During her six-year WNBA career, which included two seasons with the New York Liberty (2003 and ’04), Kristen Brooke “KB” Sharp also played overseas during the offseason. She played in Russia and Israel, but from 2006 on, France proved to be a perfect fit, and she continued to play there for more than a decade after her WNBA days ended, becoming a French citizen in 2012. Today, she lives near Sancerre with husband Yann and four-year-old son Scott.
While Sharp had learned French in school, she said, “It took me two years [playing here] to be able to really have a conversation.” After becoming proficient, she sharpened her skills by assisting basketball teammates new to France.
“I had been planning to play basketball until I couldn’t walk anymore,” Sharp said jokingly. “I played in the [top French] league until 2021. I was going to play one more year in the second division for a team in Normandy, but the week I signed the contract, I found out I was pregnant.”
While pregnancy was a blessing, it also pushed her to think of a career after basketball. She earned a cybersecurity certification and then a translation certification while being a stay-at-home mom. “Teaching English kind of fell into my hands because we have a lot of private schools here,” said Sharp. “People were saying I should get an English teaching job. I sent my resume in, had an interview, and that was that.”
Over time, she also received requests for one-on-one tutoring in English. Sharp saw the potential, and she has officially launched KB Language Bridge, a language training, translation, and interpretation business. She does language training for people of all ages. There are also standard translation services. Upon request, she can serve as an interpreter.
“In teaching and tutoring, I like the contact with other people,” she noted. Basketball is still in her life as she coaches a nine-and-under team with boys and girls, and she plays once a week in a competitive rec league.
The next phase of her business will include teaching French to English-speaking students. She also likes the idea of tutoring French students desirous of attending college in the U.S. With her background in basketball, she feels well qualified to work with potential student-athletes.
Bringing it back to the New York Liberty, Sharp played alongside current Liberty guard Marine Johannès when Johannès was a teenager. “I got to play with her in her professional debut,” said Sharp. “Then, I got to play with her in my end-of-career years. It was cool to watch her.”
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