- Kristen Newlin grew up in Riverton.

At 6'4, Newlin had a stellar basketball career, first at Stanford and then while playing professionally for more than a decade in Turkey, that's where she met her husband, Emre.

Well, Kristen is back home for the time being, raising their three children in Wyoming.

Emre is now a basketball coach for the WNBA Chicago Sky.

"Kristen and Emre: A Basketball Life" Next, on "Wyoming Chronicle".

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Narrator] This program was funded in part by a grant for Newman's Own Foundation working to nourish the common good by donating all profits from Newman's own food and beverage products to charitable organizations that seek to make the world a better place.

More information is available at Newman'sownfoundation.org.

Funding for this program is made possible in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council helping Wyoming take a closer look at life through the humanities.

Thinkwy.org and by the members of the Wyoming PBS foundation.

Thank you for your support.

- Okay.

And as we begin this Wyoming Chronicle it's my pleasure to be joined by Kristen Newlin and her husband, Emre Vatansever.

Did I get that correct Emre?

- Yeah.

Correct.

- I wanna maybe give our viewers a little history with you, Kristen.

And certainly in our promo, we've talked about that you've been a professional basketball player.

Emre, you're currently now a coach in the WNBA.

Kristen, I remember watching you play in middle school and high school here in Riverton.

But, you were a multi-sport athlete.

You swam, you threw the shot in track and did other things and you also played basketball.

So as we begin this discussion let's go way back there to how you progressed in basketball.

Obviously you're very tall.

You and I are just under two meters in height, we figured out.

- Correct (laughing) - [Craig] What are you?

Are you 6'4"?

- Yeah, without shoes.

- [Craig] Okay.

- Basketball height was 6'5".

- Okay.

So obviously you've been very tall.

When did you know that you were going to be a pretty darn good basketball player?

- Well, I never knew I was really good.

I just knew I was having a ton of fun, and I just never stopped.

My parents had to weed me out of things because I wanted to do it all.

You know, not just sports.

- [Craig] Play piano?

- I wanted to dance, piano, gymnastics, anything.

I was just like, sign me up.

So the older I got, the more I had to choose and basketball, sports were the mainstay.

And then eventually basketball and swimming, especially, were the ones that I, turned out to be, to excel in.

And I loved it.

And now, obviously with my height, basketball came easily and here we are today.

So it started way back- - Former State Champion Backstroker?

- Yes.

- Am I remembering that correctly?

You traveled a lot when you were younger, in Wyoming and you were playing basketball around the region at what age?

- Oh, I mean, we would travel the camps I think as early as middle school.

Like even up here at CWC, they had camps, any sort of.

And especially being in a smaller rural area if we didn't have access to that, we'd have to travel.

And so we'd get our teams as early as middle school.

And we'd travel to Idaho, Colorado, Utah and go on some tournaments.

And I have vivid memories of that because that was just, your first chance of traveling with friends and just having a blast playing like three games a day.

And yeah, that was my earlier memories back in middle school.

- Emre, give us a sense of your basketball history.

You've been a coach now for a long time.

When did basketball really, I guess, grab you, so to speak?

- I was four.

My dad put me in a camp that there's bunch of experts in it and they tell you what sports you should do or go in the future.

- At four years?

- At four years old.

So yeah, in Turkey.

Those experts told me that I need to go start playing tennis.

And I really, I think that was a time that we started hearing in Turkey, Michael Jordan, John Stockton and these, and that, those names are in our ear.

So I just, I grew up watching NBA.

So I wanted to be a basketball player.

But they told me that I need to go tennis.

So it was a first decision that I have to make but I have always feeling that basketball is my future.

I love basketball.

And my dad, of course, supported me for that.

And I start to play, I play until 17.

But then I realized that I'm not going to be a great basketball player.

So I was like, okay, I need to stop doing what I'm doing because I'm not gonna make my life playing basketball, but I love basketball.

So I want to coach.

So I want to go that way.

So I went to college about basketball coaching.

So my degree is actually basketball coaching.

So one of the university in Turkey and I got my degree and I started building on it.

- Well, Kristen, begs the question what were you doing at four years old?

(laughing) - I was just riding my bike around our neighborhood.

- So, Kristen, you came on, you had a great high school career.

There had to be a time when you knew that you were going to be a national-caliber player.

