Thursday, June 26, 2003 | 10:10 a.m.
Linda Frohlich, an All-American at UNLV, is in her second season with the WNBA's New York Liberty. She writes every Thursday in the Sun. Find out what she's up to by checking out her Web site at www.LindaFrohlich.com.
Who is the best sixth man?
Many players and coaches have different opinions when this question is asked. One girl on my team says that the best sixth man is her little doll that she carries around all the time. (Actually, that is a little "psycho," and that's why I won't tell you she is.)
When New York Liberty coach Richie Adubato looks at his lineup this year, it is pretty easy to see who his sixth man is: Becky Hammon. Becky is having a breakthrough year and should be a starter for the Eastern Conference in the WNBA All-Star Game in July.
Personally, I have come to the conclusion that the best sixth man in the league has never played a minute in any game. My choice for best sixth man can have a bigger impact than some players do in their whole career. Who do I think is the best sixth man? Let me tell you: It is our fans.
In my two years in New York I think that we have only lost five home games, and the secret is out now. Each night we play in front of an average of 13,000 fans. Those people are great, because they are everything but a passive crowd: They scream their souls out.
It is awesome, and each time I am out there I get goosebumps. Hearing them cheer every game night; I love it, every single minute of it. I have seen our fans singlehandedly make our opponents fold under pressure. And sometimes when we come out flat the in the beginning of games, the fans give us that CPR we need to be revived.
Our fans are our heart, and they keep it pumping. With all of the great fan support in New York, you would think that it is exclusive, but from my past experiences I know that this not true. It is definitely not always the quantity that counts but also the quality.
In my time at UNLV, we might not have had 13,000 people sit at our games, but all those who were a part of "my Las Vegas sixth man' will always hold a special place in my heart. During my freshman year, we played in the South gym and usually only friends and family would come to the games.
Things changed slowly, and to see that transformation was awesome. By the time my senior year rolled around, we began to play in the newly built Cox Arena. Halfway through the season, they had to move our games back to the Thomas and Mack Center, because we started to sell out the Cox arena.
That year we went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in years. I truly believe that we would never have had the success that we did if it was not for the sixth man.
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