Sidney Spencer Jeffrey Bottari/NBAE/Getty Images

It’s not often that a late second round draft pick is among the leaders in the Rookie of the Year race, but Los Angeles Sparks guard Sidney Spencer is making her case this season. The 25th overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft, Spencer has earned a spot in the starting lineup for the Sparks, and has not disappointed, averaging 10.9 points in her 10 starts, including her career night when she posted 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Phoenix Mercury on July 20.

Spencer leads all rookies in 3-point field goal percentage - she is third overall in the WNBA at .450 - and was the only rookie to earn an invite to Washington, D.C. for All-Star weekend earlier this month as a participant in the 3-point shootout. She is also among the rookie leaders in most major statistical categories: points (9.0, third), rebounds (3.6, fourth) and field goal percentage (.417, second).

WNBA.com's Brian Martin spoke with the former Lady Vol, a member of Tennessee's 2007 national championship team, about her surprising rookie season and how she is adjusting to life in the WNBA.

Q. What expectations did you have coming into your rookie year?
SPENCER: "Coming to the Sparks, that was one of the top teams that I’ve always watched play since the league started. Having Lisa Leslie as their star player, I was really excited about getting to meet her even though she wasn’t going to be there this season. And to be able play with the other players that I’ve played with in the SEC or that I’ve played against during school, to be a part of that was something I was really excited about. I was ready to learn and I knew I had a lot to learn. Coming in as a shooter I thought I could help the team out. As you’ve seen our team has been through some adversity and changes with the team and that led to a lot of opportunities and for me it’s given me the opportunity to play and learn from coach Coop [Sparks head coach Michael Cooper]. I've just been blessed with the opportunity to play."

Q. Are you surprised to be playing such a big role for this team?
SPENCER: "I am extremely surprised. Everyone on our team works extremely hard and I think anybody could start on our team. To be able to come in and for coach to give me that kind of confidence has been something that I’ve really enjoyed and tried to take advantage of."

Q. You were the only rookie to participate in All-Star weekend. What was that experience like for you?
SPENCER: "I had a blast in Washington, D.C.! I got to learn from the best and see a great All-Star game. It was fun to compete in the 3-point shootout. You always watch it on TV, but it was fun to actually be a part of it. I got to see one of my assistant coaches from Tennessee and some Tennessee alums. It was a great experience. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed meeting people that I hadn’t met before."

Q. As a shooter, what did you think of Laurie Koehn’s performance in the final round of the 3-point contest when she hit 25 threes?
SPENCER: "That was incredible! She was nearly perfect! I don’t think I’ve ever seen, between men or women, someone put up that many points before. That was an incredible score. She has a beautiful shot. I’m really happy for her that she won."

Q. What are your thoughts on the year you’ve had, going from the championship at Tennessee to starting in the WNBA as a rookie?
SPENCER: "After we won the championship game, the turnaround was so quick. It was almost like we won and then in less than eight hours, I was on to my next stage of life, which was coming to the Sparks. It was quite a transformation and it happened really quickly. Sometimes I still feel like I’m not out of college yet. It just hasn’t kicked in. It’s just been like a dream. The people here in LA, the players, and the vets in particular, have taken great care of me and have worked with me. Whenever I come into the gym early, they would come in with me and work me out or work on ball handling or just anything I need, they’ve been there. They talk to me and constantly work with me, which has built up my confidence and I think confidence is a key thing because anyone at this level has the talent and confidence is really important."

Q. You came into the league known as a shooter, what other parts of your game have you working on and trying to develop this year?
SPENCER: "If you’re known as being a good shooter, then people are going to try to make you put the ball on the ground. So I’ve been trying to go off the dribble, mid range, posting up, getting to the free throw line, just trying to do other things on offense beside just standing and shooting the ball."

Q. What is it like living in Los Angeles after growing up in Hoover, Alabama and going to college in Knoxville, Tennessee?
SPENCER: "It’s really different. I love the weather. Right now it’s so hot and humid back home and the weather is 75 and cool and breezy in LA and the beaches are within half a mile. That’s fun because I love the beaches. The traffic is out of control, I’m not used to all of this traffic. If it takes you 15 minutes to get somewhere, it could take you an hour on any given day, so that’s different. The people are a little bit different, it's a different lifestyle, they’re not as laid back as the people at home, and everyone is really rushed all the time. Other than that it’s been such an enjoyable experience. I think the weather is one of my favorites."

Q. What has been the biggest adjustment that you’ve had to make from playing in college to playing in the WNBA?
SPENCER: "I would say the players here are smarter. They just have more knowledge of the game, more basketball savvy, they’re more crafty on the court. They have counters for everything. If you stop them from going one direction, they have a counter play, or they know how to draw fouls. Overall I think their knowledge of the game is a lot better than in college."

Q. How much did playing at Tennessee and playing for Coach Summitt prepare you for this level of competition?
SPENCER: "Her program and philosophies prepared me a lot. At Tennessee our philosophy were on defense and rebounding first and the offense second. Coach Coop instills in us that it will be our defense that will win us championships, which is the same philosophies and same goals that we had in college. So that in a sense prepared me, the competitiveness of playing at the top level and contending for a national championship every year has prepared me for the competition that I see every night in the WNBA."

Q. What have you learned most in your rookie season?
SPENCER: "To play in this league you have to be extremely mentally tough because you play almost every other night and even those days in between that you are off you could be traveling. One thing that I’m learning is how to push your body when you body is tired or fatigued. It’s not so much the stuff that happens on the court, its the stuff that happens off the court, you’re constantly traveling or in the airport and then you play the next day and you've got to bring your best."

Q. How has your body held up after the long college season and then jumping right into the WNBA season?
SPENCER: "It’s doing great. All-star break came at a perfect time. We had been playing a pretty grueling schedule, then we had a week off, so right now I feel great and very rested."

Q. Are there any crazy things that the veterans make the rookies do?
SPENCER: "No, they take great care of me. You have your rookie duties like cleaning up the gym or the bus or the locker room after games, but they take good care of me and they feed me well so it’s give and take. It’s nothing bad, so it doesn’t bother me at all."