Susan (King) Borchardt (2005): The Star who Once gave Lindsey Whalen Fits

Susan (King) Borchardt (2005): The Star who Once gave Lindsey Whalen Fits

By Sloan Martin – The Athletic

In the late ‘90s, Lindsay Whalen wasn’t the only Minnesota girls’ basketball player drawing attention from major colleges.

So when the first-year University of Minnesota women’s basketball head coach was asked who from her past she loved competing against, she chose the guard who beat her out for the Miss Basketball award their senior year in 2000.“For sure Susan King,” Whalen said. “She was awesome. I loved that matchup because she was so good. She was so good in high school. She was good in college.”

The two have reconnected over the years since high school because both have found their own successful paths in basketball. Whalen went on to win the most games in WNBA history and four championships; Susan King Borchardt is a strength and conditioning coach — officially a sports performance consultant — who works with multiple elite WNBA athletes including Sue Bird, who’s playing at a high level at age 38. The point guards battled in the now-defunct Missota Conference for five years. Borchardt joined the Academy of Holy Angels varsity team as a seventh grader. Whalen played for the Hutchinson Tigers starting in eighth grade. They even competed on the tennis court, but never directly because Borchardt recalls she played singles and Whalen doubles.

Basketball started for Borchardt when she would tag along with her father, Gary King, who played at Nebraska-Kearney, to open gyms. She started officially playing in third grade and joined a travel team.

“Really a lot of my basketball playing came from playing with my brothers and going to their practices,” she said. “That was a lot of it growing up was playing with the boys and that made me tough and that made me strong in a way, and I think that really benefitted me as I moved on.” 

Borchardt loved to score — her go-to a pull-up jump shot — but she cherished defense and was often guarding the opposing team’s best player. She dedicated herself to the sport, shooting baskets before school every day since eighth grade. “To this day I think, ‘You’re not going to outwork me,’” she said.

Borchardt says Whalen missing a chunk of her senior season with an ankle injury played a role in her winning Miss Basketball, but Borchardt had a phenomenal high school career: 35 points per game her senior year, named a 2000 First Team All-American by both the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and USA Today, USA Today Minnesota Player of the Year and the Star Tribune Player of the Year as a senior, and she won a bronze medal with the 1998 USA Junior National Team at the World Youth Games in Moscow.

Borchardt also ranks in the top 20 in Minnesota girls high school basketball history in free-throw percentage (80.5), points (3,037), steals (626), field-goal percentage (44.0), and she’s one of three dozen girls all-time to score at least 50 points in a game, which she did as a senior. It was so apparent what talent she was going to turn out to be, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer started recruiting her as an eighth grader.

Whalen earned quite a few accolades herself, and certainly drew attention at Hutchinson as her career advanced, but Borchardt, because of her statistics and playing in the Metro night after night, had more eyes on her in high school. She knew back then, though, how special of a player Whalen was.

“People didn’t quite know about her and I’m not sure exactly why, but I feel like when you’re a player and you like to defend people, you know who the real challenges are,” Borchardt said.

“She was the one, you always knew when you played against her that you were really going to have to work hard and get after it, not to stop her but just try to contain her. I guarded her every game we played. I was always her defender but it was always a huge challenge, but a fun one. All the way up you look forward to playing against the players who are good and who push you. She was definitely that person in that conference.”

Borchardt remembers how gyms were packed to see them their senior year. “Our last year, all of our games, there was a bunch of people,” Borchardt said. “I was like, this is really awesome, not just for us but for the little girls sitting in the front row. How cool to see this.”

Those matchups helped prepare Borchardt for continuing her career at Stanford (she graduated fifth in her class at Holy Angels with a 4.18 GPA) under VanDerveer. She had a cup of coffee in the WNBA, signing a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Lynx and playing three games in 2005 before getting waived, but injuries ultimately derailed her playing career.

Her freshman year she was starting for the Cardinal and remembers the excitement of playing against Tennessee and head coach Pat Summitt in December 2000.  

“It was going exactly how your dream freshman year would start, and that’s how it started for me,” she said.Then she tore the ACL in her right knee, rehabbed for nine months and returned. Just five games after she started playing again, the cadaver graft of a deceased person’s Achilles that doctors had inserted into her knee failed.

“It doesn’t take in one out of 100,000 people or something like that but I happened to be that one and, so then I had to do that all again,” she said. “Basically I went from starting to not playing basketball for two-plus years.”

Borchardt was able to put together a solid final two years at Stanford and her 46.9 percent 3-point shooting in her senior season ranks fourth in Cardinal single-season history. But she ended up going through nine surgeries on that right knee.

By the time she was wrapping up her college career in Palo Alto, she married Curtis Borchardt, a fellow Stanford basketball player and a 7-foot center who was selected No. 18 in the 2002 NBA draft. At one point they were each playing in the NBA and WNBA simultaneously, he for the Jazz and her for the Lynx.

For seven years the couple lived overseas in Spain and France for Curtis’s career. It was there that Borchardt started getting experience on the training side after getting her Stanford degree in psychology.

“I started training for the team my husband was playing for,” she said. “So I got started with men and loved it. It was a natural fit I think because I grew up around my brothers and my brothers’ teams and I loved it.”

After a stop at her alma mater, Susan took a job with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, allowing her to forge relationships in the league. Meanwhile, Curtis transitioned to his second career, wrapping up his doctorate in physical therapy last spring. The family of six now lives in Portland, Oregon.

Both Borchardts dealt with injuries in their playing careers — “We met in the training room at Stanford, which is very appropriate,” she says — and have found a way to extend their basketball careers in a different way.

“The whole sports performance thing, even as a player that was my niche,” she said. “I’m only 5-foot-6 but I always felt like ‘I’m going to be in great shape so I can pressure you all game and I can go longer than you.’ That was my niche. I felt like I had an interest in that area. I thought, let’s try this. I went back and got my certifications and got my master’s and … it’s been a really good fit for me.”

Besides Bird, Borchardt’s training clientele includes WNBA MVPs Nneka Ogwumike and Breanna Stewart. Working as a consultant instead of for a team helps her balance family life and work.

