Aces relive Paris memories, get back to work to face Liberty

Finally back in Las Vegas after her Olympic run, Tiffany Hayes saw the parallels between being an Aces player and being an excited student.

“It feels like the first day of school again,” she said Thursday. “It feels like it’s a literal reset.”

The observation came after the team’s first practice together since the Paris Games, a homecoming for the six players the Aces sent to the Olympics as they reunited with the five who stayed in the U.S.

The Aces (16-8) return from a monthlong break for the Olympics when they host the New York Liberty (22-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“I think my legs are still in Paris,” guard Kelsey Plum joked during a scrimmage.

“I do not feel fresh!” center Kiah Stokes exclaimed before the team broke for individual shooting practice.

Coach Becky Hammon gave the Aces a long leash to make up for the exhaustion, allowing the recent Paris returnees to opt out of the workout if they needed to.

Hammon paid a brief visit to Paris herself, and she came back with memories like the rest of the team. She picked a perfect time to arrive in the City of Light, where she celebrated star forward A’ja Wilson’s birthday, then watched four of her players win gold against the host city’s team.

Wilson was dominant, averaging 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as she won tournament MVP. Point guard Chelsea Gray had a whopping 13 assists in a win over Japan.

Hammon said her trip was even sweeter as she supported guard Jackie Young and Plum. She was hopeful that the 2021 3x3 Olympic gold medalists would make the main U.S. team for the first time, but she had no idea Young would work her way from a bench player to a starter, or that Plum would find herself smiling at the free-throw line for the win.

Plum hit two foul shots with 12 seconds left to give the U.S. a four-point lead, and the Americans hung on for a 67-66 victory over France in the gold-medal game.

“That’s what you dream of when you’re little,” Hammon said of Plum’s clutch foul shots. “I knew she was going to make those.”

Young’s favorite memories off the court were in an Italian restaurant called Cesar’s that she said Team USA visited four times. She also watched some track and field events in the Stade de France, the country’s largest stadium.

Ultimately, the highlight for Young might have been the relationships she forged along the way. Fans noticed that she and Wilson spent a lot of time with Mercury guard Kahleah Copper. Even Hammon noted that they “got to know each other and be buddies.”

“My teammates, my sisters (were) out there with me,” Young said. “I made a couple new friends.”

Wilson and Snoop

Wilson said Thursday that she needed some time to decompress after leading Team USA to a record eighth consecutive gold medal.

Wilson was busy in Paris: supporting Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles in gymnastics and meeting legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky. She was even joined courtside by rapper Snoop Dogg as she watched the U.S. men’s basketball team. He gave her Skittles and a Death Row Records chain, having worn a T-shirt with her face on it the night before.

“I feel like that was just kind of the whole Olympics this year. Finally being a fan of greatness, and then realizing that people are a fan of (yours),” Wilson said. “In Tokyo, we didn’t really get that experience because it was Covid.”

Wilson said she dominated off the court as well, beating every member of her team in Uno, even after she had as many as 24 cards in her hand.

Gray and family

Gray had plenty of unforgettable moments with her wife, Tipesa, and her son, Lennox.

The family walked to the Eiffel Tower while Lennox slept and thought about how far they’d come. Then he woke up just in time for a family photo, Gray said.

Not even a year old, he posed again days later to bite the gold medal when it came within his reach.

In pursuit of the new hardware, Gray never held back as she talked to her Aces teammates. Gray and Wilson wore No. 8 and No. 9 jerseys, respectively, for Team USA. Next to each other on the roster and occasionally on the bench, Gray would reference their one-two punch by repeatedly telling Wilson, “(We’re) on they ass.” She did the same thing with Plum, often telling her to stay aggressive and keep being herself.

“Just (some of) the conversations that we would have,” Gray said. “I was just really happy to be able to share that experience with them.”

Gustafson and Hayes

Hayes and Megan Gustafson didn’t come home with any hardware, but Aces veteran Alysha Clark made sure their Olympic accomplishment was celebrated by decorating their lockers and presenting them with plastic medals before Thursday’s practice.

Hayes led Azerbaijan in scoring in six of the team’s 3-on-3 games as the team missed the knockout stage. She described each game as “10 minutes of hell.”

“We wanted more (wins),” Hayes said. “But just being there with them and taking it all in was really nice.”

Gustafson and Spain’s national team made it to the quarterfinals, and her impressive play continued in the final loss to Belgium as she led the team with 21 points and seven rebounds.

She’s the only Aces player who had an opportunity to taste the Olympic village’s famous chocolate muffins. She listed them as a highlight of her experience, along with the “overwhelming love and support” from fans and her family.

Contact Callie Lawson-Freeman at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.