It's okay to take time for yourself. We give so much of ourselves to others and we need to be fueled both physically and mentally. If we are in balance, it helps us in all our interactions.

That fifth year helps a lot of players. They are more mature physically and mentally. Part of being a good player like Lauren is that teams try and take her out. With the exception of a couple of games, Lauren has been solid for us. She's so consistent; you know what you're going to get out of her every game.

Going into a pregnancy is a really challenging time for a woman, because it's forever-changing, both mentally and physically.

Some of the onus falls on us to make ourselves available for the ball, because we need to play inside-out. That's when we're at our best.

It's okay to take that reservoir of passion that you have and let it flow into whatever you love. Experiment, question, replicate, be critical, be nerdy, be yourself.

As we give presents at Christmas, we need to recognize that sharing our time and ourselves is such an important part of giving.