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Injured Stiles still aspiring to make mark in pro basketball
By TONY HAWLEY, News Tribune, April 11, 2004 Jackie Stiles is itching to play basketball again, a fact that's apparent from the first moment you meet her. Fidgeting, shuffling her feet, swaying from side to side, you can feel the energy radiating off of her. Unfortunately for the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, the only game she's played lately is a familiar waiting game. The former Southwest Missouri State University star underwent shoulder surgery two weeks ago, the ninth medical procedure she's had in just two years. The 2001 WNBA Rookie of the Year is now racking up surgeries the way she used to pour in points -- in bunches. But lest her legion of fans worry too much, she's planning on coming back soon. "I'm hanging in there," she said. "I've had a rough stretch the past few years. I hadn't had one major injury in college and then I just fell apart all at once. "It's going to take a little time, but I'm hoping to be on the court by around July. I won't make it for the beginning of training camp, but hopefully I can contribute later." Stiles has been getting court time lately, it's just been as an instructor. In that new role, she spent Saturday in Rackers Fieldhouse at Helias High School in Jefferson City, leading a basketball camp for girls in grades 5-8, an event hosted by the Capital City Lady Knights basketball club. "I've always been interested in doing camps, because that's how I got to where I am today," Stiles said. "That's all I did growing up. This is a way for me to give back to the game -- to teach kids fundamentals, which sometimes gets lost." What's ironic is Stiles wouldn't get to do one thing she loves if she could be doing another thing she loves. "I wouldn't be able to do this if I wasn't injured," she said. "I've got a lot more free time. It's a way for me to stay around the game while I'm hurt." The always-energetic Stiles saw her enthusiasm matched by the campers Saturday. "(The response) has been incredible -- the kids are so excited about it," said Kevin Mullally, director of basketball operations for the Lady Knights. "We had 85 pre-registered ... from around here, from Illinois, from the Cape (Girardeau) area and from the Springfield area. "... This is a great thing for the community. To have the premier star in women's basketball, at least from this area, come to Jeff City and spend a day with our kids is something special." Stiles said she was impressed by the level of interest. "This is by far the best (turnout) we've had for a one-day camp," she said. The only drawback is Stiles' latest surgery limited her involvement. "It's been tough because in a lot of the camps, I've been coming off surgery and been limited in what I can do, demonstration-wise," she said. "... We have to be flexible and see what I can do. There have been a few camps where I've been able to do more than others, and that really gets me antsy, wanting to be on the court." Mullally said even without Stiles being able to as much as she would like, her work in the past is something the campers can learn from. "She's a great motivator and has a great work ethic," he said. "Those two things really fit into what we see as the values of this community." Stiles, who reports to the Los Angeles Sparks' training camp in May, will look to tap into her seemingly endless energy reserves in yet another comeback quest. "The last few years have made me appreciate what I had ... because I've learned that it can be taken away in an instant," she said. "You don't want to take anything for granted. "My biggest goal is just to be able to play in some capacity this year. I'm such a competitor and I'm used to playing at a certain level, but I'm going to have to lower my expectations for this season, because I basically haven't played for a year-and-a-half. "I expect this season to be up-and-down and not be my old self, but my goal is to be back to what I used to be by 2005." Her immediate goal, however, is to keep sharing her love of basketball through camps like the one Saturday. "(My favorite part) is working with the kids and seeing how they appreciate you," Stiles said. "... It's great to show them something and then see them learn it. It's a pretty neat experience." Mullally said he hopes the campers learn Stiles' greatest lesson. TO THE TOP |