She did not fall in love with basketball at first sight. In fact, she only tried out in seventh grade because volleyball required early morning practices. At the time, she was simply another student trying new activities, not someone envisioning a collegiate career.

Mikah Chapman’s early years in the sport were humbling. Despite coming from an athletic family — with a father and brother who both played in college and a grandfather known for his athleticism across Oklahoma — there was no pressure to follow in their footsteps. 

“My dad wasn’t going to tell me that I was going to play basketball,” Chapman said. “I was a late bloomer. He was patient with me; he wasn’t going to force me. That was never my dad’s plan with me. My mom wasn’t into sports, so I think she was just like, ‘she can do whatever she wants.”

Everything changed during her sophomore year of high school. Placed on the junior varsity team, she suddenly began averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. For the first time, she realized she might actually be good. She committed herself to improving, even if that meant rebuilding fundamentals alongside much younger players. What she lacked in experience, she made up for with determination.

By her senior year, she was competing in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournaments and attending college camps, hoping for an opportunity to continue playing. That opportunity came after attending a training camp here on the hilltop. She felt an immediate connection to the campus and the women’s basketball program, led by head coach J.J. Riehl.

“I told (Riehl), I don’t want to go anywhere else. Like, this is it. This is where I want to go,” Chapman said. “That’s what I was so excited about when I came here is that J.J.’s emphasis on sisterhood is just love over everything, you know?”

She entered her freshman year understanding that minutes would be limited. Rather than focusing on statistics, she embraced a different role — bringing energy, enthusiasm and positivity to the team. By the end of her sophomore year, she had earned a starting role in the final stretch of games and began to step into leadership.

Her junior season marked a turning point. As a full-time starter, she helped establish the IGNITE – inspire, guide, nurture, innovate, transform and empower – leadership group, a player-led initiative centered on accountability and culture. She served as a bridge between players and coaches, emphasizing that leadership was about responsibility rather than titles. The program’s culture became defined by toughness, togetherness and a guiding principle of love.

“Our North Star is love. Everything we do is with love,” Chapman said. “How we talk to each other is with love, how we practice is with love, love for the opportunity, love for the moment, love for the game, love for each other, everything we do is driven by love.”

That culture shaped her senior season. With every start came the awareness that each game was one of her last. Having witnessed both difficult seasons and rebuilding years, she carried a heightened sense of responsibility to protect the team’s standards. 

“There’s certain things that you just can’t do as a leader,” Chapman said. “We are who everyone looks at. We represent St. Ed’s for women’s basketball, and there is a lot of emphasis on how to be a good leader and how to lead your team to victory.” 

Academically, she moved just as quickly. After graduating in three years with a degree in business administration, she began pursuing her MBA while finishing her final season. Next year, she will remain with the program as a graduate assistant, extending her time with the team.

Her long-term goals remain open, including the business field, but basketball will always be part of the picture. Whether through coaching, mentoring or organizational leadership, she hopes to empower others — especially young girls — to believe in their potential, even if they discover it later than expected.

“I know I want to stay with basketball,” Chapman said. “I know I want to stay empowering young girls and letting them know that they can do it because I didn’t know I could do it, you know?”