Mercer University Women's Basketball

A 27-year collegiate coaching veteran who already has footprints of success at three previous stops as a head coach, Michelle Clark-Heard was announced as the 11th head coach in the history of the Mercer women’s basketball program on March 21, 2024. Clark-Heard made the move to Middle Georgia after spending the 2023-24 season on the staff at Mississippi State. She has amassed a 252-147 record in 13 seasons as a head coach, including previous stops at Kentucky State, Western Kentucky and Cincinnati, and has led her teams to seven postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament berths. She also has two regular season conference championships and a quartet of conference tournament titles in her stable as well. Clark-Heard served a hybrid position on the Mississippi State coaching staff this past season as both an assistant coach and the Assistant Athletics Director for Women’s Basketball. The Bulldogs flourished with her on the sidelines, amassing 21 victories and an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), while ranking among NCAA Division I’s top scoring and rebounding teams, as well as one of the nation’s top shot-blocking squads. Mississippi State also spent multiple weeks in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls. Prior to trekking to eastern Mississippi, Clark-Heard compiled 74 wins across five seasons (2018-23) as the head coach at Cincinnati, including 20+-win campaigns in each of her first two seasons at the helm of

A 13-year coaching veteran, including previous stops at four other collegiate institutions, Blessing Freeman begins her first year at Mercer in 2024-25 as an...

A six-year coaching veteran with previous experience as both a Southern Conference student-athlete and coach, Britney Snowden begins her first year at Mercer in 2025-26 as an assistant coach for the Bears. Snowden joined the coaching staff in Macon in April 2025 after spending the previous four seasons in a similar role at Bethune-Cookman. Snowden proved instrumental in a run of success for the Wildcats across four seasons as Bethune-Cookman logged more than 40 victories across that span, including 28 inside Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play. The Wildcats ranked among the nation's top 20 teams in each of her last three seasons in turnovers forced per game, including a 2023-24 campaign in which Bethune-Cookman forced nearly 21 errors an outing while possessing NCAA Division I's 26th-best turnover margin (+4.39). Bethune-Cookman has also boasted one of the nation's top-20 perimeter defense squads in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Snowden joined the ETSU staff as a graduate assistant in time for the 2019-20 season and was elevated to a full-time assistant role. The Bucs led the SoCon and ranked 38th, nationally, with 19.05 turnovers forced per game across her final season (2020-21) in Johnson City, Tenn., while also boasting a league-best (44th NCAA) 9.7 steals per game. Snowden played two seasons (2017-19) as a forward at East Tennessee State and averaged 8.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 assists per game across a 64-game (52 starts) career for the

A four-year coaching veteran with previous stops at two other collegiate institutions, Elizabeth "Liz" Metress begins her first year at Mercer in 2024-25 as an assistant coach for the Bears. Metress joined the coaching staff in Macon in May 2024 after spending the previous two seasons in a similar role at Coastal Carolina. Metress played an integral role in Coastal Carolina’s success across both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, including a plethora of behind-the-scenes work. CCU ranked among NCAA Division I’s top rebounding squads during the 2023-24 campaign, while also showcasing one of the nation’s top free throw-shooting teams as well. The Chanticleers also posted a pair of victories against Southern Conference squads, including a comeback triumph over Chattanooga. Following a successful stint as a manager across her final three seasons as an undergraduate in Athens, Ga., Metress assumed a role as Georgia’s graduate assistant coach for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons – a span that saw the Lady Bulldogs amass 42 victories and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. Georgia boasted one of the nation’s top defensive squads across both seasons, including a 2020-21 campaign that saw the program finish fourth among NCAA Division I squads in blocked shots. A native of Grovetown, Metress earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from UGA in 2020, and completed her graduate work in kinesiology from the prestigious institution in 2022. Her father, Dip, has amassed a plethora

A former NCAA Division I student-athlete who has already gained invaluable experience in athletics administration, Kaylin Flukey begins her first year at Mercer in 2024-25 as a graduate assistant in the athletic communications department. She is charged with the day-to-day athletic communications responsibilities for the volleyball, beach volleyball, cross country and men's lacrosse teams. She also serves as the secondary media contact for Mercer's nationally-prominent football and women's basketball programs. Flukey immersed herself in a handful of internships and volunteer opportunities as an undergraduate at Iona, as well as a stint as the managing editor and contributing writer for the university's student newspaper, The Ionian. A contributing writer for the South Jersey-based Glory Days magazine, Flukey logged additional experience while serving as the social media manager for IU's softball team, while also honing her skills as a communications intern in the university's advancement office. A three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic honoree, Flukey played in 145 games (125 starts) for the Gaels from 2021-24 and tallied eight career home runs, 44 RBI and 25 runs scored across her collegiate career. A lockdown first baseman for Iona, she committed just nine errors during her time in the Maroon & Gold, and closed out her time in New Rochelle with a .986 career fielding percentage. She tallied her first career home run against MU when the Gaels visited Maco

A three-year coaching veteran with previous stops at two other collegiate institutions, Luke Carns begins his first year at Mercer in 2025-26 as an assistant coach for the Bears. Carns joined the coaching staff in Macon in April 25 after spending the previous seasons in a similar role at Texas State. As the director of player personnel at Texas State for the 2024-25 campaign, Carns played an integral role in a 13-win season for the Bobcats that culminated in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. TSU boasted one of the nation's top bench-scoring teams (22.5 points/game), while also tacking up nearly 20.4 free throws an outing as well (25th NCAA). The Bobcats also forced an impressive 17.4 turnovers per game, including seven 20-plus turnover outings by their opponents. Carns was on the sidelines as a graduate assistant for two seasons (2022-24) at Mississippi State as the Bulldogs churned out a cumulative 45-23 (.662) record and two postseason berths. The Bulldogs carried NCAA Division I's 14th-best field goal percentage defense amid a run to an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 that capped the 2022-23 campaign. MSU ranked among the nation's top 30 teams in seven statistical categories on the way to a deep run in the 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). A native of Louisville, Ky., Carns earned his bachelor's degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2022, and completed his graduate work in sport administration at Mississippi State in 2024. THE CARNS FILE C