Mykiaa Minniss, a fifth-year human development major, can be considered one of the most improved players on the WSU soccer team and a leader.  

When Minniss arrived at WSU she was considered a late bloomer, according to head coach Todd Shulenberger. She has grown in the game itself, being better on the ball and making great decisions. She was thrown into the fire, starting her first collegiate game but she handled it well. 

Minniss finished her WSU career with 92 starts, the most in program history for matches started by a field player, according to WSU Athletics.

Minniss has been on the soccer team for five years starting as a freshman in 2018 where she started 19 games at center back and earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for scoring her first collegiate goal in the Cougars’ 2-0 win at Minnesota Aug. 26, 2018, according to WSU Athletics. Then later that year earning Pac-12 Freshman honors. 

Throughout her time on the team, she proceeded to score the winning goal at No. 5 South Carolina to send the team to their first College Cup. She was also sent to the U-20 National Team Camp for the 2019 Nike International Friendlies in Bradenton, Florida. her sophomore year. 

Minniss’ junior year she was named All Pac-12 Third Team and captain of the team’s defense and also played a total of 1,146 minutes only leaving the field for two minutes. 

In her senior year, Minniss was named both All-Region and All-Pac-12 and the team was second-best in the program, according to WSU Athletics. 

Minniss’ plan once graduating is to join the National Women’s Soccer League draft in January 2023. 

“She will get drafted, that’s my prediction. She’s earned it she is one of the better setbacks in the country,” Shulenberger said. “I think now she is going to recreate [what she did coming to WSU as a freshman] as being a younger player in the next program.”

Minniss has also enjoyed her time on the team and the friendships she has made. Specifically, Nadia Cooper who she sees as her little sister, she said. 

At the Stanford game this year, Cooper saved the ball and someone kicked it out of her hands. 

“Then I went behind her and saved it and I was like ‘Oh, I scared you!’ That was funny,” Minniss said.

One of Minniss’ core memories from being on the team was the College Cup run back in 2019. The memories from that day resurfaced on her social media a couple of days ago. It is a moment in her memories that live in her mind, she said. 

Minniss is ready to go to the draft. She is an amazing athlete who has a lot of potential in the major leagues.

“She’s a winner and I think that’ll carry him to the next level as well,” Shulenberger said.