AUSTIN, Texas — Every time MIKAH CHAPMAN steps onto the court, the energy changes. 
 
St. Edward's senior forward has long been a dichotomy between off-the-wall energy and subtle contributions in the box score. Her numbers don't leap off the page, but you feel her in the rhythm of the offense — in the possessions she keeps alive, the mistakes she erases, and how the Hilltoppers seem to breathe easier when she's on the floor. 
 
For four years, Chapman has been the emotional pulse of St. Edward's women's basketball. Now, as the team's lone four-year senior, Chapman is ready for both her voice and game to help the team make noise in the Lone Star Conference. 
 
"This is going to be my biggest year," Chapman declares. "Being a senior, playing here for four years, and seeing how we've grown, I just want to leave it all out there with no regrets — just finishing strong." 
 
When Chapman arrived as a freshman, she didn't play much – logging 79 minutes across 13 games for the season. She was a late-developing high school player adjusting to the college game while surrounded by veterans. Still, she quickly found her voice in a different way.
 
"I was the only freshman, so I knew I wasn't going to play much," Chapman recalls. "So, I asked BELLA MUSCOREIL if I could take over leading the high fives [during the starting lineup introductions] and bringing the energy. I wanted to find a way to contribute." 
 
That role became her signature. Whether it was a charge, a block, or a foul drawn, Chapman was the first to celebrate. It wasn't just noise; it was an intentional effort to elevate her teammates. As her role expanded and she became the player taking that charge, making that block, or drawing that foul, the joy and enthusiasm remained. 
 
"The work and energy don't change," she declares. "I'm the same person no matter if I'm starting or on the bench." 
 
Head coach J.J. Riehl noticed it too — the unrelenting positivity, the willingness to embrace any role, and the infectious joy that made her a teammate everyone wants to play with.
 
"Mikah is such an emotional player," Riehl says. "Sometimes the magnitude of the moment or how badly she wants it can pull her out of herself, but that passion is what makes her special. When she keeps the main thing the main thing, she's great for us." 
 
Chapman's college career hasn't always been smooth. She says her sophomore year was one of the toughest in her life, filled with frustration, disconnect, and what Riehl described as "crossroad conversations."
 
"There were times her sophomore year when I thought Mikah wasn't going to make it here," Riehl admits. "She was in a terrible place, and we had two tough conversations three days apart, and it was like a light bulb went on. She's been a different woman since." 
 
Chapman has grown into an ambassador not only for the women's basketball program but also for the university. Whether it's organizing the women's basketball team to support other St. Edward's teams, joining a STEM club despite not majoring in any of those programs, or supporting faculty and staff during their noon pickup basketball games, Chapman is everywhere. 
 
She helped establish the team's Ignite Leadership Group, a player-led group that helps define the Hilltoppers' culture and accountability. 
 
"We wanted to create something lasting," Chapman says. "Last season, we established our non-negotiables for team culture and put them in a contract. It really shaped us into who we are this year and last."
 
The growth wasn't just emotional. Over the summer, Chapman put in the best offseason of her career. She sharpened her footwork, continued to hone her midrange jumper, and arrived in the best shape of her collegiate career.
 
"She's been our leading rebounder in the preseason, and I think that should continue for the season," Riehl says. "She's confident, playing with more discipline, and her understanding of the game — what she's supposed to do and where everyone is supposed to be — makes everything run smoother." 
 
Riehl calls her a success story for sticking through the struggle. Chapman is an increasingly rare type of student-athlete: a four-year player with unwavering loyalty to a program in an era defined by transfers and short stints. Through highs and lows, she never considered leaving.
 
"My mindset was always about how we can grow," Chapman says. "There were times we hit rock bottom, but that just meant the only place left to go was up." 
 
Chapman is one of three Hilltoppers on the leadership group, alongside MAKENA TOMLINSON and KIANA BENNETT. Last year, she benefited from two seniors ahead of her to learn from. Now, Chapman is still figuring out the leadership style that suits her best, but she knows it's not from her position or the volume of her voice — it's through her influence. 
 
"She understands two words: influence and servant," Riehl says. "She knows everything she thinks, says, and does carries weight, and she uses that to serve the people around her. That's rare for a college kid." 
 
One of the lessons required to transform her voice from hype woman to leader is not limiting it to positive reinforcement, but holding herself and others accountable.
 
"That's something we all struggle with, but we had a meeting and I reminded her that holding people accountable to our standard is really an act of love, which is the word we use when we break every huddle," Riehl explains. "When she remembers that, she thrives in moments of adversity and chaos. So far, through October, she's been doing an excellent job." 
 
Chapman's senior season isn't just about wins and losses. It's about legacy and leaving the program stronger than she found it. But make no mistake, she wants to win.
 
"We haven't been to the conference tournament since my freshman year, so the biggest thing for me is doing what's necessary to get back there," Chapman says. "We've put so much blood, sweat, and tears preparing for this moment, I know we can do it." 
 
Riehl hopes the same.
 
"Sometimes, basketball isn't fair. You can do everything the right way and still fall short," she says. "I hope, for her sake, we get to feel what it's like to win on a really high level this year. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more." 
 
Basketball isn't always fair, but it has returned as much as Chapman has given in the family she's found on a sisterhood built on shared struggle, laughter, and loyalty.
 
"J.J. has created something special here. I'm six hours from home, but she's like another family member to me," Chapman says. "She creates an open environment for us to have a sisterhood. These girls will be at my wedding, and I'm going to be at theirs. It creates bonds that will last a lifetime." 
 
There's a saying in basketball that the ball finds energy, and a fact known to everyone at St. Edward's: when you need energy, find MIKAH CHAPMAN.