Women's Basketball | 11/12/2025 2:31:00 PM

GREENSBORO — After months of extensive preparation, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team has embarked on the 2025-26 season.

For veteran head coach Tarrell Robinson, as he enters season No. 14, he realizes he lost a lot of experience from last year's Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) regular-season championship team that earned an at-large bid to the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT). He also realizes he brings back a ton of experience. Throw in some experienced transfers and an impressive freshman class, and seeing the Aggies at the top of the CAA standings again may not be far-fetched.

The Aggies have just completed a three-game road trip through the southwestern United States, facing Big 12 and Power Four schools Texas Tech and TCU, the latter being a nationally ranked school. They also lost 71-64 at New Mexico on Sunday. A&T will play its home opener on Wednesday against Shaw University at 7 p.m. at Corbett Sports Center.

"It's been a business approach," said Robinson, the program's all-time winningest coach with 248 wins. "We have seven returners from last year who understand what it takes to position ourselves to be CAA champs. They've really helped the five freshmen and two transfers transition.

CAA head coaches voted three A&T returners to the CAA preseason teams, including 6-foot-4 fifth-year senior center Chaniya Clark (first team), junior wing Paris Locke (second team), and graduate wing D'Mya Tucker (honorable mention). Their experience in the program, Robinson added, was a necessity for reinforcing the team's standards and culture. 

All three have been named team captains. Even though the Aggies will miss two-time first-team All-CAA guard Jordyn Dorsey, who is A&T's all-time assist leader, along with two-time All-CAA defensive team selection Maleia Bracone, who scored 1,000 points in three seasons at A&T, and veteran wing Ajia James, there is leadership returning.

"I don't have to look for validation when I start talking about some of the things we've done," said Robinson. "Chaniya Clark has been the leader vocally. D'Mya Tucker does it by action, and I've always called Paris Locke the missing piece from a leadership standpoint."

Robinson calls Locke the missing piece because, in addition to the experience Clark and Tucker bring to the team, the Aggies also have graduate transfers Jordan Brown, entering her sixth year of college hoops, and Shimei Muhammad. Throw in five freshmen to all those years of collegiate experience, and you need someone to connect the two factions.

"We have some old heads and some younger kids who are just getting started, so Paris has become that connector," said Robinson. "She can communicate with each group. She has obviously proven in this league, and she is going to be counted on for our success this year."

A&T's other returners should see their minutes and production increase in 2025-26. They include 5-11 junior forward Darrionna Howard, 6-3 sophomore forward Rachel Griffin, 6-foot sophomore wing Elliott Jessup, and 5-8 sophomore guard Eva Andrews.

Meanwhile, with the absence of Dorsey, the question becomes who is going to take over the point guard position. Brown brings a scoring mentality to the program.  At 5-foot-9, Brown will help at the point guard position. She transferred from Langston University, where she made 26 starts out of 27 games played, averaging 28.2 minutes and 13.4 points a game. Robinson said he and his staff brought Brown in to be a scorer only to discover she also possessed some point guard skills.

"I'm not calling her Jordyn Dorsey, but she is really filling the shoes right now," said Robinson. "As she continues to learn our system with her skill and athleticism, she will get better at running our team. She also defends, which is the most important thing for our program."

However, do not underestimate 5-6 freshman Jamiya Lindsey out of Rockingham, NC. Lindsey is already averaging 17.7 minutes per game against incredible competition. They call her "Juice" for a reason.

Muhammad adds depth at forward, standing at 6-foot. Muhammad, a Charleston Southern transfer, contributed on both sides of the ball last season, ranking second on the team with 27 three pointers, third on the team with 31 steals, and added 10 blocks.  

Freshman Anaya Karrriem should also step in and help on the boards. In three games this season, she already has 11 rebounds. Karriem was a McDonald's All-American 2025 East Nominee. Freshman guard Crystal Hardy looks to add perimeter shooting for the Aggies. Robinson describes her as a knockdown shooter. The Aggies have two more freshman guards in 5-8 Londyn Walker and 5-9 Ja'naya Meyers.

"We've got freshmen who are going to play," said Robinson. "We really hit home runs, my staff and I, in identifying kids who can come in and play right away. I think our freshmen are going to help us pursue another CAA championship."

That pursuit starts Friday, January 2, when the Aggies face defending CAA tournament champions William & Mary at 7 p.m., from Club Corbett.