“The game, I love it, it’s been a part of my life from early on,” she said. “Even if I’m not playing, it still feels like I’m a part of some of these elite players’ journeys and that’s a really cool and special thing.”

Both Borchardt and Whalen, once teen basketball “rivals” who are following their love of the sport to long, fulfilling careers, were genuinely excited for the other’s journeys in interviews. Borchardt doesn’t live in Minnesota anymore, but she remains appreciative of the roots the women share.

“It’s so cool to see someone take what they’ve got and run with it and it’s not just the fact that it’s her and the university she played for, it’s the whole state,” Borchardt said. “It’s unbelievable that she’s back (at the U of M).

“Bottom line: it’s so cool to see her doing all these amazing things and I’m so proud of her and excited for the state.”

Mikaela ('15) Returns to Court

Mikaela Ruef  ('15) Returns to Court
 from the "Pick and Roll"; author unknown

IT IS 4pm on a Saturday night at the Cornubia Park Sports Centre, Queensland. Mikaela Ruef stands in the middle of the court in her brand new Logan Thunder kit, ready to work. The 6’3 American comes into the huddle with her new teammates, focused on the task at hand. And then, emotions strike her like a burst of adrenaline, and she struggles to hold it in. For 28 year old Ruef, the journey has been a long one, filled with tears, struggles and hard work; one she refers to as the longest and darkest year of her life. For Mikaela Ruef, this shot is a second chance – a case of good things coming to those that wait.

The buzzer sounds, and the first ball goes up in front of the faithful home crowd as this group of women take on the Mackay Meteorettes in a clash that means more than just a possible win.
This game marks her return from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that had taken the sport she loves away for the twelve months prior, an injury that is plaguing players across the sport. Ruef reflected on this as we sat in a quiet suburban café in Springwood, Queensland.

“To be honest, I was super nervous heading into that first game,” Ruef said. “My biggest worry was that I could go out there and land funny or come down from a layup and redo that injury. Even throughout that game I was really nervous to roll into the paint, because I didn’t want to run into somebody or get blindsided.”

For her, this is putting everything on the line to prove she still has so much to offer the sport she loves. Ruef has risen from the ashes, like a phoenix reborn on the burning path of recovery, but the memory of that injury still vividly haunts her. “I was landing and running down the court on a fast break when the point guard threw it to me in traffic, so I tried to stop and go up for a layup. As soon as my foot hit the floor, my knee just caved in as my body crumbled to the ground,” she said. “I felt it pop back into place. I thought at that point that it may have been nothing but I couldn’t walk so I knew what had happened.”

Ruef was playing in Toulouse, southwest of France back then, and opted to have surgery locally, before heading home for recovery in Dayton, Ohio, where the famous Wright brothers pioneered aviation. Just like the famous duo, Ruef was preparing herself to take flight once more.
Despite a career that has included experience in top tier leagues, including three seasons with three WNBL teams – Sydney Uni Flames, Adelaide Lightning and the Canberra Capitals – along with time in Launceston and France, Ruef knows she has much to prove with this return.

“The recovery process is never a straightforward path. It has major setbacks but when you get back, it is like ‘wow, I did all that work’ and you feel great about it. It made me a better person and really made me cherish basketball so much more being out for that long,” she added. “I just want to show everybody what I can do when I am fully healthy and my body is feeling this great.” For Ruef, this shot in the Queensland Basketball League has been an audition for a WNBL spot – a return to the highest tier women’s league in Australia. The determination in her eyes was clear, as the focus grows like a wildfire from this chance she has been given.

Ruef now leads the state league in average rebounds (19.44) as well as total season rebounds (331). It’s a skill she is proud of having stamped herself as a dominant leader in. She has been player of the week on 2 occasions.

Note: The Queensland Basketball League is the state’s premier semi-professional basketball competition, running from May to September each year. Since its beginnings in 1986 as the State Basketball League, the QBL has seen some of the country’s top basketball athletes move through its ranks in both the women’s and men’s competitions. Highly regarded in the country as one of the best state league competitions, each year the QBL attracts a number of elite players to the competition, including Australian representative athletes, NBL and WNBL players, and players from US colleges and other international competitions.

 

 

Rosalyn Gold Onwude ('10) - Women Making Black History

Rosalyn Gold-Onwude ('10) Is Going Places — and She's Taking Women of Color With Her
from POPSUGAR by Britt Stephens

 

Rosalyn Gold-Onwude had a pretty eventful year in 2018. The 31-year-old basketball analyst landed an international deal with Turner Sports after spending three seasons as the Golden State Warriors' sideline reporter for NBC Bay Area. On Jan. 15, 2018, just two days before we spoke on the phone, she stood outside the Los Angeles Clippers' locker room, reporting on a disturbance between members of the Clippers and the Houston Rockets. Despite the tension, her on-camera report for Inside the NBA resulted in a hilarious moment between commentators Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal that soon went viral.

"After I did that report, I got a call from a number I didn't know," she told me. "Turns out it's Charles Barkley saying how funny the whole thing was and thanking me for my work."

Phone calls from basketball legends are just one of the perks of being a worldwide sports journalist, but Ros — as she is affectionately known — remains humble. "It's been very cool," she said of the new gig, which she says has given her "a chance to learn the league and the game at a higher level."

The level at which Gold-Onwude knows the game is hardly low. Born in Queens, NY, to a Nigerian father and a Russian-Jewish mother, she began playing basketball when she was just 4 years old. She went on to accept a sports scholarship to Stanford University, where she made three consecutive trips to the Final Four and was honored as the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

After graduating from Stanford with a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's in sociology in 2010, she took a job with Tesla Motors — but her heart was always with the game. She chased broadcasting jobs on the side and worked for Pac-12 Networks, the WNBA, and the NBA Development League before joining the Warriors as a sideline reporter.

"It was like a rocket ship," Gold-Onwude says of the team's meteoric rise to greatness. As Golden State went on to compete in three straight NBA Finals (and take home two championship titles), her fame skyrocketed, too. Ask anyone: Gold-Onwude is basically a Bay Area treasure.

