Doable Olympian Megan Gustafson modified a number of groups and her recreation, and is doing nice – The Gazette

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Home / Sports / Iowa Hawkeyes Sports / Iowa Basketball
The 2019 Nationwide Participant of the 12 months at Iowa is on a WNBA juggernaut in Las Vegas, and has a very good probability of enjoying for Spain on this month’s Olympics
Jul. 6, 2024 11:03 am, Up to date: Jul. 6, 2024 4:37 pm
LAS VEGAS — Megan Gustafson made 1,136 subject objectives in her Iowa ladies’s basketball profession, however only one was a 3-pointer.
She matched that Thursday evening alone in her Las Vegas Aces’ 99-78 win over the Washington Mystics at Michelob ULTRA Enviornment. It was her sixth 3-pointer of the season and thirty fourth of her 6-year WNBA profession.
That has spanned being reduce 4 occasions and enjoying for 3 totally different groups earlier than signing a 2-year contract final offseason with the 2-time defending-champion Aces.
It’s meant changing into a distinct participant from the pure, back-to-the-basket put up participant who poured in 2,804 factors over 4 seasons with Iowa (and pulled down a Huge Ten-record 1,460 rebounds).
Gustafson had 9 factors, 6 rebounds and a pair of assists in 17 minutes in Thursday’s recreation whereas subbing for the most-dominant ladies’s middle on the earth, A’ja Wilson. Like Wilson, Gustafson runs the courtroom in transition and guards gamers close to and away from the basket.
She doesn’t park herself close to the ring the way in which she did at Iowa. She takes jumpers after they’re accessible.
“I don’t know if any participant has gone from being a put up participant to a dealing with (the basket) 3-point taking pictures participant in the most effective league on the earth,” stated Iowa ladies’s basketball coach Jan Jensen, who mentored Gustafson with the Hawkeyes from 2015 by means of her Nationwide Participant of the 12 months 2018-19 season.
“She obtained herself a coach from Minneapolis and actually labored on her footwork. Ball-screens are laborious to cowl for anyone, the most effective guards, the quickest, most-agile facilities.”
It’s being a professional, doing what’s required for the crew that employs you. And is Gustafson ever completely satisfied to be doing it for the loaded Las Vegas crew.
“Being with the Aces is basically only a blessing,” Gustafson stated after a morning shoot-around right here Tuesday, a number of hours earlier than the Aces defeated Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever. “They’re prime of the road throughout the board, amenities, folks, sources, every little thing that you possibly can ever want to have the ability to carry out.
“I talked to a number of groups. I had some provides, however I bear in mind considering if the Aces ever provide, that’s going to be the highest for me. I’ve at all times needed to play right here. They’re back-to-back champions for a motive.”
Profitable is enjoyable, one thing Gustafson was used to at Iowa. The Hawkeyes have been 92-43 over her 4 seasons. In her senior yr, they gained the Huge Ten event over Maryland, and reached the NCAA event’s Elite Eight. She is the Huge Ten’s all-time main rebounder.
It was as an disagreeable shock to her Iowa followers when Gustafson wasn’t picked within the 2019 WNBA draft till the second spherical. It was much less nice to them when she was waived 4 occasions and bounced from the Dallas Wings to the Washington Mystics to the Phoenix Mercury.
“She will get reduce. Doesn’t really feel sorry for herself,” stated Jensen. “She considers it a part of the journey and nonetheless finds a strategy to be right here in her sixth yr.
“I can’t be any happier for her. I’m so pleased with her.”
In WNBA offseasons, Gustafson has performed for professional groups in Poland, Greece and England. That’s a lifetime and extra for somebody who got here from a highschool graduating class of 11 in Port Wing, Wis.
However there’s extra. The official affirmation hadn’t come but as of Friday, however Gustafson was very optimistic she’ll be enjoying for Spain within the Summer time Olympics later this month.
Earlier this yr, she went by means of the steps to earn a Spanish passport, as a way to play for Spain’s nationwide crew throughout this summer time’s Olympics. One participant per crew is granted an allowance to be a naturalized citizen.
“Principally they only reached out to my agent and simply requested if I used to be ,” Gustafson stated. “I knew they’d such a terrific fame. They’re one of many prime groups in Europe. In all the world to be sincere. So I used to be actually excited.”
Gustafson averaged 14.3 factors for Spain over three video games in February because it superior to the Olympics from a four-team qualifying tourney in Hungary.
If Spain advances out of pool play, it might play america sooner or later. Which might imply dealing with 4 of her Las Vegas teammates.
“We’ll in all probability probably run into them, which might be so enjoyable.,” Gustafson stated with fun. “And I clearly know extra than simply the Aces teammates. My Phoenix teammates have been Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner. So it could be enjoyable.
“If somebody had advised me I’d be within the Olympics once I was in Port Wing, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Feedback: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
Mike Hlas
Columnist, The Gazette
I’m the sports activities columnist and Iowa males’s basketball beat author for The Gazette. Be part of our Weekly Hawkeye Newsletter.
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