Ducks Abroad: WBB Embarks on European Tour
08/17/23 | Women's Basketball
The Oregon women’s basketball team is set to embark on a 10-day foreign tour with stops in London and Athens.
Note: story updated on Aug. 18 due to change in competition schedule.
The Oregon women's basketball team is set to embark on a 10-day foreign tour with stops in London and Athens from Aug. 19-28, where the Ducks will play three exhibition games in addition to taking in the sights, learning the history and enjoying what each of the historic cities have to offer.
The trip, which was funded entirely through donations, begins Saturday, Aug. 19 with the team touching down in London the next morning. After guided tours and a game against the London Lions All-Stars, UO will fly to Athens on Aug. 23, where it will play games against two Greek clubs.
"We are so fortunate to be able in a position where we can take this trip together," said head coach Kelly Graves. "I cannot thank our alumni, boosters and donors enough to allow us this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And it really comes at a perfect time for our program – the extra practice time, live games and team-bonding opportunities are so invaluable and will help us get a head start on the upcoming season.
"We have just four returning players from last season and we added a lot of new pieces to the mix. They've been working hard in the gym together, but even more than the added court time, the team will be able to grow so much closer on a trip like this and create memories and bonds that can last a lifetime."
The NCAA allows programs to take a foreign tour once every four years, and this will be UO's first trip overseas since the summer of 2016 when the Ducks visited to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Madrid. Along with the trip comes the allowance of additional team practices, which are beneficial for a roster that features nine new faces (four freshmen, five transfers).
While in the UK, the Ducks will tour Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, to name a few. The first leg of the adventure will be capped with an exhibition game against the London Lions All-Stars on Tuesday, Aug. 22, featuring former Duck and England native Holly Winterburn.
The Ducks will take an afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Athens on Aug. 23 with two games on the docket in Greece. After visiting the Parthenon and Acropolis on Aug. 24, a full day on a boat cruise in the Saronic Gulf awaits on Aug. 25. The Ducks will explore and enjoy Athens over the next two days before venturing back stateside on Aug. 28.
While none of UO's games overseas will be broadcast, fans can still follow the Ducks' adventures in Europe through the Oregon women's basketball social media channels and GoDucks.com. A different Duck will have control over Oregon's Instagram story (@oregonwbb) each day, so fans can get a first-hand view of the trip while getting a glimpse into the personalities of this year's team.
A travel blog, including photo galleries and game recaps, will also be posted on GoDucks.com throughout the 10-day trip. For even more content, follow Oregon women's basketball (@OregonWBB) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
Oregon Women's Basketball Foreign Tour – Key Dates & Events
Aug. 19 – Depart Eugene
Aug. 20 – Arrive in London / Tours of Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Big Ben
Aug. 21 – Bus tour / Buckingham Palace
Aug. 22 – Game Day #1 vs. London Lions All-Stars / Youth clinic before game
Aug. 23 – Travel to Athens
Aug. 24 – Tour of Acropolis and Parthenon
Aug. 25 – Boat cruise – Saronic Gulf
Aug. 28 – Travel Home
The Oregon women's basketball team is set to embark on a 10-day foreign tour with stops in London and Athens from Aug. 19-28, where the Ducks will play three exhibition games in addition to taking in the sights, learning the history and enjoying what each of the historic cities have to offer.
The trip, which was funded entirely through donations, begins Saturday, Aug. 19 with the team touching down in London the next morning. After guided tours and a game against the London Lions All-Stars, UO will fly to Athens on Aug. 23, where it will play games against two Greek clubs.
"We are so fortunate to be able in a position where we can take this trip together," said head coach Kelly Graves. "I cannot thank our alumni, boosters and donors enough to allow us this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And it really comes at a perfect time for our program – the extra practice time, live games and team-bonding opportunities are so invaluable and will help us get a head start on the upcoming season.
"We have just four returning players from last season and we added a lot of new pieces to the mix. They've been working hard in the gym together, but even more than the added court time, the team will be able to grow so much closer on a trip like this and create memories and bonds that can last a lifetime."
The Ducks are headed across the pond ??
— Oregon Women's Basketball (@OregonWBB) August 4, 2023
Our foreign tour will take us to London ???? and Athens ???? from Aug. 19-28!#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/z81CZLD57T
The NCAA allows programs to take a foreign tour once every four years, and this will be UO's first trip overseas since the summer of 2016 when the Ducks visited to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Madrid. Along with the trip comes the allowance of additional team practices, which are beneficial for a roster that features nine new faces (four freshmen, five transfers).
While in the UK, the Ducks will tour Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, to name a few. The first leg of the adventure will be capped with an exhibition game against the London Lions All-Stars on Tuesday, Aug. 22, featuring former Duck and England native Holly Winterburn.
The Ducks will take an afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Athens on Aug. 23 with two games on the docket in Greece. After visiting the Parthenon and Acropolis on Aug. 24, a full day on a boat cruise in the Saronic Gulf awaits on Aug. 25. The Ducks will explore and enjoy Athens over the next two days before venturing back stateside on Aug. 28.
While none of UO's games overseas will be broadcast, fans can still follow the Ducks' adventures in Europe through the Oregon women's basketball social media channels and GoDucks.com. A different Duck will have control over Oregon's Instagram story (@oregonwbb) each day, so fans can get a first-hand view of the trip while getting a glimpse into the personalities of this year's team.
A travel blog, including photo galleries and game recaps, will also be posted on GoDucks.com throughout the 10-day trip. For even more content, follow Oregon women's basketball (@OregonWBB) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
Oregon Women's Basketball Foreign Tour – Key Dates & Events
Aug. 19 – Depart Eugene
Aug. 20 – Arrive in London / Tours of Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Big Ben
Aug. 21 – Bus tour / Buckingham Palace
Aug. 22 – Game Day #1 vs. London Lions All-Stars / Youth clinic before game
Aug. 23 – Travel to Athens
Aug. 24 – Tour of Acropolis and Parthenon
Aug. 25 – Boat cruise – Saronic Gulf
Aug. 28 – Travel Home
Geared up to fly across the pond ?? #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/gFfjmDuVPz
— Oregon Women's Basketball (@OregonWBB) August 15, 2023
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballSofia Bell, Katie Fiso & Mia Jacobs | Selection Sunday
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Kelly Graves | Selection Sunday
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Ehis Etute & Katie Fiso | Postgame vs. Washington
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Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Washington
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