Three questions with Shatori Walker-Kimbrough: Growth overseas, team chemistry and the surging Mystics

With almost two full WNBA seasons under her belt, Washington Mystics guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough has had an up-close and personal look at just how difficult it is to make it as a WNBA player. In her second season, she's played in fewer games and played fewer minutes per game than she did her rookie year, and yet she's undoubtedly a better player than she was in 2017; it's just the Mystics have a much deeper roster this year than they did last year, and they're particularly loaded at the guard spot.

Still, when Walker-Kimbrough has been on the floor, she's been incredibly effective. She's more assertive, more disruptive and more engaged than she's ever been. Yardbarker caught up with the former Maryland Terrapin to talk about her development on the court, the Mystics' playoff hopes and how she keeps things fun, on and off the court.

This season, I’ve noticed you’re much more engaged on the sidelines and assertive when you’re on the court. Did playing overseas — both in Turkey and Slovakia — help you develop your game?

It really did help a lot. The team I was on, I was the go-to, so it really changed my mindset with being aggressive, with my confidence. I’m not saying my coaches don’t believe in me here, but my coaches there just really put everything on me. So I just had to completely change my mindset and just try to fully execute whatever the game plan was that day. My teammates, and everyone, were really looking to me for leadership. So it was kind of a lot of pressure, but that was one thing I definitely learned and adjusted to over there.

Now, on the sidelines, I don’t want to try to watch as a fan, but also as a basketball player to try to jump in, so I’m always ready to go in and do what the team needs me to do. With one year under my belt, I'm more comfortable, more confident.

Elena Delle Donne high-fives Shatori Walker-Kimbrough of the Washington Mystics before a game earlier this season. Team chemistry has brought the players together in 2018 according to Walker-Kimbrough. Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Mystics made a surprise run to the semifinals of the playoffs last year, but this season, you've been one of the best teams in the league all year long. What's the biggest difference between last year's team and the 2018 squad?

I feel like, the chemistry. We have one more year under our belt. Last year, yeah we had a lot of vets, but last year everyone was new. It was [Elena Delle Donne's] first year, [Kristi Toliver's] first year, my first year, so it was just a lot of different changes. But now that we know each other, we’ve got another year under our belt, and [rookies] Ariel Atkins and [Myisha Hines-Allen] fit in perfectly. Even [LaToya Sanders] coming back, I mean, the chemistry really fits. I think, coach with our new group, he has another year under his belt, he's just putting everyone in their spots, and everything has worked and we’ve been playing well off of each other.

You're one of my favorite players to watch on the sidelines, because you're always dancing and cheering on your teammates, you're always the first one up to congratulate them when they're coming to the sidelines. And I love how on social media, you're always referring to your veteran teammates as your "little sisters." How did that come about?

(Laughs.) It's just so funny. I call Delle, and the older ones, I call them, “my lil' sis” because they’re older than me, just to get a nice little chuckle. Or, you know, I was actually just trying to figure out two names to use to introduce my daughters, Delle and Kristi. It’s just a nice little fun joke, and they think it's funny. Kristi’s so nonchalant, so I try to get a reaction out of her — anything. So I got a reaction out of that, so I’m going to keep running with it until she goes back to nonchalant for a second. I just randomly started it.

Yes, this is our work, this is our business, but we never want to get away from the fact that this is something we love to do, we love to have fun with it. I try and take it and run with it. Yeah, the emotions might run high, but at the end of the day we’re here to have fun. And so, whenever I can, I try to get a chuckle out of Kristi or out of Delle Donne.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Three questions with Shatori Walker-Kimbrough: Growth overseas, team chemistry and the surging Mystics

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