Women's Basketball | 10/3/2025 8:13:00 AM
GREENSBORO, NC — Under North Carolina A&T head
Tarrell Robinson over the previous 13 seasons, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball established itself as a significant program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the Big South Conference, and now the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
The evidence of that presented itself again on Thursday when the CAA announced its preseason honors and prognostications for the upcoming women's basketball season. A&T women's basketball was the only program to have three different players receive preseason honors.
In addition, the defending CAA regular-season champions received two first-place votes and were picked to finish third by garnering 124 points. The College of Charleston is the preseason favorite with 139 points and eight first-place votes. Drexel received one more point than A&T and had two first-place votes and was predicted to finish second.
Redshirt senior
Chaniya Clark, the Aggies starting center over the previous two seasons, made the preseason All-CAA first-team list. Clark is a double-double magnet, recording nine in each of the last two seasons, including a 19-rebound, 13-point performance against ACC opponent Virginia Tech in last season's first-round postseason Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT).
She also ranks seventh on the program's all-time leaders list for blocks with 103. Robinson, who is entering his 14th season as the headman of A&T's women's basketball program, is grateful for Clark's talent.
"I was just telling my coaching staff we have to take advantage of her talents while she's here, because it probably won't be like this again," said Robinson, the reigning CAA Coach of the Year. "We love the ball in her hands. She makes great decisions and can score."
Junior
Paris Locke received preseason All-CAA second-team accolades. Locke averaged 31 minutes per game last year and contributed 312 points, 33 steals, and 65 assists. Locke has been a significant contributor since A&T entered into the CAA. She started 14 games her freshman year and all 31 games A&T played during her sophomore season.
A&T welcomes back graduate guard
D'Mya Tucker, who missed all of last season after tearing her ACL in the 2023-24 postseason. Tucker claimed preseason All-CAA honorable mention recognition.
She is the only player on the roster with NCAA tournament experience after the team won the MEAC her freshman year. She played in 14 games that season with nine starts and averaged 7.9 points per game. During the 2023-24 season, Tucker averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
A&T was the preseason favorite, but the Aggies will look different this year after losing leading scorer and career all-time assist leader
Jordyn Dorsey. Two-time All-CAA defensive team member and 2024-25 third-team All-CAA standout
Maleia Bracone also exhausted her eligibility.
Therefore, Robinson and his staff welcome seven new players to the roster. Robinson has one message for this new team.
"Less ego, more humility," he said. "This is not the same team without
Jordyn Dorsey and
Maleia Bracone. It's about how you are responding to coaching and criticism."
A&T opens the season on Monday, November 3, at 7 pm Eastern Standard Time at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
