Just as the 2009 WNBA finals are heating up, we caught up with the Basketball-Hall-of-Famer who made history last year when she played professional basketball at age 50.
How does being the oldest player in WNBA league history compare to being the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a medal?Aging can make maintaining fitness a challenge. For women, who often balance a successful full-time career with motherhood and all that’s entailed, finding the time to focus on your own personal health can be even more of a challenge. This was never more evident to me than when the Detroit Shock signed me to a seven-day contract in the WNBA in July of 2008. I have always been an athlete, and am typically very confident in my abilities. While the thought of going up against women more than half my age was exciting, it was also a bit unsettling.
How did you prepare to play with the Detroit Shock at the age of 50? I had been aware for about a year in advance that I could potentially go back so I had time to prepare mentally. When the opportunity became more concrete, I made a game plan. So, I started eating smaller, healthier meals more frequently throughout the day. I started lifting, running, and cross-training like a world-class athlete. I lifted five days a week, and was at the track twice a week. I ran sprints using weight vests or parachutes for resistance, ran stadium stairs, – you name it, I did it and most of it at high noon in the Texas summer heat. I wanted my training to be much harder than competition.
Was it frustrating to play against younger women?
I never really felt frustrated because it was an opportunity. Physically, I was ready. I had trained, gone through the pain of lifting, running, drills and cross-training. It wasn’t so much a question of being able to execute the moves as it was how quickly I could execute the moves. As you age, that fast-twitch muscle fiber just doesn’t work as quickly as it used to. In basketball, it’s essential that you are able to read the other players on the court and execute plays at the appropriate point in time. For me, because I hadn’t been on court in those shared game situations with the team, there was a bit of doubt because I didn’t know the offense as well. I found myself slowing down for a split second to think, but that slowing down actually helped me make better decisions.
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