Mystics guard Jade Melbourne realizes Olympic dream

So “Nan” should get a lot of credit for this week’s news that Melbourne, the youngest player in the WNBA at 21, will represent Australia in Paris for her first Olympic experience. Saturday night, in her first game since getting the call-up, she scored four points in the Mystics’ 74-67 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

The call to Paris came Friday morning while Melbourne was still in bed. The name Sandy Brondello — coach of the New York Liberty and the Australian national team — popped up on her phone. It was the call Melbourne had been waiting for since primary school.

“Representing my country is the highlight for me,” Melbourne said. “So it’s a dream come true. When it’s officially confirmed, it’s just a completely different feeling. I was just so happy. I FaceTimed my mum and dad — it was 2am.

“Probably my first big basketball goal. Being in reality and going to Paris in three weeks is pretty cool.”

It’s been a busy year for Melbourne. She was traded from the Seattle Storm to the Mystics just days before the end of training camp after the Storm drafted another guard, Nika Muhl of Connecticut. GM Mike Thibault credited assistant GM Maria Giovannetti for her persistence in talks with Seattle.

Melbourne had gone to a morning practice on a day off when she was called in to see Storm GM Talisa Rhea, and she knew something was up. By noon, the Mystics had sent a plane ticket.

“I only brought two suitcases when I came from Australia, so it was actually easy to pack,” Melbourne said. “It was really cool. Absolutely overwhelming. The whole swap thing just happened so quickly, and it’s so strange to walk into a different dressing room than the one you were in the day before.

“But honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I think it’s been the best thing for me.”

The sophomore guard has since worked her way into the Mystics’ rotation, averaging 6.1 points on 46 percent shooting from the field as of Saturday and providing consistent energy off the bench with her quickness and willingness to attack the rim. That style of play has been necessary given the injury to Brittney Sykes (sprained foot), who has played just three games.

Melbourne still have a rookie contract and a contract until 2026, which includes a team option for that final season.

“A chance to get a young player that has tremendous potential was just very enticing for everyone,” Thibault said. “Third-round picks don’t come on your team very often. For us, it was like, let’s take a chance on her. … With all of our injuries, it’s actually worked out better for her to get more opportunities.

“She loves the gym. And that rubs off on people. You can’t really have a sad day when you’re with her.”

Point guard Julie Vanloo, the oldest rookie in the league at 31, has become good friends with Melbourne and calls her wise beyond her years. There is a positivity the two share that made their connection natural despite the age difference.

Vanloo said there is a “fearlessness” in Melbourne’s game, and the two have been able to help each other grow from their own strengths, adding that “she’s definitely a basketball nerd. She has so much passion for the game.”

They also share a love for Chipotle.

“We’re not bougie girls,” Vanloo said, laughing. “We try not to spend a lot of money on fancy dinners. We’re very basic people.”

Melbourne added: “Cheap meals, save on our per diem.”

Against the Lynx (15-6) on Saturday, the Mystics (5-17) rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit after a terrible first-quarter start, but went cold offensively in the fourth quarter of the loss, shooting 4 of 18 from the field in the final period after shooting 50 percent through the first three quarters.

Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough each scored 15 for the Mystics. Myisha Hines-Allen had 11 points, a season-high 11 rebounds and six assists.

Sykes, whose foot injury sidelined her again on Saturday, played with Melbourne for the Canberra Capitals in Australia. She recalls being struck when Melbourne, at age 19, hit her with a crossover dribble during their practice, stopping the all-WNBA defender in her tracks.

““Damn it, who is this kid?” Sykes said of her initial reaction. “That was probably the first time I saw a young player of that age and thought, ‘Okay, he can go straight to the league.’ …

“Now it’s so much growth. She’s maybe slowed down a little bit. She’s still fast as shit. She still gets to the basket. She shoots. But you also see her growing into a leadership role.”

Melbourne embraces her basketball nerdiness. She watches as many WNBA games as possible and constantly searches online for highlights. When she’s back in Australia, she regularly watches WNBL and European games. Melbourne is enamored with the general fundamentals and basketball IQ on display in those European leagues, and she immerses herself in as many films as possible.

The parents who bought the trampoline didn’t play, so there’s no family connection to the sport. But Grandma set Melbourne up for life.

“I really love the game,” Melbourne said. “I feel like I’ve never worked a day in my life because the same love I had for the game when I started is the same love I have for it now. … I just love consuming basketball. It’s a never-ending problem, basketball. You’re never going to have a perfect game. Nobody’s ever going to shoot 100 percent from the court. So it’s just trying to find ways to get as close to that as possible.”