Evina Westbrook turned a family identify in faculty basketball when she stepped foot on Tennessee’s campus as a prime recruit in 2017. After two stellar seasons because the Volunteers’ start line guard, she put her identify within the switch portal with just one faculty in thoughts: the College of Connecticut. She’d spend the 2019-2020 season redshirting and rehabbing a surgically repaired knee earlier than changing into a serious piece to a Huskies squad that reached the Closing 4. Upon graduating from UConn, she’d take her abilities to the W the place she was drafted twenty first total by the Seattle Storm, making historical past because the first-ever Mexican-American to play within the League. She’s at the moment with the Los Angeles Sparks and relentlessly working towards a breakout season.
Whereas on her option to a exercise, Evina spoke with me about her upbringing, recruitment, trusting the method, making historical past, being a hip-hop producer in her previous life, interning with the Portland Path Blazers, and extra.
CURTIS: How are you doing? How’s the low season been treating you?
EVINA: The low season has been actually good. I positively miss enjoying, however I’ve simply been getting my exercises in loopy. I both work out in Portland or Eugene. And I dwell in Salem, so I’m an hour from each. It’s identical to, I’ve bought to get it in regardless. And I really feel actually completely different this low season, I really feel actually completely different.
CURTIS: You grew up in a basketball household; are you able to discuss your loved ones’s introduction to the sport?
EVINA: Basketball was the one sport my household ever performed; my mother was the one individual in my household who didn’t. My dad performed at OSU and abroad. All my brothers performed. My youthful brother performs. So it’s like basketball is simply what it’s.
CURTIS: So what was the second once you knew you had been particular and knew you had been completely different out of your friends who you had been competing in opposition to?
EVINA: I grew up enjoying with boys. Once I was getting actually good with my boys crew, we might have dad and mom from the opposite groups complaining like they didn’t need a woman on the crew. It’s such as you’re getting mad that I’m a lady, however I’m beating your son’s ass. When it bought to that time it was like, ‘okay, I feel we bought one thing particular.’ My coach rising up all the time informed me that I used to be gonna get a scholarship from wherever I needed to, that I used to be gonna go to UConn, that I used to be gonna win a nationwide championship. He actually spoke it into existence. It was simply all coming true due to all of the work I put in.
CURTIS: Piggybacking off of that, popping out of highschool you had been a prime two prospect within the nation. Are you able to communicate to the preparation that’s essential to achieve that time? What did your day-to-day seem like rising up as you had been changing into essentially the most wanted recruit?
EVINA: Considering again on it now, it was form of loopy–like the kind of day-to-day I used to be having, particularly at a younger age. And training children now, I really feel like they don’t do what I used to be doing and simply form of eat, dwell and breathe basketball. I simply liked the sport. I liked the sport to some extent the place I felt myself getting higher and I didn’t need to cease. I’d get up and my coach–his identify is Value–would decide me up from my home. Me and my brothers would go to the gymnasium and get it in at like 6 a.m. Then he would take us to the donut store, we might all go to high school, and after faculty I’d discover some option to the gymnasium. If my dad and mom had been at work and couldn’t take me, I’d stroll like an hour to the gymnasium. And I’d be there till like 10 o’clock and I wouldn’t go away. I missed out on lots of issues, however again then it was like I didn’t need to be wherever else. The gymnasium was my protected place, so I used to be simply there on a regular basis and I used to be good there.
CURTIS: How did your recruitment out of highschool unfold, what made Tennessee the best alternative initially?
EVINA: Basketball-wise Notre Dame was the place I needed to go. However the faculty half, I used to be like nah this isn’t gonna work. I keep in mind occurring an unofficial go to to Stanford as a freshman and as quickly as we had been strolling away from the coach, my mother and I checked out one another and I used to be like, ‘this ain’t it.’ There was nothing improper with it, it simply wasn’t for me. Then after I bought right down to my prime 5, there have been positively a few faculties I didn’t need to inform no. I felt like on the time, Tennessee had every little thing that I needed. They’d a Black cultural heart. I’m like, ‘that is the place I’m speculated to be, my individuals are right here, I really feel at residence.’
CURTIS: So after having two impactful seasons, you determined to switch; what went into that call and why UConn?
EVINA: There was simply lots of stuff occurring at Tennessee. I nonetheless don’t have any regrets. I’m nonetheless tremendous grateful that I went there and spent my time there. I met some unimaginable individuals who I nonetheless speak to. And it’s not like I wasn’t getting enjoying time. I used to be the place to begin guard each years, main the crew in scoring and assists. I informed myself I by no means needed to be the child to switch and go to a different faculty. After my first 12 months, there was a lot occurring outdoors of basketball that was affecting us on the court docket. However I needed to stay it out and do no matter was doable to make issues higher. However then it bought worse. I didn’t really feel like we had a real tradition. The 12 months I transferred was the primary 12 months of the switch portal. I put my identify within the portal and my AAU coach was in touch with UConn. I had lots of faculties attain out however I used to be turning folks down left and proper. I just about knew the place I needed to go. I didn’t need this elaborate course of. I knew if I had an excellent official go to that I used to be gonna commit on the spot.
CURTIS: After two nice years at UConn, it was time to resolve what your subsequent steps had been. Did you think about using the additional 12 months of eligibility that was granted because of COVID?
EVINA: Hell no, I used to be able to go [laughing]. 5 years was already an excessive amount of. I had a extremely good redshirt junior 12 months, I actually virtually left after that. I performed tremendous nicely within the match they usually had me projected within the prime ten, however we didn’t win. We misplaced within the Closing 4. Me being stingy, I used to be like we bought unfinished enterprise and ended up coming again the following 12 months, which I don’t remorse both.
CURTIS: How did your time at UConn put together you for the W?
EVINA: Truthfully, the transition from UConn to the professionals was fairly straightforward, and I feel it’s as a result of we have now a pro-like system already embedded in UConn. Each on the court docket and off the court docket, at UConn, we have now to decorate and current ourselves a sure means. It was annoying at occasions, however you then get to the league and it’s like, ‘oh shit, this is sensible.’ So transitioning, I don’t suppose was onerous in any respect. However it was positively completely different in understanding there’s solely 12 groups and barely 12 roster spots. There’s solely about perhaps three folks on every time with assured contracts. You’re coming in pondering they’re gonna hold you, however they don’t care the place you come from. Typically it’s not even about whether or not you performed good or dangerous. For instance, after I bought drafted to Seattle, it was the proper crew, excellent scenario, improper time. However it’s such as you simply gotta hold it pushing. And it’s onerous for a younger participant to leap round. I’ve been on 5 completely different groups in two years.
CURTIS: Are you able to communicate to trusting the method and what that appears like for you?
EVINA: It’s positively been a journey and it’s tremendous powerful not letting your thoughts get to some extent of pondering you’re not adequate. However in every single place I’ve been, each place I’ve been to, I’ve continued to place the work in, whether or not I used to be enjoying or not. You simply gotta hold your thoughts into it. All of the work I put in helps me by no means waver from understanding I’m adequate and belong within the league. I’m getting higher. I’m gonna get my time on the proper time. And I feel once you simply proceed to place the work in–like particularly this low season, I simply really feel completely different.
CURTIS: What do you love to do once you’re not hooping?
EVINA: I really like music. I’m listening to music on a regular basis. All of the completely different phrases, the completely different beats. Perhaps I used to be a producer in my previous life. Both that or a mob spouse, I feel [laughing]. However yeah, I really like listening to music and simply vibing for actual. I like going to live shows. I simply be chillin’, watching films. I don’t actually be on nothing loopy.
CURTIS: Who’re your favourite hip-hop artists?
EVINA: In all probability Kendrick proper on prime of Cole. However then generally I’ll throw in Younger Dolph or BigXThaPlug, just like the Tennessee will come out, you’re feeling me? It actually is dependent upon what my temper is. Typically Dame D.O.L.L.A will probably be within the combine. Dame can actually rap.
CURTIS: Apple Music or Spotify?
EVINA: I’m an Apple Music woman.
CURTIS: What’s your Apple Music replay wanting like, who’s on the prime?
EVINA: It’s fairly versatile. I do know Larry June bought it. I’ve been listening to him like loopy. His album that got here out this 12 months might be my favourite from prime to backside. I hearken to lots of Mexican music attempting to work on my Spanish somewhat bit.
CURTIS: Oh wow, that’s an ideal segue as a result of I needed to ask you about that. You’re the first, and solely, Mexican-American to be drafted in WNBA historical past and be enjoying within the League. Are you able to discuss your roots and what it was like once you first came upon that you simply’d made historical past?
EVINA: I feel it was my mother who informed me as a result of somebody had mentioned it on Twitter. She was like, ‘I didn’t know you had been the primary Mexican-American to be drafted.’ Man, after I bought my Mexican passport, I cried, like actually tears popping out my eyes. Simply because it means a lot to me. I’m half Black, half Mexican and all my life, as a result of I could not seem as a Mexican, folks didn’t consider me. So after I bought my passport, I’m like you’ll be able to’t inform me shit, that is legit. I’m actually Mexican, my mother is full Mexican. So simply with the ability to have that passport, how a lot it means to my household, it actually does imply rather a lot to me. Hopefully, sooner or later I’ll be capable of put a Mexico jersey on.
CURTIS: How has your id formed you as an individual?
EVINA: Simply feeling the love from my household–I feel that’s what it’s about, proper? They arrive as much as me and inform me I make them proud. They inform me to maintain going and that I give them hope and only a completely different perspective. I’m like ‘rattling, actually? I’m simply placing the ball within the hoop.’ Once I hear them speak to me like that, it’s identical to I don’t ever need to cease–understanding the influence I’ve on my household and for the individuals who all the time believed in me. I performed down there this previous 12 months and that was tremendous cool. And I feel that’s the principle motive why I’m attempting to be taught Spanish now. That’s positively my objective. I informed all my Mexican teammates to solely communicate to me in Spanish. That’s the one means I’m going to be taught.
CURTIS: I learn that you simply interned with the Portland Path Blazers. What was that have like: what’d you do, what’d you be taught? There’s a wave of W gamers actually rising within the NBA/media house. Are you able to discuss why you selected to intern with the crew, and what a few of your off-court aspirations are?
EVINA: I used to be an intern for basketball operations. I used to be studying every little thing–salaries, wage cap, contracts, scouting. There are such a lot of layers to it. I discovered find out how to reduce up movie. I used to be serving to with warmups and a bunch of different stuff. It was an enormous studying course of, simply to form of see the opposite aspect of issues. I’ve been the participant, so not being on the participant’s aspect of issues was completely different. The cash the NBA is enjoying with is completely completely different. I’d somewhat do a 10-day within the NBA than a full season within the W [laughing]. However yeah, I wanna hoop so long as I can, however I wanna produce other stuff going whereas I’m hooping.
CURTIS: Final query: What’s one factor folks can be stunned to find out about you? Might be something.
EVINA: Perhaps that I’ve an enormous and fairly humorous character, simply not taking life too critical[ly]. Individuals round me are like, ‘I didn’t suppose you had been gonna be like this, I believed you had been only a cute face.’ I hate folks like that. You recognize, he or she seems good or seems cool, however their character is trash. I by no means needed to be that kind of individual.
Pictures by way of Getty Photos.
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