Kahleah Copper emotional, grateful of long journey to receive first-ever Olympic selection

Once she had time to recollect herself and a chance to breathe, Copper spoke about why she was so appreciative to wear the No. 7.

“I was drafted seventh, No. 7 is my shooting number,” Copper said. “My grandma’s birthday is the first of July, so that is why like shoot sevens. Seven? This is crazy!”

Staying Patient Worked Out In the End

Since her arrival in the Valley after a blockbuster trade, Copper has made a major impact for the Mercury as she has already become the focal point of the team’s offense.

In 12 games this season, the Pennsylvania native is averaging 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Copper is third in scoring across the WNBA, with Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson (28.3) and Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale (26.4) the only two in front of her.

Coming over from the Chicago Sky, Copper has brought her championship pedigree and mentality to Phoenix, proving to be one of the best acquisitions during the WNBA offseason.

But the road to receiving an opportunity to play in the Olympics wasn’t always guaranteed.

When talking about how she wasn’t invited to the 2020 Tokyo Games and not letting that stop her from chasing her dreams of being an Olympian one day, Copper detailed that hard work and dedication led her to get through to that point in her career.

“In that moment, everything was worth it,” Copper said. “When you are in the thick of it, I get traded to Chicago and I was like, ‘Everything is so new.’ I am not playing, I am trying to figure out how I can help this team. To go through those years having to be ready whenever, whether it was in the second half or in the third quarter, whenever, I had to be ready. Just thinking about those times and not really wanting to give up but like, when is my time gonna come?”

Copper would go to her first USA Camp and had the self-belief that she was going to make the team before she didn’t.

Determined to make her case for the Paris Games, she rebounded by guiding the Sky to the franchise’s first WNBA championship in 2021 and being named the Finals MVP. Chicago beat Phoenix in the series, 3-1.

Despite not getting the answer she felt like she deserved back then, the 29-year-old kept pushing to ultimately get the message that she would now represent Team USA on the biggest stage internationally.

“I went to my first USA Camp and I felt confident like I deserve it, and it doesn’t happen,” Copper said. “That was tough, that was a tough moment for me. But I turned around and won a [WNBA] championship and I am like, ‘It’s going to come back.’ I just told myself when it [the Olympics] comes back around, I’ll make sure that I’ll be a part of it… I am just so grateful that I have the mentality that I have and I surrounded myself with the right people in those moments.”

Taking in the Moment of Becoming an Olympian

Copper was a part of the 2022 USA Women’s National Team which won its 11th World Cup gold medal in Sydney, Australia. This victory punched Team USA’s ticket to the Paris Games.

Understanding how big of an honor it is to represent her country, Copper felt this was her favorite moment of her career without a doubt and began crying tears of gratitude when acknowledging how much she had to go through to get to where she is today.

“Me being able to be the [WNBA] Finals MVP, playing with greats, it could have gone either way,” Copper said. “For me, that [2021] season is so special. I felt so down not making that [Olympic] team and for me to turn around and win a championship and playing with future Hall of Famers, nobody at the beginning of the season would have said it would have been me, let alone winning the championship. That was my No. 1 for a while.

“But for my process, y’all see this, y’all see game-winners but y’all don’t see what it takes how many nights. You prepare so long for this but for this to happen in year nine, it’s so special.”

Copper will join Mercury teammates Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi as they look to win another gold medal for Team USA. The team also includes Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray (Aces), Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) and Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun).

The Women’s National Team begins Olympic play when they take on Team Japan on July 29.