Las Vegas Aces Star Wants to ‘Steal’ Olympic Gold from Team USA

Megan Gustafson has set her sights on Olympic gold, but not for Team USA.

The Las Vegas Aces backup and former Associated Press women's college basketball player of the year during her time at Iowa is representing Spain in the Paris Olympics. The native of Port Wing, Wisconsin, made an impressive debut by scoring a team-high 29 points in a thrilling 90-89 overtime victory against China on Sunday.

With countries permitted to add a naturalized citizen to their Olympic rosters, Spain reached out to Gustafson after observing her play in Europe. She embraced the opportunity , receiving a Spanish passport and joining the world's fourth-ranked team.

"I’m just really thankful for Spain and the opportunity that they’ve presented," Gustafson said, as reported by Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press. "They’ve been super welcoming. They just kind of embraced me as family."

Gustafson's performance in the opener highlighted her scoring and rebounding prowess. She grabbed eight rebounds and made 14 of 19 shots inside the arc. Her ability to adjust to Spanish play calls and her teammates' support have been crucial.

“It’s quite the adjustment, but thankfully I do have a little bit of Spanish back from high school,” Gustafson said, adding that Spain hired a teacher to help her with the language.

At 27, Gustafson has had a varied career, playing for several WNBA teams and clubs in Europe. Now, she aims to achieve something remarkable with Spain.

"I’d love to steal that gold medal from Team USA," Gustafson said.

As the U.S. team, featuring Aces teammate A’ja Wilson, pursues its eighth straight gold medal, Gustafson's determination to challenge them adds an intriguing subplot to the Olympics. Spain's victory against China boosts their medal hopes.

Related: Sue Bird's Honest Take on Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Olympics Snub