LORMAN, Miss. – Nakia Cheatham and Kiarra Henderson of Alcorn Women's Basketball have been invited to participate in the 2026 HBCU All-Star Dream Classic scheduled to be held at legendary Rucker Park in Harlem, New York, on Saturday, August 8.
 
For both players, this is their first invitation to the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic, now in its fifth year, featuring some of the top players from both men's and women's basketball around Historically Black College and University (HBCU) programs around the country.
 
Nakia Cheatham, a 6-foot graduate student from Clarksdale, Mississippi, finished the 2025-26 campaign named Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to being named a first team BOXTOROW All-American. She ended the year leading the Braves with 411 points (13.3 ppg) and 242 rebounds (7.8 rpg). She had nine (9) double-doubles on the campaign, using a season-high 24 points at home to Mississippi University for Women (November 5).
 
Kiarra Henderson, a 5-foot-9 guard/forward from Fort Worth, Texas, ended the campaign second on the Braves squad in scoring with 321 points (10.4) and 192 rebounds (6.2 rpg), adding 20 blocked shots and 63 steals to her credit. She gathered 18 double-digit scoring games on the year, including finishing the year with five consecutive. She had a career-high 10 assists at home against Arkansas Baptist (November 12).
 
The women's game for the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic is set to tip at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the men's game following at 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
The event showcases 40 of the top HBCU basketball players from conferences such as CIAA, MEAC, SIAC, SWAC, and NAIA. Players selected to participate, as reported in April 2026, include those with strong previous season performances.
 
The Dream Classic is often associated with the 5th Anniversary HBCU All-Star Game that occurred earlier in April 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
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