Having etched her name in the record books last summer at the Tokyo Olympics, point guard Rui Machida is preparing to make her mark among the elite of women's professional basketball as a member of the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
The 29-year-old, who dished an Olympic-record 18 assists in Japan's semifinal win over France en route to the silver medal, struck an upbeat tone Monday in her introductory press conference for her new club.
"Opportunities like this don't come along often. I will give my all toward winning a title," Machida said.