They're fierce competitors who trade top accolades and championships in the WNBA. They're also now the new protectors of Team USA's dominant legacy.
The origin story of the best women's basketball tandem in the world -- and now the protectors of Team USA's dominant legacy -- started 11 years ago in Lithuania.joined forces on the USA's FIBA U19 World Cup team. Stewart, 18 years old and fresh off her first national title at UConn, had long been part of USA Basketball. Wilson, 16, was months away from committing to South Carolina for her collegiate career and an up-and-comer in the national team pipeline.
The USA's FIBA U19 World Cup saw Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson team up for the first time. Also on the team: Wilson's future WNBA teammate Kelsey Plum. The 2013 U19 World Cup took Wilson, Stewart and the rest of the undefeated USA squad to the Canary Islands for a preliminary event, then to the Lithuanian cities of Panevėžys -- where they briefly stayed at a truck stop hotel in the countryside -- and Klaipeda, a port city on the western coast that hosted the medal rounds.
"In the moment where you need to just make sure you win the gold," she said,"Stewie's always that person." Even as they duke it out for WNBA supremacy, their respect and appreciation for each other has connected Wilson and Stewart across the years. Stewart and Wilson are dominant enough that we should see them in Olympic uniforms again in 2028 in Los Angeles -- and maybe even 2032 in Brisbane. Wilson and Stewart sat next to each other on the dais, disappointed after Team USA's 117-109 loss to Team WNBA in the WNBA All-Star Game two weeks ago. They are aware of the responsibility that comes with representing the United States on the Olympic stage.
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