Tara VanDerveer's private phone call helped shape newest WNBA head coach

Roberts was introduced as the Los Angeles Sparks' newest head coach on Nov. 21, with the former Utah coach making the jump from the college ranks to the WNBA. During her introductory press conference, Roberts spoke on a multitude of topics such as why she decided to make a move to the league.

Roberts recalled what she learned from other coaches as well as what other coaches told her along the way. While she was doing so, the 49-year-old called to mind a conversation she had with Stanford's legendary head coach which helped turn her career around when she was struggling.

"So the COVID year, we had been doing pretty well in post season and all the things, and then COVID, which was obviously awful for the planet and for everybody, but particularly hit my basketball team in terms of like, we were bad," Roberts admitted to reporters. "We had a really bad season and I couldn't really put my finger on it.

"We played Stanford at home, there's no one in the stands and we got just blasted by Stanford. I'm sitting at home and Tara calls me. I look at my phone, I'm like, 'Oh Tara's calling me.' So I go outside and take the call and she basically said, 'You need to get your stuff together.'

"And she said, 'I don't want to see another coach at Utah, but you need to do that. You're too good of a coach.' And it kind of was like water splashing on my face where I was like, 'Whoa.' So that was kind of the genesis of when I was like, 'OK.'"




https://www.themirror.com/sport/basketball/tara-vanderveer-lynne-roberts-sparks-822333