This story appears in FCA Magazine’s July/August 2015 issue. Subscribe today!
Born: July 7, 1987
Hometown: Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Height: 5-10
Position: Forward
Notes:
• Selected 17th overall by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the second round of the 2010 WNBA Draft
• Led the NCAA in scoring during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” –James 2:14 (NIV)
I claim Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, as my hometown, but only because it was the final place my family landed before I graduated from high school. We moved a lot, spending several years in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Kansas and, finally, Tennessee, all before I turned 18.
We were close as a family, but I spent a lot of time on my own reading books, playing with dolls or just doing anything where I didn’t sweat. That probably sounds funny coming from a professional basketball player, but I wasn’t into sports as a young girl. I first picked up a basketball in seventh grade (mainly so I could spend more time with friends), and I wasn’t nearly coordinated enough to think it’d ever lead to where I am today.
Faith and spirituality weren’t a huge part of my childhood. My parents took us to church, and I remember being baptized, but I didn't really understand the meaning behind it. My parents always tried to make sure we had a spiritual foundation, but it wasn't an everyday thing for us.
During my early high school years in Kansas, my churchgoing friends impacted my faith more than anyone had to that point. They encouraged me in my faith. Through their examples, I wanted more of what they had: a solid relationship with Christ. I went to church with them, and that's probably the most accurate “starting point” for my faith journey.
But we moved to Tennessee my sophomore year, and I slid back into a more lukewarm following of Christ. My basketball abilities still weren’t even varsity material, let alone college or professional. But my coaches really helped me improve, so much so that a college career became a real possibility heading into my junior year.
I suffered a rare hip injury that season that could’ve derailed my entire athletic career, but through God’s provision I was able to heal and come back as a senior.
I spent my first two years in nearby Nashville at Belmont University, where a coach told me playing professionally was a realistic possibility. It was tough to leave, but I needed to be challenged more during my final two years, so I transferred to Middle Tennessee State University.
That decision proved to be great, as I led the nation in scoring during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Then, in a script only God could pen, the girl who grew up not wanting to even touch a basketball was drafted in the second round of the 2010 WNBA Draft.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses from there, though. What followed were some of the toughest years of my life. It’s hard for a second-round pick to make a WNBA roster, and I was cut prior to each of my first two seasons. I went to Israel to play, but I was alone and had to deal with the overwhelming thought of not being good enough. I leaned on my faith during that time, but little did I know how God was going to change my life in the upcoming years.
Those seasons in Israel refined my skills, and when the Seattle Storm invited me to training camp in 2012, I made their roster. It was absolutely amazing to be on the team, but it was still a growing process for me to learn my role and how to contribute in that position.
Since then, I’ve seen how God had His hands directing my path for quite some time. In that first year in Seattle in 2012, my faith really started to grow through teammates Temeka Johnson, Camille Little and Tanisha Wright. They were great leaders on the court, but even better spiritual mentors who helped me understand what having a relationship with God was and how to live my life for Him. They were great examples as women of Christ for me to follow. Now, in my fourth year with the team, I’m excited to follow the example they set for me as I pour into younger teammates.
A lot of athletes can get too caught up in their sport. They make it their everything. My faith in Christ—and the peaks and valleys He’s directed me through—has shown me there's more to life than basketball. This is just a blip on the radar. I hope to use the platform God has given me to point others to Him as I give Him the glory.
-FCA-
–This article appears in the July/August 2015 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: July/August 2015 FCA Mag Digital
–Want FCA Magazine in your home or business? Subscribe here: fca.org/orderthemag
–For daily faith and sports content follow @FCAMag on Twitter (www.twitter.com/fcamag) and “Like” FCA Magazine on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fcamag).
Photos courtesy of the Seattle Storm