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2024–25 Mercer Bears women's basketball team

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The 2024–25 Mercer Bears women's basketball team represented Mercer University during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bears, who were led by first-year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, played their home games at Hawkins Arena in Macon, Georgia as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon).

ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record8–22 (3–11 SoCon)
Headcoach
Assistant coaches
  • Michael Morgan
  • Blessing Freeman
  • Elizabeth Metress
  • Darrius "Zeke" Mazyck
Quick facts Mercer Bears women's basketball, Conference ...
2024–25 Mercer Bears women's basketball
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record8–22 (3–11 SoCon)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Michael Morgan
  • Blessing Freeman
  • Elizabeth Metress
  • Darrius "Zeke" Mazyck
Home arenaHawkins Arena
Seasons
← 2023–24
2025–26 →
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2024–25 Southern Conference women's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
UNC Greensboro †13–1 .92925–7  .781
Chattanooga9–5 .64317–15  .531
East Tennessee State8–6 .57117–13  .567
Wofford8–6 .57117–12  .586
Samford7–7 .50012–19  .387
Furman5–9 .35716–16  .500
Mercer3–11 .2148–22  .267
Western Carolina3–11 .21413–17  .433
† 2025 SoCon tournament winner
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Previous season

The Bears finished the 2023–24 season 15–17, 8–6 in SoCon play, to finish in a three-way tie for second place.[1] They defeated East Tennessee State,[2] before falling to top-seeded and eventual tournament champions Chattanooga in the semifinals of the SoCon tournament.[3]

On March 9, 2024, head coach Susie Gardner announced her resignation, ending her 14-year tenure with the team.[4] On March 23, the school announced that they would be hiring Mississippi State assistant and former Cincinnati head coach Michelle Clark-Heard as Gardner's successor.[5]

Preseason

On October 16, 2024, the SoCon released their preseason coaches poll. Mercer was picked to finish seventh in the SoCon regular season.[6]

Preseason rankings

More information Predicted finish, Team ...
SoCon preseason poll
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Wofford49 (7)
2UNC Greensboro42 (1)
T-3Furman31
Samford
5East Tennessee State25
6Chattanooga23
7Mercer13
8Western Carolina10
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Source:[6]

Preseason All-SoCon Team

No Bears were named to the Preseason All-SoCon team.[6]

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2024–25 Mercer Bears women's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 2 Ariana Bennett 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) JrSouthwestern Illinois College Edwardsville, Illinois
G 5 Jania Akins 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) FrNorcross High School Chicago, Illinois
G 7 Aliyah Collins 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) JrIncarnate Word College Station, Texas
G 8 Ioanna Stefanaki 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) RS FrIdaho State Crete, Greece
G 9 Nahawa Diarra 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) SrNew Mexico Barcelona, Spain
G 11 Stephanie Utomi 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) FrArbor Preparatory High School Detroit, Michigan
G 12 Kayla Smith 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) JrPrairie View A&M Lakeland, Florida
F 16 Astrid Mukulumpe 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) FrLycée Marguerite de Flandre Orléans, France
F 21 Chelsy Bautista 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) JrOdessa College Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
F 23 Ashlee Locke 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) SrFlowery Branch High School Flowery Branch, Georgia
G 24 Stacy Utomi 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) FrArbor Preparatory High School Detroit, Michigan
G 25 Talia Harris 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) FrFishers High School Fishers, Indiana
F 41 Zenia Palaska 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) SoVermont Athens, Greece
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: May 23, 2025

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 30, 2024*
7:00 pm		 Young Harris W 61–28  –
 Hawkins Arena 
Macon, GA
Non-conference regular season
November 4, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 UNC Asheville W 75–52  1–0
 Hawkins Arena (727)
Macon, GA
November 9, 2024*
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Florida Atlantic L 48–58  1–1
 Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena (774)
Boca Raton, FL
November 12, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Western Kentucky L 54–78  1–2
 Hawkins Arena (358)
Macon, GA
November 17, 2024*
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 North Carolina A&T W 46–38  2–2
 Hawkins Arena (419)
Macon, GA
November 20, 2024*
7:30 pm, SECN+		 at Mississippi State L 44–81  2–3
 Humphrey Coliseum (4,003)
Starkville, MS
November 22, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Charleston Southern W 59–48  3–3
 Hawkins Arena (498)
Macon, GA
November 24, 2024*
3:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Austin Peay L 53–66  3–4
 F&M Bank Arena 
Clarksville, TN
November 27, 2024*
6:30 pm, ESPN+		 at Jacksonville L 49–74  3–5
 Swisher Gymnasium (350)
Jacksonville, FL
November 30, 2024*
2:00 pm		 at Bethune–Cookman W 70–64  4–5
 Moore Gymnasium (222)
Daytona Beach, FL
December 5, 2024*
11:00 am, ESPN+		 Charlotte L 42–43  4–6
 Hawkins Arena (931)
Macon, GA
December 8, 2024*
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 Georgia Tech L 42–78  4–7
 Hawkins Arena (519)
Macon, GA
December 15, 2024*
3:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Tulane L 46–73  4–8
 Devlin Fieldhouse (716)
New Orleans, LA
December 19, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Jackson State L 54–66  4–9
 Hawkins Arena (419)
Macon, GA
December 21, 2024*
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 Appalachian State L 61–74  4–10
 Hawkins Arena (319)
Macon, GA
December 30, 2024*
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Kennesaw State W 62–59  5–10
 KSU Convocation Center (710)
Kennesaw, GA
SoCon regular season
January 11, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 Samford W 56–53  6–10
(1–0)		 Hawkins Arena (619)
Macon, GA
January 16, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at East Tennessee State L 46–70  6–11
(1–1)		 Brooks Gymnasium (283)
Johnson City, TN
January 18, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Chattanooga L 37–60  6–12
(1–2)		 McKenzie Arena (1,511)
Chattanooga, TN
January 23, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Wofford L 51–61  6–13
(1–3)		 Hawkins Arena (1,583)
Macon, GA
January 25, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 Furman L 47–57  6–14
(1–4)		 Hawkins Arena (1,619)
Macon, GA
January 30, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at UNC Greensboro L 37–70  6–15
(1–5)		 Fleming Gymnasium (368)
Greensboro, NC
February 1, 2025
1:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Western Carolina W 71–66  7–15
(2–5)		 Ramsey Center (764)
Cullowhee, NC
February 8, 2025
3:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Samford L 49–65  7–16
(2–6)		 Pete Hanna Center (378)
Homewood, AL
February 13, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Chattanooga L 39–69  7–17
(2–7)		 Hawkins Arena (1,754)
Macon, GA
February 15, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 East Tennessee State L 67–70  7–18
(2–8)		 Hawkins Arena (1,549)
Macon, GA
February 20, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Furman L 70–72  7–19
(2–9)		 Hayes Gym (411)
Tigerville, SC
February 22, 2025
6:00 pm, ESPN+		 at Wofford L 64–65  7–20
(2–10)		 Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium (713)
Spartanburg, SC
February 27, 2025
7:00 pm, ESPN+		 Western Carolina W 51–49  8–20
(3–10)		 Hawkins Arena (1,366)
Macon, GA
March 1, 2025
2:00 pm, ESPN+		 UNC Greensboro L 37–76  8–21
(3–11)		 Hawkins Arena (1,733)
Macon, GA
SoCon tournament
March 6, 2025
1:30 pm, ESPN+		 (7) vs. (2) Chattanooga
Quarterfinals		 L 47–68  8–22
 Harrah's Cherokee Center 
Asheville, NC
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.
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Sources:[7][8]

References

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