Carmen Backes had a dream of playing college basketball, and she worked as hard as she could to fulfill that vision as a member of the Wisconsin Badgers. Unfortunately, a series of injuries led to her retirement without playing a single college game, and understanding that reality led to several mental health struggles. The journey has been rocky at times, but as an aspiring speech therapist, Carmen has a renewed focus on helping others find their voice. We also discuss her unique connection with the Minnesota Lynx and her basketball career at Chisago Lakes Area High School.

Peggy Odita-Hodel is an American Gladiators Grand Champion, Stanford educated and yet to be duplicated. From an early age, sports has played an integral role in Peggy's development. She won several state titles in track at Upper Arlington High School in Ohio and is now enshrined in their athletic Hall of Fame. In college, Peggy won the 1990 Pac-10 heptathlon title, but she is best remembered as the most distinguished female contender in the original version of American Gladiators. We look back on Peggy's athletic achievements and how she's mentoring the next generation of athletes as a track coach and parent of a Stanford athlete.

Watch every episode of American Gladiators on Pluto TV: https://pluto.tv/live-tv/american-gladiators

Alexis Alexander made a name for herself in basketball. She was a finalist for Miss Basketball Minnesota in 2014, accentuating a fine high school career at Champlin Park. At South Dakota State, she reached the NCAA tournament three times and struck a chord for aspiring athletes of color in the Brookings area. Now, Alexis aims to make a name for herself as an entrepreneur. We look back at her stellar basketball career and a book by Ben Stein that fueled her desire for an independent career.

In November 2020, Jimmy Robinson died at the age of 88. Anyone who follows Minnesota basketball knew who he was. In 1971, he became the first Black official to work a state tournament basketball game. He officiated Big Ten basketball games from 1971-1987, and served as the state coordinator of basketball officials for the Minnesota State High School League from 1991 until his death. His support of basketball was evident in the number of games he attended from high school to the pros; there was always a space on press row reserved for him at Minnesota Lynx home games. He garnered much respect from players, coaches and referees alike, and his presence as an official and mentor inspired many others who looked like him to take up officiating. One of them is Lamarr Sullivan, and he shared his memories of an individual who never looked for glory, but earned it nonetheless.

Hannah Mikels was a three-sport athlete at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. These days, Hannah is the Director of Undergraduate Admissions at St. Cloud State University, but you can find her participating in 5K races and sprint triathlons. Hannah's love of sports has been a constant in her life, playing a vital role in her journey of healing. We talk sports, mental health, the It's On Us campaign she brought to St. Cloud State, and the work she's doing to ensure future generations are treated with respect and fairness.

Since moving to the Twin Cities area, Sloane Martin has lent her voice in a myriad of ways. Sports fans know her as the play-by-play announcer for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, Big Ten women's basketball on BTN, and the state football and hockey tournaments on KSTC-45. She also covers current events as a reporter for WCCO Radio.  

In this exploration of Sloane's front row seat to news and sports, she shares her thoughts on the George Floyd protests and its influence with sports leagues, her journey from athlete to broadcaster, and why women's sports is so important to communities everywhere.

Basketball is a major influence for Nurjei Weems and her family, but the biggest learning curve was the decision to attend DeLaSalle High School, a private Catholic school in Minneapolis with a strong basketball reputation. NJ wasn't aware of their history when she first arrived, but she cemented a spot in DeLaSalle lore throughout her four years on the girls basketball team. Look for her growth to continue at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri.

Telia Graham admits she isn't the most talkative athlete on Minnehaha Academy's girls basketball team, but her growth has spoken volumes, including a captain's assignment for her junior season. We discuss her family lineage in basketball, her passion for scary movies, and her interests in painting and poetry as a means of creative expression.

Tia Elbert's basketball journey started in Chicago, and it blossomed when she moved to Minnesota. Tia made history at Tartan High School and still holds every school scoring record. She is one of eight women in all of Minnesota high school basketball to score at least 3,500 career points and one of five to score at least 1,000 points in a season. Tia played college basketball at Marquette and Indiana, but midway through her eligibility,  she made the tough choice to end her playing career. The reasons behind her departure was the genesis for Rate My College Coaches, one of several business ventures Tia hopes to generate in the years to come.

This podcast highlights the perils and hilarity that ensues when your entire family watches the live stream on Facebook, but in the midst of laughter, Caela Tighe of Big Lake asked to appear on this podcast to share her journey of mental health and accepting her identity. What we heard from the Concordia University recruit may surprise you and inspire you.