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Rookie No More
By Helen Wheelock, Women's Basketball Magazine, Jan./Feb. 2002 Jackie Stiles’ achievements for 2001 read like every player’s wish list: become the all-time women’s NCAA scoring leader, make a Final Four appearance, win the Wade Trophy, be a WNBA first-round draft pick, play in the WNBA All-Star game and earn Rookie of the Year honors. But despite shooting over 40 percent and averaging 14.9 points a game in her first season, the Portland Fire guard is characteristically straightforward evaluating her play: "I’m nowhere near satisfied." Stiles admitted that being a first-round pick introduced her to a feeling she never wants to experience again — shaky self-confidence. "I’ve always had the underdog role," she said. "No one knew the kid from Claflin, Kansas." The pressure of expectations exacerbated the already challenging transition from college to professional basketball for this self-confessed perfectionist. Though she eventually shook off those worries and returned to her instinctive play, Stiles, 23, couldn’t escape the toll that the months after the Final Four and leading into the WNBA season had taken on her mind and body. "For the first time in my life," said Stiles, "I felt burned out. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I need to be smarter — to take care of my body so I can have a long career instead of a career shortened by injuries." Quite a challenge, considering every on-court accomplishment seems to increase off-court demands for her time — personal appearances, media interviews and, of course, autographs. And her return to Southwest Missouri State to finish her degree has offered no relief. "It’s even more hectic," Stiles said with a laugh. "My day starts at 6 a.m. and ends after midnight and then repeats. I never have enough hours in the day to get everything done." Ironically, the only thing Stiles has stopped is shooting baskets — September surgery put her shooting hand in a cast. Having never gone more than two days without shooting a ball, she found the months away from the court painful. Stiles can’t wait to end the tedium of her running and weight-training workouts. "I’m just addicted," she admitted. "Something about seeing the ball go through the net keeps you practicing and practicing for hours." As for her off-court work? "I appreciate all of it because I know it’s not going to last very long," she said. "I still want to stay the same person. I’ll sign just about every autograph there is. But . . . maybe just one apiece instead of 10 each." TO THE TOP |