USA Women Meet First Lady, Wrap Up Last Practice Before The Olympic Games

London, England • July 27, 2012

• Photo Gallery

Several dozen members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, including the women's basketball team, had the opportunity to meet First Lady Michelle Obama on Friday morning. She addressed the group and then posed for pictures, which the U.S. women happily took advantage of.

The team then took the court for it's final practice before the start of the 2012 London Olympics as the U.S. women open play against Croatia at 4:45 p.m. (11:45 EDT) on July 28.

Hear from USA head coach Geno Auriemma as well as seven U.S. players on their morning, their experience going through team processing yesterday (where they recieved their USA team gear), and their excitement about seeing tonight's Opening Ceremonies and check out our photo gallery.

Geno Auriemma (head coach, USA and University of Connecticut)
On the morning’s breakfast with First Lady Michelle Obama:
It was great. I didn’t expect to be a part of it. Initially they said it was just going to be for the athletes. But I’m glad we were invited. Getting a chance to listen to the First Lady talk about some of the commitments that these kids have made, some of the sacrifices that they’ve made to get here, how kids and other people are going to look up to them and emulate them in a lot of ways. It was a good reminder for the players that the Olympics are a special event. It’s not just another game, it’s not just another tournament. So, it was great. It was great to hear that.

Are you glad to finally get started tomorrow?
Yeah. We’re going to actually get to do what these players do best. Getting your picture taken, going to events, signing autographs and all that, that’s all well and good. But, what they love to do is play basketball. Tomorrow, for the first time we get to play for real. I think that when they wake up tomorrow morning, it’s going to hit them that we’re at the Olympics and we’ve got a game today. It’s pretty special. I think for the players, it’s something that some of them have done. For us coaches, because all the coaches here, except for my experience in Sydney, this is their first time too. I think the butterflies and all of that is going to be pretty evident tonight and tomorrow.

On getting started versus Croatia, which the USA defeated 109-55 last week:
You know how some European teams are in these warm-up games. You can’t quite tell exactly what their intent was. They may have been there and said, ‘hey, we’re missing our best player. So let’s just do this so we can get a film of the United States playing.’ You know? Or, maybe that is the gap. I don’t know, I don’t think so. I’m not going in, I don’t think the players are going in tomorrow thinking, ‘boy, let’s just hurry up and get up by 40 and let’s get this thing over with. I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think the same team we played in Turkey is going to be the same team we’re playing tomorrow.

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
On the morning’s breakfast with First Lady Michelle Obama:
It was great. Obviously it’s always exciting to see whether it’s the President himself or Mrs. Obama, it’s an exciting thing. She was very inspirational and very motivational, as well as the other Olympians who were standing up there with her.

On going through team processing:
The goodies were good this year! Not that they haven’t been good before, but they’re just getting better and better. It was fun. It’s always a little bit of a chaotic time. You’re trying to get your sizes and there’re all these people. But the volunteers were great. They were really helpful. Since we were the only team, it kind of went quick, which is nice. And of course the Olympic Opening Ceremonies fitting is now complete. We have our socks and our boat shoes ready to go.

So you’re excited about tonight?
Yeah, I actually am. The thing I’m excited about, for about 90 percent of the players on this team, probably on every team, it’s not the outfit you would normally choose to wear. But we’re all going to look good and that’s what matters.

On getting started versus Croatia:
I don’t think what happened in Turkey is going to be indicative of how this game goes. It’s the Olympics. In a lot of ways a team like Croatia has nothing to lose. They can just go out there and play free. Those are the most dangerous teams. So, we want to make sure we take care of business and get off to the right start for us.

Swin Cash (Chicago Sky)
Can you talk about going through team processing yesterday?
It was pretty cool. It's always cool to go through processing, talk about your Olympic ring, getting your free gear, and it was nice because they were so happy to have us there and they were impressed with how fast we got through it. It was just a really nice time. It really helps bring it to life, that the Olympics are here, and we are ready to go.

Can you talk about meeting Michelle Obama this morning?
It was cool. I've known Grant (Hill) for a long time, so seeing him was fun. And Brandi Chastain was hilarious. She was really funny. The First Lady was just very inspirational. It means a lot to us that she was here, espcecially during a campaingn year. She has two amazing young girls, so to see here come out here and really care about us athletes, it makes you just want to go out there and get a gold for your country.

Are you looking forward to Opening Ceremonies?
I am. I'm just looking forward to it. It's been a long time coming, this journey the last five years. Something like that, you just take it all in. It's really a special moment for all of the athletes.

Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)
On the morning’s breakfast with First Lady Michelle Obama:
I really enjoyed this morning’s experience. The First Lady, if you look at our pictures, she gave us all bug hugs like she knew us. For her to be so powerful and everything, it was so down to earth around her. Oh my gosh! It was the greatest feeling.

