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On February 28, 2026, Winston-Salem State University women’s basketball turned a breakthrough season into a defining one, defeating Fayetteville State 60–43 to win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Basketball Tournament at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The victory delivered the Rams’ first CIAA women’s basketball tournament championship in program history, pushed their record to 26–3 overall, and guaranteed the school its first appearance in the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament.
For a program that finished 7–20 just one year earlier, the scene at midcourt in Baltimore was the culmination of a stunning worst-to-first rise under first-year head coach and WSSU alum Tierra Terry. It also represented a major moment for both CIAA women’s basketball and HBCU women’s hoops at the Division II level.
Winston-Salem State, a public historically Black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, entered the 2025–26 season looking for a reset. The Rams had gone 7–20 the previous year and were far from the CIAA title conversation. Terry, a former WSSU standout, took over the program and quickly changed its trajectory.
By the end of the regular season, the Rams had compiled a 23–3 record, setting a new program mark for wins before postseason play and surging to the top of the CIAA standings. They finished 14–2 in CIAA play and 8–2 in the South Division, earning the South’s No. 1 seed for the conference tournament in Baltimore.
That level of improvement in a single year is rare at the college level and speaks to both the roster’s buy-in and Terry’s impact as a first-year head coach. In a league historically dominated by a handful of established programs, Winston-Salem State transformed itself into a conference power in 12 months.
Once the postseason began, the Rams played like a confident top seed intent on leaving no doubt. Their path through the CIAA Tournament underscored just how far the program had come.
Winston-Salem State opened its tournament run with a 71–49 win over Bluefield State. The Rams set the tone early with their defense, using pressure to disrupt rhythm and generate transition opportunities. The 22-point margin confirmed that their regular-season success would carry over to Baltimore.
In the semifinals, the Rams delivered one of their most dominant defensive efforts of the season, rolling to a 67–32 victory over Claflin. Allowing just 32 points at this stage of the conference tournament highlighted the team’s identity: a group that defended collectively, rebounded with toughness, and turned stops into points.
Those back-to-back blowouts sent Winston-Salem State into the championship game with palpable momentum and the confidence that they could control games from the defensive end out.
The CIAA title game set up a compelling storyline: division rivals meeting for a third time, with Winston-Salem State chasing its first championship and Fayetteville State trying to claim a third straight CIAA crown. Instead of a tense, down-to-the-wire contest, the Rams seized control almost immediately.
Behind aggressive defense and confident perimeter shooting, Winston-Salem State built an early double-digit lead. By halftime, the Rams had stretched their advantage to 19 points, effectively putting Fayetteville State in chase mode for the rest of the afternoon.
Junior guard Nevaeh Farmer delivered the signature performance of the championship. She poured in 24 points, knocked down five three-pointers, and made her presence felt defensively. Her shooting helped open up the floor, and her energy kept Winston-Salem State in attack mode even with a sizable lead.
Farmer’s impact throughout the tournament earned her CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. In addition to the MVP, she was named to the CIAA All-Tournament Team, cementing her role as one of the faces of this historic run.
While Farmer was the headline scorer, forward Maia Charles brought crucial balance in the paint. She added 14 points and recorded a double-double, helping the Rams control the glass and the interior tempo.
Charles’ work on the boards limited Fayetteville State’s second-chance opportunities and fueled Winston-Salem State’s transition offense. Her performance symbolized the Rams’ overall physicality and attention to detail on both ends.
Whenever Fayetteville State looked ready to cut seriously into the lead in the second half, Winston-Salem State’s guards responded. Players like Makayla Waleed knocked down key baskets to halt Broncos mini-runs and restore a comfortable cushion.
Those responses kept the game from ever truly tightening, allowing the Rams to play with composure and confidence down the stretch. When the final horn sounded at CFG Bank Arena, Winston-Salem State was a 60–43 winner, and players and staff rushed to midcourt to celebrate the first CIAA women’s basketball tournament title in school history.
Farmer, Waleed, and Jakaiya Mack were all named to the CIAA All-Tournament Team, highlighting the depth and balance that defined the Rams’ season.
The CIAA championship carried another major reward: the league’s automatic berth to the 64-team NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament. For Winston-Salem State, that meant a national stage it had never reached before.
According to the NCAA’s official bracket for the 2026 Division II women’s tournament, the Rams were placed as a No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Regional, a sign of the respect they had earned nationally across the season. The Atlantic Regional will be played at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a frequent postseason host for Division II basketball.
The bracket revealed that Winston-Salem State will open its tournament run on March 13 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, facing No. 6 seed Glenville State. The matchup offers a fresh test and an opportunity for the Rams to see how their defense and balanced attack hold up against a proven NCAA tournament program.
For context, the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament brings together regional champions and at-large teams from across the country, with 64 programs competing in an elimination format for the national title. The event has long served as a showcase for high-level basketball at non-Division I schools and frequently highlights strong HBCU and conference programs that do not always get mainstream coverage. More details on the 2026 bracket and format are available via the NCAA’s coverage at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NCAA_Division_II_women%27s_basketball_tournament.
