A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Tiffany Hayes & Megan Gustafson | FULL Media Availability

um I definitely needed some time to decompress uh playing usab is a it's a whole another uh thought and mind process um that you might not necessarily have to exert that much energy when you play with your respective team uh so definitely needed just a couple days just to kind of decompressed whether that's just get back into the flow of things or just get my feet underneath me uh because that was a long time away uh with a lot of just back and forth I mean I feel like sometimes people forget that we were even in Le at some point so it's a lot and then coming off of just being Midway through the season uh it could take a toe on you so I'm definitely using these couple of days just to kind of exhale um enjoy the moment uh but also it was great seeing my teammates and getting back into the gym you obviously got one gold medal before that but now getting another one was experiences a whole life for you out there oh man this experience was great I think it was just a lot of fun because we got to really the fans was involved I think in Tokyo we didn't really get that experience because it was co uh but this one was just like a lot it really truly felt like the Olympics like it felt like the world's biggest stage um and everyone whether they were booing for us cheering for us it was just a great vibe to be around and just to see how much our sport has grown um it was a lot of fun to be a part of so uh it was super cool to finally look up in the stands and see my my my parents so happy uh to be in the moment experience it with me kind of mentioned there too though but like playing the host country in the gold game how intense just the atmosphere on that compared to some others oh man that was uh it was it was up there I thought Barclay's game for was crazy but definitely playing France in France for the gold was a huge huge deal and I I love the feel I love those type of games I feel like it was so loud that it just didn't even feel like noise anymore you just you kind of just tuned out to it you become numb to it uh but it was just a lot of fun just to play with the back and forth of it um it was nerve-wrecking I'm sure watching it it was nerve wrecking playing but like those are the moments that you love as an athlete uh to know that you could just grind out stuff and just may not be the prettiest of wins but it's it's a win and it's going to be one we remember and know championships are great and everything you have some here in the WNBA how was a gold medal different um a gold medal because I mean we're talking about the world we're talking about uh Elite athletes great athletes from just around the world and I feel like for us in our game in our league uh we're not really as foreign as the NBA players so we don't really get to play against the best players in the world like that even though we are the best players in the world but just coming from different countries in that sense it's a it's a different style of play it really makes you think it keeps you on your toes so to win a gold medal and to say that no you've played against the best of the best from other countries and still managed to be on top um it just goes to show that we truly are the best in the world and I love that and it's something that no one can really take away from you no matter what and I think it also puts me in a head space where people may not watch The W or may not give a rat ass about the aces but the minute they see Olympic rings or I say I'm an Olympian they know exactly how good I am uh so it really makes them kind of be like Oh no you're you're good uh so I love those moments hey just a biggy back off that you said earlier in the season that the WNBA has gotten better it seems like from an outside perspective it's toold for the rest of the world all the players have gotten better from across different countries did you feel that whenever you were playing over there uh I feel like that's kind of like is the world catching up ping um U I feel like the world has always been there I feel like we've always respected our opponent and we knew how good they were um and how talented they are but I think it's just now it's being showcased more where people are just starting to see the great talents that it is just AC around the world U but no I feel like they've always been great uh every time we play teams whether it's in the US out the US they've always showcased why they are in the situation that they're in and why they're on their national team so it's always been good teams to play against that's why I love uh playing against it because I don't go overseas uh so I don't really get that physicality I don't get that in the offseason as some as my counterparts so every chance I get I love to capitalize on there because it kind of keeps me on my aame ping back to WNBA that you'll face two your Olympic teammates and the Liberty what were the highlights of playing with Stewie Sabrina and how different will it be to kind of suit up against them next yeah I mean it was super cool it always is in these moments I feel like Stewie now we they've created a nickname for us um and watching us just grow has been incredible I mean we sometimes just take a step back and be like like wow look how far we've come uh and I love those moments with Stewie I feel like we take the load off of each other when we're on the court um and we kind of know each other's style of play obviously because we comp against each other but also it's just we know hey in game go Stewie and in game like go Asia so we had that Mutual uh kind of chemistry that was kind of built in and then when it came with playing with Sab I mean she's obviously one of the purest Shooters greatest shoo Shooters in our league right now and so to be able to come off screens with her to make her life a little bit easier it was always a lot of fun but I mean with all that said and done kick him to the curb and now it's time to play against them but no it's it's always mutual respect between us um and I think that's the beautiful thing about our league is how we can kind of flip that switch in those moments but we all know what we want to go after now uh we always we checked off the box of the gold medal now it's really time to go so the mutual respects always going to be there we always Olympic teammates no matter