7 DECEMBER 28-JANUARY 3, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...it was the weirdest of times. In 2023, Colorado hit a real high when the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championships, but also dropped to a low point at the Capitol, as some legislators lost all semblance of civility. Along the way, we saw some great art, heard some lousy insults, and generally got ready to say goodbye to the past year. As we look ahead to 2024, here are ten people we will be watching. Keep your eye on the ball: JR Payne The University of Colorado women’s bas- ketball team has established itself as a top contender this season, spending all of it thus far in the AP Top 25. At the helm is head coach JR Payne who, in her eighth year, is sticking with her “blue-collar” philosophy and belief that, yes, women in sports can have it all. Her mentor, Kelly Graves, who is cur- rently head coach at Oregon, established that mindset early in Payne’s career. “A lot of women feel like you really can’t have it all,” Payne says. “Like you really can’t have a family and coach at the highest level and recruit at the highest level. I just wholeheartedly disagree with that.” Payne has prioritized family throughout her successful career. Her husband, Toriano Towns, is the associate head coach for the CU women; Payne says the two always planned that whoever got a head-coaching job fi rst would fi ll that role and hire the other as the associate. “Philosophically, for our programs every- where we’ve ever been, we’ve been very blue- collar, really tough,” Payne says. ‘We always want to be the hardest-working, toughest and most disciplined team in the country.” In 2016, they brought their talents to Boulder, attracted by the healthiness of the state and what the educational system offers their three children. Payne has since led the program to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a fi rst trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2023; she has a contract extension through 2028. Payne praises the CU athletic department’s patience in building what was a nationally un-impactful program into a contender. That patience has really paid off this year: So far, the team has lost just one game, to the highly ranked North Carolina State University. Payne is ex- cited to see how the team stacks up against the rest of the Pac-12 when conference play starts. “Especially for our last year as a Pac-12 team, to be able to compete against the best in the country every single night will be an incred- ible opportunity,” Payne says, in reference to CU’s move to the Big EVAN SEMÓN continued on page 8
