The Nike Field Reporter

In South Central Watts, on the corner of Broadway and 108th sits a spot as rooted in boxing history as the palm trees that line its graffiti covered sidewalks. “Sooner or Later the Man Who Wins is the Man Who Thinks He Can,” reads the unofficial creed that hangs above its entrance.

Broadway Boxing is a place generations of fighters have called home. A place that lives and dies by tradition and respect for the greats whose faded pictures cover every inch of visible wall.

It’s real, it authentic it’s the perfect spot for a Nike shoot staring 22 year old, pro basketball guard, Candice Wiggins.

As she walked into the gym, dressed to fit the part in her torn, sleeveless hoody, sports bra and mesh shorts, she was transformed into the Million Dollar Baby.

Maybe it was the permanent smell of sweat that hangs in the air, or the floor, worn in a ring below the heavy bag, that triggered her metamorphosis. Either way, the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 draft suddenly became the defending lightweight champ hungry to take on the challenger.

Inside Broadway Boxing you won’t find state of the art machinery or innovative training routines. In fact the majority of equipment is tattered and torn and when repairs are made, they are done so with duct tape.

So instead of cardio-tai box, Candice sparred and instead of the elliptical, she jumped rope. Sit ups, push-ups, med balls abs and pull-ups. An old school, back to the basics routine left the 4x All American looking gritty, raw, and covered in a layer of glistening sweat.

The camera loved her.

Sure, it was a just a photo shoot. It was make believe, there’s no way this bubbly, down to earth just-barely-out-of-her-rookie-season Minnesota Lynx could shed blood in the ring, right!?

I don’t know about the ring, but I do know when the flash of the photographer's camera caught the fire behind her narrowing eye, Candice Wiggins looked like the last person in the world I want to meet center court.

-Meghan