On Thursday, May 26, newly acquired Shock guard/forward Andrea Stinson made it a point to get up early before practice, which started at 11 a.m. at The Palace. What time did she get up you ask? 9 a.m.? 8 a.m.? Nope. Stinson awoke by 7 a.m. in order to get ready and arrive at Our Lady Queen of Angels School in Detroit by 8:30 a.m. Stinson, a North Carolina native, who spent the first eight years of her WNBA career in Charlotte with the Sting, before signing a free agent contract with the Shock prior to this season, is not yet used to the Michigan summer traffic and road construction.

After a long morning drive listening to sports talk radio, Stinson and PS&E staffer Paul Hickey arrived at Our Lady Queen of Angels School. The charter school, with 90 kids K-8, is closing down after this school year.

“Our students and staff are crazy about basketball and the kids needed a little pick-me-up with the school shutting down after this year,” said Rosalind Turner, girls basketball coach at the school.

Stinson, one of the league’s pioneers, a former All-Star and a dynamic public speaker, kept her message simple, ‘You Can Be Anything You Want To Be.’ The children listened attentively and asked some phenomenal questions. She spoke about the importance of education and hit on some of the key elements of the Read to Achieve program.

After an hour of talking, answering questions, signing autographs and posing for photos with students, Stinson headed back to The Palace for practice.

“That was truly fun and worthwhile,” Turner said after Stinson’s talk. “Kids need positive role models and it’s up to each and every one of us as adults to do our part; Andrea gets that.”