caitlin
april 23rd, 2024
the blaring of my alarm jolted me out of a deep sleep. i didn't fall asleep til around 2 in the morning because i've been so restless. i've never been more excited for anything.
today is my first workout in the new gym. i'm just going to shoot for a few hours and start getting back into the swing of things before training camp starts in a few days. i get up and rummage through my bag to find my practice jersey. my eyes keep searching but i can't find it.
it's bright black and yellow, how am i not seeing it?
i lift a random shirt from the top and it hits me. i'm not looking for a black and yellow jersey, i'm looking for a navy blue one. the realization sinks in that i'm not in iowa anymore. i don't wear black and gold.
i shake my head, finding the matching shorts and head to the bathroom to get ready. once i'm done i put on my socks and shoes and leave. it's a short drive to the practice gym from my hotel so i'm there in the blink of an eye it feels like.
i run into grace at the top of the steps, who gives me a hug and holds the door open for me to walk in. me, grace, and maya are all going to be doing workouts today. maya's already inside when we walk in so i walk over to hug her as well.
we start stretching a bit, then i grab a ball and take a few shots. one of the managers is rebounding for me. i'm feeling pretty good, almost all of my shots are going in.
after grace and maya warm up their shots we start playing with the defenders. we start off with simple driving through the lane drills and i've made all of them. once we've all done that a few times we start a 3 on 3.
maya gives me a good pass and a shoot a deep 3, hitting nothing but net. the girls high five me and the camera moves closer to capture my reaction. that's the thing i've had the hardest time getting used to, cameras everywhere, all the time.
i remember not to let it get to me and we keep playing for about an hour. grace is really good, i've been super impressed by her all afternoon. she's been one of the nicest in helping me settle into being a rookie, since she was just one last year.
christie stands to the side and offers us critiques when needed. i know i just got here, but everything about it is perfect. i feel like this is where i'm meant to be.
a few more hours pass and we decide to call it quits for the day so we don't overwork ourselves before camp starts. a few of the girls show up so i hug the ones i know and introduce myself to the ones i've never met, which is the majority of them.
they shoot around and play for a bit while christie has me in her office to go over things and just get to know each other. i tell her a lot about myself and how i play the game, and she gives me just as much information back. this is only her second year as a head coach so i make sure she knows that i know she's gonna need a lot of support from everyone around, especially me.
she tells me about how much she's loved watching me these past couple years and how excited she is for what i can do for this program. it's a pretty lengthy conversation, once it's over she gives me a hug and i leave the office.
just about all the girls are done practicing and one of them suggests we all go out to eat lunch together. everyone agrees and we decide on an italian restaurant close by. we all go in our seperate cars and arrive at the restaurant shortly after.
i walk in beside lexie, who's one of my current favorites not even gonna lie. she's the sweetest thing and has really made an effort to reach out to me before i even got here. we get seated at a table and i'm between lexie and erica, who's also one of my favorites. she immediately took me under her wing when i got drafted and treats me like her younger sister.
we laugh and joke the whole time, they're honestly a lot of fun to be around. they make sure to include me and the other rookies in a conversation anytime they can. i spend most of the time poking fun at erica and her doing it right back. when we've all finished eating, it's clear that none of us want the night to end yet.
"are you guys up for getting some ice cream?" lexie asks.
"definitely. i'm having too much fun." erica states and we all laugh in agreement. there's an ice cream shack right beside the restaurant so we all pay for our meals and walk over to it. it's a small building where you order the ice cream inside and there's tables to eat at outside.
as we wait in line, a few fans come up to me and ask for a picture. i smile happily and pose for the pictures. it's crazy how the whole town knows who i am. when it's our turn to order i get a cup of chocolate ice cream, lexie gets strawberry, and as me and her scoot over to wait for the ice cream i hear erica ordering mint chocolate chip.
"dude, you can't be serious right now." i give her a death glare. her shoulders shake as she laughs.
"serious about what?" she questions
"you have all the options in the world here and you choose mint chocolate chips?" some of the girls laugh at my genuine disbelief.
"yeah okay, keep talking with your plain chocolate scoop." in perfect timing. the worker passes me my cup right after erica finishes her sentence. i pick up a spoon and take a bite, groaning and leaning my head back for the full effect. i hear erica laughing before i open my eyes.
"gladly." i retort. everyone just laughs at our banter and we move to sit outside. some more people come up for a picture or an autograph, even two of the workers come outside to ask for one. it's a very busy afternoon so there's a large crowd here.
after most of the fans have dispersed, the girls are just looking at me. i tilt my head in confusion.
"what?" i ask. nalyssa just laughs and shakes her head.
"i don't know how you do it kid, can't even eat your ice cream in public." the others nod their heads in agreement.
i finally understand their mutual confusion. none of the iowa girls ever acknowledged the amount of cameras and fans around me at all times, so i forget that this is new to the fever girls.
"i guess i've just gotten used to it by now, but i really don't mind it." i shrug, taking a bite of my ice cream.
"well, if it ever gets too much, i hope you know we're all here for you." katie lou says. i chuckle, she's such a mom. erica and aliyah let out an 'yep' and an 'absolutely in agreement.
"thank you guys, truly. i really appreciate you having my back. the girls smile and we go back to our fun conversations.
i love it here.
authors note
ellie + cait introduction next chapter!!!!!!!
YOU ARE READING
sweet nothing - caitlin clark
Fanfictionafter getting drafted to the fever, caitlin has to move her whole life to indianapolis. she's having a hard time adjusting and meets someone who makes her feel like she's worth something more than just basketball.
