USC Alum Jacki Gemelos Still Fighting On
Aubrey Kragen
8/10/2020
Before every practice and every game, Jacki Gemelos says a prayer: Please keep me safe.
The prayer gives her the strength she needs to take the court.
Gemelos, a USC women's basketball alum, has overcome a number of knee injuries to fulfill her lifelong dream of playing in the WNBA.
Gemelos grew up in Stockton, Calif., and was widely considered the top recruit in the nation. But in the last game of her high school career, she suffered an ACL tear in her right knee. It forced her to miss the famed McDonald's All-American Game and her entire freshman season at USC.
Gemelos unfortunately re-tore the same ACL in September 2007, just before her redshirt freshman season would have begun. Lightning struck again in October 2008, when she tore her other ACL in a preseason workout. She would miss a third straight season.
The bad luck didn't end there. A few months after her third ACL tear, doctors realized her body rejected the graft, and the point guard was forced to have a fourth reconstructive ACL surgery.
Finally, on Feb. 4, 2010, Gemelos suited up for her first game in Cardinal and Gold, in front of her family at Cal. She scored 8 points and dished a game-high 5 assists.
Gemelos finished out the 2010 season and made it through the 2011 season unscathed, averaging 12.4 points her game. After the 2011 season, she won a gold medal with Team USA at the World University Games held in Shenzhen, China.
Nine games into her sixth season at USC, Gemelos suffered a third tear in her left ACL, ending her college career.
“It’s any athlete’s worst nightmare,” said Gemelos of tearing an ACL. “It’s such a long process. It takes such a long time. And every day, it’s not pretty. It doesn’t feel good. It hurts. You’re constantly in your head about whether you’re going to be the same player you were before, if it’s even possible. Can you even mentally convince yourself to get out there? For me, there was always a bigger picture. There was always that end goal. And for me it was to make it to the WNBA”
That goal would have to wait, though.
Gemelos was selected in the third round of the 2012 WNBA Draft, but was released before ever getting to step on the court.
From there she took her talents to Europe, where she thrived.
In an effort to protect herself from further injuries, Gemelos had to reinvent her game. She worked to become a strong outside shooter rather than getting in the paint, drawing contact and jostling around with other big bodies.
This style of play was rewarded in Europe, where she starred in Italy, Greece and Spain.
“To be successful out there, you have to be able to shoot from the outside,” Gemelos explained. “The game is more with your mind versus quickness, speed and athleticism. It’s more thought-out and structured. It fit me really well."
Despite her success in Europe, Gemelos longed to return to the United States to play in the WNBA.
“The WNBA is the most elite level of women's basketball,” she explained. “It's the biggest stage. The top 144 players in the world. And it's been a goal of mine since I was little. In 1996 when the WNBA started, and when the Sacramento Monarchs had a team, I was at those games. I was watching Ticha Penicheiro, Ruthie Bolton-Holifield. That was what I grew up watching, so naturally that was a dream of mine.”
She got another shot to live out her dream in 2015, when she signed with the Chicago Sky and finally made her WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun. But after 17 games with Chicago, she returned to Europe.
Gemelos continued to show her worth overseas, making the Greek National Team in 2018 (her father's side of the family is of Greek descent and she has dual citizenship) and winning the Greek League's MVP Award for the 2019-20 season.
That caught the eye of Sun head coach Curt Miller, who invited Gemelos to a very competitive training camp in May. Gemelos originally didn't make the cut because the team hit the salary cap with only 11 players — one fewer than the average WNBA roster. But when a prominent player opted out of the season due COVID-19 concerns, Gemelos was invited to join the team.
Jacki Gemelos with her first WNBA bucket in 1,780 days. @JackiG_23
— WSLAM (@wslam) July 29, 2020
Don’t ever give up. (via @ConnecticutSun) pic.twitter.com/jWnzYNOMNc
Gemelos made her triumphant return to the WNBA on July 28, 2020. She hit two three-pointers in five minutes of play.
“It was pretty incredible," said Gemelos. “Any time I play on this stage, this WNBA stage, I feel like it’s where I belong. It’s where I’ve always belonged. I had an unfortunate series of knee injuries and that prevented me from being in the league for so many years. But it’s magical. It’s the greatest league the world. Just to be in this bubble and to be in this environment at this unique time is really special.”
Indeed, it is a special time to be playing in the WNBA. The league is getting more attention and support than ever. The players are living in a “bubble” in Bradenton, Fla. to shield themselves against COVID-19, and they're collectively taking a stand on social justice issues, like racism, inequality and police brutality.
“It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever been able to do,” Gemelos said. “Part of the season was to bring attention to these issues. It’s been really special. Even when you lose, you still think, ‘OK, yeah, everyone wants to win, but ultimately, what are we here for?’ Yes, to play basketball, but also for something that’s way bigger than basketball. It kind of puts things in perspective when you think about it like that.”
Gemelos, who's now 31, has big plans for the rest of her basketball career.
After this WNBA season, she'll play in Turkey. She hopes to win a championship, whether in Europe or the WNBA, and after her playing days are done, she hopes to join the coaching staff at USC — the place that taught her the Fight On spirit that's pushed her forward through all her setbacks.
“Fight On really describes who I am, my story and my journey,” Gemelos said. “It means so much to me.”
