Atkins was stunned, Charles cried after call from Team USA originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Ariel Atkins and Tina Charles will represent Team USA this summer when the U.S. Women's National Team goes for its seventh straight gold medal in the 2020 Toyko Olympics. Both Washington Mystics were candid on their emotions when they received the call they were selected to the 12-person squad.
"I was stunned. I knew it was a possibility but it's not something that is just like, 'oh yeah like this happens every day,' because it absolutely does not," Atkins told the media in a press conference. "This is just something that I really can't even put into words. I was really stunned. I was just like, 'what, wow, oh okay,' like this is the national team."
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Atkins joins the Olympic team for the first time ever after being a part of the Team USA system for the better part of a decade. She's represented the U.S. on both the U-18 and U-23 squads in 2014 and 2018. Just a year ago, the guard was named to the player pool where the final roster is selected from.
This comes on the heels of a career ascension in the WNBA. In only her fourth year as a pro, she has shown improvement every single season. Her numbers are that of an All-Star this season, posting career-highs in multiple statistical categories. Already she has a championship to her name and is the second-leading scorer on the Mystics.
"This is something that I really wanted to be a part of for a very long time," Atkins said. "And then on top of that, being coached under Coach (Dawn) Staley which is somebody that embodies what it means to represent her country and represent her people and an amazing life, it's an absolute honor and I don't even know if it's really hit me yet. But I'm just extremely thankful to be a part of the national team to represent our country and to chase another gold medal."
For Charles, this isn't her first rodeo. This will be her third straight Olympics. Still, the 32-year-old couldn't help but get emotional when she heard the news.
"I'm probably, maybe the only one that cries every time," Charles told reporters via Zoom. "I don't, I don't take it for granted, I just start bawling crying, just because it means a lot for me. It means a lot for my family and coaches and players along the way that has allowed me to be at this position in my career.
"So the fact I have an opportunity for the pursuit of the third gold medal it's surreal. It's just a blessing to be a veteran now on this team, it's just everything is coming full circle so I look forward to the months ahead."
The two join a talented squad with future Hall-of-Famers Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles and Breanna Stewart.
Olympic basketball competition will be held from July 26-Aug. 8. Atkins and Charles will join the team after their final WNBA contest before the Olympic break on July 10.
"This isn't something that you can buy yourself like yeah my name is the one that's selected. Yeah my name is going to be the one on the back of the jersey and on Instagram posts and different things like that, but this isn't just about me. This is so much bigger than me, so much bigger than my face so much bigger than my name," Atkins said.