Then I got to meet some new athletes. I love meeting new athletes, seeing what they do and learning about different sports. There’re are a lot of different sports that we don’t all know about. It was a great feeling … and I got to see Dominique Dawes. I watched her when I was like a teenager. Actually, I was 10 years old. I was 10 years old watching someone, and now I’m next to her, taking pictures. It was very cool.

On going through team processing:
It was way more than I expected. I loved it. It was a great feeling. I did not expect all this gear. All of these gifts. I thought you just came and played for your country, but it’s so much more. They give you all this as appreciation for what you do.

Are you excited about the Opening Ceremonies tonight?
I’m excited. I’m very excited about Opening Ceremonies. It’s going to be like nothing I can ever imagine. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve only heard what people have told me. It’s one of those things you have to experience for yourself. So, I’m really excited to see it. People keep asking me if it’s hit me yet. And it hasn’t. I know I know I’m playing in the Olympics and I know that I’m playing for my country, but it hasn’t really hit me yet. I keep telling everybody that I think Opening Ceremonies is going to be like, ‘oh my gosh! I’m in the Olympics!’ You know? So I think it’s going to hit me tonight.

Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)
On the morning’s breakfast with First Lady Michelle Obama:
It’s such a treat to be able to hang out with her, have her come and encourage us. To spend time around someone who really represents our country 24/7, to have her come and encourage us meant a lot. We know she means it because she’s very active herself. We know her family really likes basketball, too because of all the stories you hear from the President and his playing days, their daughter Sasha. Their whole family really loves basketball. We feel a special connection through them that way.

On going through team processing:
It was good. Everything was pretty smooth. We got a chance to get fitted for our Opening Ceremonies outfit. We had fun with that. We got to check out some of the cool gear, which makes you get excited even more about being an Olympian. Getting sized for rings was making us excited about going out and getting that gold medal that we want so badly. It’s part of the process, but I think I’m even more excited to actually play tomorrow.

On tonight’s Opening Ceremonies, are you excited about seeing any other athletes?
I would love to see any other athlete that I can, because we don’t get a chance to see each other a lot. When you’re in your own sport, especially a team sport where we have such a strict schedule with games and travel, all we get to do is watch them on the TV screen. It’ll be fun to be able to see them in person and maybe hear some of their stories, where they come from and hopefully cheer them on when they compete over the next two weeks.

Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
Can you talk about going through team processing yesterday?
It was a lot of fun. We had a bag of stuff that was waiting for us, and it's always fun when you get nice stuff. It was overall a great experience to get our Team USA gear and try on our opening and closing ceremonies outfits. And it was great to see the first-time Olympians, how excited they were.

Can you talk about meeting Michelle Obama this morning?
Well, Michelle Obama is from our home state, home city, so it's nice to finally meet her. I think she's doing a great job with her campaign, Let's Move. Just to be here really shows that she really is supporting our athletes, and we feel the support.

Are you looking forward to Opening Ceremonies?
I'm very excited. This is going to be a long day, especially since we had to get up so early and left the hotel at 7:30 in the moring, but it's always fun to be in the Opening Ceremonies.

I'm sure you are itching to play tomorrow?
Games start tomorrow, and I'm really excited. I think that it's going to be a long day with the Opening Ceremonies today, but we are staying focused, and we know what we came here for.

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Sun)
Have you given your teammates any advice about what to expect tonight at Opening Ceremonies?
Not really. They’re really experienced. They’ve been through a lot of things. So, I just told them to enjoy the night, because Opening Ceremonies will definitely be the coolest part of the Olympics.

It’s a lot of fun. When you’re waiting with other athletes and you get to meet everyone. Then you get to see all the other countries, too.

Have you been anywhere else yet?
Yeah, I actually went to the Olympic park the other day, into the village. They’ve done a fantastic job with everything. It’s been fun so far in London.

Have you met anyone famous?
I met Allyson Felix. I said hi to Mr. Juan del Potro (tennis), who’s a fellow Argentinian. I told him good luck and go get the gold for Argentina.

Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx)
On the morning’s breakfast with First Lady Michelle Obama:
We got to meet her. It was a real big honor. It’s not something most people don’t really get to do, and I’ve gotten to do it on this trip. Meeting her was a huge honor. She’s a great person, a great leader and a great role model. I’m just happy that I was able to be there.

On going through USOC team processing:
There was a lot of great gear. I tried a ton of stuff on. I tried on our ceremonies clothing, which is very cool. It was almost like, ‘all this is for us?’ You know what I mean? They do such a big thing and a cool job. It’s sort of overwhelming in a good way. It’s fun to be a part of it.

Are you looking forward to Opening Ceremonies?
Yeah. I don’t really know what to expect, other than a huge stadium. I’m sure it’s going to be a big show, a big production. I’m sure it will be a great show.