Former Baylor star Deedee Richards shines with the WNBA Championship

It wasn’t essentially simple for DiDi Richards in her first two seasons as a WNBA participant. The previous Baylor defensive guard suffered accidents that restricted her enjoying time and hindered her progress.

“It is powerful. The final two years I’ve handled accidents, and I am simply making an attempt to make my third 12 months the most effective 12 months I’ve had, because it has been up to now,” Richards mentioned. “My senior 12 months appears to be a sample to be good. So, I hope you guys will cheer for me on the sphere, not the bench.”

That is the factor about Richards. Even when she’s going via powerful occasions, she appears to radiate optimism and positivity. It is extra champagne than a truckload of champagne.

Richards introduced her upbeat spirit again to Baylor’s campus Sunday as a particular visitor at Baylor’s recreation in opposition to rival Texas Longhorn. She met the Bears through the pre-game photoshoot and took cost of the present’s social media accounts for the day. Richards has been holding fairly busy all through the WNBA season, however she welcomes any alternative she will to return to Baylor.

“There are such a lot of issues I can keep in mind, however there was a complete bunch of nostalgia after I walked in,” mentioned Richards, shortly after arriving on the Ferrell Middle. “There have been so many reminiscences going again. I shed just a few tears within the automobile after I first pulled over. It is simply lovely, I am excited to be again.”

Richards arrived at Baylor in 2017 after a stellar highschool profession at Cy Ranch close to Houston. The guard went 6-2 on her personal as a freshman within the 2018-2019 season. Fittingly, she was nicknamed Didi—her given identify is Deauzya—as a result of she was doubly good on the D. She gained Large 12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors, and willingly took on the opposite groups’ high scorer function for the Baylor staff that ultimately gained the NCAA championship.

Requested about Baylor’s most memorable reminiscence, Richards mentioned, “Coach (Kim) Mulkey. My staff. My staff successful a nationwide championship. Successful 4 Large 12 championships — 4 for 4, no Wendy’s, what I imply? That is what it truly is. To be.” On this weight room. I really feel like we performed loads of pranks right here. Coach Mulkey loves nation music, so we’ll rise up at 6 within the morning and listen to nation. No person desires to listen to nation music at 6 within the morning!”

For Richards, 2020 has turned out to be one of many hardest years of her younger life. The COVID-19 pandemic arrived and killed Baylor’s likelihood of chasing a second straight nationwide title. Then in October, simply earlier than the 2020-21 season, Diddy collided at full pace with teammate Moon Ursen throughout coaching and suffered a extreme spinal wire damage. On the time, Mulkey in contrast it to a “soccer crash with out the shims.”

Richards was briefly paralyzed from the waist down. Docs nervous that she would by no means play once more. Even after she gained motion in her legs, she needed to prepare herself to stroll once more.

However Didi was decided to get again to herself. Referred to as a “strolling miracle” by her medical doctors, she’s already made her comeback, successful Trib’s Large 12 Defender of the 12 months honors alongside the way in which.

New York Liberty chosen DiDi within the second spherical of the 2021 WNBA Draft, and she or he made the league’s All-Rookie Staff that season. Being in New York, the style capital of the world, has given Didi an opportunity to stay off two groups, knowledgeable basketball participant and a well-known mannequin. She’s landed a number of gigs over the previous couple of years, together with showing within the widespread Sports activities Illustrated swimsuit concern.

Then this previous September, she achieved one other life aim by strolling the runway at New York Style Week.

“A dream come true,” Richards mentioned. “I really feel like this has been on my bucket listing since I used to be 4 years outdated. I needed to be in modeling, to be a mannequin my complete life. To have the ability to do this due to basketball, it is only a lovely story. It is one thing that was written and never I might have instructed him higher.”

Richards wore a tangerine costume by Dor Deux, and he loved each minute of it.

“I had this costume on for me, it was so see-through,” she mentioned. And I could not wait to put on it. Once I noticed it, I used to be like, ‘I would like that. I would like that there.’ They have been like, ‘Do you understand it is see-through from high to backside?’ ‘Yeah, that is what I would like. I need to put on this.’

Richards, who turns 24 on Feb. 8, says New York is the place to be a budding mannequin, given the abundance of alternatives. However she’s simply as centered on her upcoming third WNBA season as she’s having a breakout 12 months after coping with a hamstring damage all through the 2022 season.

“I am an individual who takes loads of hits, and it impacts loads of every part,” Richards mentioned. “It isn’t simply on the courtroom, however that is life. I simply need folks to know it is getting higher. I simply need to be that individual for them to allow them to proceed to see that if she will get higher, why cannot she get higher for me?”