The locker room was packed with energy. Paige and KK were doing TikTok dances by the benches, their synchronized moves drawing laughter and some half-hearted eye rolls from the rest of the team. Azzi was draped over one of the chairs, shaking her head but smiling as Paige tried to get her to join in. Ice had her earbuds in, bouncing a ball rhythmically against the wall, her pregame focus as sharp as ever. Aaliyah was taping her wrists with a quiet determination, but even she had a small grin as KK almost tripped over her own feet mid-spin.

I, on the other hand, was sitting on the bench in the corner, tying and retying my shoes like it was the most important thing in the world. I could feel the nerves in my stomach. This was it—my first game as a Husky. The buzz had been building for weeks: articles speculating on my potential, reporters calling me a "breakout player to watch," and fans flooding my social media with messages of support and expectations. Expectations that suddenly felt like bricks.

"You good, rookie?" Ice's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. She leaned against the lockers, her arms crossed as she watched me.

"Yeah," I said quickly, tugging my laces tighter. "Just... y'know, first-game and I'm freaking out a lil bit."

"Don't sweat it girl," she said, her voice calm and confident. "You've been killing it in practice. Just keep doing you, and you'll be fine."

Aaliyah chimed in from across the room. "Exactly. And if anyone tries to mess with you, we've got your back."

I managed a small smile, their words appreciated but not quite enough to get rid of the anxiety that was quite literally drowning me.

The mood shifted as Coach Geno walked in, clipboard in hand and his usual commanding presence filling the room. The chatter died down instantly.

"Alright, listen up," he said, his tone sharp like he meant business. "This is the first game of the season, and I don't need to tell you how important it is to set the tone. We're not just here to play—we're here to dominate. So lock in, focus, and let's kick some ass out there."

The room erupted in cheers, the energy palpable. Except for me in the corner like a loser, about to have a heart attack.

From across the room, Nika caught my eye. She was leaning back against the lockers, her dark hair tied back in a pony and her expression as casual as ever. She raised her hand and made a small circular motion over her chest with her fist—a signal we'd "come up" with last night after watching The Bear that loosely translated to: you've got this.

I couldn't help but smile, the tension in my shoulders easing just a little. I returned the gesture, and her smirk widened.

Before I knew it, we were jogging out onto the court, the roar of the crowd hitting me with dopamine. The stands were packed, fans decked out in UConn blue and white, their cheers and chants echoing through the arena. Cameras flashed from every direction, and I felt myself shrink under the spotlight. Do these girls never worry about getting a photo taken at a terrible angle or what?

"Keep your head up, D-Block," Paige said, nudging me with her elbow as we lined up for warm-ups. "You've got this."

The warm-ups flew by in a blur, and before I knew it, we were huddled together at center court.

"Alright," Nika said, her voice cutting through the noise as she took charge. "This is our game. We've put in the work, we've got the skills, and we're not letting anybody take this from us. Play hard, play smart, and most importantly, win."

She placed a hand on my leg, giving it a reassuring pat before looking around at the rest of the team. "Let's show them what Huskies basketball is all about."

"UCONN on three," KK said, her voice loud and confident.

"One, two, three—UCONN!"

The starting lineup was announced: Paige, KK, Azzi, Nika, and me. Out of all my predictions, getting put on the starting line hadn't even made the list but I had to take advantage of it. My heart raced as I jogged to the center of the court, my nerves momentarily drowned out by the loud ass cheers.

The first quarter was a whirlwind. Nika controlled the tempo, her passes quick and precise as she orchestrated the defence. Paige was relentless on offence, forcing turnovers and diving for loose balls like her life depended on it. KK hit back-to-back threes, her confidence radiating as she pointed to the crowd after each one doing her celebration.

And me? I was locked in. Every shot I took seemed to fall, whether it was a pull-up jumper or a contested layup. Pretending my hands were on fire after each bucket making the crowd go crazy. The commentators were already excited.

"Sinclair is making her presence known early," one of them said. "She's playing with the kind of experience you'd expect from a veteran, not a rookie."

"Her chemistry with Mühl is undeniable, are you kidding?" another added. "You can see it in the way they move together on the court—it's like they're reading each other's minds out there."

By halftime, we were up by ten, but the game was far from over. The other team came out swinging in the third quarter, their defense straightening up and their shots starting to count. The lead dwindled to five, then three, and the pressure mounted with every possession.

Coach called a timeout, his face real serious as we huddled around him.

