8 Observations From Day One in Greece
Boise State Women's Basketball Journal Entry #1
Gallery: WBB Foreign Tour: Day One
WE MADE IT TO GREECE!
After spending the majority of Tuesday in the high skies, Boise State women’s basketball touched down around 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Following an hour drive into the city, the team checked into its hotel smack dab in the middle of downtown Athens. With no team activities scheduled in the afternoon, the team explored the city in groups. Below are eight observations from our experience from the first two days of the international tour.
(Editor's Note: Each day of the Greece Foreign Tour will feature a quick journal entry summarizing each day's activities. For instant updates, follow Boise State Women's Basketball on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram.)
8.) Keirra Thompson Celebrated Her Entire Birthday in the Air
Happy Birthday, Keirra! ??#BleedBlue | #WhatsNext pic.twitter.com/nLJzPvDSfL
— Boise State Women’s Basketball (@BroncoSportsWBB) August 5, 2025
Freshman point guard Keirra Thompson began her 19th birthday with an early wake-up call. The Camas, Wash., native met her teammates at BOAS Soccer Complex for a ride to Boise’s airport at 7 a.m. MT. The team’s three-and-a-half-hour flight to Chicago left at 8:30, and Keirra further celebrated her birthday by making themed hats for her teammates during the four-hour layover. The Broncos departed from O’Hare International Airport at nearly 5:30 CT, and by the time the 10-hour flight had landed in Greece, it was already 11 a.m. local time, and Keirra’s 19th birthday was old news (just kidding, we hope you felt the love!)
7.) Milly Sharp was Giving Out Free International Travel Tips
Like last season, Boise State’s 2025-26 roster features three Australian natives who are quite used to international flights. One in particular, sophomore guard Milly Sharp, was offering helpful tips and tricks to her teammates in anticipation of the long journey. In particular, she encouraged everyone to sleep as much as they could on the flight, and then power through the fatigue upon arrival in Greece. However, she would contradict herself with her own actions, as she set a goal for herself to reach 10,000 steps meandering about the cabin during the 10-hour flight. Conveniently, she “forgot her watch” so we’ll never know if Milly was able to reach her ambitious goal (Editor’s Note: there’s no way she was particularly close”)
“I love walking around a talking to people. I want to know why they are traveling to where they're going and get to know them a little bit.- sophomore guard Milly Sharp
6.) Only Two Members of the Travel Party had been to Greece Before
Of the 28 members that compose the Bronco travel party, only two had been to Greece before. Sport administrator Christina Van Tol visited the country in 1993, while athletic trainer Matt Schofield visited for a school trip in high school. Now, 26 people can cross something off their bucket list.
5.) Jet Lag Is Real
Prior to takeoff, everyone had something to say about the impending jet lag. The itinerary was specifically designed to have a relaxing day following the long quest, and nearly everyone was affected by it somehow. Strangely enough, a majority of the student-athletes slept throughout the flight and weren’t as impacted by the lack of sleep compared to the adults on the trip.
4.) We Are Staying In the Middle of One of the Most Historic Cities in the World
The team hotel was nearly an hour away from the Athens International Airport, which is located outside the city limits. However it became extremely clear when the team crossed over into city proper. Sprawling Greek Architecture seemingly popped out of nowhere, showcasing the expansive layout of the ancient city. The audience on the bus peaked interest when Panathenaic Stadium came into view, but the highlight came right before we arrived. The bus made its final left turn of the journey, and into view came the Parthenon, highlighted by the road we continued down (similar to how the Idaho State Capitol looms over the road to those driving northbound Capital Boulevard). The excitement could hardly be contained when we pulled into our hotel, with a stunning view of the Parthenon exactly one mile away. The team will get a guided tour of the famed architecture early Thursday morning.
3.) There Are Mopeds Everywhere
We debated putting this out there publicly, but an embarrassing amount of the team’s knowledge of Greece has come from the overrated film, Mamma Mia (there’s no byline on this journal entry for a reason). One of the observations from that movie (allegedly) is the amount of mopeds in the city. Well, that part is accurate. While there are a lot of similarities between Athens and cities stateside, the amount of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are quite noticeable.
2.) Athens Has A Lot of History
While perusing the streets of Athens, it is impossible to miss the historic nature of the city. Yes, there are modern details, such as the street vendors, the subways, the modern department stores, the outdoor cafes. But sprawled – just as often mind you – are a plethora of relics from the past. Museums, ruins, churches – you name it, Athens has it. Every group that explored the city came back with a different historical factoid to share with the group.
1.) BOISE STATE PLAYS BASKETBALL TOMORROW
The first look of the 2025-26 Boise State Broncos, who return four of their five starters from a season ago but feature seven newcomers, will take on Macedonia Select Thursday evening (10 a.m. MT). Full updates will be provided on all Boise State women’s basketball social media platforms.