The energy, passion, and confidence that she brings to her job have made her a beloved figure among NBA fans. While she recognizes the importance that her role plays in the representation of women of color in white male-dominated spaces, Gold-Onwude is quick to credit other high-profile black journalists like Cari Champion, Sage Steele, Jemele Hill, and Stephanie Ready as inspiring women who have "trailblazed ahead" of her. "I'm thankful that there's already a path paved," she said. "I'm just trying to make my moves and find my own voice within this world."

She's also hoping to help those less fortunate find a voice, too. Recently, Gold-Onwude partnered with Qubed Education to launch a $1 million scholarship program in her name for disadvantaged youth who want to pursue careers in sports. It's something incredibly important to her; she espouses the values that sports have given her, like overcoming adversity, developing confidence, and being part of a team. Sports not only gave Gold-Onwude a college education and a career, but they've also been a beacon of light during some especially dark days.

On screen with TNT and NBA TV, Gold-Onwude is unabashedly herself — relatable, funny, and down to earth — and as someone who comes from a family of basketball fanatics but can't do a layup to save my life, I was thrilled to talk to her. Though it's hard not to be intimidated by her success (she covered men's basketball at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and has an Emmy, for God's sake), her friendly and easygoing demeanor put me right at ease, and her words of wisdom gave me chills. Here, we talk about playing the game, growing up without giving up, and finding balance when "ball is life."

Britt Stephens: I first want to say congratulations on everything that's happening for you. I'm sure it's been a crazy few months as you've gone from covering one team to now covering the NBA as a whole. What has been the most exciting thing about the change?

Rosalyn Gold-Onwude: I enjoy the stories and, having been a player, I enjoy the athletes [and] their journeys. So I've been enjoying getting to know new players that I only saw from a distance and getting to cover the league as a whole. Every day at work, I'm literally surrounded by legends of the game and of broadcasting. I also enjoy the interactions I'm having. I've been pleasantly surprised [at] just how many guys have paid attention. Either they have said, "Hey, I remember you from when you played in college," or, "Hey, congratulations. I'm happy for you." There's a lot of support and encouragement within the league, and I've been really touched by that.

BS: Sports broadcasting seems like such a natural transition for athletes across all sports; what inspired you to make that move, and how has it informed your life as a former athlete?

RGO: I was really fortunate that I was given the game of basketball at the age of 4 by my mom. She introduced me to the game. And knowingly or not, it's really become a vehicle in my life. When people say, "Ball is life," I chuckle, but it's true: basketball has been my whole life. It has continued to give to me. Basketball provided me an athletic scholarship to college. It's given me great teammates and great experiences on the court. It's given me a career that I love. It's given me many of my closest friends. [Making] the shift from playing to broadcasting was a way to stay close to the game that I love. Not everybody is going to continue on to be a pro athlete, but you can still have a career close to the game you're passionate about. I think it's important for young people to understand that you can still have your passions and be close to them in other creative job fields.

BS: You started broadcasting as a side hustle while you were at Tesla, and you turned it into a full-fledged career. Tell me about how you did that and what challenges you may have faced.

RGO: Well, broadcasting is the entertainment industry, right? It's a really competitive business. You don't just say, "I want to be a broadcaster" and get a full-time job. You don't even get a part-time job, for the most part. I played basketball at a high level. However, I'm not one of the Maya Moores or Cynthia Coopers of the game. My first role in broadcasting started in the analyst and color-commentator role, and it's probably the best thing that's happened for me because I [could] really talk about and break down the game. That was more helpful than I even knew.

BS: You started broadcasting as a side hustle while you were at Tesla, and you turned it into a full-fledged career. Tell me about how you did that and what challenges you may have faced.

RGO: Well, broadcasting is the entertainment industry, right? It's a really competitive business. You don't just say, "I want to be a broadcaster" and get a full-time job. You don't even get a part-time job, for the most part. I played basketball at a high level. However, I'm not one of the Maya Moores or Cynthia Coopers of the game. My first role in broadcasting started in the analyst and color-commentator role, and it's probably the best thing that's happened for me because I [could] really talk about and break down the game. That was more helpful than I even knew.

I had five gigs with ESPN around women's college basketball. I think you're paid less than $1,000 for each gig, so I needed a full-time job. I got both my bachelor's and my master's at Stanford, and Tesla was recruiting from Stanford. I had an opportunity to work for them and moonlight with the broadcasting gigs that I had. I told [Tesla] that I was still in this "figuring it out" space, so they were very flexible with me.

BS: That new graduate life is not always the easiest.

RGO: I'll share something I haven't shared before: that first year out of school was actually the worst year of my life. I left the comfort of having a basketball team caring [for me], and my long-term relationship ended — suddenly [I was] trying to figure out who I was alone. I didn't necessarily know which way I wanted to go with my career: should I play ball, should I do broadcasting, should I get a corporate job? At home, my mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and dementia; she had lost her job, and we lost our apartment. My sister was going through her own problems and had to find her own path, [and] my dad had just moved to Nigeria, so he was across the world setting up his life there. It was a really hard time in my life, and it all happened at the same time. But I think what happened was a blessing in some ways. It made me tough in a way I never had to be tough.

I didn't have any other options if things didn't get figured out in my professional life. There was a lot of anxiety, ambiguity, and uncertainty. So I took the Tesla job and chased other odd jobs in broadcasting: I was writing for the Stanford football recruiting website, teaching a public speaking course, and coaching my landlord's daughter's basketball team so that I could get half off the rent! Eventually, I was able to piece enough odd jobs together that I was almost able to call it a very low salary. I left Tesla and chased this broadcasting dream full-time. It was very humbling, sometimes embarrassing. I felt I was being selfish by pursuing my dream, especially given how much pressure there was at home. I definitely thought about giving up broadcasting.

I think a real crossroads in my career was The Pink Room, which was a digital show I created with a friend — we called it that because we filmed it out of my bedroom. We covered women's basketball, and we did a couple episodes and then pitched it to the Pac-12 Conference, which I played in while at Stanford. They said, "This is cool. Can you do this for the conference for all 12 teams? We can't pay you this year, but it can help you get your foot in the door." So we did it: we pulled all-nighters, drove two hours to get there and come back and put this thing together, and we did it each week for 12 teams.

