Playing the last two years during my WNBA off-season in Athens, Greece where life is a party could not be more opposite to my current experience in AnShan, China, where their mantra is more like “all work and no play.” I have always embraced new experiences, and have been pleasantly surprised by my time here and what I have learned from the Chinese people.

At first glance, the opposites are blatantly obvious, from my sheer physical stature to my democratic thought process. In all fairness, I have to admit that I am uncertain whether my experiences with Chinese culture is applicable to the masses or just the small percentage of which after having their talent recognized, were forced to drop out of school at a young age and practice twice a day every day of their lives up until the point where I now know them as my teammates. Our days are like those in the movie, “Groundhog’s Day” where Bill Murray wakes up and experiences the same day over and over again. To an outsider who is so used to having passion associated with sports, one would naturally question their stoical behavior on the court, until you realized that it is a natural defense mechanism where freedom is absent and perfection is required.

As I walk though the streets of AnShan and some of the other smaller cities we play in, I am well aware that I am the only American some of these people will ever interact with in their lifetimes. Initially, people stare with what seems to be a very hard, expressionless face, but then a simple hello (nihao) and a smile will melt away the misconstrued harshness and very genuine greeting is returned. Once this preliminary barrier is broken I have found most Chinese people to be unbelievably kind and hospitable. When it comes to the Western world, the Chinese culture possesses a very dichotic reverence. On one hand you find there is high level of fascination and attraction and quite equally on the other you are greeted with the same level of mistrust and abhorrence.

Overall you will notice there is very little pretense in their culture from their mode of communication, to the content of information, to their social interactions. Americans have championed the ability of talking a lot while really saying nothing at all, meanwhile, the Chinese words will be few, but they are spoken with an immense amount of intent and meaning. What is deemed “socially acceptable” in conversation varies greatly as well, as it is not uncommon for one’s personal information like their salary to be spoken with the same ease that Americans discuss the weather. With regard to relationships, most of the Western world has a wide social web of friends where interactions range from very intimate to extremely fake. The Chinese culture places more emphasis on depth and authenticity, so you will find that most people will have a tight circle of very close friends and they do not waste any effort trying to maintain pseudo relationships.

More than any country in Europe that I have played in, China has remarkably preserved their history and tradition over the years and there is an unmistakable air of pride in their heritage. This is physically evident in the ancient temples, it is obvious in the knowledge of their countries historical events and figures and it is also evident in their unwavering adherence to traditions. Some might argue that this preservation has come at the steep price of communism and lack of modernization. Just as heartbreak increases ones ability to understand their capacity to love, witnessing the effects of socialism has allowed me to more fully comprehend the freedoms we enjoy through democracy. Please know that I am presenting my reflections with immense respect to the people who have so graciously welcomed me to their country, it is not my intent to come off presumptuous or egocentric.

Surrounded by such devotion to their customs, I cannot help but contemplate how our country compares in this category. With the words of our founding documents constantly under scrutiny and the key values of our country seemingly negotiable, I find myself questioning how much if any of our heritage as a nation do we adhere to? It seems as if we are defined by the simple ideals of democracy, the freedom of thought and action and speech, but those principles by pure definition are constantly evolving with time. There is and will always be an overwhelming sense of patriotism and respect for those who fight to defend our freedom, but I cannot help but wonder if we have anything in our heritage that is concrete and static or are we and should we be defined simply by our freedom and ability to progressively evolve that???

For those who have had loved ones bravely lose their lives to protect our freedom, my heart goes out to you. Thankfully, my sister was not one of them. Physically she returned a few months later to be medically discharged with severe depression and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), but my best friend, the sister, the daughter, the wife, and the mother are in essence still missing in action. Since then, I have watched my sister battle an opponent far greater than one that I will ever face on the court — it is the one she faces every day in her mind.

