Looking down, she notices something is terribly wrong.

A sizeable group of Maloof Sports & Entertainment Team Members await her encouraging words before the Sacramento Monarchs tip-off their 13th WNBA Season.

Still, she's in disbelief as she looks up to make her opening remarks.

"Sorry, everyone!" DeMya Walker exclaims.

In her eyes, as she explains, few things could be worse than the situation at hand. The Monarchs 10-year veteran is addressing a group but ran out of time preparing for the gathering and didn't remove the chipped and faded finger nail polish from her long, strong fingers.

"Just so ya'll know, I don't normally walk around with my nails looking like this," Walker said showing off her fingers, while raising a bag of cotton balls high above her head. "I brought these out to show you, I'll be removing this old nail polish as soon as this is over... I'm so sorry!"

The room erupts in laughter.

She is completely serious.

With a twinkle in her eye, Walker goes on to share her eagerness to return to the court with her 10 teammates when training camp opens on May 17. Although she played last season, she wasn't at full-strength, and she is dying to get back on the ARCO Arena court.

"I want to play so badly," Walker says. "I just want to get out there and be with my teammates and really, truly, go through the ups and downs. Not like, I hear about it or I watched it. Like, I was actually in there with them going through it, sharing all the different emotions. I'm so excited about that."

It's been a steep climb for Walker since she went down with a right knee injury five games into the 2007 season and then re-injured the same knee last winter while playing in Russia. But, she's as positive as ever and ready to return to punishing the opposition with her nimble footwork, rebounding and knack for scoring around the basket.

"Staying healthy has been the biggest thing for me this off-season -- to be 100 percent healthy and ready to go," Walker said after an individual off-season workout with the Monarchs coaching staff. "So everything is kind of tilted in that direction and now that I'm healthy, it's shaking the rust off and becoming more prepared for the upcoming season and fine-tuning the skills that I already had, then attempting to add some before training camp comes."

When not in the practice gym, weight room or training room, Walker has been in front of crowds, utilizing her gift of gab, just as she demonstrated at the Monarchs tip-off event for MS&E Team Members.

"I love speaking, but I especially love speaking to children," mother of three-year-old daughter Zachara, Walker said.

Raised in the inner-city without an athletic role model as a young girl, Walker seizes her opportunity to make a positive impact on youth in Sacramento.

"I like to put the responsibility back into the kids' hands," Walker said after discussing the importance of youngsters making good decisions. "I think this off-season has really allowed me to reach that many more kids and that many more chances to help them make the right choices."

Despite a natural talent to speak in front of audiences and the flamboyant personality to convey her message in a meaningful and entertaining way, Walker's role as public speaker only has the longevity of her playing career.

"When it's over, it's over," Walker said of her goal of playing until the age of 35. "You won't see me dragging along. It's not going to happen.

"I want to be a lawyer. I want to be something completely different. It'll probably be something totally outside of the sports arena. I just want to enjoy the game. I want to enjoy watching my kids play. I don't really want to be involved in it (after my playing career)."

In the meantime, Walker has a public perception to maintain -- WNBA All-Star and motivational speaker -- so she better tend to her nails.