Ruthy Hebard embraces motherhood with support from Chicago Sky: ‘The most important thing is that she’s Xzavier’s mom first’

The first day of Ruthy Hebard’s fourth training camp with the Chicago Sky looked different from what the forward ever expected — cheering on her teammates from the sideline while keeping an eye on her newborn son, Xzavier Reid.

The months before the WNBA season were defined by an upheaval of the 25-year-old’s entire life focus: first the late discovery of her pregnancy while playing abroad, then Xzavier’s birth on April 11. At the Sky’s first training session Sunday, the entire team’s embrace of its new role in the 3-week-old baby’s life was reflected.

Owner Michael Alter cradled Xzavier in his arms on the sideline while coach James Wade led the team through a film session. Vice president of basketball operations Ann Crosby pushed Xzavier’s stroller around the training facility while Hebard fielded questions from reporters. Players peppered the baby’s head with kisses as they drifted off the court for a post-practice lunch.

With support from the team, Hebard is eager for her new role as a parent while also aiming to cement a larger role with the Sky. That starts with smaller steps — the first of which is to return to practice as the team prepares for its season opener May 19.

“My goals are just to be healthy and to get back as soon as I get cleared and the doctors say it’s safe,” Hebard said. “Because even today, I was really missing it already.”

Hebard learned she was pregnant deep into her second trimester while playing for Turkish team Nesibe Aydin, a process she shared in a documentary released by Togethxr last week.

After noticing herself gain weight despite playing 30 to 35 minutes per game, Hebard took a pregnancy test only to receive a false negative. She felt assured by the result — after all, she wasn’t experiencing morning sickness, cravings or any other signs of pregnancy — and returned to basketball like usual. When she finally learned she was expecting a boy, Hebard was nearly six months along.

Hebard faced nerves when she shared the unexpected change with Wade, recognizing pregnancy could affect her ability to join the Sky for the start of the season. But Wade immediately voiced his support, suggesting Hebard plan her delivery in Chicago so Sky staff could take a hands-on approach to her physical preparation and recovery.

On Sunday, Wade was eager to welcome the newest member of the team to training camp.

“I can’t help but be obsessed with it a little bit,” he said. “Babies are perfect. They don’t talk back, they don’t not get back on defense. I can only yell to a point. And then I look at Xzavier and it’s just all OK.”

After Xzavier’s birth, Hebard joined a small coalition of nearly a dozen mothers playing in the WNBA, including former teammate Candace Parker. The league’s collective bargaining agreement includes critical protections for parents, such as maternity leave with a full salary guaranteed, a $5,000 stipend for child care and designated areas for nursing mothers in arenas and training facilities.

When Hebard returned to Chicago, she worked with Crosby to establish a workout program centered around yoga and weight lifting to maintain her fitness through the final trimester. Her current training regimen is low impact: yoga to strengthen her core and running on an AlterG treadmill, which reduces the body weight of an athlete while they regain strength and endurance.

The Sky have not set a date for Hebard’s return to contact training, but she will begin lifting weights this week, an addition she’s eager to make after months without the soreness of a tiring workout.

Hebard’s role was limited last season behind Parker and Azurá Stevens. After logging a career-high 5.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 16.8 minutes per game in 2021, her usage dipped dramatically in 2022 with averages of 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 9.7 minutes.

But after the departures of Parker and Stevens in the offseason, Hebard has an opportunity to carve out a more significant role — and earning that spot remains her focus even after her offseason surprise.

“I’m so proud of Ruthy,” teammate Kahleah Copper said. “I’m looking at her, I’m seeing her body, I’m seeing her fight through. Like, women just don’t get enough credit for that. She was running days after — and she just had a baby. Just to see her really working to get back to be with us, especially just to see him on the sidelines, it’s special.”

The Sky’s season begins in Minnesota, barely more than a month after Hebard gave birth. Although she set a tentative goal of playing games by the end of May, Hebard and the Sky staff acknowledged the importance of flexibility.

Wade emphasized the Sky’s resolve to incorporate Hebard back into the lineup on her own timeline.

“We’re going to take our time,” Wade said. “She’s a player for us, but the most important thing is that she’s Xzavier’s mom first. So we just want her to be comfortable. We have a program, but that program is going to be as flexible as Ruthy needs it to be.”

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