Young promises more for 2008

Expect more from basketballer Sophia Young when the 2008 WNBA season begins later this year.

Young is currently campaigning in Europe in the off season, where she is sharpening her skills for her third season with the San Antonio Silver Stars.{{more}}

Playing for Galatasaray of Turkey in the FIBA Women’s Euro Cup, Young is working on her weak points for the more demanding WNBA.

In an online interview with SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday afternoon, Young said she was happy with her new club.

“I have fitted in my new club well; I like the programme here”, she wrote.

Young, 24, said that following the San Antonio’s ousting in the Western Conference finals, “I have been working on my shooting range”.

“I have to keep shooting everyday to get better, because I know you are never going to be good at anything in this game that changes so much everyday”.

Based in Istanbul, Young stated, “I’m still working on my dribbling”.

Born in Layou, in the Central Leeward constituency, Young, a former national Under-16 netballer, thought that part of her present success was her frame of mind.

In her Europe debut season, Young had an indifferent outing in the Czech Republic, as a loss of form and injury attributed to her under par performance.

“I was young; It was my first year overseas and I didn’t know what to expect”, she claimed.

But all that has changed as she is feeling more at home.

“I am playing with two of my San Antonio teammates”, Young added.

Also on the Galatasaray roster are Vickie Johnson and Chantelle Anderson.

Young’s interview was fresh from another of her team’s triumphant runs.

One not to pay much attention to statistics, Young was satisfied that she was playing her part in her team’s successes. However, she was taking everything in stride.

Young joined the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2006, as the fourth draft pick. This followed a phenomenal run with Baylor University in the NCAA Championships.

While there, she helped Baylor to its first NCAA basketball title in 2005: a final which saw her being crowned the Most Valuable Player.

Known for her all round ability on the court, Young is one of four female players in NCAA basketball history to finish their career with over 2000 points, 1000 or more rebounds, in excess of 300 steals and 300 plus assists.

Young was the second Vincentian to be drafted in the WNBA, following Sancho Lyttle’s entry in 2005.

Lyttle plays for the Houston Comets. Like Young, Lyttle is also playing in Europe in the off season. Also a former national netballer, Lyttle plays in Spain with Puig D’ En Valls.