DURHAM, N.C. – A mix of six letter winners, four transfers and one freshman will look to jell together and bring success to the North Carolina Central University women's basketball program as the Eagles begin the 2022-23 season under sixth-year head coach Trisha Stafford-Odom on Monday, Nov. 7.
 
The 11 student-athletes currently on the active roster make it one of the smallest squads mentored by Stafford-Odom, but she believes it is the deepest rosters that will take the court for the maroon and gray. Stafford-Odom trusts that they all can play and contribute, which will make the Eagles a more well-rounded and consistent team.
 
"We should compete every game," said Stafford-Odom. "We will not have to rely heavily a few players. I think we can evenly disperse our talent on the court."  
 
A lot of new faces will see ample time on the court, especially while redshirt junior forward Tianna Carter (Tucson, Ariz.) misses the start of the season as she continues to recover from injury. Carter, who earned MEAC All-Defensive Team honors in her first season at NCCU, is expected to return to the lineup during the season and be one of NCCU's best two-way players as she becomes a consistent double-double threat. Last year, Carter ranked second in the MEAC with 7.3 rebounds per game while also ranking eighth in blocks per game (0.8) and 15th in points per game (9.2).
 
With the departure of four of its top-six scorers from last campaign, redshirt senior guard Kira Lowery (Memphis, Tenn.) will be looked upon to provide leadership for a fairly young squad as she is the only listed senior on the roster. As NCCU's team MVP last season, Lowery averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game in 14 MEAC games. She ranked second in the MEAC with her season average of 3.2 assists per game while also ranking fifth in the league with a .724 free throw percentage and seventh with 1.7 steals per game. Stafford-Odom believes she is entering this season playing the best ball of her career.
 
NCCU's other returning players are redshirt junior wing Taylor Williams (Daytona Beach, Fla.), redshirt sophomore forward Morgan Callahan (Beach Park, Ill.) sophomore guard Nia Ford (Clinton, Md.) and redshirt sophomore Aniya Finger (Huntersville, N.C.). They all have the potential to start as they continue to develop and become even more impactful players for the Eagles.
 
Williams provided 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in her first season at NCCU last year. Williams has been an anchor on the top line during six weeks of preseason and is playing at a great pace to become one of NCCU's most improved players in her second season in Durham.
 
Callahan played in 13 of 16 games as a rookie, but then only played the first two games last year due to season-ending injury. Callahan is healthy again and has been extremely good in preseason as an inside-out presence for the Eagles.
 
Ford chipped in 5.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as a rookie last season. Ford is another great two-way player as she is a strong and lengthy defender, who is gaining confidence offensively as a three-point shooter.
 
Finger will see her first action for the Eagles after recovering from injury last season. Finger will be looking to help NCCU on the offensive end playing out of position as a skilled, strong and versatile post player.  
 
A group of four transfers are all expected to see a lot of minutes in their first season at NCCU with the departure of eight players from last season.
 
Redshirt junior Tippy Robertson (Chicago, Ill.) brings the most collegiate experience to NCCU after playing in 78 games over three seasons at Stetson. Robertson is a point guard who has averaged nearly four points, three assists, three rebounds and one steal per game over her time playing for the Hatters. She is a lockdown defender, who will be looked upon to be a captain as a tough and vocal leader from the point position.
 
A couple more junior transfers in Kimeira Burks (Chicago, Ill.) and Blessing Okoh (Houston, Texas) played together last season at Daytona State College. Burks, who also played two seasons at University of Chicago Illinois, is a physically tough long-range shooter. Burks averaged 11.8 points, including nearly two made 3-pointers per game, on the way to earning all-conference honors. Okoh garnered her own all-conference attention a year prior to Burks and she averaged six points, six rebounds and one block per game over her first two collegiate campaigns at DSC. Okoh is a very athletic and confident wing player that can do everything from shoot the three-pointer to post up inside and block shots.
 
Redshirt sophomore Sydney Avoletta (Sterling, Va.) played a limited amount in her two years at Iona University due to injury, but she will bring height and physicality to the Eagles. At 6-4, she will be NCCU's tallest player. Avoletta has a nice touch on her shot and can keep up on the transition for the Eagles, making her a difficult matchup for a lot of NCCU's opponents.
 
Despite being the only freshman on the roster, guard Jerni Kiaku (Garner, N.C.) is slated to make the jump from the prep to collegiate ranks with little slowdown as she brings a lot of speed to the team and can explode for a bunch of points as a quick learner.
 
The Eagles were picked sixth in the MEAC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish poll after finishing seventh in the league last season. NCCU's ability to finish higher and contend within the league will depend on how quickly the letter winners and newcomers come together and put all of the pieces of the puzzle together with their assorted skill sets.
 
"They have bonded together," said Stafford-Odom. "It is imperative that they have some kind of relationship off the court, because that will make them play better on the court."
 
NC Central will open up the 2022-23 regular season when the Eagles host Johnson C. Smith University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Monday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m.