How lucky we are

[Bald Husky]

How lucky we are. Since 1995 when CPTV started broadcasting UConn WBB, these games have been "must see" TV. As real fans of womens basketball, we have witnessed the rise of the most iconic program in NCAA history. 11 national championships, many undefeated seasons, countless incredible games against the best WBB has to offer. How many fan bases can say that? Imagine, SNY, a New York regional sports station, took over from CPTV and made our footprint grow. We have seen the growth of multitude great players mature before our very eyes, just because we get to see them every game. Sue, Diana, Tina, Breanna, have come in as dopy freshmen and graduated as future pros. The national audience only get to see them on national TV, maybe six or seven times a year. This past year, maybe 2 or 3. They didn't see Paige Bueckers become the most incredible freshman in the history of WBB. We did. They didn't see the development of Nika Muhl grow from a lonely afterthought to one of the most important pieces of this years program. We did. This is not just a team to us, these are our girls. They didn't see Evana, a much maligned transfer become the glue that brought this team together at a time when loneliness could have become a real problem. We did. How many fan bases are as lucky as us? Not many, so I want to thank all these wonderful ladies for their commitment to UConn, and to CPTV and SNY for giving us the opportunity to watch history happen every 6 months.

 

[Dabber]

Beautifully said. Thank you for putting it into words

 

[JellyBean]

Yes!! Well said. When I tell people that I went to Connecticut back in the late 80s, folks are like, huh? Then when I say "UConn", they are like "Okay. Were the women's basketball team that good back then?" I have to laugh and tell them, "No. No where this good." We are a lucky fan base. The rise of this program over the years has been a joy to watch. We are lucky. We have great young ladies and a fabulous coaching staff.

 

[DataNerd]

Three acronyms: UCLA, CPTV, TiVo. As a kid I watched Wooden's Bruins whenever they were on (national) TV, at first in awe of their choreography and teamwork, and later in awe of how Coach recruited, developed, and prepared his players to climb his Pyramid of Success in life as much as in the game. After he retired and Phi Slama Jama blazed the path to showboating me-first play, I stopped watching in disgust of what the game had become. Until one night in 1995 when I turned on CPTV and thought that Coach Wooden had returned to coach women until I saw this animated young guy and this lanky lady doing her best to guard against a technical. I was commuting from New Haven to NYC, so I used my VCR to tape games in its "hi def" STD setting, swearing when games would start late or otherwise go past the tape's 2-hour limit or were picked up by ESPN and the VCR was still set on CPTV. TiVo saved me, auto-switching channels and times as agily as our ladies shifted their defenses, wildcard searches capturing specials I didn't know existed. Here's the best part: If the broadcast wasn't copyrighted, TiVo let you upload the game, in my case to an iTunes archive spanning years of games. I love watching the players of all levels develop over their UConn careers and beyond, and love to relive moments big, touching, and humorous. Follow Maria Conlon's growth to indispensible point guard who enable D to be D. Who didn't laugh while Lobo dissected how efficiently Meghan Gardler found her spot, fixed her hair, then calmly swished a trey? And now I have Paige's athletic butt slap of Geno, and JJ guarding Geno from walking away from the timeout huddle. Add to these CPTV's and SNY's specials and virtual team reunions, and wow what a richness of memories to relive after Geno and CD eventually retire. As he said, "as long as I have these memories, I'm good". We are too. Thank you CPTV for betting that PBSers would watch and fall in love with this program, these coaches, and most of all, these wonderful ladies playing the game as it was intended to be played.

 

[MSGRET]

How lucky we are. Since 1995 when CPTV started broadcasting UConn WBB, these games have been "must see" TV. As real fans of womens basketball, we have witnessed the rise of the most iconic program in NCAA history. 11 national championships, many undefeated seasons, countless incredible games against the best WBB has to offer. How many fan bases can say that? Imagine, SNY, a New York regional sports station, took over from CPTV and made our footprint grow. We have seen the growth of multitude great players mature before our very eyes, just because we get to see them every game. Sue, Diana, Tina, Breanna, have come in as dopy freshmen and graduated as future pros. The national audience only get to see them on national TV, maybe six or seven times a year. This past year, maybe 2 or 3. They didn't see Paige Bueckers become the most incredible freshman in the history of WBB. We did. They didn't see the development of Nika Muhl grow from a lonely afterthought to one of the most important pieces of this years program. We did. This is not just a team to us, these are our girls. They didn't see Evana, a much maligned transfer become the glue that brought this team together at a time when loneliness could have become a real problem. We did. How many fan bases are as lucky as us? Not many, so I want to thank all these wonderful ladies for their commitment to UConn, and to CPTV and SNY for giving us the opportunity to watch history happen every 6 months.

Because of the deal between the Big East, Fox Sports, and SNY, I was able to see every UConn game this year. The last few years I was able to watch most of UConn games because of ESPN3. All of them were at no extra costs to me. If they hadn't have left the AAC, I would have been forced to pay extra money because all of UConn's games that were on SNY would have been televised on ESPN+. So I'm thankful for the move from the AAC to the Big East.

 

[Longtime fan]

How lucky we are. Since 1995 when CPTV started broadcasting UConn WBB, these games have been "must see" TV. As real fans of womens basketball, we have witnessed the rise of the most iconic program in NCAA history. 11 national championships, many undefeated seasons, countless incredible games against the best WBB has to offer. How many fan bases can say that? Imagine, SNY, a New York regional sports station, took over from CPTV and made our footprint grow. We have seen the growth of multitude great players mature before our very eyes, just because we get to see them every game. Sue, Diana, Tina, Breanna, have come in as dopy freshmen and graduated as future pros. The national audience only get to see them on national TV, maybe six or seven times a year. This past year, maybe 2 or 3. They didn't see Paige Bueckers become the most incredible freshman in the history of WBB. We did. They didn't see the development of Nika Muhl grow from a lonely afterthought to one of the most important pieces of this years program. We did. This is not just a team to us, these are our girls. They didn't see Evana, a much maligned transfer become the glue that brought this team together at a time when loneliness could have become a real problem. We did. How many fan bases are as lucky as us? Not many, so I want to thank all these wonderful ladies for their commitment to UConn, and to CPTV and SNY for giving us the opportunity to watch history happen every 6 months.

Here, here.

 

[EricLA]

Some great posts here but I'll be honest - couldn't get thru the entire "run-on" sentence. Please use paragraphs!!

 

[Blueberries]

I feel lucky to have been a UConn women’s fan when CPTV was broadcasting throughout CT and Western Massachusetts. When I started college at UMass Amherst in 2000 I was able to watch all UConn games in my dorm room or area apartments without even needing to have cable TV!
I’ll say as a now (oh my, for more than half of my life now!) Massachusetts resident (but no longer in the pioneer valley) that it has been far more challenging to access games since SNY took over, but it’s doable with DirecTV - I could have done better streaming options if my internet could handle it. Lucky regardless!