Significant local media outlets aired through Tennessee when native Morgan Wood of Gordonsville, was named to the 2017 U.S. Women’s National Team. Earlier this year, she made headlines for helping the Lady Movin’ Mavs win the NWBA Intercollegiate National Championships. She is also best known for her continued help, participation and education toward wheelchair basketball camps both in Tennessee and Texas.

A birth defect left Wood partially paralyzed, but she knew she had athletic strength and began her wheelchair basketball career in high school. After graduation, she started her college career at the University of Memphis. Wood later attended a summer wheelchair basketball camp at the powerhouse, University of Texas-Arlington, and fell in love with the school and program so much that she decided to transfer after her freshmen year – now a senior at UTA majoring in Psychology.

A part of a National Championship team at UTA, Wood feels humbled and confidently prepared to be representing Team USA. In 2012, she watched the U.S. Women’s National Team prepare for London and noted it was weird being an outsider then and being a contender now.

“Playing with the best in the world you get a little chip on your shoulder that you deserve to be here. Yet, there is a lot of good pressure, there is no room to make a mistake and that puts you in check and makes you thankful and humbled for the opportunity,” said Wood.

Making her first national team, she has nothing but space and time to grow and perfect her game. She is taking her career one day at a time and is thankful for every experience is given. She hopes to make it to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and vie for gold.