what two more from the and then Willie will close us out asan we heard a lot about the the games itself in Paris as an athlete you have a chance to get out and really experience the games or so focused on what you're doing no I got out I had an opportunity to go to gymnastics I had an opportunity to see just to go obviously of Simone BS but also my friend Jordan Charles to just compete and to see them thrive in their space it's just incredible and I feel like that was just kind of the whole Olympics this year was like being a fan finally like being a fan of greatness and then realizing that people are a fan of your greatness and that's what I love the most I mean I I have so I mean I've always had but it's just a different mindset of respect um just seeing them operate in that space and knowing how hard it is to get to that point um and to shine bright in those moments have been huge so yeah I had an opportunity to I didn't get the chocolate muffins that was in the village that everybody was talking about I kind of hated I missed out on that it was so good Megan I missed that experience hopefully Megan can tell youall about that but no uh I definitely had an opportunity to just see others see other greatness Sno do give you any advice that's why you sitting what did he say oh man we were just I mean I just had a tons of like not tons of question but just general conversation about just how music and that culture and entertainment go hand inand with sports and how they're just equally as fans of us as it is for uh you know them to be fans like of us for supp to be fans of them and just to have those talks with a goat in that industry was just incredible I mean just truly incredible but I can see how hearing his music in Arena it goes hand in hand with me seeing my jersey in the arena just so thankful for our fans and how they continue to push us to be great all right Willie thank you I got two for you a welcome back uh you talked about flipping the switch now that you're back right you're used to this especially you and Stewie we saw the how it started where we're at now pictures and now you get back your folks on the dub I talked to Fe yesterday on zoom and she was talking about how some of the practices or the you know the the downtimes there a little bit of trash talking the her and reev were giving c a little bit of a Gruff from that last second shot did you have any trash talking for any of your us teammates based on the duve do we do any trash talking oh I don't know necessarily trash talking but we are very competitive I don't know if you guys saw I am the Uno Queen um I wax C BG DT and chel all in Uno no mercy came back from having 24 cars in my hand when you needed 25 to get out the game um so if that means trash talk then yeah I talked a lot of cash money because um I was really the the queen of that so no one can really stop me I forever have my crown um yeah we'll see next Olympics if someone wants to try to take it from me but good luck and Stewie and I have a deflection uh award named after us so yeah really trying to brag but we really kind of took over willly sorry he mentioned Snoop Dog uh and a lot of people were talking about his presence there but you know with the women's sports on the whole and we talk about equality with money flavor flave stop stepped up and not a lot of people gave him as much credit as they did Snoop for him to fund the water polo team could you just talk about his presence and what it meant to for him to do what he did I mean we love when people put their money where their mouth is we love people when they can they can walk the walk and not only just talk to talk and I feel like that's what we saw in this Olympics when it came to flavor flave uh ran into flavor flave a couple times here at the game obviously seems like a really cool just down to earth dude that means well um and I think he showed that he showed that that how he wants to be supportive of women's sports and women in general when it comes to achieving their goals so I feel like I we're in a great world where we got Snoop and flavor FL put putting on for the culture so feel like this is a pretty dope space to be in and uh we still got some gr to do but glad to be a part of it thanks folks in the room it's just that that entire experience wi in the gold right from the gold here in the national anthem the whole experience um amazing man um to be one of 12 to be able to do that um there's no like better feeling than put that that gold put in put around your neck um with all my teammates and to do with the other three here as well um and to have my family there was amazing that was the difference between this Olympics and the one in Tokyo just having him there my son just coming out to the court and um he knew what to do he put the metal right in his mouth you know like all babies with something but I feel like he had a special feeling with that that that's what he was supposed to do he supposed to bite the gold so it was really cool um being there and just putting that uniform on outside of fighting the gold what was kind of your favorite part to see the experience through your son in your wife's eyes like what was maybe a specific experience that you really enjoyed um with my wife we were able um to go to the Eiffel Tower he was asleep right and we're walking up on it and we try to get our pictures together and he wakes up it's just a family photo um when we talked about the Olympics like he wasn't in this world yet and just now just he just it seems like he grew up like so much with us being gone U my teammate saw pictur like he looks so big and I was just like yeah um so just seeing him and um just be excited for it and he just goes with the flow man he's a he's great my wife is great because I was just on the move so much um of experiencing all the things in Paris um I would get pictures of them too coming back from practice so it was just really cool to see um he has more more stamps than I had as a kid at that age in his passport I didn't even think I had a passport then so um it'll be pretty cool like down the line to show them pictures and stuff you it's your family or yeah your family and then your teammates and you got to see your teammates really blossom in at the Olympics like Jackie Asia what was kind of your message to them or your conversations with them after those performance just kind of sharing it together yeah