NORFOLK — The Battle of the Bay has always carried its own electricity, but for Norfolk State guard Jasha Clinton, Friday night’s matchup comes with a twist only rivalry lore can deliver.
A year ago, she was on the other sideline leading Hampton in scoring. Now, she heads into Friday’s rivalry game against her former team as the offensive engine of a rebuilt NSU roster and the local kid back home, averaging 14.8 points and four assists through six contests.
The path between those two points wasn’t linear. It’s more accurate to call it personal.
Clinton, a Virginia Beach native and former Princess Anne star who won four state championships, grew up inside the 757 hoops ecosystem where rivalries like this shaped the landscape. She thrived in that world at Hampton last year, averaging 13.6 points. But when she entered the transfer portal, she was searching for something deeper than minutes or role.
“I would say Coach Woods, just playing with him,” Clinton said of what made her choose NSU. “I needed him as a coach to help me grow. And I feel like I have grown a lot just from the past season into now, and that’s on and off the court.”
That growth has paralleled real life. Over the past couple years, Clinton became a mother, recovered from shoulder surgery and re-centered her goals. Woods’ tough-love approach, she said, was exactly the structure she needed.
She laughs now at how she used to react to mistakes and frustration. The maturity, she insists, is real and necessary. Returning from surgery, she didn’t expect to become NSU’s go-to scorer this quickly, but she stepped into the void without hesitation. She’s never been one to sit on the bench anyway, and she has embraced both the scoring load and the leadership that came with such a new roster.
Still, her ambitions stretch well beyond basketball. Her daughter, her education and her need to compete at a championship level again are what guides her now.
“Coach Woods always says that it’s bigger than basketball,” Clinton said. “So I am pursuing being a great mother and getting my masters in social work, but also I’m trying to win a championship because I haven’t won since high school. So l’m trying to build that at the college level, too.”
On the court, Woods demands a lot and holds players accountable. Clinton welcomes it. She said his voice doesn’t bother her, and that clarity has helped her settle into the poised version of herself she’s been chasing.
“I think it fits perfectly with the person I am,” Clinton said. “He can fuss at me and everything, but it’s not that personal. I don’t take it that serious. I know he ain’t doing nothing but trying to help me.”
That steadiness will matter Friday. NSU enters on a three-game losing streak, and Clinton said the Spartans’ locker room is ready to respond with energy. For her, the game brings the added wrinkle of familiarity that survived the uniform change: former teammates and friends who still check on her daughter and who will cheer for her in every setting — except this one, of course.
“Honestly, I still talk to my Hampton teammates still to this day,” she said. “So I’m just looking to compete, and I know it’s gonna be fun as well, and nothing personal between me and my former teammates. Also looking to give them a bucket too.”
On the other sideline, Hampton coach Tamisha Augustin expects nothing less than the competitive edge she once coached and still admires.
And on Friday night, Clinton gets a rare moment — to see the Battle of the Bay from both sides and define what it means on her terms.
