Monique Quinn attended her first Timberwolves game Monday night. She wore a Karl-Anthony Towns jersey and tennis shoes with Ricky Rubio's name on them.

"I love Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins as well," she said.

It took Quinn a long time to get to Target Center.

She lives in Sydney, Australia.

"I'm a fan of the Timberwolves," she said.

Imagine her reaction when she heard the game against the Portland Trail Blazers was being postponed because of condensation on the court.

"I'm pretty bummed," she said.

Welcome to Timberwolves basketball, Monique.

Joey Two-Step's curse doesn't get credit for this literal meltdown. It's only fair to assign blame for the latest fiasco to its rightful owner.

Thanks a lot Mother Nature.

Or was it Disney on Ice? Or the guy who forgot to turn on the AC in Target Center when humidity levels soared in the Twin Cities on Monday? Another theory being floated was that someone left a loading dock door open too long.

We demand answers! We want the truth!

Oh well, there was one positive that came from the NBA's decision to postpone the game. Fans booed when told the news.

No, no, no. That's a good thing. People were upset. Means they wanted to see a game.

If the Wolves were forced to postpone a game last March, the reaction would have been unanimous and resounding — hallelujah! Does that mean we can go home now?

Long-suffering employees have seen just about everything in the team's cursed history. Now this. A game postponed because of condensation from ice melting underneath the court.

Players on both teams had no intention of playing after sliding during early warmups. The splash from players landing after dunks would have added a nice touch, though.

Disney on Ice performed in town last week. A college hockey tournament is coming up.

Meanwhile, the Wolves are neck-deep in a playoff race and desperately needed a win Monday as they attempt to pass the Blazers in the standings.

Their game got put on ice. Or melting ice, as it were.

"It's a bummer, but what are you going to do?" Chaska resident Amy Drury said. "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

Drury brought her 11-year-old daughter, Kate. They had good seats near the court, and Drury got off work early so they could maybe score an autograph.

They knew something was wrong when they stepped on the perimeter of the court while walking to their seats.

"We were slipping and sliding all over the floor," Drury said. "I'm like, 'What's going on?' I saw people laying rugs."

Her daughter was sad, but she found a silver lining. She's planning to attend a Towns autograph session on Tuesday.

Quinn hopes to get Towns' autograph sometime during her visit to the Twin Cities, as well.

A friend of hers in Australia is a die-hard NBA fan and got her hooked. She enjoyed watching Rubio play for Spain in the Olympics and instantly became a Wolves fan.

Quinn, 23, got an NBA League Pass subscription so she can watch Wolves games on her days off or between shifts as a nurse.

She traveled to Minnesota this past Friday to check out the Twin Cities because she's interested in moving here to continue her nursing career. It was her first time on an airplane.

She purchased a ticket close to the Wolves bench.

"I wanted to see the players up close and see if I could get my jersey signed," she said.

Quinn took the postponement in stride. She's staying in town for a few weeks and has tickets to see the Wolves play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Golden State on Friday and Washington next Monday.

Not a bad lineup, but she was excited to see her favorite team Monday night.

Ultimately, the NBA made the right call. The court was too slick and not worth the risk of injury. The Wolves were disappointed and probably a little embarrassed, but unseasonably warm weather caught them by surprise.

That's Wolves basketball for you. Even a first-timer from Australia is learning the hard way.

chip.scoggins@startribune.com