The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
A DELICATE BALANCE
WNBA moms face tough choice on whether to bring children into bubble
Had she decided not to play this season, Bria Hartley would’ve forfeited her 2020 salary. But with a child at home, the former UConn star couldn’t afford to make that choice at this time.
“I’m not thrilled to necessarily be in the bubble, but there’s also certain things I need to take care of,” said Hartley, who will make $185,000 this season, according to capology.com. “Basketball is my means to make a living to provide for my family.”
Thus Hartley, a seven-year WNBA veteran, headed down to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the league will hold its truncated 22-game season, plus playoffs, amid the backdrop of a global pandemic. Hartley brought along her 3-year-old son, Bryson.
“I was just overseas, and my son didn’t go with me,” said Hartley, said. “I wasn’t going to go another three months in the bubble where he wasn’t with me.”
Others, including Hartley’s new Phoenix Mercury teammate Diana Taurasi, wrestled more with the idea of bringing children into a coronavirus hot spot for an extended stretch.
Taurasi, a nine-time All-Star and the league’s most proficient scorer, never questioned whether she would return to the court. After missing the majority of 2019 with back and hamstring injuries, the 38-year-old Taurasi felt she couldn’t let another season pass during the twilight of her illustrious career. But she decided it would be safer for her spouse, Penny Taylor, and 2-year-old son, Leo, to stay home.
Taylor stepped away from her role as an assistant with Phoenix this week to focus on being a full-time mother.
“As safe as the bubble is, you’re automatically exposed to 200-plus people. Just for the safety of Penn, and obviously Leo being so little, it was probably the best decision,” Taurasi said of her family skipping the bubble. “It was a hard decision. It’s a long time to be away from your family.”
The league allowed players with at least five years of experience to bring a plus-one, such as a spouse or significant other. However, that person cannot come and go from the site, further complicating the decision for mothers balancing a hectic schedule.
“It’s definitely tough,” said Connecticut forward DeWanna Bonner, who opted to leave her 2-yearold twin girls, Cali and Demi, behind with relatives. “I have a great support system who watches them, and I pretty much pop on FaceTime all day. But they’re at a part of their life where they could use a little bit of structure. School has been in their life for the
last year, and I didn’t want to interrupt that. They have a routine, so I didn’t want to knock that off track.”
Bonner, who’s married to Indiana Fever guard Candice Dupree, is used to being away from her children for prolonged periods while playing overseas. But she’s found the last week to be tougher on her than usual because of how close her daughters are in proximity.
“The fact that they’re right up the road — I’m probably an hour away from them — it sucks that I can’t hop in the car and go see them or anything like that,” said Bonner, who was residing in Tampa. “They are good kids. They’re taking it in stride.”
Bonner’s Sun teammate, New Haven native Bria Holmes, shared the same concerns as other players as cases of COVID-19 began to skyrocket in the Sunshine State last month. But when it came time to decide whether to take her daughter, Holmes put her trust in the league’s strict health and safety precautions.
“She’s my stress reliever,” Holmes said of 1-year-old
Diona. “It’s great having her here in the bubble. When I go overseas I leave her home, so I didn’t want to leave her home. I took a risk bringing her here, but I’m happy I did. I feel safe, and she’s safe. That’s all that matters.”
While most Connecticut players are staying in a hotel on campus, Holmes, 26, is with her fiancé in a villa. The former Hillhouse High star is enjoying spending time with her daughter, even bringing her to a few practices.
“She’s all over the place now,” Holmes said. “Us just taking her on daily bike rides or her just walking and being outside, being a kid … it’s really no different. I’m just happy that I decided to bring her.”
Holmes’ teammates and coaches seem to like having Diona around, as well. The team’s Twitter account has already posted multiple videos of Diona, including one of her rocking to music in her stroller.
“She’s a celeb. She’s a celeb for sure. So cute,” Sun vice president Amber Cox said.
Head coach and general
manager Curt Miller said it’s been admirable watching Holmes and Bonner delicately balance the responsibilities of motherhood and basketball — one close by and the other from afar — especially under such unique circumstances.
“We tried to have her at a practice early and she was a little cranky,” Miller said of Diona, with a smile. “Imagine the focus that Bria had to have practicing, and at the intensity that pros practice at, while her baby was on the sidelines not a happy camper. She has to pick and choose when baby Di is around and when she needs to go do her basketball job. …
“The challenges that DeWanna has to deal with on a daily basis of not having her children here are different than what Bria’s going through. They’re both just first-class moms. It’s really impressive. It’s a true story for other players that there’s sacrifices. It’s not about them. When you have children, it’s not about yourself anymore.”