The Liberty's Nicole Powell Talks About the Close Bond Between Father and Daughter
Dads and Daughters week celebrates the special connection between dads and daughters, encouraging fathers and daughters to spend quality time together while forging a lasting bond through the game of basketball. Do you and your dad or you and your daughter bond over basketball? Share your story now on the official WNBA Facebook page or leave a message for us at 877-910-WNBA. The first 50 stories shared across all platforms will win a copy of the book Fathers and Daughter and Sports. For the complete rules and details, click here.
WNBA.com: I understand your dad traveled overseas with you while you were playing in Turkey this past season. Tell me a little bit about that.
Nicole Powell: He�s recently retired, so he had some extra time off. My parents come to visit every year. So this time he got some extra time and he got to stay at the beginning of the season, took a break to come back home and then came back [to Turkey] to finish out the rest of the season.
WNBA.com: What was that conversation like before you flew off to Turkey? Did you say something like, �All right, time to go play overseas for the season,� and Dad just turned to you and said, �I�m coming with you?�
NP: It was ahead of time. A lot went into just deciding to play overseas and all that. He asked, �Will I be able to come?� and I said, �I�d love for you to come.� It was just a family thing. We just kind of talked it over. I think my mom through it out there and she thought it�d be great for both of us.
WNBA.com: Did your mom come too?
NP: She actually did not come to visit this year, which is a first. So it was just dad and daughter time. It was really special. A really great time.
WNBA.com: So what did you guys do? Did you have an off night and just decide to hit the town?
NP: You know what? He integrated himself into my life, which is obviously a huge change to live the life of a professional player overseas. It was great. We were roommates. Like college roommates. We�d watch movies, hang out and go to dinner. Just some great down time to hang out and be together.
WNBA.com: Is it safe to assume at this point that you guys were very close while you were growing up?
NP: It was different because since I moved on to college I really haven�t been home. I�d been home for visits, but I haven�t been living there. So to have this time to spend together connecting was really special. I�m just so grateful for this to happen because it wasn�t planned. It was kind of a last minute thing but it came together wonderfully and it�s a time I�ll never forget. It was fun.
WNBA.com: When you were a kid, did dad drive you to practices?
NP: No, it was mostly my mom.
WNBA.com: So Mom did all the work and Dad gets to live in Turkey?
NP: (laughs) Well you know, there�s always different memories going on and opinions of what went on. But obviously both my parents are a huge part of my life and we�re a really close family. They�ve been a huge part of everything in my life. Obviously I�m a basketball player so people think he�s a parent who must be into basketball. But he�s a great dad.
WNBA.com: With your dad living in Phoenix, he doesn�t really get to see many of your games, huh? It�s not like the Liberty plays Phoenix that much.
NP: Right. It�s a change because I was in Sacramento before and went to college out in California [Stanford], so it was a lot easier to get to games and just play the West Coast teams and stuff like that. But they�re excited about the New York experience too. They were here for the opening game, which is really fun. Just to be in Madison Square Garden. I don�t think he�d ever been here before. So it was a real treat to share that with them, share my new beginnings in New York with my family. It�s New York. So who doesn�t want to have an opportunity come visit and hang out? And he�s a Yankees fan, so even better.
WNBA.com: Next year you�re playing in Poland. Is Dad coming?
NP: Probably, yeah. He�s already excited about it. Mom needs some time with him too, so we�ll see. I�m not going over until January though so that�ll be different but I expect both of them to be there.
WNBA.com: Is Mom kind of jealous that Dad gets to spend so much time away?
NP: Probably. But she got some down time too. It�s hard to live overseas, so I think it was just nice for him to get that time with me. Me and my mom are close, so maybe she was a little bit jealous about some of the stuff we were doing.
WNBA.com: What kind of stuff?
NP: Walking around Istanbul. Going out to eat. And she�s working and he�s not working anymore so (laughs) just the basics like that. I�m so grateful for both of them. I love sharing this experience of getting to be an athlete and just fortunate to have a great family to share it with. I think just for my dad to see the experience of what it�s like to be a professional athletes; to really be immersed in my life, two practices a day, working out, traveling � it�s really been fun for him. I think just getting that different look into this life and what goes into it.
WNBA.com: Is there a better or bigger understanding on his end now?
NP: Absolutely. I mean, he�s always understood to a certain degree obviously, raising me and seeing what I�ve been through. But it�s different really being in it day in and day out. He was going to practices with me and he started working out a little bit and stuff too and just sharing that whole experience he definitely has a greater appreciation for all that really goes into it. And playing year round. I�m coming back here and going straight to practices. A lot of people don�t understand that.
