burn for you

Meet the Team

~Y/n's POV~

Walking into the UConn gym for the first time was like stepping into a new world. The air was filled with the familiar scent of polished wood and the faint echo of basketballs bouncing off the court. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. This was it—the moment I had been working towards for years. I was about to meet my new team, and I couldn't wait to prove myself.

The gym was already bustling with activity. Girls were stretching, shooting hoops, and chatting with each other. I scanned the room, trying to spot familiar faces from the countless games I'd watched online. My eyes landed on Coach Geno Auriemma, a living legend in women's basketball. He was talking to a group of players, his presence commanding respect.

I approached the group, my heart pounding. As I got closer, I recognized some of the girls—Azzi Fudd, KK Arnold, Nika Mühl, and Ice Brady. They were all taller than me, but that was something I was used to by now. I had always been one of the shorter players on the court, but my high school stats spoke for themselves: 30 points per game, 13 assists, and 6 rebounds. I knew I could hold my own. And so did Paige.

"Hey, you must be Y/n," Azzi said smiling warmly, being the first one to greet me. "We've heard a lot about you."

I offered the tan girl a shy smile, I still couldn't beleive this was happening. I spent my senior year of high school idolizing these girls, (most of them), and now I was apart of their team.

"Yeah, welcome to the team, girly pop," KK added goofily, giving me a fist bump. I gave a small laugh. I could tell we would get along just fine.

I smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "Thanks. It's great to be here."

Nika and Ice also greeted me, and we chatted for a few minutes. They were all impressed by my high school stats, which made me feel a bit more confident. But there was still one person I hadn't met yet—Paige Bueckers. And I wasn't looking forward to it.

Paige and I had a history. We were on the same team back in high school, Paige being only two years ahead of me, and it was safe to say we didn't get along. It was a never ending competition. Once I tore my ACL towards the beginning of my sophomore year, Paige was more than happy to have the spotlight we once fought for all to herself. Our rivalry was intense, and it had only gotten worse over the years. I knew she was here at UConn, but I hadn't seen her yet. Part of me hoped she wouldn't show up, but I knew that was wishful thinking.

Just as I was starting to relax, the gym doors swung open, and in walked a tall, blonde girl with bright blue eyes. She spotted me almost immediately, her eyes narrowing in surprise. I could feel the tension in the air as she made her way over.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Y/n," she said, her tone light with a hint of sarcasm. "What are you doing here? Thought you were too good to play on the same team as me."

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my cool. "Nice to see you too, Bueckers."

Paige fixed a fake smile on her face, and she took a step closer. She embraced me, throwing me off. She smelt good. But, I knew it was too good to be true. She whispered in my ear."We may have been rivals in high school and yes we've gotten older, but don't think for a second that anything's going to change. I still don't like you."

I could feel my frustration boiling over as I gave her a sickeningly sweet smile. "We'll see about that. I'm only here to help, Paige."

Before things could escalate further, Paige pulled away from the embrace, casting me another fake smile. Coach Geno stepped in. "Alright, that's enough. We're here to play basketball, not to sit around and chat all day. Let's get started with practice."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Paige shot me one last glare before turning away. I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but I was determined to prove myself. Not just to my team, but to her as well.

Practice began with some warm-up drills, and I quickly fell into the rhythm. The familiar motions of dribbling, passing, and shooting helped to clear my mind. I focused on my technique, trying to block out everything else.

As we moved on to more complex drills, I could feel the eyes of my new teammates on me. They were watching, evaluating. I knew I had to make a good impression. I pushed myself harder, my competitive nature driving me forward.

Paige, of course, was doing the same. Every time I made a good play, she seemed to try even harder to outdo me. It was like we were back in high school, battling it out on the court and in practice. But this time, things we different. For some reason, I wasn't as willing to hate Paige as I thought I would be. Then my mind was changed.

At one point, we were paired up for a one-on-one drill. The tension was palpable as we faced off, each determined to come out on top. I could see the fire in Paige's eyes, and I knew she saw the same in mine.

The drill began, and we moved with lightning speed, our movements a blur of skill and determination. I managed to fake her out with a quick crossover, driving to the basket for a layup. She responded with a fierce block, sending the ball flying out of bounds. The taller girl fell on top of me, both of us flying to the ground. I looked up to see Paige holding herself off of me, smirking down at me, with two hands propped on the floor on both sides of my head.

"Nice block," I muttered, trying to hide my flustered reaction. For once, her blue eyes shown no sign of pure hatred. She looked down smugly at me.

"You're not bad yourself," she replied, her tone begrudgingly respectful, a glint in her eye. The moment seemed like hours, but in reality it had only been a few seconds. Paige heaved herself off of me and helped me up.

We continued to push each other throughout practice, our rivalry seeming to grow into an almost mutual respect for each other. Almost. By the end, I was exhausted but exhilarated. I had held my own in practice, and that didn't go unnoticed by my new teammates. Coach Genius blew the whistle and practice was officially finished. I smile as I see KK jog up to me with a grin on her face, Paige begrudgingly following her.

"Great job today, girl! You did so good, better than me than my first day of practice as a freshman," KK said, grinning. I stifled a laugh as the brown-skinned girl nudged Paige in the ribs, causing the tall blonde to wince. She spoke up.

"Yeah, you did good," Paige began, causing me to smile before a shit-eating grin appeared on her face. "For a freshmen."

"Girl, boo!" Kk said, rolling her eyes before shoving Paige away and grabbing my arm, tugging me towards the locker room. I looked back at Paige who stared, still standing in the middle of the court minus one of her closest friends, dumbfounded.

"I was just joking," she yelled at KK, who continued to drag me along with her. I sent the tall girl a wink, grinning smugly. Y/n -1, Paige -0. She rolled her eyes at me, but I swore I could see the girls face flush red. Oh well, it was probably from practicing for the past three hours, who am I kidding. But two can play this game, Bueckers. And I'm in it to win.

A/n: ooooooo, Paige might not hate y/n as much as she thinks, or wants to! Don't forget to vote!

Published: 7-12-24