It’s not every day that you picture a basketball court morphing into a gymnastics floor or a player pulling off a perfect double-twisting Yurchenko instead of a crossover dribble. But in the vibrant mind of Jordan Chiles, that vision is crystal clear. How? The Olympic medalist recently shared her fascinating take on WNBA stars’ hidden potential. Okay. Did I spill too many parts? Well, things are interesting.
Chiles, already no stranger to breaking boundaries, had a wild yet intriguing theory: Caitlin Clark—known for her sharpshooting precision and gravity-defying drives—could have been a force on the vault. The Iowa legend, who now dominates the WNBA with her quick-footed handles and court vision, might have just as efficiently been landing Amanars. Supportive comments?
“I feel like she would be really good at vault,” Chiles mused, highlighting Clark’s explosive speed and commanding presence on the basketball court. “She’s really fast, especially when she dribbles, especially when she does all her plays. She’s very, you know, demanding to the court into where the ball goes.” The words came subsequently during a YouTube podcast with Candace Parker, introduced by Bleacher Report. Chiles believes the way Clark controls the tempo in basketball, would translate perfectly to the power and precision needed for an elite vault performance. But Clark wasn’t the only WNBA star Chiles envisioned sticking a landing.
The gymnast from Oregon also pointed to A’ja Wilson, whose athletic dominance on the hardwood could easily cross over to the gymnastics mat. “I feel like A’ja could be an all arounder. I think A’ja could be literally in each and every spot because Aja has so many different techniques. She literally, not only does she have the ability to, you know, control herself, but she also knows how to be dominant in a lot of things, and seeing her on the court all the time is very inspiring.
Chiles joked, imagining the 6’4” three-time MVP adding graceful tumbling passes to her skill set. Interestingly, Chiles and Wilson have already shared the spotlight.
The duo graced the cover of Time magazine’s “Women of the Year” issue this year, marking a powerful moment celebrating female athletes’ influence. Though they’ve yet to collaborate in the sporting arena, their cover appearance proved they’re both front-runners in changing the game—whether it’s basketball or gymnastics. And while Chiles hasn’t had the chance to share a mat or a court with Clark, the two (along with Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu) did appear in Nike’s Super Bowl ad this year, spotlighting some of the biggest names in women’s sports.
For Jordan Chiles, it’s not just about sticking landings—it’s about making a statement – on and off the mat. The 23-year-old Olympian isn’t afraid to mix style with sport. Plus, she’s taking notes from WNBA stars who have mastered the artsy “walk-in look”—that head-turning, camera-ready entrance that blends fashion with confidence.
Moreover, while gymnasts traditionally lack the pre-event fashion runway that basketball players enjoy, Chiles is determined to break the mold. She’s already started crafting her own version of the walk-in look, and it’s uniquely her.
“I created that within gymnastics; my walk-in look is having a sneaker match my leo. My walk-in look is making sure that my eyes match my leo. Those are my walk-in looks,” Chiles explained during her chat with Candace Parker on the Bleacher Report podcast. But Chiles’ admiration for WNBA athletes doesn’t stop at fashion.
The Olympian also sees untapped gymnastics potential in some of the league’s standout players. Beyond Clark and Wilson, who she believes could easily crush it on vault and floor, Chiles had two more names in mind that she believes could bring serious skills to the mat.
Jordan Chiles handpicks the WNBA players with the gymnastics potential
We’ve heard Jordan Chiles sing the praises of Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, imagining their powerhouse potential on vault and floor. But when it comes to Sabrina Ionescu, Chiles’ admiration reaches an entire new level. The New York Liberty guard shined in Nike’s Super Bowl promo, this year.
The UCLA gymnast didn’t hold back when Candace Parker asked her to pinpoint Ionescu’s hidden gymnastics potential during their YouTube podcast. Without missing a beat, Chiles had her answer locked in. “I can see her on beam…I feel like she, you know, could probably do a really good split,” she declared confidently. And reasons, the beam?
It wasn’t just a random pick. Chiles painted a detailed picture of Ionescu’s elegance, explaining how her on-court presence could translate perfectly to the poised, graceful, yet fierce beam routines nature. “I think since she just gives very elegant—her slick back ponytail, everything about her just like, it gives very elegant,” Chiles reasoned. With the beam requiring balance, grace, and laser-sharp focus, she believed Ionescu’s ball control skills would give her the edge.
“She can have that control. Because she also does very well controlling the ball. I’m not gonna lie.” Chiles’ analytical selection visibly impressed Parker, but the gymnast wasn’t done yet. She had one more WNBA star in mind—a name that made Parker sit up with surprise.
JuJu Watkins: The Ultimate Floor Showstopper. Chiles’ fourth pick? Rising superstar JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans’ phenom has been taking the basketball world by storm. When asked which event Watkins would dominate, Chiles didn’t hesitate: Floor exercise—her own signature event. And why the floor?
“She, you know, she gives very dominant when she… whether she’s trying to—like, for instance, the Big 10s just happened. She was very grounded. ‘I’m, this is what I’m doing. This is how I’m going to show out.’ So she’s a, she’s a showstopper. So I definitely could say Floor,” said Chiles.
Caitlin Clark speaks to the media before the Iowa women’s bakset ball game against USC and her jersey retirement Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Now, with Clark on vault, Wilson on all-around, Ionescu on beam, and Watkins on the floor, Jordan Chiles’ fantasy gymnastics squad is stacked with WNBA royalty. And while it may be a dream scenario, Chiles’ insightful picks show just how much she respects the athletic prowess and versatility of these basketball icons. And who knows?
Maybe one day, we’ll see an epic crossover event—WNBA stars flipping, twisting, and tumbling alongside Olympic gymnasts, blurring the boundaries of the two most electrifying sports. And, who leads the charge? Jordan Chiles, of course—unapologetically stylish, imaginative, and always one step ahead.
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