A letter to basketball, by WNBA No. 10 draft pick Imani Boyette
In honor of National Poetry Month, espnW is running a weekly poem on influential female athletes and women in sports.
Dear Basketball,
I didn't realize how much I'd really miss you
Until the buzzer sounded
In my last Longhorns basketball game
The crowd erupted
But this time, it wasn't for us
I cried my way through the eyes of Texas
And just like that
We were done
In college, we started to get serious
When they started putting expectations on our relationship
It scared me
Remember...
that time I tried to quit sophomore year because my depression was
trying to take me out
And I blamed you
I didn't think of myself as worthy of all that you came with
The after game press conferences
The constant quest to be better
The suicides, the 300s, the gassers
I didn't think I could do it
I never thought we'd get here
In the beginning, I downplayed our relationship
Told them I was just using you
To get out of California
To go to college
To get a degree,
And still you were there
Remembering who we used to be
Basketball, I never had a choice in this relationship
But you did
There were taller girls,
Quicker ones
Harder-working ones
More skilled ones
But you kept rewarding me
I was born to hall of famer Pamela McGee
My aunt, Trisha played in the WNBA and is now a college coach
My mom's twin, Paula McGee won two NCAA titles
My dad played in Beijing
My brother is Mavericks center JaVale McGee
We were just the inevitable
WNBA President Lisa Borders poses with Imani Boyette after being drafted number ten overall by the Chicago Sky.
Basketball,
This is the first time I've had a choice
And here I am choosing you
I'm no longer just some NBA player's kid sister
I love you,
There I said it
I hiccup before games
Because you still make me nervous
Almost a decade in
I say the same prayer at the jump ball
And when ESPN shows the 2016 WNBA Draft my name will flicker across the screen
I just want to put on that jersey again
Say that same prayer when the ball tips on May 14
when I'm wearing my new Chicago Sky jersey
So basketball,
I promise to love you better
You've given me a platform
Reminded me that I'm stronger than I think
Here's to our budding relationship basketball
Love,
Imani
Imani Boyette was a center at the University of Texas. She was the WNBA's tenth overall pick Thursday night and will join the Chicago Sky. For more information on Boyette click here.