Troy University Athletics
Johnson’s Journal – Alabama Natives Lead Women’s Basketball’s New Era
9/23/2026 3:15:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – As Chanda Rigby enters her 15th season as the Troy women's basketball head coach, she's rebuilding a team largely with Alabamians — four of them freshmen — in what will be the least experienced squad of her career.
It's quite a contrast from a year ago.
"I'm coming off perhaps the most experienced class I ever had," Rigby said. "We graduated eight seniors, so this is a huge difference. There is no substitute for experience, so we're seeing that. But I am seeing a good side of it that I had not expected.
"They don't know what they don't know, but they know that and they want to learn. A lot of these kids are doing exactly what you tell them because you told them to do it. I think if you ask my assistants who really do all the position work and the skills training, I think they would tell you that you've got kids out there that are leaning in and listening and trying to do exactly what you tell them to do."
While many college programs now look to the transfer portal to revamp a roster, Rigby and her staff continue to pursue top high school players — especially from within the state.
"This year it kind of fell as an exceptional situation," Rigby said. "I think we had a little higher talent in the area, and also with the way things are, we ended up signing more high school players this year because of the Power Four schools (SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12) mostly getting transfer portal kids.
"So, I got a higher-level high school kid out of Alabama this year than I've ever been able to get before."
Hannah Smith of Montgomery Catholic was a banner signee for the Trojans. As a high school senior last season, she averaged 23.5 points and 10.7 rebounds.
"She definitely could be a Power Four player, and she came here," Rigby said of Smith. "She's another one of those that if things weren't the way they were with the transfer portal, I don't know if we would have gotten that same shot to recruit her."
Rigby also sees signing those from the high school ranks as a way to indoctrinate a young player into her system without much pushback.
"When you get these transfers and they're 21-22 years old and have had all these other coaches and are used to doing things in different ways, that's challenging, too," Rigby said. Brainwash is a bad word, but we brainwash our kids to believe that rebounding is life and death here. Not many other programs do that to that extent. So if they've been successful doing things their way for all these years and you get them in their last two years because you got somebody out of the transfer portal, it's hard to convince them. It's a lot easier to convince them when they're coming in here as freshmen that this is why you've seen Troy win so much, and this is what you've got to do. I'm trying to take advantage of the climate the way it is now, which is that there are better high school players out there to be had."
Back Together Again
Six of the 13 players on the roster are from Alabama, including a pair of former high school teammates in sophomore point guard Saniya Jackson and freshman forward Maliyah Meeks, who both helped Park Crossing win the 2025 Class 6A state championship.
"Those kids won Park Crossing's first state championship in any sport during Saniya's senior year," Rigby said. "They had a higher level of skill than most people around them when they were in high school. They're great people, they're great players, their expectation is winning. They're going to be really proud to have their people in the stands here."
A year after being more of a backup player in 31 games with one start, Jackson is now counted on to be a leader at point guard for the Trojans. She is embracing the challenge.
"I've got to communicate more with the team," Jackson said. "Last year, I wasn't talking as much, but now I'm becoming a leader. I've got to grow. I am more confident in myself now. I'm in the gym more now because I know what I have to do. I know my role to step up on this team."
Meeks, who was named the Class 6A Player of the Year after compiling 759 points and 406 rebounds as a senior, said having her former high school teammate in Jackson at Troy has made her adjustment easier.
"I knew she would kind of show me the way and I would know somebody coming in," Meeks said. "I knew it would also be nice to get the duo back together because we did play in high school together."
Meeks is ready to do whatever it takes to earn playing time.
"I've been telling myself to expect the unexpected and be ready for anything," Meeks said. "Go out there and be a dog, honestly. Just do the little things that we preach here at Troy and our coaches have been trying to implement in us."
A Veteran Presence
Guard Aniya Hubbard, a former Hoover High School star who transferred from UAB after two previous years at Florida Atlantic, gives the Trojans a proven player who has put up big scoring numbers.
During her senior year at Hoover, she led the Bucs to a third straight Class 7A state championship and was named team captain.
