Aces' Megan Gustafson SHARES her experience playing for Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympics

all right in the room highlights of the experience you're an Olympian you been par you talk about the muffins what was the best part muffins were great um but I think just being able to experience uh The Villages are really fun um we were in Lil 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've 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 fan respect from your performance in Spain you kind of falling out did you get to see some of that reaction and what it mean you to see the bands at home reacting to 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 is 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 couldn't 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 could 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 a 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 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 Theo register I know you had a couple questions yeah hey Megan uh 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 going to be sad to be with me I mean not really but 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 GTO and then Chelsea's on Deck hey good to see you Megan um we saw the video of youo and and into jayan'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 good 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 Harman she asks them she said do you know Jan Jensen's order and they're like oh yeah so she's PR 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 gas last question please hello Megan hope you're doing well congratulations on your Olympics participation first of all thank you uh the next Olympics are in 2028 in Los Angeles do you feel ready for the next uh for your next Olympic experience well that's four years from now so um you know you never know I mean I 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 my best to be ready and also after your season in GRE with olympos okay okay okay okay