Alyson Miura can trace her inspiration back to something that happened over a decade ago.
When Alyson Miura was around the age of 10, Miura woke up in a panic at 3 in the morning. Her stomach was in pain, and Miura’s mother couldn’t figure out what was wrong. They drove to the hospital to meet Miura’s pediatrician, who instantly made everything better the moment he came into the room.
“He walked in, and I just kind of lit up as if I had to pretend I was okay in front of him, even though he’s my doctor,” Miura said. “He helped me, and it was just so early in the morning. And I just always remember that as a thing of he really made an impact on my life.”
Just as her doctor was to her, Miura wants to be someone that makes others light up the moment they see her. She’s done that plenty during her college career. As players cycle in and out, she’s been consistent in sacrificing her time to help others feel like they’re part of the team.
“From a very young age, I always knew and I still know today that I want to help people in whatever way that looks like,” Miura said.
Alyson Miura has been with USC since her freshman year. She’s just one of three players on the current women’s basketball roster who can claim that feat. And through her four years growing into who she is today, one thing has been central to who she is on and off the court: her dedication to helping others.
At the start of this season, Miura took it upon herself to help junior guard Kayla Williams get acclimated to playing at USC after transferring from UC Irvine, where she had been for the past three years. Some players might be reluctant to help an incoming transfer who plays their same position and is vying to take minutes away from them. But that’s not Miura.
“[Williams is] just learning the ropes of being in this Pac-12 program and competing every day,” senior guard India Otto said. “[Miura is] really helping her try to get her command and own her voice.”
Miura has extended the same kindness to Otto. The two are best friends and have been since their freshman year at USC. Back in 2020, Otto was dealing with a personal matter, and even though the two had only known each other for around a year at the time, Miura was there to pick Otto up.
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of that dark place,” Otto said. “And her presence during that time was something that I’m forever grateful for.”
With her seniority, Miura has become a vocal leader on the team. It’s a team dominated by newcomers and athletes who have been with the program for less than a year or two, but Miura has found her place helping everyone else fit in.
Her effort to help new members find their place on the team isn’t limited to just the players — Miura has the same impact with coaches as well. After former head coach Mark Trakh left the program less than two years ago, Lindsay Gottlieb came in to take the reins of the program. She brought with her an entirely new coaching staff, which is thankful Miura was there to help get the program on the right track.
“She is a bridge from our coaching staff to the players,” assistant coach Wendale Farrow said. “She asked questions for both sides — for what the players need from us and what we need from them. She connects us both. She has done a really good job of seeking out information and coaching from the coaching staff and deliberately bringing it back to our players in a way that they can understand it. She has been one of the first people to come in the office, ask us what our standards are, what our goals are and help us try to set those as we move forward.”
Off the court, Miura also has the same drive to help others. She came to USC thinking she might want to be a doctor, similar to the pediatrician that initially inspired her. After some time, Miura decided she’d rather make a difference in the business world, so she’s pursuing a progressive master’s degree in entrepreneurship and a minor in sports business and management.
Miura isn’t exactly sure what kind of business she wants to start, but she’s considering creating a business centered around helping athletes with mental health and injury recovery. Miura has suffered a couple of leg injuries during her college career, making her feel as if she wasn’t “whole.” She doesn’t want anyone else to have to experience that same feeling.
“I really felt like I just lost a huge part of my identity because for so long. ‘Who are you?’ ‘Oh, I’m Alyson Miura. I’m a student-athlete on women’s basketball.’ That’s how you introduce yourself. That’s always the first thing that comes to mind … So I just felt like I had lost so much of me.”
While she finds out how she wants to help others in the future, Miura is helping and leading others right now. She’s a member of the Trojan Athletic Senate and part of the community service subcommittee. She also interned with Special Olympics in June at Cal State Long Beach. Miura was “moved” by the Special Olympians she met during her time at the event.
“I got to help out at the events and see how everything works behind the scenes and interact with the Special Olympics athletes,” Miura said. “It was just so much fun. It was a really great time, and I have great connections with those people now, so I’ll definitely be volunteering when I can.”
While Miura is well on her way to fulfilling her goal of helping others, her team is helping her to fulfill her other set of goals — those pertaining to the hardwood. Back in October, Miura laid out what she wanted her team and herself to accomplish by the end of her senior season.
“Our main goal right now is to just figure out who we are and what we’re going to be good at,” Miura said. “But our ultimate goal is obviously to go to the tournament, go all the way if we can and win as many games as we possibly can.”
Since October, the Trojans have figured out exactly who they are. They’re a gritty, lockdown defensive team that prides itself on going toe-to-toe with the top programs in the nation. On Friday, USC will accomplish what Miura considers to be the team’s “ultimate goal” of making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2014. Although Miura didn’t play much during the season, her compassion and leadership during the program’s low points helped the Trojans get to where they are today.
As her time at USC wraps up, Miura will be remembered fondly by members of the program — for being someone who stayed and for offering her time to make the lives of those around her better.