The Summitt’s Imani Boyette, in honor of all the 2017 WNBA Draft picks, has a brief, helpful guide to adulting.
Let Your Fear Push You
I hope your dreams are so big that they frighten you. If they don’t, dream bigger. On the first day of the rest of your life, you will be scared. The sun will be too bright and you will keep asking yourself if you deserve this. As the moment that you have tirelessly worked and prayed for approaches, you will replay everything that got you here in hopes that you didn’t miss something. It will feel surreal.
But you do, in fact, deserve this. That fear, that lump in the back of your throat, is just a reminder of how much you want this. A constant gut check reminding you how much you’ve invested here. Lean into it, embrace it. Let it remind you of all you and those who came before you have sacrificed for this opportunity. I wrote this poem the day I left for training camp.
"On the first day of the rest of your lifeYou will want to go homeGet back in the car and tell change maybe another timeYou will hug your husband entirely too tightAnxiety oozing from your poresHe will assure you you are okayBut stillyou will ask change to leaveTell him you’re not readyBut change is a very adamant thingWill push and pull regardless of consentSo I guess its best you believe in yourself nowYou’re ready for this"
Money Does Not Grow on Trees
While theoretically speaking, money totally does grow on trees, or at least from trees (paper!), it will quickly become a finite resource. If you’re like me, as soon as you turned that tassel over after they announced your name at graduation, your parents cut you off and/or financial aid stopped. Whether it may have been substantial or minimal, there will be no more assistance. Your whimsical buys and overindulgent meals will now hit your bank account.
Budgets will become your best friend. There are many apps you can download on your phone that will not only keep track but categorize your spending. I found my first year in the league, I spent an exorbitant amount eating out. I know it’s easier to stop and grab something on the way home or go out to a nice restaurant but it really adds up before you know it. One month during my rookie season, I spent $1000 eating out! Budgeting is also extremely important because as a WNBA player our pay is seasonal. While you can count on a bigger paycheck in the offseason playing overseas, you may never make it to a team overseas. Some players will get injured or decide to try their luck off the court, but in the interim you will be living off the salary you earned during the season. You also must remember taxes because Uncle Sam is now your uncle too. Your paycheck will have tax deductions but the money you make from appearances, shoe deals, and other miscellaneous things will be 1099 income and subject to self-employment tax, meaning it’s up to you to save it!
Be Great at Something Everyday; Everyone Appreciates Hard Work
Success really is in the details. This lesson I owe partly to my college coach, Karen Aston, but it was really driven home my first year in the WNBA. Before I was drafted, I remember talking to Dan Hughes, former San Antonio Stars head coach, and he impressed upon me the importance of consistency.
I struggled with consistency during my college career, but Dan Hughes simplified it into being great at one thing a day. My coach always yelled at us about the little things, the details. In the WNBA , especially early on, most of you will be role players except for the lucky few. When I began my career, my role was literally to make the other team’s 5s tired. My job was to come in for maybe five minutes and sprint the floor, relentlessly. I learned to be great at that and slowly but surely, I was given more responsibility.
You’d be surprised how important accepting your role and working hard is, how far it will take you. Of course, I didn’t imagine my role to be that minimal when I pictured my rookie year. But because I embraced it and worked hard as the season went on my role expanded.