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Imani Mcgee-Stafford Talks Stepping Away From the WNBA to Pursue Her Law Degree

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Imani McGee-Stafford is a professional basketball player who recently announced her decision to take a two-year hiatus from the WNBA in order to pursue a law degree from Southwestern Law School in LA. A University of Texas graduate, McGee-Stafford was drafted 10th overall in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. Named to the WNBA All-Rookie team, McGee-Stafford went on to play for both Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings. Below, she discusses what inspired her to return to school and how she handled her earlier transition from college to the pros.

When did you first become interested in pursuing a degree in law? 

I started thinking about law school after Dr. Ford’s testimony in the Brett Kavanaugh hearing a couple of years ago. The fact that we would feel comfortable putting someone accused of these things in the highest job in the land was just crazy to me. Then couple that with Trump’s sexual assault allegations, and it just showed me that we really don’t care about women as a country. And that’s when I started thinking, how can I help change that? The only route that made sense to me was being a lawyer.

Do you think that your basketball career is over or do you hope to return to the league after you graduate from law school?

We’ll see what life has. But my goal is to take a two-year hiatus, which will probably end up being one, because I don’t think we’re going to have a season this year, then come back and play for a couple of years and then retire and do law.

What kind of message do you think pursuing a degree in law sends to your fans who look up to you as an athlete?

I think that because athletes are notably great at their sport, people believe that we can only be great at one thing. It is really hard for people to picture athletes doing anything other than athletics, because that is usually what they’re best at. For me, I’m totally an idealistic child when it comes to the fact that I really want to see if I can have it all. I want to live like five lives, because I just want to do so much. Hopefully fans that look up to me understand that you can do whatever you really set your mind to. I mean, I got into law school with a full scholarship. I had to work really hard for it, but it’s possible.

Looking back, did you know that you wanted to pursue basketball professionally when you were playing at Texas?

Not until my last two years. It just became more tangible towards the end of my college career. For one, I always used basketball as a means to an end. I wanted a free education and to major in accounting, and Texas has the number one accounting program in the country. That was what I focused on when picking a school. Also, I didn’t really think I was good enough and I wasn’t a “sports-first” type of person. But then, my junior year, I started off the season with an injury and I pretty much spent the whole year on what felt like one leg. But I still did really well and won some Big 12 accolades. That’s when I was like, “Wow. Maybe I can keep hanging and go far with basketball.”

Did you follow the WNBA at that point and were there any teams that you were hoping to get drafted by?

I’m different because my mom played for the WNBA, so I’ve kind of been around it my entire life. I wanted to go to Dallas, ironically, or San Antonio, because I was already in Texas and at that time was married to my ex-husband who had also gone to Texas. So I wanted to just stay close. Then if that didn’t happen, which it didn’t, I wanted to go to Chicago because I knew Pokey [Chatman] really liked me — she was the head coach at Chicago at the time. I wanted to be with whoever really liked me.

Can you remember your reaction and your thoughts when you were drafted?

Relief, probably, because it’s a really scary, nerve-wracking kind of situation as you’re waiting for your name to get called. It feels like two minutes takes forever to pass. You’re not in control, and you really don’t know where you’re going. So when I finally got drafted, it was mostly just relief, and I was excited, because I got to go to Chicago. I knew that Pokey really wanted me on her team.

What made your transition from college ball to the league so successful?

I think I was just well-prepared. Shout-out to my college coach and my family and friends. When I was getting interviewed before the draft, I talked to Dan Hughes, who’s now the coach of Seattle, but he was San Antonio’s coach at the time. He asked me a question, and it was super simple. He said, “What do you bring to the game every time you step on the court?” I don’t remember how I answered in the moment, but it was something I really thought about and took with me as I entered the league. To play at the WNBA level, you have to do something great and you have to consistently do it great, every day. Maybe you’re a scorer or maybe you’re just a rebounder. Whatever it is, you have to leave the college mindset of being a “do-it-all player” and figure out what it is you do great every day.

Some people are special and they can be that same player they are in college. But most players have to transition based on the new team they are playing with, and I think I was able to do that. What I bring every day is energy. I talk. I’m loud. I’m locked in. I’m a defensive presence and a rebounder. Defense is what I enjoy doing, and it’s what I’m known for doing. I’m going to bring you great energy, and I’m going to know the scouting report, up and down, every day. Regardless of who steps up in front of me, I’m going to be ready every day.

You have a very athletic family. You mentioned that your mom played in the WNBA, and your brother plays in the NBA. How much has your family’s experience with professional basketball impacted you as a player? 

Heading into the league, it was helpful in terms of knowing what to expect. I had the benefit of asking some of the greats — Tina Thompson, Lisa Leslie, my mom — about what to expect and how to be successful. But ultimately, around my second year in the league, I figured out how to measure my own success. That helped alleviate a feeling of pressure, as I just acknowledged that I may never actually attain the success that my family has, but that doesn’t mean I’m failing.

What was it about your second year that helped you come to that realization? 

