Connect and Compete - Mi'Cole Cayton

By Jeff Griesch
Nebraska Athletic Communications

Mi'Cole Cayton is looking forward to another season as a Husker after spending her first year in a Nebraska women's basketball uniform in 2021-22.
 
Cayton, a 23-year-old graduate student from California, appeared in 14 games off the bench for the Big Red and capped 2020-21 with a season-high 10 points in a Postseason WNIT win over UT Martin (March 19), before adding a pair of three-pointers against Colorado (March 20) in the round of 16.
 
Cayton's performances against the Skyhawks and Buffaloes provided an inspiring end to a rewarding season for the 5-9 guard who missed all but four total games over the three previous seasons as a player at California.
 
"It meant the world. Nebraska is a special place to me - very special. With the help of the coaching staff, strength training staff and athletic trainer I was able to reach goals that I had set for myself three injuries ago. I just had to trust in the process and the ones around me." 
 
Cayton said the connections she formed with her fellow Huskers in her first season in Lincoln helped her compete at a high level in the postseason.
 
"I just remember being as confident as ever because every move, every shot, every deflection I had my teammates right there to pump me up," Cayton said. "It was like they knew I could do it, and it finally came to life. They have been by my side through it all, so to see them happy for me meant the world to me - even more than the season high against UT Martin. After the game, I wasn't really worried about my personal accomplishments. I was more ecstatic because Whitney Brown had one of her best games in a Husker jersey, and I was more excited for her than I was for myself."
 
Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said Cayton's love of the game and her teammates creates an electricity on and off the court.
 
"Mi'Cole has an intensity and passion with the way she plays the game that is an incredible asset to our program," Williams said. "We are looking forward to a full season with a healthy Mi'Cole."
 
Cayton's energy and eagerness to connect with her teammates have always been strengths for the former high school star out of St. Mary's High School in Stockton. But right leg injuries that included an ACL tear in the first game of her sophomore season (2017-18) and surgery to repair cartilage damage the following year (2018-19) kept her off the floor for nearly three full seasons at Cal. In her one healthy season in Berkeley, she averaged 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists while making 13 starts in 34 games to earn honorable-mention Pac-12 All-Freshman accolades.
 
After four seasons at Cal, Cayton chose to come to Nebraska as a graduate transfer prior to the 2020-21 season. She had originally signed with the Huskers in November of 2015, before an unexpected coaching change at Nebraska caused her to stay closer to home.
 
"You know, after my injury, some people said I'd never be able to play this sport again," Cayton said. "People had doubted me and whenever I get doubted I rise to the occasion. I knew I had to do it for my teammates and coaches who trusted in me and most importantly myself. I owed it to myself."
 
Even after making the decision to transfer to Nebraska in the summer of 2020, Cayton still had to put in overtime to try to overcome the lingering effects of her leg injury. She was unable to return to full participation in practice until January, while trying to strengthen her right leg.
 
"I had to put in another seven months of extra work just to play 14 games of basketball, but I would do it all over again. It was just a part of a process God had for me. They say he gives his challenges to his toughest soldiers, and I happened to be one of them," Cayton said. "Being invested in the process and not the results is something I live day by day. At the end of the season it paid off, which not only showed me but a lot of other people out there that you have to work for what you want in life, even if it takes time. Be patient, be nice to your body, trust in yourself and over time watch how you grow not only as an athlete but a person as well." 
 
Cayton made her Husker competitive debut in a key Big Ten regular-season game at Illinois on Jan. 25.  She played 19 minutes and played a key role in a Nebraska victory by making a crucial steal with 11 seconds left to seal the win.
 
It had been 26 months between games for Cayton, but the result was worth the wait.
  
"I honestly wasn't sure if I was even going to play. I was a bit nervous, first game back and I hadn't really been training much, just a lot of rehab and practice. I was thinking how off my shot was going to be or even how many layups I was going to miss, but as soon as coach called my name I was ready to go. I told myself it's your time, and it ended up more perfectly than I would've ever imagined."
 
Cayton continued to contribute for the Big Red the rest of the season, appearing in 14 games while averaging 2.7 points and just under one rebound and one assist per game. 
 
Williams said Cayton's contributions during 2020-21 were an inspiration to the Huskers and shining examples of her work ethic and commitment.
 
"It was incredibly rewarding for everyone involved to see Mi'Cole back on the court and competing this past season," Williams said. "She has overcome a lot of adversity that injuries brought her way, and I think it was a testament to her determination and grit."
 
At the end of the year, she was recognized for her efforts in making her long-awaited return to the court by being named the Nebraska women's basketball Lifter of the Year. She also earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring semesters and was a member of the 2021 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for her contributions in the community.
 
Although she was slowed by an ankle injury late in the summer, Cayton said she continues to commit herself to contributing by connecting and competing with a talented group of Huskers in 2021-22.
 
"It has been a great summer with my teammates. We've been getting after it on the court. Practice has been faster for sure. It's more competitive and it's really just an opportunity for us to get to it. Compete, get after it and show what each one of us brings to the table. When it's all said and done, make sure that we are connecting and make sure every link is right off the court. If one link is broken, we are going to come up short in the goals that we want to reach, so everyone has to be interconnected, locked in and ready to compete and connect every practice."