By Kelly A. Golff
Photography by Robert French
San Antonio has no shortage of brilliant basketball teams. The dedication and single-mindedness exhibited by the four-time champion Spurs also shines in the Silver Stars, our Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team. The women’s professional season started in May, and all eyes are turned on a team that could be knocking on the doors of the playoffs.
South Texas Fitness & Health magazine recently sat down with four Silver Stars players to learn more about them. And perhaps more importantly, find out how veteran Vicki Johnson, second-year player Sophia Young, original Utah Starzz member Marie Ferdinand-Harris and Erin Buescher, the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2006, stay in peak competitive condition.
STF&H: Marie and Sophia — you two must really like San Antonio since you both bought homes here.
Marie Ferdinand-Harris:
Yes, it seemed like the best place for my husband and me. Well I’m from Miami, and my husband is from Arkansas, so San Antonio seemed like a good compromise. I love it. It’s a very friendly town — nice and quiet. With the Spurs’ winning and so much being built here, San Antonio’s up and coming. Plus, it’s so family-oriented. That’s a big reason we chose to live here because we just had a son last year. It’s a great city for raising a family.
Sophia Young:
I’m originally from the Caribbean but played at Baylor in college, so I have a lot of good friends here. From the first moment I got here, I just fell in love with it. The Spurs have brought San Antonio a lot of attention. I think it will just keep growing. Even for young single people there’s a lot to do here.
STF&H: Vicki, you’re the oldest player on the team. How did you get started playing basketball?
Vicki Young:
When I was 10-years-old, my older brother kept saying, “Girls can’t play basketball.” He’d tell me to go in the house and bake a cake or something. It made me so mad! So I practiced every chance I got, and he finally decided to teach me a few things. I remember he came to one of my games when I was in fifth grade. We were playing against seventh and eighth graders. I was so intimidated by the older girls that I wasn’t shooting the ball. My brother gave me a little talkin’ to during the half and said I could either shoot the ball or deal with him. I made 25 points during the second half!
STF&H: What about you, Erin? What was your first exposure to the sport?
Erin Buescher:
It was kind of a fluke. A friend of mine in junior high heard there were tryouts and said we should go. The funny thing is that I showed up and she didn’t!
Marie Ferdinand-Harris:
That’s kind of how I got my start too! I was such a girly-girl; I loved playing Barbies and watching cute 90210-type shows. I was lazy too – never liked to run. When I was in eighth grade, we heard an announcement about basketball tryouts, and one of my best friends convinced me we should go. I was thinking, “You cannot be serious.” But I fell in love with it the very first day. I remember thinking, “Oh my god, this is fun!” I never thought I’d be professional basketball player.
STF&H: All of you look like you’re in great shape. What did you do to prepare for this season?
Sophia Young:
I have a personal trainer who I see almost everyday, except for weekends. For cardio I do a lot of sprints and then do some lifting. I’ve never been a long-distance runner. I’d just rather get it over with.
Erin Buescher:
I’m with Sophia on the sprints. They seem to produce the best results and are so good for basketball. I like to keep a lot of variety in my workouts. I surf, play beach volleyball and soccer when I can. During the summer I was in Greece and really enjoyed training in sand along the Mediterranean. I’m all about really hard and really short workouts. A lot of my training isn’t so much by the numbers but by how I feel. I push myself pretty hard and try to stay in tune with my body. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but I’ve seen some positive changes in my body over the past year.
Vicki Young:
I’ll say! Girl, you’re my idol! Erin has an incredible body and so much endurance. My goal was to slim down. I set up some weight and body fat goals. I changed my diet – going heavy on the vegetables and eating every three hours to keep my metabolism going. I practiced everyday and did a lot of weight training to get more cut. I don’t want to be in the gym all day, so I go to 60-70 percent max with low weight and high repetition.
STF&H: Perhaps the greatest fitness comeback story is Marie’s since she took off last season to have her son. What did you do to get back into shape?
Marie Ferdinand-Harris:
It’s been a challenge getting my core muscles back. My abs have been the hardest, weakest area and took the longest to get back. I worked with a fitness trainer to get those back. I had no idea how many different ways there was to work those muscles! I work on my abs every chance I get, even now, because it’s so easy to lose that.
Vicki Johnson:
Yeah, you have to do those crunches. I do 200 a day — 100 in the morning and 100 at night.
STF&H: I hear that a lot of you go out for sushi together. Any favorite restaurants or places in San Antonio where you like to relax?
Marie Ferdinand-Harris:
I love Zushi Sushi! Pappadeaux is also a favorite. If I’m shopping, it’s usually at North Star Mall.
Sophia Young:
I like PF Changs and the Cheesecake Factory. Shopping at The Shops at La Cantera and the Quarry is cool, too. I just floated the river for the first time, too. I’ll be doing that a lot – it’s so much fun!
Erin Buescher:
I’m a big fan of Zushi Sushi too. I need some tips since I’ve only been here for a month so I’m still scouting the city. So far San Antonio is great!