WNBA.com: So now when Dad calls you up and you have to say, �Sorry, I�m just really tired,� he gets that now?
NP: Oh yeah. He�s always been understanding but now he gets it to a whole new level.
 Nicole Powell and her father share a close relationship that extends beyond her play in the WNBA Ray Amati/NBAE/Getty Images |
WNBA.com: I understand your dad traveled overseas with you while you were playing in Turkey this past season. Tell me a little bit about that.
Nicole Powell: He�s recently retired, so he had some extra time off. My parents come to visit every year. So this time he got some extra time and he got to stay at the beginning of the season, took a break to come back home and then came back [to Turkey] to finish out the rest of the season.
WNBA.com: What was that conversation like before you flew off to Turkey? Did you say something like, �All right, time to go play overseas for the season,� and Dad just turned to you and said, �I�m coming with you?�
NP: It was ahead of time. A lot went into just deciding to play overseas and all that. He asked, �Will I be able to come?� and I said, �I�d love for you to come.� It was just a family thing. We just kind of talked it over. I think my mom through it out there and she thought it�d be great for both of us.
WNBA.com: Did your mom come too?
NP: She actually did not come to visit this year, which is a first. So it was just dad and daughter time. It was really special. A really great time.
WNBA.com: So what did you guys do? Did you have an off night and just decide to hit the town?
NP: You know what? He integrated himself into my life, which is obviously a huge change to live the life of a professional player overseas. It was great. We were roommates. Like college roommates. We�d watch movies, hang out and go to dinner. Just some great down time to hang out and be together.
WNBA.com: Is it safe to assume at this point that you guys were very close while you were growing up?
NP: It was different because since I moved on to college I really haven�t been home. I�d been home for visits, but I haven�t been living there. So to have this time to spend together connecting was really special. I�m just so grateful for this to happen because it wasn�t planned. It was kind of a last minute thing but it came together wonderfully and it�s a time I�ll never forget. It was fun.
WNBA.com: When you were a kid, did dad drive you to practices?
NP: No, it was mostly my mom.
WNBA.com: So Mom did all the work and Dad gets to live in Turkey?
NP: (laughs) Well you know, there�s always different memories going on and opinions of what went on. But obviously both my parents are a huge part of my life and we�re a really close family. They�ve been a huge part of everything in my life. Obviously I�m a basketball player so people think he�s a parent who must be into basketball. But he�s a great dad.
WNBA.com: With your dad living in Phoenix, he doesn�t really get to see many of your games, huh? It�s not like the Liberty plays Phoenix that much.
NP: Right. It�s a change because I was in Sacramento before and went to college out in California [Stanford], so it was a lot easier to get to games and just play the West Coast teams and stuff like that. But they�re excited about the New York experience too. They were here for the opening game, which is really fun. Just to be in Madison Square Garden. I don�t think he�d ever been here before. So it was a real treat to share that with them, share my new beginnings in New York with my family. It�s New York. So who doesn�t want to have an opportunity come visit and hang out? And he�s a Yankees fan, so even better.
WNBA.com: Next year you�re playing in Poland. Is Dad coming?
NP: Probably, yeah. He�s already excited about it. Mom needs some time with him too, so we�ll see. I�m not going over until January though so that�ll be different but I expect both of them to be there.
WNBA.com: Is Mom kind of jealous that Dad gets to spend so much time away?
NP: Probably. But she got some down time too. It�s hard to live overseas, so I think it was just nice for him to get that time with me. Me and my mom are close, so maybe she was a little bit jealous about some of the stuff we were doing.
WNBA.com: What kind of stuff?
NP: Walking around Istanbul. Going out to eat. And she�s working and he�s not working anymore so (laughs) just the basics like that. I�m so grateful for both of them. I love sharing this experience of getting to be an athlete and just fortunate to have a great family to share it with. I think just for my dad to see the experience of what it�s like to be a professional athletes; to really be immersed in my life, two practices a day, working out, traveling � it�s really been fun for him. I think just getting that different look into this life and what goes into it.
WNBA.com: Is there a better or bigger understanding on his end now?
NP: Absolutely. I mean, he�s always understood to a certain degree obviously, raising me and seeing what I�ve been through. But it�s different really being in it day in and day out. He was going to practices with me and he started working out a little bit and stuff too and just sharing that whole experience he definitely has a greater appreciation for all that really goes into it. And playing year round. I�m coming back here and going straight to practices. A lot of people don�t understand that.
WNBA.com: So now when Dad calls you up and you have to say, �Sorry, I�m just really tired,� he gets that now?
NP: Oh yeah. He�s always been understanding but now he gets it to a whole new level.