What's it like to be a rookie on a WNBA expansion team? The former Stanford point guard tells all.

Milena Flores fits the true definition of the term "student-athlete." The Stanford University graduate was a two-time All-Pac 10 selection and led the conference in assists as a senior. The valedictorian of her Snohomish (Wash.) High School class, Flores majored in political science with a 3.57 g.p.a. at Stanford. Now, she has taken her game to a new level, as a third-round pick of the expansion Miami Sol of the WNBA.

One of four rookies on the team, Flores in averaging 16 minutes per game and is second on the squard with 2.0 assists per game. In this interview she talks about the transition from college to pro ball, playing at Stanford, and the importance of keeping your confidence up.

GBALL: In the last month, you've graduated from Stanford, made it through a WNBA training camp and played in your first pro game. What has this whirlwind trip been like?
MF: It's been just like that--a whirlwind, very hectic. It doesn't seem like you have a second to breathe, but it is very exciting at the same time. I think that I am starting to catch my bearings and enjoy being here on South Beach and in the WNBA.

GBALL: What was your first WNBA training camp like?
MF: It was very interesting. We were going twice a day--running and scrimmaging at night. Just being a professional is a bit different than college because in school you have a conditioning period, but here you get into basketball and conditioning at the same time.

GBALL: What was it like playing in your first professional game?
MF: My first regular-season game was against Indiana and I was very excited. Being able to play professional basketball is like a dream come true, so when I was out there, I was basically living my dream and proud to be out there.

GBALL: What is the major difference between the pros and the college game?
MF: The big difference, that I have had to adjust to, is the strength and speed of everybody. I have always been one of the smaller players out there, but here they are also much stronger and faster.

GBALL: You're listed at only 5-6, has your height been a disadvantage in your play?
MF: It hasn't been too bad yet, but of course I've been playing with Debbie Black [who is 5-2], and she's been teaching me how to use our height to our advantage. Not a lot of teams have posted either of us up yet, but I'm sure we will see it in the near future.

GBALL: With so many great players around you, how do you keep your confidence up?
MF: We have a very supportive staff and players. Being an expansion team, we're all new to one another, and some of us are young and new to the professional game. As long as we're playing hard, we're going to get the good feedback from the coaches and keep our confidence up.

GBALL: What is it like playing for Sol Head Coach Ron Rothstein, a long-time NBA coach?
MF: I haven't had a male coach in awhile, so it's a little bit different in that way, but he's an amazing teacher and has a very good sense of the game and what he wants us to do. He's very good at getting his point across and the entire team knows what he's trying to accomplish. We have the confidence in him and he has been very supportive of me as a rookie point guard, telling me the right things at the right time and what I should be doing‹but still being demanding. It's certainly been a good balance.

GBALL: What is it like living in Miami, after coming from the West Coast?
MF: It's great out here. The weather is amazing., We're right here on South Beach where all the action is. I've never been on the East Coast before, so I've had a great experience so far.

GBALL: Tell us about your playing experiences at Stanford. What were the highs and lows?
MF: I think anyone would tell you that playing at Stanford is an incredible experience in that you're around many amazing people. You have a great coaching staff. Tara VanDerveer coached the Olympic team to a gold medal and led Stanford to two NCAA titles. The players there are extremely motivated and dedicated to winning. The coaching staff instills a great work ethic that really helps in the pros.

GBALL: In your final season at Stanford, you led the Pac-10 in assists. How much of your game is making a great pass?
MF: It's very important for me to distribute the ball and get other people scoring. It's something I've always loved to do. Being able to lead the Pac-10 in assists was a great accomplishment for me because it illustrated to me that I was doing my job well, and hopefully I can transfer that to the pro level.

GBALL: What would your advice be to young girls who want to learn the passing game?
MF: My best advice would be that when you get out on the floor, play with poise and dictate the tempo. The more you learn about your teammates, the better relationship you will have with them. It kind of feeds on itself--being able to make a better pass to them, and your teammates wanting to run for fastbreak points, and wanting to score when you give them a good pass.

GBALL: You majored in political science at Stanford. How did you happen to choose that major?
MF: I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do. I wasn't too interested in anything that had to do with math or science. A couple of my teammates had taken political science and had said some pretty good things about it, so I thought I would try a few courses, and I really enjoyed it. I decided to make it my major.

GBALL: What do you want to do in life after your professional basketball career is over?
MF: I've been thinking about going to law school. That's definitely up there. Other than that, I've always loved basketball. If I could stay around somewhere, maybe as a coach or work in the front office, I think it would be a lot of fun.

GBALL: Of your entire basketball career, high school, college and now the WNBA, if there was one thing you could do over or change, what would it be?
MF: I would have liked to have been more confident in myself and my abilities during my first two years at Stanford. A lot of times a person's confidence holds them back and I think that was it for me in my first two years. If I had been more confident, I would have been able to help my team a lot more.

GBALL: In your entire career so far, what would be the one highlight that stands out in your mind?
MF: Being a team sport, I'm here because I love to be with the people. The highlight would be winning the Regional Final game versus Georgia that enabled us to go to the Final Four in my freshman year at Stanford.

Interview conducted in June by Gball Assistant Editor Dave Wohlhueter.