SLS 23RS-427 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 26
BY SENATOR FIELDS
COMMENDATIONS. Commends and congratulates the Southern University Lady Jaguars
on being crowned the 2023 SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament Champions and being
eligible for an appearance in the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate the Southern University's (SU) Women's Basketball team,
3 called the "Lady Jaguars", on being crowned the 2023 Southwestern Athletic
4 Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball Team Champions and being eligible for
5 an appearance in the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
6 Women's Basketball Tournament.
7 WHEREAS, the SU's Lady Jaguars won the 2023 SWAC tournament trophy after
8 beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the championship game on March 11, 2023, at the Bartow
9 Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, with a final score of 62-52; and
10 WHEREAS, the Lady Jaguars' SWAC victory earned them an automatic appearance
11 for their first NCAA tournament since 2019; and
12 WHEREAS, the Lady Jaguars' winning team consisted of one freshman: Sirviva
13 Legions; four sophomores: Aleighyah Fontenot, Xyllize Harrison, Tionna Lidge, and
14 Soniyah Reed; five juniors: Sky Castro, Osha Cummings, Diamond Hunter, Kyanna Morgan,
15 and Ra'von Robertson; and seven seniors: Chloe Fleming, Genovea Johnson, McKayla
16 Marshall, Amani McWain, Tyeniesha Metcalf, Raven White, and Taylor Williams; and
17 WHEREAS, Head Coach Carlos Funchess, entering his fifth season as leader of the
18 SU Women's Basketball program, has been instrumental in guiding the program to five
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SLS 23RS-427 ORIGINAL
1 SWAC Regular Season Championships and three SWAC Tournament Titles; and
2 WHEREAS, in his first year as head coach of the Lady Jaguars, Coach Funchess lead
3 SU to the 2018-2019 SWAC Regular Season Championship, 2019 SWAC Tournament
4 Champions, and a 2019 NCAA Tournament appearance; and
5 WHEREAS, Carlos Funchess stated in his assessment of the game, "The young
6 ladies stepped up. They kept taking good shots, and I knew eventually some of them would
7 fall. We got hot at the right time."; and
8 WHEREAS, the Lady Jaguars and Head Coach Carlos Funchess brought tremendous
9 pride to the Southern State University System, Southern University, the Baton Rouge
10 community, and the state of Louisiana by showcasing their extraordinary athletic abilities.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
12 does hereby congratulate the Southern University's Lady Jaguars on being crowned the 2023
13 Southwestern Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Team Champions and being eligible
14 for an appearance in the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball
15 Tournament and does hereby record for posterity this accomplishment, and extends best
16 wishes for continued success.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Head
18 Coach Carlos Funchess and Southern University President-Chancellor Dennis J. Shields.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 26 Original 2023 Regular Session Fields
Commends and congratulates SU Lady Jaguars on being crowned the 2023 SWAC Women's
Basketball Team Champions and being eligible for an appearance in the 2023 NCAA
Women's Basketball Tournament.
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