Sugar Rodgers - They Better Call Me Sugar: My Journey from the Hood to the Hardwood

More advance praise for They Better Call Me Sugar

They Better Call Me Sugar is fabulousso infinitely readable and engaging. Sugar Rodgers is such a clear-eyed and thoughtful writer and a huge inspiration. There are so many young people I cant wait to give this book to.

Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming, former National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature

Sugar Rodgerss story will be inspirational not only for young girls, not only for young athletes, but for everyone. You never know the mountains people have to climb to reach the level of success they have achieved.

Etan Thomas, former NBA player, author of We Matter: Athletes and Activism

Having had the privilege of playing and working with Sugar Rodgers, Ive been blessed with a front row seat to watch her grow into the woman she is today. My hope and prayer is that everyone, both young and old, gets an opportunity to read this book and let Sugarthe athlete, the woman, the survivorhave as much of an impact on their lives as she has had on mine.

Swin Cash, three-time WNBA champion, VP of Basketball Operations with the New Orleans Pelicans

It would be too easy to say that Sugar Rodgerss memoir is a slam dunk. Its more than thatits a three-pointer from deep. If you want to know what it takes to shoot for your dreams in sports and in life, read this book.

C.J. Farley, author of Around Harvard Square

Jason McDonald, courtesy of New York Liberty LLC

SUGAR RODGERS is a professional basketball player currently starring in the WNBA for the Las Vegas Aces. She honed her skills as a young girl growing up in Suffolk, VA, by shooting hoops with neighborhood drug dealers before eventually being recruited by the Georgetown Hoyas, making her the first person in her family to attend college. She graduated Georgetown as the leading scorer of all time, and was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2013. She also played several seasons with the New York Liberty before being traded to Las Vegas in 2019. She was named to the WNBA All-Star team for her 2017 season with the New York Liberty.

SUGAR

MY JOURNEY FROM THE HOOD TO THE HARDWOOD

SUGAR RODGERS

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Published by Akashic Books

2021 TaShauna Sugar Rodgers

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61775-929-1

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-63614-013-1

E-ISBN: 978-1-61775-971-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020948041

All rights reserved

First printing

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c/o Akashic Books

Brooklyn, New York

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Website: www.akashicbooks.com

Mom, this book is for you! Your soul can rest in peace knowing that I am at peace.

IM WRITING THIS BOOK TO SHARE MY STORY, to tell about the challenges Ive had to face so far in my lifethe various experiences Ive been through, and the roadblocks that Ive stumbled on during my journey towards a successful life. A life that has rewarded my hard workcurrently, I play in the Womens National Basketball Association. We won the championship in 2013 when I was with the Minnesota Lynx, and during my time playing with the New York Liberty, I was an All-Star and won the Sixth Woman of the Year Award in 2017. As I finished writing this book, my current team, the Las Vegas Aces, had just made it to the 2020 WNBA Finals, which were held in a bubble due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am also attending Georgetown Universitys masters program in Sports Industry Management.

It wasnt always clear that my life would go in such a positive direction. Growing up, I was often forced to figure things out on my own. But I was also lucky enough to have people in my life whom I could get advice and guidance frompeople who helped me along the way, and still do to this day. Im hoping that by sharing my own story, it will help others who might be struggling.

Life, as Ive learned sometimes the hard way, will always include obstacles, moments of defeat, but learning how to overcome those obstacles will just make you appreciate your moments of success more. Its important to enjoy your life, to figure out what makes you happy no matter how difficult a time you might be going through. Its important to never give up on yourself. There are lessons learned in every situation, whether you succeed or fail.

My life began with a purpose, though when I was young, I never really understood what that purpose was. I grew up surrounded by drugs and violence in an area with many single-parent households. Amid all of this, I was also surrounded by sports. And despite all the negativity around me, I had my mother to advise and guide me. She always said, Do your best, and with all the knowledge she shared with me, I was determined to do just that.

My advice to others is that in spite of what you may face in life, you shouldnt lose sight of your goals and dreams. People wont always agree with those goals and dreams, but thats why they are yours. You have to stick with them no matter how hard things get. Find something that you are passionate about, something that drives you, whether its education, sports, or maybe even politics. Sometimes it may seem like the whole world is against you. In those dark moments, you have to keep believing in yourself and remain positive.

Dreams do come true. But for this to happen, you have to believe in yourself, do your schoolwork, and work hardeven when no one is watching. Stars are stars because they work hard even when the lights are not on.

Be watchful in your everyday struggles and pay attention to the things going on around you. In school, teachers focus on subjects like math, science, history, English, and physical education, and these are certainly important. But there are many other important lessons too, basics that you learn in your daily life.

While the main readers Im hoping to reach are the young ones, I also have a few words of advice to adults: In this world we call life, its crucial to remember that the children are our future; and its up to adults to offer advice, guidance, inspiration, and support along the wayto give children the confidence and skills they need in order to overcome any obstacles they may face. They can overcome obstacles as long as they never stop believing.

WILLIAMSTOWN

DECEMBER 8, 1989, WAS ONE OF the coldest days of the year. In the midst of a snowstorm, my mother went into labor with me. She knew it would be nearly impossible for an ambulance to reach her in the storm, so she did her best to deal with the painful contractions, which kept coming more and more frequently. Throughout this, surrounded by friends, family, and even some customers, my mother continued to serve alcohol at the place we called the Shot House, where Canadian Mist was fifty cents a shot and gin shots were a dollar. Her customers that night had no idea what a surprise they were in for.