Simply adding one letter in front of an acronym can transport you to another world. That’s what happens when you put a ‘W’ before the word ‘NBA.’ It transforms into the WNBA, transporting you to a magnificent world of women’s sports that is as exhilarating and exciting as its counterpart. Women’s basketball is no longer limited to the NBA, but has evolved into a global athletic event in recent decades.
Also See: Inspiring Quotes from Female Athletes On Importance of Hard Work
In this post, we’ve gathered some really motivating quotes & sayings from elite basketball women, as well as men players and coaches, who address the importance and emergence of women’s basketball, as well as how young girls who want to be professional players in the future may help the game reach new heights.
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Guess the quote’s author
Let’s take a quick quiz now before reading these inspiring sports quotes. Your task in this quiz is to identify the authors of the quotes we’ve provided from this post. You’ll have three choices to choose from, so think carefully! Match the words to the person who said them!
Inspiring Candace Parker Quotes on Women’s Basketball
- “Sports made me tougher, made me stronger, and really prepared me, I think, for life.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
- “For me, sports a way for me to show Lailaa, to show my daughter, what hard work can do.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
- “As an athlete, as long as you’re being authentic to who you are, then I don’t think you can do any wrong with sports off the court, on the court.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
- “I’m huge into authenticity, and I think it shines through in every single thing that you do.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
- “Barrier breaking is about not staying in your lane and not being something that the world expects you to be. It’s about not accepting limitations. It starts with inspiration, and it’s a foundation built upon picking apart what everybody thinks is the right way to do things.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
- “I think if you pick somebody that you love or that you’ll do anything for, that can serve as motivation.” – Candace Parker, Basketball player.
Inspiring Kevin Durant Quotes on Women’s Basketball
- “I pretty much follow all the girls and try to keep up with the box scores and see how they are doing each night and watch as much as I can.” – Kevin Durant, Basketball player.
- “The game of basketball is incredible no matter who is on the floor.” – Kevin Durant on WNBA.
- “Every little girl’s dream is to play in the WNBA. It’s not just little boys wanting to play basketball. It’s little girls wanting to make it to that level.” – Kevin Durant.
- “A lot of people don’t respect the [WNBA] game. And I think it’s unfair. Those women can play the game of basketball.” – Kevin Durant.
Inspiring Damian Lillard Quotes on Women’s Basketball
- “Just because I come from a family of a lot of women, a lot of hard working women that are the leaders of my family, so I’ve always known women to be strong people.” – Damian Lillard, basketball player.
- “I feel like they deserve to be acknowledged and congratulated and shown love for breaking into the men’s game, fitting in in a league of men.” – Damian Lillard, basketball player.
- “Women are just naturally smarter than men. When you watch a women’s game, they’re more fundamentally sound than men.”– Damian Lillard, basketball player.
- “So the fact that it’s a woman doesn’t mean anything because knowledge of the game is knowledge of the game.” – Damian Lillard, basketball player.
Inspiring Devin Booker Quotes on Women’s Basketball
- “They know how to play the game the right way.” – Devin Booker, NBA player on WNBA.
- “If you want to learn the fundamentals of basketball—I always watch women’s basketball. Everyone knows how to dribble, shoot, and pass. They know how to play the game the right way.” – Devin Booker, NBA player.
- “I joke with my friends sometimes, well it might be true. Some of the atmospheres at their games might be a little better than ours.” – Devin Booker, NBA player.
- “They’re true athletes and they’re true competitors.” – Devin Booker, NBA player.
- “Seeing how Diana [Taurasi] just goes about her business and her weights and her routine is something that helped me pick up and develop my game and develop my off-court ability and skills at the same time.” – Devin Booker, basketball player.
Inspiring Kyrie Irving Quotes on Women’s Basketball
- “They’re the creators of life and whatever they choose to do in their lives I feel like all males should be supportive.” – Kyrie Irving, Basketball player.
- “There shouldn’t be any roles that are deemed for male or female. It should be open. And that should be the principle that we all live by.” – Kyrie Irving, Basketball player on Womens’ basketball.
- “They play with such a unique style. The fundamentals of the game, the footwork, and little things that really make the difference between you being good and great.” – Kyrie Irving, Basketball player.
