TOKYO — Eleven days ago, Jackie Young was getting some well-deserved summer rest in Florida. It was a Saturday night, around 10:30. Bedtime neared. And her phone rang.
“A random call,” she thought, and some people enjoying a rare vacation from a taxing job might just have let the phone keep ringing. Young decided to pick up. Because she did, she’s an Olympic gold medalist.
Young, a rising WNBA star, had flown to Florida for a four-day getaway to relax during the league’s monthlong Olympic break. That night, USA Basketball director Jay Demings called and asked if she’d like to take a different type of trip.