The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team has a diverse roster of six Black players, including Amaya Battle, Tori McKinney, Taylor Woodson, Kennedy Klick, Eden Prairie redshirt sophomore Niamya Holloway, and graduate student Alexsia Rose, and is looking to increase Black attendance at games.
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
Twins Black hurlers warm up for the season
Alex Speas and Simeon Woods Richardson, both Black players on the Minnesota Twins, are working to make an impact on the team and to stick in the majors, with Speas aiming to join the “Black Aces” list and Woods Richardson aiming to improve his record.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Metro women represent in collegiate championships
Five former metro girls basketball standouts competing in the NCAA Women’s Division I championship and the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) championship
Posted inEvents
First Tee – Minnesota Opens 2025 Summer Registration, Announces Lineup of Youth Golf Events
First Tee – Minnesota has opened registration for its 2025 spring and summer programs, offering clinics and events at more than 20 locations across the state. The youth development nonprofit integrates golf instruction with life skills to empower young people, particularly those who may not otherwise have access to the game. “First Tee – Minnesota […]
Posted inGophers/College
Restoring the 1997 Gophers is overdue
The University of Minnesota should restore the 1997 Gophers men’s basketball team’s records and accomplishments, as they were the school’s only Final Four team and should be recognized by the new U of M coach, Niko Medved, who was a student manager on the 1997 team.
Posted inSports
Women’s sports set to shatter records with $2.45 billion in projected revenue for 2025
Women’s sports are on track to generate a record-breaking $2.45 billion in revenue in 2025, driven by new investments, star power, and increased visibility across media and marketing channels, with basketball and soccer leading the way.
Posted inAnother View
Gophers and fans celebrate WBIT Women’s Championship win
The Minnesota Gophers defeated Belmont 75-63 in the WBIT Women’s Championship, with Tori McKinney being named Tournament MVP after scoring a career-high 26 points.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Black tennis coaches face off
Black female head coaches Lois Arterberry and Gabrielle Moore will face each other for the first time this season when Minnesota hosts Indiana in women’s tennis, with both coaches having a rich history in college tennis.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Outstanding girls basketball coach could hoop too
Starks has led the Royal to four consecutive Class 4A championship games with runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024, and titles 2022 and 2025.
Posted inSports
WNBA Draft hopefuls work out and wait
Dee Dee Hagemann and Diamond Johnson are preparing for the 2025 WNBA Draft, with Hagemann looking to move forward in her hoopin career and Johnson hoping to be given a true opportunity to make a pro team.
Posted inAnother View
HBCU Coach Vickers earned his move up to Power 4 Auburn
Larry Vickers, a former coach at HBCU Norfolk State, was hired as the new women’s basketball coach at Auburn University, making him the only HBCU coach to successfully leave to a Power 4 school.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Black tennis coaching ‘stagnant’
Rance Brown, Associate Head Women’s Tennis Coach at UCLA, has been instrumental in the success of the Bruins, winning two national championships and five Southwest Region assistant coach of the year awards, and is one of the few Black assistant coaches in the country.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
St. Paul Harding’s starting five
Fab Five photos This week’s Fab Five photos feature the starting lineup for the St. Paul Harding boys basketball team (Ai’Jhon Douglas, Tobis Williams, LaTrez Sublett, Salman Hussein, and Mahamadou Kamara). The Knights, coached by Harding alum and former player Steve Salaja, qualified for the Class 3A state tournament for the first time in school […]
Posted inTwins/MLB
MLB’s next big swing: The rise of the ‘torpedo bat’
The torpedo bat, designed by former Yankees analyst Aaron Leanhardt, is now catching fire across the MLB by redistributing weight closer to the handle, optimizing swing speed and power, and is already showing results with the Yankees smashing 15 home runs in their opening three games.
Posted inSports
Senior Expo offers early exposure to college opportunities
The Twin Cities Senior Expo was held at Minneapolis North to provide local boys’ high school basketball players with an opportunity to network with college coaches and showcase their skills in front of them.
Posted inSports
Game-Changer or Pocket Change? The Battle for Equal Pay in Women’s Sports
Women’s sports are experiencing a golden era of growth, but the financial disparities remain staggering, with the highest-paid female athletes earning a fraction of what their male counterparts make, and Black women athletes facing an even wider pay gap.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Strong-willed Strong on track with hoops and law
Joshua Strong, a 22-year-old law student and basketball player, became the only Division I basketball player to also attend law school at the same time, and is now working towards economic empowerment for Black communities.
Posted inAnother View
Any chance for another Black head coach in Gopherland?
The University of Minnesota Gophers’ next men’s basketball coach will likely not be Black, as the self-appointed search committee has only suggested white candidates, despite the fact that there are 16 current Black head coaches and 20 Black assistant coaches on the Advancement of Blacks in Sports watchlist.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Boys state basketball tournament highlights
With the conclusion of the prep basketball season with the boys state tournament, this week’s Fab Five Photos feature a member of the Class 4A state champion Wayzata Eagles (Christian Wiggins), a forward for the Class 4A runner-up Cretin Derham Hall Raiders (Monteff Dixon), the leading scorer for the Class 2A runner-up Waseca Bluejays (Deron […]
Posted inCoaching while Black
Are there good Black coaching candidates out there?
Despite a 31% increase in Black head coaches in the NCAA over the past decade, there are still only 15 Black head coaches out of over 1,000 DI coaches, and 15 Black head coaches were fired or stepped down, with only 5 finding new employment.