Meet the 2010 Lynx: #8 Rashanda McCants, forward

The fifth in a six-part series profiling the Minnesota Lynx roster as the 2010 season approaches.

BY MIKE PEDEN

Rashanda McCants, starting her 2nd year in the WNBA with the Lynx, is happy to no longer have the rookie "R" next to her name on roster sheets.

Not even the thought of playing without Seimone Augustus and Candice Wiggins to start her sophomore season removes her good spirits.

"I know now that whenever I'm coming off the bench or I'm starting, I'm always ready," she said.

Performing like she did in Israel can glue itself upon returning to the states. McCants got a lot of playing time with her overseas team, logging 34.8 minutes per game, more than double the average playing time she got with Minnesota last year.

McCants capitalized on her increased floor time with her Israeli team, posting 21.9 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game.

"Going into the second year, it's important to learn a lot of things on your own," she said. "That's what overseas does for you."

Those lessons helped McCants become fluent to social media, including the Internet voice call program Skype, and the micro-blogging realm of Twitter.

"The social networking is great. Keeps your mind off of being homesick and feeling like you can't do something," she said.

McCants did have plenty to do in Israel, an experience she says humbled her as a human.

"I had to learn how to cook something," she said. "I came away with it a better person and more independent."

The Lynx will likely not need her recipes for spaghetti and baked chicken, but with McCants likely to get significant playing time with only nine players available for the first few games of the season, to say her experience is needed would be an understatement.

McCants returned from Israel in early April, giving her a few more weeks rest than her teammates. With time to refresh herself, McCants is up for what she says will be a more competitive league in 2010.

"Last year, we had the momentum and we kind of fell. This year, it's completely different," she said.