MUNICH (Germany) - Ahead of her FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup debut, Paige Bueckers has reassured fans that USA are focused only on the pursuit of success as they search for a fifth straight crown at the flagship event.
Speaking ahead of the big shown in Berlin, the guard revealed that the well-publicized WNBA rivalries that have dominated the women's basketball space recently will be left back home.
We're wearing the same jersey... Talking trash and having rivalries, that's in the love of the game.
Bueckers is adamant USA national team duties pushes the pause button on any tension at club level and unites everyone in one positive direction.
She insisted: "Right now we're on the same team - we're wearing the same jersey. Talking trash and having rivalries, that's in the love of the game.
"It's all in the means of respect. We're just competitors - we wanna win. Going at each other, I think, is a form of endearment for us."
"So, to be able to wear the same jersey, like we've been doing since we've been young, competing with and against each other.
"When we're on the same team, it's, it's all love and we all have the same common goal and we're all trying to win together."
USA will step onto the court with no fewer than nine World Cup first-timers, but this is no second string team.
It's still packed out with incredible talent and women's hoops fans around the globe are excitedly waiting to see if this influx of a new generation will live up to the hype.
We're young, we're hungry, we're humble, but we also wanna contribute to winning basketball.
"It feels like we have a great mix of youth, but also experience and veteran leadership - people who have been here before," said Bueckers.
"It's, some new World Cup debuts, but we have Olympians on this team where it's just their first World Cup experience."
"We're young, we're hungry, we're humble, but we also wanna contribute to winning basketball. I mean, that's really all we're here to do."
While confident of winning a first senior gold medal, Bueckers is aware it won't be easy. That was even the case when she led USA to FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2019 glory as MVP in Bangkok.
Never far from her mind when it comes to the national team, a long seven year gap is over and now she's about to proudly complete the loop.
"Yeah it's definitely full circle, but any time you get to wear USA across your chest, to represent your country, it's an honor at the highest level."
"I remember that, that specific competition being very competitive [In Bangkok]. At the end, the, the gold medal game was extremely close. I think we went to overtime. "It was just a really fun team, a really fun group, with great coaching staff. It was a really fun experience to be able to do that every single time."
"So to be back here, it's a blessing. You never wanna take it for granted, and I'm extremely grateful to be here," concluded Bueckers. USA will face China, Italy and Czechia in Group D.
FIBA