The RoundHouse | 7/22/2021 3:03:00 PM

 
 
Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage is enjoying the basketball experience of a lifetime in Tokyo as a member of the Puerto Rico Olympic team.
 
"The Olympics are what I think would be most athlete's dream and to say that I get to experience it and to actually be here is also a dream come true," she said in email interview. "This is Puerto Rico's first trip to the Olympics and I think that it's cool to be a part of history."
 
Lozada-Cabbage played for Wichita State from 2015-19 and averaged 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds as a senior. She is the second women's basketball Shocker to play in the Olympics, joining Dianne L'Ami with New Zealand in 2000. Lozada-Cabbage, from Santa Fe, N.M., is eligible to play for Puerto Rico because her grandparents on her mother's side were born and raised in Puerto Rico.
 
Puerto Rico opens play in the group phase on Tuesday (7 a.m.) vs. China. Belgium and Australia are also in the group. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-place teams advance to the quarterfinals, which begin Aug. 3.
 
Puerto Rico qualified in 2020 with their performance in a qualifying tournament in France. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Olympics by a year.
 
"What I'm most looking forward to in the Olympics is the whole experience of being here and just going through the whole process," she said. "Being around and playing against some of the world's top teams and athletes and, of course, being in a whole new country and experiencing their culture."
 
The pandemic and Japan's strict protocols do limit the experience for Olympians in the "bubble" of the Olympic Village. The athletes are tested each day. They are escorted to practice and meals. Plastic barriers separate them from teammates at the table. Exploring the surroundings is not allowed.
 
Lozada-Cabbage, who played professionally in Portugal, first played for Puerto Rico in 2019. She made the cut for the Olympic roster of 12 from a pool of 20 this summer. Tryouts started in May with coaches selecting the Olympic roster in June before the Americup tournament in Puerto Rico. She played in all five Americup games, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in an 88-50 win over Venezuela.
 
"Being a part of the first group to do it is amazing," she said. "We want to continue growing our program and this is our shot to show the world what PR basketball is about and to give the next generation of Puerto Rican athletes something to look up to."
 
Puerto Rico's roster features several collegians who play or played at schools in the United States, including Jada Stinson (Illinois State), Jazmon Gwathmey (James Madison), Jackie Benitez (James Madison) and India Pagan (Stony Brook).
 
"Our team has a little bit of everything, but what really works well for us is that we have a huge sense of pride and grit when we put Puerto Rico on our chests," Lozada-Cabbage said. "Our program has always been the underdog, but this team has never backed down from a challenge and has always competed and played hard."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.