Cappie Pondexter, a guard recently traded to the WNBA's New York Liberty, is a new weapon for the team, armed with quick crossovers and a deadly midrange jumper. She has gained every accolade a professional basketball player could hope for: She was the Big East Conference Women's Player of the Year at Rutgers, the most valuable player and she made the WNBA All-Star team. She was also the first player in WNBA history to win three consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week awards and has won two championships. Ever ambitious, Pondexter looks to reach even higher heights with the New York Liberty by bringing New York the championship. Here, she talks basketball, her friendship with LeBron James, fashion and makeup with Aol. Black Voices:
BV: How did you first get started playing basketball? Who taught you to play?
CP: My brother is a basketball player, and he would take me to the park 'cause he had to babysit me, and I've just continued from there. I've been playing since I was 10, and it's just something I love to do. My brother is nine years older than me. We never played one-on-one, but I could beat him now [laughs].
BV: What made you choose Rutgers and Vivien Stringer over basketball powerhouses like UConn and Tennessee?
CP: They were in my top five schools when I did my recruiting visits. My last recruiting visit I was supposed to go to UConn, but I canceled it, and I committed to Rutgers. Rutgers was the first school I visited, and I just felt comfortable. Coach Stringer, she's an awesome lady, very powerful. I felt that from the moment I met her. I'm thankful I went there. We talk weekly. She's a mother so she understands.
BV: Were you there for the Don Imus experience?
CP: I wasn't there for the Imus thing, but I was upset about it. Two of the girls who played with me in college now play with me with New York Liberty. I always kept in close contact with them, and it was a struggle for awhile to get through that and the whole thing being in the public light, people knowing them and the situation. The media was there to talk about the situation rather than about them playing basketball. It was definitely tough for them.
BV: A lot of people don't talk to female basketball players about their overseas experiences, but what was different about playing on the Russian and Turkish teams during your off-season?
CP: In America, we're taught the game differently than the European players. They understand the game better than typical American basketball players: They're very fundamental. Their game is finesse; it's not powerful like we are. Everybody can shoot from every position, no matter if you're a center. You can shoot, as opposed to American basketball, [where] your five is mostly your dominant force and you really don't shoot past the 15-foot range. I've been fortunate to play with one of the best clubs in Russia. We charter everywhere and it's just a comfortable lifestyle. It's unfortunate that the WNBA hasn't reached that level yet.
BV: Yes, 'cause you are very much taken care of out there financially as opposed to here. What's the difference between the fans? Are there more people that come out to support?
CP: Yeah, our arena is sold out every game. In the city, we are the only team besides a Division 1 soccer team, but even still, in Europe, they love sports, no matter if it's women's or men's. They support it as opposed to here. The pace is different in America; everybody is on the go. There are so many more important things than sports.
BV: You've achieved at the highest levels: all-star, MVP. What keeps you motivated? What drives you now that you have achieved so much?
CP: I'm not content with my career. I feel like I still have so much more to do. I still want to grow as a player, and I want to be the best player. I want people to say, "Cappie Pondexter, she's the best, she's the all-time best," and that's what continues to motivate me to get better.
BV: Are there any obstacles you have had to overcome as a woman playing basketball?
CP: The salaries, comparing us to men, the way we travel -- that's hard, that's something we're trying to overcome. We travel economy, we don't have private planes. That's the biggest difference. Can you imagine these tall girls in economy? My coach is like 6-foot-8. Fans definitely generate revenue, and the fan base isn't there like on the men's side. They [the fans] pump in so much money. We don't fill up arenas, and there's so many other things we have to pay for, but it'll get there.
BV: How do you and LeBron know each other?
CP: He was like 16, I was 18, and we met at a USA basketball training facility in Colorado. This is before everybody knew about him. I was introduced to him by one of my close friends in Chicago that he would play with when he would come to Chicago, so we kind of all met like that. We talk and check up on each other, ask how we're doing, stuff like that. Just small talk. We haven't played each other yet. We joked about it, though.
BV: Did LeBron fill you in on his decision before he announced it?
CP: No, he didn't at all. We actually talked about it once over text and that was earlier in the process.
BV: What do you think about him choosing Miami over the Knicks?
CP: I'm happy for LeBron. He's such a great player and person and deserves to be happy on and off the court. I would have loved to have LeBron join our family, but I know that he ultimately had to make a decision that was best for him and his family.
BV: What did you think about Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's response and all the general hype about the decision?
CP: I mean, it was a bit harsh, but I'm sure it's hard for the Cavs owner to let go of LeBron. The city of Cleveland had an amazing seven years of great basketball and to see one of the best leave his own city is hard to digest! The hype around him leaving was crazy. I have never witnessed it in sports, and I'm sure we never will! LeBron has just been major since his coming into high school.
BV: I loved the clothes on the models on your site. What prompted you to start an image-consulting firm? What's your ultimate goal with the company? What do you think about the flak women basketball players get about not being girlie enough?
CP: It's something that once my basketball career is over I would definitely want to go full steam with it. I have a partner who is from New York, and we're just trying to take it to the next level. We do image consulting for players, music entertainers, actors, everyday people who need help going to work and red-carpet events. [We] do videos, photo shoots, we want to touch it all.
I'm not a girlie person; I'm a tomboy, but I still want to look like a lady. It's definitely an issue where we [WNBA players] need help sometimes. I can admit that. I think it's important to develop an image. You are a lady even if you don't wear girlie clothes. Make sure [you're] put together well and you're not walking around with big pants sagging and big T-shirts. So for me, it's important, especially because there's this perception about women basketball players, and that definitely needs to change -- for me, I am putting it out there, 'cause that's what I want to do.
BV: What do you want to do for Liberty?
CP: Honestly, my main objective or main goal is to bring the championship here and that's what the organization wants. I'm committed to doing that, and they're committed to allowing me to make it happen. So just taking it a day at a time -- a lot of people expect it to happen overnight, but I just want everybody to know it takes time to build a championship team. I don't want it to happen overnight. We are bringing the right pieces in now. I'm excited about it. I think it will be a great journey.
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