Former WNBA Player and Coach Shares How She is Building a Legacy

On Feb. 19, Chicago Sky assistant coach and former Women’s National Basketball Association player Tamera “Ty” Young spoke at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in a conversation with University affiliates. The event was hosted by iCreate, an HGSE student organization that brings together students from across disciplines and schools for collaborative dialogue events. 

Despite flight delays and Boston traffic, Ty Young arrived at the event in high spirits. Her blazer, sporting three red stripes running down the arm, blended business and athleisure—a representation of her career thus far. She explained to her captive audience the three pillars that have defined her career throughout its transitions: evolution, identity, and legacy. 

Young was invited by HGSE’s iCreate founder, Taay’lor Imani. “When I came to HGSE, I had one question in mind,” Imani explained. “How do we continue building more equitable, more resourced learning environments?” iCreate was her answer; by inviting successful creators from a variety of backgrounds, Imani hopes to build intentional spaces for connection and collaboration. 

“We believe creativity exists across every industry, every sector, every title, no matter who you are, what you do,” Imani added.

Just three months later, iCreate brought together dozens of students from across Harvard’s schools for an intimate 90-minute conversation with Ty Young.

Young started the event by sharing her story. Hailing from Williamson, NC, she attended the same high school as Michael Jordan. “Before the opportunities came, I had to always believe in myself, and that started back in my hometown,”  Young explained. “It’s a place where I learned discipline early.” 

Young’s teachers and coaches at E. A. Laney High School were critical to her early success as an athlete, even if she didn’t always see it that way at the time. “You know, as a kid, you’re looking at that like, this teacher won’t leave me alone. But as I grew and as I matured, I realized that those people wanted the best for me, and I truly appreciate that part of my life,” Young reflected. 

After high school, Young opted to play for James Madison University in Virginia. At JMU, she began developing a fan base, but her most important growth happened outside of the spotlight. “My time was built in private moments when no one was in the gym, when I was showing up for myself—there’s no hand claps.” Her hard work paid off—Young graduated as the leading point scorer in Colonial Athletic Association history. JMU was the place where Young began her legacy.

Fresh out of college, Young was drafted into the WNBA in 2008. Having finally achieved her lifelong dream, the adjustment was nonetheless a challenge for Young. “It was a transition from being that star player at school, and then having to readjust into the W. The pace was faster, the women were stronger. There were times where I would cry myself to sleep at night,” she shared. 

In times of doubt, Young found herself leaning on her faith as a source of support. As she got older, this relationship grew stronger. “The time that I was uncertain, I had to just hone in on my faith. Knowing that He has me and He won’t forsake me is what got me through a lot of moments where I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Young said.

Students in attendance nodded their heads alongside Young’s sentiments. Many saw aspects of their personal lives in the bits and pieces offered by this athletic star. Moving into a discussion of her first pillar, Young explained how she learned to “evolve” during her first season in the WNBA. 

Young took the audience to a specific moment back in 2015, where she relied on her faith more than ever to get through her father’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis. “When he was diagnosed, I was still in the W. We [were] actually in the finals during that time, and I didn’t find out until we actually lost,” she recalled. “They gave him a year to live, and he lived six months.” Watching her father’s battle inspired Young to begin her advocacy journey, raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer. In the midst of that suffering, she discovered a part of herself she hadn’t known before—an advocate and philanthropist.

This realization gave rise to the final two pillars: identity and legacy. Across decades of highs and lows, Young has constantly had to learn and evolve in order to remain successful. Her constant evolution has shaped her identity, which is more than just an athlete. Young is an entrepreneur, a teacher, and a philanthropist. Her success across several disciplines and her ability to continuously adapt and overcome contribute to the legacy she is building. 

After 12 seasons, in 2021, Young made the difficult decision to retire from professional basketball, transitioning to coaching, which she found to be yet another learning curve. She described learning to adjust her coaching style to cater to different athletes’ personalities and best support their needs. Inspiring and teaching the next generation of women’s basketball players has continued to fulfill Young now that she is off the court. She doesn’t plan on giving up coaching any time soon, aspiring to one day become a WNBA Head Coach. Through coaching, Young’s legacy will live on through generations of athletes to come.

Throughout her career, Young has witnessed the continued growth of the WNBA. “People continue to try to compare it to the NBA; it’s not the same,” she said. As the league develops, she hopes that more attention will be placed on what athletes are doing off the court. As a coach, Young leads by example, playing a critical role in shaping the league’s new identity.

Off the court, as much as on it, Young is a force to be reckoned with. Between advocacy efforts and entrepreneurship, it is no surprise that iCreate selected her as an embodiment of their values of multidisciplinary creative success. Her clothing brand, Ty1, was founded in 2016 when she identified a growing market for personalized merchandise during her time in the WNBA. “I was a fan-favorite, but I wasn’t a superstar on the team, so they [weren’t] selling my jersey,” she recalled. “I started selling T-shirts, so my supporters could have something that represented me.” 

The “legacy” she is building is one not only of athleticism, but of entrepreneurial success.

After concluding her talk, Young circulated the room. She took the time to learn the names of every attendee, shook our hands, and handed out signed photos. When I spoke with her, it was clear that she is incredibly humble despite her celebrity status—yet another reason to root for her on and off the court. From minor issues, like a delayed flight, to life-changing tragedy, Young has continuously adapted to everything that life has thrown at her and come through with nothing but gratitude. 

She is building a tradition, not only of athletic achievement, but of perseverance in the face of adversity. Everyone, athlete or not, has something to learn from Ty Young’s continuous growth.

Lucy Duncan ’28 (lduncan@college.harvard.edu) writes Sports for the “Independent.”