BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University women's basketball program will grow by four for the 2021-22 season as head coach Aqua Franklin secured her second recruiting class as she signed two guards and two forwards on National Letter of Intent Day. 

"I could not be more excited to welcome these four young ladies that have chosen to be Lamar Cardinals," said head coach Aqua Franklin. "Our staff worked hard at identifying areas in which we could improve; these young ladies upgrade our program immensely, not only on the court, but in the classroom as well."

Portia Adams – 5'6" – Guard – Cedar Hill HS (Cedar Hill, TX) – Urban Heroes (AAU)

Portia Adams comes to Lamar after lettering three times at Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas. She earned First Team 6A All-District honors in 2017-18 and 2019-20, while earning second team honors in 2018-19. Adams also earned second team All-State honors during her freshman season.

"It was a pleasure building a relationship with Portia and her family during the recruiting process," said Franklin. She is an impressive young lady that makes everyone around her better. She brings size, a high basketball IQ and a scores mentality at the guard position. Portia's basketball foundation is strongly built upon two respected programs in the metroplex- Cedar Hill High School and Urban Heroes Elite. Her passion for the game is impeccable."

On Feb. 18, 2020, Adams scored her 1,000^th point of her high school career. Along with her achievements on the court, she has placed on the A/B Honor Roll for her academic performances and plans to major in criminal justice while at Lamar.

Hope LeMelle – 5'7" – Guard – Duncanville HS (Cedar Hill, TX) – Drive Nation (AAU)

Hope LeMelle hails from Cedar Hill, Texas where she captained Duncanville HS to a 2019-20 Texas 6A State Championship. LeMelle earned Defensive MVP of the Sandra Meadow Tournament en route to a Second Team 6A All-District. She also earned a spot on the 6A All-Academic team and plans to major in civil engineering while at Lamar.

"Hope is a championship caliber player," said Franklin. "She comes from a dynasty, Duncanville High School. Her athletic ability on defense is tenacious and very contagious. We are beyond excited to add her exemplary efforts to our program."

LeMelle comes from an athletic family has her grandfather, Leonard Bishop, played at SE Missouri State from 1972-74, her uncle, Leonard Bishop Jr., played at Texas A&M-Commerce from 2005-08. LeMelle's sister, Charity, played at Friends University from 2015-18.

Akasha Davis – 6'2" – Forward – Wylie East HS (Wylie, TX) – Urban Heroes (AAU)

Akasha Davis heads to Beaumont after a standout career at Wylie East HS where she garnered Newcomer of the year honors in 2017-18 and was a three-time First Team All-District honoree. Davis also earned Academic All-District honors from 2017-20.

"Akasha is a remarkable young lady on and off the court," said Franklin. "The first thing you notice when watching Akasha play is her athleticism. She is a relentless rebounding, has good touch around the rim and has great size to be impactful in the Southland."

Davis earned District Most Valuable Player honors for her efforts during her junior campaign at Wylie East HS where she averaged 15.4 points per game, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals. While playing at Lamar, Davis plans on majoring in the health field.


Taliah Hill – 6'0" – Forward – Arlington Martin HS (Arlington, TX) – Team Strive (AAU)

Taliah Hill comes to Beaumont from Arlington, Texas where she has played at Arlington Martin High School and was honored with the Newcomer of the Year honor for District 8-6a in 2019-20. Hill was also selected for First Team All-District after posting 6.0 points per game, 7.0 rebounds and two blocks per game.

"Taliah embodies all the tools of a physically tough, challenge seeking athlete," said Franklin. "Her work ethic is persistent in the face of adversity. Her competitive nature on defense will bring a substantial amount of energy to our team. We look forward to Taliah's unstoppable effort and her aggressive rebounding nature."

Hill was also named to the District All-Academic team for her academic performances during the 2019-20 season. She plans to major in accounting while continuing her playing career at Lamar. Taliah follows in her mother's, Janice Thomas, footsteps as her mother played at TCU from 1999-2001.