Kahleah Copper didn’t take any detours after winning her first gold medal with the U.S. women’s national team in the Paris Olympics.
The former Sky star flew straight from Paris to Chicago, making her first return to the city since she was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in February. Before her first rematch against the Sky on Thursday at Wintrust Arena, she enjoyed a few rare days of rest in her former home — grabbing some cake from Portillo’s, getting out on Lake Michigan and celebrating in the same place where she built the foundation of her Olympic success.
This wasn’t how Copper envisioned bringing gold back to Chicago.
Even after the departures of Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot — the two other pillars of the 2021 championship team on which Copper broke out as WNBA Finals MVP — the wing was locked in with the Sky. But the uncertainty of the team’s future after a coaching transition and a fruitless free agency last winter led Copper to push for a trade to a title contender.
It was a logical move. Copper immediately found the success she was seeking in Phoenix, trailing only A’ja Wilson in scoring this season and finding mentorship in veteran teammates such as Diana Taurasi. Copper helped fuel the U.S. comeback in the gold-medal game, earning a shining accolade from Wilson: “She’s that b—-.”
And the Sky have turned the loss into a success of their own, using the No. 3 pick gained in the Copper trade to anchor a rebuild around rookie stars Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese.
Still, none of that logic could outweigh the bittersweet feeling that tinged Thursday’s homecoming for Copper.
“I miss the city,” Copper said Thursday before scoring a game-high 29 points in the Mercury’s 85-65 victory. “I love being here. It’s really my second city. I’m just so grateful to be back. Everything is kind of nostalgic.”
Copper’s journey from a young star in Chicago to an Olympic gold medalist also paves a road map for Reese and Cardoso.
Both already have their sights set on Los Angeles in 2028. Cardoso narrowly missed Olympic qualification with Brazil in February, a loss that fueled her throughout a championship senior year with South Carolina. Although Reese was not invited to talent-identification camps for the U.S. this year, she publicly set a goal last month to earn a spot on the next Olympic team.
It’s a goal Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon knows well after winning gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992 — the last U.S. team to finish without an Olympic title. Weatherspoon hopes to fuel the aspirations of both rookies over the next four years.
The process was different when she was a player, when Olympic prospects competed in open tryouts and suited up for tournaments such as the Pan American Games to carve out their place on the roster. But at its heart, Weatherspoon believes the process of making an Olympic team is still the same.
“The strength and power of who we are — that representation always means something,” Weatherspoon said. “When you step on that podium and your national anthem is being played, that’s something you cannot describe at all. You can’t tell people how it feels. It’s huge. It’s a beautiful thing to do.”
Copper, 29, remembers standing where both rookies are now. Three years ago, she was one of the final cuts for the Tokyo Olympic roster. Copper stashed the loss away as another chip on her shoulder, building herself into the All-Star who powered the Sky to a title and elevated her to the national team. Along the way, she earned the adoration of Sky fans, which was on full display from the moment she stepped back on the court Thursday.
It won’t be the last that Chicago sees of Copper. The Sky will face the Mercury three more times this season, including a Sept. 15 game at Wintrust. But for now, she left the city with some advice for Reese and Cardoso: Learn how to be great amid greatness.
“You’ve got to put in the work,” Copper said. “You’ve got to be able to play with other great players. You have to understand that being a part of USA Basketball, you have to sacrifice a little bit of yourself for the group. I think great players can play with other great players. That’s really the separation.”