um it's funny because I'm eight and then AG is nine so we're right there next to each other and so I look back I was like on they ass like that that was like the thing that I said every time and then starting off the game I was like be aggressive even KP like keep doing you keep being you just conversations that we would have and so was just really happy to be able to share that experience with the man and um see them Thrive and Asia was awesome from start to finish and then Jackie having an opportunity to start um and contribute especially on defensive end like she was um a menace and then KP just being so clutch in that goal game um I think somebody said there's a picture of him shooting like free throws and her smiling up I every time I see her I'm like you just gonna smile at the basket like what do you smileing she's like I just love it CH so um I'm just really happy for them and um seeing them Thrive to be able to get some rest but now you come right back I got rest say that again you get some three days rest I got a couple days fine don't count um to come back and play them right away is it easy to get the juice back from such an emotional time in parison winning it that way or will it take some time or do you just go right mean us as athletes we have to like Kind of Perfect compartmentalizing like all the time um we would have to put our season on hold and like okay now how do I get the best shot for Stewie okay put that on hold how do I take away the best shot for Stewie and so um I think it's just in our nature to compartmentalize and go on to the next thing that's the that's what an Olympic season looks like um and so that's what these practices and our conversations are going to be chelse say from a physical standpoint being back in the States obviously you were out in the court practicing have you had to deal with any jet lag oh for sure I was just like what time is it in Paris I'm think I might be going to sleep soon um so yeah there's part of it and you try to keep your body awake and try to adjust as quick as possible because you have to um not just like just going through life like we have games at certain times and so um just being back in that kind of routine we're gonna jump really quick to zoom uh Nikas hey Chelsea congratulations on the gold medal first and foremost um I guess just bouncing off of that like you had the All-Star Game you had the Olympics now you jump right in you get a back to back immediately I guess in terms of the ramp up like what is is that like for you and have there been any discussions about managing the minutes in this early portion of the schedule no I haven't really talked about managing minutes um we got what 14 games left it's kind of pedal to the metal type of feeling um the rest I mean you just have to go on to the next thing right you don't really have time to like stop and just take a a load off for a week at a time so um you're ready for the next thing just conversations and it looks like throughout the season just when we have those moments to have time off um taking it full advantage of it go you thank you one more question in the room no all right sorry let's Cassandra why don't you give us the last question sorry I was holding off and we've got Jackie right here waiting so Cassandra can you make it quick where yeah Chelsea just to go off of that you know what are the biggest challenges coming from the high of an Olympic straight into the season is it having to compartmentalize or is it the rest or is it something else I think it's a combination of both um compartmentalizing of like forgetting the things you had to learn um in a different uniform and going back to being in the AC's uniform and the style of play and the language and the chemistry that we've already built here um so getting back in those type of habits and then rest wise um I mean we've been doing it for a long time where possibly you play a season and you go overseas and only have a few days rest so um it's a little bit different um two days is is a lot shorter um so it's just it's just focusing on the task and the goal at hand and taking one game at a time thanks Jo okay I'm be right after you you can't do well you wanted me to pass all these all right first Jackie you've won three on three gold now five on five I guess how does it how does it feel different uh this time around winning it five on five yeah I think it's um special you know um being able to represent Team USA and play on the five on five team you know I think that's like the ultimate goal like kind of like the highest standard so being you know named to that team you know like one to 12 um is a big honor so it was it was cool to be able to experience that you know with my teammates uh my sister's out there with me uh made a couple new friends you know so um it was definitely a good experience what's the difference with you're playing say in front of 20,000 in the WNBA then you're playing in 20,000 at the Olympics for medals and so forth kind of what's What What In Your Mind what's the difference between those two uh I mean I think at the same time you still have one goal and that's to win um and so I mean we played against France obviously home crowd uh so that was different I mean the crowd was Extremely Loud um but you know I think you kind of have the same mindset going into it and that's just to go out there and get the job done what's that like when of draping the gold over your over your head there yeah that's pretty special um you know just I've watched it for a for a long time you know and I've wanted to be a part of this team for a really long time so to be able to experience that um is special you know and so um just being up there you know on that podium just being with uh my teammates and having you know my friends and family there and being able to experience that is something that you know you kind of just like dream about as a little girl so being able to be there in that moment was pretty cool what was it like not just being a part of the team but to be work your way up through and become a starter of the team yeah I think um you know I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team win and so whatever role that meant I was willing to accept it and so um I just kind of waited my turn you know I stayed patient stayed locked in um and whatever my number was called um I just tried to to go out there and do whatever I could