Southern, Norfolk State highlight successful and memorable 2024-25 campaign for HBCUs

It was Southern’s first NCAA tournament victory in program history. Norfolk State earned a No. 13 seed, the highest since Hampton was a No. 12 seed in 2014. Together, they illuminated the brilliance, resilience and enduring legacy of HBCU women’s basketball, elevating the historic excellence showcased throughout the unforgettable 2024-25 season.

“I think a lot of people underestimate HBCUs,” Southern’s Aniya Gourdine told reporters following its first-round loss to UCLA. “They don’t believe we belong here. I think it was huge for us to go and get that big win, which is why we wanted the UCLA game so badly. It’s huge for HBCUs. I think we shined the light; Norfolk State is shining the light. I think it’s good to put us on the map for all the little girls who might want to go to HBCUs. I think it’s huge.”

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Norfolk State’s Kierra Wheeler credited the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for preparing the Spartans to face adversity and showcase resiliency. Norfolk State (NSU) beat a pair of Southeastern Conference (SEC) programs this season in Missouri and Auburn on the road. It trailed Maryland by four points with under eight minutes remaining.

Beyond Southern and Norfolk State, other HBCU programs also delivered defining moments contributing to a landmark season. Coppin State beat Arizona State, and Hampton rallied from 17 points to beat Georgia on the road. Both victories were overtime thrillers.

“The MEAC might not get as much respect as a conference as the Big Ten,” Wheeler told reporters after its first-round setback to Maryland. “Them girls don’t care that we were 14-0. Every time we played them, they came out with everything they got. That prepared us a lot because even though the scores might not tell it, their games were hard. It was tough. No buckets were easy at all. They came with the doubles and the game plan, and they executed. And we just had the better team, honestly.”

“The MEAC deserves a lot of respect. Howard, great team as well. NSU has built an excellent sisterhood for me. Like Diamond [Johnson] says, she came in two years ago. This is how far we came two years in because we stuck together. And that brings — us being HBCU, we have to stick together. We don’t get to separate at all, or it’s going to show on the court and in the media. So, being a sisterhood brought us to where we are today,” Wheeler continued.

One demonstration of a league’s excellence has always been measured by postseason success. Howard, Coppin State and Texas Southern each won games in the WNIT this season. Alabama A&M lost a close game to Chattanooga in the WNIT first round. Howard and Texas Southern hosted first round games, which was significant. Last season, Grambling State won a WNIT game and North Carolina A&T advanced to WNIT’s Round of 16.

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Howard and Alabama A&M finished with at least 20 victories this season. It was Alabama A&M’s first 20-win season as a Division I program. Alcorn State made its second consecutive appearance in the SWAC tournament championship game. Grambling State’s Courtney Simmons has produced two successive winning records in her first two seasons as Tiger head coach. Maryland-Eastern Shore enjoyed a six-game winning streak late in the season, which could set the foundation for future success.

North Carolina A&T won the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) regular season title behind Coach of the Year Tarrell Robinson. North Carolina A&T competed in the WBIT.

Last season, Southern won a road game against an Oklahoma program that won the Big 12 regular season title. Under first-year AAMU head coach Dawn Thornton, Arkansas-Pine Bluff won at Arkansas last season. Jackson State, which earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament last season, beat St. John’s. Grambling State also beat Arizona State.

Southern head coach Carlos Funchess couldn’t help but recognize his conference after his team beat UC San Diego in a First Four game. This was Southern’s seventh NCAA appearance, its second in three years and third overall under Funchess.

“Not just Southern University but the entire league,” Funchess told reporters in a postgame press conference after the win over UC San Diego. “Our league is a quality league. Last year, we went and beat Oklahoma at Oklahoma, and they ended up winning the Big 12. We have some quality teams in this league, and the coaches play good basketball. It’s a tough league to win. And to win in the regular season and the tournament is extremely hard.”

Winning is often taken for granted, and people may dismiss the work that makes the journey to the top memorable. Norfolk State’s Diamond Johnson may have elevated the Spartans from good to great, but not without consistent challenges from a talented Howard program with some outstanding players. Howard and Norfolk State played a regular-season game on ESPNU in each of the last two seasons, a testament to the growth of HBCU women’s basketball.

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Many of the top players who created numerous shining moments for their fans and programs will compete in the HBCU All-Star women’s basketball game on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas. Johnson will showcase her skills in the 2025 Lilly Women’s College All-Star game on Saturday in Tampa, Fla. The game will occur at Hillsborough Community College-Mabry Campus at 3:00 p.m. and be televised live on ESPN2.

Johnson has been selected as one of 20 stars to compete in this prestigious showcase, which also shines a spotlight on the excellence of HBCUs. The MEAC Player of the Year averaged 19.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 steals per game. She was also named to two postseason award watch-lists: The Dawn Staley Award and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year.

Throughout the season, each player who played for one of the HBCUs was fueled by a burning ambition to be the best. They had their character tested, were devoted to detail and delivered inspirational performances. With an unshakable resolve and uplifting grit, there’s a special pride in representing an HBCU.

As HBCU programs earned national respect, so too did their coaches, who served as catalysts for excellence, transforming lives on and off the courts. They created environments where student-athletes could flourish and discover their inner greatness.

Of course, one measure of respect is that after leading Norfolk State to three consecutive NCAA tournaments and winning 30 games this season, head coach Larry Vickers was hired at Auburn to lead its program, less than 24 hours following the Spartans’ setback to Maryland.

Vickers also won the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Award by College Insider, announced by the organization on Tuesday. The award is presented annually to the top head coach in women’s Division I College basketball, who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character on and off the court. Vickers becomes the second coach from an HBCU to receive the award, following David Six from Hampton’s selection in 2014.

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Last season, Jackson State’s Tomeika Reed was hired at Charlotte, proving that coaches at the HBCU level are being recognized for being brilliant tacticians and outstanding recruiters, and for running quality programs with limited resources.

As the season closes, many programs face the challenge of rebuilding amid widespread transfer portal activity. Norfolk State’s top returners — Wheeler, Da’Brya Clark and Anjanae Richardson — have entered the portal, and the program is still seeking a new head coach. Howard’s Saniyah King, Tyana Walker and Destiny Howell have also entered the portal, signaling a transformative offseason for several HBCU teams.

“HBCUs, we are kind of like the underdog,” Johnson told reporters on the eve of the Maryland game. “Not a lot of people know about a lot of HBCUs. It’s good to see Southern pull out the win. They had to do a play-in game, but it’s good to see. It’s not just for us; it’s for literally every HBCU in the world and even just mid-majors who don’t get the recognition that I feel they should. But it’s good to see basketball grow as a whole, not just P4 or mid-major schools. HBCUs are on the rise. I’ve been excited to see that for the past two years. When I was a P4, I ain’t gonna lie; I didn’t know much about HBCUs either. This opened my eyes to a different avenue, so it’s good to see.”