• Slug: Sports–Team USA WBB Balance, 900 words.
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By Doyal D’angelo
Cronkite News

PARIS – From sitting courtside with Snoop Dogg to fan-girling over Simon Biles, the U.S. women’s basketball team is determined to make the most of its time on and off the court.

Team USA, which takes on Nigeria Wednesday, understands part of bonding with teammates is what you do on the court, but also what happens off the court. Participating in the Olympics is an experience that athletes recognize is rare, and seeing other athletes perform makes them become like everyone else watching at home – a fan.

This approach to balance is paying off. The U.S. women beat Nigeria 88-74 in the quarterfinals Wednesday behind A’ja Wilson’s 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Las Vegas Aces center Wilson, the WNBA’s leading scorer and the most productive player alongside Breanna Stewart, says it’s amazing to be among other Olympians across other sports, particularly pointing to a moment she met Katie Ledecky. She was also thrilled to meet gymnast Biles, as her appreciation of the moment is clear.

“We’re fans of greatness,” Wilson said. “What the people are doing here in the Olympics, the women of this Olympics, have been incredible to watch.”

Meeting other athletes is a memorable Olympic experience, but a mega event like this is filled with them. Some experiences are more fun than others.

Stewart joked about her time at the opening ceremony, which mirrors the experiences of everyone else who stayed out in the rain for hours to attend.

“Regardless of the weather, the opening ceremonies is something that you know you’re always going to remember,” Stewart said. “Might remember this one more just because of the situation, and my blazer, it might still be wet,” Stewart said.

Then of course you have Snoop Dogg – the quintessential spokesperson for NBC and its coverage of the Olympics. She sat courtside with him during a Team USA men’s basketball game against Brazil.

“I love when the culture comes into sports because I think it helps boost the game,” Wilson said. “It’s pretty cool to see him up there, with my face on his shirt and he gave us chains.”

Most recently, Snoop Dogg donned a Wilson T-shirt while performing some of his biggest hits during a 50th-anniversary celebration of Team USA basketball. This party was attended by both the men’s and women’s U.S. teams, and served as a welcome getaway from the grind of Olympics competition.

“It just felt great to be celebrated,” Wilson said. “To have that space where we are celebrated and people can really see what we’ve been doing for the past seven Olympics. It’s huge.”

Collier said she will remember the celebration with Snoop as a key moment of these Olympics, as well as the ability to spend the time with her family, unlike the Tokyo Games which were delayed and limited by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The atmosphere has been amazing,” Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said.

As much as the celebration and the letting loose feels nice for players, they understand the task at hand.

And they recognize the weapons they have. Wilson believes people are not highlighting just how deep this team is.

“I think they talked about what we may lack, and that’s not always good,” she said. “Sometimes you need to stay in the moment and give people their flowers while they’re here.”

Team USA is keeping track of the detractors as much as the celebrators, while the team itself is using this opportunity to come together as best it can despite the presence of a looming final stretch of the WNBA season in which competition between these players will be fiery.

As all of the players on the team see each other competitively through the WNBA and international play, Collier feels like coming together with her temporary teammates is made easier.

“Our league is so small,” she said. “We are really competitive on the court, but as soon as it’s over, we’re going to dinners and I see them before the games.”

As the team only had about a week to practice and prepare for Olympic competition coming off the heels of the first part of the WNBA season and an unprecedented All-Star Game, the players are in a hectic transition period.

The players mention that they are constantly trying to work out the chemistry with such limited time together, as lineups are fluid both within the team and on the opponent’s side.
The forced bonding in a short amount of time forces the team to get close.

“What helps me the most is leaning on them, communicating, talking with them and putting them in the best situation to be great,” Wilson said. “That’s not always the easiest thing. When you’re trying to go through everything.”

As Wilson points out the challenges of coming together, she is in agreement with Collier about the nature of the team and the talent that shines through. Collier says everyone is “going out there and being themselves.”

“I think everyone’s getting really comfortable,” Collier said. “When you’re coming together with the love, and the other best players in the world, it’s definitely not a hardship playing with that kind of talent.”

That kind of talent is about to take on a determined Nigeria team.

“They play fast and they’re physical,” Stewart said. “They try to disrupt a lot defensively.”

Stewart and Co. hope to grab a win and inch closer to that illustrious gold medal, which would be their eighth in a row.

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