February 20, 2026
Mia Riley’s versatility, hard work paying off for nationally ranked Ferris State women’s basketball team
Mia Riley has built the kind of college basketball career most players can only dream of experiencing, mostly in part to her relentless work ethic on the hardwood.
The Ferris State University senior guard’s leadership on the court and in the locker room has helped the team maintain itself as a top 25 team among the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association national standings, as the Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 16 with a 21-4 record, 14-2 in their conference.
Riley modestly described herself as not necessarily appearing as the most versatile player, but her ability to stretch the floor from three-point land and inside the paint says otherwise. The five-foot-nine Fowler native is a top scorer in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with 16.2 points per contest on a 45% shooting clip, as her 38.7% mark behind the arc is the fourth best in the conference.
Defensively, Riley has also earned a reputation for guarding multiple positions when needed.
"I feel like I'm not always the tallest or most athletic person on the court… but I feel like I can really make up for it by hustling and working as hard as I can,” Riley said. “Sometimes it's coming up with a steal or an offensive rebound or something like that. So, that's how I compensate."
Riley, an Optometry major, is excelling in her best collegiate season. She’s started in all 25 games for the Bulldogs thus far while improving statistically in multiple areas of the box score, as her growth has pay dividends for the team.
"I feel like I've gotten so much more confident. My teammates and coaches have done so much to help me get here," she said. "I literally couldn't do anything I've been able to do without them. We're all in this together, moving as a team. None of this is possible without being in a great team environment.
Her development started early as Riley was a prep star at Fowler High School and helped lead the team to two MHSAA Division 4 State Championships while earning the 2021 and 2022 Associated Press D4 All-State Player of the Year Awards.
Moving into a leadership position for a program that’s no stranger to regional and national title runs requires more than stuffing a stat sheet. Riley has realized a large part of being a successful basketball player is having a high IQ, which tends to lead to making the right play in split-second situations.
"Personally, my biggest area of growth is court vision," Riley said. "When I was younger, there was so much I didn't know. You just kind of feel like you're going downhill. Now, I am seeing things develop much better in the court, and the moving pieces out there make more sense. I can see better when it makes more sense to make the pass or to go all the way to the bucket."
There are many memories Riley has created in a Bulldog uniform, and one that’s still relatively fresh on the mind came on Jan. 24 in a 90-59 home win over Lake Superior State.
She notched her 1,000th career point as teammate Mya Hiram also reached that career milestone, while Kadyn Blanchard became Ferris State's all-time leading scorer with more than 1,800 career points— a senior class moment years in the making.
"I love playing with Kadyn. We're both offensive-minded people, and she's really easy to play with as a teammate. We've played together for the last four years. Our team has such great chemistry. We complement each other in how we play,” Riley said. "I love Mya. She's such a good post for us, and an amazing teammate. She plays with such great energy and is one of the players who reminds me how much I love my teammates."
Riley believes the best is ahead for the Bulldogs as they are inch closer to the end of the 2025-26 regular season and prepare for a postseason run.
"We're resilient," she said. "Even if I'm not having a good game, I know there are great teammates around me who will get it done. I've gone into every game believing in this team and expecting to win."
While Riley is closing out an acclaimed career on the hardwood, she is already preparing for her next chapter. She is completing her Bachelor of Science in Vision Science, scheduled for May 2026, while beginning her first year in the Michigan College of Optometry's Doctor of Optometry program. She anticipates graduating in May 2029.
Whether she's diving for a loose ball, knocking down a 3-pointer or preparing for a future in optometry, Riley approaches it all the same way — with confidence, resilience, work ethic and an unwavering belief in the team around her.
For a nationally ranked Ferris State squad with championship aspirations, that mindset might be her most valuable contribution yet.
The Bulldogs enter their final stretch of regular-season home contests on Saturday, Feb. 21 against Northern Michigan at 1 p.m. and on Monday, Feb. 23 against Michigan Tech at 5:30 p.m.