Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark Reveal Small Ways They Prioritize Mental Health Off the Court

Basically, every minute of the nearly three-hour event hammered home the idea that “movement is medicine,” whether you’re a superstar athlete or a fan watching from home. “While I was getting chemo, and while I was at my sickest and really struggling to survive, I figured out that I had to walk every day, and I had to keep moving, because if I would just curl up in bed, I didn’t do well,” Rowe said. “So I made a very strict routine: As soon as I would get done with chemo, I would force myself to go for walks in the evening and get my body moving. Because if my body moved, the medicine was working, and so movement as medicine is actually a way that I have saved my own life.”

For Queen Phee, something as simple as making the bed has a positive impact on her day. “That’s something that takes two seconds, but for me, coming home to a made bed helps my mental health so much,” she said, advising the audience to pick one thing to accomplish over crafting an entire to-do list. “Pick something small to accomplish—it doesn’t matter how big it is or doesn’t matter how small it is—that’s stackable,” she says. “You did this thing, now you can do another small thing, and now you can do another, and then all of a sudden you’ve accomplished so much. Don’t think about the big picture.”

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark (also a Lilly partner) offered similar advice during the following conversation with GQ wellness director Alyssa Bereznak. Dealing with her own injuries that left her sidelined or on minute restraints at the start of the season, Clark took to gardening to relieve stress. “I’m like, I need to find something away from basketball that brings me joy and gets me outside and gets me away from everything,” she said. “I haven’t gardened anything in my life, and I’ve got like two different types of tomatoes. I got jalapeños. I got basil, lavender, and haven’t killed anything yet.”

She continued, “It’s really important to find escapes away from what you do every single day. You have to find ways that allow you to get away and find a mental escape.”

Later that night Clark went on to score 17 points for Team Spoon in the All-Star Game, while Carter and Rowe conducted interviews with players and reported from the sidelines. Just a few days later, Collier scored 15 points in her second game back from her injuries, helping the Lynx defeat the Toronto Tempo (100-93). Clearly, something’s working.