Coppin State women’s basketball graduate student Mossi Staples recently chatted with PressBox about her connection with Eagles head coach Jermaine Woods, why attending an HBCU was important to her and more. The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 13.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Eagles in 2022-23. She is a native of Fort Washington, Md., and graduate of Oxon Hill High School.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Mossi Staples: Basically from just watching my brother, [Walter], play growing up. Just being in the gym with him is kind of how I got into it. My mom was definitely against it to begin with, but my brother’s trainers convinced her to get me into it.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
MS: Probably my brother and my dad, for sure. They trained me the most and then also had trainers like Keith Veney, Curtis Yarbrough and Stephon Hampton.
PB: Why did you first choose to go to Northeastern?
MS: I originally went there because they had a better academic program than most of the schools that were recruiting me. I definitely loved the coaching staff originally. I just thought there would be better opportunities for me coming out of college, career-wise.
PB: Why did you choose to transfer to Coppin State ahead of the 2021-22 season?
MS: One, because it was closer to home. Boston was extremely too far for me. I wanted to attend an HBCU. And then just talking with the coaching staff and coming on campus and getting to know the girls, the team, I definitely just fell in love with it. I love [head coach Jermaine Woods] to death, so he definitely played a big role in me coming to Coppin.
PB: Why was going to an HBCU important to you?
MS: I wanted to shed light on HBCUs. I feel like there are a lot of athletes who want to go to high-major schools when, really, if you go to an HBCU, that’s how you can bring in more revenue and help them prosper and help them grow. And also being around people that look like me and have the same type of mindset as me, it definitely helps you develop into a better person, I feel.
PB: How has your relationship with Woods developed since he recruited you when he was an assistant coach?
MS: It’s been great. Me and Woods, we are attached at the hip. I am a mini-him. If you ask him, he will say that I am him just in a different form. We talk pretty much every day, every other day just to ensure that we’re on the same page as far as the team and where we’re looking to go and things that we’re looking to do. And off the court, that’s my guy. I know if I’m ever in anything, I can call him. If I need anything, I can call him and he’s going to be there, no questions asked.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Coppin?
MS: I would say the campus life and the people that attend the school. Coppin is a smaller institution, but I think that’s what makes it so great. In the classroom setting, you get more of a one-on-one with your professors. It’s really hard for you to fail here because you have professors who really care. The staff is always trying their best. When it comes to the student body, everyone knows everyone. It’s such a family type of environment. Walking through campus, everyone is speaking to each other. It’s smiles, it’s laughs. Anything that happens on campus, everyone can come together and have a good time. I feel like at other universities, athletes are kind of in their own world. I feel like we’re treated normally here. I definitely like that.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Baltimore?
MS: I would say how cheap it is. I’m from PG County, so that part of Maryland is definitely more expensive. The food options out here are a lot better. I feel like there’s more to do out here and for a better price.
PB: Do you have a favorite food spot?
MS: Probably Banditos. I love tacos.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
MS: Probably Tyler Gray. She literally calls me for everything. There could be something wrong in her closet at her apartment and she’s going to call me. I would probably say Tyler Gray or Khya Jenkins.
PB: What advice would you have for younger players?
MS: I would just say trust the process and keep grinding and don’t try to compare yourself to other people. If it’s late in the game and your friends might have offers and you might not have an offer, just trust in God, trust in the process, trust in the plan. It’s all going to come together. It’s all going to work out. It might not look the same way that you would expect it to look, but you’ve just got to trust it.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
MS: This will be my final year of playing. I will be the grad assistant until I finish out my master’s here at Coppin. After that, my goal is to be a school psychologist for middle school.
PB: What master’s degree are you pursuing?
MS: I’m currently getting my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Rehabilitation. Just being an athlete and just knowing about mental health and having my own mental health struggles, I just want to be able to be a voice and be able to advocate and help out kids so that they understand their emotions and how to go through their emotions.
Photo Credit: Coppin State Athletics/TagTheShooter Photography
Issue 283: October/November 2023
Originally published Oct. 18, 2023