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Briann January made her first of two free throws to put the Fever up 86 to 78 with 3.2 seconds left in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. The Fever were leading the series two games to one and were trying to close out the series to avoid game five in Minnesota. Injured superstar Katie Douglas raised from the bench, where she has been cheering on her Fever on all night, took off her warm up t-shirt and entered the game – to a standing ovation. Briann January sunk her second free throw putting the Fever up 87 to 78. Time froze for a second and then reality sets in – game four has just been won and the Fever are WNBA champions. The crowd erupted, the Fever basketball team embraced each other and another trophy is brought home to the crossroads of America.
I am a huge basketball fan and I have to admit I am not an avid Indiana Fever or WNBA fan. I would call myself a casual follower at best - aka I keep up on their record, Facebook page, Twitter account and attend games on occasion. In 2009 I went and saw the Fever play in a WNBA Finals at the then Conseco Fieldhouse. It was a very similar situation, the Fever were up two games to one, on the brink of a WNBA championship. I was sitting in the nosebleed section cheering on the only good professional basketball team at the time (although I still attended many more Pacer than Fever games that year). The Fever would fall to Phoenix that night and eventually lose the five game series in Phoenix. This year was different and I wasn’t about to jinx the Fever again so I watched from the confines of my living room.
Sitting on the floor in my apartment I was tweeting, texting and calling various family members and peers. I find myself in a state of jubilation that the Fever are bringing home a championship to Indianapolis. I started to reflect and try to understand why this is so fun for me…outside of the normal excitement of championship win. I enjoy the Fever basketball entrainment on occasion but by no means am a hardcore fan. Then I realized this was much more than a championship for the Indiana Fever, the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis. This was years of hard work put in by some very talented female athletes. Most notably Tamika Catchings, an eleven year veteran and Indiana Fever player her entire career.
In one year Catchings played on the Olympic team, winning gold, was the WNBA league MVP, Finals MVP and WNBA champion. Catchings has played in one WNBA finals series before but the trophy had eluded her. She was a champion in college under Pat Summitt – who was in attendance. The WNBA trophy was the final piece Catchings needed complete her basketball puzzle and she was able to put her name in the history books Sunday night.
I am a huge basketball fan and I have to admit I am not an avid Indiana Fever or WNBA fan. I would call myself a casual follower at best - aka I keep up on their record, Facebook page, Twitter account and attend games on occasion. In 2009 I went and saw the Fever play in a WNBA Finals at the then Conseco Fieldhouse. It was a very similar situation, the Fever were up two games to one, on the brink of a WNBA championship. I was sitting in the nosebleed section cheering on the only good professional basketball team at the time (although I still attended many more Pacer than Fever games that year). The Fever would fall to Phoenix that night and eventually lose the five game series in Phoenix. This year was different and I wasn’t about to jinx the Fever again so I watched from the confines of my living room.
Sitting on the floor in my apartment I was tweeting, texting and calling various family members and peers. I find myself in a state of jubilation that the Fever are bringing home a championship to Indianapolis. I started to reflect and try to understand why this is so fun for me…outside of the normal excitement of championship win. I enjoy the Fever basketball entrainment on occasion but by no means am a hardcore fan. Then I realized this was much more than a championship for the Indiana Fever, the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis. This was years of hard work put in by some very talented female athletes. Most notably Tamika Catchings, an eleven year veteran and Indiana Fever player her entire career.
In one year Catchings played on the Olympic team, winning gold, was the WNBA league MVP, Finals MVP and WNBA champion. Catchings has played in one WNBA finals series before but the trophy had eluded her. She was a champion in college under Pat Summitt – who was in attendance. The WNBA trophy was the final piece Catchings needed complete her basketball puzzle and she was able to put her name in the history books Sunday night.
Catchings is an overall great roll model for the city and champion in life. She worked hard and deserves the victories she has earned. Congrats to Catchings and the Fever on a WNBA Championship! Live, love and play like there is no tomorrow – thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
The Marris Minute
Sincerely,
The Marris Minute