NORFOLK, Va --- Three major individual awards by three Spartans headlined a fantastic day for the Norfolk State women's basketball team at the conference's annual award show.
Diamond Johnson earned MEAC Player of the Year, while head coach
Larry Vickers received his third consecutive MEAC Coach of the Year accolade.
Anjanae Richardson also earned an individual award, taking Sixth Player of the Year honors.
The Spartans saw Johnson and
Kierra Wheeler named to both the All-MEAC First Team and All-Defensive Team, while Richardson and
Da'Brya Clark received All-MEAC Third Team accolades.
Vickers received MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the third consecutive season, becoming the second MEAC women's basketball coach to receive the honor in three straight years.
Vickers led his team to a 27-4 record, including an undefeated 14-0 showing in the MEAC. His team earned USBWA Team of the Week honors and NCAA.com Team of the week honors on Dec. 31, following a road win at Auburn.
Johnson averaged a league-leading 19.2 points per game, adding 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.5 steals per contest as well. One of the league's top defenders, she ranks fifth in the nation in steals per game.
Johnson also received 10 MEAC Player of the Week recognitions this season, along with two MEAC Defensive Player of the Weeks. She landed on several prestigious player of the year watchlists, including the Dawn Staley Award and the Becky Hammond Mid-Major Player of the Year award.
Richardson provided a spark off the bench for the Spartans, averaging 10.1 points, 2.1 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. She produced a standout performance against Virginia-Lynchburg, posting a career high 23 points while dishing out six assists.
Wheeler played lock down defense this season, leading the MEAC in blocked shots with 2.2 per game. She also averaged 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per contest, receiving six MEAC Player of the week honors this season.
Clark put up stellar numbers this season, averaging 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. She also received MEAC Player of the Week accolades on Jan. 20 after scoring a career-high 25 points against Virginia-Lynchburg to go with eight steals and eight assists.
Norfolk State opens the 2025 MEAC Women's basketball Tournament as the top seed, taking on the No. 8 seed South Carolina State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Tip-off against the Bulldogs is set for 12 p.m. from the Norfolk Scope Arena.
For complete coverage of Norfolk State athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @NSUSpartans (Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.
