Great article. She plays with heart and goes 100% on both sides of the court
Heyy Cal fans! My name is Mjracle Sheppard, and I’m a senior majoring in American Studies. I’m going into my second season with Cal after transferring from LSU and MSU.
At the age of 2, my family immediately put a basketball in my hands. At that age, I played in little leagues with boys because there weren’t many girls playing basketball.
Sheppard with family
My entire family loves basketball. My mom played street ball when she was younger, my dad was an overall athlete who did boxing and pole vault, and my siblings have all played a little bit of basketball throughout their lives, but nothing too serious.
When I was 3 years old, I was fighting Kawasaki Disease, which causes blood vessels to become inflamed throughout the body and can lead to long-term heart problems or other issues. I am extremely grateful that my body accepted the treatment, which included a plasma transfusion.
I am a Kawasaki Disease survivor, and that part of my story is something I’m very proud of. Recently, I had a fundraiser where we raised more than our goal, and so many people came out to connect with me and learn more about Kawasaki Disease. Being able to share my story and bring awareness to something that I went through as a child meant a lot to me.
As soon as I was up for it, I played every single sport you could think of! My doctor told my mom, “Keep her in sports,” and that’s exactly what she did.
Sheppard and family
Growing up, I played volleyball, soccer, flag football, track, tennis, cross country, and more. I connected to all of these sports, but basketball is the one I’m most passionate about!
My journey during middle school and high school was a bit challenging. My family moved from Kent, Washington, about 30–40 minutes away so I could attend better schools for my education and long-term basketball goals. From 6th through 9th grade, I didn’t see many kids who looked like me or who had the same story as me. I had to learn to adapt and grow as one of the only Black kids in a private school setting. The classes were harder, and the homework picked up.
Freshman year of high school was one of my most challenging years because my teammate and I always competed, and we played the same position. We had to figure out how to play together, and we ended up becoming really successful. We defeated our rivals multiple times and almost won state against them, but in our last game, we had so many injuries. At the end of the year, I had to decide if I would continue my education in Washington or move to Florida and play for Montverde Academy. If I moved, I would have to leave my family and friends and go to Florida by myself.
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When I decided that I was going to move to Florida, I had a bunch of mixed feelings. I don’t think it ever really hit me until I got there. There were nights when I was crying because it was a boarding school, and I had to learn how to grow up and be independent really fast. I did decide to play for Montverde Academy, and I met some lifelong friends and built a great relationship with my head coach. Even though we butted heads sometimes, she taught me so much about life and basketball, especially heading into the unknown world of collegiate athletics. She always told me that I would be a better point guard than her. She really poured into me and believed in me, and that’s a big reason why we were so successful and became two-time champs.
Looking back, I’m really grateful that I took that chance and moved to Florida because it helped me grow so much as a person and as a player.
My process of recruiting for college basketball was chaotic. Since no one in my family had gone through the athletic side of college recruiting, it put me at an extreme disadvantage. It was me and my mom guiding the process with the help of coaches around me.
I always wished I had a mentor throughout the process. I want younger athletes to have someone in their corner who can help them understand the things I had to learn through trial and error, answer questions, and remind them that they don’t have to figure everything out alone. That’s what I hope I can be for younger generations to come.
Sheppard with mom and partner
As soon as I got to college, I experienced what it was like to be a freshman and expect to play a lot of minutes, but having to run the bench because there were people who had been there before me and were older. I also had to learn how to deal with a bunch of different people’s emotions. Those experiences taught me patience, how to be a better teammate, and how important it is to focus on what I can control.
What motivates me as a student-athlete is being able to show and play the sport that I love because not everyone has that opportunity. I truly believe self-motivation is one of the most important things. When opportunities arise, you need to capitalize, and that’s something I had to learn throughout my years of college!
This year, Cal fans should expect to see a game changer! Cal fans, you should see the determination to win on my face and from my body language! You should see a defensive stopper SEAT BELT, an offensive scoring threat, and me flying in to grab some rebounds!
There’s so much more to the game than people understand. If some of those things aren’t going my way, I will put my teammates into good scoring positions and focus on the controllables throughout that game.
I’ve gone through so much mental and physical growth this summer, and you will see that on the court this year!
Why I chose Cal? Charmin and the entire coaching staff are great leaders and hold us to the highest standard as student-athletes. They encourage us to use our platforms to spread awareness and make a positive impact, which is something that is really important to me.
I also chose Cal because of the opportunity to grow both as a student and an athlete. Being at Cal allows me study at the #1 public institution while playing the sport I love and being surrounded by people who push me to be better. I’m extremely excited to be part of this special program and can’t wait to step on the court again with my teammates!
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