“I wouldn’t change my journey for anything,” Kahleah Copper once stated. Being a WNBA MVP, a WNBA Champion, and now an Olympic gold medalist, she’s given Rutgers University plenty to be proud of. Eight years after leaving college, Copper returned to her alma mater with her Olympic gold medal in hand, showing just how far she’s come.

And Rutgers didn’t miss a beat, posting a picture on X with the caption, “Our Olympic Gold Medalist, Kahleah Copper 🇺🇸🏅.” For the 2021 WNBA MVP, this moment was not just a reunion with her roots but a reminder of the journey that she has lived.

During her college days, Cooper scored a remarkable 1,872 points. Furthermore, this made her the third all-time leading scorer in history. Along with the numbers, she bagged multiple accolades, like Second Team All-Big Ten and WNIT Most Valuable Player in 2014. 

Graduation in 2016, she was picked seventh overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Draft. However, before long, she was traded to the Chicago Sky. Since then, she has been raising bars, and her hard work has been inspiring. She joined the Phoenix Mercury this year, teaming up with her teammates Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner.

In the Summer Olympics 2024, Cooper was at the forefront, especially in the gold medal game against France. She contributed majorly to the USA’s 67-66 win by coming through in the clutch and sinking the final two free throws in the last 3.8 seconds. But her journey has not been easy. At times, the stars were not in her favor, but she proved determination can turn everything around. 

Kahleah Copper: From setbacks to Olympic glory

Long before winning her first Olympic medal, the 6’1 wing wasn’t even selected for the 2018 FIBA World Cup team. Despite her consistently good performances, she couldn’t make it to the team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics either. But the next year, she earned a spot and helped Team USA win gold in 2022.

She stayed focused and passionate, and thankfully, Copper finally made it happen in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 3-year-old describes it as her “No.1 moment.” “Just the feeling of like…my entire journey was worth it,” she said.

Even though the Philadelphia native doesn’t get emotional too easily, she just couldn’t hold back tears. “I wouldn’t change my process for anything. I’m super grateful for it, it has definitely prepared me. It’s a testament to my work ethic and me just really being persistent about what it is that I want,” she expressed.

Throughout her journey, her teammates Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner spoke highly of the 4× WNBA All-Star. As the Mercury star made her Olympics debut, Taurasi commented, “It’s a special moment for Kah.”

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“Her path and journey have been different than a lot of people’s, and the one thing that I admire the most about it is all she did was continue to get better at basketball. Now and it’s just an incredible story and she gets all the credit,” she added. 

At the same time, Griner echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I got to know Kah even more now playing with her and being her teammate.” All in all, from Rutgers to Olympic glory, Kah’s story is indeed inspiring. And there’s no doubt she’ll continue to shine moving forward.