NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion women’s basketball head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones is welcoming 13 transfers to the Monarchs’ 2026-27 roster. The ninth incoming student-athlete is Ar’Jayla Elder, a 5-foot-10-inch freshman guard joining Old Dominion from Lincoln high school.
“Ar’Jayla is one-of-three special freshmen that we have on this year's roster,” said Jones. “She is one of the most accomplished high school players we have recruited. Elder is a two-time state champion in basketball and track and field. She is one of the most athletic, young players I have been around, I have seen her do some amazing things on the court. Ar’Jayla has a chance to be one of the best defenders that I have coached and that’s saying a lot. Especially since there was a special player named Kaye Clark who was Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year a few seasons ago.
Ar’Jayla is one of the top players in the state of Texas in her class,” Jones said. “On the offensive end, she can score on all three levels. On the defensive end, she is a force with her size and length. Her development this summer is really important and getting her in the weight room will be a huge boost to it. Time will tell, but we are truly blessed to have her in Monarch Nation.”
Ar’Jayla Elder | Guard | Freshman | Dallas, Texas | Lincoln High School
A native of Dallas, Texas, Elder attended Lincoln high school and has been a four-year varsity player for the Tigers. She saw action in nine games as a freshman and scored 30 points against North Dallas on Jan. 6, 2023 in her third career game.
Elder played in 35 games in her final season at Lincoln and averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game. She scored a season high 22-points two times, the first came against Lone Peak high school on December 12, 2025, where Lincoln won 55-50, and the second was in a 79-12 win over North Dallas high school. Elder scored 18 points for the Tigers in a 77-49 win over Fredericksburg high school for the 4A-D2 State Championship on March 6, 2026.
Her junior year saw her average 13.7 ppg in 38 games played. Over three years at Lincoln she was a consistent scorer, averaging 12.4 ppg. The incoming freshman guard scored 50 points on Nov. 30, 2024 against DeSoto high school. Elder had four 20+ point games her junior year with 24 10+ point games.
Elder took a big leap in playing time in her sophomore campaign with 34 games played and scored 10+ points in 20 of them. Her season high that season was a 22-point outing against Carter high school on Jan. 19 2024.