There is a certain stigma when dealing with mental issues, as if it is a sign of weakness that should be only discussed in secret, if at all. When I was asked to write something for our upcoming Military Appreciation Night on Sept. 10th, I thought it was important for the 1 in 8 soldiers returning from service with PTSD and their families to know that we are so grateful for their sacrifices and service to our country!!

If ever there was a time when saying “thank you” just does not seem to be enough to show the level of gratitude that is trying to be conveyed, it is when it is directed toward our appreciation for the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces. San Antonio has a very large military presence, with 4 different bases in the area, so we are accustomed to seeing men and women in uniform at our games, throughout the city and in the airport. As we honor our military, I want to make sure that they understand that it is a continuous flow of appreciation, and that our gratitude extends to every branch of the military as well as their families. We recognize that their sacrifices are not an isolated instance or singularly experienced. There are spouses who are left to manage households on their own, children who have never met their fathers, and extended family members who spend countless hours worrying for loved ones. On behalf of the Silver Stars organization, we proudly salute you and are eternally grateful for your service!!!

I recognize that the majority of my blogs are serious topics, so in order to switch it up I am doing a light-hearted piece on what most of your favorite WNBA players are experiencing overseas right now.  Before I continue, please allow me to say that in no way am I trying to insult anyone from Europe.  I have absolutely loved every team and country that I have had the opportunity to play in and I think that Americans could learn a lot from each of these countries.

But with that said:

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN EUROPE WHEN . . . . . 

- the plane touches down and everyone starts to clap
- the passenger 10 rows back gets up as soon as you get to the gate and tries to push their way to get off the plane first
- your plane never actually pulls up to a gate, but instead you wait for everyone to disembark and get on a passenger bus only to take you the 10 feet that separates your plane from the actual airport.
- somehow at 6-foot-5 I become invisible, as people apparently do not see me standing right in front of them and try to push right through me—there is no concept of personal space or the phrase “excuse me”
- there are more Smart Cars than SUVs on the highways
- all traffic laws become optional
- you find yourself eating lunch at 2:00 and dinner at 10:00
- your socks are forever hard and crusty because there are no clothes dryers
- Coke tastes like Pepsi
- “Going for coffee” will take at least two hours
- the “non-smoking section” is in the middle of the “smoking section”
- you have to sleep in the fetal position because your king size bed is really about the size of a twin 
- your laptop is as big a the TV screen in your hotel room
- nothing is open on Sunday 
- you practice twice a day, every day . . . just because
- after getting your 5th foul, you realize what a luxury it is to have 6 in the WNBA
- taking an on-side step to start a drive or doing a spin move at the end of a play is traveling, but the five steps you take at the end of the drive are not?
- when someone says they will do it “tomorrow” that really doesn’t mean the following day . . .it refers to some approximate date in the future.

All jokes aside, I love being back in Athens with my teammates and coaches at Athinaikos as we try to defend our Greek and EuroCup titles!!!

Does history really have to repeat itself?  Even though it has in the past, can we finally learn the lessons of those before us without having to experience them first hand?  Is it because we do not share our knowledge with one another or seek understanding beyond that which impacts our everyday life that we must learn those lessons again ourselves?  Or are these tendencies of prejudice, pride and discrimination unfortunately ingrained in humanity?  I have come to the conclusion that it is probably a little of both.  Like most parents, my mother tried to give me guidance growing up to protect me from making the same mistakes she did . . . but there were also times where the life lesson could only be learned through experiencing the pain myself.  We try to teach our children right from wrong, but quite possibly these lessons cannot always be taught sometimes they must be learned on their own.



Invictus is such a powerful book, because it highlights the incredible leadership of Nelson Mandela and his ability as a leader to continually offer a hand of reconciliation where most of us would have been quick to offer retaliation.  If history must repeat itself, then let it also repeat the example that Mandela offers us all . . . one of vision, constantly seeking peace over revenge and humbly being the first to bridge the gap that prejudice so skillfully divided.



As I have mentioned before, sports provides an amazing platform that transcends the differences that exist in our everyday world concerning race, gender, religion and politics. Invictus also does a wonderful job of illustrating that it is not solely the athletes that are responsible for utilizing this powerful element of sports, the fans play a vital role as well.  As a player, I can tell you that I appreciate the passion that our fans exhibit—in the case of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, this passion was masterfully used to help heal and unite a nation.  Granted we are not overcoming an era immediately following apartheid here in the United States, but we are far from perfect in how we respect and understand one another.  Whether you are cheering for me or against me, please allow your passion to help you see that you have more in common with the person next to you this summer!

Thoughts on my recent trip: Over the last three years we have successfully developed relationships with sports and health care personnel in the area, educated the communities about HIV/AIDS and empowered them to do more efficient testing, and brought much needed equipment and gear.  More importantly we are seeing people within the communities take their own initiative.  We now have an executive team in place that is organizing the sports leagues and implementing the mandatory HIV education curriculum.  Previously our sports clinics have consisted of teaching skills to the players, but this year Ernie Nestor and I were actually able to conduct classroom sessions where we coached the coaches.  For the first time, athletes are taking the vision for their communities and their passion for the sport of basketball and are willingly sacrificing their desire to play so they can invest their time in coaching the generations behind them — and I was extremely excited to work with our first female basketball coaches!  Without a doubt there is much work for us to do, but we cannot help but celebrate the small victories along the way! (for more information go to: www.triadtrust.org)

You may have noticed a common theme throughout my blogs is creating awareness and evoking action accordingly. Throughout the season, you have seen us wear pink uniforms in support of Breast Health Awareness, one of our WNBA Cares initiatives. I find that people are often touched or moved by different causes, but are uncertain how they can help. I hope this story provide you with not only inspiration, but also confidence that you too can make a significant contribution.

Upon landing in Wichita, Kansas, I set out for my 2 ½ hour drive with nothing but endless, flat farmland as far as the eye could see.  For those of you who grew up in a city, it may be hard for you to imagine towns without stop lights, sharing the highway with tractors, or waving at every vehicle that goes by (because if you lived there, you most definitely knew everyone you passed on the road) but this is simply a way of life for those residents in Wilmore, Englewood, Protection, Ashland and Coldwater (WEPAC Alliance). In these five tiny western Kansas towns, you will be hard-pressed to find somewhere that serves your venti no whip extra hot caramel macchiato or a gourmet restaurant beyond the local diner or truck stop, but what you are guaranteed to find is something many of us have lost touch with in the chaos of our busy lives: a sense of community.

Joe Labelle, a 21-year old resident of Ashland, just lost his grandmother to breast cancer, and wanted to do something about it.  He had no idea that his idea of doing a local Pink and White All-Star Basketball Game would unite these five small communities through one of the most memorable sporting events western Kansas has seen.  Over the next eight months, a committee was formed, calls were made, sponsors were found, and numerous volunteers turned Joe’s idea to a reality, as Hoops for Hope was set for Oct. 30, 2009.

Upon finding out that only six local girls could play at a time, the challenge came to fill out the rest of the rosters.  Jackie Stiles, born in Claflin, KS, was contacted and gradually, one by one, former players from KU, K-State (Shalee Lehning) and other bordering state schools agreed to come and play. After committing to coach the game (I was born in Ransom, KS), I quickly found that my coaching debut would be against one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood, Cynthia Cooper.  Losing her mom to breast cancer in 1999, Cynthia not only decided to come and coach the game, but she also agreed to be the keynote speaker in the Health Forum the following day.

When organizing the game with Benjamin Anderson, CEO of the local Ashland Health Center, the event quickly became more than just your average all-star game.  Its focus was to provide resources, and educate and encourage local women to take active responsibility for their health. It has been found, that when we invest in the health, well-being, and education of the women in our communities, our culture changes because women in the United States make 80% of the health care decisions for their families. When we teach them the importance of good health and preventative testing, they pass that knowledge on to their loved ones, but when they neglect their own health, the whole family and community suffers.

