Kelsey Griffin On Being Named To The All-Rookie Team
Kelsey Griffin capped off a memorable first season in the WNBA this week by earning a spot on the All-Rookie team. The third overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft, Griffin received 10 of a possible 11 votes from league coaches.
Griffin is now back in her home state of Alaska, but will soon leave again, traveling to Hungary to play for Mizo Pecs of the FIBA Euroleague.
She took a few minutes, recently, to reflect on her All-Rookie selection.
What was your reaction to being selected to the All Rookie Team?
“Well, I definitely felt honored. I was surprised. It was good news to hear. I was really excited. You can’t start your rookie year off better than that, especially when you are playing with a stud like Tina Charles.”
Did it really come as that much of a surprise?
“Well, I was hoping it would happen, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. When I got that call from (WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations) Renee Brown, it was really exciting.”
Looking back now, what is your impression of your rookie season in the WNBA?
“I think the first season was one of the most challenging years of basketball I’ve experienced, but it was a great challenge. It was exciting and fun. It definitely had its ups and downs, but I learned so much. It makes me so excited for next year.”
What about the level of competition in the WNBA?
“It surpassed my expectations. The talent and the physical part, and the expectations you have to have for yourself and your team in order to succeed is unreal. I don’t think (the WNBA) is given enough credit as a league for what you have to do to succeed night in and night out. I knew it was going to be great. I know it is the best league in the world, but I think knowing it and experiencing it are two different things. Once you’re in the games, and even when you are practicing, it’s completely different from just watching it.”
Did having two other rookies and a number of other young veterans make it easier for you to adjust to playing professional basketball?
“Definitely. Having a young team helped the transition because there were other people going through similar situations. Also, our veterans are great. They were completely understanding and easy to talk to. For the veterans to be excited about what we were doing, and trying to help out the rookies, that was such a sigh of relief.”
You will be playing in Hungary during the WNBA offseason. What are your expectations?
“From what I understand, going overseas is an opportunity in itself. Not only because you get the chance to continue playing, but also because you have the chance to keep improving. I’ll probably be playing more of a forward position over there, but I’ll also be working to improve my game on the perimeter, so I can come back and help out.”
You started the year as a senior at Nebraska, then played your rookie season in the WNBA with Connecticut. Now you are off to Hungary. Do you kind of feel like you are caught up in a whirlwind?
“It’s definitely a whirlwind. It was a long process, but it all happened so fast. To think about where I was in Nebraska, to playing in Connecticut, to now, where I am going to be heading over to Hungary in a month, I think a whirlwind is the best way to describe it.”
What was your reaction to being selected to the All Rookie Team?
“Well, I definitely felt honored. I was surprised. It was good news to hear. I was really excited. You can’t start your rookie year off better than that, especially when you are playing with a stud like Tina Charles.”
Did it really come as that much of a surprise?
“Well, I was hoping it would happen, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. When I got that call from (WNBA Chief of Basketball Operations) Renee Brown, it was really exciting.”
Looking back now, what is your impression of your rookie season in the WNBA?
“I think the first season was one of the most challenging years of basketball I’ve experienced, but it was a great challenge. It was exciting and fun. It definitely had its ups and downs, but I learned so much. It makes me so excited for next year.”
What about the level of competition in the WNBA?
“It surpassed my expectations. The talent and the physical part, and the expectations you have to have for yourself and your team in order to succeed is unreal. I don’t think (the WNBA) is given enough credit as a league for what you have to do to succeed night in and night out. I knew it was going to be great. I know it is the best league in the world, but I think knowing it and experiencing it are two different things. Once you’re in the games, and even when you are practicing, it’s completely different from just watching it.”
Did having two other rookies and a number of other young veterans make it easier for you to adjust to playing professional basketball?
“Definitely. Having a young team helped the transition because there were other people going through similar situations. Also, our veterans are great. They were completely understanding and easy to talk to. For the veterans to be excited about what we were doing, and trying to help out the rookies, that was such a sigh of relief.”
You will be playing in Hungary during the WNBA offseason. What are your expectations?
“From what I understand, going overseas is an opportunity in itself. Not only because you get the chance to continue playing, but also because you have the chance to keep improving. I’ll probably be playing more of a forward position over there, but I’ll also be working to improve my game on the perimeter, so I can come back and help out.”
You started the year as a senior at Nebraska, then played your rookie season in the WNBA with Connecticut. Now you are off to Hungary. Do you kind of feel like you are caught up in a whirlwind?
“It’s definitely a whirlwind. It was a long process, but it all happened so fast. To think about where I was in Nebraska, to playing in Connecticut, to now, where I am going to be heading over to Hungary in a month, I think a whirlwind is the best way to describe it.”