After clinching the CIAA title in Baltimore, Winston-Salem State returned home to await its official NCAA destination. On Selection Sunday, the team gathered on campus for a late-night watch party as the bracket was revealed.
Just before 11 p.m., the room erupted when “Winston-Salem State” appeared on the screen as a No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Regional. The moment confirmed not only the team’s first-ever NCAA tournament berth, but also the national respect built by a 26–3 record and a dominant run through the CIAA.
Head coach Tierra Terry described the NCAA berth as a blessing and a chance to represent Winston-Salem State and the broader CIAA on a national platform. Freshman guard Breonna Roaf echoed the excitement, emphasizing the team’s desire to keep its season going and compete for a national championship.
Winston-Salem State’s season resonates far beyond its own locker room. As a longtime CIAA member and HBCU, the Rams’ breakthrough highlights the growing depth and quality of women’s basketball across historically Black conferences.
The CIAA, one of the oldest conferences in college athletics, has been home to many storied men’s and women’s basketball programs. However, the league has also seen stretches where a small group of women’s programs consistently sit atop the standings and postseason brackets. Winston-Salem State’s rise from 7–20 to 26–3 and league champion introduces a new contender into that hierarchy.
For recruits and families paying attention to opportunities at the Division II level, this kind of breakthrough season can shift perceptions. It demonstrates that HBCU programs can combine strong academics, tradition, and community with nationally competitive basketball, especially when institutional support and the right coaching fit come together.
Coverage from outlets like HBCU Sports and the CIAA’s official site has underscored the significance of the Rams’ achievement for the broader conference. As more HBCU women’s programs reach NCAA tournaments and win conference titles, their visibility grows in the recruiting landscape and in national Division II conversations.
For high school and club players considering their college basketball options, Winston-Salem State University now offers a powerful case study in rapid program development.
Key takeaways for prospects and families evaluating WSSU include:
Recruits interested in women’s basketball at the Division II level can also explore how WSSU compares with other schools in North Carolina and beyond using digital tools built specifically for college search and recruiting. Pathley’s platform, for instance, centralizes information on academics, athletics, and campus fit across thousands of colleges to help athletes quickly assess where a program like WSSU might fit in their overall list. Learn more about how these tools work at https://www.pathley.ai/.
If you are a high school guard who looks up to players like Nevaeh Farmer, a forward drawn to the way Maia Charles controlled the glass, or a younger prospect just learning about the CIAA and HBCU women’s basketball, having the right tools to organize your recruiting process matters.
Pathley offers a few resources that can be especially helpful for women’s basketball prospects targeting schools like Winston-Salem State, other CIAA programs, and peer Division II conferences:
Having a clear, organized recruiting plan can help you identify opportunities like WSSU earlier, understand their academic offerings, and decide whether a rising program in a conference like the CIAA fits your long-term goals.
While Winston-Salem State’s historic CIAA title and NCAA bid stand out, the Winston-Salem area also features other colleges that may interest women’s basketball recruits, depending on academic fit and level of play.
Using tools like Pathley’s compare feature and college fit analysis can help you sort through differences in division level, campus size, and financial considerations as you evaluate schools in and around Winston-Salem.
After lifting the CIAA trophy and celebrating a 26–3 record, Winston-Salem State’s attention quickly turns to the NCAA Division II tournament. As a No. 3 seed, the Rams enter the Atlantic Regional with legitimate hopes of making a deep run if they can replicate their defensive intensity and balanced scoring.
The opening matchup with Glenville State will test their ability to defend the perimeter, control tempo, and handle the heightened pressure of win-or-go-home postseason basketball. Regardless of how far they advance, the combination of the program’s first CIAA championship and first NCAA berth has already rewritten the history books for WSSU women’s basketball.
For current and future Rams, this season raises the bar for what is possible in Winston-Salem. For the CIAA and HBCU women’s basketball more broadly, it is another example of how quickly a program can rise when leadership, culture, and opportunity align.
If Winston-Salem State’s story inspires you to explore your own college basketball path, the next steps involve far more than just watching tournament games. You’ll want to identify a realistic mix of schools, understand academic and financial fit, and organize communication with coaches.
Pathley was built to help athletes and families manage that process more efficiently. You can start by exploring the Basketball Pathley Hub to see how different levels and conferences compare, then use the College Directory and AI chat tools to narrow down your options. When you are ready, you can create a free account at https://app.pathley.ai/sign_up to unlock personalized college matching and resume support.
Whether your goal is to play in the CIAA, another Division II conference, or at a different level entirely, stories like Winston-Salem State’s 2025–26 season show that the right fit can lead to both individual growth and team history. With the right information and tools, you can chart your own path to a college program that feels like home on and off the court.
