Unprecedented -A Q&A with Olympian and Bay Area's own Megan Gustafson

Unprecedented — A Q&A with Olympian and Bay Area’s own Megan Gustafson

The list of accolades is long, and getting longer, for former South Shore High School basketball star Megan Gustafson. Currently playing for the WNBA’s defending champion Las Vegas Aces, Gustafson is a citizen of Spain and will be competing for the Spanish women’s basketball team in the 2024 Olympics. If research proves accurate, she is the first woman to ever graduate from a Wisconsin high school and play basketball in the Olympics. The Ashland Daily Press reached out to Gustafson to share her perspectives on her larger-than-life career in basketball, and how this experience contrasts with her small school upbringing in Port Wing.

Question: You’ve had a remarkable career, and history, in basketball. If you had to pick a single highlight, what would it be?

Answer: It’s really hard to say, there are so many special memories, certainly beginning with being a part of an Elite Eight team at Iowa, and also winning the Big Ten Tournament Championship under the legend, Lisa Bluder, and the Post Whisperer, Jan Jensen! The feel and environment that they have created at the University of Iowa is special. It was a dream four years for me. And then also, since then, all of the overseas traveling that I have been able to experience, playing for teams in: Budapest Hungary, Poland, Athens Greece, London UK! Our team was able to win a Eurocup Championship (London Lions this past year), the first one in the history of any UK team! That was special. And then, of course, playing with the very best players in the world on the WNBA teams — playing in arenas and flying all over the United States! It has truly been a dream come true!

Q: How did these experiences inform you?

A: I learned that a girl from northern Wisconsin, if she puts her mind to it and works diligently, can succeed in a world that most people dream about. It really tells me to keep pursuing my dreams.

Q: With all you’ve accomplished — please describe how you maintain perspective and balance?

A: My faith in God is very important to me and definitely helps me keep balanced and maintain perspective. It is easy to get caught up in chasing after a goal without a thought for the really important things in life — — God, family, friends, and helping other people make it through life.

Q: All those years ago; you playing in Port Wing ... is it even possible you could have seen what awaited you?

A: I think many basketball players envision playing in the “big game” in college or the pros. So I have to tell you that I did think about it. Did I really expect, when I was a young kid in middle school, to be actually playing in the WNBA, and the Olympics? That answer is probably not. But I thought about what it might be like, that’s for sure!

Q: Please describe what drives you, at this point in your career?

A: I am driven by trying to make myself to be the best version of me that I possibly can — — whether that be basketball, or pursuing an MBA in Business at the University of Iowa — which I am currently almost done with. I want to say, at the end of the day, that I did everything possible to be the best that I possibly could that day, with no shortcuts, and paying attention to the little details that make you better.

Q: So many young athletes have followed your career. What can you tell them?

A: I would say never give up on your dreams. Also to keep in mind that what we dream, and what actually happens, may not exactly be what we dreamt. When I was a kid, I thought that the life of a WNBA player would be nothing but glamor and having fun playing in games. What I have found out — there really is a lot of time when glamor and fun are definitely absent, and hard work is nearly always present!

Q: So you graduated from tiny South Shore and …?

A: When I first stepped on the practice court at the University of Iowa, my heart was beating quickly and I was very nervous. The same happened when I first stepped on a WNBA practice court, and when I first stepped on a European practice court, and when I first stepped on the practice court for an Olympic qualifying team (Spain). I think you never leave those feelings behind when you start something new. What I found is that I need to believe I can accomplish tasks, and compete with the other players, and with a lot of practice and hard work good things will happen! This is not to say that I won’t get rid of being nervous. That is a part of competing — and it makes you sharp. It can help you. Embrace it!

Q: And now — the Olympics. Spain. Quite a present moment for you ….

A: I am very excited to be able to play for Spain. The country is beautiful, and my teammates are very welcoming and fun! To be able to represent a country in the Olympics (fulfills) a major dream that I had.

Q: How do you trace all of this back to South Shore?

A: I love my roots. A small school; knowing everyone in the school and surrounding community; having everyone there know me as well. I am proud that I am from a rural, caring community and hopefully may be able to encourage other small town, rural kids to chase their dreams no matter how big those dreams may be.