➼ Who doesn’t love to see the unexpected winner prevail? Who doesn’t want to see a long shot hit the bucket? Well, maybe some people, but those aren’t my people. In life and basketball, my parents have always rooted for the underdog. Nothing encompasses that more than their love of the UConn Huskies. My parents are class of 1965 alumni and this year they are turning 80. They gifted me the love of college basketball and the UConn Huskies as my team. This passion is indicative of the other things they gifted me; to be full of hope and always count on a brighter future. The most appropriate gift in return, is UConn basketball game tickets.

My father often reminisces about Huskies games where “you could hear the echo of the basketball on the court” in the old field house. He also adds that the “fans were sparse but fierce.” He likes to tell that story because he’s witnessed an incredible basketball program grow because of smart decisions, a plan, and a few dreams. It’s the kind of story we like; a vision that was realized from humble beginnings.

I’d like to think that some landmarks in my life corresponded to some turning points for the men’s team or bonus assists in the hope for the future department. Two months before I graduated college in 1990, the Huskies made a name for themselves in that game against Syracuse. We watched Tate George catch the greatest pass from Scott Burrell in the last second and it seemed to us a harbinger of our futures. I will never forget all of us seniors rolling around on our college-carpeted apartment floor in joyful disbelief. I was pregnant with my first child during the 1999 championship game against Duke. My husband had laid out the best spread of snacks as has ever been seen for a sports event. I couldn’t believe that we were here with Duke! I was sure the closeness of the game would send me into labor. Watching the determined Kahlid El-Amin scoring the final four points in the last minutes of that game, I thought, well this is a good start; teamwork for the win.

Speaking of the realization of a dream, The UConn women’s basketball program is the embodiment of the dream of Title 9 and put Storrs and Women’s basketball on the map. I dragged my dad to campus last March for the women’s send-off to Seattle for the Sweet 16. I was a little nervous because I knew he didn’t like crowds and could get tired, and like most of these events, we had to wait awhile. It was worth it. My Dad chatted with alumni from the area, and it was joyful to hear everyone screaming “It’s ….Paige, Aaliyah…”. Look, we all know the impact this 11-NCAA championship team had on women’s basketball, but the dedication to this team has created such momentum in women's sports. These players become role models.

So here’s what I did. I’m taking my mom to Phoenix for the Men’s Final Four with an option for the championship game. Am I being too dreamy? Nope, my mom’s a risk-taker and she has always dreamed of going to the final four. With a nod to all the superstitious fans out there, all my other comments on this will remain unwritten. As for my Dad, he does not like big venues like the XL and he doesn’t watch the games as they get closer to the championship because it makes him too anxious. Seriously, he watches the games afterward on YouTube once the brackets start. So, we have third-row seats at Gampel for the men’s game against Creighton coming up. It’s still early in the season so he can watch without getting too nervous, but it’s bound to be a good, competitive game.

So nothing is perfect, because that’s who we are. But when you are not perfect and you win big and then shape something beyond yourself, well that’s something to live by. I’m not going to say that I’ve lived a life rich with hope, and the belief in the impossible because of some Huskies games but I am going to return a slice of those things that my parents gave me; the love of UConn basketball.

Happy birthday Mom and Dad!