NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State University juniors Kierra Wheeler and Diamond Johnson along with Women's Basketball Head Coach Larry Vickers garnered top accolades from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tuesday night.

Wheeler was named the 2023-24 MEAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year, in addition to earning All-MEAC First Team and All-Defensive team honors. Junior guard Johnson was named Newcomer of the Year as well an All-MEAC First Team and an All-Defensive Team selection.

Vickers was selected as MEAC Coach of the Year after finishing the season with a record of 24-5 overall. Vickers went 13-1 in conference play to secure the MEAC regular season title.

This is the second consecutive year that Vickers has been named MEAC Coach of the Year. 

He was selected last year after the Spartans finished 26-7 overall, 11-3 in conference play, and capturing the regular season title.

Junior guard Niya Fields was named All-MEAC Second Team. Freshmen Da'Brya Clark and Anjanae Richardson were All-Rookie selections.

Wheeler, was a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, averaged 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 28 games played. Wheeler has scored 30 or more points twice this season; 33 points at High Point on Dec. 18 and 30 against Longwood on Dec. 31.

Wheeler was on the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List, is a 2-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week winner and a 3-time MEAC Player of the Week winner. Wheeler has had 12 double-doubles this season which leads the team.

Johnson, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native leads the MEAC in scoring (20.3) and steals (3.9). She has nine games with 20 or more points this season, has seven games with 20 or more points and 2 or more steals. 

Johnson is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award. She had a career-high 32 points against Morgan State on Feb. 26..

Fields, the Peekskill, N.Y. native, averaged 4.0 assists and had a assist/turnover ratio of 2.0 which led the team and the MEAC. Fields was second on the team in steals per game (2.6) and has 21 multi-steal games this season.

Clark has nine games this season scoring in double-digits and is a 5-time MEAC Rookie of the Week selection. Clark had a career-high 18 points, five steals, and five rebounds against North Carolina Central on Jan.8.

Richardson, a one-time MEAC Rookie of the Week winner, has scored in double-digits six times this season, has eight multi-steal games this season, and had a career-high 16 points against South Carolina State on Jan. 16.

Coppin State's Laila Lawrence won Defensive Player of the Year and Faith Blackstone won 6th Player of the Year. Rookie of the Year went to Tyana Walker of Howard.

Norfolk State opens the 2024 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament as the top seed and will face South Carolina State, the eighth seed, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Tip-off against the Bulldogs is set for 12 p.m. from the Norfolk Scope Arena and all tournament games will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

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