This week’s Significant Six photos take you courtside for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ opening three-game homestand at Target Center, featuring wins over Toronto and the Clippers and a close loss to Golden State.
Sports
Local and national sports reporting and commentary by the state’s leading African American sportswriters, including award-winning columnists Charles Hallman and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald, with a special emphasis on the local prep scene and disparities in sports administration and media coverage.
Posted inSports
JoJo Mitchell III finds a home at St. Thomas
Minneapolis native JoJo Mitchell III is a St. Thomas freshman, and his father, Joseph Mitchell Jr., says Coach Johnny Tauer’s long view of his son’s journey made the difference. Sports columnist Charles Hallman has the story, plus a look at Black gymnasts’ gold at the World Championships.
Posted inAnother View
Three Black greats join college basketball Hall of Fame
Three of the six members of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 are Black: Glen Rice, Tubby Smith and the late Walt Hazzard. Sports columnist Charles Hallman was the only Minnesota media outlet at the Kansas City induction.
Posted inSportfolio
Gophers face new questions after McKinney injury
The Gophers women’s basketball team opens 2026-27 ranked in two top-20 polls, but junior Tori McKinney’s season-ending injury raises questions. Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with assistant coaches Aaron Horn and Ariel Braker, and looks at the Wolves’ DAZN problem and the passing of Jim Bibbs.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Former student-athlete making a difference
D’Angelos Svenkeson grew up in Rondo wanting to own a business and give back to his community. Now the CEO of NEOO Partners and a new St. Paul Central Athletic Hall of Famer, he tells sports columnist Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald who helped him get there.
Posted inSportfolio
Medved sees a better Gopher team in year two
Gophers coach Niko Medved is in his second season at his alma mater with four returners and nine newcomers. He tells sports columnist Charles Hallman how Clem Haskins shaped him as a coach, and why he believes the program is on the right path.
Posted inSports
Tommies blend veterans, newcomers in Summit chase
St. Thomas men’s basketball is picked second in the Summit League preseason poll with a program-high three first-team selections. Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with assistant coach Cameron Rundles about team chemistry, freshman JoJo Mitchell III and his own growth as the staff’s defensive coordinator.
Posted inTimberwolves/NBA
Pistons, Wolves retool around their stars
The 2026-27 NBA season is underway. Sports columnist Charles Hallman previews two teams led by charismatic stars with new casts, the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves, and asks whether fans can afford to watch.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Camden, Highland Park city champs
Camden and Highland Park won city football titles, four prep stars are making their mark, and Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald looks back at the 1987 St. Paul Central team that ended a nearly 20-year drought.
Posted inSports
Critics say Protect College Sports Act protects the powers that be, not athletes
The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate 77-22 and now heads to the House. Sports columnist Charles Hallman argues it should be called the “Protect the Status Quo Act,” and asks why the players are missing from the table.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Marshall Faulk embraces rookie role as Southern University head coach
This week: Former NFL star Marshall Faulk Marshall Faulk is the latest former big-time NFL player to become a head football coach at an HBCU, and he is in his first season at Southern University. The New Orleans native was named SU coach last December after his first season as Colorado running backs coach under […]
Posted inCoaching while Black
SWAC media days offer access and Black voices the Big Ten can’t match
Sports columnist Charles Hallman chose Birmingham over Chicago for a second straight year, covering SWAC basketball media days with near-total access to coaches and players. He has the preseason polls, key voices and a SWAC TV expansion.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Five inducted into St. Paul Central’s C Club Athletic Hall of Fame
Five former student athletes were inducted into the St. Paul Central C Club Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 5. Sports columnist Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald has the Class of 2026.
Posted inAnother View
Black fans remain a rare sight at Twins games
The Twins had the most Black players in the American League this year, but Black fans remain a rare sight at Target Field. Sports columnist Charles Hallman asks what it will take to bring them out to the ballpark.
Posted inAnother View
Twins’ Black players reflect on a ‘special’ clubhouse
The Minnesota Twins ended 2026 with a league-high five Black players and a Black coach, a fact the team’s own final game notes skipped. Sports columnist Charles Hallman held exit interviews with all six.
Posted inSports
Study finds women’s sports coverage still ‘siloed and secondary’
A recent study reveals that coverage of women’s sports remains under 10% on traditional networks, showing minimal growth over nearly three decades.
Posted inWNBA
Brunson sees a wide-open race for the WNBA title
As the 2026 WNBA Playoffs kick off, veteran broadcaster Cindy Brunson calls it the most competitive title race in league history. Sports columnist Charles Hallman breaks down the bracket, plus the case for keeping award votes private and this season’s record-setting performances.
Posted inAnother View
Dr. Queenie, Ixchel McKinnie use social media to push back for the W
Two Black women, Dr. Queenie and Ixchel McKinnie, are pushing back against toxic social media discourse targeting Black WNBA players and coaches. Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with them about race, fandom and building a positive space for women’s basketball talk in the second installment of his series.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Tamryn Spruill’s new book chronicles three decades of WNBA history
Sports columnist Charles Hallman talks with journalist Tamryn Spruill about her new book, “The W: A History of the WNBA,” a comprehensive account of the league’s 30-year fight for legitimacy. Plus, Unrivaled 3-on-3 brings its cross-country tour to Minneapolis in January.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Time for a Black woman to lead the WNBA
As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert prepares to retire, Black women dominate the shortlist of possible successors. Sports columnist Charles Hallman makes the case for why the league’s next leader should be a Black woman.