A spontaneous TikTok post ended up changing my life.
My friends and I gathered at Hops 44, our go-to spot in Storrs, to watch the University of Connecticut Huskies men’s basketball team compete in the Elite Eight. With the game seemingly out of reach, we had already begun processing the loss. Miraculously, freshman Braylon Mullins launched a three-pointer from the logo that fell through the net. We jumped up and down in pure disbelief and celebration, completely forgetting to capture the moment on our phones.
Determined to relive it, we searched up Hop 44’s Instagram and discovered security footage of our reaction. Without thinking much of it, I posted the clip on TikTok, unaware that this simple video would open the door to an opportunity I never could have imagined.
Like any other day, I opened TikTok in between classes, but this time, a comment from AT&T stopped me in my tracks. It read, “POV: You’re going to Phoenix with your best friend to see UConn in the Final Four, @julia casola 👀 Meet us in the DMs 💙.” I immediately screenshotted it and sent it to my mom, asking if she thought it was legit.
After messaging back and forth with the official AT&T account, I still needed reassurance, so I asked if someone could call me with my mom on the line. During the call, they explained that because of my passion for UConn basketball, they wanted to send a friend and me to Phoenix for the Women’s Final Four and National Championship. All I had to do was book the flight, and they would take care of everything else.
As if that wasn’t enough, they also surprised us with VIP tickets to see Kehlani on Saturday night. At that point, it started to feel real. I immediately called my best friend Kelty, another huge women’s basketball fan, and within minutes, we were both all in for the trip of a lifetime.
It was both Kelty’s and my first time flying alone without our parents, which made the experience even more surreal. We had less than 24 hours to get everything in order. My mom and Grammie drove up from New Jersey with packing cubes and suitcases, helping us throw together outfits and essentials as quickly as possible. Somehow, we managed to fit everything into just a personal item and a carry-on before heading to the airport the next day. After a one-hour delay, we finally boarded our five-hour flight from Boston to Phoenix, equal parts exhausted, excited, and still slightly in disbelief that a TikTok video had just turned into the opportunity of a lifetime.
After adjusting to the three-hour time difference, we went to bed early and woke up ready to take advantage of our first full day in Arizona. Wanting to make the most of every moment, we started our morning with coffee and açaí bowls from a local café. The spot was everything you could want when traveling: refreshing, aesthetic, and delicious. Sitting outside in the warm Arizona sun, it fully hit us that just a few days earlier, we were watching a game in Storrs, and now we were across the country getting ready for the Women’s Final Four.
As we explored Phoenix, the excitement surrounding the NCAA Women’s Final Four was impossible to miss. The streets were decorated with each team’s logos, and there was even a “UConn Ave.,” making us feel especially proud to support the Huskies so far from home.
After spending the afternoon by the pool soaking up the sun, we walked back into our hotel room to find an AT&T box waiting for us. On top of the box was a basketball signed by Diana Taurasi, a legendary UConn women’s basketball alum. It was one of those moments that made the entire experience feel even more real, reminding us just how special this opportunity truly was.
It didn’t stop there. Inside the box were all of our VIP passes and wristbands, along with a phone case, an Octobuddy, a UConn hat, an AT&T shirt, a New York Knicks jersey signed by Jose Alvarado, a personalized note from AT&T’s social media team, and even Beats Studio Buds +. The generosity and attention to detail honestly brought me to tears. I felt incredibly grateful to AT&T and still couldn’t believe this opportunity was real.
Before heading to the game, we walked through Tourney Town, an interactive fan experience celebrating the NCAA Women’s Final Four. One of the highlights was taking a picture with a blown-up replica of the iconic NCAA Championship Trophy.
Inside Tourney Town, we visited the AT&T booth, where we played fun basketball games, got free prizes, and even took a photo-op with the official Final Four chairs.
When we arrived at the Mortgage Matchup Center, it was incredible to see fans from all over coming together to support women’s basketball. We entered through a VIP entrance, browsed merchandise along the way, and then made our way to our seats, taking in the energy building inside the arena.
When we got to our seats, tears started flowing again. We were sitting in the lower bowl, just 13 rows from the court, with an incredible view of the action. As we watched the UConn women’s basketball team warm up for the game, we felt overwhelmed with gratitude that we were there in person, taking in a moment we had only ever watched on TV before.
We cleared our throats and got our voices ready to cheer on the girls, but unfortunately, the outcome of the game wasn’t what we had hoped for. Still, we stayed in our seats, grateful for the chance to witness the moment in person and take in everything the experience had to offer. We then remained for the second semifinal matchup between Texas and UCLA, continuing to soak in the significance of being part of such a historic weekend for women’s basketball.
On Saturday, there wasn’t a women’s game in person, but the UConn men’s basketball team was playing in the Final Four, so we found a local restaurant to watch. The place was packed with UConn fans, and the energy was unreal as everyone cheered together throughout the game. We became incredibly superstitious, so when a seat from our table was taken and then brought back, we actually told them to keep it away. When the final buzzer sounded and UConn secured the win, Kelty and I erupted into celebration, tears of joy and disbelief. It meant the Huskies were heading to the national championship for the second time in our college career, and it felt like everything we had experienced that weekend had just come full circle.
We rushed back to our hotel room to change into our concert outfits before heading out again. With our passes around our necks, we walked through the VIP entrance and made our way to the AT&T tent, where we had access to a private, closed-off area to relax and take in the atmosphere before the night continued.
When we were standing under the tent, we looked to our right and saw Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen, two UConn women’s basketball alumni. We immediately started fangirling and got a selfie with them! They were super nice, and meeting them was perfectly on theme for our weekend.
Kehlani performed for about an hour, and we were so close that we could hardly believe it. She even sang our favorite song, “After Hours,” which made the experience even more unforgettable.
The next day, we put on our new Final Four merch and headed back to the championship game to support UCLA. We were in our same seats, hoping they could take home the title since UConn hadn’t been able to get it done.
UCLA won, and we stayed for the championship ceremony, which ended up being one of the coolest moments of the entire weekend. They were presented with the well-deserved trophy as confetti fell from every angle.
When we walked back to the hotel, we saw Holly Rowe, an ESPN reporter, in the lobby. Being a journalism major interested in broadcast, I was not only starstruck but also inspired. She told me to follow my dreams as a journalist and was delighted to meet UConn students.
We then went to “The Yard” and tried the Cookie Monster milkshake. Yes, it tasted just as good as it looked. There was edible cookie dough and cookie crumbles mixed in, making it the perfect sweet ending to the weekend.
We then hopped on a red-eye flight back to Storrs to be with our friends and watch the men compete in the national championship together. This entire experience is something I will be talking about for the rest of my life, and I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to AT&T for turning a simple video into a once-in-a-lifetime experience with my best friend.