“It just felt right,” the Los Angeles Sparks’ star Layshia Clarendon spoke of their decision to retire in September. The first openly transgender W player put an end to their 12-year-long career this year through an Instagram post. A month in, Clarendon has now given a glimpse into the run they have had.

Clarendon was on an interview with Good Game with Sarah Spain on Monday when they shared their story. Comparing their decision to retire to how a book enchants its readers, Clarendon humorously stated that they were doing “some hands justice.” But on a serious note, it was all good for them. They also mentioned that “I feel the pain and the ache and I miss the… I already miss my teammates and those interactions… But I needed it to belong so much and I love that I belonged.”

Notably, the New York Liberty had worn “Trans Lives Matter” shirts during the 2020 bubble season. Though Clarendon hadn’t come out then, it was certainly assuring to see their teammates supporting the cause. Just a few weeks after that, Clarendon came out as the W’s first non-binary player.

Previously too, Clarendon had divulged that they were surprised to see several fans in Minnesota cheering for them after their surgery. They were accepted with open arms. And of course, the support wasn’t just limited to fans.

The 2017 All-Star revealed that when they were with one of their Lynx teammates, Natalie Achonwa, getting ready to go out, she offered them an eyebrow pencil to fill in their fuzzy mustache, which won their heart. So it is clear they enjoyed a friendly atmosphere in the dressing room when they played; only adding on to the solace they would find in the sport.

“I love that sports gave me… for all my competitiveness, for my fierceness, sports gave me all the coping tools to deal with family drama. It gave me tours around the world. It gave me financial stability. And I am just at a place now, with my family, with my sense of self, with my healing,” Clarendon confessed.

Even in their previous interview with ‘them,’ Clarendon had made it clear that if tasked to choose between basketball and their identity, they would take the latter. Since being nonbinary was a part of them accepting, it raised their self-esteem. And with it, they put curtains on their astounding W career.

Layshia Clarendon knew it was time to move on

Clarendon last played for the LA Sparks this season in August against the NY Liberty. And the 21 games that they played did not prove to be much fruitful. Talking about calling it quits, Clarendon clarified, ” [I had] done a lot of healing in my life the last five years. It was just the culmination of my mind, my body, and my spirit telling me that it was time to move on.” But what stands out is their on-court brilliance in the previous seasons.

Playing for the California Golden Bears, the shooting guard was selected by the Indiana Fever in the first round in 2013. After a few years in the W, they gave one of their most spectacular seasons in 2017 when they hit 10.7 points and 6.6 assists per game. Talking about the experience, Clarendon enunciated, “I wanted to be an All-Star in this league, and I proved that to myself. I’m also really proud of the relationships I built with people and the integrity with which I moved in the sport.”

The 33-year-old played 6 teams across 12 years, averaging 7.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Though it is not revealed what their next steps would be, Layshia Clarendon is ‘deeply at peace’.