The next year, Pac-12 Networks started, and I got a contract from them. That was the first time I could definitively say, "I have a salary, and I'm a full-time broadcaster." From there, I was able to continue to build into not only women's college, but men's college too — then WNBA, then NBA Development League, and then, finally, into the NBA with the Warriors.


BS: Something that really resonated with me was when you said you felt a level of selfishness about following your dreams. When you have some hard stuff going on at home, you always kind of feel that battle: do I live my own life or do the "responsible thing" and serve the needs of my family?

It seems like at some point the light bulb goes off, and you decide, "I'm going to take this road because this is what's going to make me happy." I know how stressful that can be, but how ultimately freeing it is after you come to that agreement with yourself. I think so many people — especially those in creative fields — have that galvanizing moment in their lives.

RGO: Exactly. I think for me it was a really quick shift from being a girl in college with a support system to having all of my support systems pulled right from under me — the comfort of a college basketball team, and the comfort of a relationship (my boyfriend was older than me and kind of led the way), and the comfort of having a home to go to and [my] mom being the mother figure — and suddenly realizing, "I'm the person who's in charge." I didn't have money or any real-world experience, [so] I had to learn quick. I was thrust into a position where I had to figure out lawyers, social work, and places my mom could go. Literally, we were homeless. I had to find shelters; I had to find communities for women in need — and eventually, as we figured out her diagnosis, places that could help those with dementia.

Even while pursuing what I wanted to, I was always shouldering a responsibility. I'm not going to try to act like I'm some superhero; I definitely think that at my lowest point is where I found a fire and said, "Come on. We're going to double the effort." And if it didn't work out, I might have ended up in something else a little bit more "responsible." There's a Martin Luther King Jr. quote that my dad had on our wall — he really loved MLK — and it's like, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort . . ."
 
BS: ". . . But where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." I think that quote is basically considered a black spiritual. It came up in my house a lot growing up as well.RGO: Thank you! You know what the meaning is. It is such an important quote to live by. If I were to give advice to anyone that wants to be in broadcasting, but also to any young black women, it's that. There will be a lot of rejection, especially in the entertainment business or a creative space. And in those moments, what helped me was responding with resilience and being resourceful — telling myself, "Let's find a new way to try to get there, all right?" Networking and staying with it and continuing to hustle and work hard. Once doors start to open, they often continue to. It's just getting over that initial hump. It's like a four-minute mile: once you break it, you can really do it.
BS: You've been able to open all these doors and carve out a path for yourself, and something I admire about you is that you seem to be very much yourself on camera. But the field that you're in is very white male-dominated, and those kinds of workplaces can often be frustrating for women of color. As a black woman in sports journalism, have you felt pressure to change your hair, your style, or the way you speak?

RGO: One of the things we're burdened with [as black women] is having to prove to people what we're not or [showing] people we belong or that we're good enough. These are things that our male or white counterparts likely aren't having to think about; they can just come in and deliver and expect to be accepted and know that their contribution is valuable. What we have to overcome are those moments of low confidence, and especially as women — you can see it over and over through the fight for equal pay or even the #MeToo movement — not being sure of what our value is. The system has taught us that it would cause trouble to demand more.
 


I know who I am. I know where I'm from. Whenever I take a step forward, I understand I'm representing just by being there. I hope people are looking at the subtleties, because it's all intentional. When I wear an outfit that has Ankara fabric or is from Nigeria, or when I put my hair in cornrows, it's definitely to show we're accepted here, and unapologetically so. Not only are black women doing it; we're going to do it at a fashionable, fabulous high level, and it's going to be popping [laughter]. I'm just being me and sharing the journey with everyone else.
 
I always think, "Who am I representing? What am I representing?" and try to deliver my own personal style. I try to be myself in a few ways: it's always been important to me not to have "reporter voice." I want to talk the way I really talk to my friends. I hope when you listen to me, you hear someone that sounds relatable. I hope you're hearing the joy and the energy that I carry when I talk about the game. I try to dress with color and vibrance and patterns that represent my culture and who I am as a person — and not just as a black woman, but as a mixed-race African woman. There's not just one acceptable hairstyle for professionalism. You can have braids; you can have protective styles; you can have twists; you can change it up.

I think playing sports helped me. I think all people should play sports; it's especially helpful for minority groups. Let's not even talk about becoming a pro; let's not even talk about going to college on a scholarship — there are so many valuable lessons in life that you take from it. You deal with overcoming adversity, teamwork, and developing confidence. Because of that, I've already pushed myself at a young age to get outside of my comfort zone; I've already dealt with eating humble pie, I've already dealt with having to buy into something bigger than myself, and I've already dealt with things not going my way. I come to work prepared, and I know what I'm talking about, and I think that the athletes and coaches respect that. I'm thankful to have worked for great networks — NBC Sports, Pac-12 Networks, and now Turner — that very much support people being themselves. I've worked within organizations that have allowed that.
 
BS: Well, I have chills right now. It's really cool to hear that it's intentional and that you are aware of the black women and little black girls watching you. There is a lack of black female representation in a lot of industries — and while there are some shifts happening, I think that black women are looking to those in the spotlight to be champions for the rest of us. It sounds like you feel a sense of responsibility to do that in your job.

RGO: There are many people that want to do [my] job and plenty that would do it for free. That's why every day I come to work, I do not allow myself a bad day or a bad attitude. I try to remind myself how blessed I am to have this opportunity: to come in and study basketball, study strategy, and study stories, and then share them with the public. I try to remind myself that my job is about helping people relax and have joy or have fun around a sporting event. And I try to remember the human aspect of it — the humans that are watching it, and also the very human people that are playing it.

I've always been taught that I'm representing something bigger than myself. It was always important to my father how we represented our home and our family. Many Nigerian kids can speak to the fact that their Nigerian parents always wanted them to do well. Academics were also very important to my mother, and she was the one really pushing basketball [on me]. From there, [Stanford Hall of Fame Coach] Tara VanDerveer constantly reminded us, "You don't just represent yourself. You represent the name on the jersey. You're representing a whole university."

