There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the 2025-26 academic and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher WBB redshirt junior Niamya Holloway; MBB newcomers soph Nehemiah Turner, junior Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, and senior Chansey Willis Jr.
Last year’s WBIT win a stepping stone
It’s hard not to be cliquish as far as Niamya Holloway is concerned, but it does seem like just yesterday since she, Amaya Battle, Mara Braun and Mallory Heyer all agreed to come to Minnesota as the 2022-23 recruiting class, the most-heralded in school history.
However, after their first season, Lindsay Whalen, the coach who signed the four, was let go. No one would have blamed them if they left, but no player did.
“It was really hard, especially because Coach Whay recruited me,” recalled Holloway, the Eden Prairie native, “and that’s who I wanted to play under. When my injury happened [during her freshman year, which caused her to miss the entire 2022-23 season], I never got the opportunity to play under her.
“That was really devastating for me,” continued Holloway. “But I knew that staying home, and my other teammates staying home, was going to be something that was even bigger and something that we could really grow. And so, I think the decision to stay wasn’t really that hard for me at all.”
“I just love seeing my teammates shine.”
Two seasons later, Holloway played a key role in last season’s successful run for the Gophers’ first Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) championship, coming off the bench in 34 games and making Academic All-Big Ten. She finished with Tori McKinney as team co-leaders with 12 blocks.
“The WBIT was super special,” said Holloway. “Only three teams in the nation got to end on a win. That was really cool that we were one of the teams that were able to do that. But I think that was a good stepping stone for us to get to where we want to get to this year,” which is the NCAAs, she pointed out.
The six-foot Holloway begins her first year of graduate school: “I graduated with a bachelor of science [degree] in political science, with a minor in German,” she said proudly. “Now I’m in the Humphrey School for a master’s in urban and regional planning. It’s a two-year program.”
The redshirt junior forward has two years of college eligibility remaining.
While the other members of the ‘22 four-star recruiting class seemed to draw media attention, Holloway often is overlooked. “I don’t think it ever bothered me mainly because I just love seeing my teammates shine, and I know that they have the trust in me, even if other people don’t always see that,” she said.
Holloway is doubly proud of getting her degree and staying active off the court. She’s a co-president of the school’s Black Student Athlete Association: “I’ve been a part of it since I was a freshman here,” she added.
She is also proud of representing Minnesota on the court. “I think that’s really important, showing young girls that they can stay where they want. They can stay home.
“I think it always helps me when I’m looking out in the arena and I just see a 41 jersey [her uniform number] on a little girl. I know that I’m doing something special.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.