My rookie year, I was starting. I was on the All-Rookie team. I was playing in the semifinals as a rookie. Then, the next season, my coach got fired, and I did not mesh well with the new coach at all. I went from having a significant role to not playing at all, even though I felt as though I was better than the other people in my position. That was when I had to figure out what success looks like for me. How can I measure something when it’s not really in my control? How do I take inventory of what I think my success is and make small, tangible goals, even though my playing time is out of my control? That’s when I learned to be my own judge.

Looking ahead, do you have a specific interest in terms of what type of law you’d like to practice? 

I am interested in civil litigation and public interest law. I want to be a research lawyer and help change laws around women’s rights and sexual violence. We need more women in the field. The people who make laws and policy advocate for what they know and for people who look like them. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of people of color nor women of color in those positions. I want to get to that position so that I can help people like me.

UEFA Draw Sets Champions League Quarterfinals

The UEFA Champions League trophy sits on display before the 2024/25 quarterfinals draw.
Eight teams' paths to May's Champions League final in Lisbon were determined in Friday's draw. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals are officially set, with UEFA drawing the remaining eight teams into the field early Friday morning.

The annual season-long competition pits Europe's top leagues against each other. This season, 72 clubs across 50 different leagues qualified for the contest. From the UK to Ukraine, all teams have been vying for the continent's top-dog status amidst a cutthroat atmosphere and a growing sense of parity in the sport.

Two qualifying rounds narrowed the initial teams down to the 16 contending in the tournament's official group stage. Each played six group-stage matches from October through December to determine the eight clubs that advanced to Friday's final draw.

A screen shows the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal pairings at Friday's draw.
Four previous champions made the 2024/25 Champions League quarterfinals. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The road to Champions League glory in Lisbon

All remaining clubs are now eyeing the May 24th final in Lisbon, Portugal, and Friday's draw mapped each team's path to that championship match. The 2024/25 quarterfinals will feature four former champions and four seeking a first-ever trophy, with both familiar fights and rarely tested toss-ups on deck.

Both the March quarterfinals and April semifinals employ a two-leg format, offering teams who suffer narrow first losses a shot at second-match redemption.

Friday's draw determined that WSL contenders Arsenal will kick off the tournament's quarterfinals against Real Madrid on March 18th, with Germany's Bayern Munich taking on France's 2024 UWCL runners-up Olympique Lyonnais shortly afterwards.

The following day, Bayern's Frauen-Bundesliga foes Wolfsburg will face Spain's 2024 UWCL champs FC Barcelona. Closing out the initial tilts is a WSL standoff between Manchester City and the UK league's undefeated titans Chelsea FC.

Lyon's Michele Kang, president of the winningest Champions League team in history, speaks to the media after Friday's UEFA draw.
Backed by club president Michele Kang, Lyon will seek its record ninth UWCL title this year. (Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Increased global parity to test UWCL dynasties

With eight of the tournament's 23 titles under their belts, Lyon is the winningest team in UWCL history. Meanwhile, current back-to-back champions Barcelona claimed three of the last four trophies.

Despite the recent two-team domination, capturing this season's title will be a challenge. Hoping to spoil Lyon's and Barcelona's dynastic runs is four first-time title-hunters, plus two-time winners Wolfsburg and early champion Arsenal — who won the trophy in 2007, when the tournament was called the UEFA Women's Cup.

All in all, the European crown has never been tougher to claim, with leagues across the continent increasingly stocking up on standout — and potentially game-changing — players from beyond their borders.

Portland Announces Joint NWSL x WNBA Training Center

A rendering of the outside of the proposed NWSL x WNBA performance complex in Portland.
The Portland facility will be the first shared WNBA-NWSL performance complex under the same ownership. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland is going all in on women's sports, with RAJ Sports — the ownership group behind both the NWSL's Thorns and Portland's incoming WNBA team — announcing the development of a new $150 million sports performance complex on Thursday.

The 12-acre dual-sport performance center will be the first-ever facility housing both a pro women's soccer squad and a pro women's basketball team.

Innovation and amenities lead Portland design

At 63,000 square feet, the incoming NWSL x WNBA training facility will feature two basketball courts, two soccer pitches, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, a state-of-the-art strength training facility, and a laundry list of additional top-of-the-line amenities.

According to the Thorns' announcement, the center aims to "[elevate] the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting."

The wellness additions include recovery lounges and pools, hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, and a yoga and pilates room, plus access to a full-time chef and nutritionist via the center's kitchen and dining hall.

"This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes," said Thorns forward Sophia Wilson (née Smith).

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

A rendering of the basketball court in the proposed Portland performance complex.
The WNBA and NWSL performance complex adds Portland to a growing list of women's sports facilities. (RAJ Sports/Populous)

Portland joins other WNBA and NWSL teams building own facilities

Portland is just the latest in a wave of women's teams across top-tier US leagues breaking ground on dedicated performance facilities.

Earlier this week, WNBA newcomer Golden State unveiled their own custom-built Valkyries Performance Center. Last month, NWSL side Angel City cut the ribbon on their dedicated training facility.

