Despite starring in college at Notre Dame and serving as the starting point guard for the Portland Power of the American Basketball League in 1996-97, Coquese Washington had not started a game in her three seasons in the WNBA. That is, until this year.

Beginning with the first game of the 2001 season, Washington became the defending champion Comets' point guard, starting in all 32 games as the Comets entered the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. She's fourth in the league in steals per game and ninth in assists.

Unlike many WNBA veterans, Washington hasn't played overseas. But her year is filled with basketball just the same, because she's an assistant coach at her college alma mater and is an officer with the WNBA Players Association.

Washington also earned a law degree at Notre Dame, and she taught a year of high school in her hometown of Flint, Mich. In this interview, she talks about going from the bench to an every-game starter, changes in the powerful Comets' lineup, and her future in basketball after her playing days end.

Gball: You went from starting no games to starting all of them this year. What happened?
Washington: Coop (Cynthia Cooper, two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and now head coach of the Phoenix Mercury) retiring opened things up for me to play more minutes. And that was before Sheryl (Swoopes) was injured. They decided to move Janeth (Arcain) back to her natural position, which was wing. So they were looking for a point guard.

How does starting affect how you approach each game?
I don't really prepare differently physically. But mentally, it's different. You have to be ready from the start of the game, and you have to focus more on readying yourself to play every night.

How does coaching affect your playing?
Coaching helps you see the big picture. You see what the team has to do.

Do you plan to keep coaching, and maybe coach in the WNBA, after you finish playing?
I want to stay with it. But, eventually, I would rather be something higher than at the coaching level, such as a general manager, doing something more on the administrative end.

What did you think when you were traded from the Liberty after the 1999 season to the Comets, arguably the league's first dynasty?
My first thought was, "I'm going to win a championship." But New York was a great place to play. While we didn't win a championship, it was a championship organization. I had a chance to play with some really great players.

Do you use your legal training? Have you passed a bar exam to practice law in a particular state?
I have worked at law firms in the off-season. I probably won't this coming season. And I am vice president of the WNBA Players Association. So when were in the contract negotiations, I was there for a lot of that. No, I haven't taken a bar exam. I don't know what state to take it in. I play in Texas, I live in Indiana, my dad lives in Michigan. And I haven't had time to.

What do you expect to do after you retire from playing?
I like coaching, and I could do that. I see myself more in the front office, in an administrative position in athletics, either college or pro.

What will happen with the players association and league officials this year?
We have a number of issues to discuss. But we are unique in pro sports. The teams and the league and the players, we are a partnership. So after the season we'll sit down and talk about what it is we need, what we need to do.

You earned your bachelor's degree from Notre Dame in only three years? How did you do that, and why?
I didn't fail any classes. I took plenty of classes in summer school. When I was in college, there wasn't a WNBA, and I had no desire to go to Europe to play. So I was always thinking in terms of what I would do after college. I focused on my academics. And that thinking about what to do after college is also why I went on to law school.

You were part of a national championship at Notre Dame this past season, and you won a WNBA championship with the Comets last year. Have you ever been with an unsuccessful basketball team?
Yes. In the ABL I played with the Portland Power. We had one of the worst records in the league--we might have had the worst record in the league. But again, I had a chance to play with some great players. And we were coached by Linn Dunn (now coach of the Seattle Storm).

Interview conducted by Gball Assistant Editor David Hill.

Check out last year's q&a's by clicking here