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This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
When I met WNBA All-Star Betnijah Laney in Los Angeles on the set of Summersalt’s Every Body is a Summersalt Body campaign shoot, it wasn’t her stature (she’s 6’0″) or mesmerizing beauty that first struck me, it was her infectious joy. Greeting each crew member with a friendly handshake and her smile, Laney instantly created a vibe on set that was relaxed and fun. Watch a snippet of our interview or read the entire conversation below.
Kristen Maxwell Cooper: What’s your favorite warm-weather vacation spot?
Betnijha Laney: See, I don’t get a lot of vacations. I play in the summer, but while I’m playing I really love Phoenix or even Vegas. Phoenix is just a slower pace, but there’s enough to do if you want to get into something. Yeah. But you can also just chill. And I love the dry heat.
KMC: Beach or pool?
BL: That’s tough. I like both, but I’m gonna go with pool just cause I don’t always want sand in my toes.
KMC: What are some things that are always in your beach bag?
BL: Lip gloss, sunglasses, a towel, water. I mean, sunscreen is in there. I might not use it, but it’s in there.
KMC: Do you have a favorite summer drink?
BL: Like alcohol? [laughing] I love a good margarita. A mango margarita. I wasn’t sure if we were like keeping it PG or not, but if we’re going there then margarita.
KMC: What is your summer anthem?
BL: I listen to R&B all year round, but I’m a huge Beyonce fan. So Beyonce is always playing somewhere.
KMC: Who would you invite to the ultimate pool party?
BL: Beyonce. No brainer. I’m hanging with Beyonce all day at the pool. Drinking margaritas; looking cute; listening to Beyonce.
"...understanding who you are and what you’re capable of and your value. To me, that’s self-love."
- Betnijah Laney
KMC: What is your no-fail secret to self confidence?
BL: Affirmations and actually believing them. When I was younger, I went through, you know, a bit of an awkward stage and wasn’t, you know, the prettiest or anything like that. And I remember somebody told me I was ugly and it really hurt my feelings. So my aunt sat me down in front of the mirror and she made me look at myself and she said, ‘don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you are not beautiful. I don’t care if you don’t remember anything else, but you remember that.’ So that was my first affirmation. But then as I got older and realized, you know, beauty is beauty, but it’s also what’s on the inside. So affirmations for me to feel confident and beyond beautiful are just, you know, that I’m capable. That I’m strong. That, you know, I pretty much can do anything that I can put my mind to.
KMC: When do you feel like your most authentic self?
BL: I think on the basketball court is when I feel my most authentic self. I’m an introvert, but I let my actions kind of speak, you know, on the court. Like I don’t have to say too much. That’s not really my forte. But I can just go out [on the basketball court] and be me. It’s like, it’s my outlet.
KMC: What does self-love mean to you?
BL: To me self-love means accepting, you know, yourself for who you are, you know, not trying to be anything other than you. Not worrying about what anyone else thinks or has to say about you. Just understanding who you are and what you’re capable of and your value. To me, that’s self-love.
KMC: Finish this sentence for me: When I begin to feel self-doubt, I…
BL: When I begin to feel self doubt, I pray. Prayer is very much a big part of my lifestyle. I just feel like prayer can change anything. I feel like I’ve seen it firsthand just with any and everything that I’ve endured. When I pray, whether things are good or bad, it always just feels easier to manage and to deal with things.
KMC: When did you first start playing basketball?
BL: I actually hated basketball when I first started. Hated it. Didn’t want anything to do with it. I used to dance and cheerlead, like those were my things and I was gonna be a professional cheerleader. But I was just always around [basketball]. My mother played basketball and she was always in the community teaching kids at a local rec center in Philadelphia. So I was just always around it. I was not very good at all. Like I was terrible. Like I used to get laughed at on the court. But then I just stuck with it. I didn’t care, I was just out there having fun. And then, you know, as I continued to play, I just got better and better. And now I’m a professional basketball player.
KMC: What do you love most about playing basketball?
BL: I think just everything that comes with it. It’s not just basketball. I get to build a lot of relationships. I get to travel—basketball has taken me places that I would’ve never been able to go to without it. It’s taught me a lot of things, whether it’s confidence, whether it’s how to manage difficult situations, how to overcome obstacles. Basketball has just brought so much value to my life.
KMC: How does loving your body come into play with being an athlete?
BL: Your body does so much for you especially being an athlete. It helps me do things that I never thought that I would be able to do. So just understanding that and appreciating my body and in return, taking care of it, it really helps me go a long way on the athletic side of things.
KMC: You’re living in New York now playing with the New York Liberty–what is your favorite thing to do in New York?
BL: Eat. I love to eat. I love tacos, so I’m always finding different taco spots in New York. And I love pasta. So that’s my favorite way to pass time in New York is just finding different restaurants to go to and try out. I’m always looking on Instagram, like, ‘oh, this place looks cute. I’m gonna try here.’
KMC: What do you hope people get from seeing you in this campaign?
BL: I hope that they see somebody that they can relate to. Just seeing somebody and thinking ‘oh, that could be me’ or ‘look at all the things that she’s done, all the things that she’s overcome, everything that she stands for.’ I think that that’s a big part of why I do what I do is to be able to inspire others, and give people someone to look up that I would’ve wanted to look up to as a child. So that’s definitely what drives me and what keeps me going outside of just loving to play basketball. Just being able to touch people and help them overcome whatever it is that they’re dealing with.
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Read our candid convo from the set of Summersalt’s Every Body is a Summersalt Body campaign shoot.