- “Why can’t we as NBA players have a stake or some sort of type equity in the WNBA team? Those are our sisters.” – Kyrie Irving, basketball player.
- “They are awesome and I legitimately love watching those girls play and then when you java them all here at one time, you have to pick their brain. You have to because some of them would give a few of the guys some buckets – real talk.” – Kyrie Irving, basketball player.
Inspiring Female Basketball Players Quotes from Famous Basketball Players
- “I’ve just got to get through my junior year of high school and then the classes are going to get easier, I’ve just got to get to my spring and my senior year of college it’s going to be easier. what we do, we wait for stuff to get easier. It will never get easier. What happens is you handle harder, that’s what happens.” – Kara Lawson, Women Basketball Coach.
- “Most people think that it’s going to get easier. Basketball is going to get easier, school’s going to get easier [but] it never gets easier. What happens is you become someone that handles hard stuff better. So that’s a mental shift that has to occur in your brains.” – Kara Lawson, Women Basketball Coach.
- “Don’t be soft. Get through it.” – Elena Delle Donne, Basketball player.
- “I think, definitely for girls, you’re worried about your body image, lifting, and is it going to change how I look and things like that, but that’s just part of who you are and your growth.” – Jewell Loyd, Basketball player.
- “I’m a pro because of who I am. Everything about my body and everything about who I am embraces my job and that’s why I’m here.” – Jewell Loyd, Basketball player.
- “If you aren’t one of those top-caliber athletes, you have to take one thing you’re good at and really excel and improve in that.” – Jewell Loyd, Basketball player.
- “My first basketball hoop literally was a milk crate that I cut the bottom out of and nailed it to a telephone pole. Just play it as much as you can, learn about it as much as you can.” – LeBron James, Basketball player.
- “This game, it’s the most beautiful game in the world and it gives back to you what you commit to it and you put all your passion and your love and your joy and your cry and everything.” – LeBron James, Basketball player.
- “The world needs female voices, and we can’t ignore that or else we’re not growing.” – Michael Jordan, former Basketball player.
- “Watching and realizing how talented the women are, you become a fan of that and you become a fan of the game of basketball from their side.” – Anthony Davis, Basketball player.
- “Women are strong enough themselves to do any and everything.” – Chris Paul, NBA player.
- “Women move this game forward just like we do.” – DeMar DeRozan, Basketball player.
- “In my mind, women’s basketball players are an untapped resource.” – Sue Bird
- “I hope that through the basketball culture that we’re creating — the desire for excellence at the highest level – and doing it with integrity, creates powerful and empowered young women.” – Lindsay Gottlieb
- “The more creative, and the more you explore the game, that’s only going to be better for everyone.” – Diana Taurasi
- “I think that just trying to stay optimistic, trying to stay positive, don’t put any negative thoughts into your head and just wait to see.” – Breanna Stewart
- “Everything has to be planned out for me; that’s how I function. I strategize everything to the tee. I’ve always been like that all my life, so it’s a challenge for me to actually dive deeper into myself because I’m always thinking about everyone else.” – Sylvia Fowles, WNBA.
- “Growing up playing basketball with them [three older brothers], they never allowed me to play offense. So I played my first organized game in eighth grade in middle school, and I was like, “OH, you can play offense too?!” – Sylvia Fowles, WNBA.
- “In the NBA, there’s always a guy who is only around because he can jump. He doesn’t have a clue about the fundamentals. I learn more from the WNBA. They know how to dribble, how to pivot, and how to use the shot fake.” – Draymond Green, basketball player.
- “You don’t make it to the finish line unless you do what’s necessary beforehand to be successful at the end. So just focusing on the little things.” – Nicky Anosike, basketball player.
- “Like Tennessee, which was a powerhouse in women’s basketball for years, in Connecticut, the devotion of fans to the women’s game was remarkable.” – Michael Sean Winters, journalist.
- “There was a time when the women’s teams were not as athletic as the men. Not anymore. They drive to the basket, leap for the rebounds, steal the ball, with all the quickness and agility that one sees watching the guys.” – Michael Sean Winters, journalist.
- “If I were to find myself in a cage match with any of them, I would not be betting on myself.” – Michael Sean Winters, journalist praising the prowess of women in basketball.
- “Watching women’s basketball has kept my heart warm on many a cold night during the interminable winter that has finally given way to spring. It is not a good game, it is a great game.” – Michael Sean Winters, journalist.
