NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk State women's basketball team earned a second-place spot in the 2025-26 MEAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, announced on Tuesday at MEAC Basketball Media Day. 

Howard topped the poll with 10 first-place votes, while Norfolk State followed with four. Maryland Eastern Shore placed third, North Carolina Central fourth, and Morgan State fifth. 

Anjanae Richardson headlined the Spartans' preseason honors, landing on the All-MEAC First Team. Junior guard Da'Brya Clark and graduate guard Jasha Clinton earned second team recognition, while graduate guard Jazmine Spencer made the third team. 

Richardson, a 5-8 junior guard from Portsmouth, Va., won MEAC Sixth Player of the Year last season and earned a spot on the All-MEAC Third Team. She averaged 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 38.3 percent from the field. Richardson scored in double figures 15 times, highlighted by a season-high 23 points and a career-high six assists against Virginia Lynchburg. 
 

Clark, a 5-7 junior guard from Baltimore, Md., earned All-MEAC Third Team honors last season. She averaged 9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals. Clark posted the fourth-best single-season 3-point percentage in the program's Division I history (40.9) and led the MEAC in the category.

Spencer, a 5-6 graduate guard from Bartow, Fla., appeared in 30 games with 24 starts at North Florida. She averaged 11.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 33.4 percent. Spencer tallied a season-high 26 points with five rebounds against Central Arkansas. 
 

The Spartans aim for their fourth consecutive MEAC championship this season, which would tie Howard (1987-90) for the second-longest streak in conference history. Norfolk State is coming off its winningest Division I season at 30-5, including a perfect 16-0 MEAC record. The Spartans also finished No. 5 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. 
 

Norfolk State opens the season Monday, Nov. 3, at Ole Miss. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. in Oxford, Miss.  
 

2025-26 MEAC Women's Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish 

1. Howard (10) – 118 pts 

2. Norfolk State (4) – 107 pts 

3. Maryland Eastern Shore – 93 pts 

4. North Carolina Central (1) – 68 pts 

5. Morgan State – 62 pts 

6. Coppin State – 60 pts 

7. Delaware State – 41 pts 

8. South Carolina State (1) – 27 pts 

2025-26 Preseason All-MEAC Teams 
 

Preseason All-MEAC First Team 

· Ja'la Bannerman, Morgan State 

· Morgan Callahan, North Carolina Central^

· Nile Miller, Howard 

· Anjanae Richardson, Norfolk State 

· Zennia Thomas, Howard 
 

Preseason All-MEAC Second Team 

· Brianna Barnes, Maryland Eastern Shore 

· Da'Brya Clark, Norfolk State 

· Jasha Clinton, Norfolk State 

· Shakria Foster, North Carolina Central * 

· Ericka Huggins, Delaware State 

· Ashanti Lynch, Maryland Eastern Shore * 
 

Preseason All-MEAC Third Team 

· Ja'el Butler, Morgan State 

· Aniya Finger, North Carolina Central 

· Aysia Hinton, North Carolina Central 

· Gabrielle Johnson, Morgan State 

· Jazmine Spencer, Norfolk State 

(*Denotes a tie) (^Denotes Preseason Player of the Year) 
 

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