Tonya McKenzie is calling out how Black athletes and coaches are portrayed in sports media and pushing for more Black voices in leadership and commentary roles.
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 inOdds and Ends
Women of color still “dramatically under-represented” in coaching
The 2024–25 Women in College Coaching Report Card shows women of color remain vastly underrepresented in NCAA head coaching roles—just 7.5% nationwide. Also: Garcia’s NBA Draft status and Diamond Johnson’s 3XBA debut.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Lynx off to one of their best starts
The Lynx moved to 12-1 with an 82-66 win over the Sparks, led by Kayla McBride’s 29 points as they continue their dominant WNBA season.
Posted inAnother View
Hall of Fame inductees: ‘Greatness is never a solo performance’
The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (WBHOF) Class of 2025 didn’t disappoint the packed Tennessee Theatre of family, coaches, teammates, media and others on Father’s Day eve, a Saturday night.
Posted inSports
Talking games and cookies
MLB pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson is blending baseball and business with his cookie brand The Cozy Cookie, now available at Target Field. The 24-year-old shares how sports, family, and sweet tooth moments inspired the launch.
Posted inAnother View
College athletes get paid, but many questions linger
With a $2.8B settlement in House v. NCAA, schools can now pay student-athletes directly. Critics say the move raises new concerns about gender and racial equity in college athletics.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Hoopster Hall of Fame inducts three more Black women
WNBA greats Sylvia Fowles, Alana Beard, and Cappie Pondexter entered the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 8, 2025. MSR was the only Minnesota media present, continuing its leadership in women’s sports coverage.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Outstanding season for Kimmons
Senior guard Antwan Kimmons led Concordia-St. Paul to its first NSIC title and NCAA tournament win, capping a historic season with All-American honors and the CSP Athlete of the Year award.
Posted inAnother View
Anti-DEI push has ‘struck fear’ among college officials
At the 2025 Black Student Athlete Summit, Dr. AJ Keaton spoke on NIL and identity — warning that anti-DEI backlash is shrinking school support for Black athletes.
Posted inLynx/WNBA
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inducts three Black players
Sylvia Fowles headlines the 2025 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class, joining Alana Beard and Cappie Pondexter in celebrating their legacy and impact on the game.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Student athletes honored at Winfield Awards
The 49th Annual Winfield Awards celebrated 20 student athletes and two community leaders in a heartfelt ceremony honoring excellence across St. Paul.
Posted inSports
It’s back to the Saints for Twins’ only Black pitcher
Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson returns to St. Paul, focusing on improvement, faith, and a new splitter to get back to the majors.
Posted inSports
Top 100 elite youth camp wants only the best of the best
The NBPA Top 100 elite youth camp returns June 9-13, bringing top high school players together for skill development, leadership training, and life lessons.
Posted inCoaching while Black
MLB manager’s advice to hopefuls: ‘You gotta nail the interview’
In this Coaching While Black feature, Los Angeles Angels Manager Ron Washington reflects on leadership, resilience, and the challenges Black MLB coaches face.
Posted inAnother View
BSA Summit focuses on needs of Black student athletes
The Black Student Athlete Summit marked its 10th year, bringing together Black student athletes, educators, and leaders to focus on life and success beyond sports.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Future looks good for Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves made back-to-back Western Conference finals and showed promising growth this season, with rising stars leading the way.
Posted inOpinion
Fans must do what the WNBA won’t — protect its Black players
Racist fan behavior is escalating in the WNBA. League leadership must step up to protect Black players—or fans will need to take action themselves.
Posted inSports
Pioneering broadcaster shows young Black women what’s possible
Black females historically have been underrepresented in sports broadcasting. But Cindy Brunson as a youngster found a Black woman who would serve as an inspiration for her to eventually go into broadcasting herself.
Posted inAnother View
Sky fans assess new all-Black coaching staff
Chicago Sky fans shared mixed feelings about the team’s all-Black coaching staff, rising ticket prices, and early struggles in the 2025 WNBA season.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Transfer portal, NIL add to the pressure on Black coaches
The double-edged new normal in college athletics today is the transfer portal and NIL (name, image and likeness). Since it was introduced in 2019, the number of men’s and women’s basketball players in the portal has increased each year from hundreds in 2019 to thousands in 2025.