In No Offseason, The Athletic follows the paths of women’s basketball players after their WNBA seasons’ end and their travels begin. From Turkey, Israel, Italy, Czech Republic, Mexico and even here in the U.S., our reporters tell the stories of these players as they chase their dreams and try to shape the future of the WNBA.
For the first time in her career, Rebekah Gardner is dealing with having no break between her professional seasons. The 32-year-old wing spent last winter playing for Spar Girona in Spain before turning a training camp invitation from the Chicago Sky into her first WNBA roster spot and an All-Rookie season. Gardner is now back with Girona. This winter, she says, “Everything is a little bit different.”
“I feel like maybe opponents, and maybe even my teammates, respect me a little bit differently,” she said. “I feel like the same person. I just had a different experience during the summer.”
After going undrafted in 2012 and playing in four European countries, that experience — playing 35 regular-season games with Chicago and emerging as a key bench player — has led Gardner to be held up as an example among her peers of the talent that exists overseas that could help a WNBA franchise. She didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere.
“Rebekah…
