Aces’ A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray make U.S. Olympic basketball team
Aces stars A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray have never played in the Olympic Games, but now they will get their chance.
Both were selected Monday to the powerhouse 12-player U.S. women’s basketball team that has won six consecutive gold medals.
When told the news by USA basketball, Gray said she didn’t remember hearing beyond “congratulations.”
“As soon as I heard, things were kind of a blur,” said Gray, the Aces’ 5-foot-11-inch point guard who averages 11.8 points and 6.4 assists. “It was super emotional. I started crying. It was a lot, the journey getting here. It hasn’t been a straight and narrow journey.”
For the States. For the history. For the gold.
Our team to go for seven consecutive Olympic gold medals at @Tokyo2020
#USABWNT x @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/2G0zrlXNLh
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 21, 2021
The team will train in Las Vegas and play a series of exhibition games July 10 to 18 in preparation for the Olympics from July 26 to Aug. 8 in Saitama, Japan.
This might be Wilson’s first appearance in the Olympics, but it’s not the first time on the international stage for the reigning WNBA MVP. She also competed on the gold medal-winning team in the 2018 FIBA World Cup.
Wilson, a 6-4 forward who averages 18.5 points and 8.1 rebounds, said she didn’t know how that experience would translate, but that it should be a positive.
“It gave us a chance to mesh together and play on other teams and get into the system under coach (Dawn) Staley,” she said.
Wilson knows the Team USA coach well. Staley also coached Wilson at South Carolina, so she knows better than anyone else what is expected.
“I remember being in college, and when she was named head coach of the (U.S.) team (in 2017), I started crying,” Wilson said. “I was so proud of coach Staley. To be alongside her in Japan is going to be a big honor for me to be able to play underneath her again.”
Those aren’t the only Aces expected to compete in the Olympics.
Liz Cambage was selected to the Australian team on Monday, and JiSu Park was chosen to play for South Korea. Kelsey Plum hopes to compete on the U.S. 3-on-3 squad.
𝗟𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗶𝗲, 𝗢𝗶! 𝗢𝗶! 𝗢𝗶! @ecambage is #Tokyo2020 bound with @BasketballAus! #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/ZUy64n0v2W
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 21, 2021
𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱!
JiSu is headed to #Tokyo2020 to represent Team South Korea.
Congratulations, @jisupark_twt!#ALLIN ♦️♠️ pic.twitter.com/iNjCqIcQjq
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 21, 2021
Cambage already was dishing it out with her Aces teammates about what might happen in Japan, saying in the locker room that she will win gold.
“I don’t even have to say what our goal is,” Wilson said.
Wilson said she received a call from Team USA while driving and decided to pull over because she was nervous about the news.
Turns out, she had no reason to be concerned.
“It’s a great feeling to know that you’re one of the elite athletes in the world,” Wilson said.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.