to help the team win Chelsea talked about compartmentalizing just coming right back now and having to flip the switch is it that easy to to flip it right back in WNBA kind of go to that competition compared to what you just did yeah I mean we know we have to lock in we know um that there's still work to be done here um and so just I mean as professionals we know we have to kind of flip that switch you know even though it is is a short amount of time um yeah today was our first practice back and so just knowing that we have um New York uh coming up just I mean yeah you just have to flip that switch no matter the amount of time obviously there are so many things to be excited about having on the port but outside of games what was the highlight for you just of being in Paris and what experience kind of stands out still um I would say well we went to this restaurant probably like four times so it was pretty good obviously we kept SL back it was a nice Vibe good food a little Italian spot um so just go there with a few teammates but I think uh going to track um that was kind of like a bucket list thing for me so being able to go there um was was fun and that stadium was crazy what was the restaurant um Caesar yeah you get the chocolate muffins I know a couple people were talking about those Asia said they were supposed to be off the hook she didn't get yeah I didn't get any either um yeah I have a sweet tooth so I would have liked to try that I didn't have that all right Christos you got final question hey Jackie congrats on your participation the Olympics and the gold as well uh from 2021 until now you have two gold Olympic gold medals backto back WNBA Champs you establish yourself as one of the best guards and the best players in the league is there any moment that you realize how much you raiseed the level of your game and how joyful is this process for you yeah I think think um it's been fun you know um it's all a part of the process and you know I give a lot of credit to Tyler always um he really um kind of just brought my game to the next level and so I spent a lot of time with him working out with him and yeah give credit to him but um yeah just seeing I just try to come back a better player you know each offseason and that requires a lot of work you know in the gym um in the weight room just doing um you know other physical activities too but yeah I mean it's pretty special to look back and see like how much um I've accomplished in the past three years all right thank you very much I would like to talk to the three and three from aan before you left you said you didn't really get a chance to kind of soak in azan's culture because obviously you weren't your ter is there did you kind of get a sense of your teammates culturing feel kind of acclimated to it being in Paris with them um I don't think it was it be the same as like actually being there and being at more of the tournaments um but I definitely got a little taste of the fans at least um the ones that we had there um and I heard they were going crazy back home too so um still a little bit but I I feel like there's a lot more that's waiting for me what was the highlight of the experience for you just overall uh man just being there the the atmosphere um got us a couple wins we wanted more we could have got a little bit bit more but um just being there with them and just taking it all in I think the whole thing together was really nice was the switch flip after though too like seeing your teammates go there in the gold medal game and what was that experience like you know seeing them go ahead withn that it was cool I mean I'm I ate straight um but it's still cool to just be side by side with somebody and then next thing you know they coming home with gold medals uh it was cool to watch it was it was fun to watch fun to cheer for them and definitely happy for him some some of us here got some medals came back with some medals so it's cool go Zoom uh Noah and then Willie um yeah just a quick question about just what the experience of playing 3x3 is like um compared to playing five on five what was kind of your biggest takeaway obviously you've done it before but um just at that level with the stakes being so high what was just what was the actual game Flow like 10 minutes of hail that's literally what I've been describing it as it's really tough it's hard it's hard on your body it's hot out there you got to make sure you stay hydrated and like like you said it's a different game for me so it was really tough it was tough for all of us don't get me wrong but at the end of the day I'm a five on five player and um I just I try I just go out there and try my best but it it's a cool experience I like it um I'm obviously good at it they keep bringing me back so it's cool I like it thanks Willie hey Tiff uh welcome back we spoke just before you left and we talked about you know how happy you were to be a part of this organization um and and how content you were before they called and then talking to leash and whatnot you've been overseas you've returned did joining this organization coming back from Paris was was you know did it make it a little little bit easier were you what was it the your mindset your head space as far as coming back um from this trip overseas joining the with being a part of this organization it kind of felt like a reset honestly we were talking about in the locker room it's like it feels like first day of school again it feels like it's a it's a little reset so um I I kind of feel good about that because it's like I'm here from the beginning so to speak uh cuz we're all coming back from different places learning different plays learning different defenses a whole different game in three on three so uh we're coming back and we have to learn all all of this stuff together again in our system um so it's literally like the first day of school so uh I'm just excited ready to keep learning and win some games all right I think that's it but before you go a lot of questions about the chocolate muffins in the village oh my goodness I didn't even have one I didn't have one I don't know what they taste like I'm sorry I don't know what it was I barely ate in there right one time in there I didn't have a muffin I don't know what they I feel like ours here probably tastes better anyways Megan had them Meg she had one she good yeah I didn't sorry I didn't have the chocolate