Shoni Schimmel living the Dream life now in WNBA
Reality hasn't hit Shoni Schimmel just yet.
The former University of Louisville basketball star plays for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. She has her own apartment and an open schedule outside of team activities.
No classes. No team meetings. Not nearly as much practice.
"You're kind of an adult," the rookie said, laughing. "They give you a bit more leeway. It's weird. … I'm just slowly coming to the realization that I'm being paid to be a professional athlete."
Schimmel, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Mission, Ore., has made the basketball aspect of the transition look natural. She was drafted in the first round in April and reported to Atlanta soon after.
Through four games with the Dream, Schimmel is averaging 11.3 points and 9.3 assists and has won the praise of coach Michael Cooper. She's scored 17 points on two occasions and posted a double-double (17 points, 10 assists) in a 90-88 victory at Indiana on May 17.
"It's just a lot of fun to go out there and do what I love," said Schimmel, whose sister, Jude, is a rising senior on U of L's basketball team. "It's hard for people to guard me because they haven't seen me or played against me. To have that kind of advantage will help this year."
Beyond losing the "student" off her former student-athlete tag, she has had to adjust to the extensive travel schedule — and being away from the U of L coaches and her old teammates. She does stay in touch with head coach Jeff Walz and his assistants, particularly Sam Purcell.
Jude and Shoni are close, and Jude is making it a point to keep her older sister company this spring. She traveled to Atlanta for the season opener and was part of a huge U of L contingent that traveled to Indianapolis on May 17 to see the Dream, which also has former Cardinals star Angel McCoughtry on the roster.
"We talk all the time," Shoni said of Jude. "Being on the East Coast makes that easier for us."
Their parents, on the other hand, are still juggling the large Schimmel family back in Oregon. Rick and Cecilee have six other children, and getting the younger ones through school is their priority. But they have up a schedule with Shoni for games they'd like to see.
When they do visit their daughter, they already know what to expect. The Schimmels, icons in the Native American community, have become accustomed to attracting huge crowds of Native Americans wherever they go.
U of L senior day was packed with fans who share the same ethnic background as the Schimmels. The Dream's trip to Chicago attracted a similar showing, and Atlanta enjoyed its own fan boost with Schimmel's addition to the roster.
"It's something I've grown to accept," she said. "That just comes with being Native American."
So just about everything feels right for her at this point: the fans, the family support, the basketball. She just has to get used to the whole no-more-classes thing.
"It's a lot of fun playing with everybody who knows the game and understands it," Schimmel said. "They know what it takes to not only win, but also play basketball at this level. I have to learn how to scout opponents more. That's the biggest change.
"But that's how it works. You take the next step in life."
Reach Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_CJ).
