WNBA DRAFT

April 15, 2021

Didi Richards

Q. Coming out of your NCAA season to now preparing for training camp, how are you prepping physically and mentally? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses that you want to improve?

DIDI RICHARDS: Physically just trying to stay healthy, keeping my body in the best shape. Camp is one of the hardest things, I hear. Just trying to get ready for it. Mentally just keeping my mindset on what I want to be when I get in the league, which is a different player, more composed player, more improved player.

And then my strengths, making it to the W is [from] being a defensive stopper. That's something that's gotten me so far. I'm just hoping to keep riding it the furthest it can take me, and definitely just making my strength better. So I'm definitely getting stronger in the gym.

And weaknesses, I'm just trying to improve my offensive game. That's the reason why I think I fell so low. I'm a complete player if I become an offensive threat. I just hope to be able to showcase that in the W.

Q. What's going to be your dream matchup? And the second question is, you're going to be on a video game now. How do you feel about that?

DIDI RICHARDS: To answer the second question, I just hope they get my hair right and my lashes right. I'm just really hoping they don't make me into a generic player. Get my hair, my nails, all that girly stuff stand out. Lately I've been looking at the players, and they just look generic. So I'm hoping they get all that right.

But the first question, dream matchup, I think everyone wants to go against their dream, their favorite players, the player they looked up to growing up, and that has been for me Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Elena Delle Donne. I probably won't guard Stewie and Elena Delle Donne, but I might end up guarding Diana Taurasi when we play the Phoenix Mercury. I think if I was playing and guarding her, that's who I would be matched up with.

Those are my dream matchups and those are my favorite players, so I'm hoping that it's just a dream come true to be going against them.

Q. How do you think your style of play in college basketball will transition to the WNBA?

DIDI RICHARDS: In the same way. One thing about me, I'm very good at adapting to something that I'm around. So I think that my style of game -- not even my style of play, just the way I am, is to figure out what's going to get me on the court. I think people didn't expect me to play the way that I was in college, and I think it'll be the same way in the WNBA. People doubting me now, going from the NCAA to the W, and I think I'll make everybody believe.

I'm just excited to show people what I'm capable of doing, but regardless I'm one of those players that has a knack for being on the court. Either you want me on the court or you don't. I think I'm going to be the player that you want on the court.

Q. The Liberty play real fast. Obviously those are scenarios where you're going to get into passing lanes, create steals in bunches. How much you feel like your defensive game overlaps with what the Liberty are looking to do in 2021?

DIDI RICHARDS: I definitely think Coach Mulkey's teams play fast, playing as the Liberty. I've been watching them the whole time I've been watching the W because I enjoyed watching them play, so I'm really excited to be an asset to their team. I'm just excited to get out there.

I think that I'll be a help for them. They may not need a defensive stopper, but I'm sure any team wants a defensive stopper. I'm just happy to be that person for them. Regardless, I was going to be that. Now being that and adding what I want to add to the W, it's going to be an asset for them.

Q. On the other side of the ball, I know that Kim holds the reins pretty tight sometimes with things you're looking to do. You're looking to see what you can do offensively. How far along is your three-point shot and how much do you feel like it's ready to contribute in games when it comes to the Liberty?

DIDI RICHARDS: That's a good question. I definitely feel like obviously I'm going to be an addition for them, as well as I'm still working on right now -- I've been in the gym since we finished the NCAA Tournament. I knew I was going to get to a team where they were going to question that, so I've been working on it and getting better at it.

I'm ready to be an addition to whatever team I was going to be added on. Fortunately, that was the New York Liberty. I am excited to show them what I can do, as well as the W what I can do, beyond the three-point line, midrange and at the basket -- to be able to score at all three levels to make me a complete player.

Q. If you could pick the top three Baylor WNBA players all time, who would they be? And a follow-up question, what is your favorite sneaker off the court?

DIDI RICHARDS: Okay, top three Baylor players. Sophia Young, for sure. Then I love Odyssey Sims and Brittney Griner. Those are my favorite three.

The favorite shoe on the court to hoop in has to be a Kevin Durant shoe or a Kobe shoe. They're kind of like neck and neck right now.