Now, as a professional with more experience and maturity, it's no longer "Don't mess this up" or "Don't be a knucklehead," it's "Let's grab this by the horns and walk with a purpose so that you can leave a trail others can follow." I feel like I'm just beginning.
           
BS: I want to talk about the scholarship program that you're working on, because I think it's so important. How did you get involved, and how do you hope to provide     
 
RGO: Chris Strachan started Kick'n It For a Cause, which is a nonprofit that utilizes sneaker culture as a vehicle to break down social barriers. I got to know Chris because he's really cool with [Warriors point guard] Stephen Curry; when I was covering the Warriors, Chris would be around building his program and the community and also doing his sneaker blogging. He saw how my profile was growing from the local to the national level, and he approached me with an opportunity to become a part of a scholarship program with Columbia University, Qubed Education, and Kick'n It For a Cause.

The program helps underserved youth pursue careers in the sports industry and is giving up to $1 million in scholarship money, and some of it will be under my name. My scholarship will be focusing on finding young women who love sports — especially in minority groups — and empowering them and giving them the resources to learn and pursue what they care about. I also want to be very much hands-on — giving them the opportunity to speak with me, shadow me, learn from my experiences, and gain their own resources. In addition to the scholarship money, students will receive an Ivy League completion certificate [from Columbia] and get an insider view of what this industry is about. We want a hands-on experience where they can also come away with something practical, and we're targeting those that need it most. I'm excited about it! 
 
BS: When it comes to all of the things you've accomplished so far, what are you most proud of right now? RGO: I think the highlight of my career so far has been working at the Rio Olympics. I was covering the Olympics on the international level for NBC, which was the biggest stage for men's basketball. That is really rare, especially for a 29-year-old black woman, to do. It was a huge deal for me, and I think it also changed the seriousness with which I was taken in this industry. I was also able to build relationships with the top players and coaches, and it's still helping me today in my current job. It really was a very beneficial experience. I'd say that's the highlight.

BS: I'd agree that's something to be proud of. Is there anything else?

RGO: Covering the Warriors' surge to greatness — I feel proud that I was able to improve fast enough to keep up with them! I feel that I gave it my best shot and covered it with the grace that it deserved, and I was very fortunate, very lucky, and very blessed to be a fly on the wall for all of that. In general, I would say that I'm proud of the fact that I've never had to compromise myself or take shortcuts; I worked hard, and I'm proud that I didn't give up. In those moments when I was embarrassed and scared and had no money, I'm glad that I decided in that moment to give it a shot again, to stay with it. I very much believe it's possible to be successful without playing dirty or trying to cut other people down so you can get higher. I didn't give up my flavor or any of the things that make Ros, Ros.
           
BS: I love that. Your job obviously requires so much travel and networking, and just a lot of general hustle and bustle. What do you do to stay sane amid all the craziness? RGO: Well, I've always been pretty good at balance. People often look at my Instagram, and they're like, "Girl, how are you doing this?" [Laughter.] But something that I've learned through all of this is that if you don't make time for the things that are important to you, you will not do them. And while I am pursuing a career, I've never wanted to be the woman that looks up and suddenly realizes she didn't have any of the other things. I want a family. I want to have a social life. I want to have friends. And I think time management and good prioritization help me be able to do that. There are times when I have less sleep than others, but I make sure to mix in dinners with friends or time for family or a vacation or "Hey, let's get that Groupon for a massage."

You can't work so hard that you put yourself into the ground. A healthy mind, body, and spirit is very important, and I put a real emphasis on holistic success. I don't only think I'm successful if my career is going well. I've had to stop and reassess my workouts and how I'm eating and how healthy I'm being with food and exercise, especially with all the travel. I've had to check myself, like, "Hey, I've been on the road a lot. I've been working a lot. Have I been on a date? Am I being healthy in my love life?" I do those check-ins regularly. I pray regularly. I think balance is very key, and that's something I've been good at: balance.       


                                                                              
BS: It's good to hear that you're doing those check-ins. So, speaking of balance, I have a few rapid-fire questions.

RGO: All right!

BS: Twitter or Instagram?

RGO: Oh, that's so hard [laughter] . . . Twitter. It's so entertaining sometimes, oh my God. And shout-out to NBA Twitter too, because it has been fantastic as of late.

BS: I might already know the answer to this, but East Coast or West Coast?

RGO: I'm always the East Coast gal. I'm from New York, but the West Coast is very important to me, too.

BS: Fair. OK . . . ideal vacation?

RGO: Anywhere with a beach. I am a beach baby. I could start at the beach at 8 a.m. and stay until the sun goes down. You could find me on the beach, sleeping on a blanket.

BS: Last TV show you've binge-watched?

RGO: American Horror Story, every season. That was really good. Also, before that, probably Stranger Things. I watched it in a day. I have watched The Office, Atlanta, and, of course, Insecure. I'm going backwards. The most recent was American Horror Story. I just have to say, I have watched every single season of The Office, like, 10 times. I watch the whole thing from start to finish, and as soon as it gets to the last episode of the last season, I just start it over again. The Office is my happy place. It's just such a funny, happy, sweet, smart, great comedy, and I love it.

BS: I feel like everyone should have a happy-place show — even if you have it on in the background while you're doing other stuff, you just feel better with it being on.

RGO: Yes! I know every line, I know exactly what they're going to say [laughter]. What's yours?

BS: Sex and the City and Scrubs. I know the lines back and forth for both. Sometimes I'm only half paying attention, but I'm just like, "This is making me so happy right now." OK, last one: what song gets you hyped every time you hear it?

RGO: I've been on a real Sabrina Claudio kick recently. "Unravel Me" and "Belong to You" are on repeat in my house, but that's a recent thing. SZA is on repeat as well, and Wizkid. All time, who I always rock with? I'm a Kanye stan, and of course I love Beyoncé.

BS: We're on the same page. It was such a joy to talk to you, and it's really great to see where you are and how far you've come. As a black woman in her 30s, it is very inspiring to see you doing what you're doing and representing. So just keep going for all of us.

