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Chapter Twenty-two
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In the tense hours leading up to the Final Four matchup against Iowa, the team found themselves mired in a storm of discord and distraction. The usually cohesive was sprawled a mess all over the court.
Her head hurt, and she was sure the team's rhythm had been hinged greatly from Paige's outburst. Nobody seemed to be locked into the strategies and tactics Geno and Simms were throwing at them, and Ariana couldn't watch the way everything was so disjointed.
After a brief cool down period, Paige returned to the court refusing to look anybody in the eye. She still looked bothered—unlike the usual loud and enthusiastic blonde on court—and she kept her words to herself. Her usually sharp movements turned dull, and the looks she would shoot both her teammate and the doctor was icy at best.
Nika, on the other hand, looked discouraged. She was no longer giving it her all, her movements were sloppy and Ariana could tell she had a lot on her mind by the way the Croatian's eyes kept trailing back to herself. The tension among the team was palpable, even Geno looked a tad more stressed than he already was. Ariana mentally scolded herself for the way things unfolded.
As the hours ticked down, frustration among the team grew palpable. Practices were lackluster, marked by missed passes, botched plays, and an overall lack of synchronization that was unlike a team of UConn's caliber. Geno was at a loss, struggling to move the team together with his words. His otherwise effective stern pep talks and tactical adjustments seemed to fall flat against the backdrop of unresolved tension within the team.
After an hour and a half of zero progress, the pressure was beginning to amass. They were screwed if they kept playing the way they did.
"Can I talk to you?" Ariana chimed, looming over a sitting Paige. The blonde bent over, gatorade bottle in hand. She shook her head, panting. She didn't look up, instead, she sighed sharply, water squirting from the tip of her bottle into her mouth. "I have nothing to say to you."
"This is bigger than you right now, P. Than the both of us," Ariana scoffed, "Don't let your fucking ego do the talking."
The air in the hall just outside the court was tinged with tension the moment they stepped out for a word, an unusual atmosphere for the usually dear pair. Today, however, the air felt heavy with unresolved conflict.
Paige Bueckers leant against one side of the wall, her bright blue eyes clouded with a whirlwind of emotions. She had her arms crossed, legs crossing as well with knee guards sleeving her legs. Finally, breaking the uneasy silence, Ariana spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of apprehension. "Paige, we need to talk about this."
Paige's tongue stuck into her right inner-cheek, "What is there to talk about, dude?"
Ariana turned to face Paige, her expression gentle yet firm. "Why are you taking this so personal?" She scoffed, a hand rubbing the tiresome out of her eyes. She hadn't caught a break since South Carolina, and this was tipping over her edge. She was beginning to wonder if it was karma. "I am twenty years old, Paige, I'm not a baby. I really don't understand why you're freaking out over this like I'm a helpless kid."