RAJ Sports’ effort to continue the investment trend comes barely a year after their January 2024 purchase of the Thorns. That move was finalized a little over eight months before the WNBA accepted their expansion bid, making the Bhathal family — who also have a stake in the NBA's Sacramento Kings — the first-ever ownership group to oversee pro women's teams in two different sports.

Las Vegas Aces Revamp Roster with Offseason Moves

Las Vegas Aces standouts Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes race downcourt during a 2024 game.
Both Sydney Colson and Tiffany Hayes are departing Las Vegas this season. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

WNBA roster shakeups kept rolling this week, with a deluge of moves radically reshaping the 2022 and 2023 league champion Las Vegas Aces.

After three seasons in Las Vegas, backup guard and popular locker room presence Sydney Colson signed a one-year deal with Indiana on Thursday. The Fever, who've been aggressive about inking athletes they believe will bring a title back to Indianapolis, targeted Colson for her veteran experience.

"[Colson] brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position, said Fever COO and GM Amber Cox in the team's announcement. "We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."

Joining Colson in leaving Las Vegas is forward Alysha Clark. A key factor in the Aces' 2023 title run — which ultimately earned her the WNBA's Sixth Woman of the Year award — Clark is returning to the Seattle Storm, where she played from 2012 to 2020.

The Aces are also losing their 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year, Tiffany Hayes. Despite the Aces protecting her in December's expansion draft, the free agent guard will take her talents to incoming franchise Golden State. There, she'll link up with former Las Vegas assistant coach-turned-Valkyries boss Natalie Nakase.

"Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court," Nakase noted. "Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team's identity."

Atlanta's Cheyenne Parker-Tyus guards Las Vegas's A'ja Wilson during a 2024 WNBA game.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will join A'ja Wilson in the Aces' front court this season. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Las Vegas Aces take aim at refreshed dynasty

After falling short of a three-peat championship last season — despite three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's outstanding 2024 performance — a significant Aces roster reshuffling was all but guaranteed ahead of the 2025 season.

Las Vegas kicked things off by shipping All-Star guard Kelsey Plum off to the LA Sparks last month. The blockbuster three-team trade sent Seattle's two-time champ Jewell Loyd to the Aces in return.

To shore up their front-court, Las Vegas inked 6-foot-4 power forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus on Thursday. The 2023 All-Star averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds for Atlanta that season, and was on her way to matching that production last year when an ankle injury curbed her 2024 run.

Ultimately, Las Vegas's roller coaster offseason reflects both the WNBA's shifting landscape and the Aces' quest to revive their former dynasty, hoping a fresh start can fuel them all the way to another league title in 2025.

Tennessee Upsets NCAA Rival UConn in Vols’ First Top 10 Win

Tennessee basketball players Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman celebrate their 80-76 upset win over UConn.
Tennessee scored their first win over UConn since 2007. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

No. 19 Tennessee notched the first major win of their Kim Caldwell era on Thursday night, stifling No. 5 UConn 80-76 to capture their first Top 10 basketball victory of the season — and first win over the Huskies since 2007.

Bolstered by a 13-0 run in the third quarter, Tennessee out-rebounded UConn 46-34 to hold the Huskies at bay.

On defense, the Vols managed to limit UConn star and projected 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers to just 5-of-16 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

"We had poise down the stretch. I think we played with confidence. I think we played to win, as opposed to afraid to lose," commented first-year Tennessee head coach Caldwell after the game.

Tennessee flips the historic rivalry script against UConn

Once one of the most heated historic rivalries in NCAA basketball, Tennessee and UConn met 22 times from 1995 to 2007. The Huskies took 13 victories over that stretch.

Since the teams rebooted their non-conference series in 2020, UConn has taken the win in all four meetings — until Tennessee halted the Huskies on Thursday.

A big upset win from the Vols has felt increasingly inevitable this season, as Tennessee has come wildly close to claiming multiple top-tier upsets. They fell to No. 4 Texas by just four points, No. 6 LSU by two points, and logged one-point losses against both No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Last week, the Vols lost to No. 2 South Carolina 70-63. Subsequently, Tennessee became just the second team to limit the reigning NCAA champs to a single-digit win this season.

Despite Tennessee’s recent rise, Thursday's result was a blow to UConn. The Huskies are now 21-3 in 2024/25 play, with all three losses coming against Top 10 teams. UConn likely has just one regular-season Top 10 matchup left by way of a February 16th clash with South Carolina.

"The bottom line is we have some players on our team that are supposed to be our best players and they've got to play better. That's all there is to it," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in response.

South Carolina's Bree Hall defends Texas guard Madison Booker during a 2024 NCAA basketball game.
Texas and South Carolina will meet in a Top-4 matchup on Sunday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

As tough as the SEC has been, there's little rest for the weary, with No. 19 Tennessee gearing up for a rematch with No. 6 LSU at 4 PM ET on Sunday. Live coverage will air on ESPN.

In Top 10 weekend action, No. 8 Ohio State will cap their West Coast trip against No. 7 USC at 9 PM ET on Saturday, live on Fox Sports.

Then on Sunday, No. 4 Texas will host No. 2 South Carolina at 2 PM ET, with ESPN broadcasting live.

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