Crystal Bradford focused on second chance in WNBA, while adding depth to Aces
Crystal Bradford, who played 15 games after being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2015 and 24 games for the Atlanta Dream in 2021, is ready to make the most of her second chance in the WNBA. PHOTO: Courtesy Las Vegas Aces
By W.G. RAMIREZ
HENDERSON, Nev. -- Through training camp and two preseason games, Crystal Bradford says she's feeling like both a rookie and a veteran with the Las Vegas Aces.
After all, the 31-year-old who was a first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2015 has just 39 games on her WNBA résumé, but she's got years of overseas experience that she brings to a team looking to win its third championship in four years.
"This is another chance for her, and anytime you have second chances, you want to approach it the right way," said Aces assistant coach Larry Lewis, who has been working closely with Bradford. "I think the humble part of being a rookie, the wisdom of being a vet … and the excited part of being an athlete.
"When you blend those things and you can focus, I think now you're talking about performance at a higher level."
Bradford, who played 15 games with the Sparks in 2015 and 24 games for the Atlanta Dream in 2021, is elated for her second chance.
Her season debut will be delayed, however, as she’ll miss the Aces’ season opener in New York while serving a one-game suspension that stems from an offseason incident in November of 2021.
After that season, a video of Bradford and current Minnesota point guard Courtney Williams surfaced with the former teammates involved in a fight outside of an Atlanta-area food truck. With extenuating circumstances surrounding the altercation, both Bradford and Williams argued they were in danger and acted in self-defense.
After reviewing the video, the league announced the two players would have to serve one-game suspensions at the start of the 2022 season, but Bradford hasn't played in the league since. Both players expressed remorse and apologized for any embarrassment the incident caused the league.
Aces coach Becky Hammon said she's not concerned with the past, only the person and character she's come to know during training camp, which is far from an embarrassment by any measure.
"I had heard about the incident, so we did our own homework on where she was in her growth and her maturation as a person," Hammon said. "I can tell you she's been a delight in practice. I can certainly tell you I don't want my worst moment, maybe, to be defined. I definitely don't want it recorded and for the world to see. And I think there's always two sides to every story. I have not asked her about it, I don't know the details about it, and I kind of don't care about it. What I care about is she's showing up every day and being a professional."
Bradford addressed her maturity after a recent practice, saying she's put the incident behind her and is ready to finally move on.
"I've spent so much time overseas that my leadership is without question," Bradford said. "I know what I'm doing out there, when I'm standing out, when I'm being the loudest, and I am encouraging. I'm not second-guessing that, because when you're overseas and you don't have family, all we have is each other.
"And I've learned to be such a great teammate. I feel like I was always a great teammate, but I've learned to be accountable for myself, as well as be able to help my teammates. So, I think being overseas has helped me so much just be a veteran now, and now that I'm back in the league, the part of being a rookie is doing the things that I missed. And I get to clean all that up with the wisdom that I got ... so I get that second chance and I'm grateful for that."
THE ROOKIE
In bringing her personal brand of humor and fun to the locker room - she was the overwhelming favorite to pull off a prank during the team's Media Day on May 8 - Bradford also brings a relentless approach to the court, with size and agility she uses to her advantage on the perimeter, or physicality to slow things down in the paint.
Crystal Bradford (l.) delivers a behind-the-back pass during training camp. The 31-year-old’s diversity in the backcourt or the paint will provide depth to the Aces’ lineup. PHOTO: Courtesy Las Vegas Aces
She's ready to help wherever Hammon needs her, knowing versatility as a wing or shooting forward tends to make life hard on defenders, from rebounding to second-chance points, to backside cuts or setting screens.
And when it's time to score, she'll be glad to make opponents pay for biting on her deceptive moves.
Bradford scored 11 points on .454 (5 of 11) shooting, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, while grabbing 14 rebounds and +15 in the team's two preseason games.
Bradford said while she certainly brings a dynamic energy to a room, she's not one for pranks because she's not fond of paybacks. She's simply confident of what she can contribute to a team coming into the season with a chip on its shoulder after having its two-year championship run end at home to eventual champion New York in last year’s playoffs.
"Energy is my locker room theme," Bradford said. "Channeling my energy is pretty important, just not giving it out all day long. But when it's time…
“We have real pros in that locker room. So a lot of times people are getting ready, getting dressed. A'ja's maybe getting in her mode. So I don't want to just distract anybody, but when it's time is when it's time. So I just look for those moments where I can channel it."
Bradford said she felt appreciated after her initial conversations with Hammon and Fargas, because they made her feel understood.
"I feel like they did their research on me with ... where I've been," Bradford said. "So it felt like they kind of knew me already and understood my hunger to be here and to win a championship. So we spoke on excellence."
All of which falls in line with her second chance.
THE VETERAN
With time spent overseas, her cups of coffee in the WNBA and two stints at Athletes Unlimited, not to mention her mental health conquests, Bradford knows the importance of combining her experiences and applying them to her life.
"In China, we had to have our notebooks out when the coach was talking," she said. "So I had that (and) I think Becky kind of was impressed with things like that. ... So when I'm asking questions, it's pretty educated, because I've kind of done it at the highest level overseas as well."
The Detroit-native is also conscious of people's needs off the court, which is why mental health has become extremely important to her.
It's also why in her two seasons with Athletes Unlimited, she chose to play for the Virago Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the physical and mental health of all women athletes.
Bradford, who has struggled with ADHD, said she functions better following routines, including the foods she eats or stories and articles she reads. It's her morning and nightly routines that make a difference to her everyday life and performance on the court.
"Not taking things into the next day and to the next moment," said Bradford, who finished her college career as Central Michigan's all-time leader in points (2,006), rebounds (1,140), made field goals (805) and blocks (177). "I'm so grateful for mental health being important now, because that's just the normal ... to take care of your mental health."
Bradford said that at some point, she wants to share her experiences with kids, going above and beyond just talking about mental health.
Which brings us back to the fun side of Bradford.
"I know humor is something that can reach other people, so I use my humor and different things like that," she said. "It's been great getting a hold of my mental health, because a lot of people aren't bad people, they just don't know what they got going on. And as women, we have so many emotions, we have so many things that we need to kind of control. And so learning that, it takes years. It takes time.
"So, me being a rookie and a vet at this age, I've kind of just spent time with myself and learned myself."
Crystal Bradford (l.) says she’s ready to do whatever is needed to help A’ja Wilson and the Aces win their third title in four years. PHOTO: Courtesy Las Vegas Aces
