For Veterans Like Alysha Clark, This New WNBA Era Just Means More
From the bargaining table to the court, the 38-year-old has helped drive the league’s metamorphosis as a quintessential role player. Now she finally gets to enjoy it.
Emma Baccellieri|
Alysha Clark can measure her WNBA career in points and games and championships. But there is nothing that marks the passage of time here quite like her 15-year-old chihuahua Sly.
She adopted him when she was desperate to land her first roster spot and he was just a puppy. Now, she’s wrapping up her 16th training camp and he’s “a little deaf and a little blind,” Clark says affectionately. As she grew more established in the WNBA, she felt secure enough to start bringing the dog to occasional team events like Media Day, and he’s unfazed by lights or music or noisy teammates. (Even if Clark now has to pick up Sly and carry him to reach the court for a photoshoot: He can’t navigate steps in mood lighting.) He’s made himself just as comfortable across the league as his mom has.
