Mic'd Up Sports

When it comes to sports, Devyn White is more of a fan than an athlete, but she was named captain of the cheerleading squad at East Ridge High School. Following the death of George Floyd and riots that threatened to destroy neighborhoods in the Twin Cities area, Devyn joined the front lines by organizing several rebuilding efforts. Her leadership is just as evident in the classroom as an elementary...

Kristul Thomas and Reagan Patrick usually talk sports on their Unwanted Opinions podcast, but that changed in the aftermath of George Floyd's death. The pair got together to record an episode a few days after Floyd died. On our show, they shared their thoughts on the global movement, which includes several notable names in sports, along with some personal stories of prejudice. Check out the Unwant...

Former Michigan State women's basketball athlete Victoria "Coco" Gaines shares her thoughts on George Floyd's death, the protests that have a worldwide stage to themselves, and the best way to move the conversation in a positive direction.

Ebony Livingston described herself as a "pit bull" player when she enrolled at Hopkins High School, and she had no trouble embracing her status as a role player. Ebony played an integral role in the development of the Hopkins program, winning the Class AAAA state title in 2011, which led to a spot on the women's basketball team at Minnesota-Crookston. After 4 years of pinpoint marksmanship from th...

In high school sports, we usually hear about the players who earn athletic scholarships and continue their sports career in college. However, not all athletes decide to play at the next level. Patiance Griffin was a 4-year varsity player for DeLaSalle High School, winning two Class AAA state titles and earned a spot the 2013 Class AAA All-Tournament team. In the midst of that success, she was also...

Temeka Johnson is the shortest player in WNBA history to record a triple-double, but her 5'3" frame has built a towering presence in women's basketball. At LSU, she set the Southeastern Conference all-time record in career assists and played in two Final Fours. In the WNBA, she played 11 seasons, earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2005, and won the 2009 WNBA Finals with the Phoenix Mercury. As he...

You may remember Chantelle Anderson as the 2nd overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, the all-time leading scorer for Vanderbilt women's basketball, or the 2002 SEC Co-Player of the Year. Basketball is only the beginning of her story, but it helped this author and motivational speaker embrace her 6'6" frame and follow the path of her idol, Lisa Leslie. In this conversation, we explore Chantelle's ge...

What happens when you fuse an oral basketball history lesson with a discussion on the racial justice? You get an enlightening conversation with DeLisha Milton-Jones, one of the most distinguished athletes in women's sports. The head coach for Old Dominion women's basketball shares how she and her new team are handling an unprecedented situation and how conversations on racial justice have evolved...

Athletics has done wonders for Armintie Price Herrington. As a player for Ole Miss, Armintie is only one of three Rebels to score over 2,000 career points. Her 9 seasons in the WNBA included Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 and three appearances in the WNBA Finals. You can still find her on the sidelines as an assistant coach for Ole Miss women's basketball. All of those experiences influenced Ar...

Pac-12 followers will remember the name Alexis Gray-Lawson. Her jersey number was retired by Oakland Tech after a stellar prep career, but she had no idea it would land her a spot in the McDonald's All-American Game. Fielding multiple offers to play college basketball, Gray-Lawson chose California. She scored 1,982 points and was the first player in school history to make over 200 career three-poi...

Carmen Backes had a dream of playing college basketball, and she worked as hard as she could to fulfill that vision as a member of the Wisconsin Badgers. Unfortunately, a series of injuries led to her retirement without playing a single college game, and understanding that reality led to several mental health struggles. The journey has been rocky at times, but as an aspiring speech therapist, Carm...

Peggy Odita-Hodel is an American Gladiators Grand Champion, Stanford educated and yet to be duplicated. From an early age, sports has played an integral role in Peggy's development. She won several state titles in track at Upper Arlington High School in Ohio and is now enshrined in their athletic Hall of Fame. In college, Peggy won the 1990 Pac-10 heptathlon title, but she is best remembered as th...

