|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
2/8
Corsicana native's clothing line loved by the pros
RICHARDSON -- Two-time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year Sheryl Swoopes paused before talking about Corsicana native Ricky Talkington's Sista Hoops women's sportswear line. "If I did not have an endorsement deal with Nike, I would love to represent Sista Hoops," said Swoopes, a Texas native who helped lead the Houston Comets to the first four WNBA titles and the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to the 1993 NCAA title while earning National Player of the Year honors. "It's sporty ... Sista Hoops has a nice catch to it. ... My favorite shirt is the diva shirt. It's tight." That's coming from the first woman to ever have her own shoe -- Nike's Air Swoopes. Swoopes' thoughts echoed those of her Dallas Fury teammates: They love Sista Hoops and want more of it, something that is sure to happen now that Sista Hoops is one of the sponsors of the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) franchise. "I love his gear," Swoopes continued, just an hour removed from scoring 29 points and snagging 10 rebounds in her best Fury performance to date in a 92-69 win over the Chicago Blaze at the University of Texas at Dallas activities center. "It's tight." Former Louisiana Tech standouts Ta'Keisha "Lucky" Lewis and Cheryl Ford of the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock and Anna DeForge of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury agreed. "I love his clothes," said Ford, the 2003 WNBA Rookie of the Year and two-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year. "All of us are excited about Sista Hoops." DeForge, a former Nebraska Cornhusker, continued, "It's been great. We get a lot of gear from him. There is not a day when I do not have the gear on. It is great exposure for us and for Sista Hoops." Lewis said she would wear anything Talkington would make. "Ricky is my boy," said Lewis, who played for the WNBA's Seattle Storm in 2002. "I love it. Ricky is awesome. The young kids see us wear Sista Hoops, and they want to wear it. ... Ricky has some good ideas. So many people ask about it. It's awesome." Talkington said he appreciates the positive reviews and the Fury for allowing him to be a sponsor. "I appreciate being a sponsor," said Talkington, whose company prints all of the Fury's gear. "Being part of the team as a sponsor is a big deal to me. Not only the players, but the coaches come up to me and thank me for being a sponsor. They don't have to do that. "That makes me feel good as a sponsor and a person." Fury head coach/general manager Nancy Lieberman, a pioneer for women's basketball that played on the first women's Olympic team and won the National Player of the Year award and a pair of national championships while at Old Dominion is also impressed with Sista Hoops. "It is pretty nice," said Lieberman, who is also in the National Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in addition to playing for the Dallas Diamonds in two different women's professional league in the 1980s and the inaugural Phoenix Mercury team in 1997. "They are eating it up. Sista Hoops gear is something we really need. The players want to wear the stuff. "People ask about it. I tell them it is Sista Hoops." Talkington said he inquired about sponsorship when he found out the Fury were coming to Dallas this year. The partnership has been a win-win situation Fury owner Bruce Carter said. "The girls do like it," Carter said. "We want to do big things on a local and national level with the Fury and Sista Hoops." Talkington could not agree more. "The (NWBL) is like an WNBA All-Star game," said Talkington, who has also forged a friendship former Duncanville and University of Tennessee standout Tamika Catchings, who now plays for the WNBA's Indiana Fever and the Blaze. "Every team has players from the WNBA. There are girls from all over the league. They have been way supportive. "I return the love by giving them stuff ... sponsoring the Fury. I want to show love for them and their sport." ---------- Chris Smith may be contacted via e-mail at csmith@corsicanadailysun.com |
|
|