In her first year at FAU, Hubbard was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.1 points. She averaged 17.2 points as a sophomore before transferring to UAB.
"She is exactly what we need to go with these younger players," Rigby said. "She's had the weight of the responsibility of winning on her shoulders before and knows how to carry that weight. We need that."
Hubbard is eager to show the way on the court.
"I know we do have a lot of young people on the team, but I think it's very special because we get to teach them and see how they grow as the year goes on and they develop their skills," Hubbard said.
Hubbard believes the team is blending well thus far.
"I think chemistry is important," Hubbard said. "We started that in the summer in getting to know each other and bonding well on a high level. Our chemistry has been good and I think it's only going to get better."
Learning the Ropes
Jamonica Chambers is a 6-foot-4 freshman forward from Vigor in Mobile who felt an instant connection with the Troy coaches after attending a camp on campus when she was in high school.
"We came up here for a camp and I had a one-on-one talk with the coaches, and out of nowhere, I got so emotional and I was crying," Chambers said. "Just being in their presence, it was like, 'This is where I want to be.'"
Once signing with the Trojans, there was definitely some adjusting for Chambers, who averaged 10.4 blocks and 12.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Vigor.
"Coming in straight from high school a week or two after I graduated, it was a big change," Chambers said. "I feel like also coming straight from high school, I came not knowing what I was getting myself into.
"I came in thinking this is going to be just like high school and I'm going to get playing time. But you have to realize everybody on the team has talent."
Fans in the Stands
Tiauna King is another freshman for the Trojans who comes in with impressive credentials. As a senior at Pelham High School, King averaged 19.5 points and was a two-time Class 6A All-State first-team selection.
Besides signing some of the most talented players in the state, Rigby knows it can also translate to more fans in the seats of Trojan Arena.
"Some of these we signed this year have big family support … I would see that at their high school games," Rigby said.
The coach believes the reputation Troy women's basketball has built will continue to resonate with recruits.
"I just hope that when people think of the college women's basketball in Alabama, we hope that Troy University women's basketball will dominate that space in people's minds," Rigby said. "Troy women's basketball has been the most successful (in-state college program) in the last decade."
"Now we're kind of putting the icing on the cake by having more true Alabama players on our roster."
It's quite a contrast from a year ago.
"I'm coming off perhaps the most experienced class I ever had," Rigby said. "We graduated eight seniors, so this is a huge difference. There is no substitute for experience, so we're seeing that. But I am seeing a good side of it that I had not expected.
"They don't know what they don't know, but they know that and they want to learn. A lot of these kids are doing exactly what you tell them because you told them to do it. I think if you ask my assistants who really do all the position work and the skills training, I think they would tell you that you've got kids out there that are leaning in and listening and trying to do exactly what you tell them to do."
While many college programs now look to the transfer portal to revamp a roster, Rigby and her staff continue to pursue top high school players — especially from within the state.
"This year it kind of fell as an exceptional situation," Rigby said. "I think we had a little higher talent in the area, and also with the way things are, we ended up signing more high school players this year because of the Power Four schools (SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Big 12) mostly getting transfer portal kids.
"So, I got a higher-level high school kid out of Alabama this year than I've ever been able to get before."
Hannah Smith of Montgomery Catholic was a banner signee for the Trojans. As a high school senior last season, she averaged 23.5 points and 10.7 rebounds.
"She definitely could be a Power Four player, and she came here," Rigby said of Smith. "She's another one of those that if things weren't the way they were with the transfer portal, I don't know if we would have gotten that same shot to recruit her."
Rigby also sees signing those from the high school ranks as a way to indoctrinate a young player into her system without much pushback.
"When you get these transfers and they're 21-22 years old and have had all these other coaches and are used to doing things in different ways, that's challenging, too," Rigby said. Brainwash is a bad word, but we brainwash our kids to believe that rebounding is life and death here. Not many other programs do that to that extent. So if they've been successful doing things their way for all these years and you get them in their last two years because you got somebody out of the transfer portal, it's hard to convince them. It's a lot easier to convince them when they're coming in here as freshmen that this is why you've seen Troy win so much, and this is what you've got to do. I'm trying to take advantage of the climate the way it is now, which is that there are better high school players out there to be had."
