Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, also known as Kiki, is a British basketball player who is currently a player for the Galatasaray of the Turkish Women’s Basketball Super League. She played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2020 WNBA draft.
Mikiah has also played for the Seattle Storm and the London Lions in her professional career. Herbert Harrigan is one of the few British players to make it to the WNBA and has overcome many challenges and setbacks along the way.
Herbert Harrigan was born on August 21, 1998, in Island Harbour, Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. She moved to Pembroke Pines, Florida with her family when she was nine years old and attended Flanagan High School. She started playing basketball at the age of 12 and quickly developed into a star player. She averaged 18.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game as a senior and led her team to the Class 8A state championship.
Harrigan was ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the nation by ESPN and received offers from several top colleges, including Connecticut, Notre Dame, and Tennessee. She ultimately chose to play for South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley, who was impressed by her versatility and athleticism.
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At South Carolina, Herbert Harrigan was part of a historic team that won the program’s first NCAA championship in 2017. She played a key role in the title game, scoring 17 points and hitting four three-pointers against Mississippi State.
Herbert Harrigan earned the nickname “Mad Kiki’’ for her effort on defense and was named the SEC tournament MVP in 2020. She graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies in May 2020.
Herbert Harrigan was selected 6th overall in the 2020 WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first British player to be drafted in the first round. She was also the third player from South Carolina to be drafted in the top six, following Wilson and Coates.
Mikiah signed a rookie contract with the Lynx worth $221,450 over three years. She finished her rookie season playing in 21 games averaging 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and shooting 42.2% from three. She helped the Lynx reach the semifinals, where they lost to the Seattle Storm.
On February 10, 2021, Herbert Harrigan was traded from the Lynx to the Storm for a 2022 first-round pick.
However, she only played one game for the Storm in the 2021 season, as she became pregnant and was approved to have paid maternity leave. She gave birth to a baby boy named Kairo on August 18, 2021. She did not play for the Storm in the 2022 season and was waived by the team on May 4, 2022.
Herbert Harrigan then signed with the London Lions of the British Basketball League for the 2022-23 season. . She also represented Great Britain in the 2023 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket, where she averaged 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and helped her team reach the quarterfinals.
On July 23, 2023, Herbert Harrigan signed with Galatasaray of the Turkish Women’s Basketball Super League, one of the top leagues in Europe. She is currently averaging 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game and has helped Galatasaray qualify for the EuroCup Women's quarterfinals.
Herbert Harrigan has faced several injuries and setbacks in her basketball career. She tore her ACL in her left knee when she was 14 years old and had to undergo surgery and rehabilitation. She also suffered a concussion in her sophomore year at South Carolina and missed two games. She had a minor knee surgery in her junior year and had to sit out the first four games of the season. She also had a foot injury in her senior year that limited her practice time.
Herbert Harrigan also faced some challenges in her transition to the WNBA. She had to adjust to a different style of play, a faster pace, and stronger opponents. She also had to deal with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed the start of the 2020 season and forced the league to play in a bubble in Florida. She also had to cope with being traded from the Lynx to the Storm after only one season and then missing most of the 2021 season due to her pregnancy.
Herbert Harrigan has shown resilience and determination in overcoming these obstacles and has continued to improve her game and pursue her dreams. She has also received support and guidance from her coaches, teammates, and family along the way.
Herbert Harrigan is currently in a relationship with Javon Kinlaw, a defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. They met in South Carolina, where Kinlaw also played college football. They have been dating since 2019 and have a son together, Kairo, who was born in 2021.
Herbert Harrigan comes from a basketball family. Her father, Michael Herbert, played basketball at the University of Miami and professionally in Europe. He also coached his daughter at Flanagan High School.
Mikiah's older brother, Michael Herbert Jr., played basketball at Florida Atlantic University and is now a coach. Her younger sister, Mikayla Herbert, is also a basketball player and is currently a sophomore at Flanagan High School.
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