What brought you to WBB?

[CBus13]

I'm just wondering if anyone can remember a moment that turned your interest towards WBB in general. We weren't all born automatic fans of WBB and I remember my first interaction with NCAA WBB and I have only got worse about wanting to know more and more about the teams, the players, and recruits.

I can clearly remember sitting on my couch in my house doing homework and seeing the Tennessee vs. Rutgers game that was so controversial. For some reason I really wanted Rutgers to win that game, without any past knowledge of the teams. They lost and I was livid. I can also picture myself watching the 2008 Final Four came on and I kept hearing about Big Syl and Ice vs. Ace and a new star coming along in Maya Moore. I rooted harcore for LSU to finally make it to the Championship game was very intrigued by the Stanford team lead by this attractive and energetic point guard, Candice Wiggins. Having no real knowledge of Uconn at the time I was pleased to see Stanford move on but devastated when LSU lost. The next game didn't get much better for me as the Lady Vols won.


I'm sure many of you have stories from further back than 5 years ago and I'd love to hear them!

 

[DaddyChoc]

wow... you've been around for only 5yrs. may I ask how old are you?

 

[CBus13]

wow... you've been around for only 5yrs. may I ask how old are you?

haha I am 22. But I grew up on soccer. Played it my whole life was rubbish in basketball so soccer was always my focus haha

 

[DaddyChoc]

Tracy Lis did it for me (HS averaging 35-40pts per game at Killingly) then of course the 95' parade and Nykesha Sales (local talent). I also was aware of Nadine Domond (Bridgeport)

 

[DaddyChoc]

haha I am 22. But I grew up on soccer. Played it my whole life was rubbish in basketball so soccer was always my focus haha

damn, life as a 22 yr old.... the good ol' days

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I had watched a few Rutgers games on late-night local tv, just came across them by accident.

Then came "the shot" in an extremely exciting final 4; not that I liked North Carolina, but it was exciting since I didn't have a horse in the race.

Then Lobo and UConn - yes, for 1 year I was a fan, remember, Rutgers was still in the A10 and not competing with UConn that year.

Then my wife took me to a Rutgers game, front row seats (I don't know how) and that was it.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

On a separate note, the original poster mentions the clockwork orange game. I was there. Yuck.

Why RU fans like Bonita - she tried for the truth. Trammel and Tina Napier - no use for them. Yes, I know Tina is considered a great ref, but everyone has bad days.

OT - does anyone remember a ref named John Morningstar - he was a national level ref and made an even more outrageous error (possibly a tournament game) and never did big time refereeing again (he worked 16 games this season, in the CAA pre-season, the MAAC, Ivy and Northeast conferences. Some part of me wanted that to happen to Tina and Trammel, though of course it didn't. Not really an important game, except to RU and Tennessee.

 

[easttexastrash]

My parents were both big high school basketball fans. We used to travel the state of Texas watching Rivercrest HS boys and girls but the girls were always better and won two state championships (1968 and 1980).

Duncanville HS hosted a holiday tourney every year and if you performed well there you were likely to win state or at least compete for a state title. Each year for Christmas I would ask to go to the tournament as my Christmas present. I wanted nothing more.

Gary Blair was the coach at South Oak Cliff and I remember seeing his team play for the first time and realizing how beautifully women could play the game. Multiple players from that team went on to play Div I basketball, including Dennis Rodman's sisters, Kim and Deborah Rodman. Watching that team was like watching a college team playing against high school teams.

So the tradition began early and I was hooked for life.

 

[easttexastrash]

My most disappointing basketball moment was one year when Rivercrest girls won state in 1968 and I did not get to go because I burned my buns by accidentally sitting on a gas heater that was in the bathroom. So instead of going to Austin I had to stay with my grandparents all weekend with aloe on my butt and had to listen to the games on the radio. I cried all weekend, for more than one reason.