RGO: You too, girl! We're in this together.






                                   






 
                    
                                                 






 


       














 

J.J. Hones (2010), Morgan Clyburn (2009), Karlie S. (2017) updates

    J.J.Hones (B.A. 2010, Masters 2011)
Jennifer (J.J.) Hones has rejoined Milestone in Portland, Oregon as the Western Region Key Account Manager. She was at Milestone from 2010-2015, then moved to Vicon as National Distribution Manager and National Account Manager, and on to Dahua as Enterprise Business Development Manager. In her new Milestone role, she assists partners in the management and growth of principal end user accounts, establishing Milestone in A&E firms focused on Fortune 500 companies and strategic vertical markets, and key community partner relationships. Jennifer is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in International Relations and an MA in Sociology. She was a starting guard for the Stanford women’s basketball team, playing in two NCAA national title games. Her competitiveness, experience, organization, and the relationships she has within the organization and industry are a winning combination!

 JJ also serves as the 2019 Webmaster and Security Liaison for ASIS International - Columbia River Chapter.   ASIS International is the world's largest membership organization for security management professionals.


Morgan Clyburn (2009)
Morgan Clyburn is now a Managing Partner at MD Ignite, headquartered in the Minneapolis area.
MD Ignite is a Minneapolis, MN-based healthcare firm. They discover and bring to market novel healthcare technologies with a specialization in Funding, Technology & Development, Business Development & Strategy, and Marketing & Commercialization. MD Ignite partners with an extensive network of individual contributors with medical device expertise in regulatory, quality, reimbursement, legal, intellectual property, technology and engineering.

Morgan Clyburn holds a B.S. in biomechanical engineering from Stanford and an MBA from Kellogg focusing on Health Enterprise Management, Finance and Marketing. She worked in engineering, clinical, and commercialization for a neuromodulation start-up and in Corporate Development at Medtronic focused on strategy, investments, acquisitions, and divestitures.


Karlie Samuelson with Great Britain's team
A 19-6 run by GB in the game’s final 4:33 made all the difference in a low scoring contest as Coach Buceta’s side pulled away to a comfortable 67-53 victory against #5 ranked Canada in Manchester. Talented guard Karlie Samuelson was integral to that late burst as she scored five of her 16 points in the game's     final quarter, with Jo Leedham adding five more down the stretch.

Samuelson (16 points, three rebounds, three steals) was also able to help GB grab an early advantage, but not before a slow start to the game with little scoring from either team in the opening four minutes. Temi Fagbenle (10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals) was key in restricting the visitors to just seven points in that opening frame, displaying a high motor from the outset to fight for loose balls and contest everything that came her way. That defensive pressure allowed Samuelson, Cheridene Green and Chantelle Handy to push GB to a 19-7 lead after one.

Karlie Interview
GB face Sweden this evening in the penultimate warm up game before travelling to Latvia next week for the start of FIBA Women’s EuroBasket. Ahead of this weekend’s double-header, GB spoke with Karlie Samuelson to get her thoughts on mood in the camp, Sweden and Spain and her first experience of EuroBasket.
How’s the mood in camp after the back to back wins v Canada?
“It’s good! Now we’ve travelled to Spain and I’m excited to play some teams that are actually in EuroBasket and see the difference. I know that the team played Sweden a couple of weeks ago and we’ll get a good look at Spain who are in our group so yeah, I’m excited.”
Looking ahead to these last two warm up games, what are you expecting from Sweden and Spain?
“Obviously they’re both really good teams. I know Sweden pressured the ball that last game and I think I just want to get a good feel of the pace of the game. I know Spain’s a really good team so I think it’s a good step to get ready for EuroBasket and see what we can do.”
Do you think at this stage the squad is well prepared for EuroBasket?
“yeah, I think so. We’ll use these games to help for sure but I think just playing together more and more wit the full squad will really help us get ready in these final two games.”
This is your first EuroBasket, what are you looking forward to the most?
“I’m excited to see the atmosphere. I know how big a tournament this is but for me spending a lot of time in the States I haven’t really followed a EuroBasket that closely before so I am excited to be part of it and I’m also excited to travel to new places that I haven’t been to before!”

Val Whiting


Val Whiting is currently the Director of Business Development for DiscNW, the largest regional Ultimate Frisbee organization in the country. In addition, she runs the Val Whiting Hoop Academy, which is an after school basketball program that uses sports to teach life. The story follows below.

It’s been a couple of years since Val has been on campus. She was supposed to get back to Stanford over spring break, with her children, to see the Hall of Champions, but she  ruptured  her achilles tendon. So maybe next year you will have a chance to see her on campus.

Bullied as a Child, Former Pro Helps Girls  Gain Self Esteem Through Basketball

Val Whiting has cold memories of a cruel adolescence. Growing up in Delaware, the former WNBA player was taunted in middle school. It got so bad that she switched schools looking for relief.
“I had low self-esteem,” Whiting said. “I didn’t feel accepted. I felt ugly. I was teased for being tall, for being shy, for being smart and for being a nerd. I just wanted to be accepted.” Now at the age of 46, she’s giving back. Whiting runs after school girls-only basketball programs in the Northshore and Lake Washington school districts.  

She’s got the pedigree. Whiting was a two-time National Champion at Stanford. She was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year. After college, she played in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx and the Detroit Shock then in the ABL with the Seattle Reign.

But her life wasn’t earmarked for success. Not by a long shot. By age 11, Whiting stood six feet tall. It marked her as a target for taunts. She tried out for the cheerleading squad, with hopes of gaining popularity and acceptance. But she got cut. A math teacher suggested she try out for basketball. By her own admission, Whiting was “horrible.” In a moment of epic embarrassment, she even got confused and scored a basket for the other team.

But even as she struggled, the team provided her a place where she felt like she belonged. She began working on her game. Her dad woke her up on weekends 6 a.m. to go practice. “I said I was going to show these bullies, these people who said that I wasn’t good enough, that I was good enough,” Whiting said. “Basketball empowered me. It gave me leadership skills. Sports showed me what hard work can do.” It all amounted to a stellar collegiate and pro career.

