Players hope to show skills, draw interest through Women’s HBCU All-Star Game

When her collegiate basketball career ended, University of Maryland Eastern Shore guard Zamara Haynes was open to all opportunities to extend her playing career.

The 5-foot-7 Haynes built a reputation as a tough-nosed guard who played high-level defense. She led UMES in scoring and assists, finishing this season averaging 11.9 points per game, and helped guide the Hawks to a semifinal appearance in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament.

So when Haynes received an invite to participate in the inaugural Women’s HBCU All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday in San Antonio, she viewed it as another opportunity to represent her historically Black university and showcase her skills.

“I can’t wait to go out there and see it myself,” Haynes said. “It’s always good to be a part of history, this being the first year that they’re having it for women’s basketball. … It means a lot to get the exposure that I feel like most HBCUs don’t get. I really want to go out there and take advantage of it, and whatever opportunity knocks on the door, I’m open-minded.”

The Women’s HBCU All-Star Game will feature 24 of the best female student-athletes from the MEAC, Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), plus Tennessee State and North Carolina A&T. The women’s game will follow the fourth annual Men’s HBCU All-Star Game, which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

Haynes, an All-MEAC Second Team selection, said she hopes participating in the women’s all-star game will help players from historically Black colleges and universities receive the recognition they deserve.

“I hope that more HBCU players get the opportunity to play in front of WNBA scouts and get a chance to hear their name called because it’s a lot of good talent in this HBCU game,” Haynes said. “I’m just happy that I was able to play for an HBCU that’s able to get this type of exposure now at this HBCU All-Star Game. So it’s exciting to see what happens going forward.”

The HBCU All-Star Game is the brainchild of former Tennessee State and Fort Valley State men’s basketball coach Travis Williams, who said that creating an all-star game for female HBCU basketball players was always a top priority. The men’s all-star game has traditionally followed the men’s Final Four, and although Williams considered hosting the inaugural women’s game with the women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida, he decided against it this year.

“There’ll come a time where it’ll be a possibility where we can do both,” Williams said. “But I think the main focus for us now is just focusing on what we have here now and making sure it’s the best event. Then we have those discussions after.”

Haynes will play for Team Laney (MEAC, SIAC and North Carolina A&T), which is named after former Cheyney State guard Yolanda Laney, who played on the first HBCU women’s basketball team to reach the Division I national championship game.

Team Laney will face off against Team Hoskins (CIAA and SWAC), named in honor of former Mississippi Valley State center Patricia Hoskins, who held the scoring record in Division I women’s basketball for over a decade, scoring 3,122 points in her career.

North Carolina A&T senior guard Jordyn Dorsey is also hoping to get some national exposure during this weekend’s inaugural HBCU women’s game. Dorsey averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season and helped lead the Aggies to their first Coastal Athletic Association regular-season championship.

She has taken some time to rest in preparation for the game and will compete with Haynes on Team Laney.

“I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity. They could have easily said, ‘The men’s side, because the event is successful enough, we don’t need the women’s side.’ So I’m grateful for them trying to include us,” Dorsey said. “Just seeing where women’s basketball is going right now, I’m just excited to be able to showcase what I can do.”

Prior to the women’s game, players will get to compete in a combine where they will get their official measurements taken and participate in timed agility drills. The Women’s HBCU All-Star Game has invited WNBA and professional scouts to attend the combine, and testing numbers from the combine will be forwarded to WNBA teams.

Former Jackson State player Angel Jackson was picked 36th overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, and all-star game participants are hoping to be the next players to hear their names called this year.

“I am trying to show them [scouts] that I am an all-around player,” Dorsey said. “I can defend, I can put the ball in the hole and I can also set my teammates up. I think being able to be used in different situations is very important when it comes to trying to get placed on one of these teams.”

To celebrate the inaugural women’s game, the broadcast team will be composed entirely of women and the referees officiating the game also will all be women. Weekend festivities include a Fan Fest and College Admissions Fair on Sunday before the men’s game.

Several past Men’s HBCU All-Star Game participants, such as former Winston-Salem State guard Javonte Cooke and former Texas Southern guard Joirdan Nicholas, are currently in the G League, the NBA development league, after their exposure from the game, and numerous other players play professionally overseas.

Williams hopes the inaugural women’s game has a similar impact.

“We have zero representation in the NBA out of 450 players and 30 NBA teams. We have no representation out of the 144 players between the WNBA teams. This [was] placed in my spirit to hopefully change that trajectory,” Williams said. “Women’s basketball is at an all-time high, and we have some of the most amazing coaches that are in our spaces that are coaching and pouring into young women. So the time is now.”