On July 23, VIS Studio Live brought together VIS’s community of athletes, mentors, and collaborators for a day of live conversations with some of VIS’s WNBA Mentors. 

During WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, VIS Founder and CEO Stef Strack sat down with Chicago Sky forward Maddy Westbeld to learn more about her elite mindset both on and off the court. 

From finding basketball as a child to her extraordinary college career at the University of Notre Dame, and into her rise in the WNBA, attention and presence—both driven by curiosity—have been Westbeld’s key to success.

Finding Your Truth

Long before her eyes were set on playing professionally, curiosity is what first led Westbeld to the sport of basketball. Leaning into the simple question of, “What do I naturally like?” she discovered the joy and fulfillment that playing basketball brought her. 

For Westbeld, staying aligned to what “sparks [her] heart” has continued to be a guiding principle. “I think more than anything, it's so important for you to pay attention to where your attention goes naturally,” she said. 

Staying rooted in this genuine love of the game and fulfillment she gets from playing is what kept Westbeld grounded through her journey to becoming a professional basketball player. 

“I think more than anything, it's so important for you to pay attention to where your attention goes naturally.”

Maddy Westbeld

Joy of the Rookie Mindset

Stepping onto the WNBA court comes with undeniable public pressure and expectation—it’s one of the biggest stages in sport. Especially as an athlete new to the league, this new level of public attention can be extremely overwhelming and intimidating. 

Rather than letting this weight hold her down, Westbeld reframed it, seeing her rookie status as an advantage. She reconnected with the child-like curiosity that led her to the sport in the first place. “I remember being so excited to be a rookie again, because it meant I could just be a kid,” Westbeld shared. 

There was so much to learn as a rookie in the league and Westbeld was able to latch on to that, allowing her curiosity about learning and improving as a player to be her guide. “I remember coming in trying to be a sponge, and I was trying to learn from everybody,” Westbeld said, describing her excitement.

Reframing Pressure

When asked about managing pressure, especially in the WNBA, Westbeld gave us a great example from her time in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) as a youth athlete. Westbeld recalled feeling lots of overwhelm and pressure when the All-American voters would come to her games. To work through this, she developed the ability to redirect much of this pressure by asking herself why it was so stressful to begin with. 

“Why am I giving [the selection committee] so much power? You know what I mean? Like, [they have] never stepped in my shoes,” she would ask herself. By using curiosity as a self-exploration tool to understand why she felt pressure in the first place and how she could reframe that as a tool, Westbeld was able to stay present in the moment, rather than allowing pressure to steal her focus from the game. 

Adaptation through Adversity

Westbeld’s journey through sport has not been without setbacks. In 2024, she underwent foot surgery, which involved a lengthy recovery period. During this time, Westbeld was able to lean into curiosity to continually find ways to improve herself as a teammate and athlete, despite having to make accommodations to her training as she healed. 

By constantly seeking creative ways she could continue to find little pieces of improvement each day, Westbeld was able to stay present and connected to her sport. For example, she would ask herself, “How can I be a better teammate? How can I understand the people around me better, so that when I'm on the court with them, I can understand them from a different view?” 

When she was finally able to get back on the court, Westbeld spent lots of time practicing with Courtney Vandersloot, her teammate on the Chicago Sky. At this point in time, Westbeld was not fully cleared to play and practice to her full capacity, but she shared how impactful it was to have the influence of a WNBA veteran to lean on. Practicing with Vandersloot reminded Westbeld of the curiosity and excitement that drove her to the game of basketball in the first place. “[Vandersloot is] like a little kid, in the best sense. She's my favorite vet I've ever had because she still treats the game like it's a game,” Westbeld recalled. 

Follow Your Heart

Westbeld’s final advice to the VIS Community? “Pay attention to what lights your heart on fire; And go after it”. 

It all comes down to having the curiosity to understand what brings us joy and fulfillment, and to hold tight to that spark, letting the excitement of finding new ways to learn and grow guide us on our journeys.