by Maya Dawson

Coming off a decisive 59-51 win over Florida A&M, the Lady Spartans are now 12-7 on the year, currently undefeated in conference play with a 6-0 record. They continue next Saturday against North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC.

They have yet to drop a game to start the new year and they have someone to credit for that: Chanette Hicks. Her effort is guiding the Spartans to a great start to the new year.

Redshirt senior Chanette Hicks, a guard transfer from Virginia Tech, was just the person the Spartans needed to get them on track coming into this season. She is making a beneficial impact on a team that had lost four starting seniors the previous season.

Hicks is leading the MEAC in scoring (21.9), assists (5.3), and steals (5.3). She is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. She always makes a presence when she has the ball in her hand.

Even though she is mainly a defensive specialist at heart, she can still get her own shot and get her teammates hot when needed in order to get the win.

She is putting up an epic stat line. What’s so amazing about her scoring output is that she is 2 of 18 (11.1% Three-point percentage) from beyond the arc this season. This speaks monsters to her efficient scoring within the paint and from mid-range.

She is more than just a scorer with steals being the greatest stat for her. Being second in the nation in total steals (96) and steals per game (5.3) is something that most would see as pressure, but to Hicks it’s just how she plays every game. She plays the game just like she always has: with her mental toughness.

She plays in a way that inspires her teammates and her coaches to stand by her. Norfolk State is currently in 6th place in steals per game thanks to her aggressiveness to go after loose balls and steals.

Every team they play tries to come up with a game plan as to how they are going to stop Hicks, but that doesn’t stop her from going at it anyway.

“It’s a good thing, but also it’s a chip on your back. I’m a target but it’s good and bad at the same time,” Chanette Hicks said. “I do what they give me. Some games they give me the pull-up shot and some games they don’t.”

Hicks has won many awards and been recognized by many. She has been MEAC Player of the Week six times and also MEAC Defensive Player of the Week six times.

She was even named National Player of the Week by BOXTOROW this month for her exceptional play. BOXTOROW is a nationally syndicated sports talk show which has a strong emphasis on HBCU Sports.

Chanette Hicks is playing some of the best basketball of her career. She is giving it all for her team in her last year playing for the Spartans.