Growing up watching Maya Moore and Candace Parker, Kahleah Copper thought she would share a court with them. But it was Kahleah’s support system that helped water this dream. “My great-grandmother was always there for me. And my sister paved the way; she was independent and she was my role model,” she said. Learning grit from a young age, Copper knew nothing in life would ever be handed to her. So even when she didn’t have a court to play on. She still found a way through. “At first, we played with a crate as the basket. But eventually somebody (I don’t even remember who, but somebody) stole a rim from the park and we used that instead,” she said.
While these are by no means things an ordinary teen would have the guts to pull off, Kahleah is just built different. But don’t feel sorry for Kahleah for one bit, because if it wasn’t for her origins, she would’ve never become the hard-nosed guard we know today.
Where is Kahleah Copper from? What’s her nationality?
“It all starts in North Philly. Like, if you ever want to know why I play with so much intensity, well, I got two words for ya: North Philly.” Paying her respects to the place that built her, Kahleah never forgot where she came from. Philadelphia isn’t simply a city to her; it’s a family. A community that had her back when not many did. “Parents here, y’all were giving me rides to practices, to AAU [Amateur Athletic Union] games … y’all took care of me,” she said at an event honoring the 2021 Finals MVP. Growing up playing ball against boys, she knew she really had to play every time she stepped on the floor. She knew they wouldn’t take it easy on her and it drove her to be better. Copper hopes her story is one that inspires other young athletes to be great.
Kahleah Copper is an American national and has established a significant presence in her USA Basketball career, contributing to the national team’s success in major international tournaments. A key highlight of her time with USA Basketball includes participation in the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Copper was a member of the USA Women’s National Team that competed in the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Australia. In the tournament, the USA went undefeated and secured the gold medal as Copper averaged 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game during the competition, showcasing her impact for the stacked side.
In 2024, Copper was selected for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team for the Paris Games. She was also part of the USA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament team that went undefeated in Antwerp, Belgium, earlier that year. At the 2024 Olympics, Copper and Team USA continued their dominant run, culminating in winning the gold medal against France. In the final against the hosts, she notably scored 12 points, with 10 of those coming in the crucial fourth quarter, displaying her ability to deliver in the clutch. Throughout the 2024 Olympic tournament, she averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 14.6 minutes per game
What are Kahleah Copper’s ethnicity and religion?
Kahleah is an African-American and has displayed pride in her identity on multiple occasions. One such is in an article by Adidas. In the piece titled “The Unwritten Rules in Sport and the Black Women Who Are Rewriting Them,” Copper shared, “If you know me, then you know I don’t play about my hair and a good skin care routine. I’m out here trying to impress myself. I love to dress it up. It’s important to show myself in my element off the court, my style and where I’m from.” The piece was meant to celebrate these women pushing the boundaries on outdated rules and breaking down barriers.
The Mercury guard has also mentioned her reservations when playing abroad due to the color of her skin. “I was very skeptical because in some countries there aren’t Black people or they haven’t seen Black people.” Kahleah Copper said, “My first year I played in Belgium, so they’ve seen Black people. But when I played in Poland, I played there for two years, and they haven’t really seen Black people. You’d have those people who just stare.”
While there are no reports that reveal Kaleah’s religion, it can be noted that she has mentioned praying in an incident she shared. “I just totally drew a blank,” Copper said. “I just had to sit and pray. It was a lot of prayer and a lot of having faith through my process,” she said after finding out she was selected for an All-Star team. While these do not confirm her religion, they can indicate she does have faith in God, if not a particular religion.
When was Kahleah Copper drafted in the WNBA?
Copper was drafted as the 7th overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics. She was a bench player in her first season, averaging 16.2 minutes and 6.2 points per game. After the season, she was traded to the Chicago Sky as part of a deal that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics and Stefanie Dolson, Copper, and the 2nd overall pick in the 2017 draft to the Sky.
Her tenure with the Chicago Sky saw them win the 2021 WNBA championship for which Kahleah was named Finals MVP. She would also go on to sign a 2-year extension with the Sky in 2023, which was followed by a statement. “Chicago has been everything I could’ve asked for and more over the past seven seasons … I’m ready and excited to grow and build on my legacy here and give this city, our fans, my teammates, coaches and the entire Sky organization everything I have to bring another championship back home,” she said. So when the news of her trade dropped, the shockwaves were felt across the Windy City.
On February 6, 2024, Kahleah Copper was traded by the Chicago Sky to the Phoenix Mercury. The trade involved the Sky sending Copper and forward Morgan Bertsch to Phoenix. In return, the Sky received forward Brianna Turner, forward Michaela Onyenwere, and a handful of picks. Trading Kahleah confirmed the Sky were heading into a rebuild after failing to secure the pieces to be a contender. Copper had expressed her desire to contend in the past and called the trade a win-win situation, as the Sky got enough picks for a strong rebuild while she got to play on a championship contender. While it was a fair trade considering the Mercury sent 3 picks alongside their players, it deeply saddened the Chicago faithful as they lost a cornerstone of their franchise
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