Hopewell grad Shatori Walker-Kimbrough embarks on new WNBA odyssey

Like so many others, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is making the best of being stuck at home during the covid-19 pandemic.

The former Hopewell three-sport standout and three-year WNBA veteran is riding her exercise bike, doing core workouts and honing her ball-handling — in between jigsaw puzzles and reading.

Being at “home” has been a constant in her athletic career. She never transferred high schools. She spent all four of her college years at Maryland. Even when she went to the WNBA, she was drafted by the Washington Mystics, who play fewer than 10 miles from the Terps’ campus.

Change suddenly is on the horizon. On Wednesday, she was traded to the New York Liberty as part of a three-team deal that sent veteran Tina Charles to the Mystics.

Then, during Friday’s WNBA Draft, she was traded again. The Phoenix Mercury selected Virginia’s Jocelyn Willoughby at No. 10, then traded her to New York for Walker-Kimbrough.

“We have spent our offseason adding young, athletic players who can contribute to a team chasing a championship, and the addition of Shatori Walker-Kimbrough tonight continues that,” Mercury GM Jim Pitman said in a statement Friday. “She is a great shooter, scorer and playmaker, and in three years has been to two WNBA Finals.

“We have liked her since the 2017 draft and think she’ll be a great addition to our roster.”

Walker-Kimbrough, though taken aback by the trades, is excited by the prospect of playing alongside Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner.

“I mean, I was speechless,” she said. “To be able to call Diana Taurasi my teammate is surreal. Not only do I get to learn from great veteran players, but I get to compete for another championship, as well. I am truly blessed for the opportunity.”

Walker-Kimbrough, who will turn 25 next month, had nothing but good things to say about her experience with the Mystics. Playing with the likes of Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Tolliver and Emma Meesseman, she said, was invaluable to her growth as a player.

Delle Donne was among the former teammates to text her when the initial trade was announced. Walker-Kimbrough said many of the remaining Mystics told her she still could reach out for help and advice.

“It made it that much better that I was with a great group of people in D.C.,” she said. “I was able to learn from great players.”

She also was able to leave with a championship ring. The Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun, 3-2, in the 2019 best-of-five final. Walker-Kimbrough played in eight of Washington’s nine playoff games, averaging 2.4 points.

She was coming off her best regular season. Her 17.1 minutes and 6.7 points per game were career highs.

Those numbers are a far cry from what she produced at Hopewell in leading the Vikings to two WPIAL Class AAA title-game appearances, including a victory in 2012. She continued to be a scoring threat at Maryland, averaging 19.5 and 18.8 points in her final two seasons.

Walker-Kimbrough, however, is OK with not being the go-to player. She said she tries to make her presence felt however she can.

“I want to focus on being a two-way player,” she said. “I was always a pretty good defensive player, but I was always known as a scorer. I don’t have to score as much, but I still want to impact the game.”

For the first time, she will try to make an impact away from “home.” Walker-Kimbrough seems unfazed by the prospect of heading across the country and said she will continue to approach games as before.

“Just being able to have that stay-ready mindset,” she said. “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”