As Air Hearn warmed up at halftime Sunday during a matchup between Redemption and Remix for the Women’s Drew League, shots continuously fell through the net without grazing the rim.
It was the same when the game started. Hearn — the three-time Drew League MVP — scored 29 points on 10 of 16 shooting and made five of her six three-point attempts in Redemption’s 62-45 win over Remix. This season, Hearn has scored at least 20 points in seven of her team’s eight games.
Redemption has been the dominant team in the Women’s Drew League. Since Hearn joined Redemption in 2021, the team has won the last three championships.
She uses the Drew League as a way to keep her skills sharp and stay in shape.
“These girls give great competition,” Hearn said.
Hearn attended the University of Memphis from 2012-2015 where she ranks eighth on the career scoring list with 1,945 points. She also made 218 three-pointers in her career, which is the top mark in program history.
Hearn is preparing for another opportunity with the WNBA. She received a training camp invite with the Phoenix Mercury at the start of the 2024 WNBA season. However, she was waived before the season began.
“It was everything I dreamed of plus more,” Hearn said. “It’s still part of my dream to get back there.”
She added that while she was excited to get the invite, she knows when she fully signs on with a team “it’ll hit (her) then.”
“The fact that I’ve gotten this close lets me know that it’s definitely possible knowing that I want to get to a place where I can be a role model to other people who are going to share parts of my journey,” Hearn said. “I can’t give up.”
Currently, the WNBA only has 12 teams. Each team is required to have at least 11 players with the maximum being 12. At most, there are 144 players in the WNBA, but with expansion coming up, more roster spots will become available.
Redemption coach Keion Kindred has worked with Hearn when she first arrived in Los Angeles. “I think she’s the best player in California,” Kindred said. “To see her develop and blossom into the player she’s become to having her chance to play in the WNBA is nothing short of amazing.”
Kindred added Hearn has become more of a leader over time.
“She just knows how to win games and how to take over and when to voice her opinions the right way and get on her teammates, but also accept criticism because she wants it bad,” Kindred said.
Hearn was the point guard for Redemption. On offense, she was always in control. Because teams must respect her shooting coming off pick and rolls, it opened up passes to the screener in the paint. She continuously made the right play and allowed her teammates to play with an advantage.
Hearn has improved her feel for the game after college. She says she worked on her pace and “slowing (her) brain down).”
“Sometimes my brain just works so fast and my body moves with it,” Hearn said.
According to Kindred, he doesn’t know any player who works as hard as Hearn. On one occasion, he says Hearn rode a bike across the city to his gym in Downey to get to a training session.
“I’ve watched Air pull up to the gym on a bicycle and was like ‘What are you doing?’” Kindred said.
For Hearn and Redemption this season, they aren’t coming in as clear favorites to win the championship. TNSS is the only undefeated team in the Women’s Drew League with their stout defense. They’ve held all their opponents to below 60 points including some in the 20-point range.
Redemption’s record is 4-3 heading into playoffs, but with the three-time MVP on their side, the Redemption will always have a chance.
NBA players make an appearance before playoffs
In the final week before playoffs, a handful of NBA players made their first appearances on the court at the Drew League.
DeMar DeRozan, who has played in the Drew League every year for more than a decade, joined the Mecca Cheaters in their matchup against Elevate led by three-time Drew League MVP Franklin Session. DeRozan’s former teammate with the Chicago Bulls, Dalen Terry, joined him on the Mecca Cheaters. He added 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
The new member of the Sacramento Kings, DeRozan, scored 16 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds in the 74-61 win.
Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason joined up with MVP frontrunner Deshawndre Washington on West Coast Elite. Eason scored 45 points and snagged 10 rebounds in the 104-94 win over The Jedi. Former NBA player and coach of The Jedi, Corey Maggette, suited up to play and scored 15 points.
Elijah Harkless, fresh off an appearance in NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers, scored 31 points as Task Force defeated Rex 6.
The Drew League playoff schedule will be announced in the coming days for the playoffs this weekend. The No.1 seeds in the bracket will be the I-Can All Stars in the Gilbert Wilburn Division and Black Pearl Elite in the Joe Berry Division. Black Pearl Elite lost for the first time this season to the Undisputed Legends on Sunday.
However, with DeRozen and other NBA players coming into the league at the end of the season, they could help lead their teams to compete for a title.
Leave a Reply