Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald looks back at the legacy of Apple Valley and Minnehaha Academy boys basketball, from NBA-bound alumni to their impressive 2026 state tournament runs.
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
Me in KC: A Lynx preseason game and a city on the rise
Charles Hallman travels to Kansas City to cover the Minnesota Lynx preseason game against the Nigerian National Team and finds a growing city where Black entrepreneurs and community voices are thriving.
Posted inTwins/MLB
For Josh Bell, it all started in the backyard
Twins first baseman Josh Bell reflects on baseball, fatherhood and what it means to be part of a Minnesota roster leading the majors in U.S.-born Black players.
Posted inTimberwolves/NBA
‘Slow Mo’ Anderson proves the NBA’s smartest player doesn’t have to be the fastest
Kyle Anderson Slow Mo Timberwolves profile explores how the deliberate, high-IQ veteran has built a 12-year NBA career on instincts, smart play and contributions that rarely show up on the stat sheet.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
From the metro to the NBA: Twin Cities products making their mark in 2025-26
Twin Cities NBA players 2025-26 season includes 11 former metro boys basketball standouts on NBA rosters from Hopkins, Minnehaha Academy, Apple Valley and more.
Posted inSports
Spring ball: Gophers and Tommies use the offseason to build depth, identity and confidence
Gophers and Tommies spring ball 2026 brings football and volleyball teams together across the Mississippi as coaches focus on building depth, identity and confidence before fall.
Posted inGophers/College
Record-breaker Nabwe has her sights set on the Olympics
Anthonett Nabwe Minnesota Gophers thrower has earned her fourth Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week honor this season and holds the all-time Big Ten hammer throw record as she sets her sights on the 2028 Olympics.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Twins’ top prospect Culpepper ready for ‘the big stage’
Kaelen Culpepper, the St. Paul Saints infielder and 2024 first-round Twins draft pick, is ready to make his big league debut and is leading the Saints in hits, runs and total bases early in the 2026 season.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
One last shout out to Hopkins
Fab Five Hopkins girls basketball photo feature celebrates the Royals’ 27-3 season and runner-up finish at the 2026 Class 4A state tournament under head coach Tara Starks.
Posted inWNBA
Season 30: WNBA’s new CBA ushers in a new era
Olivia Miles Minnesota Lynx rookie and second overall WNBA Draft pick is ready to make her mark on and off the court as a three-time All-American with a passion for social justice and community impact.
Posted inAnother View
What would Jackie see?
Jackie Robinson Day 2026 raises the question of what Robinson would see in MLB today, as Black players hover around 7 percent of rosters and the Minnesota Twins lead with five Black players on their team.
Posted inSports
Where have all the Black voices in sports radio gone?
Black voices in sports radio are disappearing from national airwaves as veteran broadcasters Mark Gray and Kevin Stanfield reflect on decades of exclusion and the platforms keeping Black sports talk alive today.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Fab Five Moments
Fab Five Moments covers Ashley Ellis-Milan’s resignation at East Ridge, Hopkins finishing runner-up at state, the Hallman father-son connection, St. Paul Central’s 50th anniversary and Omar McMillan’s John R. Wooden Award.
Posted inOdds and Ends
First-year coaches Terry, Smith named ACE’s Best in Black College Basketball
ACE Black basketball coaching honor roll 2026 recognizes Tierra Terry and Nolan Smith as Heads of the Class alongside Howard and Prairie View A&M head coaches.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Illinois Head Softball Coach Tyra Perry on 700 Career Wins, Big Ten Diversity and Building a Family
Tyra Perry Illinois softball coach reflects on 700 career wins, Big Ten diversity and the people who make coaching worth every moment in an MSR interview.
Posted inCoaching while Black
From the Arctic Circle to the Big Ten: Arica Nassar’s unlikely path
Arica Nassar joins the Minnesota Gophers volleyball staff as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, bringing overseas championship experience and a mission to increase representation in coaching.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Reminder, South made it to state
Minneapolis South boys basketball state tournament 2026 Significant Six photos highlight the Tigers second appearance in three years and a standout season nobody saw coming.
Posted inCoaching while Black
Black women coaches lead on and off the court at Final Four Summit
Black women coaches are honored at the BCA Final Four Summit as Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin continues to elevate women’s basketball on and off the court.
Posted inAnother View
Black football players study: More than the game
Tackling the Everyday by Duke anthropologist Tracie Canada examines the lived experiences of Black college football players navigating academics, identity and exploitation at a PWI.
Posted inTimberwolves/NBA
Old? Not yet: Conley still has more to give
Mike Conley Jr. is back with the Minnesota Timberwolves and still chasing a championship at 39, reflecting on veteran leadership and what he still has to offer.