NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 20, 2022 – Coppin State graduate guard Jaia Alexander was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, presented by TowneBank, the conference announced today. In addition, Howard University was selected as the preseason favorite to win the MEAC.
All awards were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Alexander, the 2021-22 MEAC Player of the Year, led the conference in scoring last season with an average of 15.8 points per game. She also ranked second in the league in free throw percentage (.791), fourth in rebounding (7.1 per game) and seventh in field goal percentage (.401).
A BoxToRow Second Team All-American last season, Alexander was named MEAC Player of the Week three times. She dropped at least 30 points in a game three times in 2021-22 (with a career high of 35 against Delaware State), and she had eight 20-point games and four double-doubles.
Howard, which won its first MEAC Basketball Tournament title since 2001 last season, was selected as the preseason favorite, racking up eight of a possible 16 first-place votes and notching 119 points. Norfolk State (four first-place votes) and Coppin State (two first-place votes) were picked second and third, respectively, and Morgan State was picked to finish fourth.
Maryland Eastern Shore (two first-place votes), North Carolina Central, South Carolina State and Delaware State rounded out the predicted order of finish.
Joining Alexander on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Howard’s Destiny Howell and Iyanna Warren, as well as Norfolk State’s Camille Downs and Deja Francis.
The 2023 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 8-11 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
2022-23 MEAC Women’s Basketball
All-MEAC Teams
Voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors
Preseason Player of the Year: Jaia Alexander, Coppin State
FIRST TEAM
| Name |
Pos. |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Jaia Alexander |
G |
Gr. |
5-11 |
Coppin State |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Destiny Howell |
G |
Jr. |
5-11 |
Howard |
Queens, N.Y. |
| Iyanna Warren |
G |
Sr. |
5-3 |
Howard |
Accokeek, Md. |
| Camille Downs |
G |
Gr. |
5-10 |
Norfolk State |
Fredericksburg, Va. |
| Deja Francis |
G |
Gr. |
5-7 |
Norfolk State |
Queens, N.Y. |
SECOND TEAM
| Name |
Pos. |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Mossi Staples |
G |
r-Jr. |
5-7 |
Coppin State |
Fort Washington, Md. |
| Zamara Haynes |
G |
Jr. |
5-7 |
Maryland Eastern Shore |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Ja'Niah Henson |
G |
Sr. |
5-3 |
Morgan State |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Mahoganie Williams |
F |
Jr. |
6-1 |
Norfolk State |
Monroe, La. |
| Nicole Gwynn |
G |
So. |
5-9 |
South Carolina State |
Wethersfield, Conn. |
THIRD TEAM
| Name |
Pos. |
Class |
Ht. |
School |
Hometown |
| Jalynda Salley |
C |
r-Sr. |
6-4 |
Coppin State |
Reynoldsburg, Ohio |
| Brooklyn Fort-Davis |
F |
Sr. |
6-0 |
Howard |
Chicago, Ill. |
| Krislyn Marsh |
G/F |
Gr. |
6-0 |
Howard |
Houston, Texas |
| Taylor Addison |
F |
Gr. |
5-10 |
Morgan State |
Columbia, Md. |
| Charlene Shepherd |
F |
Gr. |
6-2 |
Morgan State |
Killeen, Texas |
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
| School (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Howard (8) |
119 |
| 2. Norfolk State (4) |
105 |
| 3. Coppin State (2) |
89 |
| 4. Morgan State |
85 |
| 5. Maryland Eastern Shore (2) |
69 |
| 6. North Carolina Central |
54 |
| 7. South Carolina State |
30 |
| 8. Delaware State |
25 |