Latinos On The Move: Rebecca Lobo

Ever think your textbooks in la escuela aren’t covering our full historia? We are continuing to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month by flippin’ the script and spotlighting Latinos who are worthy of a history lesson of their own.

This week is dedicated to las mujeres...

Lesson #1: Why should you know Cuban-American professional basketball player/reporter Rebecca Lobo?

Answer: This 34-year-old all-star was one of the first Latinas to take the basketball court professionally when she was drafted to the WNBA in their inaugural year, 1997. As one of the WNBA's original players after leading the University of Connecticut to an NCAA Championship in 1995, Rebecca Lobo was assigned to the New York Liberty in January 1997 - but not before winning the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics for women’s basketball as part of the dream team.

Lesson #2: What makes her an amazing athlete?

Answer: During the her WNBA career she played five seasons, winning All-WNBA second-team honors in 1997, before closing out her career in Houston and Connecticut. Off the court, Lobo is active in supporting breast cancer research and awareness as well as the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Children's Miracle Network and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Lesson #3: Favorite quote regarding being a female in a male-dominated industry:

There's nothing masculine about being competitive. There's nothing masculine about trying to be the best at everything you do, nor is there anything wrong with it. I don't know why a female athlete has to defend her femininity just because she chooses to play sports.

Lesson #4: Where can you see her in action now?

Answer: Although an injury to her knee tried to shatter her career, she quickly made a new one as a sports commentator. You can still catch her on the court as a reporter for ESPN with a focus on women's college basketball and WNBA games.

We are unleashing our pride with other must-read profiles throughout the month. Be sure to dump your notebooks because these lessons only require corazón!

Tags Children's Miracle Network, ESPN, NCAA, New York Liberty, Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Rebecca Lobo, University of Connecticut, WNBA