Elvera "Peps" Neuman: The story behind the viral sensation, the Minnesota Blanket Lady

I was walking around the Golden One Center at the Sacramento regional for the women’s NCAA tournament last weekend and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the viral social media sensation Elvera ‘Peps’ Neuman, also known as the Minnesota Blanket Lady. I approached her and asked for a picture, not because she is the woman who went viral for hyping up the crowd at the University of Minnesota women’s basketball games with her blanket, but because she is one of the pioneers of women’s basketball. 

Neuman grew up on a farm in the small town of Eden Valley, Minnesota where she played basketball on a hoop attached to the family’s barn. Growing up with four older brothers, she quickly developed a love for the game. She wanted to play basketball for her high school in the early 1960s, but because Title IX hadn’t been passed, her school had no women’s team. Determined to continue playing, she tried to play for the boys’ team, but it was not allowed. 

Later, during a conversation with an English teacher, she was told of a women’s professional game that was taking place 14 miles from her hometown. At the game, Neuman was inspired by a team, known as the Harlem Chicks. The Harlem Chicks was a team that consisted of all Black players. Neuman wrote a letter begging to join the team, but segregation prevented it. 

Neuman eventually joined a barnstorming team, the Texas Cowgirls. Before the creation of organized women’s leagues, barnstorming teams emerged all around the country. These teams would travel all around the nation to play exhibition games using traditional 5 v 5 rules. Neuman’s basketball career exploded after joining the Cowgirls. Each season they played around 140 games, and drove all around the country, sometimes driving hundreds of miles in a single day. 

She later founded her own team, the Arkansas Gems. Neuman was the star, and she did everything for the team. On top of getting buckets every single game, she drove the bus, recruited players, and performed at halftime. Neuman’s career came to an end after playing professionally for 44 years. Her list of career accomplishments is long, but one incredible achievement is scoring 108 points in a game. 

Neuman now devotes her life to cheering on the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. She is spotted at every game holding her blanket and cheering as loud as she can. Some say she played an important role in Minnesota's second round win over Green Bay. The Gophers were down going into the fourth quarter, and Neuman ran with her blanket around the stadium, fans started screaming and yelling, and they helped fuel Minnesota's fourth quarter surge to a victory and trip to the Sweet 16. Through her successful career as a professional player and her obsessive fandom, Elvera ‘Peps’ Neuman will forever be remembered as a pioneer for the game of women’s basketball.

My picture with Elvera "Peps" Neuman at the Sacramento regional