Women's Hoops in Australia, Day 1: Welcome to Sydney!

Photo Gallery - Day 1

* - Sydney, Australia is in a time zone that's 14 hours ahead of Princeton, N.J. At the time of this article, it is 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Sydney for reference.

The Princeton women's basketball team arrived in Australia on Wednesday morning (Tuesday night on United States' Eastern Standard Time). The team visited the Queen Victoria building before practicing at the University of Sydney. On Thursday, the Tigers will explore the Sydney Opera House before taking on the Norths Bears in their first game of the trip.

Rising senior Taylor Brown discusses how training camp went and how the trip will bring the team closer together…

Greetings from Australia! Today marks our first day on the other side of the world - we are all beyond pumped to be here.

We have been anxiously awaiting this trip for months and formal preparation for our excursion began last Wednesday (Aug. 17), the first day of PWBB training camp. We were all happy for the opportunity to be on campus and on the court before the academic year begins. We worked out and emerged as a better team (a true testament to the hard work and dedication of PWBB's players and coaching staff).

Finishing the camp strong has left us with a sense of pride and purpose as we enter this week of travel and basketball in Australia. Not only will we have the amazing opportunity to explore a new land together, but we also get to test ourselves in three very competitive games along the way.

Not only does this trip provide us with a means to begin our season earlier, but it also gives us a really unique platform to build an even stronger relationship with each other. Being able to travel and experience a new place with as rich a history as Australia will serve as a really unique and amazing bonding experience for this already tight-knit group. In addition to playing basketball, we will be engaging in some pretty exciting activities such as snorkeling, visiting the Sydney Opera house, and more!

I have no doubts this will be an unforgettable and life-changing experience. I am so thankful for the opportunity to create memories and experience this beautiful country with the people who have become my family away from home.

Finally, I would like to recognize the individuals whose support has made dreams of this overseas trip a reality. Without your backing, Australia would never have been an option for this program and we would like to extend our deepest and most sincere thank you to all those who have offered their financial support. Your donations are very much appreciated and we are grateful for your willingness to aid in the development of well-learned/traveled young women.

We've made it through the week of camp and the 20+ hours of travel. Now, it's time to dive into what is sure to be one of the most enriching experiences of our lives. Stay tuned for updates and GO TIGERS!

TB

Rising sophomore Gabrielle Rush recaps the first day for the team…

G'day mates,

We are live from Australia on the first day of our trip! We landed this morning in Sydney and headed to Coogee Beach for some awesome brunch - much needed after the always questionable plane food (still crushed it all).

After that, we headed to the Queen Victoria Building, a huge mall with stunning architectural detail. We then got to our hotel and settled into our rooms (blessed to have the majestic Leslie Robinson as a roommate so you already know our room is popping) before leaving for practice at the University of Sydney.

The combined effects of our worsening jet lag (14 hour time difference!) and the adjustment to the international basketball definitely lead to some brutal misses. However, we were able to adjust, motivating each other to push through, which resulted in a very productive and competitive practice.

We then showered and embarked on our crosstown journey to dinner. We were faced with some unexpected challenges, including torrential rains, unclear directions, but such challenges were met head on by our hilariously, positive and possibly delirious squad as we took this time to brush up on our harmonizing technique and to see which song will be our next vocal group endeavor. We ended up having some amazing seafood at a restaurant right along the coast with a beautiful view of the water and city.

Clean and fed, we were quite content with a 9 p.m. bedtime - we will need the rest for our many adventures to come!

Only one day in, I can already tell that this trip is going to be absolutely amazing - I am so lucky to have the opportunity to be in Australia with all of my best friends. Today has already allowed me to get so much closer with my teammates, my coaches and the faculty fellows that we are so fortunate to have supporting us. I never imagined that I would get to combine my love for traveling and basketball and how special it is to get to share this once in a lifetime opportunity with a group that has become a family for me.

Off to get some sleep now, excited for all of the explorations ahead! (P.S. No kangaroos have been spotted yet.)

Peace and blessings,
Gabrielle

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Taylor Brown

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Gabrielle Rush