Monday, November 17, 2008
By Brice Cherry
Tribune-Herald staff writer
For once, Baylor basketball fans didn’t make a beeline for the bathrooms or the concession stands at halftime.
What was happening on the court was better.
Sophia Young, one of the most legendary players to ever take the court for the Lady Bears, returned to the Ferrell Center Sunday for a ceremony to retire her No. 33 jersey.
Lady Bears topple #2 Stanford at the Ferrell Center in Waco
Young, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2005 NCAA women’s basketball tournament and a WNBA all-star for the San Antonio Silver Stars, was recognized with a stirring video tribute of highlights from her days at Baylor before taking the microphone to thank the gushing crowd for their support.
Afterwards, Young said she could have never imagined such a ceremony when she arrived at Baylor in the fall of 2002.
“It’s something as a player where you always want to leave a legacy and leave something for people to remember you by,” she said. “When I came to Baylor, I just wanted to play ball. My goal was to just win, and whatever accomplishments came with that were a good thing. But the thing I cherished the most were the friends I’ve made.”
Many of those friends were on hand to revel in Young’s glory, including former Lady Bear players Chameka Scott, Jordan Davis and Chelsea Whitaker.
“We’ve been hanging out all weekend,” Young said. “It’s been one of the most amazing things ever. Them being here was more exciting to me than getting my jersey retired. Just hanging out and being back together in the gym we played in, it was fun.”
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey delayed her own trip to the locker room at halftime so as to congratulate Young.
“She’s so deserving,” Mulkey said. “I know it was a special day for her, but it was special for all of us who watched her grow up and live her life here at Baylor and take us to a national championship.”
The Big 12’s all-time leading scorer with 2,480 points, Young hasn’t stopped growing as a professional. This season she attained first-team All-WNBA and All-Defensive team honors while propelling the Silver Stars to the Finals, where they lost in three games to the Detroit Shock.
“Of course getting there is sweet, but nothing is sweeter than actually winning it,” Young said. “From experiencing that before, you know the feeling, you know the excitement, you know all the hard work actually pays off. Getting there and not accomplishing that, it leaves you with some disappointment. We’re just going to have to work harder to get back there.”
A few dozen Silver Stars fans also made the trip up I-35 to Waco for Young’s big day. Young said that the WNBA is gaining more and more fans in the Alamo City, though it hasn’t reached the point where she’s being mugged for autographs every time she leaves the house, like the Spurs’ Tim Duncan or Tony Parker.
For that, she’s glad.
“Hopefully it stays like that,” Young said, “so I can keep going shopping.”
