Brooklyn Meyer Is Proof Mid-Majors Can Produce SUPERSTARS

In this episode of The Mid-Majors Podcast, we sit down with South Dakota State star Brooklyn Meyer, one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball and a national award finalist. Brooklyn shares her journey from high school standout to becoming a Player of the Year at SDSU, while helping lead one of the most consistent programs in mid-major basketball. We discuss the culture behind South Dakota State Women’s Basketball, what makes the Jackrabbits so dangerous heading into March Madness, and the mindset required to succeed at the highest level of college basketball. Brooklyn also opens up about handling social media pressure, developing confidence, and why mid-major players deserve more respect in the national conversation. If you love NCAA women’s basketball, mid-major basketball, and rising stars in the sport, this is an interview you don’t want to miss.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

The South Dakota State great put up to the show, Brooklyn Meyer. Let's get into it. Welcome to the Mid Majors Podcast where the real hoop talk happens, unfiltered and unapologetic. I am Takara, one of your hosts, and with me I got my girl Courtney. We got a special guest for you guys today. We got a baller on the show. And Brooklyn, like for real, for real, me and Courtney was talking. You really like Jordan out here because you done went to the finals and you ain't never lost.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

I said Breonna Stewart. It's giving. Okay, four of them things.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

It's giving. Four of them. Yeah. So Brooklyn, just kind of tell us how's things going for you. Like, I I mean, we all know we know the basketball player when it comes to Brooklyn Meyer and kind of what you do, but just tell us about just you, Brooklyn as a person.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Yeah, you know, obviously right now it's heat of the season. We're obviously focused on that. But yeah, I've just been really trying to enjoy my senior year here at STSU. And um, yeah, I've enjoyed, you know, getting to spend time with my roommates and, you know, getting to go home on weekends when we have free time and stuff like that. But yeah, it's been it's been a great year.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

That's amazing. So like you've been recognized nationally as like a finalist for the Becky Hammond Mid-Major player of the year, um, a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year top 10 candidate. Um so when you see your name mentioned alongside uh some of the best players in the country, like what does that mean to you and the work that you've put in at South at South Dakota State?

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yeah, I mean, it's it's pretty cool. I don't, I didn't really um like see myself, I guess, being in those conversations when I first came to South Dakota State. And yeah, I feel like it's just been a result of you know, being on some really good teams and getting some amazing opportunities to play Power Force schools and yeah, like you were talking about earlier, win conference championships and playing March Madness. And so I feel like, yeah, it's just a testament to all the great teammates and opportunities that I've had.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Brooklyn, you be you be balling. We be we be tuned in. You be balling and we love it.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

We we've been talking about you, girl.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Yeah, we've we've been talking about it just like from you, just talking about just like your freshman year, like just where you came from, just the growth that you had, like just kind of walk us through just how you made that jump, like the work that you put in.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Yeah, I feel like after my freshman year, I was just really hungry and determined to play a bigger role the next year. And I put in a lot of work that off season, especially with um our post coaches, just honestly just like gaining my confidence and you know, getting my feet under me. And a big part of that too was um my conditioning and just you know, making sure that physically I was ready to go and ready to play a lot of minutes, and yeah, and then our sophomore, my sophomore year was kind of crazy. We had so many injuries, and we had like eight players on our roster at one point, and we had to take some walk-ons just like from the street basically to join our team. So I was playing a lot and I had a big role, and I feel like you know, preparation kind of met opportunity, and um, I feel like that's really where I kind of took off from there.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

And you talked about like your uh confidence and gaining your confidence, like um being that the fun phenomenal player that you are, you won four uh championships there. Um, how do you like keep that confidence? Because playing basketball, any sport, like it's such an up and down type of thing, you know, like they love you, they don't like you, they love you, they hate you. You know that how do you like keep that confidence, especially as like a young player looking up to you as like a role model and with social media and all these things now, all these factors, how do you keep that like intact?

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Yeah, I think something that I've really tried to do a good job of this year is just like kind of protecting my peace a little bit. Like if if I need to delete social media or I need to block something out, I mean, why not do it? I mean, it's not adding anything to my life. I don't need to hear other people's opinions about me or my team all the time. Um, and at the end of the day, especially, you know, these last few months, I've kind of just been going into it as like, I mean, I felt like I didn't really have anything to prove to anybody outside, you know, at this point in my career. I mean, I've had great experiences already. We won our conference championship the three years before that. I'm like, this is just like a bonus. I mean, whatever happens here, this is, you know, this is just a cherry on top. Like, I I get to go out and play with my best friends and kind of just leave it all out there. And so I feel like that's also just so freeing to know that like I'm not doing this for anybody else. Like, I'm doing it for myself and I'm doing it for my teammates.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

That's awesome. That's a lot of maturity, especially like we, so we both played, um, we both played mid-major ball too, as well. And like we were before the just the the social media generation. So, like what you guys have to go through, yeah, and the access that's available to you guys, like it's just it's different. So, like, that's just a lot of maturity as you, just as a person and as a player. So, like, I love that for you. Protect your peace at all costs, sis. Yeah, do that for the rest of your life. Don't ever forget anything but that. Let me tell you. Um, child. Um, so like Brooklyn just like I said, we've watched a lot of your basketball. What part of your game do you feel people underestimate? Because like when you played the Power Force schools, like you still be balling. You still be hooping. So what do you feel like just what part of your game like the people underestimate?

