Jan. 19, 2001

Questions by Marenna Nyffeler
Answers by Dishawn McCracklin

WHAT'S CRACKIN WITH McCRACKLIN

NAME: Dishawn McCracklin
AGE: 19
HOMETOWN: Country Club Hills, Illinois
HOROSCOPE SIGN: Leo
MAJOR: Probably psychology
WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING BASKETBALL?: When I was 16.
WHY SO LATE? Because I never wanted to play really before.
WHAT or WHO INSPIRED YOU TO PLAY: My father
PREGAME RITUAL: Listening to music
BEST UNLV MEMORY: It would have to be our trip to the Bahamas ...... Club ZOO. (AND THERE ARE PICTURES-- TALK TO E.J.).
MOST EMBARRASSING UNLV MOMENT: The other day in the game, I was running down the court and just fell flat on my face for no reason. I just fell. My knees buckled and I fell.
WHY UNLV: Because I liked the scenery and the team and coaches. I felt it was a place that I could enjoy myself.
BEST PART OF UNLV: Crazy Teammates.
BEST MEMORY OF UNLV: Halloween Party when EJ came dressed as me. I cannot believe she did that!
WORST PART OF UNLV: Livin' in the DORMS.

McCRACKLIN'S FAVORITES...

• COLOR: Black
• FAVORITE NBA PLAYER(s): Of course MJ was one of my favorites but as far as players now it would be Iverson, Shaq, Allen Houston.
• MOVIE: Life
• MUSIC: Rap,R&B
• CD: JayZ, DMX, Dave Hollistar
• HOBBY: Music, I love music. Shopping, when I have money, which is rarely, but yeah- shopping. (SHE forgot EATING).
• RESTAURANT: Kathy's (which has also become a local favorite for some members of our team. If you love Soul Food- you need to check this place out. Ask Jan for directions).
• FOOD: Snacks and sweets (ANYTHING she can hide in her socks during practice, or whatever she can put in her black bag of snacks for before and after practice or just when she is hungry. Which she is ALWAYS).
• CHRISTMAS PRESENT: The 20 different colors of nail polish that my mom gave me. (She really meant to say the Barbie doll that she got last year from her secret Santa.)
• DREAM CAR: Lexus
• DREAM MAN: Good sense of humor, athletic build and extremely tall.

OTHER HOBBIES: Watch TV, and Black planet.
WHY #55: It was given to me when I first started playing.
OTHER SPORTS YOU PLAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL: Softball, volleyball, and cross country. (THOSE who have had the opportunity, and such a great one at that, to run on the track in preseason-postseason 100 Degree weather, and have Dishawn come from behind and beat you in the last stretch of the mile, okay not just beat you but beat you bad, know all about her cross country talent, and how much she loves to run).
WHERE YOU CAN BE FOUND: On the court in practice, scrunched into Courtney's car, in the kitchen finding something to eat, or on the computer- on Black Planet. (Which seems to be a team favorite as of lately.)
NICKNAMES: Barbie, Poo, Dirty, Dustnuts, PooPoo, Shawney. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHY BARBIE: Because I used to have longer hair. Constance adds: "She looked like Barbie, so everyone (in Chicago) called her that." (Barbie has also become a team favorite, especially when Dishawn wears the Barbie earrings.)
ULTIMATE GOAL IN LIFE: To be successful in whatever I do and make a lot of money.
WHAT IS SOMETHING HARDLY ANYONE WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU: That I like alternative music. Alanis Morrisette is one of my all time favorites. And that I really am a quiet person.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING YOUR SISTER ON THE TEAM NEXT YEAR? She needs to be here cause she is wild and crazy and I need to tame her... (laughing as usual). No really we played well together, so I am excited to play with her again. (For more information on that you can read about it in the January 9, 2001 RJ)
TEAM NOTES ON McCRACKLIN: She is always eating with her fingers. Tearing apart some kind of food, if you call it that. She carries around a black bag full of surprises, last year we could always count on her to have some kind of food stashed in her bag. And it didn't matter how old the food was--twinkies from last month? Sandwich pieces from lunch at the DC? ANYTHING. She is always sporting headphones and her gray hat. If no hat, she has some crazy hair style. Usually one or two styles going at once along with her multicolored fingernails.
MOST LIKELY TO BE SEEN ON THE COURT: Grabbing a rebound, using her elbows. I mean her DEADLY elbows. And notice the kick with the right leg whenever she shoots, Actually whenever she does anything she kicks the foot up. WATCH FOR IT.
COACH MILLER'S INSIGHT ON DISHAWN: (laughing) "You can always count on Dishawn..... if you know what I mean."
MOST NOTABLE QUOTE: "Umphh! (Coach Miller can tell you all about this phrase, or sound, or whatever you want to call it and why it is banned from practice.) Another quote " Oh my God, What is THAT!"
NEW YEAR'S QUOTE: "My feet, oh my feet- Courtney can you carry me?"

QUESTIONS FROM YOU FOR DISHAWN:

DO YOU HAVE A CAR? No car, I wish but unfortunately no.
DO YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND? No, and again unfortunately I am livin' the single life.
DO YOU LIKE THE NBA AND WNBA? Yes, I like both. My favorite WNBA players are the obvious ones like Tina Thompson, Lisa Leslie. (NBA players are listed above).
HOW MANY TATTOO's DO YOU HAVE? I have two. A Leo which is my horoscope sign and my number in a basketball on my arm- which means a lot to me...for obvious reasons.
ABOUT YOUR EYEBROWS? They are REAL.."she laughs" but I darken them sometimes.

THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, KEEP EMAILING THEM TO ME. NEXT WEEK WILL INTERVIEW WILL BE WITH ERIN JOHASSON SO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW.