Contibuted By Lindsey Young
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Meet Choua Yang—when asked to define her, many of her friends would choose the word “passionate.” Yang is full of energy and invests herself in a number of things including her local church, fitness, and working with people to promote equality and inclusion. In 2004, Yang added the Minnesota Lynx to her list of favorites.
Despite growing up watching both the NBA and WNBA, Yang admits she didn’t find herself being a strong fan of the WNBA until she watched Lindsay Whalen lead the Gophers women’s basketball team to the 2004 Final Four. After that, Yang followed Whalen as she joined the WNBA and was thrilled when Minnesota acquired Whalen through a trade with Connecticut.
Yang supported the team religiously from that point on. After school, Yang embarked on an adventure to Korea for three and a half years. Her passion for overseas work was sparked as a senior at Crown College, when she went on a missions trip to China and worked with families there. Following graduation, Yang accepted an opportunity to work at an international school in Suwon, a suburb of Seoul. There she worked alongside colleagues from all over the world teaching middle school and high school students.
Even while outside of the U.S., Yang remained dedicated to the Lynx. She remembers the team acquiring Maya Moore and knowing that 2011 would be a great season—and she was right! Yang watched every game she could, adjusting to the time difference, even staying up all night at times just to catch the matchups online.
“During Game 3 of the WNBA Finals that year, I remember watching it on my laptop in Seoul and wishing with every fiber of my being that I was there,” Yang recalled. “It was tough to celebrate the win from across the world—but sharing in the excitement with friends really helped make it enjoyable.”
Yang returned to the States in 2012, arriving in time to see Minnesota win its second championship the following year. She made sure to relish every moment of the 2013 postseason, attending every home playoff game, the championship parade, and the championship rally.
After missing so many games while in Korea and now living in the Twin Cities again, Yang looks forward to attending several games every summer. The Target Center becomes electric with excitement during Lynx games, and Yang says nothing really compares to the atmosphere—even other Minnesota sports games—and she wishes everyone would have the chance to experience a game.
“I don’t think the Lynx and the WNBA in general get a fair chance—mainly because they are women,” Yang said. “Which isn’t fair, because the league has great talent and the Lynx win! I think it’s a problem overall for female athletes; they don’t get the respect they deserve […] It’s awesome to see the Lynx and Timberwolves partnered together. It sets a high standard for other professional teams to follow.”
Because she’s such a die-hard fan, Yang is always looking to recruit new fans to celebrate with, and she loves the opportunity to expose a younger generation to the WNBA as well. Yang is a proud aunt to two young nieces, and she took them both to a game during the 2014 season.
“It was one of the girl’s first time at a Lynx game, and she felt so inspired afterward,” Yang said. “It was just great that they could see women playing basketball at such a high level.”
Yang is proud to be the fan of such a successful team, and she especially enjoys supporting Whalen, especially considering her long-time following of the veteran. Yang played point guard herself, and she views Whalen as the perfect definition of that position. She said the following of Whalen:
“She’s smart, savvy, and puts her team about everyone else. She really teaches me how to be a better player and a better person to any ‘team’ that I’m involved with. Her selflessness is addicting, and it’s something that I want to display as part of a team. Lindsay is just a tough athlete and plays with so much passion!”
Whalen has stood out as a major part of this team for several years, and Yang believes she will once again lead the team to the postseason and hopefully another championship. For this fan, the WNBA offseason seems much too long, and she finds herself counting down to the season opener each year. Yang says the best thing about the current roster is how confident they are, really poising them for success.
Even the new additions are confident and playing with conviction. Rookie Jennifer O’Neill stands out to Yang as someone who will have a big impact on this team; the fact that she was sort of the “under dog” coming in makes an even better story in Yang’s opinion. Prior to the season, O’Neill simply hoped to work hard and make the team; Monica Wright’s nagging injury allowed O’Neill the opportunity to stay on, and she is seizing that opportunity and leaving an impression.
“I’m really excited to see O’Neill grow as a player,” Yang said. “I’m impressed by her fearlessness and her ability to come off the bench and lead the team!”
Like most Lynx fans, Yang can’t talk about the team with giving huge credit to Moore, who has positively influenced so many people both on and off the court. In 2013, Yang had an amazing experience assisting Moore with one of her basketball clinics—she says she will never forget that opportunity and the conversations she had with Moore.
“I was able to meet Maya and we talked about her life outside of basketball. It was just super cool to talk to her about things that we both were passionate about.”
Yang has been able to meet a number of other Lynx players as well, including Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Devereaux Peters and Monica Wright. The friendliness and accessibility of the ladies in general is one more thing that Yang loves about the team, especially considering how difficult it typically is to meet professional athletes. She says everyone she’s met is all “so down to earth and nice,” and it’s been a dream come true to interact with them one on one.
With the 2015 season now underway, Yang is in full Fan-of-the Pack mode, and she can’t wait to keep attending games this summer and to bring plenty of people with her.
“Not only am I passionate about basketball and women’s sports,” Yang said, “but I share that passion with my friends and peers. There’s no way I can keep it all bottled inside—I just have to share!”