Tammi Reiss Drafted

The speaker vividly remembers the day they were drafted into the WNBA as part of the first-ever draft class. They had always dreamed of being drafted and playing in the NBA. They were nervous while waiting in the green room with other top players, hoping to be called in the first round. When their name was called by the Utah Stars, they walked on stage, received their jersey from the commissioner, and took a picture. This moment fulfilled a lifelong dream and was one of their top three stories. Can you describe your experience of getting drafted into the WNBA as the first ever draft class? I remember this day vividly because it checked the box off for me as something that I never thought I could attain. When I was in sixth grade, I did a goal sheet. It was like 125 goals. One of them was, you know, WNBA back then, to be drafted and play in the NBA. That was a goal. I didn't reach it, obviously, so this special day, I was in Secaucus, New Jersey, and the NBA studios, where they flew a bunch of us in, and I was in the green room with Tina Thompson and the whole draft class, Sue Wiggs, and all the best of the best, and we were waiting for our names to be called. And parents, everyone was out, media, everyone was out, and I was so nervous because I was hoping it would be called in the first round, not the fifth round or eighth round. And I remember hearing the words, and the Utah Stars select with the fifth pick, overall, Tammy Reese. And then I got to walk on stage. It was like a dream. Al Ackerman, the commissioner, held up the jersey, and I put the hat on, and I get to take the picture. And for me, it fulfilled almost a whole life of work to get that to happen. And so that was one of my top three stories.