"We're letting them back in," he said, his tone sharp. "We need to lock it down on defense and take care of that ball. And Sinclair?" He looked at me, his expression softening slightly. "You've got fire, kid. Foot on the gas. Keep it up."

I nodded, his words both a compliment and a challenge.

Back on the court, the game intensified. Nika and I seemed to find a new switch, our on-court connection growing stronger with every play. She found me for an open three, and I drained it. I hit her on a backdoor cut, and she finished with a tough layup. Money baby.

But with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, disaster struck. I went up for a pass to Paige, and as I came down, a defender shoved me mid-air. I hit the floor hard, the wind knocked out of me as pain shot through my side.

The gym fell silent, and before I knew it, my teammates were surrounding me. My head ringing a bit before things fell back into place.

"You okay, Drew?" Paige asked, her voice laced with concern.

I nodded with a pained smile, though it hurt to breathe. "Me? Yeah man, I'm a thug."

Nika pushed her way through the crowd, kneeling beside me. She grabbed my face gently, her eyes scanning mine for any signs of serious injury.

"You're good yeah?" she said, her voice steady but firm. "Let's go you gotta get up and show them how it's done baby."

Her words lit a fire in me. With her help, I pushed myself to my feet, the crowd erupting in cheers as I gave them two goofy thumbs up.

The final minutes of the game were a blur of adrenaline and determination. I channeled my frustration into every play, driving hard to the basket and hitting shot after shot. Nika was right there with me, her defense stopping anyone from getting to me.

When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 82-76. We won.

Before I could even process it, Nika was in my arms, jumping up and wrapping her legs around my waist as she hugged me tightly. One of my hands holding her up partially while the other wrapped around Kk's shoulders. "You did it Drew!" she said, her voice filled with pride.

The rest of the team swarmed us, the celebration turning into a chaotic, joyous group hug.

...

Back in the locker room, everyone was incredibly happy. Music blasted from the speakers as we celebrated, the air filled with laughter and cheers. Paige and KK were back at it with their TikTok dances ready to brag all over the internet, while Jana and Aubrey reenacted the final plays with exaggerated theatrics.

I sat back, a towel draped over my shoulders as I soaked it all in. Nothing felt real. Just months ago I would've never even thought that I'd be in Connecticut—let alone playing basketball amongst the same team I looked up to.

"You killed it out there, Sinclair," Azzi said, giving me a fist bump.

"Thankyouu," I said, grinning.

Coach poked his head in, a rare smile on his face. "Great game, ladies. Now go get cleaned up—we've got media waiting."

The postgame interviews were very entertaining. The reporters asked about the game, the training season, and my debut.

"Drew, you seemed to have instant chemistry with Nika out there. What's the secret?" one reporter asked.

I glanced at Nika, who was standing nearby with a smile on her face. "Honestly? I just try my best to keep up with her. And she keeps threatening to bench me even though I keep telling her she's not the coach."

The room erupted in laughter, and even Nika chuckled, shaking her head.

...

After the interviews, I found Nika in the hallway, leaning against the wall with her phone in her hand.

"You played so good today," I said, walking up to her.

"That was all you out there," she said, her smile softening. But her eyes flicked to my side, the concern still evident. "How's the rib?"

"I promise I'm fine," I said, lifting my shirt to show her my non-existent injury and a little bit of my abs. "See? Untouched."

Her face flushed, and she quickly pulled my shirt back down. "Don't do that."

I grinned, stepping closer to her . "Why?"

"Because," she said, her arms crossing over her chest while she searched for a valid reason.

I leaned down, my hand dropping my bag at my side. "You're kinda cute when you're not telling me what to do,"

She rolled her eyes, but her lips quirked up in a small smile. "That'll be like total five minutes a year, tops."

"At least you're self aware," I said, smirking. "But those five minutes? Magical."

Her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile. "You done, or should I get you a dictionary for more compliments?"

"Actually, I'll take the dictionary," I shot back. "So I can find fancy words to describe how much you love me annoying you on the down low."

She raised an eyebrow, pretending to think. "Annoying me? You're more like parasite."

I grinned, leaning a little closer. "And yet Nika, here you are. Voluntarily standing this close to this—might I add—really good looking parasite.'"

She opened her mouth to reply, but I cut her off by closing the distance and kissing her. Her hands sparing no time to pull me down to her level.

When I pulled back, her eyes narrowed in mock irritation. "You can't kiss me to win an argument."

"I just did," I said, grinning.

She shoved my shoulder lightly, but her smile finally broke through. "You need a shower."

...

Snooze fest I know but it'll get better I swear. 😫