Florida A&M’s women’s basketball program is entering the new season with a rare sense of continuity. After a breakthrough year that culminated in the school’s first-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship, head coach Bridgette Gordon has announced that every player from the previous roster will return, a decision that underscores the team’s commitment to building on that historic run.
A Strategic Overhaul
Gordon, now in her second year as head coach, used the offseason to reshape the squad with a blend of fresh talent and experienced transfers. The incoming class features standout prospects such as Kristen Johnson, the Alabama 6A Player of the Year, and Breasia Coit, the reigning CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, both of whom are expected to bolster the team’s interior presence and perimeter threat.
The roster also welcomes a wave of transfers, including Lia Sims from Lemoore College, Rose Jamison from Bellarmine University, Kamryn Grant from the University of Dayton, and Persais Williams from Winthrop University. Together with returning All‑SWAC second‑team point guard Tahyjia Purifoy, the group forms a deep and versatile lineup that the coaching staff believes can compete at the highest level of the conference.
Cultivating Continuity
Coach Gordon has repeatedly emphasized that caring for her players is the foundation of retention. “When you show them that you value them as people, they want to stay,” she said during a recent interview. That philosophy appears to be paying dividends, as the team avoided any departures to the NCAA Transfer Portal, a rarity in today’s college landscape.
The entire squad reported to campus on Monday, June 22, for summer classes, strength and conditioning workouts, and on‑court drills. The early practices have already sparked optimism, with Gordon noting that the recruits are already buying into the program’s culture and expectations.
Looking Ahead
With a stable core, a fortified frontcourt, and a coaching staff that has proven its ability to develop talent, FAMU’s women’s basketball team is poised to make another leap. The non‑conference schedule will test the squad early, but the early signs suggest that the program is on the cusp of a sustained period of success.