For these women, the 2 ½ hour drive I made was not one that took them to the nearest airport, but rather to the nearest hospital were they could get a mammogram.  When money is tight and there is a family to be taken care of, many women in these communities opted to not make this necessary trek. The key to fighting breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 women, is early detection.  The health forum following the game stressed to these women the importance of being proactive when it comes to their healthcare. The proceeds from this game have made it possible to bring a digital mammogram machine to Ashland once a month and because of the publicity surrounding the game, equipment was donated, providing the opportunity for cancer patients to receive chemotherapy locally as well.

One young man’s idea and numerous volunteers and supporters have forever changed the landscape of the health care in these five small Kansas towns.  If you take nothing else away from reading this, let it remind you that anything is possible. Take what you are passionate about, use your area of influence, surround yourself with other like-minded people, and set out on your own journey to make a difference.   Whether it is to honor someone we love, support a cause we believe in, or change an aspect of society that we aspire to be better, our motivation may vary, but the potential for our impact is as endless as the flat, farmland that I passed on my 2 ½ hour drive back to the airport in Wichita.
(for more information about the game or to make a donation go to: http://www.wepacthehouse.org )

Embracing the opportunity to create awareness in Spain, I partnered with Canal plus to produce a Celebrity basketball game. In my career, I have played in many games and have had the honor of wearing jerseys representing numerous different teams, but when I looked down and saw the simple words:

(“a game against malaria”) where USA, Notre Dame, and San Antonio have been positioned across my chest before. . . I was reminded that this was not my normal basketball game. No, there was no preparation or scouting beforehand. In all actuality, our opponent (a tiny organism called plasmodium, that causes malaria) would not be wearing a uniform or even participating in the game.

The unique thing about this game is that at the end of the day there is no winner or loser, because we are all on the same team. I am extremely grateful to the T.V. personalities, politicians, Olympians, teammates, coaches and legendary Spanish men’s basketball players for volunteering their time to participate in the game. I was encouraged by the response of the Spanish people, and their eagerness to join the Nothingbutnets campaign and our fight against malaria. This year, World Malaria Day gave me a new perspective. I learned that it does not matter where in the world you live, creating awareness invokes the same desire by people to help. The solution is the same regardless where you live: send a net, save a life . . . or as we say in Spain, “Envía una red. Salve una vida.”

En Español

Este año, el Día Mundial contra la Malaria no vino más que a reforzar mi idea de que la malaria no es solo un problema en África y Nothingbutnets (Nada pero Redes) no es solo una campaña limitada a los Estados Unidos. Es un problema global y por lo tanto un enfoque universal que puede y debe ser tratado a fin de darle una solución. Durante los dos últimos años y medio como embajadora de Nothingbutnets, he viajado a Africa observando de primera mano los devastadores efectos de la malaria, volví a los Estados Unidos, compartí con todos vosotros lo que había visto, entonces regresé a África para repartir las redes que vosotros tan generosamente nos habíais proporcionado. Este año, mi rol como embajadora se desvío un poco de modo que terminé mi temporada de baloncesto en Europa el dia 25 de abril.

Asi que tuve la oprtunidad de intentar concienciar a la gente en España, me asocié con Canal Plus para producir un partido de gente famosa. En mi carrera, he jugado muchos partidos y he tenido el honor de llevar puestas camisetas de numerosos equipos, pero cuando miro atrás y veo las simples palabras: Un partido contra la malaria donde USA, Notre Dame y San Antonio han estado puestas antes…Yo puedo ver que no es un partido normal. No hay ningún tipo de preparación o scouting antes. En la actualidad, nuestro oponente ( un diminuto organismo llamado, plasmodium, que causa la malaria) no llevaría puesto ningún uniforme ni participaría en el partido.

