« DI Women’s Basketball 2012-13

Drey Mingo

School
Purdue
Position
Forward
Major
GS - occupational & environmental health sciences
PPG
12.2
RPG
6.0
APG
1.1

Classroom

Mingo graduated with a biology degree with a minor in Spanish in May of 2012 and is currently a graduate student in occupational and environmental health sciences. She plans to attend medical school to become a pediatric cardiologist. Mingo earned Academic All-Big Ten twice, awarded to student-athletes with a career grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. For two years, Mingo has been working on a research project with Dr. Chris Sahley, the director of the Center for Faculty Success and a professor in biological sciences.

Character

A three-year captain, Mingo exhibited leadership skills from the moment she stepped on campus as a transfer in the summer of 2009. She has a maturity beyond her years and exhibited her strength of character both during her life-threatening battle with acute bacterial meningitis (Nov. 2010) and her torn ACL the following October. Mingo remained positive and put others before herself. Even in the hospital bed in the ICU, she had her trademark smile. After tearing her ACL at a scrimmage at Indiana State last season - an event that without a waiver from the NCAA would have ended her collegiate career - when being examined in the locker room, she told Purdue’s athletic trainer that she needed to get back courtside because her teammates needed her. Mingo has strong faith, is incredibly positive, responsible, selfless and a true inspiration to many.

Community

As a result of partial permanent hearing loss from her battle with bacterial meningitis, Mingo has started a non-profit organization, Sound of Serenity. The goal of the non-profit is to raise awareness about children with hearing loss, to inspire those with hearing loss and to raise funds to purchase hearing aids for children who cannot afford them. Mingo is the winner of the 2012 Giant Steps Courageous Student-Athlete honor awarded by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports and a finalist for the 2011 V Foundation Comeback Award and Mingo has been active in the greater Lafayette community with volunteer activities that include four years of participating in the Purdue Cancer Challenge, the Hunger Hike, the John Wooden Leadership Institute and reading to elementary school children. For three years she has been a member of the Boilermaker Athletic Council and has assisted with the women’s basketball team’s annual project of adopting a family for Christmas (providing food and toys for the family). In 2010, she was a mentor and homework assistant at the local Boys and Girls Club. She has participated in free basketball clinics in 2009 and 2011 and served breakfast at the Feast of the Hunters’ Moon in 2011 and 2012 to benefit the local Exchange Club.

Competition

As a junior, Mingo was a third team All-Big Ten selection despite being hampered early in the year by her illness (bacterial meningitis). Mingo recovered to lead the team in rebounding (5.8 rebounds per game), field goal percentage (52.3%), three-point field goal percentage (48.1%) and was second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg). Her 48.1% three-point FG% was a school single-season record. She started 24 of 29 games, tallied four double-doubles, scored a career-high 25 points at Ohio State (2/20/11) and pulled down a career high-15 rebounds at Penn State (2/24/11). Mingo hit 8-of-10 field goals against Illinois (2/13/11), that included 4-of-4 three-pointers. She was a member of the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament team, a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award and in 2012, the winner of the Giant Steps Courageous Student-Athlete honor by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports.