Interview Transcript
JK: Yolanda Griffith joins us here in studio. I know it's a KingsTalk, but this is a special week for Sacramento basketball. Yo is such a great warrior of the game and ambassador for the game. We thought it was important enough to get her on here tonight. Thanks for coming in it's very nice of you to do that.
YG: Thank you for having me.
JK: Crazy week huh?
YG: Yeah.
JK: I know, it's an emotional time for a lot of people. I've talked to a lot of fans, and everyone wants to say "why?" but I think now is more of a time for us to just talk to one another. And we invite phone calls. How have you been this week, what's been going through your mind. It's been a busy week, tell us what it's been like.
YG: It's been a busy week, a sad week, an excitement week. It's been a lot. But the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to play again. I just wanted try one more time to get a championship. And, I got a lot of different offers and saw that Seattle was more of a fit. They were building for the now. And I don't have a lot left, you know, but just to get that opportunity again and just to taste it one more time.
JK: When you saw what the Seattle club was doing, and they've picked up some big names, Sheryl Swoopes is one of the biggest in the history of the game, Swin Cash is there, they already had some great players. That's going to be, that's an Olympic team right there. Really, when you think about it, you add Sue Bird and I know the other one is an Australian, but she's an Olympian as well Lauren Jackson, that's an Olympic team right there. Is that really in the end what sways you? I mean, you've got money, you've got all this other stuff. You kinda see your career..."alright I get it, I'm in a certain point in my career, I've got to play for a title right now." ?
YG: Yeah. I mean, I looked at a lot of different options and Seattle put together a great team. I'm going to miss Sacramento. I've been here nine years, I'm going to always be a Monarch through and through. After I'm done playing, I'm still living here. That's not going to change. It's just to get this opportunity. Even though I'm going to Seattle, it doesn't mean it's guaranteed to win a championship. Out of the starting five, it's like 10 championships in the WNBA. You know, I've played with Sheryl in 2000, 2004 Olympics, Swin too. So it's kinda like a connection. Like I said, you're only going to play basketball for so long, you know, just to get the feel for winning the championship in 2005 and to be able to get another opportunity, I couldn't turn it down.
HT: Yo, I think that's a big thing. It's not like you're still pushing to win a championship, you've won already. I mean you've done almost everything that you can do. I would think that it's a point to where you want to win another one but you feel you're not done yet. Like you said, being a pro athlete I know where you're coming from, once it's done, it's a wrap.
YG: It's a wrap, that's true. And I know a lot people was like asking questions "Yo, are you going retire?" And it did come up, you know, I did say I'm done, but like you say, you get that itch again. You get that itch and I got itch again. The way that season was last year, I played last year with a torn ligament. I just felt I couldn't go out like that. I'm not saying that I'm going to score a lot of points or whatever, they're bringing me in to help this team win a championship, they're bringing me in so I can mentor and help a young team. And they brought Sheryl, myself and Swin, it's kinda like, well I won't put myself in the same category as Sheryl and Swin, but it's like players that were kinda pushed away. A player like Sheryl who was counted out. I want this chance, and it was given to me and I'm grateful.
JK: Were you working out at the time, did you play a little, at what point did you say: "I can do it, I've got another year left" ?
YG: I took some months off. I took, after the season, like three months off and then I was like no, I want to come back, I want to play again. I wanted to get that feeling again. As far, my goal right now? Like you said, I have a lot of things - I have gold medals, championships, I have money, I have everything....
HT: Really? Can I borrow $5...because gas is high out here....
YG: OMG..I filled my truck up, it was almost $80...It's bad...(I'll get it taken care of, on the down-low)...But I just want to taste it again. And just because they're putting us together does not mean we're guaranteed. The West is tough, the WNBA overall is a great league. But like I said they put us together, we have to gel together, we've got to get used to each other, you know we've got our work cut out for us. It's going to be fun, I'm ready for the challenge.
HT: Now, are you ready to come back into ARCO Arena....
YG: May 2nd.....
JK: Can you believe it, it's the first preseason game...
HT: You're so used to walking into ARCO in that certain door, and now, you have to go over to the visitors locker room....
YG: And I went in there last season, when I went to visit some people and I was like "I'm glad I'm not coming over HERE..." and now I'm going to be over there.
