“I have a journey that is crazy,” said Kahleah Copper after being selected to represent the Team USA at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, her journey to this point was not as straightforward. With Copper getting ready for the upcoming Olympics, she has nothing in mind, but a gold medal. Let’s dive deeper into the life of the 29-year-old to see the hard work that prepared her for the coming days.

Born on August 28, 1994, Copper began playing the game of basketball on the streets of North Philadelphia. This, right from the early days, instilled in her a love for hooping. But, how did she level up her game to represent the national team? Let’s find out.

Kahleah Cooper’s basketball journey

Copper had an apparent talent for the game at an early age, and she established herself as one of the finest high school players while at Preparatory Charter High School. As a high school player, she was named to the All-Public League team in Philadelphia, the All-State team in Pennsylvania, and the McDonald’s All-American team.

Her brilliance earned her a scholarship to Rutgers University, where she would play for the legendary coach C. Vivian Stringer. At Rutgers, Copper’s game flourished. She averaged 14.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during her college career, concluding with All-Big Ten honors. Copper’s success at Rutgers set the stage for her professional career, showing she was going to be one of the dominant forces in women’s basketball.

Copper was selected by the Washington Mystics in the first round as the seventh overall pick during the 2016 WNBA Draft. Her career took a different turn when she was traded to the Chicago Sky in 2017. From being put across as just another role player, Copper’s continuous work habits and improving game quickly turned her into a key contributor for the Sky.

The 2021 season became the defining period for Kahleah. She led the Chicago Sky to their first-ever WNBA Championship and turned in a great performance during the Finals, with averages of 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, as per ESPN. Her overall great performance awarded her the WNBA Finals MVP, putting a stamp on her as one of the league elites. However, this breakout season has proved not only her scoring and defensive credentials but also, importantly, her leadership skills inside and off the court. Now, that we know how her hooping journey was, let’s have a look at when she got selected to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

Representing Team USA

The All-Star that just went by was the first All-Star appearance for Copper as an Olympian, something that she has been putting in due effort since the last time it didn’t work out. Back in 2021, Copper was one of Team USA’s final roster cuts before the Olympics. Reflecting on the same, she said, “I wouldn’t change my process for anything. I’m super grateful for it, it has definitely prepared me. It’s a testament to my work ethic, and me just really being persistent about what it is that I want.”

All her hard work had finally paid off, as she had been selected for Team USA for participation in the Paris Olympics 2024. She claims this made her very proud, saying, “Just the feeling of like…my entire journey was worth it. To see (Brianna Weiss) holding that jersey up with my name on it — it’s just super special.”

This Phoenix Mercury star’s scoring, defense, and leadership would be the key factors in determining how far the team would go. She will join a star-studded roster headlined by veterans Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. This will be the first time on the Olympic stage for Copper, a moment she called her “No. 1 moment” in her basketball journey.

With high expectations, Team USA looks forward to a gold medal in the upcoming Olympics, will Kahleah Copper be one of the key players in attaining the medal? Much is expected from her performance at the international level.

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