Women’s Basketball Opens 2020-21 Season At Home Saturday Afternoon

• The Texas Southern women’s basketball team finally hits the court Saturday afternoon against UTRGV at 12 p.m. This marks the first contest of the 2020-21 campaign for TSU as its first two games were postponed.

• Third-year head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is back on the TSU sidelines for the second straight season. She led TSU to the SWAC Regular Season Championship for the first time in school history in 2012-13 in addition to a second-place finish last season. The team made it to the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed but the season was cut short due to COVID-19.

• Head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is 37-36 all-time in the month of November and 3-8 at TSU. 

• Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has history with UTRGV as her first-ever game as a collegiate head coach took place in Edinburg on Nov. 21, 2005 as she defeated then Texas-Pan American 67-66 while she was at Prairie View A&M. She met UTRGV (formerly UTPA) again several weeks later in San Marcos, Texas as she fell 75-54. Cooper defeated UTRGV 71-44 last season.

• Texas Southern women’s basketball was picked to finished second in the annual Southwestern Athletic Conference poll while the duo of Niya Mitchell and Ataiya Bridges earned preseason All-SWAC honors as the league announced its annual preseason poll and all-conference teams. Mitchell will be tasked with leading TSU as the Bay City, Texas native had a career season with 16.1 points and 11.8 rebounds while recording 17 double-doubles. The Preseason All-SWAC First Teamer also ranked sixth nationally in rebounding (5th offensive rebounding) and 14th in steals. Mitchell shot 60 percent from the field as she shot 50 percent or better in 23 games. Senior guard Ataiya Bridges also returns and will have an expanded role after averaging 12.9 points and 2.8 rebounds off the bench as the Lanett, Ala. native earned second team All-SWAC honors and after her first season at TSU.

• A member of the WAC, UTRGV was picked fifth in the preseason poll. They are led by Amara Graham’s 14.3 points and Halie Jones’ 10 points per game. Iva Belosevic is the top rebounder with seven rebounds per game.

• TSU  returns eight letterwinners and adds four newcomers in 2020-21. However, TSU has to replace four starters as only Niya Mitchell returns.