TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball opens its regular season when the Bearcats take on No.7-ranked Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
The Bearcats look to maintain momentum after rolling to a 91-45 win over Wittenberg in their lone exhibition game on Thursday. Cincinnati had four players finish in double-figures, led by a game-high 17 points Mya Jackson. Jillian Hayes turned in 15 points, in addition to 11 from Clarissa Craig and 10 from Dais'Ja Trotter.
Monday will be the 69th game between Cincinnati and Louisville, the longest-standing rivalry in program history. The rivalry spans over four conferences – Metro Conference, Conference USA, Big East and American. Cincinnati trails in the all-time series 27-41 and is 9-22 in Louisville.
Cincinnati has won all four season openers with an 11.5 margin of victory under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. The last time that Cincinnati opened the season against a top-25 opponent was 2002-03, when the No.18- ranked Bearcats fell on the road at No. 20 Mississippi State, 76-70.
The Bearcats return 38.3 points, 26.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. Hayes enters her junior season after being named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team. Cincinnati was selected to finish ninth in conference, while South Florida was chosen as the predicted favorite for the second straight season with nine first place votes.
Heading into the 16th season under head coach Jeff Walz, Louisville finished last season 29-5 and earned a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons. The Cardinals were ranked seventh in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25 poll and selected the preseason favorites in the ACC.
WINNING THE SEASON OPENER UNDER CLARK-HEARD
With the 73-60 win vs. Alabama A&M last season, Cincinnati has won all four season openers with a +11.5 margin of victory under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. The largest win was a 69-48 (+21) victory over Austin Peay inside Fifth Third Arena on Nov. 6, 2018. Cincinnati is averaging 70.8 points per game in season openers under Clark-Heard. The program's last season opener on the road was an 87-77 loss at East Tennessee State on Nov. 10, 2017. Cincinnati is 7-3 in their last 10 season openers.
A LOT OF PRODUCTION BACK
Despite losing five players from last year's roster, the Bearcats return a lot of production.
Points returning 66.2 percent (1,109 of 1,674)
Rebounds returning 76.6 percent (758 of 990)
Assists returning 52.0 percent (208 of 400)
Blocks returning 66.2 percent (90 of 136)
Steals returning 63.2 percent (144 of 228)
Minutes returning 68.4 percent (3,831 of 5,602)
Cincinnati welcomes back 38.3 points, 26.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. The Bearcats return four players - Jillian Hayes, Caitlyn Wilson, Braylyn Milton, Jadyn Scott - that started double-digit games in 2021-22 and combine for 111 career starts at Cincinnati. Cincinnati welcomes in the addition of Mya Jackson, who started 33 of 34 games last season at Seton Hall and made 59 career starts over three seasons with the Pirates.
DANGEROUS FROM BEHIND THE ARC
Caitlyn Wilson finished second in the AAC with 2.1 three-point field goals per game and third in total three-point field goals made at 58 on 30.9 percent from behind the arc last season, while Braylyn Milton converted on a team-high 38.2 percent from three. With the addition of Mya Jackson, who ranked eighth in the BIG EAST with a .373 three-point percentage last season for her third straight season converting on at least .370 percent from behind the arc, the Bearcats have four players on their roster with at least a 31.0 career three-point percentage.
NEW FACES IN THE MIX
Cincinnati welcomes in the addition of three new assistant coaches and three newcomers, transfers Mya Jackson and Dais'Ja Trotter and freshman A'riel Jackson.
DAIS'JA TROTTER
Trotter comes to Cincinnati from Rend Lake College, where she was named the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and NJCAA Region XXIV Player of the Year after leading the NJCAA in points per game, total points and field goals made. She finished as Rend Lake College's all-time leading scorer with 1,474 points, breaking a nearly four-decade record established in 1983. She was also named a Second-Team NJCAA All-American, in addition to earning All-Region and All-Conference honors after starting 29 of 30 games and averaging 24.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2021-22. She was named an honorable mention NJCAA All-American in 2020-21. Her #10 Rend Lake jersey is on display at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Ring of Honor in Knoxville, Tenn.
MYA JACKSON
Jackson comes to Cincinnati after three seasons at Seton Hall. In 2021-22, she started 33 of 34 games averaging 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. She ranked eighth in the BIG EAST with a .373 three-point percentage, her third straight season converting on at least .370 percent from behind the arc. She was heavily recruited by Clark-Heard coming out of high school before choosing Seton Hall.
A'RIEL JACKSON
Jackson comes to Cincinnati from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, where she named to the McDonald's All-American East Nominee List and was 1,000-point scorer. Jackson was ranked 79th nationally, 16th-ranked shooting guard by Preferred Athlete Scouting Service and 108th nationally by the All-Star Girls Report. Her Mother, Kym Hampton, was the number four overall pick in the inaugural 1997 WNBA Draft and played three seasons for the New York Liberty as part of a 15-year professional career, where she was voted the starting center in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWBB on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
The Bearcats look to maintain momentum after rolling to a 91-45 win over Wittenberg in their lone exhibition game on Thursday. Cincinnati had four players finish in double-figures, led by a game-high 17 points Mya Jackson. Jillian Hayes turned in 15 points, in addition to 11 from Clarissa Craig and 10 from Dais'Ja Trotter.