In 2011, Whiting and her then-husband moved to Woodinville. Last year, she had a moment where she asked herself, What am I doing to make a difference? She reached out to elementary schools in the Northshore, Lake Washington and Monroe areas. Her first after-school classes were at Redmond Elementary and Wellington Elementary. Both sold out. She added a boys session, and that too sold out. “I’m not easy on them, that’s the thing,” Whiting said. “I’m not like `Heeeeeeey, let’s just have fun!’  We’re going to work, but we’re going to have fun while doing it. And they love it. Kids respond to structure, discipline and competition.”

While teaching the kids, Whiting thinks back to her own playing days. “Some of the best days were the journey,” she said. “Working hard every day at practice with my teammates. Being so exhausted we couldn’t walk. But knowing that we were sowing the seeds for what we’d see down the road as success. That’s what I try to pass along to the kids.”

Whiting described one of her recent success stories. “There was a young lady, a nine year old girl,” Whiting said. “I could tell she didn’t want to be there. Every five minutes she’d ask what time it was going to be over. Her body language made it clear she wasn’t comfortable. Every time there was a water break she’d go open up a Harry Potter book.” Whiting was shocked when the girl signed up for the next session.

“I talked to the girl’s mom,” Whiting said. “I asked `are you sure you want to sign up for the next session?’ The mom said that her daughter considered herself the worst player and not very good. Her confidence and self-esteem were very low.” “She felt self-conscious about being out there. I said, `First of all, everybody at that age is bad. She’s doing a good job. She’s always sprinting. Always hustling.’ “I think the mother communicated the message to her,” Whiting said. “Because the next day there was a complete turnaround. She had enthusiasm and was smiling more. It was almost like I had given her permission to not have to be perfect. I let her know she was just fine.

“It was okay to not be the best as long as you’re giving your best.”

Chiney - Details behind Sun's departure; Becoming More - Episode 2

Connecticut Sun preview: Details behind Chiney Ogwumike’s departure - The unraveling of a five-year love affair began, of all times, over Valentine’s Day weekend. Chiney Ogwumike — the face of the Connecticut Sun and 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year — had a wandering eye and ESPN looked good. She had begun working at ESPN in 2017 and signed a multi-year contract with the network in 2018. But, the Sun’s leading scorer last season (14.4 points per game) and only All-Star, Ogwumike wanted to broadcast through the NBA playoffs this summer. 

“We realized the NBA playoffs went through June 16 and, then, in order for her to get in basketball shape, we were having the discussion that we wouldn’t have her back until July,” said Miller, Sun coach and general manager. 

Missing about a third of the season was problematic, though not a dealbreaker. But a month later, Ogwumike brought more angst to the Sun’s management: She wanted out and was willing to walk away from the WNBA altogether to pursue broadcasting full-time. She would reconsider if she could play with her sister, Nneka, and the Los Angeles Sparks. "By March, we realized the likelihood of Chiney ever playing another game in Connecticut was very small,” Miller said. “So, we decided to start discussions with Los Angeles, which certainly weren’t easy because they had all the leverage and certainly the very public conversations with Liz Cambage’s desire to be in L.A., also.”

The split became official April 27. The Sun announced they had traded Ogwumike to the Sparks for L.A.’s 2020 first-round pick. The seemingly out-of-nowhere breakup shocked and confused fans. Why would the team get rid of its most recognizable star for what would likely be a late-round draft pick?  “We felt like our fans deserved to understand what is probably perceived as not enough for an All-Star,” Sun vice president Amber Cox said. Cox said Ogwumike was either going to retire and the Sun would get nothing, or they could make a trade. “Those became our only options,” she said.

Post-trade transparency is not common in professional sports, but the Sun players and brass have talked openly about it. “All of us were pretty surprised,” forward Alyssa Thomas said. “She has always wanted to play with her sister, so not too surprised at that, but for it to happen now? We were pretty surprised.” “If we really think about it, the year before we made the playoffs without her, so we’ve been in this situation before. This gives other people opportunities and more minutes for them,” she added. The Sun’s depth, transparency and focus have them feeling nothing like a jilted lover. Jonquel Jones, who started 16 games in 2018, will be the team’s fifth starter in Ogwumike’s place. “For J.J. to step into that (starting) spot is pretty seamless. It’s not like you’re asking someone who is technically a bench player to step into a bigger role and she is prepared,” veteran guard Layshia Clarendon said. “I’m close to Chiney and I’m sad to see her go, but the depth of this team is ready to step into the role.”  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before Chiney Ogwumike was on her way to Los Angeles to be reunited with her sister Nneka Ogwumike as a member of the Sparks, she mastered the balancing act of working at ESPN as an NBA basketball analyst while simultaneously playing for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA. The second episode in the BECOMING MORE series details how Chiney's career goes above and beyond what she does on the court -- and gives fans a glimpse at the grueling schedule and tireless work ethic that makes it possible 

Erica McCall (2017) - Year two of overseas play: New year, same team, different blessings

Well, season two of overseas basketball is almost a wrap, and I am blessed to say I am feeling much-improved, culturally-adapted, and most importantly, healthy.

When I last wrote about my overseas experience at the end of my first season in Szekszárd, Hungary, I self-titled my journey “the season of growth.” Now about to finish out my second season with the same team, the best way to title this year would be “the season of comfort." When I was first deciding whether or not I would return to Hungary, my initial thought process was all about the money. (I only signed my contract for a season, so at the end of the year I had to the option to return to my team under another year contract or play elsewhere.) I was analyzing the numbers and calculating if my team, or another competing team, could best satisfy my monetary wishes. However, I knew I needed to think more deeply, and I knew that money isn’t always everything.

Since playing overseas, I’ve heard of some terrible situations between players and their teams. In particular, players that were making close to millions of dollars, but were absolutely miserable during their time playing. So miserable that they wanted to leave in the middle of the season, or didn’t want to return after the season was over. I know right now I’m not a million dollar player, but it just shows that no matter how much money you make, your happiness and mental health can always be in danger if you are constantly living in a negative situation.

