WBB Preview: Arkansas vs. #12 Vanderbilt
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball (11-4) will open SEC play on New Year’s Day against No. 12 Vanderbilt (13-0) inside Bud Walton Arena.
Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on SECN+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Matt Zimmerman (analyst) on the call.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Arkansas and Vanderbilt will meet for the 42nd time since the Hogs joined the SEC in 1991. The teams first played on February 8, 1992. The Commodores have won the last three meetings and beat Arkansas by 41 points last season in Nashville. The two teams have only faced each other once to open SEC play: Jan. 4, 2007 in Nashville, a 98-61 loss for Arkansas against then-No. 11 Vanderbilt. Record against: 12-29 In Fayetteville: 9-9 In Nashville: 2-17 SEC Tournament: 1-3
QUICK HITS
Arkansas enters its 16th game overall and its first SEC game of the Kelsi Musick era. Musick has never faced Vanderbilt. Arkansas is 5-29 (4-11 at home) in SEC openers. Bonnie Deas’ 158 rebounds rank first in the SEC and third nationally. As a team, Arkansas ranks third in the SEC and seventh nationally with 46.67 rebounds per game. Taleyah Jones ranks ninth in the SEC and No. 68 nationally with 17.3 points per game.
LAST TIME OUT
Arkansas added its fourth loss of the season with an 81-72 loss to Arkansas State on Dec. 29. The Hogs committed 29 turnovers, the most in a game since they had 31 against Alcorn State in 2009. Arkansas was led by Taleyah Jones (18 points) for the eighth time this season. Junior Jenna Lawrence finished one rebound short of her second straight double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. • Freshman Bonnie Deas picked up her ninth double-digit rebounding game with 12.
ON THE COMMODORES
Vanderbilt finished its non-conference slate a perfect 13-0 and capped it off with a 59-point win over Stonehill on Sunday. The Commodores picked up notable wins over California in Paris, Oregon State and BYU at the Paradise Jam, and a win over Virginia in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Vanderbilt is led by sophomore Mikayla Blakes, one of the nation’s best scorers, with 23.9 points per game this season.
MUSIC CITY CLASSIC
The Hogs picked up a pair of wins at the Music City Classic in Nasvhille, Tennessee. Arkansas led wire-to-wire against Drake for a 79-71 win, and came back from down 12 points to defeat Southern Illinois, 73-63. Arkansas guard Taleyah Jones was named the event’s MVP after scoring 38 points over the two games (15 & 23). The Music City Classic was the Razorbacks’ only multi-team event this season.
MVP
Taleyah Jones is Arkansas leading scorer through nine games with 17.3 points per game, good enough for top 10 in the SEC and top 70 nationally. Jones has collected 12 10-plus point games and four 20-plus point games this season. She led the Hogs in scoring in six straight games and was named MVP in November’s Music City Classic. Jones missed Arkansas’ games against Jackson State and Missouri State due to a concussion. Jones scored 24 points in her return against Kansas City on Dec. 17. Jones transferred to Arkansas after playing two seasons at Oral Roberts under Musick, where she received First and Second Team All-Summit League honors and was named the league’s newcomer of the year in 2024.
A FEW FIRSTS
Kelsi Musick is Arkansas women’s basketball’s first female head coach since Susie Gardner led the Razorbacks from 2003-2007. Hometown firsts: Danika Galea is the first Maltin player in Razorback history. Aisha Hassan is the first Egyptian player in Razorback history. Ashlynn Chlarson is the first Arizonan in Razorback history.
