The newest rookies in the WNBA have some words of wisdom to bestow upon the next generation of athletes.
On the night of the April 15 draft, some of the best in women's basketball spoke to TODAY.com, sharing advice for all the young eyes following them on the TV screen.
As viewership skyrockets around the sport for women, resounding themes among these athletes were to dream big, work hard and believe in yourself.
Read on for the women's keys to their success.
Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark, the former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, explained the mindset that led her to the WNBA.
“Just dream big, you know, be whatever you want to be. Put a lot of work into that,” she said. “Even when things get hard, you can still achieve it. That’s exactly what I did.”
Angel Reese
Former LSU forward Angel Reese, who was drafted by the Chicago Sky, said she understands the responsibility of her role in the league, while sharing some of her own advice.
“I just know a lot of little girls look up to me, they depend on me. They know I’m that voice that they need and I want them to always stay confident from the outside looking in,” she said.
For Reese, authenticity is at the forefront of her success, she said.
“I’m going to always be me. On good days and bad days, just being able to be me. Just trying to tell (young girls) it’s OK to mess up. If you mess up, just get back up. Don’t let anyone ever put you into a box,” she said.
Cameron Brink
Cameron Brink, the former Stanford forward who is headed to the Los Angeles Sparks, spoke about a camp she holds every year called Next 22, which encourages young girls to stay in sports.
“You don’t need to play D1, you don’t need to join the WNBA, but as long as you pour into sport if you like it. The life lessons you learn, the confidence you build and the relationships are unmatched. So I want to encourage them to stick with it,” she said.
Kamilla Cardoso
Former South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, who is headed to the Sky, said any young person with ambitious goals should look at her story for inspiration.
“I moved here when I was 14 years old, spoke no English, to chase my dreams. So if you do have a dream, just keep working hard. Trust the process,” Cardoso, a native of Brazil, said. “Talk to God every time. He will hear you. He will help you.”
The WNBA rookie added, “So just stay confident and trust the process and everything is going to happen.”
Marquesha Davis
Marquesha Davis, the former guard at Ole Miss drafted by the New York Liberty, advises to put hard work and faith in oneself as a priority to achieving any goals.
“Always work hard and always believe in yourself and be confident in yourself. Because if you don’t believe in yourself then it’s hard for others to believe in you,” she said, adding, “Always keep going, no matter what.”
Celeste Taylor
Celeste Taylor, drafted by the Fever from Ohio State, supported advice to believe in yourself and be who you are, but said she has one more important tidbit.
"Trust your journey and be patient with yourself," she said. "You cannot compare your journey to anyone else's. I probably had a hard journey coming here and I never want to compare my journey to anyone else because they weren't where I was. They didn't grow up how I did. I didn't grow up how they did."
She explained that comparing yourself to others can "knock you down a bit."
"Just staying focused on who you are, trusting your process because your journey is what's meant for you," she added.
Dyaisha Fair
Dyaisha Fair, a former Syracuse guard joining the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, said she always keeps in mind that “every time a door closes, although it may not be one you want to close, another one will open.”
“My best piece of advice is no matter what anyone says to you or about you, whatever it is you want to do, put your mind and heart and soul into it and it can happen,” Fair said.
Aaliyah Edwards
Aaliyah Edwards, who was selected by the Washington Mystics from UConn, said her best advice is to be confident.
“Know who you are and whose you are. I really rely on my family to get me through the struggles, get me through the sacrifices,” Edwards said, adding, “But just have fun with it. Bet on women, we’re girls. We get what we need to get done on the court.”
Jacy Sheldon
Former Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon, who is headed to the Dallas Wings, said her primary guidance is to dream big.
“I know it sounds cliche, but if you put the work in, put the time in and really follow that dream, it can get you anywhere,” she said.
Alissa Pili
Alissa Pili, who was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx after playing at Utah the past couple of seasons, said, even with everybody saying so, work hard.
“It’s really the key to a lot of things. Just don’t ever give up and don’t stop believing in yourself,” Pili said. “I think that’s the biggest thing because if you believe in yourself, eventually you’ll make it to where you want to go if you put in the work.”
The new rookie added, “Even if other people don’t believe in you, it doesn’t matter. All you have to do is prove them wrong. Keep your head down, do the work and you’ll get there.”
