Simple determination

When asked what advice she'd offer to college players hoping for a career in the WNBA, New York Liberty forward-center Linda Frohlich does not offer a complicated scenario.

"Learn discipline and hard work," she said. "They need to stand alone and do more than the others do. They don't need to be afraid to be different.

"And enjoy your senior year," she added. "You're never going to be in a college setting again."

Frohlich, 24, who graduated from UNLV, has completed two years in the WNBA. This year she averaged 3.2 points in 8.2 minutes per game, and she did her utmost to make every second count.

"My focus was to take what I got and do the best," she said. "Knowing what to expect this year helped me a lot to be prepared. I came into training camp ready. I wasn't hesitant because I knew how everything looks in the WNBA - how physical it is, how fast it is. Those were all things I didn't know last year coming from college. I had time in Italy to work on that mentally."

Frohlich, 6'2'', spent the time between the 2002 and 2003 WNBA seasons playing for Roverto in Italy. She returned for her second season on Sept. 26. This year the team will play Euroleague as well as Italian league, so she is looking for continuing development as a player.

Despite battling pain in both heels, Frohlich continues to be driven by her strong faith and sense of conviction.

"So far in my life, my heart has always led me to do the right things," she said. "I have faith in that to make lifetime decisions. You mess up and you learn from your mistakes.

"You have to take the best out of everything," she continued. "That is what I believe in. God is going to put me in situations that are intended for me to be in."

Frohlich plans to visit Las Vegas around Christmas time when UNLV will be retiring her jersey.

- Lois Elfman

Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. Dec 2003
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