This Minnesota Lynx fan crochets at every single home game. But she may not be allowed to next year
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At every Minnesota Lynx game she attends, Christina McCollum stays busy. At Sunday’s semifinal she had a baby blue and hot pink shawl on her lap and a crochet hook in her right hand.
McCollum says she has never attended a Lynx game without doing a craft. At first it was knitting, until knitting needles were banned from Target Center. A few years ago she switched to crocheting.
It’s not hard to spot McCollum with her bright pink hair right behind the referee review area. As Sunday’s game against the Connecticut Sun carried on, McCollum kept with her crocheting, eyes glued to every play and never missing a stitch.
But it wasn’t always like this. McCollum did not grow up playing sports and for a large portion of her life, she wasn’t a WNBA fan. She went to her first game in 2013 while visiting from California. Her father had moved to Minnesota and was a season ticket holder.
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“My dad got into the Lynx because it was a less expensive way for him to enjoy something and get out,” McCollum said. “When we moved back to Minnesota, I really took it on because I wanted to have my kid to see the ability of these women. Because when I was growing up, we didn’t have that opportunity. And it was also a way for me to stay connected to my daddy.”
McCollum’s father died in 2016 and she packed up and decided to move back to the North Star State. She gave the Lynx’s ticket office a call and was able to get her dad’s season tickets switched over to her and the next eight years consisted of hats, shawls and lots of yarn.
Keeping her hands busy is just what McCollum is used to, so the basketball games felt like natural extension. She’s been recognized at random craft shows, with some fans even asking for selfies.
“It is something I have always done, if there is something I need to listen or watch, I keep my hands busy. I knit in movie theaters too,” she said.
In her section of Target Center, McCollum is obviously well-known. Her seat mates make sure to stick up for her whenever someone may question her crafting. She says Target Center has reassured her she is allowed to keep crocheting for the rest of the season.
At a recent game against the Indiana Fever, a security person asked her to stop.
“I had to stop in the third quarter and it was ridiculous because they let me in the door. I had been working on my shawl the whole game. Everyone around me was like ‘what are you doing? She does this all of the time,’ so they know,” McCollum said.
The fate of the next season remains unknown. McCollum has been told that her crochet hook could be used as a weapon, and while she does not doubt Target Center’s dedication to safety, she disagrees.
“It is outrageous, it’s harmless. They are concerned about security for everyone and I don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone, but it’s silly,” she said.
A close friend of McCollum’s canceled her season tickets when knitting needles were banned. McCollum plans to check in with management for next season.
The Minnesota Lynx and Target Center declined to comment at this time.
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