Women's Basketball | 3/17/2026 10:04:47 AM

NORFOLK, Va. — Two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women’s basketball programs will represent the league in the 2026 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) as University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Norfolk State earned postseason bids. 

For the first time in program history, the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks will compete in the WNIT. UMES will travel to face Wake Forest on Thursday at 6 p.m. at LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. 

The Hawks concluded the 2025–26 season with an 18-13 regular-season record, setting a new program record for wins. UMES also earned the No. 2 seed in the MEAC Tournament for the first time since the 2018-19 season and advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year under second-year head coach Malikah Willis, finishing the year with a 19-14 overall record, the best single-season mark in program history. 

Meanwhile, Norfolk State will make its second appearance in the WNIT and its first since the 2021-22 season. The Spartans will host Loyola Chicago in the first round on Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m. at Echols Hall in Norfolk, Va. 

The postseason berth extends Norfolk State’s postseason streak to five consecutive seasons. The Spartans finished the year 18-14 overall and reached the MEAC Championship game for the fifth straight season. 

Norfolk State is led by MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Jasha Clinton, who ranks eighth nationally with 110 total steals and averages 3.44 steals per game. Clinton is joined by Da’Brya Clark, a First Team All-MEAC selection. Both Clinton and Anjanae Richardson also earned Second Team All-MEAC honors. 

For more information following postseason play, please visit www.meacsports.com.