“I used to watch the NBA and think, Aw, I can never do that because I’m a girl. I’d say to my dad, “Why did I have to be a girl?”
And he’d just say, “That’s the way you came out, but you should be proud.”
And I’d say, “But there’s no professional stuff for girls.”
And he’d say, “It takes time.”
And I’d say, “But how long?”
Well, now we have the WNBA. When I went into the Sparks locker room, I was so happy, in a way, that I’m a girl. I walked in. “What do you think we should have done?” one of the players was asking. They were getting ready to watch the video from the last game. “We need to pass the ball more, get open shots,” the assistant coach was saying. The players agreed. “We need to set up plays, fake ’em out,” someone said.
That’s just what I was thinking: they tend to get the ball and shoot. They have a lot to learn but since they barely started the league, I felt the league as a whole was doing very well.
They were giving out autographs to little boys and girls who came in, and everybody was smiling. And that’s how they are doing in the game too—they’re having fun, but at the same time they’re taking the game seriously and trying their best.
Some guys don’t think girls can play basketball
Some guys have told me it wasn’t what they expected—they didn’t know how good women could really play. Other are just jerks, and say things like, “Why do I want to watch a bunch of girls go for lay-ups? Can’t none of them dunk like Shaq or fly in the air like Jordan.” But never say never. Someone might be the first girl to dunk someday, it just takes time.
I interviewed Linda Burgess (#42) who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. She’s not as famous as Lisa Leslie, but she’s very good and has a great hook shot. She’s not a starter, but when she plays, she can score and help the team a lot. During one great game against New York Liberty (in my opinion, the best team in the league), she got fouled. Since Liberty was out of fouls, she got to make two free throws in a row—and she made them both. The Sparks won, and everyone was jumping up and down, Lisa Leslie ran over to pick Linda up to give her a hug, the crowd was pumping their hands. When you beat New York, you go ballistic, because hardly anyone can beat them—they had only lost five games at that point.
Linda has been playing basketball since she was 8 years old, in her backyard with her brother and her cousin, just having fun. She went to Bob Jones High School in Alabama, then played college ball at Alabama State, then played pro basketball in Rome, Italy, along with other women in the WNBA. She jumped at the chance to play for the WNBA, because it meant she could be a little closer to her family, and her mom could actually come and see her games.
I asked her why she thinks the WNBA took so long to happen. She said she thinks things happen for a reason and it was the right time. They also had a lot of female athletes and college girls pushing the issue.
When growing up she remembers boys who called her a tomboy, but she never let that bother her at all. If she had listened to them calling her names, do you think she would be playing in the WNBA?
Boys tell me I can’t play like them
I told Linda how, being a female athlete, I get teased all the time. My sister tells me that I’m a girl and I shouldn’t be trying to play basketball, and to leave it to the guys. Boys call me all different things or tell me that I can’t play like them.
She told me, Just go out there and say ‘God gave me this talent and this is what he wants me to do, and this is what I’m going to do.’ This is how Linda looks at it: everyone has different talents. Some people can sing, people can dance, people can act. And she can’t do any of that stuff, but God gave her the talent to play ball, so this is why she’s playing. This has always been one of her dreams, to play basketball on a professional level.
Linda’s advice: “Work hard on the court and off it. If basketball doesn’t go your way, make sure you have something to fall back on. Always get an education. That’s something no one can take away from you. Just stay with your dreams and go for it.”
Maybe someday, the WNBA will have Nike commercials, Reebok endorsements, their own shoes, fat salaries, and games with four quarters, not two. When the games come on, the stadium would be packed, and people would rather watch them than the NBA. Boys will start wishing they were girls so they could play for the WNBA, and girls will be glad that they’re girls, because they finally have people to look up to.
For right now, there are a lot of people that are dissing the WNBA. But I know way down in my heart as much as I like basketball, I will never listen to anyone that tries to keep me from achieving my goal in basketball. I wouldn’t mind playing the WNBA after playing college ball, if I get drafted and if that’s what God has planned for me.
Watching all of these professional women basketball players, it has inspired me to go out there and do my best. I used to be afraid to shoot the ball, but everyone makes mistakes and misses sometimes, it’s part of being human. That’s why I practice every night. My dad says, “Crystal, I want you to be the best. How do you think those players got where they are? Practice. When you’re going up, Crystal, you have to go up strong. Don’t be afraid to shoot. Don’t just throw it up there. Take your time and make sure you get a good shot.” And that’s what I intend to do.”