La única cosa acerca del partido es que al final del día no habrá ningún ganador ni perdedor, porque todos nosotros estamos en el mismo equipo. Yo estoy muy agradecida a las personalidades de la T.V, políticos, deportistas olímpicos, compañeras de equipo, entrenadores y jugadores españoles legendarios por apoyar esta causa y participar en el partido. Estuve muy contenta por la respuesta de la gente de España, y su afán de unirse a la campaña Nothingbutnets y nuestra lucha contra la malaria. Este año el Día Mundial contra la Malaria me dió una nueva perspectiva.Aprendí que no importa en que parte del mundo vivamos, siendo conscientes invocamos el mismo deseo a la gente para ayudar. La solución es la misma a pesar de donde vivamos: Envía una red. Salva una vida.

With a triad of emotions, I sat in reflection of the past, present and future. I was sincerely saddened by the existence of slavery and injustice that fills the pages of our nation’s history. I found myself unbelievably humbled and grateful to those who held steadfast to the vision of what our nation could be, whose life purpose was to be a part of the road of progress. Although slow in its development, and not always evident in their lifetime, the residual effects of their vision came to culmination this day. What an amazing reminder that what we stand for today, may not always be apparent in our own lives, but it will most definitely shape the direction of generations to come. Then, there was the hope and inspiration of what lies ahead, as we continue to battle some of the challenges of old as well as those that accompany a new time and a new age.

President Obama spoke of a new era of responsibility, that we are the guardians of our liberty, and should embody the spirit of service both domestically and abroad. In these tough times we must be committed to working hard, being a part of the solution, and extending a helping hand. What is it that you would like to see changed in your life, in your community or quite possibly in the world we live in? What is your passion or area of influence? Does your neighborhood need a better community center? Children need mentors? Elderly need companionship? Let us all become active participants in the realm of change we wish to see take place.

With a renewed sense of unity, let us continue down the road of progress, taking ownership in our actions now, as we define not only the legacy that we will leave behind but also the possibility of what is yet to come!

As I reflect on my last 2 weeks in South Africa, I feel as though I am in a continuous state of opposition, where various forces are constantly at war with each other.

-The beauty of the countryside vs. poverty-stricken villages

-The hope of a better future vs. the despair of the ever-present reality of AIDS

-Our dispersal of knowledge vs. generations of ignorance

-The need for behavior change for oneself and the community vs. self-satisfying survival mentality

I had the opportunity to speak to a small group of young women one morning, and I was struck by their inability to think creatively or progressively about their future. Simple questions went unanswered . . . What would you like to be? _____(response: blank stare) What would you like to change about your situation? _____(response: blank stare) It was as if their coping mechanism was to limit themselves to the essentials of their existence so not to be disappointed by the possibility of something greater.

Many people have cautioned me not to get disheartened by the challenges of such a devastating disease like HIV/AIDS. They warn me that the rewards are rarely visible, and the challenge is increasingly taxing. So when my hope of influence collides with the dire reality of the situation and there is no concrete, quantifiable results for our efforts; the inevitable question arises, is the glass half full or half empty?

When it comes to AIDS, optimism and inspiration are currently a one way street. They seem to only come from the outside. Our challenge is to create leaders, where no role models exist, to invoke behavior change, where the incentive is still unclear to them, and to provide hope where only blank stares reside. Until people are capable of generating hope and solutions on their own, despair is not an option for any of us. The glass must always be seen as half full, even if there is only one drop at the bottom. This is not done with disillusionment of the problem or progress, but rather with the understanding that those with the ability to foresee a better future must continue to be the eyes for the ones blinded by their own pain and hopelessness.

(please visit www.triadtrust.org if you want more information on the organization or how to help)

Before heading back to South Africa for the next 2 weeks, I stopped for one last coffee at Starbucks, and there it was… in big (RED) letters, a bold reminder of why I was going in the first place: World AIDS Day, December 1.

As I reluctantly paid for my $4 latte, I was also reminded about the tough economic times we find ourselves in, and I couldn’t help but wonder about some correlation between the two. Will our worry about self-sustainability desensitize us to the needs of others, or will these hard times draw us closer together and unite us by our compassion for one another?

