The 11 rebounds were a career-high for the senior forward, as she tied it at Hawaii (Nov. 22). The achievement was also Walker's first career double-double. 

PRESEASON HONORS –

Jakayla Johnson was named All-Sun Belt First Team after receiving multiple honors at the conclusion of last season. She was the second leading scorer on the Warhawks, averaging 15.2 points per game. She reached the 30-point mark in two games last season as well. This is ULM's first player to be named to the All-Sun Belt First Team since 2006, when the Warhawks joined the conference.

Katlyn Manuel, the conference's reigning Sixth Woman of the Year, was named All-Sun Belt Third Team to open the 2024-25 season. In her third year with the Warhawks, Manuel averaged 10.2 points/game, racking up three double-doubles. She also led the team with 30 blocks on the season, averaging 1.0 per game.

FOURTH-PLACE PICK –

The Warhawks started the preseason strong, being selected fourth in the Sun Belt preseason coaches poll, receiving 150 votes. This is the highest ULM women's basketball has been ranked in the SBC preseason poll since joining the conference in 2006.

BUILDING THE PROGRAM WITH BILDERBACK –

Head Coach Missy Bilderback led the 2023-24 Warhawks to a 21-14 record, the most wins for the program in 16 years, in her first season as head coach. They also held the longest conference win streak in over 19 years. ULM finished the season by competing in the WNIT, going on the longest postseason run since 1985, making it to the Great 8 before falling to conference foe Troy.

GUESS WHO'S BACK –

ULM women's basketball is bringing back five players for another season, including two of the top five scorers from 2023. Senior guard Jakayla Johnson returns after a record-breaking season, ready to lead the 2024 team to more broken records, along with fellow senior, forward Katlyn Manuel. Point guard Olivia Knight makes the return for her third season at ULM. To round out the returners, junior guard Chardai Watkins and junior Sha'Miya Butler make the return.

RECORD BREAKERS –

In the first two games of the season, the ULM Warhawks set or beat multiple program records. They scored 117 points on the Central Baptist Mustangs on Nov. 4, tying the record for most points scored in a game, a record set in 1982 vs. Nicholls State. The 57-point victory ranks sixth in program history for highest margin of victory. In the following game, the Warhawks had 4,509 fans cheering them on vs. Louisiana Christian, the highest attendance since 1986 and eighth-highest attendance all-time.

NEW ON THE BAYOU –

The Warhawks are bringing in seven newcomers to add to the team, including two Power 4 transfers. Senior guard Nya Valentine arrives to ULM after a season at Clemson. Valentine averaged 2.8 points per game, shooting 34% from behind the arc. Sakiya White arrives on the bayou after a season at Florida State, where she averaged 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Finally, Meloney Thames joins the squad after a season at Mississippi State.

Other new faces on the team include Southern Miss transfers Brikayla Gray and Asjha Leake,  Mercer transfer Cianté Downs and Jackson State transfer Laila Walker. The lone sophomore on the team comes in the form of Miriam Prince, who transfers in from East Central CC. 

KEEPING UP WITH JONES –

One connection that runs deep among the new faces at ULM is Jones College, where Head Coach Missy Bilderback and Associate Head Coach Lauren Pittman coached prior to the move to Monroe. Returners Jakayla Johnson and Olivia Knight, as well as newcomers Sakyia White and Meloney Thames, all played under Bilderback in her time at Jones. Brikayla Gray, Miriam Prince and Laila Walker are from Mississippi, where Jones is located. 

ELEVATE –

The word to define this season–and Bilderback's tenure–would be elevate. The team selected this word to represent the elevation of the team from a losing record to a winning record and a run in the WNIT last season. Elevate also represents a multitude of characteristics the Warhawks want to embody throughout the upcoming season. The 'Elevate' acronym stands for: Enthusiasm, Love, Effort, Valued, Attitude, Trust and Elite.

LOOKING AHEAD –

The women's basketball team will return to Fant-Ewing Coliseum for the first time in a month to host Mississippi State on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.