HT: And I know that's going to be a chilling thing to just sit in the visitor's locker room and look at another uniform.
YG: It was crazy, like today. Because I had a couple of meetings today, and just to like, my finger hasn't been working lately to get into the practice facility. I was like "dang, they've kicked me out the door already" but it worked today. But, it's going to be creepy, and I'm going to be nervous, but I'm always nervous though before all games, but it's going to be that funny feeling and I've just got to come out and play.
JK: Would you consider, because a guy who had to do it was Chris Webber. He's in town, he's got that sports bar. Would you ever consider just going over there and talking to him and saying "what was it like when you had to come back from Philadelphia or how did you deal with your emotions?" It's going to be a crazy, rousing standing ovation when you walk in...
YG: That's my call tomorrow, I'm way ahead of you....And you know, I've been playing basketball for so long and just to be in an organization like I've been in, it's going to be tough. I'm going to miss my teammates, I'm going to miss Jenny, I'm going to miss Whiz-Whiz crazy self, coach T - talking smack in practice, but the relationship we've formed since I've been here, they support me and I appreciate that.
HT: Now, you said that you're going to come back here and live...
YG: I have a house, I'm here...
HT: Have you thought about doing what doing exactly what Chris Webber did, and come back and at least start business here in Sacramento and get deeply rooted?
YG: Oh for sure..I just launched my non-profit All About Us Girls and did a basketball camp at the end of Christmas that turned out great. I'm doing a celebrity/WNBA legends basketball allstar game on August 8th. So I'm doing more camps, I want to coach...Sacramento is me! I'm doing everything. I want to open up a bowling alley. So, I've got plans....
HT: Can you bowl Yo?
YG: I'm GOOD! Even when I messed up my right hand I was bowling left-handed and got a strike...
Q: After so many years playing in Sacramento, what made you leave?
YG: Like I said, I've been here nine years, it was a tough decision. I've been player/coach/mentor and to make this change it was difficult, but I felt having a change in my life, sometimes you need that. This is a great opportunity for me and I, there's no way, I guarantee, that if anybody else was given this opportunity would turn this down. I want another championship and I'm not saying the Monarchs are not going to win, it's just this is a now situation for me. I don't have much longer. It was presented, I took it, I'm going to miss my teammates - I've learned a lot from them. I'm coming back. I know I had a uniform on the other day and it look quite as good. Believe me, I have to get used to it too. Thank you for the support and like I said it's going to be strange but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I'm coming back though, ok.
Q: I just wanted to call and say Godspeed and God Bless to Yo, I'm a season ticket holder, my wife loves you Yo, she calls you her Shero, her heart is breaking a little bit right now...
YG: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to break anybody's heart. I'm just, I got the itch and I'm feeling good about this situation. I've thought long and hard about it, I feel good about it. I'm not trying to hurt my fans, or hurt the organization. This is just an opportunity I felt good about.
You say there's a great change to win up there. Did you not see that with the team here. I know that there's some youth, but there's some veterans that you went to war with and it's not like this team is not going to compete. I think this team does have some mix of youth and veteran leadership and with Rebekkah and this whole I think that they'll compete. What was it that you didn't see here that you see up in Seattle?
YG: You know, I've always said the Monarchs are A Class and they had a great team. The identity and the face of the Monarchs has been Yolanda Griffith and when I saw this opportunity to switch team to go to Seattle, they already have a face in a Lauren and Sue. I never said they wasn't going to compete and not win a championship, they have a good chance to win a championship just as well as anybody else. They do have young players and veteran players that I did go to battle with. They're ready. And I felt they didn't need me here to lead them. I've mentored and I've coached. They are ready for the next step without Yolanda Griffith. And by chosing to move and go somewhere else, I feel confident that I've taught a lot of those players. Eventually it's going to happen, I'm sorry that I'm going to another team but they're ready.
Q: Have you had conversation with some of those players yet and what was that like?
YG: I have, it was crazy. Because I talked to one of my teammates today and she was like "I look forward to halftime because I know Yo is going to say something. I've always carried myself with the utmost respect and I respect my teammates and it's going to be tough, I never said this is going to be easy. But, I've talked to a lot of my teammates and you know, right it's kind of emotional for a lot of people because they didn't think I would switch and be with another team. But, this change is good. I've got family here, I'm close friends with all of my teammates, and it's going to be ok.
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