A three-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Erin Buescher led the Gauchos to three consecutive NCAA Division I tournament bids and was steadily becoming a hot WNBA prospect. But after earning honors as a third-team All-America player her junior season, the 6-2 guard shocked the basketball community by leaving the NCAA Division I program for The Master's College, a small NAIA Christian school with an enrollment of only 1,050.

There, Buescher averaged 17.6 points per game, was named 2001 Player of the Year by the National Christian College Athletic Association, and helped the team to a school best 26-3 record as well as an appearance at the NAIA National Tournament.

But her transfer from NCAA Division I didn't tarnish her pro potential. In 2001, Buescher was selected in the second round of the WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. Her rookie season, she started 19 games, averaged 22.7 minutes of court time per game, put up a .618 free-throw percentage, and tallied 27 steals and 29 blocks. But in 2002, a trade for Shaunzinski Gortman sent Buescher buzzing down to join the Charlotte Sting.

On a new team with a new role, Buescher rallied to make her time on the court count. She averaged .402 in field goal percentage, .364 in threes, and .694 at the line. She averaged 8.5 points per game in the playoffs, where the Sting fell in the first round to the Washington Mystics. She ranked 14th in the WNBA in rebounds per 40 minutes.

In this interview, Buescher explains why she chose to leave a good thing at UC-Santa Barbara, what it's been like tackling a new position on the court, and why she's so happy to be in Charlotte.

Gball: In college, you left a successful Division I program to transfer to a small NAIA school. Why?
Buescher: The transfer was about a readjustment of priorities. Basketball was going great, and school was pretty good. I loved my team and my coaches. But I had sort of let the Lord slip from being the top priority in my life, and I wanted to take more seriously my decision to follow Christ. I also wanted to study the Bible in a more intense way. So I decided to go to a small Christian college.

Were you concerned that the move would ruin your chances to make it to the WNBA?
No. I wasn't worried about that. Playing professionally was never really a goal of mine. Instead, I would say that I was open to it if the opportunity came up, but if it didn't, that was okay too. I felt like if I was meant to play after college, it would happen no matter what school I was attending. But everyone else told me I was ruining my chances.

How surprised were you to be traded by the Minnesota Lynx after your first season, given that you played so well and so much that year?
I was pretty surprised mainly because I wasn't that educated about the world of professional basketball. I was in the mind set that when you play somewhere, you're going to be there for a while. So when coach Donovan called me and said I'd been traded, I was pretty surprised. But it ended up being such a good thing for me.

Was it difficult to transition to another new team?
Not really. The people involved with the Charlotte Sting are so incredible--the whole coaching staff, the team, and all the people who work for the franchise--they made that transition really easy and made it a very welcoming situation. In a different circumstance it might have been difficult, but I found moving to Charlotte very smooth and easy.

Was anything different compared to when you were with the Lynx?
The biggest thing is that at Charlotte I'm more of a four, but I was played mainly at the three spot at Minnesota. I now play a lot more post than I have ever played before. So last season was a position change as well as a team change. That was fine with me. I had no problems taking on a new role. But I want to do well and help my team, and I felt like I really had to learn this position better so I could be a little more effective.

Having just settled in Charlotte, was all the talk last season about moving the Sting to New Orleans with the Hornets hard on you and the team?
Yes. We were all definitely aware of it, because it was going on all around us. In our training facility, for example, they were moving all the Hornets' stuff out, and there were always moving trucks and movers coming in and out. And it's hard to pretend it's not happening when it's in your face. But I think the coaches did a good job of putting it aside and just focusing on this season. And I think the team did a good job of staying focused. But as soon as the season was over, it was definitely the topic of discussion. Everyone is just waiting to see what's going to happen. I really hope we stay in Charlotte. But I think it all depends on if Larry Bird will bring an NBA team into Charlotte to replace the Hornets.

Given that your home is California, how do you cope with being so far away from family and friends during the season?
That is one of the hardest things. I'm really close to my family, so I do get pretty homesick. And I miss the ocean so much. But you just learn to deal with it. Being around the kind of people I am surrounded by in Charlotte makes it a lot easier, though. I talk to my family multiple times a day. Another thing that helps is that I'm away for such a short time. The season's only three or four months. And because we travel so much, and the lifestyle during the season and the daily routine is so hectic and busy, you don't have too much time to wallow in how much you miss people.

When at home during the offseason, do you just vege out with friends, or do you work on special projects?
Last year I finished school in the offseason. But this past week, I've been veging out--running out to the ocean a lot, surfing, and just hanging out with my family. I'm getting ready to go on a pretty long trip with just my family, so I'm planing for that right now. And I'm about to go down to Santa Barbara to visit friends from Master's College.

How do you stay fit during the offseason?
I really love to surf. It's definitely something that keeps you in shape because it's a good workout. It's cardiovascular, it builds strength like lifting weights, and there's also the swimming component. I also do a lot of running. And the closer it gets to the season, the harder I start to train. But right now, I'm just taking a little break.

