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By Aaron Blankenship | Photos by Gabe Haferman

Makiya Miller was devastated when X-rays revealed that she had broken her left foot during Reynoldsburg’s 65-36 victory over Newark on Dec. 10.

The injury occurred about three minutes into the game, after the Reynoldsburg senior point guard leaped high into the air to nab a rebound and then landed with the inner part of her left foot on top of an opponent’s foot.

She came down hard on the outside edge of her foot, resulting in a Jones fracture of her fifth metatarsal.

“All of my weight came down on my pinkie toe and I heard a pop, and then it hurt when I tried to run on it,” Miller said. “I actually thought I’d be fine to play the next day, but I got some X-rays done to be safe, and when they told me my foot was broken, I started crying because that was my first time breaking something, and they estimated I was going to be out for 10 weeks.

“I felt really bad because it was my goal to score 1,000 (career points at Reynoldsburg), and I knew that wasn’t going to be possible anymore, and I was scared I was going to miss the rest of my senior season.”

She had a screw surgically implanted into her foot to stabilize the fractured bone on Dec. 16, forcing her to hobble around on crutches the following three weeks, but Miller continued to attend every practice and game while working diligently on physical therapy exercises to rehabilitate as quickly as possible.

During this time, Miller served as a mentor to her younger teammates while fellow senior Trinity Ramos replaced her at point guard the following 10 games.

Trinity Ramos (22) served as a capable backup while Makiya Miller recovered from a broken foot.

Trinity Ramos (22) served as a capable backup while Makiya Miller recovered from a broken foot.

“After that first night, I developed a positive mindset because I knew I was going to come back to play again,” Miller said. “The saying ‘everything happens for a reason’ really stuck with me, and I became more like a coach, encouraging my teammates and giving them advice. I told Trinity to use this opportunity to her advantage and to show people what she could do.”

Senior guard Jamiona Ross said Miller continued to be a key leader while she recovered.

“Even when she got hurt, she didn’t change,” Ross said. “She still cheered everyone on (and made) an impact off the court, which in turn made an impact on the court.

“I was upset after a game recently and she talked me out of the slump I was in, telling me how great I did and how I shouldn’t be upset. She saw the good in me, which I couldn’t see, which I am very thankful for.”

Triumphant return

Miller returned to Reynoldsburg’s starting lineup on Feb. 1, and she made an immediate impact, scoring seven points in the Raiders’ 73-54 victory at Gahanna.

After Miller scored 10 more points in an 82-35 league victory over Lancaster on Feb. 7, she had an assist on Imarianah Russell’s game-winning, buzzer-beating layup in a 50-49 win at Newark.

That win improved the Raiders' record to 17-2 overall, clinching the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division title outright with a 9-0 league mark.

“I remember being nervous the first time I jogged onto the court, because it was the first time I’d done that in a long time, and it felt a little weird,” Miller said. “I felt happy and excited to be able to play with my teammates again, and I was very relieved.”

Reynoldsburg coach Jack Purtell said Miller’s return has provided a huge lift to his squad, and has helped solidify the Raiders as legitimate Division I regional and state title contenders.

Reynoldsburg starts the playoffs at home Tuesday against Westland.

Reynoldsburg starts the playoffs at home Tuesday against Westland.

Not only is Miller a dangerous outside shooter, but she’s also the quarterback of the Raiders’ offense, handling the ball under pressure and setting up her teammates with deft passing.

“Makiya’s our leader who runs our team and gets everyone in the right spot,” Purtell said. “Her basketball IQ is extremely high, and she makes us go with her ball-handling and passing. Makiya can score as well, and her leadership skills are fantastic.

“Our other kids had success in her absence, but we’re going to need her to accomplish our goals in the (postseason) tournament.”

Goggle it

Miller developed her superior ball-handling skills under the tutelage of her father, Maurice, who made her wear goggles that didn’t allow her to look down at the ball while dribbling.

The 5-foot-7 athlete also learned how to drive past and score against taller defenders while growing up playing one-on-one against her older, taller sisters Maudiko (2017 Reynoldsburg graduate) and Malaysia (2020 Reynoldsburg graduate).

“I was always really short compared to most of the girls I play against, but playing against my taller sisters most of my life prepared me for that,” Miller said. “My basketball IQ is high, and I’ve learned how to use my feet and my quickness to my advantage when I have a bigger girl on me.

“Those goggles made me keep my head up when I have the ball, and now I’m able to calculate in my head where the ball needs to go and how to get it there.”

After serving as Reynoldsburg’s first player off the bench as a freshman, Miller became the Raiders’ starting point guard the following season.

As a junior, Miller averaged eight points and was special mention all-league for the Raiders, who finished 16-5 overall after losing to Dublin Coffman 60-57 in a regional semifinal.

While gradually losing 25 pounds over the course of her junior year, Miller played well enough for the Cincinnati Angels’ AAU basketball squad that she received four Division I college basketball scholarships last summer.

Remaining a Raider

Miller made a verbal commitment to Wright State on June 14 and signed a national letter of intent to play for the Raiders on Nov. 9.

“I played more of a point guard role on my high school team, distributing the ball to other players, but I was more of a shooter on my AAU team, and I found my confidence again,” Miller said. “That’s when Wright State found me, and I was coach Kari Hoffman’s first scholarship offer, which meant a lot to me. I loved the environment there, so I decided to play at Wright State.

“When I signed there, it felt like all of my hard work had paid off, and there was a lot of weight off my shoulders. I was really happy and may have shed a tear or two.”

Miller, who has a 4.2 cumulative grade point average, hopes to lead Reynoldsburg — ranked No. 1 in the SBLive Top 25 — to a state championship before continuing her career at the next level. The Raiders start their playoff run Tuesday at home against Westland.

At Wright State, Miller plans to study biochemistry en route to pursuing a career as a dermatology physician assistant or an anesthesiology physician assistant.

Miller said she’s been inspired to work in the medical field after suffering from eczema, an inflammatory skin condition.

“For my college team, I just hope to make it easier for them to build the foundation for a program that has a winning culture,” Miller said. “I want to work in the medical field someday, because I have eczema and I know its struggles, so I’d like to help other people.”

Miller also discovered a new passion this winter while recovering from her broken foot.

“After spending time on the bench helping out my teammates in other ways, now I can see myself being a coach someday,” Miller said. “This injury has given me a positive attitude, because I’ve learned to be grateful for what I have, including my ability to play basketball. Just talking about it makes me smile, because I’m so happy to be where I am right now.”

Makiya Miller looks for a teammate against Newark during the Dec. 10 game where she suffered a broken foot.

Makiya Miller looks for a teammate against Newark during the Dec. 10 game where she suffered a broken foot.