Duke point guard Vanessa de Jesus was recently named to the women’s national team in the Philippines and the coach, Pat Aquino, said that getting a D-1 point guard was a “big deal” for the national program.
But she seems equally excited, saying this: “I’m excited for the opportunity to suit up for the Philippine national team. Two of the most important things in my life are family and basketball. And since I was young, I understood this growing up. My family has been a huge part of who I am.”
She also points to her Duke coach, Kara Lawson, as an inspiration after her role helping the US 3 on 3 team win gold, telling her interlocutor that “Just seeing all that [Lawson has] done so far, at every level, she’s a winner and got so many crazy experiences.