 

[diggerfoot]

The Boneyard and CPTV. In the mid-nineties people commented on men's and women's basketball on the same board. This was back in the day when the hosting of the Boneyard constantly changed because servers were always crashing with the increased volume. I believe HuskyNan was the prime mover in causing a separate women's board but I may be mistaken. With a means available to both readily observe (CPTV) and comment (Boneyard) on wbb I was hooked. All the stars aligned pretty well for UConn women's fandom to take off.

 

[semper]

One word: Taurasi...

 

[Icebear]

Dated a girl's basketball player in high school. Then followed Southern CT State College when they were excellent in the 70s. Finally, Geno arrived at UCONN.

 

[vtcwbuff]

My daughter draqgged me kicking and screaming to a women's game in 93/94. I was a big fan of UConn men's bb at the time. I don't remember much about the game, but the antics of the coach got my attention. After watching a couple more games I decided that I also liked the style of bball being played.

 

[DaddyChoc]

My most disappointing basketball moment was one year when Rivercrest girls won state in 1968 and I did not get to go because I burned my buns by accidentally sitting on a gas heater that was in the bathroom. So instead of going to Austin I had to stay with my grandparents all weekend with aloe on my butt and had to listen to the games on the radio. I cried all weekend, for more than one reason.

'68?.... damn ETT how old are you, I thought you was a 30'something yr old fella

 

[luckyhusky7]

Katie Smith on her Ohio State days...she is one of my all time favorite players

 

[bruinbball]

In 1994, I remember going to watch my sister's 7th grade game and I was not impressed as the final was something like 17-9. But when the 8th grade teams came out, there was this girl that had to be my height - at least 6'2" that was on the other 8th grade team. She towered over our team and must have had 20 easily on her own and they beat us badly. The next year I got to know her as we went to the same high school.

Over the next few years, I remember reading about a different girl being USA Today POY from Indiana that averaged nearly 40 per game (Stephanie White - Class of '95), I remember rooting on the Huskies in the historic run of 1995 against the ugly orange, and my high school team winning our sectional. Then in 1997 we moved to another small town in our district where the girl from my high school lived. After going to the courts to play all of the time we started dating. Next thing you know, she is playing at a Big Ten college nearby and her first few days on campus in the summer there is a camp. I am out on the court playing against my gf, Ruth Riley, Jennifer Jacoby and a few other really good players. From that moment on, they truly had my respect as highly skilled athletes. I have been a real fan ever since.

 

[alexrgct]

I was lukewarm on WBB for a long time. I loved Ann Richards, and she was a big fan of the Lady Longhorns (despite being a Baylor grad), so I took a bit of an interest. However, this was right as Texas's program took a turn for the worse. Sheryl Swoopes was someone I followed and was distraught when she left Texas. Her brilliance at Texas Tech, though bittersweet, was nevertheless something that got me more interested in the sport.

The UConn-Tennessee games in 1995 got me more interested. Some of it was the intensity of the games, some of it was that I thought Jen Rizzotti was hot, but in any case, I started watching more. I liked Geno as a character, and I liked the intensity and discipline with which UConn played. WBB still wasn't a staple for me, but I tuned in for big games and the tourney. Even though I wasn't a fan of Tennessee, I did really enjoy watching Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings.

The continued intensity of the UConn-Tennessee rivalry in the start of '00s was what really got me hooked, and then moving to Connecticut during Maya Moore's freshman season meant that I was able to go to games regularly. Since I've moved to CT, UConn hasn't missed a Final Four. You're welcome, everyone.

 

[meyers7]

damn, life as a 22 yr old.... the good ol' days

Can't even remember back that far.

 

[meyers7]

Can't even remember back that far.

I lied.

I had always watched men's basketball, HS and college from about age 12 or 13 (mid 70's). I remember watching Indiana with Coach Knight and Quinn Buckner/Kent Benson go undefeated in '76. So I had always followed basketball.

But as for women, I remember watching Jackie Joyner play for East St. Louis Lincoln in the Illinois state championships (on TV no less), back in 1979/1980? And then watching Cheryl Miller play at USC. in the early 80's.

