In Bustle\u2019s The Pregame, we ask athletes about their pregame rituals. How do they get in the zone? What do they wear for the famous tunnel walk? Do they have any superstitions before a big game? Here, Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd talks about her ultra-precise nap schedule and why she actually appreciates nervous jitters.<\/p>\n
Few WNBA players make it to the Finals. Even fewer compete for the championship three times. Then there\u2019s Jewell Loyd \u2014 the only players in league history who has gone 10-0 on basketball\u2019s biggest stage.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 10, she helped the Las Vegas Aces clinch the title during Game 4 against the Phoenix Mercury. She says the achievement was extra sweet because it was her first with the Las Vegas team after a decade with the Seattle Storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmbracing the Aces, learning so much, winning this year, the iconic season that A\u2019ja [Wilson] had \u2014 it just means a lot more,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was bigger than just basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Loyd, this season wasn\u2019t only about her athletic performance. \u201cI think I showed my resilience, my compassion, who I really am. It\u2019s not often that your reputation matches your character, and I did both exceptionally well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The guard turned 32 on Oct. 5, the same night her team won Game 2. \u201cI went out to a steakhouse with my family and celebrated a bit, but I mean, getting a championship is probably the best gift I\u2019ve ever gotten,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m going to cherish that one for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below, Loyd shares how she gears up to battle it out on the court.<\/p>\n
Steph Chambers\/Getty Images Sport\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Do you have any game day traditions?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have Mott\u2019s apple juice before every game. My dad used to give it to me when I was little, and I kept it going.<\/p>\n How do you get ready on game day?<\/strong><\/p>\n I normally wake up around 6:30 or 7. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and during the playoff series, I was doing steak and eggs. I\u2019ll have my tea, watch ESPN, and head out to shootaround. We watch film [of past games in order to prep] for about 20 or 30 minutes, going through our scripts, and getting our bodies and minds moving a little bit \u2014 nothing too crazy.<\/p>\n Then I come back home. I try to eat the same thing every time, a salad with either salmon or soup, and apple juice. I\u2019ll nap for 26 to 30 minutes.<\/p>\n Exactly?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anything more than that, I feel groggy. It\u2019s not for me. Anything less, it doesn\u2019t do enough. After I wake up, I do the boots \u2014 compression sleeves on your legs \u2014 which is nice.<\/p>\n Ethan Miller\/Getty Images Sport\/Getty Images<\/p>\n What do you listen to while getting ready?<\/strong><\/p>\n Bieber. That\u2019s always in the playlist. Throughout the playoffs, I was listening to everything, honestly: High School Musical, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne. But once Justin Bieber\u2019s playing, it\u2019s game time for me.<\/p>\n How do you spend the last few minutes before a game?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a small window before we meet with Becky [Hammon, the Aces\u2019 coach,] where we go to chapel. That\u2019s my reset to ground myself, get in tune with everything. Once I get back to the locker room, I work on my circle breathing. I relax a little bit and envision myself making shots, getting stops on defense, high-fiving.<\/p>\n Do you get nervous?<\/strong><\/p>\n This season, I definitely got nervous in the playoffs, and I feel like that\u2019s good. You still want to have those butterflies like when you were a little kid. I don\u2019t want to be too serious. But once the ball gets going, the nerves go away.<\/p>\n Ethan Miller\/Getty Images Sport\/Getty Images<\/p>\n How do you work with your stylist?<\/strong><\/p>\n