WSSU Lady Rams honored by City of Winston-Salem to celebrate historic season
April 20 proclaimed ‘Winston-Salem State University Lady Rams Day’
The City of Winston-Salem honored the history-making Winston-Salem State University women’s basketball team by proclaiming April 20 as “Winston-Salem State University Lady Rams Day” during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Lady Rams’ players and coaches were recognized and applauded during the presentation as Councilwoman Barbara H. Burke, a WSSU alumna, read the resolution, followed by remarks from Chancellor Bonita J. Brown and women’s basketball head coach Tierra Terry.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved that the mayor and City Council of the city of Winston-Salem do hereby proclaim April 20, 2026, as ‘Winston-Salem State University Lady Rams Day’ in the City of Winston-Salem and encourage all residents to join in recognizing and celebrating the remarkable achievements of the Lady Rams basketball team and their contributions to our community,” Burke read.
“Chancellor Brown, Coach Terry and the outstanding, amazing Lady Rams, it is my honor to present this resolution on behalf of the City of Winston-Salem for an outstanding, historic season,” Burke added. “Congratulations.”
The team, along with coaches and staff, stood for recognition and photos as the WSSU contingent filled the meeting room with red and black.
Mayor Allen Joines also congratulated the team, praising its performance on and off the court.
The Lady Rams finished 28-4, including a 13-0 record at home, and were ranked No. 13 in the nation. They won the program’s first CIAA Championship and came within seconds of advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Terry was named CIAA women’s basketball coach of the year and the 2026 Clarence “Big House” Gaines Division II College Basketball Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Freshman Breonna Roaf earned CIAA women’s basketball rookie of the year honors.
Off the court, 13 players were named to the CIAA Commissioner’s Honor Roll for maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The team was also recognized for its philanthropic work and community involvement.
“On behalf of WSSU, I want to say thank you to the City Council,” Brown said. “This is a special team. This was a historic run, and I thank you for acknowledging them. We’re glad to be part of this vibrant community.”
In her first year as head coach, Terry turned around program that finished 6-20 the previous season. She recently signed a two-year contract extension to coach the Lady Rams.
“Thank you all for the acknowledgement,” Terry said. “It was a fun season. You know now we can sit back and reflect on what we really did, because I couldn’t reflect during the season. We really did some amazing things. We’re proud of these young women - on the court and in the classroom.”
