RIO DE JANEIRO _ Both of Lara Sanders' parents were in the Army, and she was born in Germany while they were serving there before settling in Fayetteville, N.C. _ a truly American story. So it would have been totally understandable if she or her family had been conflicted about her playing for another country.
Sanders, who was LaToya Pringle when she graduated from UNC in 2008 _ the new first name is a concession to the Turkish language, the new surname from her husband Byron, a former UNC basketball player himself _ has played in Turkey since 2009 and first played for her new country in 2012.
"Everybody makes it seem like it's a big deal because we're Americans, we're a military family," Sanders said Sunday. "My mom was like, 'Whatever, good job. Go for it. Whatever makes you happy, and is good for you financially, do it.' They gave me all that praise. My mom said she wasn't here to cheer on the U.S., she was here to cheer on Turkey. She loves it."
With international basketball teams allowed to use one naturalized player, she's one of three Americans playing under other flags at the Olympics, along with her old rival Lindsey Harding, the first Duke women's basketball player to appear in the Olympics, albeit for Belarus.
Harding seemed destined for the U.S. team coming out of Duke in 2007, winning both the ACC and Naismith player of the year awards before being picked first overall in the WNBA draft. But she was passed over for the 2010 world championships and 2012 Olympics, and in 2015, at age 31, accepted the invitation to play for Belarus instead.
While it's not uncommon to see naturalized citizens competing for their new countries at the Olympics, it's becoming increasingly common in women's basketball as American players obtain overseas passports for financial reasons.
Perhaps the most famous _ and controversial _ American example came in women's basketball, where WNBA star Becky Hammon became a Russian citizen for the express purpose of joining their women's team, albeit at a time when relations between the United States and Russia weren't as polluted as they are now. Hammon, a late bloomer who wasn't a huge star in high school or college, was consistently overlooked by USA Basketball and finally had enough.
Anne Donovan, the U.S. women's coach at the time and a veteran of the basketball Cold War with the Soviets, called Hammon "not a patriotic person," before Hammon competed for Russia in 2008 and 2012, facing the United States in the semifinals in 2008.
At this Olympics, in addition to Harding and Sanders, there's also Danielle Page, who grew up outside Colorado Springs, Colo., went to Nebraska and played professionally in France where Serbia's national coach, Maria Maljkovic, was working. Her invitation to play for Serbia came as a welcome surprise.
"When you're a little kid and you watch the Olympics, that's the dream, that's the pinnacle of athletic achievement," Page said. "At some point, right around high school, you figure out you're not in that top 1 percent of the 1 percent. When coach Maljkovic called me and dangled the dream in front of me, it was a dream I never knew I had. You put it off. It's unrealistic. I'm so fortunate Serbia has given me this opportunity."
While Harding and Sanders will only potentially face the United States if they advance out of group play, Page will play her homeland on Wednesday. A day later, Harding and Sanders will renew an old rivalry of a different kind when Turkey and Belarus play Thursday.
"You can't be a Tar Heel and not hate Duke," Sanders said.
The flags may change, but the shades of blue do not.