muffin all right thing thanks sorry guys thank you thanks y'all good to see y'all all right in the room highlights of the experience you're an Olympian you par you talked about the muffins what was the best part Ms were great um but I think just being able to experience uh The Villages were really fun um we were in liil for the first three was a lot smaller than Paris but um just being able to be around other amazing athletes was really awesome you know saw some saw some really really awesome people um and also getting to know my team you know I've I'm pretty new to the Spanish national team I I joined with them my first time was last November um so it's been less than a year so just getting to know them getting to know the team in the system and obviously you know also playing in the games was incredible I think our first game there was 27,000 people in attendance so and we gave him a show overtime game which was fun um but yeah I'm just really really grateful there was so much like an outpouring of like ban respect re performance in Spain you kind of fallen out did you get the see of of that reaction what did it mean to you to see the bands at home reacting to your yeah you know I have a lot of support back home um you know my family was able to come too so that was really fun um and just to be able to see a lot of Spanish Flags in the in the stands was really cool they're not that far from France so um just to see that outpouring of support was really special and also um just to see the support around um wherever it is in social media you know I don't really speak that great span great of Spanish so some of the comments I could translate but um I felt the overwhelming love and support for sure you went to Iowa is that correct thatp like and what kind of motivated you to get out there yeah yeah I think you know just being able to to get back where my people are and just to visit and um take a break you know obviously um you know there's so many special memories there growing up and um you know I wanted to wanted to play division one basketball and to be able to find a great place like the University of Iowa was really special to me and obviously to see where they've grown now and um being able to be a teammates with Kate has been really awesome and really a full circle moment for me to kind of get away from the games do you have a the basketball game you have a chance to experience the Olympics much in Paris or yeah here and there um I spent most of my time with my family whenever I I had my um my mom my dad my aunt my sister my brother-in-law and my niece all there um supporting me and so whenever I was with them I was um you know just enjoying my time and um you know I tried to try to get I didn't get to any events actually um I tried to get to one but I actually couldn't get a ticket so um it was it's just really cool just to hear about all the support that the fans went to every single game um whatever sport it was so I did watch a lot on TV I watched a lot with my um you know teammates in the Village but um just a really great experience for sure let's jump to zoom really quick I um Andrew writing for register I know you had a couple questions yeah hey Megan um so the the first one um is this the longest you've been without pancake and and what was pancake doing throughout the entirety of this Olympics yeah that's some of some of the most important questions I've gotten actually um it is not the most um I've been away from her actually um when it was my second year in the league um we were in the the bubble bubble season and that was about three months long so that was the longest I've been away um and then in Poland after Christmas I was away from her for two months so this is the third longest I've been away from her um you know I missed her so much but I had a peace of mind because we have a really great sitter here all of my teammates and my coach uses her as well um so just just thankful that um you know she was well taken care of and had quite the reunion yesterday did you get any pictures of uh of of them watching you of all you guys like on TV yeah you know I we really get a lot of updates with pictures and videos um you know just about every other day and they love each other they're all just best friends and so I was actually kind of sad to take her away I was like man she's gonna be sad to be with me I mean not really but a little bit um but just really thankful that she had a great time too thanks and then we'll go to Owen and close it out with cisto and then on Deck hey good to see you Megan um we saw the video of you going in into Jen's office and seeing her again and just how emotional she was seeing you just uh what was that like being able to see her I know you've seen her this season when she's been out in Vegas to to watch some of the games but why was that moment so emotional for her or you or what were some of the things you did together while you were in Iowa City yeah I mean it was kind of a last last minute thing actually the whole trip to Iowa was uh I was thinking about it but kind of just didn't know how long we'd be in Paris and all that stuff how fast I'd be able to get out um it kind of just came to me you know the day before I was like I'm just going to surprise her um so I talked to a couple of the coaches and um you know they they had this really great idea to bring her coffee from her favorite coffee spot and it's so funny so we went to the coffee place and um you know coach Raina Rea Harmon she asks them she said do you know Jan Jensen's order and they're like oh yeah so she's very well known there um but just really excited I was just giving her a couple of text message updates um you know throughout and just saying thank you so much for the support but she had no idea I was coming all right christas last question please hello Megan hope you're doing well congratulations on your Olympics participation first of allk you uh the next Olympics are in 2028 in Los Angeles do you feel ready for the next for your next Olympic experience well that's four years from now so um you know you never know I mean I would love to um you know I'm only 27 now so I I don't see why not but it's also four years in advance you never know what's going to be happening and um I'm gonna try my best though I'm gonna try my best to be ready and also after your season in Greece with Olympiacos CHR have to okay okay okay okay