SMU honors eight seniors Sunday vs. Notre Dame as Zahra King and Anaya Brown lead the Mustangs in their ACC home finale.
DALLAS - There’s more than just an ACC matchup on the line Sunday at Moody Coliseum. SMU women’s basketball closes out its home slate against Notre Dame at 5 p.m. CT in what doubles as Senior Night for a group that’s weathered one of the most demanding seasons in program history.
The Mustangs (9-18, 2-13 ACC) will honor Ayanna Thompson, Tyi Skinner, Anaya Brown, Grace Hall, Kyla Deck, Jzaniya Harriel, Paulina Paris and Miriam Ibezim before tipoff - eight seniors who helped usher the program deeper into its ACC era under first-year head coach Adia Barnes.
The record doesn’t tell the full story. Injuries have trimmed SMU’s rotation to as few as seven available players at times, yet the Mustangs have continued to compete - and occasionally explode.
Zahra King has been the engine. The Brooklyn native has piled up 397 total points, averaging 16.3 per game in ACC play.
She etched her name into school history with a 40-point outburst against Pitt, knocking down seven 3s and becoming just the third Mustang ever to reach that mark.
King’s efficiency has been just as impressive, shooting 45.2 percent from the field - one of the top percentages among ACC guards.
Anaya Brown has anchored the interior, ranking sixth in the ACC with 40 blocks. She’s averaging 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds in conference action and recently posted back-to-back 20-point performances, including a 22-point effort against Virginia Tech.
Ayanna Thompson has added perimeter punch, drilling a career-high five 3-pointers in the win over Pitt and recording double figures in consecutive games.
Defensively, SMU has created chaos, averaging 10.4 steals per game - third in the ACC - and forcing 17.2 turnovers per contest. They’ve recorded double-digit steals in 17 games this season.
Notre Dame (17-9, 9-6 ACC) enters with momentum, having won two straight, including a victory over NC State. The Irish lead the all-time series 3-1, with SMU’s last win coming in Moody Coliseum back in 1984.
Sunday isn’t just about history. It’s about pride, progress and sending a senior class out the right way.