Ann Wauters retired in 2021 thinking she would take time away from basketball after playing 20 years overseas and in the WNBA. And then Chicago Sky head coach/general manager James Wade offered her a spot on his coaching staff for the 2022 season.
Wauters comes in with a championship pedigree. She is a five-time European player of the year and was an integral part of four EuroLeague titles, one EuroCup and 12 domestic championships.
She also has a WNBA title with the Los Angeles Sparks (a team that featured now-Sky forward Candace Parker) and was taken with No. 1 pick in the 2000 WNBA draft by the Cleveland Rockers, who are no longer a franchise. She averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in nine WNBA seasons.
The Tribune spoke with Wauters Wednesday about her career and what she thinks the Sky need to do to repeat as WNBA champions.
The interview is edited for clarity and length.
Q: You have known James Wade for twenty years. Do you remember the first time you met him?
I was playing with his future wife (Edwige Lawson-Wade) in northern France, where he played on a local team. We had a team function and his team joined ours there. That’s how James and his wife met.
I remember that moment because James had written down on paper or something, “I am going to marry you,” and he gave the paper to her. We were all excited and it’s really an unbelievable story how they met. They, of course, went on a few dates after that and they clicked really well. That was my first memory of James.
Q: I had no idea James was such a romantic!
Oh, yeah. Afterward, Edwige and I went to go play basketball in Russia. He followed her so we spent a lot of time there together. He was trying to play professional basketball on a Russian team. In the summertime, we went to San Antonio together and he eventually started coaching there. It was cool to know him before he was a coach and, since I was playing, we haven’t had the chance to work together until now.
Q: What was James’ pitch to you when he was looking for someone to replace Olaf Lange on his coaching staff?
We had always kept in contact but I was still chasing my Olympic dream. The time was never really good for me but when he started to talk to me (about the position), I got really excited. I could picture myself right away being back in the WNBA in a different role with a franchise that just won a championship.
Q: After becoming an Olympian for Belgium, was there a part of you that wanted to separate yourself from basketball when you decided to retire?
Definitely. That was my first thing — enough basketball. Leave me alone (laughs). For the first couple months (after retirement), I was still around the game a little because my kids play, but other than that I didn’t watch too many games. I really needed time away from basketball but then James called and right away I’m back. I told people initially I needed to step away to see if that desire would still be there and it came back sooner than I expected.
Q: Let’s go back to your playing days for a second. You were the first overall pick in the 2000 WNBA draft and, since then, the league has evolved and become more stable. What is one thing people don’t know about the WNBA when it was in its infancy?
Even as a young player in the league, I could feel like it was just getting started. There were teams who relocated or folded and there were a lot of changes from one season to another. Sometimes we were like, “OK, what is going on here?” But you’re right, it didn’t have the same stability it has now.
The Houston Comets and Sparks took over for a little bit those first few years and when you look at these teams now, it is more competitive than it was back then. You have seen four or five different champions over the last few seasons. That says a lot about how competitive the league has become, which is fun for the players but also as a coach since you have to be able to play your best basketball every night.
Q: When you were drafted in 2000, you became the league’s first Belgium-born player. What did that mean to you then and is it something you think about now?
It’s pretty awesome. To be honest, when I was 19 years old it was a whole new world that opened up for me, but I wasn’t aware of the impact it would have. Look at it now with someone like Emma Meesseman, who won a Finals MVP (in 2019), or a youngster like Julie Allemand. That’s already two other Belgians. I’m pretty sure Belgium is smaller than Illinois (laughs). Of course I am proud of the championships and cups, but to see what comes behind you and inspire people to say, “Why not? We are from Belgium and we can do this.” It’s really exciting to see.
Q: You took four years off between 2012 and 2016 before joining Candace Parker on that Sparks team that went on to win the Finals that year. What was it about that team’s situation that made you want to come back to the W after being four years removed from it?
A lot of it had to do with Candace because I played with her in Russia, but some things happen for a reason. I was playing with Jelena Dubljevic in Turkey and L.A.’s head coach, Brian Agler, was looking at her and he saw that I was on her team. He knew me from when we were in Seattle together so he ended up taking both of us.
We had a lot of Europeans on the team and it was a fun mix of players. We all knew what was expected of us. That team had a special connection. We just knew it was our time to win it and there was some drama where (the Finals) ended up going to five games, but I will always remember Magic Johnson coming into our locker room after we lost Game 4. After his speech, we knew we were going to win (Game 5).
Q: That’s amazing. Do you remember specifically what he said in that speech?
He has such a charisma about him with that big smile (laughs). He talked about his experience playing against (the Boston Celtics) and how those losses helped him learn. After he left, we were like, “OK, we just lost and we wish we could have done it at home but we have another chance.” We looked at it more positively and I think that was the main message he gave us.
Q: You are going from being Candace’s teammate five years ago to being one of her coaches now. Is that a fun dynamic for the two of you and what is that new environment going to be like?
Oh, of course it is. She’s a very experienced player but when you get older sometimes, coaches will give you less feedback when you still need a lot of it. I think what my role is to be there for her and give her what she needs. Sometimes that is also hearing something that you don’t want to hear, but it also means being there to encourage her and telling her how can we find solutions.
Q: This team is going to try to become the third franchise in WNBA history to repeat as champions. One thing Candace told me before Game 2 of the WNBA Finals last year was she doesn’t think this team has played its best basketball as a unit yet. What do you think they need to improve on heading into 2022?
When you are the champions, you are going to have a target on your back, but the taste of winning is so nice. You want to do it again so the motivation is going to be there. I wasn’t there but (2021) wasn’t an easy season for them. After winning a championship, this season is going to be even tougher.
I’m hoping my experience can help out and to see that the city has already sold out (its season tickets) or close to it is really incredible. When you have that support from your city, it touches you and you want to give that little extra effort for them. There are a lot of things that have to come together but we are ready for the challenge.
James Kay is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