I first started noticing TN in the 90's and liked they way they played. Didn't really like or follow them, just liked they way they played when I saw them. Little did I know at the time of their evilness. I had just gotten out of the Navy ('92) and had stayed in the east (poor choice, kinda like my first wife), living in WMass and low a behold a team from just down the road was giving TN a run for their money and also playing very attractive basketball........and yea, winning (always a big seller when you latch onto a something new). Started following UCONN women/CPTV and their run in 94 and then 95. (still don't pay much attention to the men, cause I still have teams from my youth I follow on the men's side) Found what was or what would become the Boneyard (I think we might have been linked to the Courant way back then???) and the rest is history.

 

[rjuconn]

2004 Final Four.

I was a Minnesota Gophers fan (McCarville and Whalen) when they made their big run to the Final Four as a 7 seed...and then ran into DT and UConn. Hated the Huskies for ending the run. Two years later, I was living in Connecticut and part of the Horde!

Sometimes you never know where life will take you, eh? Now I'm back in MN and follow the Huskies much more than I ever do the Gophers.

 

[tomcat]

Found an NCAA tournament game on CPTV, quite by accident. Thought it was wonderful (UConn won), Next year took my daughter (who was maybe 9 or 10) to a few games. Was hooked. This was maybe 94 or so. My daughter liked it enough that it became a treat both for her and me over the next few years. Went to Piscataway for a Rutgers game. Drive to Richmond for an NCAA early-round tournament. And by the time we moved from New England to Philly, there was the Final Four, and my employer gave me two tickets. Now my wife and I watch on TV and get to the occasional game when UConn plays in the West.

 

[bruinbball]

2004 Final Four.

I was a Minnesota Gophers fan (McCarville and Whalen) when they made their big run to the Final Four as a 7 seed...and then ran into DT and UConn. Hated the Huskies for ending the run. Two years later, I was living in Connecticut and part of the Horde!

Sometimes you never know where life will take you, eh? Now I'm back in MN and follow the Huskies much more than I ever do the Gophers.

At least with Banham, you have a reason to watch again.

 

[meyers7]

Sometimes you never know where life will take you, eh? Now I'm back in MN and follow the Huskies much more than I ever do the Gophers.

Well truthfully, not a lot to follow.

 

[Biff]

What brought me to WBB?

Well in the mid to late 90s it was a red Escort station wagon. from 98 to 2005 it was a dark green metallic perl Jetta. A wonderful car for that rolling stretch of back roads after I got off of I-384. Since 2006 it's been a red metallic Fusion. Not as fun to drive as the Jetta but it's gotten me to the games.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I'm just wondering if anyone can remember a moment that turned your interest towards WBB in general. We weren't all born automatic fans of WBB and I remember my first interaction with NCAA WBB and I have only got worse about wanting to know more and more about the teams, the players, and recruits.

I can clearly remember sitting on my couch in my house doing homework and seeing the Tennessee vs. Rutgers game that was so controversial. For some reason I really wanted Rutgers to win that game, without any past knowledge of the teams. They lost and I was livid. I can also picture myself watching the 2008 Final Four came on and I kept hearing about Big Syl and Ice vs. Ace and a new star coming along in Maya Moore. I rooted harcore for LSU to finally make it to the Championship game was very intrigued by the Stanford team lead by this attractive and energetic point guard, Candice Wiggins. Having no real knowledge of Uconn at the time I was pleased to see Stanford move on but devastated when LSU lost. The next game didn't get much better for me as the Lady Vols won.


I'm sure many of you have stories from further back than 5 years ago and I'd love to hear them!

I go way back. Kerry Bascom and the 1991 Final Four. Reinforced by Lobo, Jen, JJ and the 1995 NCAA championship.

In those early days I emailed CD about Nicolle Powell who I saw play HS in Arizona and Big Syl and Earlana Larkins who played against my granddaughter in HS in Miami.

UConn has been a WCBB fans dream.