When did that happen for you?

- I want to say sophomore, junior year when recruiting started to pick up.

Up until actually my sophomore year I was convinced I was swimming still.

I think I was still even a better swimmer.

But, during the summer I just got better and better, started to burn out of swimming a little bit.

So it really, wasn't a tough decision to realize I was going to be playing basketball.

- That team aspect, kind of, is what was fun for you?

- Absolutely.

Yeah.

I mean, swimming is a very individual sport and it's a little monotonous, but it's very rewarding, working out and getting your PR times, but basketball.

there's so many different aspects of it.

And I started to improve and get better.

And I think by junior year when I started to get a lot of interest from colleges, where I was like, okay, this has a future for me.

- When I visit with people who are familiar with your career they all say one thing, they all say work ethic.

Where did that come from?

- I think my parents, you know, I feel like I've always had a drive to improve, to get better, to be the best with all of my sports.

And swimming, I would wake up, as a middle schooler, and work out on my own before school.

I'd be up there at 5:30 in the morning so I could do two workouts a day.

Or with basketball, I'd come in before school, shoot a hundred free throws, get some shots up any way I could because I just had this hunger to be better and it was fun for me.

It was never a job, never a chore.

I just had this drive.

And I think my parents have definitely instilled that in me and watching them as role models, them work hard.

And it just really came naturally to me.

- So, here come the recruiters, you literally could have went to any program of national caliber.

You chose Stanford.

Why?

- You know, once I got academically accepted, they can't offer any scholarships until you get academically accepted.

- Formal valedictorian of Riverton High School.

- Yeah, correct.

So once, then there's an allotment of how many visits you can take.

So as soon as I visited the campus, was offered the scholarship, it wasn't a choice of like other schools.

I could go to other schools, but I couldn't be at other schools knowing that I had my chance to go to Stanford.

It really felt like home there.

I knew it was a 40-year decision not just a 4-year decision at Stanford.

Just the caliber of academics and athletics there, it's just so hard to say no to that school if you get accepted and offered a scholarship.

So, again, that was never, I thought it was going to be a hard choice, it was not a hard choice once I visited the school.

- I'm assuming this, recently you were watching a certain basketball game in a national championship with Stanford.

What relationship do you still have with the school?

- Oh, we're extremely close.

I mean, all of Stanford alumni, current players, it's a sisterhood.

I emailed Tara right after the game, Coach Tara.

And she emailed me back saying, this championship is for all the past players, to get to this moment.

We've always been a very good basketball school, but it's so hard to get to that top moment.

And every alumni felt so proud for that moment.

And it was just amazing to see.

- Did you still game tape of your college days?

- Oh, I'm sure they're somewhere.

- Emre, have you seen any of it?

- I've seen it.

- Was she good?

Come on, Emre.

You're the coach, now.

You can evaluate here.

- She's a solid player.

I think she's still a solid player to me.

- (Craig) So it strikes me, and we're going to get into your pro career in just a minute, but if you were graduating from high school now, I'm wondering if your opportunities, Kristen, would have been the same because you were a force under the basket and the game now has changed.

I do remember that you could bring the ball down and break a press.

I do remember that you shot maybe a three or two in your collegiate and pro career too.

But it's a different game, now.

Do you think you would still have a future in the game if you were graduating from high school today?

- I think seeing the game as it is, I think I would have evolved.

I would have seen the game in the pros in college and be like, these 6'5" players can handle the ball.

They can shoot threes.

So I would have worked on those.

I feel like, I worked on my weaknesses and I did actually work on that once I got to the pros and realized, hey, like you need an all-around game.

So I really worked on my outside shot.

You know, I became a more versatile player being able to play under the basket and away from the basket.

In high school, I was 6'5" then, I was the same height.

So it was very advantageous for my team to really be under the basket.

Yeah.

So, you know, my game just evolved.

And I think if players, if you want to succeed at a higher level, they adapt to that changing of the game and improve all areas of their game.

- Emre, what was your first coaching gig, then?

You went to university, you studied basketball coaching.

When was your first coaching opportunity?

- Actually right after I graduated, I started working before, even getting into college.

So I was coaching Youth 12 and I was 17.

That was a kind of basketball camp, running weekends.

So when I go to college, during the weekdays, I was going to that camp and teaching the kids.

