The desert air in Phoenix, Arizona hums a little louder during the NCAA women’s Final Four weekend. There’s heat, noise, and a lot of college basketball. And right in the middle of everything Big Bakerwho spent the last few years as one of The most famous faces In sports. Last year, the former University of Connecticut standout made her WNBA debut in her rookie season on the Dallas Wings. Now on the other side of the NCAA, she brings her confidence and professional thoughts to her former teammates.
But this year’s tournament did not end the way many expected. UConn’s upset loss to South Carolina on Friday ended the team’s winning streak — one game away from the championship game.
“Every one of them has a bright future ahead of them and I know they will use that to get better,” Bueckers tells SELF. “I’ve been there. I’ve lost. I’ve failed, and we just learn and grow and keep moving.”
Loss and disappointment This is just part of the game, Bekkers explains. And for a team that finished its season with an extraordinary 54-game winning streak and a 38-1 record, Bueckers has no doubt that this will make her former teammates stronger.
“It definitely makes you hungry,” she says. “It makes you more driven and motivated. Sometimes adversity is the best teacher.”
SELF caught up with Bueckers during the Final Four madness to talk about the tournament, Life outside basketballand her WNBA season ahead.
SELF: Now that you’ve completed your rookie season in the WNBA, how has your preparation style evolved — both physically and mentally — since your college days?
Big Baker: I definitely think through injury, and not taking anything in life for granted. Every day you wake up is a blessing. It is important not to have a sense of entitlement. It is a great honor to wake up and live your dream of playing basketball as a career. All that, and just taking care of my body and being super disciplined in my habits of what I want to be like every day.
Last year, it was tough because I had to deal with not having a winning season, and being part of the rebuilding process. It doesn’t happen overnight. I have learned not to be driven by results, and to remain consistent and disciplined in who I am regardless of the results. I feel unconditionally happy and grateful to show up with the same mentality and the same attitude whether we have a winning season or a losing season.
