By Sarah Disbro

Every basketball fan has heard the expression: “first in the gym, last out.” That phrase embodies what it means to be ultimately committed to yourself and your game. It’s difficult, however, when every player on the Sky shows up early to work and doesn’t seem to want to leave the practice court even hours after practice ends.

Kia Nurse serves as the team’s tone-setter in this regard. Every practice, shootaround and game, Nurse is always rallying the Sky’s roster to better themselves as she serves in a leadership role for this team.

In her seventh season in the WNBA, Nurse knows what it takes to be a role player in this league but also how to impact a team’s DNA. This season with the Sky, Nurse has been a crucial piece of Chicago’s roster. No matter what role is asked of her — whether it’s to be a leader, a starter or to come off the bench — Nurse has excelled. And her electric three-pointers have been at the center of it all.

“I appreciate any role that I get on any team,” Nurse said. “I don’t take it for granted being in the WNBA and how hard it is to stay in this league. I pride myself on being a pro’s pro, and so if I get that compliment that ‘she comes in and she’s an absolute professional every single day, and she’s consistent with her energy, her effort and her behavior,’ then that’s what I go for.”

From overcoming an ACL tear during the 2021 playoffs to transitioning between different teams, Nurse’s success this season is the result of years of preparation, hard work and extra reps. Nurse is on track to score the most points in a season since she was an All-Star in 2019.

“I feel probably the healthiest I’ve felt in a couple of years, especially since I got hurt,” Nurse said. “I had a great offseason. I’ve taken a lot better care of my mental health as well. And so I feel like it’s all kind of come together at the right time to feel good while I’m out there.”

Nurse also credits her teammates and the organization around her at Chicago for her success this season.

“[We are lucky] to have a locker room that is so enjoyable to be around,” Nurse said. “And to have an organization that’s so enjoyable to be around, the coaching staff. So what makes it special is that people are willing to be themselves as authentically as it is, whether it’s super outgoing or a little bit more on the quiet side, but we enjoy each other’s company really well.”

In her first season with the Sky, Nurse has brought a wealth of championship experience. She was a two-time NCAA National Champion with UConn winning back-to-back in 2015-16, and has won two WNBL Championships while playing in Australia. Nurse was also on the 2021 Phoenix Mercury team that made it to the WNBA Finals before losing to Chicago.

In short, Nurse knows what it takes to win.

While the role this year for the Sky continues to evolve, Nurse said she has the confidence this team has what it takes to be successful.

“I think that this is an organization that really prides itself on having great character people in the locker room, great talented people in the locker room,” Nurse said. “The base that they’re building here with Coach Tyler and his staff, I think, is huge. The culture that you’re building, the base of the standards that you’re building, is what will help you move forward, so I think they’ve got a lot of faith in this organization.”

Although Nurse said her experiences at the top have taught her winning isn’t easy, she sees her younger self in the Sky’s two rookies, Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld.

“They remind myself of when I came out of college,” Nurse said. “And I was just an absolute workhorse, and I was a sponge. I was trying to learn absolutely everything that I possibly could, to put myself in the best position to be prepared… They do a great job of coming into work every day and being themselves, and not complaining whether they’re playing a lot of minutes or not.”

With Nurse’s leadership and belief in her teammates and the Sky organization, Chicago is on the right track toward building something special. For now, Nurse knows that each season in the WNBA brings highs and lows, but she said the biggest thing for her is to enjoy the process.

“I think when you start out in this league, and if you’re really young, it’s just really incredible for basketball to be your job,” Nurse said. “And as you continue to go through it, you learn that it is a job and it is a business. And so you start to understand that it is a bit of a rocky love and hate at times. At the end of it, if I come out and I’m healthy, and I played a good season, I can be proud of that, and I can say I left it on the floor for this year, then I’m good.”

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