Asjha On Her USA Basketball Experience
Hello all...
As some of you may know, I was fortunate enough to play with the USA basketball team that recently won the Gold Medal in the Czech Republic. This was the first time I was able to participate, because every other time, I have been injured.
After the Connecticut Sun season, I took time off before USA Basketball training camp began. We had a very tough year, so it was nice to have a little time off. It was great for the body and the mind. I often wonder how in the world I used to go from season to season without a break, I guess when you hit the big three-oh, your perspective changes.
I must say that for the entire time I was off, I was stressing about packing. From the beginning, I knew that there were no guarantees that I would actually make the USA team. If I did, that would mean leaving home for over a month. During that time span, the team would be traveling to different cities and different climates. Of course, being the worrier I am, I totally over-packed, and had to end up sending a bag back home.
I mean seriously, that was the hardest packing experience I have ever had!
Training camp was held in Washington D.C., which used to be my home away from home. That was awesome, because I was able to spend a good amount of time there. I always love the time I get to spend in Washington, D.C. because the area has so much variety. Our schedule wasn't so bad either, because we had morning practices. We got our work done early, and had the rest of our days to ourselves.
From Washington, the team went to Hartford to play a few exhibition games. It was great because we were able to play against Australia and Spain, which are two really good teams. It was also a rare chance for the USA team to play together.
From there, the team traveled to Spain for more exhibition games. The idea was to get as many exhibition games in before the World Championships as possible. Also, the players were still trying out for the team. I don't think that I have ever tried out for a team in my life. I have been very fortunate in my career, so this was a new experience for me. I must say that it was very stressful. Some games, I played well, and some I just did OK. The tricky thing about trying out for USA Basketball is that it isn't meant to be an All-Star team. So even if you think you are playing well, the decision-makers may think you don't "Fit."
From Spain we headed to the Czech Republic, where the World Championship was held. Throughout the tournament, it was amazing how well we played together. We added three players, basically the day before our first game. But we played so well together we were still able to win most of our games by larger margins.
There were some major upsets. The Russian team and also Australia, the defending champions lost. Seeing them lose made it clear to us that if we didn't come ready to play our last two games, we would not win the Gold. Our focus was super high and we made sure we did not underestimate anyone.
Australia was beaten by the host team and their fans were amazing. So we had to face them in the Gold Medal game. The atmosphere for that game was unreal. It was so loud in there we couldn’t hear each other on the court. It was a great place to win a Gold Medal.
Even though the Czechs did not win, they and their fans were so happy that they had even made it that far. So when the game was over, they celebrated and it was awesome. It was a surreal experience, and I am so thankful to have been a part of the journey. Even now, there are times when I still can hardly believe it.
~Asjha
As some of you may know, I was fortunate enough to play with the USA basketball team that recently won the Gold Medal in the Czech Republic. This was the first time I was able to participate, because every other time, I have been injured.
After the Connecticut Sun season, I took time off before USA Basketball training camp began. We had a very tough year, so it was nice to have a little time off. It was great for the body and the mind. I often wonder how in the world I used to go from season to season without a break, I guess when you hit the big three-oh, your perspective changes.
I must say that for the entire time I was off, I was stressing about packing. From the beginning, I knew that there were no guarantees that I would actually make the USA team. If I did, that would mean leaving home for over a month. During that time span, the team would be traveling to different cities and different climates. Of course, being the worrier I am, I totally over-packed, and had to end up sending a bag back home.
I mean seriously, that was the hardest packing experience I have ever had!
Training camp was held in Washington D.C., which used to be my home away from home. That was awesome, because I was able to spend a good amount of time there. I always love the time I get to spend in Washington, D.C. because the area has so much variety. Our schedule wasn't so bad either, because we had morning practices. We got our work done early, and had the rest of our days to ourselves.
From Washington, the team went to Hartford to play a few exhibition games. It was great because we were able to play against Australia and Spain, which are two really good teams. It was also a rare chance for the USA team to play together.
From there, the team traveled to Spain for more exhibition games. The idea was to get as many exhibition games in before the World Championships as possible. Also, the players were still trying out for the team. I don't think that I have ever tried out for a team in my life. I have been very fortunate in my career, so this was a new experience for me. I must say that it was very stressful. Some games, I played well, and some I just did OK. The tricky thing about trying out for USA Basketball is that it isn't meant to be an All-Star team. So even if you think you are playing well, the decision-makers may think you don't "Fit."
From Spain we headed to the Czech Republic, where the World Championship was held. Throughout the tournament, it was amazing how well we played together. We added three players, basically the day before our first game. But we played so well together we were still able to win most of our games by larger margins.
There were some major upsets. The Russian team and also Australia, the defending champions lost. Seeing them lose made it clear to us that if we didn't come ready to play our last two games, we would not win the Gold. Our focus was super high and we made sure we did not underestimate anyone.
Australia was beaten by the host team and their fans were amazing. So we had to face them in the Gold Medal game. The atmosphere for that game was unreal. It was so loud in there we couldn’t hear each other on the court. It was a great place to win a Gold Medal.
Even though the Czechs did not win, they and their fans were so happy that they had even made it that far. So when the game was over, they celebrated and it was awesome. It was a surreal experience, and I am so thankful to have been a part of the journey. Even now, there are times when I still can hardly believe it.
~Asjha
