The first time Mykiaa Minniss’ foot connected with a soccer ball, it was love at first sight. At 3 years old, she found her getaway. She played other sports including track & field, club basketball and volleyball, but soccer stuck with her the most. It offered her peace. “I would go on the field not thinking about anything else on the field. It’s my escape,” Mykiaa said.
Soccer stars Abby Wambach and Sydney Leroux heavily influenced her throughout her soccer journey. Mykiaa adapted heading the ball in her playing style after witnessing it become Wambach’s signature goal-scoring move. “I watched her and thought I could do that,” she said. The two players instilled hope and aspiration for the 22-year-old who dreamed of playing professionally. “That was my dream as a little girl,” she said. “Having a support system encourages that even more.”
While Mykiaa looked up to the players for inspiration, she quickly carved a niche of her own as a defender. She started out playing as striker in high school until she joined a club soccer team, Real Colorado, where she switched to center back. Standing in the back field, she felt like a quarterback. She surveyed all the action on the field, alerting her teammates about the other team’s next moves. “I feel like I love being in that role because I am communicating and seeing what they [my teammates] don’t see,” she said.
Diversifying the sport
In the midst of finding her footing in the sport, Mykiaa also looked for herself. She noticed a lack of Black girls in the sport. Leroux played an integral role in showing her the potential of Black girls dominating soccer. “Seeing her (Leroux) on TV on the national stage and being a Black woman motivated me,” Minniss said. “Now I know even more I can do this.”
Mykiaa saw increased diversity in women’s soccer when she committed to play at Washington State University. She saw the effort as a major stride, knowing it is only the beginning of addressing the issue. “It starts on the college stage and recruiting and going to different places from different lives and worlds. I think we have made a huge stride,” she said.
Making a name for herself at WSU was effortless as Minniss earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Pac-12 All-Freshman honors during her first year with the Cougars, according to WSU Athletics. She was honored with the All-Pac-12 Third Team honors four times and named both All-Region and All-Pac-12 First Team. She captained the team from sophomore year through her fifth year. During her junior year, she scored a game-winning goal in overtime against No. 5 South Carolina to send the team to its first College Cup.
Her resume did not stop there. She was also called to play for the U-20 National Team Camp for the 2019 Nike International Friendlies in Bradenton, Florida. By her final year, she ended it with a historic 92 career starts for the soccer program.
Seeing her (Leroux) on TV on the national stage and being a Black woman motivated me, Now I know even more I can do this.
Mykiaa on Sydney Leroux’s influence
Rising to the occasion came with help. Mykiaa credits her teammates for helping her stay on her A-game. “My teammates help me be calm. Being a captain they look up to me. If I am mad, they are going to flip that switch. It was important to me that you can be calm and come back. A mixture of being a leader and success,” she said.
Her teammates became her fuel for motivation for Minniss when she suffered a knee injury her freshman year. The injury kept her out of playing during the spring season, but it became a career defining moment for her that would shape her for the future.
“A lot of people don’t expect to be injured. Sitting out of games makes you have a different perspective of the game and your teammates,” she said. “Freshman year we had a spring scrimmage to keep in shape. I hurt my knee, and I was out of all of spring. It was hard and challenging on my mental health. Getting to see my teammates play the sport they love and I love helped shape me as a person and who I am as a player.”
Closer to her dreams
Throughout all the adversity she faced, Mykiaa prevailed to reach one step closer to making her dream of playing professionally a reality. Wrapping up her time at WSU, she knew it was time for the next big step.
Minniss registered for the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Draft held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in hopes of potentially being drafted to one of the 12 teams. She said she reached out to former teammates playing professionally for advice and guidance throughout the process.
“I am excited and a little nervous. It is weird to think about where you are going whether that’s to move across the United States, and I am grateful to have the opportunity.”
While Mykiaa anxiously awaits to hear if her name is called over the loudspeaker in front of hundreds of other players, she has advice for those looking to make the big leap in achieving their dreams.
“Have fun,” she said. “A lot of people at a competitive level forget that. I would say that to my teammates. We are blessed and lucky to have this opportunity. Let’s have fun.”
