"It’s tough enough being a rookie in the WNBA going up against the game’s elite athletes to make a team.

It’s even tougher when the player is a symbol for an entire culture.

But Tahnee Robinson, a 5-9 Connecticut Sun guard, who is fighting four others for a spot on the squad, is handling both challenges with maturity and distinction.

She’s been in tough spots before – spots tougher than being double-teamed on the wing or trapped along a baseline. When she was 18, Robinson was arrested for driving while intoxicated, took care of business and got her life on track. A year later, she gave birth to her son Julian, whose father isn’t really in the picture although the boy’s paternal aunt is very close to him. Robinson’s parents, who live near Fort Washakie, Wyo., when she’s in school or engaged in basketball activities, take care of the little boy, who is surrounded by a loving family and community. Robinson’s mother, Sara, is an assistant public defender for the state of Wyoming; her father, Tim, is a rancher.

After having Julian, who will be 4 in July, she thought her basketball career and left the University of Wyoming, where she was a top recruit."

Get the Story:
A Player and A Symbol: Native American WNBA Guard Has Dual Responsibilities (SportsPageMagazine.Com 5/23)

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