How much of an influence has your dad been on your career?
“It was never anything that he pushed, but he was always there and willing. He always told me, as long as you give me 100 percent, I’m just going to be here rebounding for you. On into elementary, middle school, high school, he was always there. Still to this day I talk to him before and after every single game. He still coaches and I call him before and after every single game he plays. It’s just kind of a communication thing where nobody knows me better than he does and no matter how far of a level I get on a basketball basis, he’s always there for me and he always knows if I have a bad night or if I’m off shooting wise. He always knows or is trying to figure out something to tell me to just get me back home. But also along side basketball he’s always there as a father. He’s always there to call me his little princess, he’s always there to make sure that I feel loved. Before I met my husband he was the most important man in my life.”
What is some of the best advice your dad has given you either about basketball or life?
“I don’t know necessarily one thing, but my dad has always instilled a work ethic in me. Both he and my mom grew up on dairy farms and that stuff is of course hard work. They just instilled that in myself and my older brother. And so I think that has contributed to so much of my success both on and off the court as a person and as a player because that’s always my goal, to not let anybody out-work me. I think that’s the best gift they’ve given me. Whether I liked it as a young child or not.”
Your dad was your high school coach, can you talk about that experience?
“A lot of people have asked me how do you handle that? Is that too much dad? What if you get in a fight? But honestly our relationship is so strong and based on so much more than basketball. When we’re on the court, it’s business, I’m the player, and he’s the coach. It helped me so much because I knew that he knew what he was doing. He wouldn’t baby me by any means. He’d be hard on me and use me for an example for others. But he also made it so I wasn’t getting the attention. The team was getting attention. It was so much fun because I got to see him in the classroom. I got to be there on the floor with him, and when we went home with my mom it was a family and there was no talking basketball. It was a great balance and he just helped me become a very good, smart player who tries to use my knowledge of the game as much as I do physically.”
Besides basketball, what else did you enjoy doing with your dad?
“We’d go on vacation to the beach. We’d go to amusement parks. We had family reunions. We always had dinner together every night. And now that I look back on it, it was so special. I didn’t really think about it to much at the time, but when you’re kind of away from it you realize how special it was. My dad made sure that it was always family first. There are so many different things that my mom and my dad did to make it a family first atmosphere that was a great example for me as I’ve grown up and tried establishing that for myself.”
What are you going to do for your dad this Father’s Day?
“Actually he’s coming in, which I’m blessed to have. He and my mom are flying in Saturday before our game. I’m going to be able to, first of all, have him at the game which is always special whenever he is able to watch me play. But then also, Sunday, just to spend time with him. They live in Indiana and my husband and I are down here, so we don’t get to see each other a lot. Probably not anything too special… just eat and hang out, probably just enjoy the sun a little, just basically spend time together.”
Can you talk about your dad and what your relationship with him has been like?
“It’s one of the most important relationships in my life. I mean somebody who’s been there from day one, literally, and has just invested a ton of time into me. My dad’s just fun! That’s the best thing about my dad, he’s fun and he does what he says he’s gonna do. And so to have that kind of consistency throughout your childhood is a pretty big blessing.”
What is the best advice your dad has given you?
“Basically he always taught me to treat others how I’d want to be treated, and whatever I do, work at it with all my heart; let my yes’s be yes’s and my no’s be no’s, and that’s kind of how he is and that’s what he always modeled for me.”
What kind of things did you enjoying doing with your dad as a child?
“We did a ton of camping, fishing, water sports, hunting sports, basketball, and football. We pretty much did everything. We would go swimming. We would have pine cone fights. We would go exploring. We would go hiking, four- wheelers, three-wheelers, catching trout with our hands. It was just constantly action, constantly doing something. That’s why I said I just had so much fun growing up. It was just fun. We were always doing something fun.”
Would you consider yourself a daddy’s girl?
“Oh yes, definitely.”
Do you have any plans for this Father’s Day?
“I’ll see him in the next week or so and I’ll give him his gift and stuff then. He’s not too big on that kind of stuff, a phone call for him is good enough. But I’ve gotten him some pretty cool gifts in the past.”
What is one of the best gifts you’ve given your dad?
“I got him this fishing box. It’s a giant fishing lure, but it’s a mailbox. So it’s really cool.”