But, actually my professional career start so, you know, Turkey, you have to go to army.

This is a mandatory army.

So right after I graduated, I went to army and I was talking with few of the couple of clubs that I may go and work with them.

So I got a call, I got a recent call and unexpected call.

So they just interview when I was in army, military.

So they told me that they want to work with me.

And I was so happy.

Actually one of the teams, rival team of Kristen's.

So, we didn't know each other at the time.

So I accept the job and I start coaching one of the good team in Turkey.

- Tell me, what's your sense of how athletics are received by youth, in Turkey, with what you're coming to learn about the United States?

You said you were evaluated at four, which is very different than anything I've heard about in this country.

Is there any more or less emphasis, in your eyes, placed on athletics in Turkey compared to what you've learned about this country?

- First of all, I'm still learning what's going on in this country.

I've been here five, six years legitimate.

Like I'm still learning.

I'm still learning what they do in youth.

I think they have, so United States I think is very organized and they know what to do.

But, if you watch NBA and if you watch WNBA and players who come from Europe make incredible impact.

- They really do.

You were drafted in the WNBA when you graduated and then you ended up playing professional basketball in Turkey.

- [Kristen] Right?

- Tell me about that process.

- I was drafted to a team that doesn't exist anymore.

Houston Comets.

Kind of aging myself there.

I was cut right before the deadline, but fortunately there's a lot more opportunity overseas for players.

So I signed with an agent.

- Okay.

- And he talked to multiple clubs overseas that needed my position and that was the right fit for me as a first-year player to have a good experience.

That's an agent's job, to make sure they go to a club where I'm going to have a good experience so I can keep playing.

I want to keep playing over there because that's a different life over there.

And so that's an agent's job.

- So, you had decided, after graduating from Stanford, you earned your degree I'll say, but you still want to play basketball.

That was important to you.

- [Kristen] Yes.

Right.

- Okay.

Continue on.

- Yeah.

And that was, I knew that was an option.

The WNBA was young at the time, 10 years old.

And once I didn't make it there, I pursued other options overseas.

And so my agent found me as a place in Turkey, Southern Turkey, and I signed the contract and was over there the following August.

And I played for, the coach at the time was the Turkish National Women's Team coach as well.

And overseas, you can naturalize one player who's not Turkish to play for you on your national team.

And I played really well that first year and they needed my position on their team.

And he said, Kristen, we'll give you a Turkish citizenship, come play for our national team.

We need you.

And that was it.

That's how I got my citizenship.

And I played for their national team for five, six years.

And that was also advantageous for me because overseas you can have, at the time, two Americans.

So, I could be on a team and not count against that allotted two spots.

So, basically I was on a team with three Americans even though I didn't technically count as an American.

So it was very advantageous for me.

- There were many players who played in the WNBA, but also played in your league.

Is that right?

- Yep.

No, that was typical.

So the WNBA season is summer and because salaries were not competing with overseas salaries at the time, players played 12 months a year, they would play in the WBA and continue overseas and play overseas, come back for their WNBA season.

So it was very, I would say at the time, almost more than 80% of WNBA players played overseas as well.

- When did you first see her play?

- I think it was, what was the first year that you were in national team?

2008.

So that was, she came to one of our big gym that always national team works there, national team practice there.

And I saw her there, which was 2008.

Yeah.

That was summer training camp.

And they're getting ready for EuroBasket tournament.

- So how did that work?

She's a great player.

I'm going to marry her.

How did that one go?

(laughing) - Well, it wasn't like that.

We met 2010, actually, two years later after that.

- Okay.

So, you didn't meet yet?

- No, no.

- You saw her play.

- Yeah.

I saw her play.

I watched the practice a little bit and I was like, Hmm, that's good.

She's gonna have a good impact on the team and, which she did.

So that was the first impression.

- Was it odd, Kristen, playing for a national team that wasn't the United States national team?

Was that odd in any way for you?

- Not particularly.

I wasn't the first to do it.

I think the most famous one back then was Becky Hammon, who's now the assistant coach for the Spurs, tried and tried for the U.S. team and she ended up playing with the Russian national team with the same agreement that I had.

So I had seen other players do it first.

I realized I wasn't the caliber to play for the U.S. national team and so here was a chance to play on a international level.

And obviously, it would also be advantageous to me.

