By Stephen J. Gaither
Two of the players who helped Norfolk State turn into the premiere HBCU women’s basketball program are hitting the transfer portal following the departure of their coach.
Kierra “Meme” Wheeler and Anjanae Richardson have both announced their intentions to hit the transfer portal.
Wheeler leaves the HBCU as a three-time MEAC champion after coming to the school following a JUCO season at Daytona State where she averaged 12.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 106-of-216 (49.1 percent) from the field during the 2021-22 season. She then joined NSU, averaging 11 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and helped NSU win its first MEAC title in 20 years while being named the MEAC Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Wheeler, who goes by “Meme” averaged 17.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 assists on 225-of-450 (50.0 percent) shooting from the field and was named All-MEAC First Team MEAC, MEAC All-Defensive Team and MEAC All-Tournament Team as NSU repeated as MEAC tournament champion. She followed that up with another big year during the 2024-2025 season as she averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as NSU again won the title.
Richardson helped NSU win its last two MEAC titles, averaging starting 21 of the 66 games she played in over the past two seasons – including 17 this season.
The 2023-2024 MEAC All-Rookie team selection averaged 8.4 points per game in her two seasons. These transfer portal announcements come on the heels of Norfolk State head coach Larry Vickers taking the Auburn head coaching job following the HBCU’s loss to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