Alexis Alexander made a name for herself in basketball. She was a finalist for Miss Basketball Minnesota in 2014, accentuating a fine high school career at Champlin Park. At South Dakota State, she reached the NCAA tournament three times and struck a chord for aspiring athletes of color in the Brookings area. Now, Alexis aims to make a name for herself as an entrepreneur. We look back at her stell...

Hannah Mikels was a three-sport athlete at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. These days, Hannah is the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at St. Cloud State University, but you can find her participating in 5K races and sprint triathlons. Hannah's love of sports has been a constant in her life, playing a vital role in her journey of healing. We talk sports, mental health, the I...

Since moving to the Twin Cities area, Sloane Martin has lent her voice in a myriad of ways. Sports fans know her as the play-by-play announcer for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, Big Ten women's basketball on BTN, and the state football and hockey tournaments on KSTC-45. She also covers current events as a reporter for WCCO Radio.   In this exploration of Sloane's front row seat to news and sports...

Basketball is a major influence for Nurjei Weems and her family, but the biggest learning curve was the decision to attend DeLaSalle High School, a private Catholic school in Minneapolis with a strong basketball reputation. NJ wasn't aware of their history when she first arrived, but she cemented a spot in DeLaSalle lore throughout her four years on the girls basketball team. Look for her growth t...

Telia Graham admits she isn't the most talkative athlete on Minnehaha Academy's girls basketball team, but her growth has spoken volumes, including a captain's assignment for her junior season. We discuss her family lineage in basketball, her passion for scary movies, and her interests in painting and poetry as a means of creative expression.

Tia Elbert's basketball journey started in Chicago, and it blossomed when she moved to Minnesota. Tia made history at Tartan High School and still holds every school scoring record. She is one of eight women in all of Minnesota high school basketball to score at least 3,500 career points and one of five to score at least 1,000 points in a season. Tia played college basketball at Marquette and Indi...

This podcast highlights the perils and hilarity that ensues when your entire family watches the live stream on Facebook, but in the midst of laughter, Caela Tighe of Big Lake asked to appear on this podcast to share her journey of mental health and accepting her identity. What we heard from the Concordia University recruit may surprise you and inspire you.

Ever since she took a college internship with the Washington Wizards, Bri Lewerke knew her future was in sports media. After graduating from Northern Iowa, she moved to Minnesota in hopes of finding opportunities to work in sports. Since then, her credits include the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game, the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four, and a close friendship with Paige Bueckers. Her photography has been featur...

Erica Ayala is a journalist and youth justice advocate, whose work has been featured in The Athletic, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. She shares her reaction to earning a PG Sports Social Media Award and the common bond it created with NWHL champion Blake Bolden, her journey into sports that can be summarized with a Foo Fighters metaphor, and our efforts to get a certain member of the...

Our first podcast of the calendar year features Desiree Ware, a dual-sport athlete at Minnetonka who placed her verbal commitment to Alabama-Birmingham. Starting at Maranatha Christian Academy before moving to Minnetonka, Desiree's journey is one of respect. No matter what jersey she wears, she considers herself blessed for the opportunities that have come her way. Desiree's leadership has blossom...

Victoria "Coco" Gaines battled through injuries and other adversities to realize her dream of playing college basketball. Although it came to a premature end, the sport gave her stories and friendships that will last far beyond the stat sheet. Find out how she got her nickname, the high school game where she set a career high in scoring, and much more as Victoria transitions from college student a...

Basketball is a team sport, and the Hopkins girls basketball team certainly fits the description. Hopkins was a national sensation a year ago and remain one of the top teams in the country, and the returning players hope their newfound fame will give them an opportunity to present themselves as future leaders. Joining us from the Royals are Nunu Agara, Amaya Battle, Alayna Contreras and Selam Mahe...

Basketball did a lot of things for Brianna Edwards. It helped her develop into a standout player at Minneapolis North. It guided her to a Division One scholarship at Providence, and in Brianna's words, basketball saved her life. She's hoping to impact the lives of others as a coach for Cretin-Derham Hall girls basketball. Her journey hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows, but her story is one o...