For Minnesota Lynx forward Shanele Stires, basketball hasn't come easy. She grew up in Kansas, a state passionate about the sport, but had to struggle to get on a team in the ninth grade.

She first went to college not to play basketball, but on a track and field scholarship. But after returning to basketball at Kansas State, she was a First Team Big Eight conference selection as a senior.

Stires played pro ball in Europe before joining the Columbus Quest of the American Basketball League, winning a championship before the league went out of business. She waited tables several months before being drafted into the WNBA. Now, at age 29, Stires isn't a star but instead strives to provide leadership on one of the WNBA's youngest teams.

Gball: You were cut from your team in the eighth grade. Now you're in the WNBA. What happened?
Shanele Stires: I worked hard. Doors opened. I put myself in the right place at the right time. I think I'm very lucky, very fortunate. I found a coaching staff that appreciates what I do and what I bring.

I didn't really have a good beginning. My family wasn't a basketball family per se but I just really liked the game, so I tried out for my eighth grade team. I was cut, but tried again in ninth grade. I had to make a deal with my coach to stay on the team. I had to assume a lot of managerial duties to practice with the team initially.

But basketball was something I really loved and wanted to be around and enjoyed doing. In terms of getting this far, it's been kind of an interesting ride, I guess.

Does growing up in Kansas have anything to do with your love of basketball?
Absolutely. I think the University of Kansas, when I was in the eighth and ninth grade, was very good. They won the national championship when I was a sophomore. The Big 8 women's tournament was there in my hometown of Salina every year, so I got to see a lot of really good competition as a kid and just wanted to play on that level.

It was kind of a weird thing. I was actually a track and field All American in high school and went to Kansas State University initially on a track scholarship and then decided I wanted to play basketball. So I transferred to a junior college. I really tried to develop myself and had a good year with a junior college team and got recruited by some big schools. I went back to Kansas State and did pretty well for myself.

Did you ever consider giving up basketball?
Yes. When you're on the fringe, especially when you're a professional and you're kind of always on the fringe and real close to being cut, it's hard to deal with the highs and lows of that. It's very emotional and stressful. Not only are you working hard for that stretch, but you also have to earn an income.

But I truly love playing the game and being around the game and thinking the game. I love the camaraderie of team play. All that corny good stuff that you hear is true. I figure I'm young, and the opportunity's now and the time is now, and that's really why I think I stuck with it.

Once I walk away from it, it's going to have to be a final decision. I'm not like a Jordan or anyone like that, where if I want to come back they'll be waiting for me with open arms. I just want to ride it out and enjoy it while I can.

What do you see as your role with the team this year?
Well, we're very young. And as things kind of turned out, with Andrea Lloyd Curry injured last year, I'm actually one of the older players on this team this year. And I was on a championship team in Columbus and I played overseas. I played for Coach (Brian) Agler for several years and because of that I bring a lot of experience. And I'm kind of a utility player in terms of what we have.

Betty Lennox and Kristi Harrower were injured early on in the season and I was actually on injured reserve and then I came in and started a few games and tried to get some consistency and steadiness into the lineup, and we won a few games. That kind of got our foot in the door in terms of steadier play, which is something we struggle with. We have a lot of inexperience. We have probably five or six rookies and two or three second-year players.

I think that's really the role that I have experienced: A kind of steadying, utility type of player who leads not only by example but by experience. And I'm kind of a team clown. I like to have fun.

What is the rev-it-up cheer?
Katie Smith, Sonja Tate, Maylana Martin and I were shooting around last year and we were talking about how Cynthia Cooper has her little thing where she would shoot and make baskets and all these different players would do different things. We said we need a gimmick, we need something the crowd can latch onto. I said, "Why not rev it up when we make a big play?" It's like revving up a motorcycle. You just put your hands up like on the handle bars of a motorcycle and rev it up with your right hand and lean back and make a stupid sound like you're revving up a motorcycle. It's getting the crowd louder. We just did it kind of goofing around the first couple times. In a couple games, Katie knocked down some threes and we just started revving it up. It's something we do after good plays. It's fun. It keeps everybody loose.

What are you working on as player?
I handle the ball a lot when I'm in the game, so taking care of the basketball, making a good read, getting people open, making the offense run is the biggest thing for me. And I'm always working on my shooting and ball handling and trying to really have court awareness so I can make good decisions with the basketball. Defensively, being able to move my feet, to keep my feet going, has always been a weak point.

What does the team need to work on?
Our team needs to work on reading picks and reading each other. We have a freelance motion offense and it requires everyone to be equipped with the ability to think through a game and be able to read what the defense does. There's a lot of freedom, but there's also a lot of responsibility. I think the more we play together the better that's going to get. We have to convert shots. We're missing a lot of stuff. We're getting the ball to the basket, but we're not getting it in.

Defensively, we're pretty steady, but we've got to be a little bit more stingy, so guarding the ball one-on-one and help with rotating are things that we've got to improve at. There were actually only two games that we have not out-rebounded our opponents. We're feeling good about that.

Do you have any kind of game-day or pregame ritual?
I take a cold bath and I take a hot bath. I use an ice tub at home and I soak in an ice bath for about 10 or 15 minutes, and right before the game I take a hot bath. I think those things are real important for me to get my body as fresh as it can be in terms of getting ready to play.

Do you see coaching or front-office work in your future?
I can definitely see myself coaching eventually. I really, really do enjoy the game and I enjoy thinking the game, and I think that the experience that I've had playing at this level would definitely equip me for coaching in the future. I think I have a great attitude and I understand people, and what motivates people. I think it's definitely something I'd like to see myself doing someday.

Do you think the fact that basketball hasn't come naturally for you would make you a better coach?
I do, because I can identify with players at the end of the bench or players who need to understand their roles. I think one of the most important things in basketball is chemistry -- players who play well together and how they can complement one another. I've been in situations where I've been a go-to player, I've been in situations where I'm the last person off the bench, and I've been in situations where I'm in the middle. It's run the gamut throughout my career, and I think that's essential in understanding what players need in terms of motivation, in terms of role, and in being able to communicate the things you want out of your players.

Interview conducted by Gball Assistant Editor David Hill.

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