- “My most recent experience has been watching women’s games at the high school and college level. I enjoy watching the execution of plays without the same amount of contact there is in men’s games.” – Jim Willard, columnist.
- “The WNBA is a beautiful game to watch.” – Kobe Bryant, Basketball player.
- “Basketball is really important to a lot of people in the U.S., and no one takes it more seriously than women.” – Diana Taurasi, Basketball player.
- “It’s a great signal for the league that people are really talking about freshmen in the women’s game and how they should become professional sooner.” – Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Official.
- “I’m not a woman that’s an athlete! I’m an athlete!” – Skylar Diggins-Smith, Basketball player.
- “Femininity and sport can go together.” – Rebecca Lobo, Basketball player.
- “The difference between a winner and a loser is, many times, a matter of inches. If you think you can do it, most of the time you’ll do it.” – Nancy Lieberman, former basketball player.
- “Girls! We are changing the world. Wake up. Eat. Basketball. Repeat. Not everybody gets this opportunity. Appreciate it and work hard.” – Chamique Holdsclaw, former basketball player.
- “They push the game of basketball to new levels.” – Stephen Curry, basketball player.
- “Be confident in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. Sure, you’ll encounter challenges here and there, but use them as motivation to try even more. Find ways around and/or through your obstacles.” – Tamika Catchings, retired female basketball player.
- “Believe that your dreams will come to life.” – Tamika Catchings, retired female basketball player.
- “I always watched the game of basketball from the women’s side and my sister just stopped playing. She realized it wasn’t for her. So I kind of just fell in love with the game then just watching the women play and just kind of kept with it all the way until I got to the league.” – Anthony Davis, basketball player.
- “Remember your two H’s—that is, be humble but be hungry.” – Lisa Leslie, basketball player.
- “Some people don’t have as much support growing up but do your best to surround yourself with good quality people and also try to surround yourself in competitive situations so that you’re challenged and you can grow.” – Maya Moore, female basketball player.
What we can take away from these inspiring quotes
Sports Builds Character
Sports, such as basketball, build strong female characters, which our society needs now more than ever. Thanks to sports, young girls today have role models to follow.
Sports Promotes Equality
The beautiful thing about playing a sport is that it treats everyone equally. Most sports in the world are dominated by men, but that has never stopped women from participating.
Breaking Barriers
Quotes from Candace Parker, Kara Lawson, and other female athletes talk about the importance of breaking barriers and stepping outside of your comfort zone. A sport like basketball not only boosts our overall confidence, but it also provides opportunities to grow.
Strategizing the Future
The quotes above also deal with the importance of planning ahead and strategizing. It is important to plan ahead and forecast events so that even if anything goes unplanned, we are always ready for it.
Teamwork and Sharing Success
In team sports like basketball, it is important to celebrate each other’s successes and show support when one of the team members is not doing well. Helping each other and coordinating in difficult times are the hallmarks of a championship team.
Untapped Resources
Former WNBA player Sue Bird stated in one of her quotes that women’s basketball players are untapped resources. It is of utmost importance to promote women’s basketball, or for that matter women’s sports, through various channels to the general public. The non-participation of one section of society in an integral event like sports not only affects the balance of society, but it also hinders economic growth.
Be Passionate
If you are passionate about something, no matter what obstacles come your way, you will always find ways to make it happen. Female athletes who have a keen interest in their sport face plenty of obstacles throughout their journey. It is their real passion that gives these female athletes the strength to overcome these hurdles and pursue their dreams.
Best in the World
Today, women’s basketball is one of the best sporting events in the world, along with any other NBA competition league. When it comes to sports, comparisons should never be made. Every league, team, and player has their own unique identity, and that is why sports provide such a marvelous experience for viewers and sports enthusiasts.
Conclusion
A fun quiz is a great way to summarize the lessons we can take from these inspiring quotes. This fun quiz is intended to help you remember the key ideas and takeaways from the quotes in our blog post.
How to play?
In this quiz, you must complete the quote you’ve just read from various athletes and coaches by selecting the correct option from the options provided. The aim of this quiz is to help you recall key takeaways from the quotes. You will receive one point for selecting the correct option. Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Tags: Female Athletes
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Featured Image Credit:
BDZ Sports, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
