Olympics diary: Sue Bird talks of meeting the First Lady

Hello Seattleites!

So much has happened in the last week I'm not even sure where to begin.

Last time I checked in it was the day before opening ceremonies and were headed to meet Mrs. Obama. She was super friendly and just lovely to be around. She took photos with all of us and possibly even found her No. 1 fan — Jennifer Gillom!

After comparing photos after the event we noticed Jen found her way into almost all the pics. It became a game of Where's Waldo lol.

Aside from Mrs. Obama, there were some great Olympians present. Grant Hill, Dominique "Calves" Dawes, Summer Sanders and Brandi Chastain. Overall, it was a fun day but it was just the beginning to a memorable night.

Opening ceremonies is a little different for those participating than for those watching on TV. I was told the Queen spoke, that Mr. Bean was hilarious, and Paul McCartney got choked up as he sang. Unfortunately, we saw NONE of it. That's generally how it goes for those of us walking, and while its kind of a bummer there is one bright spot that eases that: putting our opening ceremony outfits on.

What could be better than cashmere socks that you fold down the way you once did while attending church on Easter Sunday? Perhaps putting on your white Oxford shoes as if you were a 1940s banker strolling the streets of London?

I actually discovered I had a hidden scarf-tying talent as I styled almost the entire team's scarves.

While there were many highlights of getting dressed, the best by far came after we were all in full attire. We had some down time before we had to walk, and by down time I mean a few hours (which, by the way, is the norm with an opening ceremony) so naturally a freestyle battle broke out. With Maya Moore providing the beat with her beat-box skills, Angel aka Melek (note to reader: Melek means Angel in Turkish) took on Swin Cash aka Money Bags. It was a battle of epic proportions with Money Bags taking the title by default as there was suspicion of ghost writing by Malek's crew.

The tension was thick and there has been rumors of a rematch. ...

All jokes aside, by far the best part of opening ceremonies is when the U.S. delegation is announced and we all walk into the stadium. The applause gives you chills and it's just such an exciting time. Unfortunately, I wasn't standing near Kobe, Lebron or Asjha Jones so I didn't get on TV lol.

From that moment on it's been all business. As most of you know, we went undefeated in pool play and while the record is impressive the best part is that we got better each time we stepped on the court. As we enter the elimination rounds, we know the games are going to get tougher and tougher and so we are all extremely focused.

Hopefully next time I check in I'll have some good news! Until then ... stay classy, Seattle :)

— Sue Bird