Mercer women’s basketball will start the 2025-26 season on Monday, Nov. 3 against the University of North Carolina--Asheville.
Last year, the team went 8-22 under Head Coach Michelle Clark-Heard in her first season leading the team, and won just three Southern Conference games. This year, with a new mixture of players and staff members, the team is looking to excel in their second season with Clark-Heard at the helm.
“I am excited about this group, we have nine new players and five returners," Clark-Heard said. “I am excited to watch this team grow every single day."
Last season ended in the first round of the SoCon playoffs in a 68-47 loss to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Clark-Heard was very vocal about trying to correct mistakes that happened last year. “We couldn’t put the ball in the hole well, we didn’t score well," Clark-Heard said, adding that the team was "at the bottom in the country" in that statistical category. Mercer also finished bottom in the conference in turnover-to-assist ratio, a statistic that is often attributed to a team's level of chemistry. With new players and coaching staff blending in with returning members, Clark-Heard thinks the team's connections are stronger now than they were last year.
“For seven weeks we did team building activities where I met with each player on Wednesday, we called it Wellness Wednesday," Clark-Heard said, emphasizing the importance of players and coaches having connections outside of the game.
Clark-Heard feels her team is more than ready for the season opener against UNC-Asheville, a team the Bears bested last season for Clark-Heard's first win as head coach. “We have had some closed scrimmages to prepare us for the season over the offseason, and we have been focusing on our defense," Clark-Heard said. Last year, the Bears had the worst point differential in the SoCon.
Forward Ariana Bennett '26 and guard Nahawa Diarraare '26 are players that Clark-Heard hopes will "will set the tone for us." Last year, Bennett led the team in points and minutes, while Diarraare led the team in assists and steals. More players Clark-Heard mentioned were point guard Talia Kemp ‘28 and guard Elena Cabello ‘27, among a group of transfer players, who will be some of the impact players to look out for as the season progresses.
The home opener will be a face off against Clemson University inside Hawkins Arena, a team who Mercer has not played against since 2023, when the Bears lost on the road, 90-66. The home advantage will be crucial for Mercer, who went 5-10 last season in Macon, their worst home record since the 2011 season. “Last year I know we struggled at home, but I want support for these amazing ladies," Clark-Heard said.
The Southern Conference preseason coach's poll projects Mercer will be last in the conference at No. 8.
Nevaeh Wilson '28 is majoring in Journalism and minoring in Film Studies. She has been writing for The Cluster since her freshman year, and has worked for Mercer's ESPN studio. She enjoys watching college and professional sporting events.