Monday will be the 69th game between Cincinnati and Louisville, the longest-standing rivalry in program history. The rivalry spans over four conferences – Metro Conference, Conference USA, Big East and American. Cincinnati trails in the all-time series 27-41 and is 9-22 in Louisville.
Cincinnati has won all four season openers with an 11.5 margin of victory under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. The last time that Cincinnati opened the season against a top-25 opponent was 2002-03, when the No.18- ranked Bearcats fell on the road at No. 20 Mississippi State, 76-70.
The Bearcats return 38.3 points, 26.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. Hayes enters her junior season after being named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team. Cincinnati was selected to finish ninth in conference, while South Florida was chosen as the predicted favorite for the second straight season with nine first place votes.
Heading into the 16th season under head coach Jeff Walz, Louisville finished last season 29-5 and earned a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons. The Cardinals were ranked seventh in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25 poll and selected the preseason favorites in the ACC.
WINNING THE SEASON OPENER UNDER CLARK-HEARD
With the 73-60 win vs. Alabama A&M last season, Cincinnati has won all four season openers with a +11.5 margin of victory under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. The largest win was a 69-48 (+21) victory over Austin Peay inside Fifth Third Arena on Nov. 6, 2018. Cincinnati is averaging 70.8 points per game in season openers under Clark-Heard. The program's last season opener on the road was an 87-77 loss at East Tennessee State on Nov. 10, 2017. Cincinnati is 7-3 in their last 10 season openers.
A LOT OF PRODUCTION BACK
Despite losing five players from last year's roster, the Bearcats return a lot of production.
Points returning 66.2 percent (1,109 of 1,674)
Rebounds returning 76.6 percent (758 of 990)
Assists returning 52.0 percent (208 of 400)
Blocks returning 66.2 percent (90 of 136)
Steals returning 63.2 percent (144 of 228)
Minutes returning 68.4 percent (3,831 of 5,602)
Cincinnati welcomes back 38.3 points, 26.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. The Bearcats return four players - Jillian Hayes, Caitlyn Wilson, Braylyn Milton, Jadyn Scott - that started double-digit games in 2021-22 and combine for 111 career starts at Cincinnati. Cincinnati welcomes in the addition of Mya Jackson, who started 33 of 34 games last season at Seton Hall and made 59 career starts over three seasons with the Pirates.
DANGEROUS FROM BEHIND THE ARC
Caitlyn Wilson finished second in the AAC with 2.1 three-point field goals per game and third in total three-point field goals made at 58 on 30.9 percent from behind the arc last season, while Braylyn Milton converted on a team-high 38.2 percent from three. With the addition of Mya Jackson, who ranked eighth in the BIG EAST with a .373 three-point percentage last season for her third straight season converting on at least .370 percent from behind the arc, the Bearcats have four players on their roster with at least a 31.0 career three-point percentage.
NEW FACES IN THE MIX
Cincinnati welcomes in the addition of three new assistant coaches and three newcomers, transfers Mya Jackson and Dais'Ja Trotter and freshman A'riel Jackson.
DAIS'JA TROTTER
Trotter comes to Cincinnati from Rend Lake College, where she was named the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and NJCAA Region XXIV Player of the Year after leading the NJCAA in points per game, total points and field goals made. She finished as Rend Lake College's all-time leading scorer with 1,474 points, breaking a nearly four-decade record established in 1983. She was also named a Second-Team NJCAA All-American, in addition to earning All-Region and All-Conference honors after starting 29 of 30 games and averaging 24.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2021-22. She was named an honorable mention NJCAA All-American in 2020-21. Her #10 Rend Lake jersey is on display at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Ring of Honor in Knoxville, Tenn.
MYA JACKSON
Jackson comes to Cincinnati after three seasons at Seton Hall. In 2021-22, she started 33 of 34 games averaging 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. She ranked eighth in the BIG EAST with a .373 three-point percentage, her third straight season converting on at least .370 percent from behind the arc. She was heavily recruited by Clark-Heard coming out of high school before choosing Seton Hall.
A'RIEL JACKSON
Jackson comes to Cincinnati from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, where she named to the McDonald's All-American East Nominee List and was 1,000-point scorer. Jackson was ranked 79th nationally, 16th-ranked shooting guard by Preferred Athlete Scouting Service and 108th nationally by the All-Star Girls Report. Her Mother, Kym Hampton, was the number four overall pick in the inaugural 1997 WNBA Draft and played three seasons for the New York Liberty as part of a 15-year professional career, where she was voted the starting center in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsWBB on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.