Where Are They Now: Tamecka Dixon
While the spotlight shines brightly on professional athletes during their careers, far less attention is given to players upon retiring from the sport they love.
Original Los Angeles Sparks guard Tamecka Dixon has recently embarked on her life after basketball, and she�s approaching her new career as a financial advisor with the same determination that made her one of the most respected WNBA players during her 13 seasons in the league.
For Dixon, the WNBA came into existence at a most-opportune time, coinciding with the end of her standout four-year career at the University of Kansas which she capped as Big 12 Player of the Year and a Second Team AP All-American in 1997. As a collegian, Dixon received some �insider info� that a U.S.-based women�s professional league was forming, giving her a little extra motivation to strive for success.
�Renee Brown, who oversees player personnel with the WNBA, was actually my assistant coach at Kansas my first couple years. So when she left Kansas to join the WNBA, I knew it was coming,� Dixon said from her current home in Westfield, N.J. �Growing up, I knew of a few women who had played oversees, but I was just elated to have an opportunity to play in my own country in front of family and friends.�
�It was just an amazing experience I�ll never forget. Just looking around the arena, seeing all these celebrities I watched on TV before coming to LA, and now they�re sitting in the stands watching me perform? That was incredible,� she reminisced.
While Dixon was a bit awe-struck by that Great Western Forum crowd, she admitted to having the same feelings towards a few of her Sparks teammates. Joining a roster that featured U.S. National Team players such as Lisa Leslie, Daedra Charles and Penny Toler, Dixon made it her goal to learn from the veterans � both on and off the court � and contribute any way possible.
Toler took quick notice of the rookie�s work ethic and eagerness to improve her game.
��Meeck � we called her �Meeck � was humble, easy to get along with and it was an instant connection between the two of us,� Toler said. �Sometimes you have kids who are really, really good, but when they come out [of college] you can�t really tell them anything. Tamecka was already really, really good, but when you have a person like her who�s eager to learn more and ask questions, they get even better.�
Despite having an all-star cast, it took some time for those early Sparks teams to gel. Los Angeles made its first WNBA Playoff appearance in 1999, and two years later everything clicked during a dream season at STAPLES Center. Dixon was able to pinpoint two main factors for the Sparks� evolution.
�We grew together as a team � there were a couple of players there from the beginning. You have a core foundation you can build from,� Dixon said. �Our mentality changed as well, especially when Michael Cooper took over. He started implementing things in practice, and we were game-ready in every practice.�
While she was helping Los Angeles win back-to-back WNBA titles in 2001 and 2002 � hands-down her two proudest accomplishments as a Spark � the ultra-professional Dixon spent the off-seasons striving to refine her game.
�A lot of people go overseas to play games and as a time to take a break � I never did that. I went over there trying to win, and I always wanted to add something extra to my game when I came back. I learned that from a couple of old vets.�
That year-round dedication endeared her to Sparks fans over nine seasons in Los Angeles, the fourth-longest tenure in franchise history. During that time she made three straight All-Star appearances from 2001 to 2003 and averaged 10.5 points over 263 games.
Following the 2005 campaign, Dixon signed as a free agent with the Houston Comets, who she called the Sparks �biggest rivals� during the WNBA�s early years. She enjoyed three productive seasons in the �Bayou City� and another in Indiana, helping the Fever reach the 2009 WNBA Finals.
However that year also saw Dixon reach a crossroads in her professional and personal life.
�It came a point where I had to figure out do I want my summers off or my winters off? Over so many summers in the WNBA, I missed a lot of that family time, and I really wanted to have those moments with my family.�
She played both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with Pallacanestro Pozzuoli in Italy, and with her newfound free time stateside held internships with both the New Jersey Nets and NBA Entertainment. However a love of numbers � dating back to her childhood � led Dixon to a career in financial advising. Much as she was eager to learn and grow as a WNBA rookie in 1997, she�s absorbing all she can in her new career with Edward Jones that began this June.
Mastering a new profession would be enough to keep most people busy, but Dixon still manages to keep a foot in the game she loves. In addition to doing some one-on-one training with kids, the town of Westfield, N.J. recently asked Dixon to serve as director of its youth basketball traveling program. As she did as a player, she�s also donated her time this year to WNBA Cares community service endeavors.
�I�m juggling a couple of balls here � I can�t step away from the game completely.�
That dedication to being the best she can be while simultaneously giving back to others helps explains why one can still see numerous Tamecka Dixon jerseys and signs among the STAPLES Center faithful, six years after she last suited up for the Sparks.
�Fans took a liking to her because she was humble, friendly and never in a rush � Tamecka stopped to talk to everybody. She knew what the league was about,� said Toler. �It�s the ultimate compliment to a player, when fans remember you when you�re gone.