AUSTIN, Texas — Former Texas Longhorn women's basketball star Ariel Atkins will head to Tokyo to represent Team USA in the Olympics this summer.
Atkins was named to the six-time defending Olympic gold medalists Team USA on Monday.
“I am very excited and honored to be a part of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team,” Atkins said. “This is such a surreal moment and while I am extremely thankful, I honestly don’t think it has really hit me yet.”
Atkins becomes the fourth UT women's basketball alumna to compete with Team USA as a player, joining Clarissa Davis (1992, bronze medal), Kamie Ethridge (1988, gold medal) and Andrea Lloyd (1988, gold medal).
Atkins was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics.
As a Longhorn, Atkins played in 121 games, where she scored 1,497 career points (No. 20 in UT history), shot 83.1% from the free throw line (No. 4 in UT history) and 37.3% from the three-point line (No. 6 in UT history).
Here is a full list of the Team USA roster headed to Tokyo:
- Ariel Atkins
- Sue Bird
- Tina Charles
- Napheesa Collier
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Sylvia Fowles
- Jewel Loyd
- Chelsea Gray
- Brittney Griner
- Breanna Stewart
- Diana Taurasi
- A'ja Wilson
Team USA enters the Tokyo Olympics riding a 49-game winning streak in Olympic competition, according to Texas Athletics. UT officials said the streak began with the 1992 bronze medal game and includes a record six-straight gold medals.
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