Her stats are down, but for Norfolk State, Kierra Wheeler is ‘still the key to this team’

To set a standard, Norfolk State University senior forward Kierra Wheeler often told her teammates throughout the season that the Spartans don’t lose two games in a row – and the team listened. 

The Spartans didn’t lose consecutive games all year, finishing the 2024-2025 regular season with a 27-4 overall record. Norfolk State, the winner of two consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships, begins its quest for a third-straight conference title Wednesday in a first-round matchup against South Carolina State University in this year’s MEAC tournament.

Norfolk State women’s basketball head coach Larry Vickers and his team are depending on Wheeler to help guide the Spartans to another title. However, despite having her team’s trust, the process of maturing as a leader this season was difficult for Wheeler. 

As a junior last season, she was the 2024 MEAC Player of the Year, led the MEAC in scoring and ranked No. 2 in rebounding, averaging 17.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. However, Wheeler’s production dipped in her senior year. The Minneapolis native finished the regular season averaging 15.2 points and nine rebounds per game. Though she’s still ranked fourth in scoring and second in rebounding in the conference and was named to the All-MEAC First Team, Wheeler had greater expectations for herself heading into this year.

Wheeler spent last summer working on her mid-range and 3-point shots. She attempted only seven total 3-pointers in her first two seasons with the Spartans; this year, she attempted 44. However, Wheeler is shooting just 25% from beyond the arc, and she would get upset at times earlier in the season when her shot wasn’t falling. 

Before Wheeler helped lead Norfolk to its fourth-straight regular-season conference title Thursday in a 68-56 victory against Howard University, she acknowledged her growth.

“Having faith in the work I’ve put in this summer has been a mental challenge,” Wheeler told Andscape. “But now I’m motivated to keep shooting. I’ve grown in my leadership and just not getting as frustrated now.”

Wheeler closed the first half against Howard with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting. She finished the game with 15 points, shooting 7-for-17 from the field. Norfolk State guard Diamond Johnson believes the emotional stability Wheeler displayed Thursday is a testament to her maturation.

“She was missing shots she usually makes. That’s frustrating on any player, but for her to overcome it and come into the second half dominant and being that post presence that she always is, she didn’t let the frustration get to her, and that just shows a lot of growth,” Johnson said. “That kind of falls back on us because when we see her not really upset, and she’s still in the game, that makes us follow and go harder.”

Vickers said Wheeler has experienced more defensive pressure this season with teams frequently double-teaming the 6-foot-1 forward, which has contributed to her drop in scoring. Though more players swarm Wheeler in the paint this year, she has shot 67 fewer free throws than last season. He praised Wheeler for not reacting to no-calls and believes that composure will be key for his team.

“If we can handle the outside noise well, we will be able to three-peat,” Vickers said. 

Wheeler said her goal in the tournament is to maintain her self-control and remind teammates to stay aggressive because of what’s at stake. Her reminders, such as reinforcing the importance of winning home games, have helped lead the Spartans to undefeated home and conference records this season. But her leadership also has translated to success against strong non-conference opponents. The Spartans upset two Southeastern Conference teams this season, defeating the University of Missouri in November and Auburn University in late December.

Sophomore guard Anjanae Johnson credits Wheeler’s consistent encouragement for helping a mid-major Norfolk State team secure multiple wins against Power 4 opponents. Wheeler’s effort to uplift her teammates has motivated Johnson to be a better leader during the MEAC tournament.

“Seeing the trust she has in us, it gives me an extra push to be there for my teammates and do what I have to do,” Johnson said. “I think that’ll be good for the tournament because we are going to play hard every time.” 

Comparing this year’s squad to the previous two championship-winning teams, Vickers said this team’s chemistry is stronger because the Spartans returned nine transfer-eligible players this season. He said the team’s rapport allows Wheeler to be harder on teammates when they are not performing well. 

Johnson and Wheeler’s chemistry is crucial to Norfolk’s success. They average a combined 34.4 points per game, 46% of Norfolk State’s average points per game. 

Off the court, strengthening their bond comes through playing Call of Duty together. Although Johnson claims that she usually carries the load in the military-based video game, she views Wheeler as the Spartans’ primary weapon on the court.

“Her numbers are down, but she’s still the key to this team offensively, defensively and leadership-wise,” Johnson said. “Because the stats went down, you can see how her presence affects the game. When she’s not in the game, we are losing a big-time rebounder and half our offense.”

Despite decreased offensive output, Wheeler’s defense has improved this season. Last year, she averaged 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals, but this season, she is averaging 2.2 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. 

“My defense has gotten a lot better this year, and being there in the gaps motivates me on offense because I am not going to get anything easy. So sometimes the easy thing is me being intense on defense,” Wheeler said. 

Wheeler knows a three-peat won’t be easy, but she also knows this is the last time she’ll play in the MEAC tournament. Therefore, for Wheeler, every possession matters. 

“This is my last one, so I have to leave it all on the floor,” Wheeler said. “No rebound is unimportant. No stop is unimportant. Everything is important because it’s my last go-round, so I want to make sure I do everything right.”