BEAUMONT, Texas - It's been a remarkable season for the Lamar University women's basketball team to date as they currently sit on top of the Southland Conference leaderboard. But the Cardinals are also getting national recognition for the leadership of head coach Aqua Franklin.
 
The Black Coaches Association recently unveiled their top 10 black head women's basketball coaches according to the team's overall record. With LU sitting at 18-5, Coach Franklin is ranked sixth in the nation. She's also one of two Texas college coaches in the top 10 along with Jason Burton of North Texas, who was ranked seventh. Only Dawn Staley (South Carolina, 24-0), Kenny Brooks (Virginia Tech, 22-4), Felisha Legatte-Jack (Syracuse, 22-4), Ashley Langford (Stony Brook, 21-3) and Vanessa Blaire Lewis (George Mason, 20-5) have better overall records than Franklin.
 
This has been the best season to date in the Coach Franklin era. In five years as head coach, Franklin has won 72 games, which included the program's first 20-win season last year since the 2018-19 campaign.
 
The Cardinals return to action Thursday when they host McNeese. The annual Battle of the Border will tip off at 7 p.m. from the Neches Arena.