Reunion with Parker should help former Neuqua star
Known as one of the most well-rounded basketball players in the Big Ten, Purdue forward Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton plans on keeping up that reputation in the WNBA.
That means more scoring, more blocked shots, more rebounding and more lock-down defense.
"I didn't score 20 points a game in college, but if you looked across the stat sheet, I was always pretty well-balanced," said Wisdom-Hylton, who averaged 13.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game this season for the Boilermakers. "I'm not just one-dimensional."
Wisdom-Hylton will likely add to her juggling act while she's out in Los Angeles this summer, playing for the Sparks, who selected her in the first round of last week's WNBA Draft with the 13th pick overall.
What more could she possibly do, you ask?
Babysit. An infant.
She figures it's the least she can do for her good friend and new teammate Candace Parker, who is pregnant and busy preparing for the birth of her first child but has already taken Wisdom-Hylton under her wing.
The two go way back and have been friends for years.
"I already told Candace I was volunteering to babysit," laughed Wisdom-Hylton, who has three younger half-sisters (ages 10, 8 and 7) and says she's used to being around young kids.
Parker, a forward for the Sparks, and Wisdom-Hylton grew up together in the Naperville area, played AAU basketball together in middle school, and engaged in some legendary battles in high school while playing for rival schools - Parker for Naperville Central and Wisdom-Hylton for Neuqua Valley.
"We played (Naperville Central) in a sectional championship game and one of my teammates hit a last-second shot that would have won it, but the refs called it off," Wisdom-Hylton said. "That was really hard. But Candace and I have kind of called it even because I went downstate my first two years and she went downstate her last two years.
"That was a great time in our area for girls basketball. What Candace did for girls basketball there was huge. She brought a lot of attention to it, and really put Naperville on the map."
As expected, Parker, who capped off her much-hyped college career by leading Tennessee to back-to-back national titles, made a grand debut on the WNBA scene last summer by capturing both Rookie of the Year and the Player of the Year honors.
However, with a May due date, her much anticipated follow-up act will be delayed. Parker is planning on playing at least part of the upcoming season, which tips off on June 6, but no definitive return date has been set yet.
"She's going to have the baby, but I know she's going to help take care of me, too," Wisdom-Hylton said. "She's been telling me that if I ever need anything out there, even a place to stay-
"It's nice. I'm just so blessed that I have someone out there who I already know really well. To go cross-country and into the unknown, it's so huge to have someone there to help you. She's going to help me understand what the coaches are looking for, and what they need. Even the whole L.A. lifestyle - she'll help me with where to go, what to eat, how to get around. It's such a fast life out there. I just hope I can survive."
The Hollywood jungle will be just the half of it.
Surviving on the court won't be easy either. This year, WNBA rosters have been trimmed from 13 players to 11, which means that competition for spots will be more fierce in training camp.
And in Los Angeles, Wisdom-Hylton will be stepping into a situation in which there is already some good talent in the post, including all-star veterans Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson, 7-foot-2 center Margo Dydek, fellow rookie Ashley Paris, and of course, Parker.
"It's not like this is in the bag for me. It's going to be a battle. I'm going to have to step up my game so I won't get cut," Wisdom-Hylton said. "But I think I bring a lot to the table, and I hope that will help me.
"I really would love to play with Candace again. It's kind of surreal that this has come full circle and now we're both getting to play in the WNBA."
pbabcock@dailyherald.com