Winston-Salem State women’s basketball will begin the 2026-27 season among the nation’s elite, leading a talented HBCU basketball field at the Division II level. It checks in at No. 8 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II preseason poll released Tuesday.
The Lady Rams received 411 points in the voting, making them the only HBCU in the national top 25. Winston-Salem State sits directly behind No. 7 Minnesota State Mankato and ahead of No. 9 Lenoir-Rhyne. Two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State holds the top spot.
The ranking follows a breakthrough season that transformed expectations for the program. Under first-year head coach Tierra Terry, Winston-Salem State finished 28-4, went undefeated in 13 home games and won its first CIAA women’s basketball tournament championship.
The Rams then made their NCAA Division II Tournament debut, advancing to the Sweet 16 before narrowly missing a trip to the Elite Eight. In the CIAA title game, WSSU defeated Fayetteville State 60-43 behind 24 points from Nevaeh Farmer and 14 from Maia Charles.
From historic season to national expectations
Just one season earlier, Winston-Salem State had finished 6-20. The 2025-26 team set a school record for wins, rewriting expectations for a program that had never before qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Now the Rams enter November as the CIAA preseason favorite and one of the top 10 teams in America.
Terry, a WSSU alumna, earned CIAA Coach of the Year honors and the National Sports Media Association’s Clarence “Big House” Gaines women’s coaching award. The university rewarded her with a contract extension following the historic run.
But at CIAA Basketball Media Day earlier this month, Terry made it clear that last season’s success would not guarantee another championship.
“Last year is last year,” Terry said. Discussing the team’s preseason recognition, she shared the message she had already sent to her players: “Don’t let that get to your head.”
Senior guard Nevaeh Farmer echoed that mentality, saying, “It’s about the finish, not about the start.”
The Rams have experienced leaders to help deliver that message. Farmer, Maia Charles, Breonna Roaf and Ah’Kiyah Pye were named to the CIAA preseason all-conference team. Farmer was the Most Valuable Player of last season’s CIAA Tournament, while Roaf earned conference Rookie of the Year honors.
The 2026-27 roster also includes returning guard Amari Baldwin and newcomers Betsey Burnett, Hope Hawkins and Makyiah Ward. Terry discussed incorporating new talent alongside returning players at media day.
That combination creates another challenge: managing expectations in a season when opponents will view the defending champions as a marquee matchup.
Other HBCU programs earn national recognition
Winston-Salem State leads a wider group of HBCU women’s basketball programs attracting attention from Division II coaches.
Miles College collected 76 points, just three behind No. 25 Missouri-St. Louis, which received 79. Fayetteville State, the team WSSU defeated in last season’s CIAA championship game, received 34 points.
SIAC programs Edward Waters (22), Lane (9) and Benedict (4) also appeared in the receiving-votes category.
The men’s National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) preseason poll also included three HBCU programs outside the top 25. Defending CIAA champion Fayetteville State received 37 points, followed by Morehouse with 14 and Miles with 10.
For Winston-Salem State, though, the biggest distinction is already secured: the Rams no longer enter the season simply hoping to earn national respect. They enter with a top-10 ranking and an entire Division II field aware of what they accomplished last year.
WSSU opens its season November 13 against Chowan at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem.