How Dawn Thornton’s 20-20 vision helped Alabama A&M enjoy the view from ‘The Hill’

First-year coach Dawn Thornton isn’t surprised though. From the moment she took over this program last April, she envisioned this level of success. Combining an aggressive, attacking style of play with a powerful presence on social media, the Bulldogs have captured attention and positioned themselves to continue adding to their historic campaign.

Alabama A&M is poised to win a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) regular season championship with two wins this week. It trails first-place Southern by one game. The teams meet on Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge. Before it can focus on Southern, the Bulldogs visit SWAC preseason favorite Grambling State on Thursday night.

Regardless of what happens this week, the Bulldogs will also enter next week’s SWAC Tournament in Atlanta as one of the favorites.

Sitting proudly atop “The Hill” and overlooking Huntsville—a city that has launched some of humanity’s greatest missions—Alabama A&M honors its identity with game uniforms stitched with “The Hill” across the front. Just as the city fuels space exploration and ingenuity, the Bulldogs have built their success through precision, resilience, and trust, securing their first 20-win season since becoming a Division I program in 1998. Their success is a source of pride for the entire community.

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Alabama A&M is one of 86 Division I women’s basketball programs that have won 20 games this season as of Monday, March 3. Alabama A&M and Norfolk State are the only two HBCU programs with 20 wins although Howard (19) and Coppin State (17) are closing in.

“I knew this team would be special just because we got a lot of kids with great character,” said Thornton, who spent the previous five years coaching at SWAC rival University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “Winning comes easy, in my opinion, when you have a good group of young women that understand the one goal that you have in mind – winning a championship. These are the same conversations we all had when I first arrived. And so, it’s been a blessing to have them here.”

Blessings aren’t just given—they are earned especially since there’s no way around hard work. Through late nights in the gym, early morning practices, and unseen sacrifices, the Bulldogs constructed something bigger than basketball. They built a culture. They built belief. They built the kind of team that doesn’t just play for accolades but for each other.

Even though the program averaged 15 victories over the previous three seasons, Thornton knew there was another level the Bulldogs could reach. Alabama A&M’s championship dreams started long before the first official preseason practice. It began in April in quiet conversations filled with hope and possibility. Then, the vision started taking shape, the pieces falling neatly into place like a puzzle.

That ambition was manifested early, as Alabama A&M enjoyed a record-setting crowd of 5,639 fans at its home opener against nationally-ranked Alabama. The energy surrounding the program was electric, fueling their momentum. The Bulldogs lead the SWAC in total attendance (27,389) and are second in average attendance per game (2,282). Last season, AAMU averaged 1,357 fans per game.

The Bulldogs’ program-best seven non-conference victories provided the necessary thrust for a strong SWAC campaign. Among those historic wins were road victories against Eastern Michigan, San Diego, and North Alabama. The Bulldog formula for success has been simple yet relentless.

In addition to having quicksilver 5’5 senior guard Kaila Walker, 6’2 senior forward Alisha Wilson, and 5’9 senior guard Lauryn Pendleton averaging double figures, the Bulldogs have worn opponents down with their tenacity. They earn frequent trips to the foul line and play ferocious defense that’s held 16 opponents below 60 points.

Just as important as their talent has been the Bulldogs’ resolve.

Losing 6’1 senior guard Kourtney Rittenberry to a season-ending injury after 13 games was a significant setback—she averaged 10.5 points per game. Before the season started, two impact transfers, 5’11 senior guard Coriah Beck and 6’5 senior center Maori Davenport, were injured. Yet the Bulldogs never wavered. Instead, they leaned on each other, proving that true character isn’t measured in statistics—it’s revealed in moments of hardship.

Rather than letting these challenges ground them, the Bulldogs ignited like rockets leaving Huntsville’s iconic Marshall Space Flight Center’s launchpad. Thornton knew exactly which buttons to push to maximize her team’s potential.

Beneath Thornton’s fire fits and red-bottom shoes is a fierce and competitive spirit that brings out the best in her players whenever needed. She has eased players out of their comfort zones, challenging players like Walker, who competes with passion and brilliance. She was used to handling the ball most of the time until Thornton moved her off the ball.

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Despite early adjustments, Walker has thrived. She is second in the SWAC in scoring at 15.3 points per game, second in free throw percentage (83.0%), and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (36.1%). Walker also leads the conference in 3-pointers made per game (2.0).

During AAMU’s current five-game winning streak, Walker has a 60.2% effective field goal percentage and an insane 46.9% free-throw rate, according to CBB Analytics. Even more, Walker is shooting 65.5% from two-point range, an increase from her season average of 42.3% from that distance. Walker’s true shooting percentage of 63.5% during the last five games is better than her season average of 57.9%.

“At first, it was a little struggle because I always played the one for her, and that was more of my natural spot,” said Walker. “Whatever coach T asks me to do, I will do it. The more I practiced, the more I got used to it, and the more I was like, hey, I can do this easily. I trust her, and whatever she has in mind or wants to do, I follow her lead, and it was perfect from there.”

According to Her Hoop Stats, Walker’s effective field goal percentage is 48.5%, and her usage rate of 23.8% is the highest of her career, meaning that more Alabama A&M possessions end with the ball in her hands. Walker also averages 0.98 points per possession, which puts her in the 92nd percentile nationally.

