Injury Stricken Damian Lillard Pays Tribute To WNBA’s First-Ever #1 Pick On Special Night

Damian Lillard was not at hand for the Milwaukee Bucks’ 126-113 loss to the Indiana Pacers tonight. The Bucks superstar had been injured in their overtime loss in Game 3. First, Lillard twisted his left knee in the first quarter and then injured his Achilles tendon toward the end of the fourth quarter. The twisted knee in itself had done the damage as the 8x All-Star admitted post-game that he lacked his “typical explosiveness.” 

The 33-year-old even had a protective boot while moving around the team hotel. Despite the injury and his absence at such a critical juncture for the team, Dame ensured he didn’t forget the important things in his life. Taking to Instagram, he shared a heartfelt story update. And who else but the WNBA’s first-ever draft pick, Tina Thompson, to star in it? He captioned the story, “A legend AKA Kali Lillard GOD mama”. 

27 years ago today, the Houston Comets selected Thompson as the No.1 overall pick. Interestingly, the 4x WNBA champion has a closer connection to the Lillard clan. She is Damian’s daughter, Kali Lillard’s godmother. And for those who might miss the story, here’s the post that Dame shared.

The Bucks were already without Giannis Antetokounmpo since April 9. And so, the team naturally turned to Damian Lillard for assistance. He stepped up and managed to get the series-opener victory. But the Pacers have taken over and have led since then. Of course, post-season injuries are nothing new for the Bucks. Over the past few years, they have often lost key players to injuries.

As of now, Indiana leads the series 3-1. Milwaukee has one chance to keep themselves in the playoffs and fight for a place in the semis. Although, given the condition of their key pieces, the odds aren’t looking too good.

But for Tina Thompson, tonight is one for celebration. In light of her epic night, let’s take a look at the history of the legendary Hall of Famer.

How good was Tina Thompson?

Lead from the front. This has been Tina Thompson’s approach to life then and now. As she celebrates being the first-ever WNBA draftee, basketball was never her ultimate goal. A young Tina wanted to be a lawyer, which then soon turned into a judge after a tête-à-tête with an uncle who was a lawyer. She aimed to get into Harvard and since they did not offer scholarships, Thompson hoped three to five years with the Comets would get her enough money for a smooth sail through law school.

But the franchise she entered was at the end of the rope, and Tina Thompson was their trump card. But even the then-coach, Van Chancellor, wasn’t fully aware of what she was truly capable of. “When we drafted her as the first pick, we knew how aggressive she was, how hard-nosed and smart she was. But more importantly, we didn’t know how well she could shoot the 3 ball.”

“There’s no way you thought you were taking a player with her height who could shoot the ball that well from the outside,” he said. At 6’2, Thompson played the forward position, both small and power. While it might seem natural for bigs like Candace Parker, Candice Dupree, or Tamika Catchings to knock down threes now, around 20+ years ago, the 9x WNBA All-Star was the first of her kind.

Thompson has a 37.0 three-point percentage. Of course, not a big number, but bear in mind, we are talking about a forward knocking down triples 27 years ago. She was also the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer until 2017. And now she ranks second on the all-time list with 7488 points in 496 games.

The Comets, one of the founding teams of the WNBA, set the stage for the greatness and continuance of the league. So, it was imperative they lead by example. So, in a way, Thompson’s key role in winning the four titles was crucial not just for the franchise, but also for the league. To talk of Tina Thompson’s greatness would, of course, require a much longer article.

But for now, you get the gist.