Chelsea Newton

Priorities come first and Chelsea Newton had to finish her daily workout. Nothing was going to keep the Monarchs guard from finishing what she started.

Not an interview and certainly not a fender bender, which, fortunately, only caused aesthetic damage to her car.

She remained steadfast and good-natured in one of her final workouts at the Monarchs practice facility until 2009 rolls around.

It’s that type of resolute attitude Newton and the rest of her teammates share. It’s also the reason she and the Monarchs remain committed to getting back to the WNBA summit.

“We all know we want to get better,” Newton said after finishing her final set of leg exercises. “After the season ended, we knew what we had to do.”

Since the 2008 season concluded, the Louisiana native has spent most of her time in Sacramento recuperating from ankle surgery. Nevertheless, she's been readying herself for the WNBA season on the horizon.

“Mainly, I’ve just been here at the practice facility, rehabbing, working out, conditioning and trying to maintain my game,” Newton said as she sat on the training room table.

A scar on Newton’s left ankle marks the surgery she underwent in late September. The healing process has been sluggish, but she has remained patient throughout the recovery.

“I’m going to really take my time on this one,” Newton said. “I just don’t want to have to deal with injuries again.

“I haven’t had any places to be or any commitments so I’ve been really relaxed,” Newton said. “I’m headed out of here this weekend to go back to Louisiana to enjoy my home.”

Aside from two to three hours of daily training and physical therapy, her days have been calm. She spends downtime with her dog and devotes her attention to furnishing her new Southern ranch-style residence.

“I go home and go on the internet pretty much all day shopping for furniture for my home in Louisiana,” Newton said recounting her daily routine. “I’m on the internet all the time.”

The time off has been a blessing in disguise for the three-year pro. Typically, the end of the WNBA season means the beginning of the overseas season.

“You never heal your aches when you go from the WNBA season right into overseas play,” Newton said. “So working on my strength and making sure my body heals properly is the most important thing.”

Some of Newton’s Monarchs teammates, such as Ticha Penicheiro and Scholanda Robinson, are already overseas. She spoke to Penicheiro less than a week ago and Robinson two weeks prior. As veterans, they’re accustomed to the move. But not all of Newton’s teammates have had an easy shift overseas.

“The rookies are all having their challenging experiences,” Newton said with a smile. “You can’t really explain to anyone how it is overseas. You just have to go through it.”

If there’s one piece of advice Newton has given Crystal Kelly, Laura Harper, A'Quonesia Franklin and Charel Allen, it’s to remain upbeat.

“Different things happen over there -- from not getting paid to walking into your apartment and finding out it's somebody else’s,” Newton said lightheartedly. “You have to laugh a lot of it off because it’s not as organized as it is here.”

The Monarchs guard said 'arrivederci' to Sacramento on Saturday. And though she won’t be back until training camp, Newton and her teammates will continue working toward another WNBA season still several months away.

“If you come to the practice facility, you’ll see everybody that’s still in Sacramento working so hard,” Newton said before she left. “It’s just unspoken that everybody wants to get better so we can do well next year.”