My first Final Four
Generally when I go to a women’s sporting event, I’m sitting on press row reporting on the competition or on the sidelines taking photographs. Rarely do I get to attend a game – no less a championship game – as a fan. Well I got that chance last week in Indianapolis when I was in town for the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball championship. Thanks to @anngaff, who was doing the heavy lifting on press row, handling the post-game press conferences and locker room interviews for WomenTalkSports.com, I got to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the final game as a women’s basketball fan. I’d never attended a ‘s Final Four in person so was excited to see what all the hoopla was about. The atmosphere throughout the downtown area, from the convention center which hosted Tourney Town to the Conseco Field House where the championship games were played, was buzzing with fans who traveled from Texas, Connecticut, California and nearby South Bend. Most fans had filled out their brackets and arrived in town prepared to watch a UConn v. Stanford rematch. Some people grumbled about the lack of parity in the game (not Connecticut or Cardinal fans) so imagine everyone’s surprise when both Connecticut and Stanford were defeated in the semi-finals and the two #2 seeds, Texas A&M and Notre Dame, played for the championship. Sure there were a lot of disappointed fans from both coasts, but everyone agreed that the level of play throughout the tournament was outstanding and there are now more than a couple dominant teams. As fun as it is to watch Maya Moore play (and if you haven’t already, you can catch her on the court with the Minnesota Lynx next season) it’s nice to see the spotlight shine on some other athletes as well. I could write about the game, and how much fun it was to watch ND’s Skylar Diggins play. How Aggie Danielle Adams calmly and coolly buried one three-pointer after another to garner the MVP award. How the women’s championship was far better played then the men’s game the night before. But what struck me the most was how devoted the fans are and and what a positive experience it was all the way around. From the plane ride, to folks at the airport, to people I met in bars, restaurants and hotels, the talk was all about women’s basketball. There were new fans, long-time fans, families of players and proud alum. Everyone had a favorite team, a favorite player, and a true love of the game. There were spectators waving giant Danielle Adams heads, little girls with painted faces and couples dancing to a brass band outside. Each team had a local bar assigned as the “official” watering hole and both RAM Brewery (Notre Dame) and Scotty’s Brewhouse (Texas A&M) were rockin’ leading up the championship. After TAMU won the title in a great game against the Irish, Texas fans were elated. I’m guessing the atmosphere at the RAM was more subdued. I met a guy and his wife at Scotty’s who came on a private plane chartered by a group of Texas A&M boosters. They started the party together at College Station and are probably still celebrating. At the airport, I met a couple from the Bay Area who came to support Stanford. I just assumed one of them was a Cardinal but learned that neither attended the school; they’re just fans of the women’s team and come every year to cheer them on. Couples, families, young and old – Conseco was filled (not quite a sellout but almost to the rafters) with women’s basketball fans – nearly 16,000 of them at each game. Can’t wait for Denver next year – I’m booking my ticket soon. In the meantime, here are some highlights of the experience!
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