A Surprise Plan for a Spontaneous Adventure

A Surprise Plan for a Spontaneous Adventure

By Grac(i)e Swisher ’27

When my dad surprised me with a trip to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals, it turned out to be an amazing adventure filled with many surprises. We got last-minute plane tickets and flew to Providence, Rhode Island; short flights are the best thing ever when traveling, and this brief, one-hour trip was no exception!

When we landed, my dad surprised me again and told me that we were going to rent a car and drive to Providence College – about a two-and-a-half-hour ride from the airport. Since we did not have an official campus tour scheduled in advance, we just started exploring the campus and all its buildings on our own. This was such a treat for me because I know Providence College is well-known for its athletics, especially its basketball program, which really excited me because I play basketball. I started playing basketball in second grade but began taking it seriously when I made my first AAU team in fifth grade. It obviously wasn’t as competitive as it is now, but I know it was the catalyst that made me start to love the sport so much. Now I have to play basketball; it is a big part of my whole life, and it has positively impacted me in so many ways. So, when I found out I was touring a very competitive basketball college, I was elated!

Providence is Division 1 and has a fantastic record and an amazing coaching staff. Initially, I did not have Providence College on my list of possible colleges to attend – until I got there and saw the campus, the buildings, and all the beautiful landscaping and views in person. I was impressed immediately. This unexpected adventure really opened my eyes!

While my dad and I were exploring the campus, we came upon the Athletic building -- a modern, pristine, and state-of-the-art facility. I knocked on the door as a silly joke to see if someone would let us in. We both knew that, obviously, the chances of that happening were very unlikely, but in keeping with how great our unplanned plans were going -- someone opened the door! It was Ed Cooley, the men's basketball coach at the time! It was such a surprise! He asked if we wanted a tour of the Athletic Department, and, of course, we said yes!

Coach Cooley showed us all around and gave us such a fantastic tour. He showed us the film room, the locker room, and all of the basketball gyms! When he was showing us one of the auxiliary gyms, there was NBA star and Providence grad Kris Dunn practicing! Dunn played at Providence for four seasons and then got drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. I was so shocked and excited to see him right there in front of me! We took a picture with him and talked for a little while. It was so cool and I am still so shocked by what happened.

After that amazing moment, we drove to the WNBA game -- Connecticut Sun vs. Chicago Sky. I could not wait for the game. It was such a dream for me to be able to experience an NBA playoff game live! When I got there, it was so crowded and loud; it was like a concert. There were so many people everywhere that I was actually a little nervous that I was going to get separated from my dad and not be able to find him in the crowd!

Our seats were pretty close to the court and right in the middle. We could see everything up and down the court. The Suns and the Sky both played a great game and it was so interesting to see how different it is to watch them play in person vs. from a screen. The Sun ended up winning 72-63. I loved watching them be so competitive and I could tell they both really wanted the victory.

This was such an unforgettable experience in my life with my Dad, and thanks to my Dad (and surely Divine Providence!)