Lately I have answered a lot of questions not about the “wheres” or the “whats” of my trip, but, surprisingly, the “whys.” WHY travel to S. Africa? WHY feel so strongly about combating AIDS? The insinuation was this: Why even care at all?

The answer to that is two-fold. First, my faith calls me to display kindness and love for others. Secondly, I believe that the greatest return on an investment does not lie in stocks and bonds, but rather in investing time in the lives of others. This is true for parents with their children, coaches with their players, teachers with their students, and a random group of doctors, athletes and artists with a village of people just south of the Swaziland border.

Time is one of the greatest commodities we all have, and it is a challenge to us all to invest it wisely.

I carry mixed emotions as I head back to the Mpumalanga region I visited this time last year with Triad Trust. I am excited to be reunited with the boys that took part in our basketball program and anxious to share the knowledge I have gained this past year. But I’m also saddened by the statistical reality that with a 50% HIV rate in this area, not all the familiar faces will be present upon my return.

I wrote last year about the grassroots approach we’ve taken to create HIV awareness, encourage testing and teach leadership and life skills through an all-encompassing platform of sport, drama, journalism, photography and music. Although there is no way to quantify our impact on this trip, I am confident that time will tell.

Growing up in the mid-west, I was raised a good Christian girl where everyone looked like me, dressed like me, and as far as I knew was Republican like me. Diversity was not something I experienced until my freshman year at Notre Dame. My education extended beyond my basic academic classes: as my African American teammates explained to me why they can have short straight hair one day and long micro-braids the next, that “whip” actually meant my car, and introduced me to numerous musical artists that I had never heard of before.

Admittedly, I was the naïve of the naïve, but I was also raised in a home where I was taught to love and not judge, that we are all created equal, that race and culture might be some thing that makes us different from each other, but never something that should divide us . As I began to develop strong friendships with teammates of other races, I sought to see life from their perspective and was often surprised at what I saw. The looks or comments that some of my teammates received, the lack of service when we would walk into a certain store or restaurant, or the obvious stereotypes that would be made. My education didn’t stop there, as I saw people that I respected of various ethnicities act out of ignorance because of race and I also experienced discrimination of my own at times when people were not prepared to accept the lone white girl in the group.

I speak of race for obvious reason; our nation has taken a monumental step in this area by electing its first biracial president. This election challenged us all in a way that we have never before experienced. Republicans for the first time voting for a Democrat, young voters becoming passionately involved in politics, Religious organizations struggling to choose their alliances, and for the first time an African American candidate has crossed over the racial bridge that has divided us for so long.

What I have appreciated the most about this election was the on-going dialogue that took place. Granted the dialogue could get heated at times: as we will not always agree on issues of abortion, health care and national security. Success is not always measured by the level of agreement, sometimes it lies in the act of discussion and the understanding that ensues from that.

It was through these conversations that I learned about the tax challenges my friends who own their own small business experience, that not all devoted Christian women are pro-life, the intricacies of what people believe is wrong with our social security, health-care, and welfare systems, and what those who are actually risking their lives for our country believe is the best exit strategy from Iraq. At the end of the day we will always vote according to the priority of our values, and we should hold fast to those values and fight for them, for that is the beauty of democracy—we have a voice! With that voice, let us keep this dialogue open, and let the conversation go on even now after the election has come to a close.

Abraham Lincoln notably stated that we are a government of the people, by the people, for the people, therefore it is our responsibility (as the people) to define not only what type of country we are but also what direction we are going. Both candidates spoke extensively on the issue of “change.” Change does not rest solely on the shoulders of the president and those elected to office, true change happens in the hearts and minds of its people. What will you do these next four years to make our nation better? As America becomes increasingly more diverse, will we seek to understand those of a different race or culture? I challenge us all to not let the excitement and desire for a better future be something we experience once every four years, rather let it propel us to, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”