So it kind of seemed like a no-brainer.

I couldn't try my hat again in the WNBA because the national team played in the summer.

So I did have to make that choice.

I did ultimately choose the national team.

So it was, they were very welcoming.

The Turks were very warm.

- How was that?

How, for a couple of American athletes, maybe three, depending on on each team then, but you took a Turkish spot.

Maybe.

I don't know.

- I did.

- And so how did that work out?

What were the dynamics there with you and fans?

- Oh, they were very accepting, you know, as soon as I got the Turkish citizenship I was able to play for the most elite team in Turkey because they always have the best Americans.

They had national team, U.S. national team players playing on their team.

So I wasn't able to be an American on their team but I was able to be a Turk.

So as soon as, you know, I put that, Fenerbahçe is the name of that school I played for, or the club I played for.

As soon as I put that Jersey on, I mean, they were loyal through and through no matter where you came from.

- If people Google Kristen Newlin and Turkey's basketball they may not be able to find you, what name ought they be searching for?

- Nevin Nevlin.

And then once I got married my Turkish passport is actually his last name now.

So it's Nevin Vatansever.

They wanted.

- Why did you want to change your name?

- Oh, I didn't.

- Okay.

- They wanted me to have a Turkish name.

They're like, we're going to make you Turkish through and through which, I mean, it was fine.

- [Craig] Sure.

- So, Nevin is the first name they gave me, because they, I don't know who picked it, a lot of people came up to me and said, I picked that for you.

You're my Turkish daughter, that kind of thing.

But, yeah.

So I didn't even know until I saw the passport.

They were like, Oh, by the way, your new name is Nevin.

- By the way.

- Yeah.

It's like, okay.

(laughing) - What are facilities, day-to-day living, the life of a WNBA player versus the life that you were living in Turkey, I'm thinking housing, medical care, access to nutrition and all those things.

What did you experience?

- It's definitely more limited overseas.

I mean, and it also depends on the club you go to but once you get overseas, they're like that, they you do your physical, here's your apartment, see you at practice.

So, what you do in between then, we went to grocery stores and we're just like this is kind of looks like rice.

You know, this kind of like, is this, you know we had to figure it out on our own.

And that's, that was probably the most difficult, especially if you're in your first couple of years out of college and you haven't been overseas, you know you had to really adapt.

So you really grew close to the other Americans.

- [Craig] Right.

There were some language barriers.

It wasn't guaranteed that the other players knew English or the coaches.

So we had to kind of communicate basketball and that was a universal language.

So it was very, you're thrown in this cultural shock and how you respond will set you up if you want to continue playing overseas.

- So you two became a couple, you're married now, have three beautiful kids.

What was the decision to, was it because Emre, you wanted to live and work in the United States?

Kristen, you came back and played after having twins, which is somewhat unheard of.

Tell me about the decisions to stay and play and now come back to the United States.

- Well, I think when we just, we were at a point where I was 33 and we were at a point where I was like, well, do we want to wait until my career's finished to have kids?

Or do I want to have a kid and try for a few more years?

And if that was the choice we were making, we wanted to start a family at that time.

And that's the choice we made, ended up being twins, which made it a little more complicated.

You know, the recovery, the- - I've read where you have said that's the hardest thing you've ever done going through the pregnancy.

And then coming back to compete at that elite level, is that true?

- It is.

And before I got pregnant, assuming I was going to have one kid, I was going to go through this semi-easy pregnancy and come back.

And once I found out it was twins that didn't change my mind.

I was like, I still want to try to come back and play from this.

And after fairly difficult pregnancy and delivery and once I was able to recover and really get back in shape, it was tough.

I mean, before I could work out, I could get enough sleep, I could recover, you know, I could do all the things.

- Twins change that, did it?

- It did.

You know, they were very demanding of my time.

So, that part, this being able to get back in shape, along with the sleep deprivation and I was still breastfeeding.

And just the time, we were literally taking the twins in a pack-and-play into the gym.

We would work out.

Sometimes if they need to change a diaper Emre would go change the diaper I would run ladders while he was doing that, stay, you know, keep my heart rate up.

Or if they were inconsolable and I needed to feed them I'd take a break and go back.

I mean, just looking back at what we did, it was pretty remarkable, but I wouldn't change it.

