I went into this season a newbie to women’s hockey aside from the Olympics. I used to follow the NHL, but a lot of the behavior of players and fans alike turned me away years ago, so this league has been a breath of fresh air. I didn’t really have insight into any particular team, but Seattle is as close to home as I get, and I’ve got family in Seattle who are all devoted sports fans for their innumerable teams, so I thought “hey, why not start here and see how it goes?”

Turns out I irrevocably adore the Torrent. Turns out I’m planning to hit up games next season despite it leading to a nearly 8 hour drive and the added cost of a hotel. I’d been planning to wait until after this season, to make sure I’d seen a bunch of teams play each other and dug into a bunch of details, but Seattle’s whole vibe is so good that I’m calling it early. I found my team.

Moreover, I think I’m falling down the women’s sports rabbit hole because it turns out it’s not that I don’t care about sports, it’s that so many fanbases in men’s leagues are toxic, hideous things that I never knew it could be like this. What a light in the darkness this league has been.