Packing two Indigenous flags into a bag for the flight to Birmingham never did weigh Ally Wilson down.

Rather the heartfelt gifts from country ensured one of Australia's four basketball bronze medallists remained grounded on the court amid the weight of a nation.

The symbolism of the gesture from Ngarrindjeri Elders for the Commonwealth Games tournament was another gentle reminder of the 28-year-old's humble roots.

A great comfort to Wilson was sighting the Aboriginal flag high on the ceilings or walls of playing arenas before tipoff and during a national anthem.

But the distinct Ngarrindjeri design, one of just seven unique Indigenous flags of First Nations mobs, means something more.

"I organised through my Aboriginal dad, who has a lot of contacts through our local Indigenous community, to not only take an Aboriginal flag, but also the Ngarrindjeri flag to the Games," Wilson said.

https://www.nit.com.au/australian-womens-3x3-basketball-team-fly-aboriginal-flag-for-maiden-victories-at-commonwealth-games/

"I had that with me at the opening ceremony, in my (sports) bag and things like that of importance, so it was just super special having it."

Hoisting the flag proudly across the back of the singlet, running out for Australia, kept Wilson close to family, country and her people's culture.

It was also a reminder to when Wilson's basketballer dad dragged his daughter to the Murray Bridge Regional Sports Stadium to dribble and shoot from the age of four.

"It's crazy that we've made the trip from little old Murray Bridge, all the way over for the Commonwealth Games to Birmingham," Wilson said.

"Hope they got footage of me with the flag and my people saw me with it on TV."

In the highest intake ever of 11 Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders to represent Australia every four years, Wilson could not have been any prouder to be a part of it.

"I think it's great that we set the record for having so many Indigenous people attend the Commonwealth Games, which has been amazing," she said.

"Hopefully all the young Aboriginal boys and girls look up to that and follow in our footsteps."

Wilson still talks about the influence Rohanee Cox had on believing dreams come true.

The Broome product was the first Aboriginal woman to represent Australia and later returned home with a silver medal from the 2008 Olympics.

"I am always thinking about it - that's in the back of my mind to try and be something of a role model to my mob and especially to all Indigenous kids," Wilson said.

"I honestly believe that you can't be what you can't see, and Rohanee was like that for me.

"She was the only one around, but she was also absolutely amazing when she went to the Olympics and paved the way for us Indigenous girls in basketball."

Wilson had only once before played under the Australian flag before Birmingham.

That World University Games experience in packed houses of Taiwan was invaluable.

Waiting five years to be injected into another such game suddenly came in the three-on-three (3x3) modified game.

After 10 seasons at four clubs in the WNBL, Wilson was happy to escape the grind of structured defence for the razzle dazzle of hitting big shots.

"Representing Australia is top of the chain for me," she said.

"There is nothing better, I don't think.

"You always go that extra bit harder when you're playing for your country."

Not like Wilson needed a reminder either, but she did tell her followers on Instagram about starting out on a court at a place ancestors knew as Pomberuk.

"Just a young Ngarrindjeri kid from the country of South Australia," she wrote.

"I had coaches when I was 12 years old tell me I wouldn't amount to anything: 'I didn't work hard enough, wasn't this, couldn't do that'.

"This is what dreams are made of. Proof it's not impossible, nothing is.

"Been counted out my whole life and against all odds, here we are ... going to the Commonwealth Games. Never give up."

Story by Andrew Mathieson