By Lindsey Young

Twitter

For many sports fans, there’s nothing better than watching a favorite athlete not only play college ball in his or her home state, but then ends up going pro as a hometown hero. Many Lynx fans have cheered on Hutchinson-native Lindsay Whalen since her debut with the Minnesota Gophers in 2000.

Ben Wagner is one of those fans.

The Wagners are 10-year season ticket holders for Gophers Women’s Basketball; when Whalen joined the Lynx, Ben, his mom and his younger brother followed suit and purchased season tickets for the WNBA team as well.

Basketball is a family affair for the Wagners. Ben’s brother Sam played basketball for several years, his uncle was a long-time coach for high school women’s basketball, and his aunt is good friends with the Whalens.

Ben first started following the Lynx in 2004, and he’s been a sold-out fan ever since.

“The Lynx are so much fun to watch,” Ben explained. “Once you go to one game, you will have to come back again!”

Ben described the environment of games at Target Center as a “great atmosphere for family,” saying the comradery among fans is contagious. He hardly ever misses a home game, and he religiously accesses away games on TV or WNBA Live Access. Three years ago, Ben even traveled to Indiana to watch the Lynx compete in the 2012 Finals.

He echoes other Lynx supporters, though, when he dubs 2011 the most memorable year as a fan. During the Finals that year, the Star Tribune captured a picture of the Wagners cheering their hearts out—the saved newspaper clip still reminds them of the excitement of that series.

“Winning our first title, [seeing] Seimone [Augustus] win MPV … it was just such a fun season!” Ben exclaimed.

Ben has a great feeling about the upcoming season, and he hopes to see Minnesota contend for another title after falling short in 2014. According to him, we can expect to see Maya Moore play a huge part in the squad’s success.

“My favorite memory is definitely when Maya scored 48 points last season against the Dream in OT… [This year, I’m looking forward to] what she’s going to have on tap for an encore of her MVP season and hopefully bring the Lynx to the Finals again!”

Looking at some of Minnesota’s offseason moves, Ben views incoming rookie Reshanda Gray as another role player. Especially with the recent news that center Janel McCarville will sit out the 2015 season, having a presence like Gray on the court will prove significant.

“[Gray’s] height would really help our post depth,” Ben said. “She has great hands and is one of the better post passers in the Draft. Plus, she can learn a lot from [Rebekkah] Brunson.”

Ben and other fans will certainly miss McCarville’s presence at this post, but a lot of anticipation surrounds both new additions and players returning from injury.

The Wagners have developed countless new friendships through years of supporting the Lynx, and despite the few question marks surrounding roles on the adjusted roster, Ben cannot wait to kick off the new season with the family—mom, brother, and the entire Pack of Lynx fans.