Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Guest columnist Linda Frohlich: WNBA, fun times in full swing

Editor's note: Linda Frohlich, an All-American at UNLV, is in her second season with the WNBA' s New York Liberty. Through the season, she will write every Thursday in the S' n. Find out what she's up to by checking out her website at www.LindaFrohlich.com.

The WNBA season is in full swing now. Teams are starting to shape their identities in the league. Los Angeles is known for its super starting five, Phoenix for its helter-skelter style of play, and New York -- my team! -- for its half-court excellence.

With each team having its own identity, it's great because every basketball fan can now identify with some team regardless of what team is in their area. If you are a stylish, glamour type of person, you probably will like Houston. If you are a blue-collar type of person, chances are you are rooting for Minnesota.

Numerous people have asked me what is it like to actually be in a WNBA game and hear 15,000 people cheering and booing you. (This year, I can actually answer that question because I am playing more.)

From my perspective, the worst part of the game is when I know I am about to go in, but at the same time the best part of the game is when I get into it. Right before I know that I am about to go in, I get nervous. I'm not talking a little bit nervous -- it's a lot nervous!

All of the things that I have to do are running in my head. "OK, I have to block out Lisa Leslie," or "Don't forget to help when Sue Bird drives to the basket."

But as soon as I run on the court I am just fine. My heartbeat slows, my palms stop sweating. It is as though someone has turned on a light switch. It happens just that fast.

The biggest thing that I have to conquer now is the pain in my Achilles' tendon. It is really sore. It has been this way since I played in Italy for the offseason. It is hard to let it heal just because of the time demands that are on me, but this is the nature of the business. I'm almost sure that if you ask every player in the WNBA, almost 90 percent could tell you about something that is bothering them.

This is a dangerous position to be in. As an athlete, you want to help your team in any way you can, so you think you have to be in the trenches with your teammates. But I was told one day that the season is not a race but a marathon, so sometimes you have to miss an outing or two to make sure that you can help your team in the end.

Off the court, this is a great time for me because I have my new fan club shirt out. Though I do not have any children (I can't wait to be a mother one day), I guess you can say this is my baby because I helped design it from the start. It is with a new apparel company called TriFytt. They have a sports division called TriFytt Sports, which I am a part of.

I really like what this company stands for. They promote healthy living in all aspects of life -- spirit, mind and body. And I certainly know that I need all of those aspects to be healthy if I'm going to be at the top of my game in the WNBA.

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