Found This Just Lying Around: Sue on Stewie

[RockyMTblue2]

It's been up since yesterday slackers. A lot of "old" Stewie on abuse but Sue too:

“It's amazing,” Bird said. “I think there's this connection between what she's opened up about, things that have happened to her in her childhood, and then the maturity she's shown, it's one and the same. ... But if I was just to talk about the on-court part, there was just something different about her this year. She came in a little more confident, a little more mature and way more motivated. When you're in the early parts of your career, you're just like, 'I'm here, I'm playing, yeah, I'm pretty good.' But then there comes a moment where you can see in a player where it switches and they're actually trying. … That switch, you can see it got flipped, just in conversations and in her actions. Even when we were around each other in April, heading into training camp, you could see something was different. She was taking it more seriously.”

Breanna Stewart Aims To Help Others By Sharing Her Story

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Adamec came out with a similar piece last night, Sue:

"When you're in the early part of your career you're just playing. 'Yeah, I'm here, I'm playing. I'm pretty good and doing things well.' But then there comes a moment where you can see in a player that it switches and they're actually trying, she's actually trying to carry us to wins, trying to carry us to a championship. She wants to be MVP. She's grown up."

"I'm doing what my team needs. We're in a position we haven't been the past couple of years. We have 17 wins already and it's nice to be back on the winning track. Just coming out every night, Coach (Dan Hughes) says one game at a time and I need to step up. I need to be a threat on offense and then get rebounds and whatever else I can."

The Storm will have 10 regular season games remaining after facing the Sun. If they can hold on to the best record (Phoenix, with Taurasi, is their closest pursuer), they will receive a bye into the WNBA playoff semifinals and have home-court advantage throughout the postseason.

And it's not like Stewart doesn't know how to finish and win championships.

"The talent was always there," Bird said. "There's no other player in the league like her."

Breanna Stewart's best comes out on and off the court

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Turns out it's a trilogy:

Jeff Jacobs: Former UConn great Breanna Stewart blossoming, on and off the court

"Stewart has partnered with the Rape Abuse Incest National Network. She raises awareness and funds. She has worn sneakers with RAINN’s hotline number and auctioned them off. She had a game Wednesday in Chicago, scored another 30, but missed the ESPY’s live. She saw a replay of the the riveting moments when those abused by Larry Nassar, more than 140 women, rose together to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Amid the horror, there was great bravery and hope. Stewart nodded her head in unity with her survivor sisters.

“All those gymnasts came together in spite of Larry Nassar to represent women as a whole and people who have gone through that sort of abuse,” Stewart said. “They are using their strength to show it is a subject people aren’t afraid to talk about and something a lot of people need to deal with.

“I definitely have grown and matured. Even being able to talk about. I’m trying to be the best I can be on the basketball court, but also how can my life experience help other people who are going through similar experience? Kids right now are in the same position I was. It’s unfortunate. It does still happen.”

 

[CL82]

A little OT but one take away I had from Breanna's The Body issue pictorial is that she is still young physically. As amazing as she is on the court, I think she's only going to become more dominating as she matures as an athlete. We forget that, as accomplished as she is, she's still a kid in terms of her athletic career.