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Um, I feel like I would say probably like my passing abil ability. I feel like that kind of started in high school when I was, I mean, I was helping bring the ball up the court in high school and now, you know, come to college. I feel like it's kind of transferred over and um grown in some ways. And um, I feel like too, I feel like I just pride myself in, you know, being really physical and just working really hard. And I mean, that kind of goes into when we play a team that has a 6'6 girl and like, well, I might get blocked. I probably will get blocked a couple times. But, you know, the ones that I don't, I'm like, I'm still gonna try to make a good move and um, you know, just keep my confidence and not let anything kind of shake that.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

So, in terms of like that toughness, who who do you get that from? Like, do you like, did your dad work you out a lot? Did you have like older brothers? Where did you like learn that toughness that like I don't care who I'm going up against? Like, you still gonna get these buckets.

SPEAKER_00 6:44

Um well, I come from a really big family. My dad was one of eight kids, so like we have a lot of family um back in Northwest Iowa that's in the area, and so I feel like growing up it was just like our family reunions were brutal. Like, we would be like going at it, like in the yard, playing, you know, flag football flag football would be like tackle football, or like just playing like one-on-one, I don't know, at the gym. It's I feel like that's kind of where it started, where like if you're gonna, you know, get hit and start crying, I mean, okay, well, you can go inside and hang out with your parents. Like, I feel like that was right. So I feel like, yeah, when I think about it, I'm like, yeah, that's probably where it began, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

Love that. Yeah. So you've been a part of just like the huge six continued success with South Dakota State. So, like, what do you think makes this program so consistently strong year after year?

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Yeah, I think a lot of that has to do with coaching and recruiting. I mean, it's it's honestly so impressive the way that Coach AJ and all the coaching staff can just put together teams. And um, I mean, we haven't had the same roster, we haven't had the same lineups every year that I've been here, but he still found a way to put us all together and get us to play hard and play for each other. And I feel like that's just such a I feel like people don't appreciate him for how I mean just how impressive that is. Right. Like really. And um, yeah, I think that's just allowed us to be successful and um just to yeah, kind of keep it going.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

So you both, so you're up for the Beggy Hammond mid-major player of the year, and he's up for a coach of the year accolades too. So like just what does that recognition just mean to you guys and just the program? And like what would it be like just to accomplish that together, your final year?

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Yeah, that would be pretty cool. I mean, I think I think he's very deserving of every every coaching award that's out there. But um, yeah, I think that would be cool. And um, yeah, just for my senior year to yeah, have that happen would be really cool.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

And I guess kind of pivoting a little bit, but I guess I want to know, like, what made you pick South Dakota State University?

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Yeah, so they were kind of the first school that started recruiting me. Um, and they were my first offer in like middle, like eighth grade, I think it was. And I just remember, well, first of all, I like cried. I was like bawling on the phone because I was just like not even ready for that. Even I never imagined that I would get that opportunity. Um, but I feel like the thing that really stuck with me was, and Coach AJ said this when he offered me, he was like, I want you to go out there and um take visits to other schools and see see what you like, see what you don't like, and then you know, when it's all said and done, if you obviously still want to be a jackrabbit, I mean we we'll take you. We have a great plan for you, and I think it would be a great experience. And I just think the sustained success, kind of like what we talked about over the years, um, and then just obviously being close to home, I think really drew me here.

SPEAKER_02 9:48

Man. Just lastly, for the most part, just so with us, like we try our hardest just to give mid-major players their flowers. Something we always say is we always say just respect the mid-majors, because you know and I know we don't always get the respect that we deserve. So, of course, we want to have you on a show and just give you all the flowers today.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

So, what message would you share with other mid-major players just chasing the dream and just competing at the national stage like you have time after time?

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yeah, I think it's just like, like, why not you? Like, why can't you um go out there and play as well as you can? I mean, what's what's there to be afraid of? I feel like when you're in mid-major school, like you said, you're kind of counted out of counted out of a few things um time and time. So um, yeah, I would just say, I mean, you have nothing to lose. Like, why not just go out there and see what you can do?

SPEAKER_01 10:42

We usually do this segment called like what was your welcome to college basketball moment? So, what was that moment where you were like, oh my gosh, like I am not in high school anymore? Like, this is the real, this is the real deal. Like, so for me, like mine was like college conditioning, like that really like woke me up where I was just like, okay, uh, this is not high school or AAU anymore. So, like, what what was your moment?

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Yeah, I mean, we we run like beep tests every summer. I'm sure you guys get that. So that was brutal to start off with. Um, I would also say we played South Carolina in two falls my freshman year, and like I knew that they were tall. That was when they had like Aaliyah Boston and Camilla Cardoso, and I like I knew that they were, but when I had to like stand next to them and like even just during free throws, there's like pictures of me and they are like towering over me. Like that was crazy. And we actually like we hung with them pretty well for most of the game, but yeah, um, yeah, that was probably the moment where I was like, oh boy, like this is not this is not high school, I'm not the biggest player anymore.

SPEAKER_02 11:51

Yeah, I love that one. That's it. That's like one of my favorites, actually. Brooklyn, like I said, we just wanted to get you on the show. We're wishing you guys, you yourself personally, basketball-wise, the best of everything with your future. Like, wishing you the best of luck. We have all the utmost confidence in you guys and your team. We can't make to see what we can't wait to see what type of noise you guys make. If there's anything that me and Courtney could ever do for you to help you out, let us know. Let us know. We we really appreciate you for joining us today.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Yeah, I appreciate you guys. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

You have a good one and good luck, okay?

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

Bye bye. Bye. Bye.