Basketball Players and Businesswomen

Along with playing basketball professionally during the summer and a lot of times during the winter as well, WNBA players often find time to create their own charities and some even go as far as owning their own businesses. WNBA.com recently caught up with a few players to ask if they currently own their own business or would like to in the future.

Tamika Whitmore, Indiana Fever

Tamika Whitmore is interested in marketing.. Warren Skalski/NBAE/Getty

"Maybe I'll try to become head of the marketing. I think we can market our talent and our teams a lot better, but if not that, then I would try to become a coach at the college level. Not high school because you have to deal with too many parents and professional you have to deal with too many egos, so it's a happy medium."

Tangela Smith, Charlotte Sting
"I have a hair salon, it's right outside Atlanta in Palmetto, Georgia, me and my best friend, it's called Studio 5027, that's my number and her number put togethe. It's small but its something that we both have. I get down there whenever I can. I definitely want to open up more, maybe in my hometown Chicago or Charlotte."

Becky Hammon, New York Liberty
"No, my family owns a business, and I have stock in that. I really don't do much with it but I get to be associated because I'm the daughter. I'm never going to take it over, I think I'll leave that to my brother."

Ruth Riley, Detroit Shock
"No, I do not. I'm going to start my foundation soon, but the potential of being a businesswoman is definitely interesting to me, so I think that once I have a little bit more time to organize that and plan that it would be something I would look into."

Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun
"Well, I own a business my family left us, so my sister currently runs it and I'm a shareholder. It's in the construction side of things, it's a seller and distributor for pneumatic air tools."

Ticha Penicheiro, Sacramento Monarchs

Ruth Riley is interested in becoming a businesswoman. Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty

"Right now I'm so busy and dedicated to basketball, I play pretty much year round, so it's really hard for me to be focused on something else. When I go into something I like to be dedicated 100% and right now just basketball is my focus."

Michelle Snow, Houston Comets
"I do a little bit of everything. I'm into real estate, I'm into enterprising. My thing is to be creative, find a way to do things, think outside the box, use this opportunity in the league. I feel like I can reach back and find another opportunity to help people be it youth, or give out jobs, or all kinds of things be it financial literacy is really big and a lot of people don't have that. That is something I can offer to young people as well as the older generation."

Tina Thompson, Houston Comets
"I think I haven't narrowed it down, but entrepreneurship is something I would look forward to. But just in my opinion, it's really tough to do so many things at once, like playing basketball, being a mom, and I'm preparing to go back to school, it's kind of a lot on my plate. I think there's a lot of interest there, but in due time."

Kelly Miller, Phoenix Mercury
"Right now, I'm just getting settled in my new home."

Niele Ivey, Phoenix Mercury
"No I don't but I would. I'm not a 'business' person, but I'm trying to learn a lot and network to see what I could do. I would love to."