As the last second ticked off the clock of our final game in Phoenix, the normal disappointment of our season coming to an end was accompanied by an added twinge of sadness due to the realization that this is the last time I will ever see Erin and VJ in a WNBA uniform.

Retirement is a relatively new phenomenon for our league. I have often been asked what the average career is for a WNBA player, but for a league that has just finished its 13th year of existence, those statistics are still being defined. What I can tell you is that the contribution of these two players' careers have given us a contrasting, yet complementary view of what makes our league so great!

Vickie Johnson is one of our league’s original founding players, and has played more minutes than any player in the history of our game -- 11,000+. In those minutes she became the first person in the WNBA to collect 4,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in a career. Our memories of VJ span from those early games in The Garden to these last few years in San Antonio. Her career epitomized the part of the WNBA that celebrates strength, determination, passion and toughness. Never commanding a lot of attention, VJ simply competed every second she stepped on the floor. She is the consummate warrior, and heart and soul of every team she has played on!

Becoming the WNBA’s Most Improved Player and helping Sacramento win their first championship are the most notable accomplishments in Erin Perperoglou’s (formally Buescher) career, but for those who have followed her over the years, she is the type of player whose value to the team will never be defined by awards or a stat sheet. She is the ultimate unselfish teammate, with a beautiful, contagious smile, who lives out her faith every day as she uses the platform of basketball to show love and compassion to others. Although VJ and Erin share similar qualities in their competitive nature and selfless devotion to their teams, Erin is picturesque of the side of our league that is confident yet caring, competitive yet free-spirited.

As I bring this blog to a close, I cannot help but wish that this were a "see you later" moment and not a final "goodbye." Thank you both for the contributions you have made on the court and in our hearts! May you both be blessed as this next chapter of your life after basketball unfolds. You will be fondly remembered and dearly missed!!