Latasha Byears: The Pass Nobody Remembers
Historic moments don't happen alone
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July 30, 2002, first half, Los Angeles Sparks versus the Miami Sol at Staples Center.
Latasha Byears grabs a rebound, pushes it up court on the fastbreak, and fires an outlet pass to Lisa Leslie streaking toward the basket. Leslie catches it in stride, takes two steps, rises, and dunks…for the first dunk in WNBA history.
The arena erupts, cameras flash, and Leslie’s name goes into the record books. Byears gets ready to play defense.
Few people remember the pass that set up the historic dunk.
Here’s the dunk, watch who throws it:
https://tinyurl.com/32xb3z65
That was Byears’ job on those Sparks teams, and she knew it. Coach Michael Cooper described her role plainly: do the dirty work, pound bodies in the paint, grab rebounds, and create scoring opportunities for Leslie. Byears, nicknamed “Tot,” ranked among the top ten rebounders in WNBA history. She started 77 of 90 games in her first three seasons and averaged a double-digit points with over six rebounds a game. She was one of the better players in the league, and she spent her best years making someone else better.
The Sparks won back-to-back WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002, a feat no team has matched since. Leslie was the Finals MVP both years. Byears was the engine nobody really talked much about. “It didn’t matter who scored, who did what,” teammate Delisha Milton-Jones said of that team. “We were able to put the egos aside.”
Byears put hers aside on every possession.
Why It Matters
Every historic moment has a Latasha Byears, someone who did the work that made the moment possible, then got back on defense while everyone else celebrated.
The teammates who define their role as making others better, not making themselves visible, are the ones so many great teams are built around.
Byears knew exactly what her job was. She didn’t need the highlight. She needed the win.
The Teammate Standard
Latasha Byears threw the pass that set up the first dunk in WNBA history.
Her job on those back-to-back championship Sparks teams was to grab rebounds and create opportunities for Lisa Leslie. She was one of the best rebounders in the league. She started almost every game, and she spent her best years making someone else the story.
The Sparks won titles in 2001 and 2002. No team has repeated since.
The best teams usually have someone like Byears: talented enough to want the spotlight, secure enough not to need it.
Are you making the people around you better, even when nobody’s watching you do it?