Blodgett says postseason plans unclear

CLEVELAND – For now, Cindy Blodgett is fighting to get increased playing time in her rookie season with the Cleveland Rockers.

Still, after a 30-game regular season and the playoffs, Blodgett will face the same dilemma that all WNBA players face at the end of the short three-month season.

Blodgett certainly knows what her options are.

“You could go overseas and play, you could go back to school. you could go try to get a coaching job. There are lots of things you could do,” Blodgett said.

Blodgett said that her future plans are on the back burner in part because she’s so focused on the season. The Rockers are 6-7 after a Sunday loss, and Blodgett hasn’t made a shot from the floor in seven games. She is playing 10.6 minutes per game for the Rockers, averaging 4.2 points a contest.

Blodgett said a part of her would like to ignore the future entirely until the season finishes.

“I probably shouldn’t take that approach, but I think I might,” she said with a laugh.

Many WNBA players do choose to play in a pro league overseas, but after thinking about that option, Blodgett said that it may be time to take a break.

“By the time this season’s over, I will have played almost 70 games [counting college and the pros] in the past year,” she said. “Going overseas isn’t something I really want to jump the gun on right now. It would have to be something real special of an offer to take me.”

Blodgett’s salary has been reported as $44,000, but she said she won’t be content living off that during the nine-month off-season.

“There might be some things in Maine I can do to make some money – promotional things,” Blodgett said.

But she said that though her lawyer is fielding offers, she may not accept many of them.

“I don’t know how scheduled I want to be,” she said.

Blodgett said she also thinks that a move away from Maine may be good for her.

“It’s very different. If I were to go back and live where my family lives, time has gone by and my friends aren’t there any more,” Blodgett said.

“And I’m not going to Orono to be an extension of the team. I feel like I’ve moved on past that, too. Of course they’re still my friends, and some of them are coming down later this month to visit.”

Returning to Maine to complete the student teaching component needed to become certified as a teacher – she already has a degree in elementary education – is another thing she doesn’t think she’ll do.

“If I intend to teach I can go back. But I really want to coach some day. I don’t really want to teach,” she said, pointing out that if she ever changes her mind, she can go back and earn her certification.

For now, Blodgett’s leaning toward returning to New England, resting, and working hard for her second WNBA season.

“I’m thinking more along the lines of maybe going to Boston somewhere,” she said. “There’s lots of universities and colleges right there, maybe I can work out with one of the teams down there to stay in shape during the off-season, and maybe take hold of a high school team. There’s lots of things I can do.”