GREENSBORO – Five years ago, the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball program, a perennial power in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) under head coach Tarrell Robinson, was picked to win the MEAC going into the 2019-20 season.
To underscore just how consistently good the Aggies women’s basketball team has been under Robinson, as the Aggies enter the 2024-25 season, the head coaches of the Coastal Athletic Association voted the Aggies as the preseason favorite in the CAA, a higher-rated conference according to the RPI.
A&T secured 11 first-place votes and 166 total points to earn the title of preseason conference favorite for the sixth time in the 13-season Robinson era. Drexel secured two first-place votes and 148 points to place second in the preseason poll. Last season’s preseason favorite, Towson received one first-place vote as the head coaches selected the Tigers to finish third. College of Charleston and William & Mary were tied for fourth with 124 points.
In addition to the CAA announcing its order of prediction, they also released their preseason all-conference teams. Senior guard Jordyn Dorsey was a unanimous first-team selection. Last season, Dorsey was the first player in program history to earn first-team All-CAA postseason accolades. Joining Dorsey on the first team is graduate guard Maleia Bracone. Junior Chaniya Clark made the preseason second team.
“I am extremely proud of this recognition for our program. In three years in this very competitive conference, we have gained the respect of my colleagues,” said Robinson. To me, this gives credit to our recruiting, student-athlete development, and our administration’s support. Now, it’s about working toward those expectations because the target is on our backs.”
The CAA head coaches had plenty of reasons to select the Aggies as the preseason favorite. In addition to Dorsey, Bracone, and Clark returning, the Aggies also return graduate guard D’Mya Tucker and sophomore and 2024 All-CAA rookie team member Paris Locke. The Aggies also added experienced players from other schools through the transfer portal to enhance the experience on their 2024-25 roster.
In total, the Aggies have 789 games of experience on the roster. Robinson has seven players who have been with the program for at least two years. Those seven players helped the Aggies post a 22-12 record overall and a 13-5 mark in the CAA. The Aggies finished in a tie for third in the conference, losing to 2023-24 regular-season champion in the CAA tournament semifinals before earning a bid to play in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).
That is where the Aggies season became memorable. A&T played in front of three massive home crowds at Corbett Sports Center, starting with a 56-51 win over crosstown rival UNC Greensboro. The Aggies then advanced to the WNIT Super 16 thanks to a buzzer-beating shot from Bracone that led the Aggies to a 48-45 win over Old Dominion.
A&T’s incredible WNIT run ended with an 89-75 loss to Troy. But what added to the pageantry of playing in the WNIT was the A&T Department of Athletics got an opportunity to host a postseason NCAA-sanctioned game (The Aggies have hosted NCAA Division I Track and Field regionals and the NCAA Division III Track and Field Outdoor Championships).
But now the Aggies are back for 2024-25, hoping to make it to the Big Dance, the NCAA tournament, a place they last visited in 2021. Dorsey will lead that charge after averaging 12.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Bracone (11.2), Tucker (11.1), and Clark (10.1) also averaged double figures. Clark led the CAA in rebounding at 8.2 per game. In addition, Bracone returns as a two-time All-CAA defensive team member. Bracone ranked second in the conference in total steals (79).
Junior Keona Curtis, who came into her own last season, also returns as a post player. She played 12 minutes per game last season and contributed from the perimeter by shooting 10-for-29 (.345) from 3-point range. Experienced guard Nahndi Smith also returns. Robinson also added several capable Division I transfers.
Stony Brook transfer Delaney Yarborough will provide much-needed depth at the center position to spell Clark. Elon’s Ajia James traveled a few miles through the Triad Piedmont area to join the Aggies, and Daija Powell is a 6-foot-2 transfer out of Bradley. The Aggies added some depth at the point guard position with Quinnipiac transfer Reiven Douglas, and University of Delaware transfer Darrionna Howard also joins the Aggies.
If that isn’t enough, Jakieya Thompson and Raigan Lawrence should add depth at the guard position, and the Aggies also brought in five freshmen. A&T opens the season on Monday, November 4, at SMU. Their home opener is Tuesday, November 12, at 7 p.m., against the University of North Carolina.
