STATESBORO - Before Georgia Southern became a part of the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the athletics program played under the Southern Conference (SoCon) from 1993 to 2013.
During their time in the SoCon, Georgia Southern won four women's basketball championships during the following seasons: 1992-93, 1993-94, 1997-98, 2000-01.
The team's success during this era was largely due to the leadership of Rusty Cram, who is the winningest women's basketball coach in Georgia Southern history. Cram was a two-time Southern Conference coach of the year (1998, 2001) and guided Georgia Southern to two regular-season titles (1998, 2001), eight 15-win seasons, and two 20-win seasons. This established a strong foundation for the program's future.
One of the standout players from the 1997-98 squad was Telly Hall-Wright, a dynamic guard who played for the Eagles from 1995 to 1998. Hall-Wright was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection in women's basketball from 1996–1998.
The Guard was also named to the SoCon All-Tournament team and MVP in 1998, the same year she helped lead Georgia Southern to their third SoCon Championship. During her senior year, Hall-Wright averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, which played a key role in the team's success.
She also holds prominent spots in the Georgia Southern record book, including:
- 8th in all-time scoring with 1,425 points
- 2x leading scorer (1995-96, 1997-98)
- 6th in career rebounds with 767
- 8th in rebounds per game (7.0)
- 4th all-time in free throw shooting with 379 makes, and 2nd in free throw attempts (654)
Another notable player from this era was Sharon Mitchell, a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter who played for Georgia Southern from 1996 to 2001.
Despite suffering an ACL tear that forced her to redshirt her junior season, Mitchell's career continued to flourish. She earned All-Conference honors in both 1997-98 and 1998-99, and in her senior year, she was a First-Team All-SoCon Coaches' Selection, a Second-Team Media Selection, and an All-SoCon Tournament Selection in 2000-01, One of five Eagles to do so.
Mitchell's resilience and determination were evident as she led the team in scoring during her junior and senior seasons. In 1998, she scored a career-high 30 points in a game.
During her junior and senior year season she was the team's leading scorer. In 1998 she scored her career high of 30-points. Some of her other accomplishments include:
- 9th in all-time scoring with 1,408 points
- 7th in career rebounds with 762
- 8th in field goals made with 532
- 8th in free throws made with 338
- 7th in steals with 176
- 10th in blocked shots with 64
The Southern Conference era of Georgia Southern women's basketball was marked by both individual excellence and team success, with notable players like Telly Hall-Wright and Sharon Mitchell leading the way. Under the leadership of Coach Rusty Cram, the team won four conference championships and produced numerous All-Conference players. Hall-Wright's scoring prowess and Mitchell's resilience, especially after overcoming an ACL injury, helped cement their legacies in Georgia Southern history. These athletes, along with the coaching staff's guidance, played a crucial role in building the foundation for the program's continued success in the years that followed.
