My Team Keeps Losing and I Still Love Them

6-24.

That’s not the date. That’s our record.

My WNBA team has 6 wins this season and 24 losses.

Bottom of the league. Nobody ranked lower than the Seattle Storm right now.

And I couldn’t love them more.

That sounds insane but it’s not.

Because this season isn’t about winning.

This season is about rebuilding. This season is about creating a new culture with a new coach.

It’s about bringing in rookies and young players and doing the hard work of building the foundation to a dynasty. (Go Dom and Awa and my fave Flau’jae! Plus shout-out to Natisha because we love you, too!)

I’m good with that.

Every day during this season, I’ve said to my wife (we are season ticket holders): “Expect to lose. Any win is a bonus.”

Good things take time. And we’ve got the bones of something that could be really special. We can wait. Even while we’re losing, it’s still fun to watch the amazing potential of this young team.

Recently, one of the Storm co-owners got suspended by the WNBA for five games for bad language toward two fans.

Yes, you read that right.

Some anti-trans folks brought signs and t-shirts into the arena and tried to provoke reactions.(I won’t post their photo because I don’t want to give them more publicity. It’s best to ignore these folks so we don’t magnify their hate.)

As you can imagine, anti-trans nonsense doesn’t play well in Seattle. (We like to live and let live — which is very American!) So these agitators got the response they were hoping to provoke: our super-dangerous co-owner used strong language and said they were “<bleeping> insane” to bring that attitude into our arena.

Now, dear reader, please understand that this co-owner is so dangerous that you simply cannot comprehend the magnitude of this frightening moment without seeing an image.

So here she is.

Yup. As ZZ Top might say, “She’s bad. She’s nationwide.”

This is what some media would have you believe is a big controversy.

A woman who looks like your grandmother upbraided some young‘uns looking to cause trouble — and the right wing is trying to make the world think this is a big deal.

It’s not.

(And, lucky for all of us, we were out of town during this particular game because my wife would have had to keep her hand over my mouth for the entire game.)

So the Seattle Storm is losing basketball games but that’s not the important thing right now — because in the game of humanity, we are winning! Our arena is open and welcoming and the games are fun! (Seriously. We feel so safe at Storm games. It’s our happy place!)

And this team is full of young, bright lights with beautiful and inclusive spirits. (Go check out Flau’jae. She glows like someone who’s been watered with love her entire life.)

And since the holy-rollers like to bandy about the word of Jesus, as a former Catholic schoolgirl I feel the need to remind everyone that Jesus said in Matthew 16:26:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Hmmm. Good one, J-man.

Let’s paraphrase that lesson and apply it to today’s theme:

What will it profit a woman if she wins the basketball game and forfeits her humanity?

Zippo. Absolutely nothing!

So keep being your badass selves, Seattle. We’re going to make it through this season and the next one. I love this city and this team!

GO STORM!

Related Reading:

Between Pickleball and Zumba

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Mar 22

“I’m not sure I could be a Division 1 basketball player,” I told my wife as she tried to hit a short jumper in the paint. “My make-up game isn’t strong enough and I don’t have hair extensions.”

“Oh, THAT’S the reason? Make-up?” she said, passing the ball back to me. “Not that you’re 60 years old and 5 foot 3?”