In many sports, the Olympics have progressively been undergoing a quiet revolution, one in which women, most specifically ones that are mothers, are still competing at the highest level in their sports well into their thirties. Tina Thompson, 33, the first pick in the WNBA's first draft in 1997, and mother of three-year-old son, Dylan, is a woman who exemplifies this new movement.
After playing basketball at Morningside High School in LA, where she was named the 1993 California AAA Player of the Year, Thompson went on to play for the the University of Southern California. After being selected the first pick in the WNBA's first draft, Thompson led the Houston Comets to championships in the league's first four seasons.
Thompson is making her second Olympic appearance in the 2008 Beijing Games. At the 2006 World Championships, she was the top scorer for the U.S., only one year after giving birth to her son, Dylan.Thompson has also played in several professional leagues overseas. Her most recent accomplishment was leading her team, Spartak Moscow, to the 2007 title, where she was selected MVP, and then again to the 2008 title. Giving birth to her son just three years ago hasn't slowed down this all-star's game at all; she proves that women can still compete at the highest levels of competition of sports while being a mother.
