How Nakia Cheatham and Kiarra Henderson became the heart and soul of Alcorn State

One campus visit. A perfectly timed coincidence. They say timing is everything, and Alcorn State’s gym proved it that day.

Kiarra Henderson and Nakia Cheatham arrived on the same day, toured the same campus, and signed their letters of intent within hours of each other, completely unaware of each other. Ultimately bonded by basketball and a twist of destiny, they now laugh about how the universe clearly had its own recruiting plan.

There’s a steady rhythm between them now, built from the miles they’ve traveled together and the faith they’ve carried. They read each other’s eyes before a play unfolds. They finish each other’s sentences — and sometimes, each other’s fast breaks.

For veteran Alcorn State head coach Nate Kilbert, that serendipitous moment felt almost spiritual; it was the kind of alignment that’s definitely not in the playbook. He still laughs when he thinks about the day that changed the Alcorn State women’s basketball program.

“We really felt like we were going to get them,” Kilbert said to The IX during SWAC media day. “What people don’t realize is that both were under the radar. With Nakia, Alcorn was already in her blood — her granddad, her mom, everybody went here. We thought she was coming home, but a few schools jumped in late, making things interesting.

“And with Kiarra, not many people knew about her. She was out in Kansas at a junior college, and we wanted to keep it quiet because once folks saw her film, they’d understand why we were so high on her. When she followed through on her word and signed, we were ecstatic. Honestly, once those two committed, we knew our program was headed in a different direction. That was a turning point for us.”

That shared leap of faith became the start of something larger than any single signing. Henderson and Cheatham are living proof that some teammates are written into each other’s journeys long before they ever share a court.

A predestined connection

Now, the affable pair are linked not only by accolades, but also by a sense of determination.

In addition to being the only teammates named to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) women’s basketball preseason first team, they’re also driven to complete the final step on their basketball checklist. Fueled by the sting of consecutive losses in the SWAC championship game, Henderson and Cheatham are determined to turn heartbreak into history.

Despite their pedigree, Alcorn State was picked sixth in the preseason poll — a ranking that raised more than a few eyebrows. Kilbert isn’t offended; he’s energized.

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“Let’s be honest, if you’ve got two first-teamers, you shouldn’t be picked sixth,” Kilbert said to reporters during SWAC media day. “Either those players aren’t as good as people think, or the coach isn’t. I take it as motivation. We’re fine with where they picked us because we know we’re a much better team than that. It’s just more fuel.”

They’re also fueled by losses, even when they came from Jackson State, a No. 14 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, and Southern, the first SWAC program to win an NCAA Tournament game, both as heavy underdogs.

“We’ve been to the [championship] twice, so we should know exactly what to do when we get there the third time because I do feel like we can get right back there, even after losing three key players that we had last season,” Cheatham said to The IX during SWAC media day. “I still feel like we have the talent and the motivation to get back to the championship game and finish the job this time.”

Their chemistry, built on shared goals and mutual respect, is undeniable.

From the moment they arrived on campus, it was clear that Henderson and Cheatham connected immediately. Kilbert recognized it early. He and his staff even tried to split them up in practice because, when they played together, they made everyone else’s job harder. Whether competing against each other or side by side, both brought the same fierce competitiveness and quiet consistency.

Kilbert says what makes them gems is their dependability. They never complain and always show up ready to get one percent better with each opportunity. They play with quiet toughness; they’re the kind of players who can make strangers feel like family within minutes, but turn fierce once the ball is tipped. Their mix of warmth and fire sets the tone for the entire roster.

A tenacious rebounder, Cheatham finished with eight double-doubles and grabbed at least five boards in nine of the Braves’ last 14 games last season. She averaged 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Currently earning her master’s degree in business administration after graduating with a degree in agribusiness, Cheatham enters the season with 671 points and 556 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Henderson is the Braves’ returning leading scorer at 8.2 points per game. Reaching double digits in scoring 12 times, Henderson was also a defensive force, leading Alcorn State with 50 steals.

Henderson, a 5’9 senior guard/forward, and Cheatham, a 6′ graduate guard/forward, have traveled the scenic route from the junior college grind to the Division I stage. Playing with fearless composure, quiet diligence, and a disposition to dominate, they’ve made Alcorn’s purple and gold shine brighter.

“It’s fun playing with her,” Cheatham said of Henderson. “She’s literally an all-around player. She’s good on defense and offense. She really could play every position that we have, and that’s a good thing about her … She’s consistent. If she’s not doing anything on offense, she’s always doing something on defense. And it’s, the other way around. There’s nothing bad I could say about the type of person she is. She’s just good all the way around.”

Game-changing forces

Models of work ethic and commitment, Cheatham and Henderson make opponents uncomfortable with their length, athleticism, and speed. They make their teammates better through their leadership. The game-changing forces have built their careers on reliability and grit.

They may not have been familiar with each other before their paths neatly intersected at Alcorn State, but together they flow like peanut butter and jelly on the floor. Effortless. Natural. Better together.

“We just click,” Henderson said. “We both know when to turn it up and we know when to turn it down. We just both have that mentality where we want it. We know how to control ourselves, compose ourselves, but we also know how to be a dog when it’s time to be a dog. We know how to step up to the plate when it’s time. We know how to like, if somebody else had their night, let them have their night. But if it’s our night, or we need somebody to step up, we step up and play that role.”

They’ve played those roles before. Cheatham shined at Coahoma Community College in her hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi; Henderson starred at Colby Community College in Kansas. Overlooked but unbroken, they bloomed where they were planted, with a shared resilience that linked them beyond the court and up to their apartments, which are, naturally, one floor apart.

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That same style of openness carried into Henderson’s recruiting journey.

“My JUCO coach reached out to Alcorn, and they reached out to him as well,” recalled Henderson, who is majoring in criminal justice and plans to pursue a career in law enforcement. “At first, they didn’t think I’d be a good fit here, but after coming here on the visit and talking to Coach Kilbert and coach Rob, I figured this is where I wanted to be. I liked it, the environment and being around Black culture.”

Henderson ran track when she was younger before committing to basketball. Meanwhile, Cheatham was inspired by her brothers to play basketball. She always played with the boys, which helped build her tenacity and intensity.

A forever bond

What binds Cheatham and Henderson isn’t just talent, but testimony as well.

They embraced the work when it was thankless and quiet and chased dreams in half-empty gyms and on long bus rides through small towns that blurred together. They built belief in the dark, convincing themselves they belonged before anyone else did. They kept the faith that their goals of playing Division I basketball would be a reality.

Once it did, on that wonderful day at Alcorn State, they knew they had earned it through perseverance and purpose.

“At first, I didn’t know who she was,” Cheatham said of Henderson. “I just knew we both came from JUCO. I do feel like going from high school to JUCO is very important, and it can help you in so many aspects before you get to a four-year college. So, I feel like knowing that we both came from a JUCO, we were more experienced than if we were to come from high school right as freshmen. I knew that we would be good together, and we don’t like to lose. I knew that we were going to do everything to help the team win in all aspects.”

On a campus built on legacy, Henderson and Cheatham are enhancing theirs. Timing and fate brought them together and dedication and discipline keep them rising. This season, they’re determined to make sure destiny finally rewards their patience, because the finish is in their hands now.

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