- I read in different articles where other players who have experienced this decision on whether or not to have a child and are elite athletes are sometimes kind of treated as a commodity.

Well, if that's what you're going to do we don't need you anymore.

We're going to move on.

Was that a pressure you felt?

- Absolutely.

You know, I felt like, I had been playing in Turkey at the time for 10 years.

I felt like I had proven myself, that the coaches knew me.

They knew my work ethic.

They knew that I could come back.

I expected that, you know, but once my agents started talking to these teams, they're like, Oh, she wants to play again?

She's going to play?

And I'm like, why are people surprised?

You know, like I'm still 33.

I still have a few more years left in me.

I'm relatively, you know, I'm healthy otherwise.

And so it was really disheartening because I only had, you know, whereas I would have my pick of teams in Turkey.

I only had a few choices this time and it was, and once I did play and they were like, Oh, look, she can play again.

- You had to take a pay cut to play.

- Yeah.

I did.

You know, that had some to do with the economy in Turkey at the time.

But also, they're like, we don't want to take this bigger risk with you because we don't know.

And so, at the time, I was like, okay, well I'm going to take this pay cut.

I'm going to prove myself again.

And then the next year, you know I'll get back to where I was, you know?

And that was my mindset, unfortunately.

And you know, that's what I had to do, but it was pretty disheartening because I know like the mothers have to go through this and overseas it was tough as it is.

- And it's not just in basketball, I should say.

It's an issue in all sports.

So, Emre here we are.

You're a WNBA coach.

Right now you're living in Riverton, but coaching for the Chicago Sky, an assistant coach, you've made your dream.

- I did.

And I'm so happy with that.

- Tell me what you do.

- Now, I'm assistant coach, one of the other three.

So yeah.

- And this season now, it's a six-month season.

- Six-month season.

- And you're about to embark on the season.

You have a sense for where the WNBA has been and where it's going.

What do you think about the league?

- Oh, it was my dream and it was, it's much different than what we experienced in overseas.

- So what's next?

You're a mom, memories coaching in the WNBA.

What's next?

What do you see your life progressing towards?

- Well, right now, this is such a natural transition for me.

I've officially, I've decided to retire and since I am making a transition in careers I've kind of decided to elongate that transition.

And I'm fortunate enough that I can stay home with my three very young children and enjoy this very different and next stage of my life.

So I'm really, I'm staying home with them.

We're following Emre around for the time being.

And we'll see once they get a little bit older, if I want to, if I miss basketball enough, I might come back in the coaching realm as well.

- Really?

- It's an option.

Or on the business side of it, it's been a year since I played.

So I'm kind of, I'm like, I kinda miss it now.

Not enough to play again, but- - If you were going to coach now and start a coaching career, would your eye be on middle school kids and developing, high school kids and learning what it means to compete or elite competitors?

Where would you see yourself?

- I think there's advantages to all of those levels.

And I'd be fortunate enough to be in a child's life when they're first, looking back when I was first loving the game and seeing that again, or all the way up to collegiate level where players are really getting serious, it's a collegiate game, and possibly going on to the pro level.

I think that the different stages, there's just so many unique things that, you could see and develop at any stage.

- Well, Emre it's been a pleasure to visit with you, having met you before, just a couple of times.

Kristen, I've known you most of your life.

It's been fun to watch you go through the process of being a very successful middle school basketball player to a great pro player.

You had a long career, I mean more than a decade.

That's rare, kind of, isn't it?

To have that long of a pro career?

- It is.

I mean, playing professionally 11 years, taking a year off.

I mean.

That's why, when I retired this year, I felt at peace with it because I've been very fortunate to be able to play this long and to really never have had a job, I'm almost 36.

And, to me, playing basketball has never been a job even though it's been my career.

- Well, to you both, best of luck.

- [Both] Thank you.

- [Craig] In whatever's next.

Thank you very much for joining us on Wyoming Chronicle.

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Narrator] This program was funded in part by a grant for Newman's Own Foundation working to nourish the common good by donating all profits from Newman's own food and beverage products to charitable organizations that seek to make the world a better place.

More information is available at Newman'sownfoundation.org.

Funding for this program is made possible in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council helping Wyoming take a closer look at life through the humanities.

Thinkwy.org and by the members of the Wyoming PBS foundation.

Thank you for your support.