50 SEASONS
Arkansas women’s basketball will celebrate its 50th season in 2025-26. The program was founded in 1976 and has accumulated 894 wins since its first game against North Arkansas CC on Nov. 19, 1976. The Razorbacks’ first win came on Dec. 1, 1976 against John Brown, 92-87.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
Freshman guard Bonnie Deas made quite the impression following the first week of the college basketball season. Deas averaged 18.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, the most by a freshman in the country through the first three games. Deas picked up recognition from the SEC, earning freshman of the week honors. Though her numbers have changed through 15 games, she is the only freshman and one of two guards (all classes) in the country to average at least 11 points and 10 rebounds. Deas’ 10.5 rebounds per game rank fifth in the SEC and 18th nationally. Among freshmen, she ranks second. Her 158 total rebounds rank first in the SEC and third nationally. This summer, she led her country to a silver medal in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup. Deas averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 assists in 6 games at the World Cup and earned All-Star Five team honors alongside USA’s Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, and UCLA’s Sienna Betts. Deas was Australia’s leading scorer in the championship game with 13 points in an 88-76 loss to the United States
THE NEWCOMERS
The Razorbacks added eight newcomers to the 2025-26 roster: 5 transfers and 3 freshmen. Maria Anais Rodriguez joined Arkansas from Oklahoma State, where she saw action in 10 games during her first season, including three Big 12 games against Colorado, UCF and Arizona. On the FIBA side, she helped Spain to a 6-1 mark and the Silver Medal at the FIBA U18 Women’s Eurobasket competition in 2024 and averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists during the event.
Taleyah Jones followed Coach Musick to Arkansas after playing for her during her sophomore and junior seasons. Jones was the Summit League Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and a First Team All-Summit League selection in 2025. Last season, she led ORU’s offense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring average (83.2) with 18.1 points per game.
Wyvette Mayberry signed with Arkansas on April 3, 2025, the first signee of the Musick era. Mayberry started her career at Tulsa before transferring to Kansas after two seasons. At Tulsa, she was named to the AAC All-Freshman team and led the Golden Hurricane in scoring her sophomore season with 14.1 points per game. At Kansas, she started in 31 games her junior season and recorded four 20+ point games. She started in all 32 games during her senior year and averaged 9.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She injured her knee during her fifth year and came to Arkansas to finish her career.
Ashlynn Chlarson is the only JUCO product on this year’s team and joined Arkansas from Eastern Arizona CC in Thatcher, Arizona. In her two seasons with the Monsters, she averaged 8.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Last season, she nearly averaged a double-double, with 10.9 points/game and 9.2 rebounds/game. She earned first team all-conference, second team all-region and NJCAA All-Tournament Team honors in 2025.
Emily Robinson also made the move from Oral Roberts after a successful start to her career. She was named the 2024 Summit League Freshman of the Year after averaging 10.3 points/game, 3.7 rebounds/game and 2.5 assists/game. She was the only freshman in the league to average double figures. She started in all 33 games her sophomore season and averaged 10.0 points/game and led ORU with 3.4 assists/game. She scored 17 points in the Summit League Tournament championship game against No. 24 South Dakota State.
Harmonie Ware, Aisha Hassan and Bonnie Deas were part of the 2025 signing class that Coach Musick managed to keep following her hiring in March.
THE FIBA FOUR
Four Razorbacks represent their countries at this summer’s FIBA events. Bonnie Deas (Australia) led her country to a silver medal in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup. Deas averaged 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3 assists in 6 games at the World Cup and earned All-Star Five team honors alongside USA’s Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, and UCLA’s Sienna Betts. Deas was Australia’s leading scorer in the championship game with 13 points in an 88-76 loss to the United States. Cristina Sanchez Cerqueira represented Spain in the U-20 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and won gold. Maria Anais Rodriguez also represented Spain at the U-19 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and earned a bronze medal. Danika Galea played for Malta in the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup and won a silver medal in the qualifier in Prishtina, Kosovo.
NEW STAFF
Joining Musick for her first season in Fayetteville are new assistant coaches Brad Johnson and Alex Furr. Johnson made the short trip from nearby Farmington, Arkansas, where he was the head coach of the highly successful Farmington High School girls program, the home of Jenna Lawrence. Overall, Johnson finished his high school coaching career with 419 wins, four state titles, eight conference titles and seven state finals appearances. Furr joins the staff from SMU, where she served as an assistant coach and director of player development for two seasons. Furr played at Fresno State from 2010-2014 and ranks in the all-time top 10 in 3-pointers made and career free throw percentage. Other new staff include Director of On-Court Development Greg Gilman and Video Coordinator Carter Mumm. Assistants Lacey Goldwire and Nick Bradford and longtime Director of Operations Amber Shirey remain on staff.
UP NEXT
The Hogs will open travel to Alabama (14-0) for their first SEC road game of the season on Sunday, January 4. The Tide open up league play at No. 3 South Carolina.
For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on social media.
