"I am grateful and honored to wear these three letters on my chest"

WNBA star A'ja Wilson did not know what basketball games could do for her when he was growing up. She could not imagine that this would take her to a professional and personal place.

"The basketball game opened many doors for a little girl in South Carolina," Wilson told The Undefeated. "This is not even just a literal door to travel and meet new people, but to find yourself, find that kind of confidence, that kind of self-esteem, and know that I can dress well. I can still be a beautiful woman in Playing sports on and off the court. So, I think this is what basketball games really mean to me....

"This is a blessing. I really can only say so much, do you know? I'm just a little girl who doesn't want to play this game. I hate it very much. So, for the game to give me back in this way... People Saying I'm just a fur. It opened my eyes."

Basketball will soon bring Wilson to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After winning the 2018 FIBA ​​World Cup, the number one American qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. (Wilson is a member of that team.) At the same time, the U.S. women's national basketball team will head to Belgrade, Serbia, to participate in the FIBA ​​Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will begin on Thursday.

This will be an opportunity for the world to get to know the 23-year-old Wilson.

In six exhibition games, Wilson averaged 20.3 minutes per game and averaged a team-high 14.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, including Subord, Skela Dickins-Smith, Sylvia Falls, Bray Anna Stewart, Britney Greener and Neckar Ogwu Mike.

"In order for me to finally get the red, white and blue, I looked at it and said,'This is very special,'" Wilson said. "In fact, I can pick out the brains of future Hall of Fame members in practice, which is great. So, I am grateful and honored to be able to wear these three letters on my chest."

Aja Wilson (center) of the US Women's National Team grabbed a rebound against the Louisville Cardinals in an exhibition game at KFC Yum! The center will be held in Louisville, Kentucky on February 2nd.

Jeff Reinking / NBAE via Getty Images

Wilson began to gain attention at the college level of the University of South Carolina women's basketball team, where she was the 2018 National Player of the Year and was selected to the All-American First Team for three times by the Associated Press. She led the cockfighting team to the 2017 NCAA Championship and achieved a record of 129-16 in the four seasons of head coach Dawn Staley, who will coach the American women at the 2020 Olympics. basket.

In 2018, Wilson was selected by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Draft with the first overall pick, and won the Rookie of the Year Award with an average of 20.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Last season, Wilson averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, leading Aces to the WNBA semi-finals, but was eliminated by the final champion Washington Mystery.​​ (She also played for the Shaanxi Red Wolf team of the Chinese women's basketball team in the 2018-19 season.)

Wilson said: “I’m very happy to be one of its young faces. I can enter different things in this way and bring different personalities and atmospheres.” “I’m very happy to see our league grows every year. In it. It’s a bit difficult to see from the outside, but now I’m inside, and now I can see myself and help my teammates in various ways in my Las Vegas city, it will be very interesting. The future of W is So bright."

Wilson is also excited about the greatly improved collective bargaining agreement in the WNBA.

"I am very happy that this transaction has improved the player experience in many areas, and that we now have progressive workplace benefits," Wilson said. "Paid maternity leave, mental health support, and upgraded travel standards are outstanding for me.

"I'm really happy for the moms in our league, and I'm glad that those who want to be moms are now supported by the league where they work tirelessly. The new jump in the salary cap means all players, from the rookie to the top. , Will benefit. This is an exciting deal and I think it sets a precedent for all women’s leagues."

This season, WNBA players will also rest during the Olympic Games from July 24 to August. 9. The WNBA will resume play before August 16 and will skip the All-Star Game in the 2020 season.

For Wilson and her American teammates, there is no rest time. But Wilson looks forward to the opportunity to represent her country. She is also very happy to be reunited with Staley during the Olympics.

"I always say she is my mother, far away from my mother," Wilson said. "She always asks me to check everything in school, and I can go to her to do anything. Therefore, seeing an African American woman leading the American team is always a very close and cherished thing for me. ."

The US Women's Basketball is one of the most dominant teams in the history of the Olympic Games. The US team has won gold medals in the past six Olympics and has not lost in the Olympics since 1992. The US team has won by at least 275 points in the last three sessions.

This year's team will also become the top priority.

"Yes, it's pressure," Wilson said, "but in the final analysis, it's basketball. This is basketball, and this is something we are all good at. So, we can't sneer about it."

Marc J. Spears is a senior NBA writer at The Undefeated. He used to dunk on you, but he hasn't for many years, and his knee is still injured.

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