IILICIT AFFAIRS ━━ Lamelo Ball

2.1

Winona Rosario

I grew up in a basketball family. My whole life from the moment I was born up to now revolved around the sport. My father played professionally back home for eight years until nagging knee injuries stopped him for good. He's a bit of a legend back home. Before I became Lamelo Ball's mistress, I was Antonio Rosario's daughter. I've never just been Winona Rosario or just Anne-Breanna. For all my career, my life, I've been someone's something. I think after this, especially after this, it's bound to stay that way forever.

But if there's one thing I wish my father didn't pass down, it would be those knee genes.

My older brother, Joseph, never touched Chino Hills. By the time we had moved to California, Joseph was out in Florida to play D1. I can't remember which school he played D1 for, and I don't want to tell you anything I'm not certain of. I would probably be able to tell if I had been closer to him, but lately, I've been... estranged. Joseph's a real estate agent, and I guess his reputation matters more than his younger sister. I haven't spoken to him since Christmas, and even that interaction was forced. God forbid your sister is strung along by a man who swears he'll leave someone. Anyway, just like dad, a career-ending knee injury sat him out during his final year. He didn't think he was going to go pro, but it sucks when something uncontrollable makes you lose something you've worked so hard to have and keep.

Willa's my inspiration. If soulmates are not solely romantic, Willa is mine. I'm eternally grateful that my soulmate is my sister. She's the one who got me into basketball to begin with. I was also her toy, in some ways. She put makeup on me, dressed me up. Typical scientist stuff. When I'd been able to walk, she rushed to put a basketball in my hands. It's one of my core memories, actually. I'm walking, walking, and Willa puts this neon-orange basketball in my hands and shows me how to dribble a basketball. Willa always had more passion than me; I think that's what set us apart. I was just naturally better, but Willa had fire in her heart. If I was the mind and puppeteer of that Chino Hills girls' team that won Nationals, she was the heart and soul.

I was born Anne Breanna Rosario. I changed my name to Winona Anne-Breanna when I was 14. I'm still surprised my parents let me change my name, but I'd been bugging them to call me Winona for the longest time they figured they might as well. I was genuinely responding to when people called me Winona, but my mother still calls me Anne-Breanna. I chose Winona for two reasons: to be exactly like my older sister with my own touch, and because of my undying love for Winona Ryder. Siblings with the same first letters in their name was so common where I lived that I felt outcasted when my parents named my brother Joseph Josiah, Willa Rose, and Anne Breanna.

This might be some niche, local drama, but do you ever recall hearing drama between my sister and that Aces point guard, Cassandra Drey?

Cassandra Drey was a year older than my sister. Chino Hills was her team, until Willa came in. Our move from Chicago to California was in the middle of the school year, smack dab in the middle of basketball season. The middle school team was not that good, so I was automatically on the team. I led that team to their first finals appearance in a decade, and I don't think they've gone back to the finals since I left.

Anyway, Cassandra Drey and Willa Rosario was one of those things that you just had to be there to know. That story made me realise truly how much can happen in a short amount of time. Cassandra Drey was a part of Willa's high school life for a generous six months; they only talked for about a third of those six months and the blood is as cold as ever. I won't get into those details. That's their business. We're strictly discussing mine.

I mention Cassandra Drey because it's common knowledge that she and Lonzo are great friends. Always have been. And it was high school, so there was always that "your enemies are my friends, my friends are your enemy" ideology. By default, Lonzo did not like Willa, and Willa did not like Lonzo back. And so, I didn't like Lamelo, and Lamelo didn't like me. It was kind of like Romeo and Juliet, minus the murder-suicide.