One of the great HBCU women’s basketball programs is going to look much different next season.
Aside from head coach Larry Vickers heading to Auburn, Norfolk State will now be without all-MEAC forward Kierra Wheeler, who announced her intention to enter the transfer portal this past weekend.
On her Instagram account, Wheeler, who played one season at Daytona State College before transferring to NSU, thanked Norfolk State and noted that she would be using her final year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s new junior college rule, that gives players up to five years of eligibility.
“The past few years have been amazing! I came a long way from home and found a second home here,” Wheeler said in her post. “Over the past three years, we have grown so much together, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. We will go down as one of the greatest HBCUs of all time; this was a legendary run.”
It’s hard to argue that point. Wheeler was a major part of the Spartans’ run of three consecutive MEAC championship teams, averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. She also blocked 160 shots and collected 146 steals, while shooting 50.1% from the field.
