NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion women’s basketball head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones is welcoming 13 transfers to the Monarchs’ 2026-27 roster. The eighth incoming student-athlete is Monica Bottley, a 5-foot-4-inch junior guard joining Old Dominion from Tyler Junior College.
“Monica is a fierce competitor for her size as a guard,” said Jones. “She comes in being a JUCO All-American who played in one of the toughest conferences. She understands what it feels like to play against competition night-in and night-out and can play as a point and shooting guard. Bottley is a crafty ball-handler, can shoot the ball from deep, and get to the rim. Her transition to play at this level will be determined by what takes place this summer. She has the ability to be a real contributor to this program both on and off the court and we are truly blessed to have her!!!”
Monica Bottley | Guard | Junior | Silsbee, Texas | Silsbee High School (Tyler Junior College)
Bottley started 61-of-64 games across the past two seasons for the Apache and averaged 14.7 points per game. Her freshman season saw her average 11.6 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. She opened the season with a 21-point outing in a 110-30 win over Western Christian College. She scored 15+ points in 10 games as a first year player who made 29-out-of-32 starts. She scored a season high 22 points on 50% shooting (8-16) in a close, 67-64 win over Panola College.
The Texas native took a big step forward in her sophomore season and improved her points per game total by +6.4 to 18.0 ppg. Her shooting from the field followed suit by 8.0 percentage points (43.1%). Bottley had five games of 25+ points, 10 games of 20+ points, and 21 games of 15+ points in her second year at Tyler. She scored 30 points on two occasions for her career high, the first came in the opening game of the season against Western Gulf Collegiate, and the second was 19 days later against Howard Junior College. She earned an NJCAA All-America honorable mention after leading the Apaches to a 21-11 record and a Region XIV Tournament semifinals game.
Bottley was a four year varsity starter at Silsbee high school and lit up Texas after averaging 23.5, 24.4, 24.5, and 26.3 points in her four years of eligibility. Her freshman season saw her average 23.5 points, 3.4 assists, 4.4. Steals, and 3.9 rebounds. She earned Co-MVP of District 22-4A and was one of the leading scorers in the state of Texas and led Silsbee to a co-district championship game. Her sophomore season she scored 24.4 points, dished 3.9 assists, swiped 4.0 steals, and grabbed 3.9 rebounds per game. Her junior season she stayed at the same level of production with 24.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.7 steals, and grabbed 3.5 rebounds per game. Her final season in Silsbee she averaged a career high 26.3 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 4.3 assists. Bottley earned Scholastic All-District, District MVP, TGCA All-State, Legacy All-Star, TABC All-Region, TABC All-State, and a THSC Super Elite Team distinction in her senior year.
