You could understand if Kayla McBride dedicated her limited off-court hours to napping. After helping lead the Minnesota Lynx to a thrilling WNBA final against the New York Liberty, she’s prepping for the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a three-on-three winter basketball league packed with fellow superstars that launches in January.
But the 32-year-old shooting guard seems to maintain an equally hectic pace in her private life, with an eclectic diet of music and food. The Pennsylvania native spoke by phone the morning after seeing Billie Eilish at Xcel Energy Center.
Q: How was the show?
A: It was special. For her to be 22 years old and do what she does is unbelievable. Last week, I saw Usher and I’m going to see Zach Bryan in December. I really love music.
Q: What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen?
A: One of the coolest was J. Cole. It was at Staples Center, right after the release of his “KOD” album. A rap concert can be based in storytelling or in performing. He did both. He really speaks to my generation with his honesty. In that way, he’s like Kendrick Lamar and Billie.
Q: What do you do to relax, especially before a big game?
A: One place I find serenity is the Watershed Spa in Minneapolis. The owner reached out to me after a game. At first, I wasn’t able to take advantage of it, but now I go there to reset between games. For a while, I was traveling so much and not realizing the wear and tear on my body. I’ll always be a sauna girl. And it’s just nice to get away from the Lynx facilities, because we are here so much.