HAMPTON, Va. — “I remember after one of the first practices one of the players told me, ‘She’s good coach, where did she come from?’” recalled Hampton Christian head coach Amber Anderson-Boarders. “They were pretty shocked.”
It's safe to say Mikaela Lee made an indelible mark on her teammates from the start. The Kecoughtan transfer has been a huge addition to the Hampton Christian girls’ basketball program, coming over for her senior season. She’s notched her 1,000th career point and was named Metro Conference female player of the Year by the Virginian Pilot, averaging 21.7 points per game.
But it's not only the raw talent that stands out about Mikaela, it’s her infectious personality too.
“When she came in it felt like we had known Mikaela for years because that’s her personality. She came right in and fit in so well with the rest of the team,” said Anderson-Boarders.
“I just really like interacting with people too especially in basketball,” said Mikaela. “I’ve been playing it for so long that I kind of naturally take on that position as a leader.”
That ambition is also a critical trait to that of an entrepreneur which Mikaela has plans to become.
“I want to start my own business. I just really want to be a business owner and I have a bunch of ideas,” she explained. “I’m also interested in art and fashion and those are some things I’d like to combine and make a business out of. I’ve thought about designing shoes for females because there are a lot of basketball sneakers that are after NBA players but there’s not a lot of basketball shoes that are after like WNBA players.”
And in Mikaela's case not only does she talk the talk, she walks the walk.
“My high school coach used to tell us all the time: ‘Talking isn’t doing,’ and Mikaela is a perfect example of that,” said coach Anderson-Boarders.
And if she can manage a business as well as she manages the course, then the shoe most definitely fits.
