WBB Preview: Arkansas vs. Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball (11-12, 0-8 SEC) closes its two-game homestand with a rematch against Missouri (15-9, 3-6 SEC) on Thursday, Feb. 5
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised live on SECN+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Matt Zimmerman (analyst) on the call.
The Razorbacks and Tigers faced each other on Jan. 15 in Columbia, where Missouri won 94-69.
Thursday’s game is Arkansas’ annual Play4Kay game, supporting breast cancer awareness via the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Arkansas and Missouri will meet for the 38th time overall and the second time this season. The Tigers won the last meeting, on Jan. 15 in Columbia, 94-69. The Hogs have won 5 of the last 6 meetings in Fayetteville, dating back to 2020. Record against: 23-14 In Fayetteville: 12-5 In Columbia: 9-8 Neutral: 2-1.
QUICK HITS
Arkansas enters its 24rd game overall and its ninth SEC game of the Kelsi Musick era. Musick is 1-1 against Missouri all-time. The Razorbacks started SEC play with four straight ranked matchups: #12 Vanderbilt, at #24 Alabama, #3 South Carolina and at #20 Tennessee. Seven of Arkansas’ first 10 SEC opponents are ranked in this week’s AP top 25. Bonnie Deas’ 202 rebounds rank fifth in the SEC and 40th nationally. As a team, Arkansas ranks fifth in the SEC and 17th nationally with 42.70 rebounds per game. Taleyah Jones ranks ninth in the SEC and 76th nationallywith 16.9 points per game. Next up: The Razorbacks head to Florida on Sunday, Feb. 8.
LAST TIME OUT
Arkansas lost to No. 18 Kentucky 93-73 on Feb. 1 but continued its streak of playing hard with three straight games in single digits at halftime. The Hogs actually led by three with 4:38 left in the third quarter, but the Wildcats outscored the Razorbacks 52-29 over the final 14 minutes of the game. Kentucky dominated on the boards and held Arkansas to a season-low 24 rebounds. Wildcats’ center Clara Strack had 33 points and 15 rebounds. Arkansas was led by junior Emily Robinson with a season-high 20 points on 8-11 shooting from the field. She led the Hogs in scoring for the first time this season. Taleyah Jones matched her career high and went 10-10 at the free-throw line. Arkansas’ 73 points were the most against an SEC team this season.
ON THE TIGERS
Missouri is coming off an 88-80 win over Mississippi State in Starkville via a 14-2 run to close the game. The contest featured 20 lead changes and 12 ties and the Tigers matched their win total from last season. Missouri has three players scoring over 10 points a game, led by Grace Slaughter at 19.3, which ranks fifth in the SEC. The Tigers are in their first season under Kellie Harper.
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 22 games with 16.9 points per game, good enough for top 10 in the SEC and No. 76 nationally. Jones has collected 17 10-plus point games and eight 20-plus point games this season. She’s led Arkansas in scoring 12 times 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 23 games, she is one of six freshmen (the only in the SEC, Big 12 or Big 10) and one of seven guards (all classes, only in the SEC) in the country to average at least 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Prior to Arkansas’ game against South Carolina, she, at 5-9, was the shortest player in the country to average a double-double. Deas’ 8.8 rebounds per game rank sixth in the SEC and 53rd nationally. Among freshmen, she ranks 10th in rebounds per game. Her 202 total rebounds rank fifth in the SEC and 40th nationally and seventh among freshmen. 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 head to Florida on Sunday, Feb. 8 for an 11 a.m. CT tip.
For more information on Arkansas women’s basketball, follow @RazorbackWBB on social media.
