April 4, 2008

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QUEENS, N.Y. - Former St. John's women's basketball standout Kia Wright was invited to participate in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Pre-Draft Camp held at the University of Tampa on April 4-5, and she is giving fans the behind-the-scenes scoop on her experience through her blog on RedStormSports.com. Wright, who finished her career ranked in 11 St. John's categories, is the first Red Storm player coached by Kim Barnes Arico to ever be invited to the event.

Thursday
Hello fans. Today is the beginning of what can possibly be a life changing experience for me. The anxiousness began when I woke up at 4 a.m. to catch a 7 a.m. flight to Tampa, Fla. I arrived in Tampa around 10 a.m. to beautiful, hot, but humid weather. I'm anxious to see who else is here since I'm one of the few girls to arrive early.

Today is all about getting physicals taken care of and meeting the players. I know a few girls from past camps and from the BIG EAST, so this shouldn't be as nerve racking as I imagined. I am just going to focus on what I came here to do. On Friday we have two sessions--one in the morning and one in the evening--so I know it's going to be a really busy day, but I can't wait.

Friday
Today was the first day of showcasing my talent to the coaches and general managers. It wasn't as bad or as hard as I expected. I didn't know what I was exactly getting into coming into camp, though. It consisted of shooting drills, full-court drills and half-court and full-court games. I played well the first session, and even better the second. I felt more comfortable and relaxed because I had the experience of the one earlier in the day.

Overall, it's been a good day for me. I'm excited and believe I'm making an impression here. Tomorrow I have another session in the morning and then I travel back home.

Saturday
The camp is now over. The last day was the easiest and was less intense than the first day. Two full-court, 40-minute games were played. They were four quarters long and ten minutes each--just like a WNBA regulation game. The team I was on played last.

My nerves were going crazy while I was watching the first game. I knew all eyes would be focused on my game soon. This was my last chance to show the general managers and coaches what I'm about. I believe I did well. Overall it was a great experience. I'm awaiting a phone call, which will tell me if a team has picked me up. Thank you for sharing this experience with me.