All eyes are on the WNBA this season, as rookies like Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese and Jacy Sheldon rack up points after years of hard work to get there. They put in hours on the court, naturally, and also use a variety of techniques to stay physically and mentally fit, so they can give “the best versions of themselves.” We’ve collected the best of those tips here.
Rickea Jackson plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. She opened up about her support from her family with Inside the Wubble. “I just love them. I just want to make them proud and they’re always there for me. so you know I’m just always trying to be there for the kids back in the city and you know give them back to the community and things like that. I’ve been getting a lot of support from this and from my family and friends. My family knows that this transition hasn’t been the easiest so they’re always there for me. I’m an introvert, I’m a homebody, so they know a little I love you text is all I need to keep pushing.”
Julie Vanloo talked about being drafted by the Washington Mystics with The Next. “I have been having a lot of moments where I just try and sit down and take it all in,” she said. “… I always wanted to play with so many players on this team that I said, ‘How would it be to play with this and this player?’ And it’s happening. So … I’m just smiling all the time. I’m just really liking it. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself, be a good teammate and go with the flow. … I’m really in my prime time right now, and I know I can give something to this team.”
Alissa Pili plays for the Minnesota Lynx. She opened up about wanting to represent her Polynesian culture with The Next. “I take a lot of pride in it, especially because you don’t see a lot of Polynesian women’s basketball players or basketball players in general. It’s something I do take a lot of pride in. Ever since I’ve been here at Utah, I’ve been seeing a lot more just Polynesian people coming out to the games and little Polynesian girls coming up to me after the game and it makes me so happy to know that I’m having an impact on them.”
Angel Reese plays for the Chicago Sky. She tells SportsNet that while she’s glad the WNBA is getting more popular because of players like Caitlin Clark, she’d like other players to receive the same attention. “People are talking about women’s basketball that you never would think would be talking about women’s basketball. People are coming to games. We got celebrities coming to games. Sold out arenas. The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of one person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that.”
Cameron Brink plays for the LA Sparks. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, she called for the media to be kinder and to not expect perfection from rookies. “We were drafted to high-drafting teams coming off losing seasons, which is fine. It’s a learning process. But people expect us to be perfect, and it’s freaking exhausting. I feel like we learn how to tune it out, but still, it’s unrealistic, and it kind of just shows that people don’t know basketball.”
Kate Martin opened up about how she’s approaching her future with the Las Vegas Aces to KGET. “I knew it was going to be really hard to make this team, so I just came in with an open mindset,” Martin said. “I wanted to be a sponge and learn as much as possible, and after a few days, I started to gain more confidence. I thought, ‘Maybe I could make this team,’ but I never got my hopes up too high because you never know what’s going to happen in this league.”
Jacy Sheldon is playing for the Dallas Wings. She talked about her approach to the game in an interview with The Dallas News. “I’m a competitor, man,” Sheldon said. “I just want to go out there and get a win, honestly. No matter the drill, no matter the play. I just want to compete, that’s what competitors like. I love the competition, the challenge. These women can play, and learning from them, and being able to learn their system has been awesome so far.”