By Chris Lim, March 18, 2025
Growing up in a sports family, Broncos’ basketball guard Brielle Minor has always been passionate about being active and playing sports .
Minor started taking an interest in different sports such as softball and soccer from an early age. However, it didn’t take too long for her to first pick up a basketball, and that’s when it started to soak in.
Minor played basketball with her brother throughout her childhood starting at the age of 4 alongside her father, who was their coach.
Minor continued to hone her craft as an athlete, specifically within basketball and softball, which carried into her time at Santa Monica High School. Minor helped her teams win California Interscholastic Federation tournaments in both basketball and softball and was honored with the Female Athlete of the Year award in 2022.
“In my freshmen year, we won CIF for basketball, and I think that was the experience that drove me to take basketball seriously,” Minor said. “Winning that first year and then seeing that it was something that I could do pushed me to work harder.”
Cal State Fullerton offered Minor an opportunity to play basketball, while the University of San Diego offered a chance to play softball.
“Softball came a lot more naturally to me,” Minor said. “I didn’t have to put in as much work to be as good as I was. For basketball, I had to put in a lot of outside time because it didn’t come naturally to me.”
While both sports were something she looked up to, Minor decided that basketball was her main hobby. She decided to go for Cal State Fullerton’s offer as a basketball player.
“As much as I enjoyed softball and basketball, I enjoyed playing basketball the most,” Minor said. “I wanted to be better at it, and the experience in high school drove me to become a better player.”
However, things didn’t go as planned heading into her first season with the Cal State Fullerton Titans, as Minor struggled to live up to her expectations.
She decided to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona for the 2024-2025 season, seeking another opportunity. The division level between CPP and CSUF is different, but it didn’t change the way Minor would play basketball.
“Transitioning from a Division I to a Division II team, I feel like everyone has their expectations of how it was going to go, but it was different from what I was imagining,” Minor said. “I was coming out of a rough season last year, and transitioning from a different program is pretty difficult, but my experience this year has been nothing but grateful. It’s worked out really well for me.”
Minor has been flourishing this season, as she became a key player for the Broncos in their run to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament, becoming a defensive threat on the court — totaling 34 steals and 4 blocks this season.
The Broncos this season were ranked the two seed in the CCAA, ending the season with a 19-3 record and solidifying a spot in the playoffs.
Minor has helped the Broncos both offensively and defensively when needed, accumulating four steals to help secure a win against Cal State East Bay Feb. 22.
CPP women’s basketball head coach Danelle Bishop said Minor brings important impact and energy for the team.
“She’s got a high-pace energy in her game, which makes it tough for other teams,” Bishop said. “Her being able to come in and find a fit on the court and lead others is one of her strengths as a player but also having that drive to learn. She’s like a sponge on the court, soaking up as much as she can, which is going to make her even better.”
Broncos’ guard Breanne Ha said Minor brings a spark on the court.
“Brielle is fun to be around when she’s off and on the court,” Ha said. “Off the court, she’s someone that brings a smile to the team. On the court, she’s someone who leads and runs the floor. Brielle is young and has a lot of potential.”
Basketball is not the only hobby that Minor enjoys doing. She also enjoys music during her off time, sometimes covering songs for fun. Some of her favorite artists she likes to cover are Billie Eilish and SZA.
After her first year playing for Cal State Fullerton, Minor decided to transfer to CPP. Minor learned a lot when it came to competing at a high level. Looking ahead, she said she plans to become the next leader for the Broncos, filling in major shoes for the coming years.
“On and off the court, I’m a pass first point guard, and I feel like my goal is to make everyone else on the court better and bring up the level and intensity where I am on the court,” Minor said. “Moving forward, I want to score more. I’ve never been a huge scorer, and after this year we are going to be losing a lot of scoring, so I’d love to step up in that area and fill those shoes.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
