The WNBA star posted a throwback of her stunning St. Thomas shoot with photographer Laretta Houston. “Because it’s getting cold outside, & i forgot i actually did THAT😅,” the 2022 SI Swimsuit model wrote on Instagram. Richards is an inspiration both on and off the court. She was drafted by New York Liberty in 2021 as a shooting guard and played for Baylor in college where she was paralyzed from the waist down after a collision in practice. The 23-year-old had to learn how to walk again and within 38 days, she returned to the court and was named Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Richards posed for SI Swimsuit in 2022 alongside other WNBA players Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Nneka Ogwumike and Te’a Cooper. Evan Yu/NBAE/Getty Images The Houston native said she was shy growing up, but basketball helped her come inter her own. “One day, my dad was like, ‘You have to play sports. You have to do something. You’re not supposed to sit around the house and do homework.’ He forced me to play basketball,” she said, adding that she hated every second of it at first. “It forced me to sweat, work out, and also talk to people. I think basketball was what I needed in life to become who I am.” More News:
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