Confessions of a New Fan, or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Women's Basketball"

Confession time.

I have never played a game of basketball.

I have never even shot a basketball.

And had you asked me a year ago about basketball, I would have looked at you blankly and asked, "Doesn't it stop like, every five minutes?" or tried to compare it to netball, which was a form of torture inflicted upon me during my high school years.

What a difference a year makes.

I transferred to UConn in the fall of 2008. I was peripherally aware that I was going to be attending a basketball powerhouse, but was far more concerned with other things, like academics and navigating my way around the campus.

But then throughout the 08/09 season, the UConn's women's basketball team was doing well.

Really, really well.

So, I started to actually pay some attention.

When senior point guard Renee Montgomery became the first active player to be inducted into the "Huskies of Honor" program, alongside a list of names which at the time meant nothing to me, that's when I started to realize that this team was pretty special and maybe I should pay attention to what was going on.

So, I started switching over to the games, intending to use them as background noise while doing homework.

But instead, I started watching, leaving my books forgotten. I didn't really understand everything that was going on – and to be honest, I'm still a little confused at times.

We all know how last season ended for UConn: 39-0 and a National Championship. I filled in my brackets, watched the games, celebrated and then stopped thinking about basketball. Let's wait for next year and see what happens then.

Except over the summer, there's still basketball going on. I knew the WNBA existed and all, but that was about it and it wasn't until the middle of August that it really had an impact on me, through a curious twist of fate.

Friends of my family have Connecticut Sun season tickets, and with their kids away in camp, they offered the two spare to my parents. My mother wasn't feeling well, so my dad suggested that I come. I had nothing else to do, so why not?

This was my first experience of live basketball. It was my first experience of competitive basketball.

And I loved every minute of it.

I mean, I had no idea what was really going on, who any of these people were, but it didn't matter

The Sun won, fighting hard to come from behind and the atmosphere inside Mohegan was crazy.

And that's when I knew I was hooked.

I was able to attend another couple of Sun games, slowly starting to understand a little more. I even started to pay attention to USA basketball and I'm not even American! And I started counting down to college basketball starting.

Which brings me to now (sort of) and writing up UConn games.

I am fully prepared to admit that I'm not an expert, nowhere near one. But I love my team and love watching them play.

I feel people are often leery of new fans who start supporting a team when they're winning.

I support the Huskies because I am one. Yes, it was the fact that they were doing so well that caught my initial attention, but I am a UConn student; who else should I support, Tennessee?! I have tremendous pride in my school, whether it's the basketball, or the academics, or the football team beating Notre Dame.

But why is it women's basketball, and not the men's, that I am devoting all my attention to? Or why don’t I follow the football program?

I will admit that initially, it was because I like being contrary. Everyone is all about how the men are doing, so I want to be different.

But what I love is the beauty of the game. I love watching the intensity and the passion. I love seeing the intelligence and awareness displayed on court (which probably explains why most of my favorite players are point guards!). I love the teamwork and that it's not just about who's the tallest on the court.

I may not understand everything that's going on, but I'm learning. And if there's a team to learn from, from what I can tell, it's UConn.

So, I'm going to sit back and enjoy this ride.