The most dominant run on the grandest stage of them all. That is the apt description of Team USA’s winning streak spanning almost 3 decades in women’s basketball at the Olympics. And the coming Monday will commence their shot at the 8th consecutive podium position. But, before that, how does the event differ from the previous time for some? Six-time WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd chooses to break it down.

The Gold Mamba, according to the legendary Kobe Bryant, is the latest in the long line of stars opening up through a video diary with Andscape. Expressing herself over a variety of subjects, the 30-year-old spared a thought or two on the latest chapter of her professional career. And that is what it means to be a second-time Olympian. “Your whole life you dream of being an Olympian,” Loyd said, via Andscape. “When I quit Tennis, my two goals were to win a WNBA championship and win an Olympic gold medal. And, uh, having that during COVID season in Tokyo was not ideal.” 

Due to the global pandemic COVID-19, the 2020 Olympics, which was scheduled to be held between July 24 to August 9 2020 was postponed to 2021. However, that didn’t stop Team USA from registering a win over Japan in the gold medal game. But, that wasn’t enough for the 5-ft-10 guard. She had some expectations of the event. Still, all she saw was clean streets with no people and no vibe. She described the feeling, “You don’t get the real experience.”

Soon after, she capped off her thoughts on why her second Olympic journey would be a lot different from the last time. She further added. “To feel the real pressure of the fans, to feel the vibe of the city. Now, the basketball gets more exciting. I think that it’d be fun to hear the fans and to actually look at the stands and see your family. There’s so many things that you have to re-experience again. This one is going to be special.” 

But before Jewell Loyd and the rest can lock horns against Japan, she talked about the burden of expectations on them.

Jewell Loyd on all the hype for the 8th straight Olympic gold

“You just don’t wanna be that team.” That was A’ja Wilson talking to Sue Bird recently about the pressure on Team USA to bring home the gold yet again. Meanwhile, the 2023 WNBA scoring leader is looking forward to the challenge. She expressed, “When you play for Team USA, you’re expected to win a gold medal. We know the legacy of this team and you can’t run from that. You have to embrace it and we do. We just want to build on that and pass it on.” 

Since the semi-final loss in the 1992 Barcelona Games, Team USA has been unbeatable. The 2021 Tokyo Games saw them topple their opponents by an average margin of 16 points.

The wait is finally over for Team USA to begin its quest. While it is a repeat of their previous Olympic Finals, the squad still needs to be ready for a formidable challenge. Only time will tell what the future holds for them.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And, join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.