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 THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS, TWO CLOSE FRIENDS, SHANNA CROSSLEY AND SIDNEY SPENCER, HAVE TO TURN FRIENDSHIP INTO COMPETITION
by jenna sampson
THE FAMED FILM SERIES ROCKY,
heavyweight boxers Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were the greatest of rivals but eventually became the greatest of friends and training partners.
The same can be said of WNBA rising stars Shanna Crossley and Sidney Spencer, though in the opposite order. The two hoopsters refined their basketball game together as teammates at the University of Tennessee and now compete in the highest level of competition for rival teams. Shanna is a shooting guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars, while Sidney sports purple and yellow for the Los Angeles Sparks.
The former training partners admit that the first time they stepped into the ring as opponents was a bit humorous to them. "I couldn't stop laughing," says Shanna. "It was a major adjustment. The most difficult situation was when we were guarding each other. It felt like a pick-up game, not a WNBA game. She's a little bigger than me, and at one point I ran into her shoulder and almost got knocked out. I said, 'Sidney, what are you doing?' and she said, 'I've got to, sorry!' "
The third time the two played against each other is the time Sidney really remembers. "She scored a ridiculous number of points on us, and I said, 'Shanna, you have to stop this.' She was on fire from the three-point line, and I kept telling my teammates, 'You can't let her touch the ball.' I accidentally clapped for her one time when I was sitting on the bench, and my teammates gave me the eye."
At the time, Sidney had just come off a national championship season her senior year at Tennessee and was already off to an exceptional start for the Sparks. She worked her way into the starting lineup, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Her 2007 numbers include averaging 9.6 points and 4 rebounds per game--both of which she hopes to raise this season.
Shanna has had a similar start in the WNBA, coming off a successful college career in which she nabbed several NCAA and Lady Vol records. She averaged 9.2 points per game during the 2007 regular season and ranked second in the WNBA in three-point field goals made. Her impressive playoff performance included averaging 8.2 points per game, ending with a 20-point performance in the conference finals against Phoenix.
And while this pair isn't supposed to be cheering for each other on the court, they're each other's biggest encourager off the court. "Whenever we play each other, it always happens to be at a time when I need some encouragement," says Sidney. "It's refreshing to have someone for that."
Shanna agrees. "We have other friends, but I think we understand what the other is going through because we're both athletes, playing the same position, and facing the same issues. When she gives me advice on something, I listen because I know she knows what I'm facing. Sidney is an unbelievable woman of God, and that in itself is an encouragement." . . .
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