On Saturday night the New York Knicks, led by an epic 45-point performance by captain Jalen Brunson, staged another fourth quarter rally to down the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 to clinch the franchise's first National Basketball Association title in 53 years. The joyous celebrations sparked across the five boroughs and beyond were splashed across social media.
 
But there were many others, including at Villanova's Finneran Pavilion on the University's annual Reunion Weekend. The euphoria extended to the many Villanovans who first came to appreciate Brunson and his Nova Knick sidekicks, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, during their careers in Blue White from 2013-18.
 
In this, the seventh in our series of Nova Notebook features on the Nova Knicks, we tell the tale of one appreciative fan who has reveled in the excitement surrounding this run and a Wildcat alum's front facing role in it.
 
Chelsea Wallin chuckles at the irony.
 
"I'm a Saint Joe's alum," she says, "rooting for the Knicks."
 
On Saturday night Wallin and other family members watched Game 5 with the most invested Knicks fan they know: 95-year-old Edna Mae Wallin, or as she is known within the family, "Grammy".
 
Wallin and her late husband Joe watched Villanova Basketball games together for decades. Like most members of the Nova Nation, they were captivated by the run in the mid-2010s that culminated in a pair of NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018. One Wildcat in particular captured Edna Mae's interest.
 
"During Mikal's time at Villanova," Chelsea Wallin says, "Grammy became particularly fond of him. She admired not just his talent, but the kind of person he seemed to be."
 
That connection could have frayed when Bridges entered the NBA Draft in 2018. Initially selected by the hometown 76ers as the No. 10 overall pick on draft night in Brooklyn, by evening's end he had been included in a trade that landed him in Phoenix.
 
"She was disappointed," notes Chelsea. "Most fans would have moved on. What she says now is that they missed out on a remarkable player."
 
Alas, Edna Mae did not. Although she does not own an iPhone or a social media account, she continued to follow Bridges' career arc intently. That included watching Suns' games that tipped off at 10 p.m. in the eastern time zone and rarely ended before 1 a.m. Life became a bit easier when Bridges was traded to Brooklyn as part of the deal to bring Kevin Durant to the Valley of the Sun during the 2022-23 season.
 
Now in the middle of her 10^th decade, Edna Mae's fervor for her guy and his team is as fierce as ever.
 
"She still plans her evenings around tip-off," says Chelsea Wallin.
 
This is not any kind of passive fandom either. Edna Mae Wallin keeps a handwritten scorebook of every game despite a wrist injury from a serious fall a few years back. Despite her lack of internet connectivity, she is fully up to speed on the Knicks current roster, opponents and events surrounding the team.
 
Game nights usually bring out the Bridges' Knicks No. 25 jersey, and she won't pick up the telephone if a family member makes the mistake of calling in-game. When the game ends, she relishes breaking down what happened with family members by phone. Chelea's aunt, Karen Wallin, Villanova Class of 1984, is Edna Mae's caretaker and word is if there is a foul not called when she believes one was warranted, she'll voice her complaint to anyone within earshot (Chelsea Wallin adds "I can't give enough credit to my aunt. She is an amazing caretaker and is the one who introduced her to Villanova Basketball.")
 
Chelsea Wallin marvels at it all.
 
"When the Knicks were playing the Sixers in Game 4, they were up by 40 points in the second half and she was still worried," Chelsea Wallin recalls of an Eastern Conference semifinal game that ended in a 144-114 New York triumph. "She watches intently."
 
Edna Mae Wallin likes to get her hands on anything written about her favorite player. Last week she sent her granddaughter out to find some newspapers so she can bolster her personal clip file.
 
"At 95, you probably don't have much going on," Chelsea Wallin states. "Watching her face while she's watching these games is amazing. I think it helps keep her young."
 
There was a moment a few years back when a friend of the family who knew of Edna Mae's affinity for Bridges was with the forward. He prevailed upon the 2018 Villanova grad to say hello to one of his biggest fans by phone, which he did. Unfortunately, the noise in the room where Bridges was made it difficult for Edna Mae to hear him. But the mere fact he was on the other end of the call was enough.
 
Chelsea Wallin was ambivalent about sharing her grandmother's story at first.
 
"She'd probably be embarrassed by it," she states.
 
In the end, though, the energy and enthusiasm Bridges brings to the court, and the humility he demonstrates away from it, are part of what has made the Knicks' connection to the public so joyful. Edna Mae Wallin is as much a part of that as anyone.