WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW: Lady Bulldogs Look to Cash in on Last Year’s Success

NASHVILLE (October 28, 2024) – Success has its privileges and added responsibility. For the Fisk University women's basketball team, playing in the 2023-24 NAIA National Tournament was a great experience. This season, a bull's eye has been placed squarely on their back in their quest to go back.

"We know teams want a piece of us, especially because we have some missing pieces from last year," said head coach Victoria Crawford. "The ladies on this team will need to step up to the challenge. Last year we had a couple of players that we could lean on. This year, I am looking for more balance, especially because we have an older team."

Crawford lost three starters from last season's team that won 20 games. Two-time All-American Maya Buckhanan will be hard to replace. Three-year starter Zip Davis was a coach on the floor and a three-point sniper, and Liz Gibbs was an athletic point guard who was one of the best two-way players in the conference.

To try to replace Buckhanan's scoring, Crawford went to the portal and picked up Keeli Oliver-Burton, an NCAA DI player who was a high school All-American. Oliver-Burton, a senior from the State of Washington, is a stretch four who is accurate from three-point range. The Lady Bulldogs will rely heavily on HBCU Preseason first-teamer Jayla Bibbs to score and be a force on the defensive perimeter. The 5'10 senior is long, aggressive, and likes to get after it.

Four years ago, the previous coaching staff brought in nine freshmen who were thought to change the program. Four of those players remain on the team and will be integral to the success or failure of the season. Laila Eliotti has a high basketball IQ and will be the starting point guard. Eliotti's ability to run the offense will be key, and her three-point shot will come into play this season.  

Dee Scott backed up Buckhanan last season and will likely do the same for Oliver-Burton. Scott has a consistent midrange game and will be asked to get more rebounds this season. Mya Robinson will play multiple positions. She is a shooting guard in a power forward's body. Robinson and fellow senior A'Niya Young were tabbed "Barkley and Rodman" their freshman year. Young is still an aggressive defender who loves to rebound.

Senior Courtney Lumpkins transferred to Fisk in the second semester from Shorter University. Lumpkins stepped in and made the most of her second-half minutes. The St. Louis native will be asked to score more and do the intangible things to help the team win. Senior Ami McClow worked on her game this summer and seeks more minutes in her final season.

The future is bright for Crawford as sophomore Jordyn Bailey returns. Freshman Kayla Lee will help take up the slack on the offensive end. The Franklin, Tennessee native averaged 37 points per game in her final year of high school ball. Three other freshmen, Krista Brandon, Amaya Scott, and Teniya Williams, will work hard to get minutes.

A tough preseason schedule starting with road games against Freed Hardeman and Trevecca. Their lone home game before conference play will be Homecoming against the University of Mobile. In December, they will take on NCAA DI UT Martin. According to Crawford, the team has eight players returning, but there will still be some chemistry issues early.

"We will see where we are early with our nonconference schedule. Right now, everyone has something to prove. I like this team, but it might be something different when the lights come on. I am excited to see how this will pan out."