HATTIESBURG, Miss.- As Missy Bilderback gets ready for her second year at the helm of the Southern Miss women's basketball team , she has a number of intriguing new players on her roster who fans should be excited about.
Redshirt-junior guard Chrysta Narcisse is one of those new faces, and she knows what it takes to win when the lights are brightest.
As a senior at Lafayette High School in 2023, she led the Lady Lions to a 52-46 win over John Curtis Christian for the LHSAA Division I Select state championship and was named the game's MVP.
Last March, in her third year at South Alabama, she helped the Jaguars make an improbable five-game run in the Sun Belt Tournament as the No. 12 seed before falling in the quarterfinals, and she earned All-Tournament Team honors.
Narcisse appeared in 35 games for the Jaguars, started in 30, and averaged 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. She shot 42.1 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep, reaching double figures in 13 games, including two 20-point performances.
This week, Narcisse took some time to sit down with Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI to preview the 2026-27 season and what she's bringing to the table.
Southern Miss guard Chrysta Narcisse during a preseason photoshoot. | Josh House
If there's one lesson Narcisse took from that Sun Belt Tournament run from last season, it's that the regular-season record doesn't mean much once March arrives.
"I'd say I definitely learned that you just have to stay consistent," Narcisse told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI . "The season is long, there's a lot of ups and downs, and whenever you get to that tournament, it's 0-0. Everybody has the opportunity to win. And so just working hard to continue the same principles and just giving it all you got, because it's winners only."
When asked what it would mean to help the Lady Eagles make a run at the Sun Belt title, Narcisse talked about the identity this year's group is building.
"It would mean a lot, just because like I said, we all want to win ... We're a very disciplined team," Narcisse said. "We play offense and we play defense, and I feel like that's a hard thing that not many teams do, and so just being able to do that and finish games out is going to be key."
Although it was just one exhibition game, that offensive and defensive potential was put on display in an 89-45 win over East Texas Baptist this past Tuesday at Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss head coach Missy Bilderback enters her second season with a new-look roster, higher expectations and positioning the Lady Eagles among the Sun Belt's top contenders. | Josh House
What sold Narcisse on Southern Miss was Bilderback's vision for the program , and one word in particular: win.
"I'd say just the want to win, [and the] want to recruit people that have that same vision," Narcisse said. "She said we're going to play fast. That's something that caught my attention, and I'm really looking forward to doing that."
That style of play has been the biggest adjustment since arriving in Hattiesburg, and a welcome one.
"I feel like a big difference is Coach Bilderback allows us to play way freer, which is very fun to play," Narcisse said. "[It's] just getting back in the mode of where I'm able to make plays and just play basketball, not having to think so much."
Southern Miss Lady Eagles Chrysta Narcisse and Whitney Hart are ready to make an impact as the team prepares for the 2026-27 basketball season under second-year head coach Missy Bilderback. | Josh House
Bilderback has praised the toughness and maturity that Narcisse and senior transfer Kennedy Langham have brought to the backcourt, and Narcisse believes that experience is one of this team's biggest advantages.
"I'd say definitely from a consistency standpoint, just being out there, going out there, working hard every day and just staying disciplined," Narcisse said. "Kennedy and I both bring a lot of experience, so sticking to that discipline, the mental aspect, makes the game so much easier."
She also believes the Lady Eagles have what it takes to win consistently in this league.
"I feel like just definitely having that competitive nature and just not giving up. I feel like that's one thing that we have," Narcisse said. "We're going to work hard, whether offense is going our way or not, our defense is going to pick us up."
And if you ask her teammates, that defense might start with Narcisse herself.
"Chrysta especially on defense is scary," Southern Miss center Whitney Hart said. "Scary for real."
Southern Miss Lady Eagles guard Chrysta Narcisse during a preseason photoshoot. | Josh House
When asked which teammate might pleasantly surprise Southern Miss fans, Narcisse didn't have to think long about her answer.
"I'd say Mariyah Clayton. She's a transfer from ODU, and the energy she brings every day on the offensive and defensive end is remarkable," Narcisse said. "I feel like everybody's going to be really excited to see what she can do."
As for why this team could be better than people expect, she pointed to the edge she's seen in even the most routine drills.
"Even [when] we're just doing simple rebounding drills, everybody's going all out," Narcisse said. "[We're] not taking anything lightly ... Just competing, everybody trying to get better, because at the end of the day, the better team is going to win."
A look at Reed Green Coliseum with its newly-painted ceiling. | Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI
Narcisse and the Lady Eagles open the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Mississippi Christian at Reed Green Coliseum at 11 a.m. CT.
She's won when it mattered before, and she's planning to have that translate to her time at Southern Miss. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more coverage of Lady Eagles basketball throughout the 2026-27 season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/southernmiss as 'It's Winners Only': Chrysta Narcisse Brings Sun Belt Tournament Pedigree to Southern Miss .