Walker, who started playing basketball in the backyard with her father and brother, is also happier after taking a year off from the sport. While at UAPB, Walker didn’t play during the 2022-23 season.

“It was just a lot going on, and I needed a break for myself,” Walker shared. “I’ve been playing basketball for years, most of my life, so just being able to step back and get in tune with myself made me realize how much I love basketball. I couldn’t go without it. Seeing the team coach T built, I want to be right under her when we win that championship.”

Named the SWAC’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson had a choice to make once the coaching change took place. Even though she entered the transfer portal, Wilson kept an open mind and listened to Thornton, who was familiar with her skills from coaching against her at UAPB. Wilson averaged 12 points and 6.3 rebounds in three games against UAPB during the 2023-24 season.

Averaging 11.8 points per game, Wilson has been steady and strong in the paint, where she is shooting 47.2% (34-for-72) according to CBB Analytics. This is 9.2% above the Division I average of 38.0% from that range.

Wilson has been a force on the boards, playing with an elegance that’s a joy to watch. According to Her Hoop Stats, Wilson’s 18.9% rebounding rate is in the 98th percentile of Division I players. Wilson also has a 21.8% defensive rebounding rate and a 16.0% offensive rebounding rate. She ranks 18th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.1) and 38th in rebounds per game (9.5).

Rebounding has always been a way of life for Wilson, who has over 1,000 rebounds and more than 1,000 points in her decorated career.

“My brother taught me how to rebound and be aggressive. Rebounding has to be in you. You have to want to rebound. It’s just like my brother always told me: ‘If you don’t get your board and you lose the game, that’s on you because you didn’t rebound or you’re not aggressive.’ … I’m aggressive when it comes to rebounding. I don’t want anybody to have more rebounds than me.”

With 12 double-doubles this season, Wilson’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed—even NFL Hall of Famer and University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders praised her after a game during a locker room visit, a moment that quickly went viral on social media. Sanders’s daughter, Shelomi, plays for the Bulldogs.

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“One of the major things I had to do was buy-in and trust coach T,” Wilson said. “I was in the portal, and she still wanted me to come and play for her. She said, ‘If you trust me, you know we’ll win.’ We had to trust each other, dial in, lock in, and clock into everything fundamentally while being disciplined, and everything will work itself out. We have a lot of vital players on our team. We have people that may not be scorers, but they do other big roles for us.”

Alabama A&M’s strength lies in its sum, not just its parts. Pendleton, who leads the SWAC in free-throw percentage (86.5%); 5’6 senior guard Jaiyah Harris-Smith, who leads the conference in assists (3.8 per game); 6’4 senior center LaCambria Shakespeare, 5’7 senior guard Darian Burgin, 5’6 senior guard Mailyn Wilkerson, and 5’9 senior guard Tia Harvey have made meaningful contributions throughout the season.

Alabama A&M lives at the free throw line, which has been a key weapon in its arsenal. Alabama A&M leads the nation in percentage of points from free throws (26.0%) according to Her Hoop Stats. It is third in free-throw rate (23.1%), fourth in free-throw trips (318), free throw attempts (673), and 10th in free throws made (459).

Walker, Wilson, and Pendleton have combined for 404 free throw attempts, two shy of a SWAC program. The Bulldogs have had six games in which they’ve attempted at least 30 free throws, including a season-high 40 against Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State. Walker’s 38.0% free throw rate according to Her Hoop Stats is 37th nationally.

In addition, Walker has been named SWAC Player of the Week three times and SWAC Impact Player of the Week once. Wilson has earned reverse honors, being named SWAC Impact Player of the Week three times and SWAC Player of the Week once. Rittenberry, Pendleton, and Burgin earned SWAC weekly recognition during the year as well.

However, beyond the statistics and execution, the Bulldogs know there’s a bigger purpose that Thornton emphasizes. While much of her time has been spent on scouting reports, breaking down film, and ensuring the Bulldogs are prepared for each game, Thornton has also embraced her social media platform to showcase the excellence of the Bulldog program.

“Coach T does a lot that we don’t see, and everybody else doesn’t,” Walker said. “She loves the support. She loves it when people come out and cheer us on. You have to have energy. If you don’t, you might as well not come. She is just a big light for real. Coming here and seeing everybody in the stands every game, the alumni always here for help is major. We appreciate that for real.”

With a collective team grade point average above 3.0, the Bulldogs have spread positive vibes through reading to different schools, visiting group homes, holding toiletries drives, and attending various churches throughout the city.

“I just want to bring awareness to these young women that work really hard,” Thornton passionately shared. “It wouldn’t be right for me to tell you how special this team is if I didn’t do my part … So, for me, it was really about marketing. It was really about branding. It was about putting a product on the floor that people would be proud of. Being involved in the community is something that I am invested in … I need my teams, not just this one, but all teams, to understand that it is always bigger than basketball … I want my players to be connected … To do that, we have to paint a whole overall picture. It’s not just about winning basketball games.”

The Bulldogs have already etched their place in history, but their journey is far from over. Just as Huntsville launched humanity to new heights, Alabama A&M is soaring, aiming for greatness. The Bulldogs are only beginning to lift off under Thornton’s leadership and continued community support.