We are and have always been more than sisters. We are best friends, and we were longtime teammates at Stanford and in high school. We grew up playing basketball together, but now we play on different teams on different coasts. Somehow, we are closer now than ever before, and we still share the same goal: to step up our game, both on and off the court.
Photographs By Samantha Appleton/The Players’ Tribune
I am human. Sometimes, in game, I can make it look like I am not. I do things very fast, yes. I work well with my team, yes. I make lots of plays, yes. But I am
Jessica Mendoza's greatest pride is her background. The Olympic Gold Medalist shines light on her Hispanic heritage fueling her career.
When the pandemic started, I guess we all needed to find hobbies to help us pass the time. For me, it was reading. This has been a pretty big year for me — tra
%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20id%3D%22Layer_1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20512%20113.4%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%20512%20113.4%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%237F7F7F%3Benable-background%3Anew%20%20%20%20%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M12.8%2C16H0L2.4%2C0.8H48L45.6%2C16H32.7l-5.9%2C37.9H6.9L12.8%2C16z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M53%2C0.8h19.8l-2.9%2C18.3h11.5l2.9-18.3H104l-8.4%2C53.1H75.9l3-19.5H67.5l-3%2C19.5H44.6L53%2C0.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M109.1%2C0.8h40l-2.4%2C15.1h-20l-0.7%2C4.5h16.9l-2.1%2C13.5h-16.9l-0.8%2C4.9h20l-2.4%2C15.1h-40L109.1%2C0.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M351.7%2C0.8h40l-2.4%2C15.1h-20l-0.7%2C4.5h16.9l-2.1%2C13.5h-16.9l-0.8%2C4.9h20l-2.4%2C15.1h-40L351.7%2C0.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M295.8%2C59.3h40l-2.4%2C15.1h-20l-0.7%2C4.5h16.9l-2.1%2C13.5h-16.9l-0.8%2C4.9h20l-2.4%2C15.1h-40L295.8%2C59.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M154.2%2C0.8h21.3c14.2%2C0%2C21.3%2C6.5%2C21.4%2C15.9c0%2C13.3-8.4%2C21.1-23.3%2C21.1h-5.4l-2.5%2C16h-19.8L154.2%2C0.8z%0A%09%20M172.5%2C24.8c3.6%2C0%2C5.7-1.9%2C5.7-5.6c0-2.4-1.6-3.9-4.9-3.9h-1.8l-1.5%2C9.6h2.5V24.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M204.9%2C0.8h19.8l-6%2C37.9h21.5L233%2C53.9h-36.5L204.9%2C0.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M275.5%2C46.8h-15l-2.9%2C7h-18.8l24.7-53.1H289l7.9%2C53.1h-20.6L275.5%2C46.8z%20M265.9%2C33.6h8.4l-1.5-16.9L265.9%2C33.6z%0A%09%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M306.7%2C31.3L294.5%2C0.8H315l4.4%2C14.1l8.8-14.1h19.7l-21.3%2C31.5l-3.4%2C21.6h-19.9L306.7%2C31.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M396.8%2C0.8h22.5c14.8%2C0%2C21.2%2C6.4%2C21.2%2C15.9c0%2C8.5-4.4%2C14-10.8%2C16.2l8.5%2C21h-19.7L411.8%2C37h-1.1l-2.6%2C16.8h-19.7%0A%09L396.8%2C0.8z%20M415.8%2C24.6c3.3%2C0%2C5.6-1.4%2C5.6-5.1c0-2.6-1.6-4-4.8-4h-2.4l-1.4%2C9.1H415.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M439.4%2C36.7h18.5c0.1%2C2.5%2C1.3%2C4.5%2C5.6%2C4.5c2.9%2C0%2C4.2-0.9%2C4.2-2.8c0-1.5-1.6-2.3-5.5-3%0A%09c-13.9-2.4-18.6-7.1-18.6-16.3c0-11%2C8.2-19.1%2C23.1-19.1c13.7%2C0%2C21.9%2C5.3%2C21.7%2C17.6h-18c-0.1-2.4-1.4-3.9-4.1-3.9%0A%09c-2.3%2C0-3.6%2C0.8-3.6%2C2.5c0%2C1.6%2C1.5%2C2.4%2C5.5%2C3c12.2%2C2%2C19%2C6.2%2C19%2C16c0%2C11.7-8.1%2C19.5-23.9%2C19.7C448.1%2C54.9%2C439.2%2C48.9%2C439.4%2C36.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M16.4%2C74.4H3.6L6%2C59.3h45.6l-2.4%2C15.1H36.3l-5.9%2C37.9H10.5L16.4%2C74.4z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M56.8%2C59.3h22.5c14.8%2C0%2C21.2%2C6.4%2C21.2%2C15.9c0%2C8.5-4.4%2C14-10.8%2C16.2l8.5%2C21H78.4l-6.6-16.8h-1.1L68%2C112.3H48.4%0A%09L56.8%2C59.3z%20M75.7%2C83.1c3.3%2C0%2C5.6-1.4%2C5.6-5.1c0-2.6-1.6-4-4.8-4h-2.4l-1.4%2C9.1H75.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M108.4%2C59.3h20l-8.4%2C53.1h-20L108.4%2C59.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M133.4%2C59.3h24.7c13.4%2C0%2C17.7%2C6.3%2C17.7%2C13.3c0%2C7.1-4.8%2C11.4-10.5%2C12.5c5%2C1%2C9.2%2C4.5%2C9.2%2C10.9%0A%09c0%2C9.7-8.2%2C16.4-21.2%2C16.4H125L133.4%2C59.3z%20M150%2C99.6c3.3%2C0%2C5.5-2%2C5.5-4.9c0-2.7-1.6-3.9-4.9-3.9h-3l-1.4%2C8.8H150z%20M153.4%2C79.3%0A%09c3.2%2C0%2C4.7-1.5%2C4.7-4c0-2.4-1.5-3.3-4.2-3.3h-3.3l-1.2%2C7.3H153.4z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M178.5%2C88.5l4.7-29.2h19.7l-4.7%2C29.8c-0.9%2C5.6%2C0.2%2C8.8%2C5%2C8.8c5%2C0%2C5.8-3%2C6.6-8.1l4.8-30.6h19.9l-5%2C32.1%0A%09c-2.4%2C15.7-10.9%2C22-26.5%2C22C185.5%2C113.4%2C175.8%2C105.1%2C178.5%2C88.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st0%22%20d%3D%22M239.6%2C59.3h21.8l8%2C23.5l3.7-23.5h17.5l-8.4%2C53.1h-18.6l-10.5-27.8l-4.4%2C27.8h-17.6L239.6%2C59.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M512%2C10.3c0-5.3-4.3-9.6-9.5-9.6c-5.1%2C0-9.6%2C3.8-9.6%2C9.5c0%2C3.6%2C3%2C8.9%2C9.6%2C8.9c0%2C1.1-1.1%2C2.6-4.8%2C3.1l0.1%2C1.2%0A%09C505.4%2C23.5%2C512%2C17.3%2C512%2C10.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
