For as long as the WNBA has existed, Vickie Johnson has been a fixture in the New York Liberty lineup. After an outstanding collegiate career at Louisiana Tech, during which she earned Sun Belt Conference MVP honors twice and both Louisiana and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year awards in her final season, Johnson has built herself into one of the premier players in women's pro basketball today.

A two-time WNBA All-Star and the Liberty's all-time leading scorer, in 2002 she became just the 11th player in league history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. Last season, she averaged an impressive 13.4 points per game and added 2.3 assists while co-leading the team in average minutes played. Johnson is also no stranger to the international women's basketball scene--she has spent WNBA offseasons playing for professional teams in France, Israel, and Italy.

In this interview, we asked "VJ" about her basketball career at home and abroad, what she does when she's away from the court, and where she looks for inspiration.

Gball: How did you spend this past offseason?
Johnson: I was in Italy playing on a team with [New York Liberty teammate] Crystal Robinson. I play in the offseasons to prepare for the WNBA, working on my game, my ball handling, my shooting, and my defense, and just becoming a more consistent player. I also do a lot of weight training in the offseason, because I don't really get it in during the WNBA season. I lift, but I lift very light during the season to prevent injuries. In the offseason, I can lift heavier to get the tone I need to endure the WNBA season.

What's the most interesting place you've ever played overseas?
After I played in France for my first two years right out of college, I was offered the opportunity to go to Israel. A lot of people, my family and friends, didn't want me to go because of all the fighting that happens over there, but I decided to go anyway. It was a great experience. Before I went, I thought it was all desert, and everybody was going to be wrapped up, but it wasn't like that. Actually, it sort of reminded me of Miami. There's pretty water, everything is Americanized, they have restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe and all the fast food places, and everybody speaks English. It was like a home away from home. I spent four years in Israel, and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to go back before I retire. I tell young players just coming out of college that if you get the opportunity to go to Israel, take it, because it's an experience that you will never forget.

How well developed is women's basketball there?
When I first went six years ago, women's basketball wasn't a very big deal. I think I was the first WNBA player over there, so I helped to put it on the map for them a little bit. And then a lot of WNBA players came over a year later, and then two years later we had over 30 top players on teams over there. They have elite men's teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv, but it was a big change for them when the WNBA players started arriving, and it really helped women's basketball in Israel.

You've also played for professional teams in Europe. How is their game different from ours in America?
I think the biggest difference between European basketball and U.S. basketball is that the players over there are a lot more about finesse. They play more zone over there. Look at the post players here in the U.S., like [Detroit Shock forward] Cheryl Ford--she's a five, but she's a five that stays on the block and gets rebounds and likes to post up. The fives overseas in Europe don't really post. They space up, they shoot three pointers, and they put the ball on the floor. For example, if you watch [Russian-born forward] Elena Baranova, who plays for us in New York, she gets a rebound and she wants to dribble the ball out and start the fast break. You just don't see a lot of post players in the WNBA who get the ball and want to do that. American players have a style that's a lot more physical.

Have you ever needed to overcome a language barrier on a European team?
In Italy, not too many people spoke English. Fortunately for me, I was over there with a couple other American players and our coach spoke English, though the team president did not. It can be a challenge, but it gives you a chance to learn and try to communicate as well as you can, and they appreciate when you try to speak their language. But as far as basketball is concerned, once we step out on the court, basketball is basketball. A pick and roll in Italy is the same as a pick and roll anywhere.

You've been in the WNBA since its inception in 1997. How have you seen the league change and develop over time?
When it started, the players in the league were more mature. A lot of them had played overseas for so many years and they really knew the game, and as a young player, you really had to learn the game quickly to get the edge on the older players. They would do tricks on you--like hold your shirt in such a way that they'd get away with it, that sort of thing. There were a lot of real veterans. Now you see more young players, and they really have no idea when it comes to the little things. They're very athletic, but they don't really understand the game and how to play it at the pro level.

Now that the league has developed a large fan base, are you noticed in public a lot more often?
Oh yeah. When I first started, I could walk around and chill and nobody would recognize me. Maybe one person out of a million knew who I was. But now, especially over the last three years, I get recognized a lot. At one point I started to wear glasses, and then fewer people would recognize me, but soon they started to notice me with the glasses. Then I tried to put on a hat, and that worked for about two weeks, but then they recognized me again. But it's fun. And now I just walk out as myself--no glasses, no hat, nothing.

If you had to choose one favorite moment from your entire basketball career, what would it be?
Being drafted to New York. I really wanted to be here, so I could have an opportunity to play with Spoon [former Liberty teammate Teresa Weatherspoon]. Spoon went to Louisiana Tech, but she was a there before I was, and I always wanted to play with her. I didn't know if I would ever get the chance, so when the WNBA came along and she got drafted to New York, I thought it could be the perfect opportunity to play with her. When I got drafted here, it was like a dream come true.

