Vanderbilt women's basketball stars Christina Wirth and Jen Risper took the next step in their careers last week, learning they had been selected in the WNBA Draft. Wirth was selected with the 19th overall pick by the Indiana Fever, while Risper was the 29th overall selection by the Chicago Sky. Wirth and Risper were a dominant duo during their four years with the Commodores, winning two Southeastern Conference tournament championships and going to the NCAA Tournament every year. They took the time to answer a few questions about being drafted and what it means for the Vanderbilt program.
Q: What was your reaction upon hearing the news?
Jen Risper: I was already excited for Tina. When I heard my name I was thinking, "Did this really just happen?" I just thought, "Well, I guess I better start working out again." After a little time passed, I just was thankful that God would bless Tina and I in our basketball careers.
Christina Wirth: I was really excited once I found out what team had drafted me. After our season ended, it felt like a really long time just waiting to find out what would happen next so it was nice to finally have something to look forward to and prepare for.
Q: Have you spoken with your families at all?
JR: Yes, I have. They are telling everyone they know! They keep telling me what a blessing this is from God and to bring my faith to Chicago.
CW: My parents and brothers and sisters all called or texted me and said congratulations. I haven't really talked to them about specifics yet - mostly because I don't know any specifics.
Q: Have you seen much of the Fever or the Sky in action?
JR: Honestly, no I haven't. I know some of the players only because I have played against them in college.
CW: To be honest, I don't really know much about the Fever at all. In a way, I think that's a good thing because I will be going somewhere without any preconceptions about what it will be like. I really believe that the experience is what you make it, and I'm determined to make sure that I enjoy every minute of it.
Q: How do you think going to the pros helps Vanderbilt's program?
JR: I hope that it helps our program tremendously. Vanderbilt is an amazing school, and we have an amazing coaching staff and team. I think recruits will see what a successful program Vanderbilt is because we have had a lot of players get drafted in the past. I think if anything it will just continue to put Vanderbilt on the map and draw more attention to this amazing school!
CW: I think having players drafted professionally is great for our program. It raises the bar and hopefully inspires players who want to keep playing to really go for it. It's also good for recruiting because players who dream of playing at the highest level can see that going to Vanderbilt prepares you for that. It's a great testament to how amazing our coaching staff is - they help develop players throughout their four years so that they have opportunities like this when they are done at Vanderbilt.
