That’s award-winning actor Sanaa Lathan to you, but Monica Wright-McCall for those familiar with her role in the 2000 romance film “Love & Basketball.”
Lathan was courtside at Crypto.com Arena during the Los Angeles Sparks’ 103-68 loss to Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty on Thursday night, in something of a homecoming for her.
In “Love & Basketball,” Lathan played the role of Monica Wright, a basketball player in Los Angeles who played for the illustrious Crenshaw High School. Her crush, Quincy McCall — played by actor Omar Epps — also played for Crenshaw, where they became a couple after their high school prom.
The two signed to play basketball for the USC Trojans, where McCall was the star player and Wright earned her way into playing big minutes.
After McCall’s college career, he entered the NBA, where he played with the Los Angeles Lakers. But after going through some changes and patching up their relationship, Wright and McCall get married after Lathan’s character gets introduced as part of the starting lineup for the Sparks, wearing No. 32.
Basketball Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie and Magic Johnson made appearances in the movie.
Lathan earned a BET Award for best actress for the role.