title image via the MEAC
Courtesy of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Norfolk State graduate guard Diamond Johnson was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, presented by Nike. Norfolk State and Howard tied as the preseason favorites to win the MEAC.
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Johnson, the 2023 MEAC Newcomer of the Year and the 2023 MEAC Basketball Tournament Outstanding Performer, led the MEAC in scoring averaging 20.2 points and steals with 3.8, to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. She recorded a 43.3 percent shooting percentage (175-of-404) from the field and 38.3 percent (64-of-167) from three-point range. Johnson received five weekly MEAC honors and posted two 30-plus point performances, with a career-high 32 points against Morgan State on Feb. 26. She set a new MEAC Tournament single-game scoring record with 30-point, 11-rebound showing against Coppin State in the semifinals.
Norfolk State tied with Howard as the preseason favorites to finish first with 117 points each. The two-time reigning MEAC champions, Norfolk State, racked up 11 of 16 first-place votes, while the Howard Bison picked up five first-place votes. Coppin State was predicted to finish third with 79 points, with a one-point separation from tying North Carolina Central in fourth place. Morgan State and Maryland Eastern Shore were picked to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, with Delaware State and South Carolina State rounding out the predicted order of finish.
Joining Johnson on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team is teammate Kierra Wheeler, Coppin State’s Laila Lawrence, and Howard’s Tyana Walker and Destiny Howell.
The 2025 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 12-15 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
2024-25 Women’s Basketball MEAC Preseason All-Conference
Predicted Order of Finish
School (First-Place Votes), Points
T1) Norfolk State (11), 117
T1) Howard (5), 117
3) Coppin State, 79
4) North Carolina Central, 78
5) Morgan State, 63
6) Maryland Eastern Shore, 57
7) Delaware State, 43
8) South Carolina State, 22
Preseason Player of the Year: Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State
First Team
| Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | School | Hometown |
| Diamond Johnson | G | Gr. | 5’5″ | Norfolk State | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Kierra Wheeler | F | Sr. | 6’1″ | Norfolk State | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Laila Lawrence | G | Sr. | 6’2” | Coppin State | Lewisville, Texas |
| Tyana Walker | G | Sr. | 5’7″ | Howard | Leawood, Kansas |
| Destiny Howell | G | Gr. | 6’0″ | Howard | Queens, N.Y. |
Second Team
| Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | School | Hometown |
| Angel Jones | G | Jr. | 5’4″ | Coppin State | Woodbridge, Va. |
| Morgan Callahan | F | R-Jr. | 6’1″ | N.C. Central | Beach Park, Ill. |
| Niya Fields | G | Gr. | 5’8″ | Norfolk State | Peekskill, N.Y. |
| Mahogany Lester | G | Gr. | 6’0” | Maryland E. Shore | Virginia Beach, Va. |
| Kaiya Creek | F | Gr. | 5’10” | Howard | Seat Pleasant, Md. |
Third Team
| Name | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | School | Hometown |
| Nile Miller | F | Jr. | 6’1″ | Howard | Haddonfield, NJ |
| Zamara Haynes | G | Gr. | 5’7” | Maryland E. Shore | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Kyla Bryant | G | So. | 5’7” | N.C. Central | Salisbury, N.C. |
| Anjanae Richardson | G | So. | 5’8” | Norfolk State | Portsmouth, Va. |
| Laila Fair | F | Sr. | 6’2” | Morgan State | Middlesex, N.J. |
