Not once did Kelsey Griffin dream of wearing the green and gold of Australia while she was growing up in Anchorage in south-central Alaska.
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But if it wasn't for the Opals, the Canberra Capitals' marquee recruit would be eyeing retirement rather than a Commonwealth Games medal.
The United States native will help Australia's bid to clinch a podium finish at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday night.
It is the latest step in the 30-year-old forward's whirlwind journey that has taken her around the globe.
Griffin had never even considered playing in Australia until her former college teammate Chelsey Aubry, who was playing for Bendigo in the WNBL, told her the Spirit's import had gone down injured on the eve of the 2012-13 season.
She had an eye on playing in Korea but with an opening in Australia Griffin had to call her mum Jan for advice. The response was "what do you think will be best for you?"
Griffin took a chance and hasn't looked back.
"Never, never even being a professional basketball player was in my scope when I was growing up. Soccer was my first love, then volleyball and then basketball," Griffin said.
"It's amazing where sport takes you and the things that needed to fall into place for me to find Australia and then for it to become home, it's amazing really."
Playing abroad has never been difficult. Griffin's stint at college in Nebraska had built an unwavering resilience in the basketball star.
Griffin endured homesickness while her father Jim was undergoing cancer treatments. While it pales in comparison, she also battled a severe ankle injury.
The ankle healed, and her family had rarely been prouder when Griffin's No. 23 Cornhuskers jersey was retired after she played a key role in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's rebuild.
As she entered the professional ranks, the WNBL season slowly became her priority. Griffin wasn't about the statistical driven mindset that plagues the WNBA. She wasn't big on Hungary or Israel either.
So when Griffin became an Australian citizen in November 2015, was pledging her allegiance to Australia a tough thing to do?
"No actually, not at all. It would have been only two weeks into my first season in Bendigo when I was like 'I want to move here'," Griffin said.
"Australia felt more like home than any other place that I've been. Representing Australia was never a goal of mine as far as something I wanted to achieve in my basketball career.
"I just wanted to be a citizen, so that was the process that I started. It just so happened that the best way for me to obtain citizenship was through sport and a special talent visa. With that, the opportunity of representing Australia came about.
"I didn't really know if I was past my prime or had missed my window, but I was just really excited to be a citizen. When Sandy [Brondello] invited me to camp and I was able to join the team, it just reignited my fire to play basketball.
"I'm actually so grateful for the opportunity because I think if it wasn't for the national team I would be looking at retirement more so than going fully professional again and making the most out of it."
The prospect of winning a medal for Australia on her adopted home soil hasn't sunk in for the two-time WNBL champion, who made her Opals debut at the 2017 Asia Cup and already has an eye on the 2020 Olympic Games.
Griffin hopes the Commonwealth Games isn't her last dance in an Australian uniform, "but if it is I'm going to make the most of it."
COMMONWEALTH GAMES SCHEDULE
Friday: Semi-final - Canada v England at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, 6.30pm.
Friday: Semi-final - Australia v New Zealand at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, 9pm.
Saturday - Women's bronze medal game at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, 6pm.
Saturday - Women's gold medal game at Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, 8.30pm.