Back Together Again
Six of the 13 players on the roster are from Alabama, including a pair of former high school teammates in sophomore point guard Saniya Jackson and freshman forward Maliyah Meeks, who both helped Park Crossing win the 2025 Class 6A state championship.
"Those kids won Park Crossing's first state championship in any sport during Saniya's senior year," Rigby said. "They had a higher level of skill than most people around them when they were in high school. They're great people, they're great players, their expectation is winning. They're going to be really proud to have their people in the stands here."
A year after being more of a backup player in 31 games with one start, Jackson is now counted on to be a leader at point guard for the Trojans. She is embracing the challenge.
"I've got to communicate more with the team," Jackson said. "Last year, I wasn't talking as much, but now I'm becoming a leader. I've got to grow. I am more confident in myself now. I'm in the gym more now because I know what I have to do. I know my role to step up on this team."
Meeks, who was named the Class 6A Player of the Year after compiling 759 points and 406 rebounds as a senior, said having her former high school teammate in Jackson at Troy has made her adjustment easier.
"I knew she would kind of show me the way and I would know somebody coming in," Meeks said. "I knew it would also be nice to get the duo back together because we did play in high school together."
Meeks is ready to do whatever it takes to earn playing time.
"I've been telling myself to expect the unexpected and be ready for anything," Meeks said. "Go out there and be a dog, honestly. Just do the little things that we preach here at Troy and our coaches have been trying to implement in us."
A Veteran Presence
Guard Aniya Hubbard, a former Hoover High School star who transferred from UAB after two previous years at Florida Atlantic, gives the Trojans a proven player who has put up big scoring numbers.
During her senior year at Hoover, she led the Bucs to a third straight Class 7A state championship and was named team captain.
In her first year at FAU, Hubbard was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.1 points. She averaged 17.2 points as a sophomore before transferring to UAB.
"She is exactly what we need to go with these younger players," Rigby said. "She's had the weight of the responsibility of winning on her shoulders before and knows how to carry that weight. We need that."
Hubbard is eager to show the way on the court.
"I know we do have a lot of young people on the team, but I think it's very special because we get to teach them and see how they grow as the year goes on and they develop their skills," Hubbard said.
Hubbard believes the team is blending well thus far.
"I think chemistry is important," Hubbard said. "We started that in the summer in getting to know each other and bonding well on a high level. Our chemistry has been good and I think it's only going to get better."
Learning the Ropes
Jamonica Chambers is a 6-foot-4 freshman forward from Vigor in Mobile who felt an instant connection with the Troy coaches after attending a camp on campus when she was in high school.
"We came up here for a camp and I had a one-on-one talk with the coaches, and out of nowhere, I got so emotional and I was crying," Chambers said. "Just being in their presence, it was like, 'This is where I want to be.'"
Once signing with the Trojans, there was definitely some adjusting for Chambers, who averaged 10.4 blocks and 12.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Vigor.
"Coming in straight from high school a week or two after I graduated, it was a big change," Chambers said. "I feel like also coming straight from high school, I came not knowing what I was getting myself into.
"I came in thinking this is going to be just like high school and I'm going to get playing time. But you have to realize everybody on the team has talent."
Fans in the Stands
Tiauna King is another freshman for the Trojans who comes in with impressive credentials. As a senior at Pelham High School, King averaged 19.5 points and was a two-time Class 6A All-State first-team selection.
Besides signing some of the most talented players in the state, Rigby knows it can also translate to more fans in the seats of Trojan Arena.
"Some of these we signed this year have big family support … I would see that at their high school games," Rigby said.
The coach believes the reputation Troy women's basketball has built will continue to resonate with recruits.
"I just hope that when people think of the college women's basketball in Alabama, we hope that Troy University women's basketball will dominate that space in people's minds," Rigby said. "Troy women's basketball has been the most successful (in-state college program) in the last decade."
"Now we're kind of putting the icing on the cake by having more true Alabama players on our roster."
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