How different is being a professional player from being a collegiate player?
It is different. The WNBA really is a business and not like college. The trading thing, for example, doesn't happen in college. But I think the hardest thing here is that you start to develop friendships and then the next day you could be up and gone because you're traded, or the people around you could be traded or cut. So it's a lot more transitional. Players are in and out so quickly. It takes an adjustment of your mind set.

Is it more competitive within each team?
It is. Especially in training camp. You know everyone's there to make the team, and not everyone is going to make the team. So naturally everyone's pretty competitive with each other. Some girls worry themselves sick thinking, "Am I going to make it? Am I not going to make it? She's playing better than me!" And you can drive yourself crazy doing that. There's only so much you can control. You can only go out there and try your hardest and do you best. The rest is not up to you.

What was the highlight of this season for you?
Beating Los Angeles and Houston back to back in our season openers was pretty fun. But for me the whole season was a highlight because I had such an enjoyable experience with the people on my team. Playing on a team of veterans, with girls who've been around the game for so long, taught me a lot. And I have a lot to learn on and off the court considering I'm one of the younger players.

What makes the Sting such a great team to play for?
All the players have a good, healthy perspective on basketball and life. For a lot of them, basketball is their main source of income, and that brings a seriousness to it automatically. And they know that there are a lot of people working very hard on their behalf. For instance, you can't ask for more from a coach than the time and commitment Coach Donovan puts in. So when it comes time to play and practice, or watch film, our girls shape up immediately and they are complete ready for business.

Yet at the same time, everyone knows that it is just basketball. It's not life. And the girls have such a good time together. That my teammates maintain a great perspective on what's important is what makes things enjoyable for me. You find players who believe that losing is everything. And I can see how people can fall into it, because they want it so bad and they're putting so much into it. But anytime you give so much of yourself to your job, you forget the other areas of life and the other areas of yourself that matter, like character building and stuff.

Anything you've learned from the veterans this season?
If I'm going to err, it's going to be on the side of being too silly. I remember in college I used to always have to run because I'd be laughing too much with teammates when it was time to take things seriously. So it was good for me this season to learn through the others how to be serious when it was time to be serious. I also saw how professional and courteous they are in dealing with fans, the media, and other teams. And that's been great, because it's helped me to learn and mature.

Any parts of your game you hope to improve this offseason?
I think I need to continue to build on my post game, because that's not my strength. I have always avoided contact. But as a post player now, it's part of the game a little bit more than when I was a guard. But I also need to continue working on my shot and dribbling--and those things pretty much cover most of my game!

When it comes to other players in your position, who do you admire?
That's easy. On the Sting this year, I was a reserve for Charlotte Smith. And it was so much fun backing her up, because she works so hard and does so many little things that aren't necessarily flashy or get her a lot of attention, but really make our team work and function well. So I always look to her to learn. She is definitely somebody I look to for guidance on the court.

Is it hard being a backup player rather than a star?
It wasn't tough for me at all. I loved it. Of course, if you're a competitor, you want to play. And this season, my minutes were a lot less than at Minnesota. But it didn't matter to me for one second. As a team, we're really like a big pot. Everyone throws in what they can contribute to do well. I feel like I was Charlotte Smith's biggest fan. I loved backing her up and being able to give her rest. It was fun for me, and I realized that I had a little time to do what I could.

What do you do in your downtime in Charlotte?
There are a couple cute cafes with waterfalls that I go and sit at. Or this burrito shop. There's a lake nearby that I go to a lot, because I like nature and like to spend as much time as possible outdoors. I also play the guitar a lot. Or I'll hang out at the pool at my apartment. And I'll also go to church any time I can.

If focusing on your faith was tough in college, is it more difficult as a professional athlete?
Yeah, it is. Basically you have to take the mind set that those four months of the season you're not going to be going to church. We travel so much on Sundays that it's really rare that I get to go to church. And that's hard for me. But I did find a really great church in Charlotte that I love. Unfortunately, I think I only made it there five times this past summer.

So what do you do inseason to help keep your devotion strong?
Well, the main importance for me is just the Lord. And I have His word in the Bible. So when I can't make it to church, often I decide to hold my own church with just me and Him, and that's doable.

Also, while I was in Charlotte and my sister was in California, we would pick a book from the Bible to read simultaneously and we would share with each other what we were learning from it. It was fun knowing that she was reading the same thing as me. And every game day, Charlotte Smith and I would exchange Bible verses to encourage each other a little bit. And I also got tapes of my California pastor's sermons. And all that helped me direct my focus to the Lord.

Is the WNBA a long-time fix for you, or can you envision giving it up for other pursuits?
I don't know. It's something I've thought about. As long as the door is open, it's an opportunity that not everyone gets and won't be there forever for me. So I think I would regret it if I didn't keep going forward until the door was shut. So I think I'll probably be in this for a long while.

If you weren't playing ball, what do you think you'd be doing?
I think I'd be probably living on some island with some surf and maybe working in a juice shack. Something extreme with not a lot of money and not a lot of stuff, but enjoying nature, and getting away from lots of buildings and concrete.

Interview conducted by Gball Editor Shelly Wilson.


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