NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team had three players selected to 2022-23 All-MEAC Preseason Teams on Thursday afternoon. Camille Downs and Deja Francis were named to the preseason first-team, Mahoganie Williams landed on the second team, and the Spartans were predicted to finish second in the conference.
 
The preseason choices matched up with the Spartans' postseason accolades for the 2021-22 season. Downs and Francis both landed on the All-MEAC First Team last season, with Mahoganie Williams receiving All-MEAC Second Team recognition.
 
Downs, the 2021-22 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year last year, established herself as one of the premier defenders in the country last season. Her conference-best 3.3 steals per game ranked fourth in the nation, and she became just the fourth player in NSU history to record 10 steals in a single game, reaching the mark in the Spartans' home win over Morgan State.
 
Downs finished the season averaging 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, scoring a career-high 28 points at North Carolina Central on 11-of-18 shooting. She received seven MEAC weekly honors, earning POTW three times and DPOTW on four occasions.
 
Francis emerged as one of the MEAC's top point guards last year, averaging 13.4 points and 2.9 assists per game. She tallied 16.7 points and 3.4 assists per game in conference play, scoring a career-high 32 points against Coppin State, earning back-to-back MEAC Player of the Week recognitions in January.
 
Francis and Downs both received BOXTOROW All-American Second Team honors, with the latter landing on the VaSID All-State second team. They were the first pair of Spartans to earn All-MEAC First Team honors in the same season in NSU history,
 
Williams established herself as the best rim protector in the MEAC last season, averaging a league-best 2.5 blocks per game, ranking 16^th national. She cleaned the glass efficiently as well, grabbing a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. After earning MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice, Williams landed on the conference's All-Defensive Team alongside Downs.
 
The Spartans earned the No. 2 ranking in the MEAC poll, voted on by head coaches and sports information directors in the conference, behind defending MEAC Tournament champion Howard.
 
2022-23 Preseason All-MEAC Women's Basketball Teams           
FIRST TEAM
Name                          Pos.     Class            Ht.       School                         Hometown
Jaia Alexander               G           Gr.             5-11     Coppin State                  Baltimore, Md.
Destiny Howell              G           Jr.             5-11     Howard                          Queens, N.Y.
Iyanna Warren               G           Sr.             5-3       Howard                          Accokeek, Md.
Camille Downs              G           Gr.             5-10     Norfolk State                 Fredericksburg, Va.
Deja Francis                  G           Gr.             5-7       Norfolk State                 Queens, N.Y.
 
SECOND TEAM
Name                          Pos.     Class            Ht.       School                         Hometown
Mossi Staples                G           r-Jr.             5-7       Coppin State                  Fort Washington, Md.
Zamara Haynes             G           Jr.             5-7       Maryland E. Shore             Philadelphia, Pa.
Ja'Niah Henson             G           Sr.             5-3       Morgan State                Baltimore, Md.
Mahoganie Williams     F           Jr.             6-1       Norfolk State                 Monroe, La.
Nicole Gwynn                 G           So.             5-9       S.C. State                       Wethersfield, Conn.
 
THIRD TEAM
Name                          Pos.     Class            Ht.       School                         Hometown
Jalynda Salley                C           r-Sr.             6-4       Coppin State                  Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Brooklyn Fort-Davis       F           Sr.             6-0       Howard                           Chicago, Ill.
Krislyn Marsh                G/F       Gr.             6-0       Howard                          Houston, Texas
Taylor Addison               F           Gr.             5-10     Morgan State                Columbia, Md.
Charlene Shepherd       F           Gr.             6-2       Morgan State                Killeen, Texas
 
Preseason Player of the Year: Jaia Alexander, Coppin State
 
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
School (First-Place Votes)                                Points
1. Howard (8)                                                        119
2. Norfolk State (4)                                               105
3. Coppin State (2)                                               89
4. Morgan State                                                    85
5. Maryland Eastern Shore (2)                            69
6. North Carolina Central                                     54
7. South Carolina State                                        30
8. Delaware State                                                 25