Patience and hard work: Part I

On Feb, 10, 2024, Serbia beat Brazil in FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and punched their tickets to Paris. That win wouldn’t have been possible without Yvonne Anderson, the 5-foot-6 guard born in Springdale, AR who handles the playmaking duties for the White Eagles, as the Balkan team is known. In this three-part deep dive, we get into Anderson’s performance that day, explain how she got there and what made her the player and the person that she is today.

Most people won’t believe my basketball story, because it’s hard to believe honestly, but it’s a testament to the belief that what God has meant for you, is for you. The best way to show your gratitude is take what God gave you and hone it, try to make it great, and then try to make it excellent. You’re given this gift and the opportunity, and it’s not enough to just be thankful—you have to grow that gift, make the absolute most of that opportunity and be a walking testimony to God’s greatness.

For Yvonne Anderson, that gift is basketball. In the upcoming months, at age 34, she’ll play in the EuroLeague Women Final Four for Fenerbahçe and participate in her second Olympics. She plays professionally in Turkey and represents Serbia internationally. In the past, she has played in Australia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Sweden. At age 32, she made her WNBA debut for the Connecticut Sun. Her career is proof that perseverance and hard work will get you where you’re supposed to be. Twelve years ago, she didn’t even know whether she would play professional basketball.

After I graduated in 2012 and finished my college career, I actually couldn’t get on a roster! My former agent literally couldn’t get me on a team in Europe. I attended a few exposure camps and, even then, nothing. I ended up getting in contact with an agent that got me connected to my basketball trainer, Dorian Lee. Through D. Lee not only was I able to expand my game, but he also got me connected to an agent and I managed to get on a team in Sweden as an injury replacement player in October of 2013.

Fast forward to Feb. 10, 2024. It’s Saturday and Anderson takes the court wearing No. 12 for Serbia in a game against Brazil that will decide the Olympic fates of both teams. The game takes place in Belém, which is Portuguese for Bethlehem. But there is no religious significance to the event. Women’s basketball is not followed as obsessively as soccer in Brazil, but the arena in which the hosts take on Serbia is packed and loud.

The day before, both teams lost their opening games of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and are now looking for redemption. Australia and Germany are the other teams participating in the competition. Three of the four national teams will progress to the Olympics. One point for a defeat, two points for a win. Brazil and Serbia are tied with a point apiece at the moment, but after two hours, one team will have three points and basically punch their tickets to Paris.

On Friday, Serbia was close to getting a win over Germany. They were up by four points with two and a half minutes to go, but Germany had the ball. And Germany made a 3. The momentum shifted and Serbia lost, 73-66. The team was deflated. If they couldn’t beat Germany, how were they supposed to win over what were, on paper, tougher opponents in Brazil and Australia? The next day, Anderson took it upon herself to instill confidence in the team. She’s the daughter of basketball coach Mike Anderson, who has served as head coach for a number of men’s NCAA Division I programs. But on that day, when addressing her teammates, she channeled her mother, Marcheita, and promises that she won’t allow the game to slip away, as it did the day before.

My mother is a force in whatever environment that she is put in, meaning that when she walks in the door, all eyes are on her—she’s the center of attention and she embraces it. I think she passed some of that down to me. I’m definitely more on the quiet side, that’s passed down to my father, but the idea of being confident in who you are, and walking into an each room that you’re invited in—and even those you’re not invited in—with authority, it’s a gift she possesses and I push myself to embrace that part of my personality as well. “Pure confidence,” I would call it.

Serbia national team coach, Marina Maljković, says that Anderson is a blend of both of her parents:

What sets Yvonne apart is her ability to seamlessly blend contrasting traits inherited from her parents, much like the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. From her father, she inherits a calm and steady demeanor, akin to Dr. Jekyll’s composed facade, providing stability and leadership to her teammates. Yet, when confronted with opponents, she channels the radiant, glittering energy of her mother, transforming into Mr. Hyde with an unleashed ferocity that mirrors her mother’s shining brilliance.

Yvonne’s college coach at Texas for four years, Gail Goestenkors, remembers that Anderson always knew how to look and feel confident. Articulating it so that her teammates would feel it too was the issue. Goestenkors recalls, “I would say the area I wanted her to work on most was her verbal leadership. Yvonne was quiet and an introvert who led by example.” After those four years together and 12 more playing basketball on three continents, Goestenkors is quick to add that:

Yvonne now has the swagger that comes from knowing you’re really good and have put in the time and effort to be great. She’s more of a verbal leader and trusts her instincts. I see the same ability to take over a game and make everyone around her better. I see a determined spirit and someone who is STILL a student of her game. Always learning and growing.

It’s however Brazil who gives Anderson and her teammates a crash course in determination, as they open the game with a 10-0 run in the first three minutes, forcing Maljković to take a timeout. However, Anderson knows a thing or two about determination, too.

Growing up, my mom would drive me to the gym after school and I would wait for my dad’s practices to be finished, wait for my brother to finish working out with my dad and then I would have my turn.

The youngest of three children, Anderson learned early on how to be patient. You wait for your opportunity, and once you get it, make the most of it. The timeout is over and Serbia inbounds the ball. It goes from player to player when Anderson calls for it while behind the 3-point line. She drives into the interior and shoots a jumper in front of her defender. Swish. The score is still 2-10, but the crowd gets quiet for a moment. On Serbia’s next offensive play, Anderson passes the ball from halfcourt to Dragana Stanković for an easy 2-pointer.

Serbia loses the ball on the following offensive possession, and Brazil gets an easy basket. Next time, Anderson drains a jumper. Another possession, another jumper. She’s 3-for-3 from the floor. On the next play, however, Yvonne misses an easy layup. She goes to the bench with three minutes left in the quarter and Brazil up 16-10.

She got her team back in the game by scoring and distributing. Through the years, she has worked on both, because she knew that the flexibility would allow her to be useful and helpful, regardless of the conditions of a game.

I would say the combination of the two components, being able to score and also being able to create for others is why I’ve become as successful as I am. One without the other can still be great, but having both makes you more valuable. There are moments you need to score and there are times you need to get your teammates going. I find the most joy with basketball however I can best contribute to my team winning, whatever that means in each situation.

Look for Part II of “Patience and hard work: Yvonne Anderson leads Serbia to the 2024 Paris Olympics” later this week.