NORFOLK, Va. --- Norfolk State brought home two honors from the 2025 HBCUSports.com Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements by athletes, teams, coaches, and administrators from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
 
Diamond Johnson earned the Women's Basketball Player of the Year award, while head coach Larry Vickers received Women's Basketball Coach of the Year honors.
 
Johnson made an immediate impact on the Spartans' program, guiding Norfolk State to back-to-back MEAC Tournament titles in 2024 and 2025. She averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game this past season, while collecting MEAC Player of the Year, All-MEAC First Team, and MEAC All-Defensive Team honors.
 
She also ranked fifth nationally with 3.6 steals per game during the 2024–25 campaign and surpassed 2,000 career points, accomplishing the milestone against Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and MEAC opponents.
 
Vickers led the Spartans to a 30-5 overall record, including a perfect 14-0 mark in conference play. Norfolk State secured its highest-ever NCAA Tournament seed and completed its winningest season in the Division I era—second-most in school history overall.
 
Under Vickers, the Spartans earned road victories over two SEC programs, defeating Missouri 57-54 and Auburn 63-57. He also earned MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach accolades and the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year honor.
 
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