Small Town Girl – Immense Basketball Career

Hang on to it if you find a well-worn toy basketball hoop perusing the garage and yard sales of the metro Des Moines area.

It could be a collector's item, especially for Morningside University women's basketball all-time leading scorer Sierra Mitchell.

"My parents both played basketball growing up, and through college, so you could say it was a part of the family lifestyle," Mitchell reflected. "I remember Dad getting a little toy basket for the house and teaching me to shoot. I spent a lot of time playing with that."

The beginning of a historical girl's and women's basketball career was forged. Mitchell was eventually a star for Southeast Polk High School, putting the time machine on warp speed. "I didn't play as a freshman or sophomore, but I understood the success having been around the team as a manager in junior high and on the team my first two years but not playing much," she reflected.

She did get into the Class 4A state championship game as a freshman in a limited role but made a significant impression on head coach Tracy Dailey. "I scored 12 points, hitting four three-pointers," Mitchell noted. "From then on, I received more and more playing time, eventually starting as a junior and senior."

The road to Sioux City can be chalked up to good fortune for head coach Jamie Sale. "Honestly, I was watching someone else play at a travel ball tournament," he said. "Another coach walked up to me and said, 'Hey, you need to take a look at her – she would be a great fit for Morningside. It was good advice because the minute I saw her play, I knew we needed to find a way to get her to campus."

Mitchell admitted that the first visit made a big impression. "I know it's cliché, but it felt like home," she reflected. "The small campus after living in a small suburb when I grew up – the coaching staff was so personable – I could probably have decided sooner in the process, but I sometimes deliberate a lot about things. That visit plus Jamie and (assistant coach) Jill (Bodammer) coming to a game to talk to me finally made the light go off."

Better than 2,500 points and 500 three-point baskets later, Mitchell couldn't have asked for a better experience on the court and off the court. 

"When I came back for my fifth year, I knew the points record was a possibility," she said. "It wasn't the reason I did come back, though. My love for the game and, honestly, Morningside brought me back here. Being able to play with my teammates and friends worked out so well.

"I'm able to take graduate school classes in my professional field, too," she added. "I don't know many other places that could afford someone an opportunity like this. The coaches and so many people here have always believed in me. I thank God everyday for the gifts and strength He has given me. I can't do any of this without Him."

She knows the final chance to step on the court at home and in the national tournament will be difficult, but the memories of what she's accomplished will be with her long afterward.

This has been the best five years of my life period," Mitchell admitted. "I've met friends I know I'll have for a lifetime. The relationships with the professors and support staff are wonderful, as everyone has been so supportive. I love my coaches, and I know our relationships will continue well past my college days."

"I wish I could stay here," she added with a laugh.

Sale's feeling mirrored that comment. "She's a great player, but it's much more than that," he said. "Sierra's a great teammate and so fun to coach every day. There's a humility to her, too. You never hear her talk about herself --- it's always her teammates first. She is a great person on and off the court."