After considering those stories, I remembered that my first season could be deemed as fairly rare in the overseas basketball world. I liked playing for my coach, enjoyed playing and hanging out with my teammates, lived in a calm and safe city, and played for a professional club that paid my salary on time. I knew my situation was hard to come by. Combining the financial, basketball, and social benefits of playing in Szekszard, I came to the conclusion that returning was in my best interest; and as my dad says, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  

Although I enjoyed living and playing in Hungary my first season, I still wanted some changes to my living conditions that would make my second season there even more enjoyable. The first thing on the list was an automatic car. Although I got used to walking around my town and even took pleasure in at times, I knew being able to transport myself comfortably throughout the town and other regions of Hungary would allow me to view more of the beautiful country that I considered a second home.
Next on the list was a larger living area. Last year I lived in a dorm-like studio apartment that included a decent-sized bedroom, a small bathroom, and a small kitchenette with no oven and a half working refrigerator/freezer. I really had no complaints because I was just happy I was living by myself. But after seeing some of my other teammates’ apartments, I knew I could have a more convenient living arrangement for the following season. 

Today I live in a great apartment and drive a brand new Suzuki SUV. My car has truly changed the way I live overseas. I am so appreciative of her. Yes, you read that right. It’s a girl. Her name is Penny because she has a beautiful bronze color, like a penny. She has allowed me to go to places I could only imagine going last year. With my car, I have been able to easily go see other friends play, explore Budapest (a 1.5 hour drive), go to the movies in the next town, hang out with my team more, and I could finally give my teammates rides. Having a car has changed my experience here for the better, and I am so thankful for it.

Along with Penny, my apartment has also benefited my living experience. I reside in a nice-sized apartment that includes a bedroom, a living room, a bigger bathroom with a bathtub, and a bigger kitchen with an oven. I have so much more room to invite company over, and a larger cooking space to cook more sophisticated meals. I even had my teammates over for Thanksgiving dinner. Looking back at my first season, I’m actually really happy that I had a more modest living experience, because it has allowed me to appreciate even more the amazing new accommodations and amenities that I have today. 

Another part of my experience here that has made overseas living quite comfortable has been becoming close to teammates that I now consider great friends. Last year I enjoyed my team and got along with everyone, but being the only American, it was difficult to get close to others because there were a lot of cliques that spoke other languages I couldn’t understand. This year I am still the only American on my team, however all the other foreigners can only speak English to communicate with each other. As opposed to last year, all the Hungarians could speak to each other and the three other foreigners, who were also from Eastern Europe, could speak Serbian amongst themselves, which left me stuck on my phone playing candy crush. Now we have foreigners from Sweden, Croatia, and Australia, so English must be the language of communication.

Thankfully I can talk with others more, therefore in return, I enjoy more of their company. Last year I didn’t have anyone I was close to who I could hang out with outside of team activities. This year I’ve become close to a few teammates. Whenever I’m bored or want to go out and travel the country, I know I can ask these teammates, and they’ll always want to join the adventure. Manty and Iva are my closest friends on the team. We often go out to eat after practices and games, visit nearby cities, or just enjoy conversation over coffee or tea. Having teammates like them has made living in Hungary an even more homey experience, and I am so blessed to go through this season with them. 

Living in the city and communicating with the locals has also become a lot easier this year. My Hungarian has improved greatly, and many people are often surprised by my knowledge. Thanks to my teammates I have mastered my numbers, colors, some greetings, and a few words about food that has helped me drastically in ordering food on my own. Most locals have also become even more friendly with me this year. My “mama and papa” I have adopted out here have really taken me in as their own, and often bring me food and medicine whenever I am under the weather.

Returning to the same team was a great advantage for me in terms of adjustment. I didn’t have to adapt to a new system or coaching style, and most of my teammates also returned from the previous year. Last year, it took me almost a month to figure out the system and playing style of overseas basketball, which in my opinion is more physical than American basketball. There were some nights when I just stayed up confused and frustrated because I couldn’t fathom how I could struggle so much at something I’ve been doing almost my whole life.

This season it was a whole new story. Compared to my first year, I was far more consistent statistically, and generally felt more comfortable on the court – especially in high-pressure games. In every game this season, I scored in double-digits and even went perfect from the field in one game. It is something that might not mean much to others, but I take pride in this. I know this is a huge sign of improvement, not only with my basketball skills but also my confidence. Without those days of struggle, I would not be as strong, focused, or successful as I am today.

Although basketball went consistently well for me this season, my body, on the other hand, went through some ups and downs. This year I experienced the pain of a strained calf, a bad ankle sprain, a hyperextended knee, the flu, and a stomach virus. My body has never endured this much pain or sickness before. And though it was really tough on me physically, it was even more so mentally. I was forced to miss practices and games, which was difficult for me to accept because I knew I couldn’t help my team on the court. I also had some anxiety about getting out of shape or losing my touch with my skills if I sat out for too long.

Trusting God that I would comeback just fine or even stronger after my injuries is what motivated me during those tough times. I really had to practice patience and create a positive mindset to not only allow my body to heal properly, but to also push me to be the best teammate I could be. Injuries are never fun, but with a good attitude and positivity, the pain is a lot easier to deal with. Thankfully, with great trainers, I am currently healthy and enjoying my time on the court with my team.

During the time I had a stomach virus, I was put in the hospital for safety reasons. Being in an international hospital for the first time was a bit frightening, and I was nervous about the language barrier and how differently the doctors operated than those in the States. But my nerves were quickly settled when they introduced me to an English-speaking nurse that explained the medicine I would be receiving during my stay. Throughout my overnight stay at the hospital, I was overwhelmed with so much love and support from my team. My coach came for an hour and checked in with me and the doctors to make sure I was treated properly, my assistant coach and president of the club cooked for me, and I received a slew of text messages from my teammates giving me well wishes as I gained my strength back. It was during that time that I knew my experience here was truly special. 

  

The love and comfort I feel here is something many players dream about, and I am so blessed to be able to experience it everyday. I never thought I would call a foreign country my second home, but here I am writing this getting emotional about my time playing in the little city of Szekszárd, Hungary.

Basketball, you have allowed me to see some amazing places and meet some incredible people, and for that, I thank you.