Who is your greatest inspiration?
It's definitely my mom. She taught me that I can be and do whatever I desire in life if I dedicate myself. My mom raised four kids by herself. It was a big struggle for her, but she provided for us very well. Of course she disciplined us a lot, but the most important thing is that she really supported me and my three brothers and encouraged us to do our best. My mom and I are still very close. When I go overseas I speak to her every day, and when I'm home in the states I speak to her at least twice a day, just to see how she's doing and chat with her.

What important lessons did your mother teach you while you were growing up?
She allowed us to make mistakes. You know, she wasn't the type of mother who says, "You can't do this, because of that." She let us go out and take responsibility for ourselves and make mistakes and then deal with the consequences. For example, I played AAU during the summer, and I'm from the south. And a lot of older ladies from the south believe that girls should stay at home, and not travel by themselves, but my mom wasn't like that. She thought, "If that's what she dreams and that's what she desires, to play basketball and go on to college, then I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of that dream for her."

What would you say is the best piece of coaching advice you've ever received?
When I was at Louisiana Tech, my coach was Leon Barmore. He told me, "Don't just focus on one part of your game. Don't just be an offensive player. Be a defensive player. Be a rebounder. Be able to do three or four different things besides just shooting the ball and scoring." If you're just a scorer, and that's all you bring to the team, what happens when you meet a great defensive player? Then you're not bringing anything to the team because they're going to shut you down. But if they shut you down offensively and then you can go and rebound or defend, or you can create chances for your teammates, you're still contributing.

Tell us about your program that teaches young people to make smart financial decisions, the Vickie Johnson Investment Challenge.
It's a program run by Merrill Lynch that I started working with last year, and it's really a great thing. It gives kids the opportunity to invest money and come up with a plan to make money. Kids don't realize that even as junior high and high school students, they can save money. I tell my niece that all the time--stop trying to spend everything and learn to save! The Investment Challenge teaches kids how to budget money and how to have a plan. And it's a great challenge to prepare them for life--how to budget your money, be responsible about paying bills when you grow up, and how to prepare for your future.

What professional teams and athletes do you like to follow?
I love the NFL. I like the San Francisco 49ers, and my favorite players are Jerry Rice and Joe Montana. And Michael Vick is the man for me now. The year before last I went down to Atlanta to watch him play and it was great. In basketball, of course I love all the Louisiana Tech people, like P.J. Brown and Karl Malone. I also like Stephon Marbury. But I'd say Magic Johnson is probably my overall favorite. I admire his style of play, his team play, his leadership, and now all that he is doing for the community.

Do you have a set pre-game routine? How about any superstitions?
I always have to eat pasta and grilled chicken before the game, and I always have to lift light weights for twenty minutes about four hours before game time. And I take a nap for about an hour before every game. As far as superstitions, everything I do has to go from left to right. Things like my socks and my basketball shoes just don't fit well if I didn't put them on the left foot first.

What's the prognosis for the New York Liberty this season?
We're going to take one game at a time, play together as a team, continue to learn each other, and just go out and give 110 percent. If we give it 110 percent as individuals and as a team, even if we lose, when we walk off the court we can say, "Hey, they were the better team tonight." Crystal Robinson and myself just got back from Italy a week before the season started, and Tari Phillips has a broken hand, so once she gets healed and C-Rob and I get our legs under us and really get to know the team, we'll be even better. And as our young players, DeTrina White and Shameka Christon, start to feel more comfortable in our system, I think you're going to see a lot of great things from the Liberty.

Any goals for this season in particular?
My personal goal is just to be a leader. I want to be the one who takes responsibility for everything. When the shot clock runs down, hopefully you'll see the ball in my hands, taking the last shot, making things happen.

What does being a leader on the team mean to you?
For the last seven years, I've been leading by example. Working hard in practice and going all out, working out after practice, and showing younger players how to be a professional athlete on and off the court. But now I have to speak a little more. I think the main things are just speaking out and making everybody feel comfortable. I also want to help the young players get through games and teach them what older players have taught me over the years. With the veterans, I just tell them to relax and have fun.

What is the most important element of your game that you bring to the Liberty to help them succeed?
I think it's the fact that I can play every aspect of the game. If it's defense you need from me some night, then I can defend whoever. If it's offense, then I can score. If it's bringing the ball up the court, I can do that too. I think the consistency and the balance of my game is a big part of what I bring to the Liberty.

During the WNBA season, what do you like to do in your free time?
Shop. Shop and go to movies, and spend time with friends. When I'm overseas I don't get the chance to see a lot of my friends. I'll get a couple of people to come over, but it's not like when I'm back in the U.S. So I just like to hang out with my family and my friends most of the time.

If you could offer one piece of advice to young women who play basketball, what would it be?
Dedicate yourself to the game. Really commit yourself to being the best basketball player you can be. Sometimes your friends will go out somewhere and they might want to smoke or drink or something like that, but being an athlete and trying to take it to the next level, if you want to play in college or in the WNBA someday, you have to make smart choices and you have to work hard and sacrifice. And set goals for yourself--long-term and short-term goals. When you accomplish those goals, set higher ones. But the most important thing you can do is set goals and believe in yourself that you achieve them.

Interview conducted by Gball Editor Greg Scholand.


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