Salute to those who never give up

Patience levels seem to be at an all-time low in this country. Young people, in particular, don't seem to be as resilient as in times past, and giving up is the norm for many.

So I have to give a lot of credit to the players who try out for WNBA teams year after year, and aren't giving up on their dreams. There are a few who have shown that their faith is granite rock, and I respect that a lot.

Jacki Gemelos is one such player. By now everyone knows the story of her repeated ACL tears in college, which kept her at the University of Southern California for six years and two degrees. She was cut by the Lynx in 2013, and since then has been balling her tail off in Greece, where she is a bonafide star. This year she was cut by the Sky on the very last day, just before the cuts deadline. As someone who followed Gemelos through college and interviewed her many a time, that really hurt me. I hope she continues to give it a try next year.

Darxia Morris and Sequoia Holmes are also two who seem to try out every year, and come very close. Morris, a UCLA graduate, and Holmes, who played for UNLV, were both cut by Atlanta last week.

Alyssia Brewer, another former Bruin, has tried out for several teams. She was waived by Connecticut last Tuesday. Others who were in camp but cut this season for the second or third consecutive time were Louisville's Alicia DeVaughn, Iowa State's Chelsea Poppens, Tennessee's Meighan Simmons and San Diego State's Chelsea Hopkins. Ify Ibekwe, who played at Arizona, also tried out yet again, and was cut last week.

These athletes remind us to never give up on ourselves, and to always try. Much love to them. If more people had their courage, this world would be such a better place.