Mikiah Herbert Harrigan Is Ready For The Challenges Her Rookie Season Could Bring

Every year, WNBA rookies are faced with challenges as they make the transition from college ball to the pros.

That’s nothing new.

But this year’s draft picks will forever be remembered as the rookies who entered the league during the world-changing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and their challenges will exceed those of the players who came before them.

This class will never have the closure that would have come with a March Madness tournament, and they’ll have to be welcomed to their new teams virtually rather than with official press conferences, in-person workouts, film sessions and team bonding activities.

So far, these demands haven’t been too burdensome for the Lynx’s first-round draft pick Mikiah “Kiki” Herbert Harrigan who became accustomed to overcoming challenges during her four-year career at South Carolina.

The 6’2 forward went from averaging 4.9 points and 16.5 minutes per game as a freshman to starting in all 33 games of the Gamecocks’ 32-1 2019-20 season and averaging 13.1 points per game as a senior.

But her growth goes far beyond the box score.

When Herbert Harrigan reflects on her development at South Carolina, she believes her growth can be attributed to the added maturity she carried herself with, especially during her final season as a Gamecock.

Herbert Harrigan was on the fence about returning to South Carolina after her junior season but came back stronger than ever once she talked things out with her former head coach, Dawn Staley.

“I knew South Carolina was the place I wanted to be,” Herbert Harrigan said in a Zoom conference call. “It was more personal issues as to why I thought about transferring. Basically, some stuff needed to be clarified, but I was able to get on the phone with Coach Staley and my mom. We just kind of talked about it, and I decided to stay.”

Once she made that decision, she took it upon herself to improve her offensive game and become the leader the Gamecocks could lean on as they became one of the best teams in the nation.

“I knew we had a young group,” Herbert Harrigan said. “Me and Ty (Harris) knew we kind of had to lead that group, so that’s what I did.”

Herbert Harrigan recorded 16 total assists as a junior but tallied 45 dimes in her final season at South Carolina. She attempted 41 total 3s during her first three seasons of college ball but extended her range by shooting 20-for-46 from deep as a senior.

Four days after being the No. 6 selection in the 2020 draft, Herbert Harrigan views her improvements as reinforcement that she has what it takes to surmount the next slate of challenges that will come her way.

According to Herbert Harrigan, she’s been a talented shot-blocker and defender since she was a young, middle school hooper. Those skills are what intrigued the Lynx during their scouting process, but Cheryl Reeve and her staff have made it clear that Herbert Harrigan will need to improve as a rebounder if she wants to have a long-lasting career in the league.

Herbert Harrigan welcomes the challenge and anxiously awaits the day she’ll be able to receive in-person guidance from hew new coaches, Rebekkah Brunson and Plenette Pierson.

“I really look forward to it, you know, getting up there and getting to work,” Herbert Harrigan said. “And I’m open to challenges, so like she said, I have to work on my rebounding and that’s something I’ll lock in and try to do.”

If Herbert Harrigan continues to embrace the challenges that are thrown her way, she’ll be remembered for much more than being a player whose rookie season was altered by a pandemic.