With the season’s start quickly approaching, Coach Missy Bilderback addressed popular concerns from Southern Miss women’s basketball fans and media at the preseason press conference at Reed Green Coliseum.
As the conference began, Bilderback wasted no time praising her roster and sharing how proud she was of their dedication and hard work. She also noted the tough nonconference schedule the Lady Golden Eagles will face this year.
With several transfers joining the team, concerns about player chemistry were a topic of discussion. Bilderback highlighted the benefits of diversity while emphasizing the process of examining each player’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure top performance throughout the season.
“There’s a big benefit in having different players and coaches that are familiar with your system,” she said. “The biggest issue is trying to figure out lineups and who’s playing well together.”
With Bilderback’s long history of success, fans are eager to see that winning mentality carry over to Southern Miss. However, she remained humble, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and those around her.
“Everything is year to year and each team is different, and what each team needs is different. I think winning has been a byproduct of having the right people around me all these years. If you look, I’ve always had great assistant coaches, I’ve had great players and great talent…It’s not just about having the best player, it’s about having great people,” she said.
With her emphasis on family and unity, the Lady Golden Eagles appear to have bought into the vision for the season ahead—but only time will tell.
Southern Miss will open the regular season at home against Northern Illinois on Nov. 3, with tipoff set for 6 p.m.
