Flashback: Sheila Lambert Chief Sealth, Class of 1998

Sport: Basketball

High-school rewind: Lambert earned a reputation as one of the three best players in state history, joining Joyce Walker (Garfield '80) and Kate Starbird (Lakes '93). The 5-foot-7 guard was 1998 state player of the year and a member of The Times all-century team after a prep career in which she set or tied eight state-tournament records. Lambert scored a record 42 points in a state-tournament game. She was a USA Today and Parade All-American.

After high school: Lambert signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Washington but didn't qualify academically. She went to Grayson Community College in Dennison, Texas, where she was a junior-college All-American and league MVP. Her next stop was Baylor University. She was a Kodak All-American as a senior and won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the best college player under 5-8. She averaged 20.9 points in two years at Baylor and was a two-time All-Big 12 first-team selection. Lambert was the seventh player selected in the 2002 WNBA draft, but broke a leg in a college all-star game against the U.S. Olympic team. She played in only three games as a rookie. Last year, she was a reserve on the Detroit Shock team that won the WNBA championship. She averaged 3.2 points and 6.9 minutes per game.

Personal: Lambert, 23, lives in Dallas but is a frequent visitor to Seattle. Her nickname on the Shock is "Nemo" because she arrived in Detroit late and didn't know the plays. She was at a disadvantage, just as the Disney character was. Lambert said she is three classes shy of earning her degree.

Fast forward: Lambert is eagerly looking forward to this summer's WNBA season. "Now I have a championship ring, and I'll be earning more playing time this upcoming season," she said. "I love this game, and I'm going to play it for as long as I can."

— Craig Smith