The Silent Assassin - Paige Bueckers

two

MACKIE THOMAS

as i walked into the arena for the start of the game, i saw signs everywhere.

'let the silent assassin cook!!'

'mackie sign my shirt?!'

'FEAR THE SILENT ASSASSIN'

but i also saw other signs.

'UCONN'T BEAT US!'

'go p buckets!!!'

'FEAR THE BRAIDS!'

i heard whispers of my name everywhere, i saw phones pointed at me. it was a high stress moment. people who came to ucla games constantly sent around pictures of me like they were gold. those people cherished those photos and i'm so happy most of them gate-keep them or else there would be a lot of photos of me out there.

i walked onto the court, putting my head down and looking at the pink shoes on my feet. i tapped my foot, waiting for the refs.

as the game started, the roar of the crowd was deafening. the stakes couldn't be higher, but i felt a strange calm wash over me. they called me "the silent assassin" for a reason. i didn't need to talk big; i let my game do the talking.

paige bueckers was guarding me, and i could feel her intense focus. she was a star, no doubt, but i wasn't about to back down. the ball was passed to me, and i could see the determination in her eyes. i dribbled, feeling the rhythm of the game, and then made my move. a quick crossover, and i was past her. the lane opened up, and i took the shot—nothing but net.

the crowd erupted, and my teammates rushed over, their energy lifting me even higher. we were playing well, but i knew we had to keep pushing. every possession mattered, every second counted.

the first two quarters sped by. we were currently tied with uconn going into the third quarter. the crowd was at the edge of their seats. i heard my name being yelled from all directions. i needed to lock in.

the game was heating up, and we were neck and neck with uconn. i had the ball again, and paige was right there, guarding me closely. i made a quick move to the left, but just as i did, paige lunged in to block me. our bodies collided, and i felt a sharp pain as i hit the floor hard. everything went black.

when i came to, it felt like only seconds had passed. i could see the concerned faces of my teammates and the bright lights of the arena above me. paige was standing over me, her face full of worry. "mackie, are you okay?" she asked, but before i could respond, my teammates rushed over, pushing her away.

"back off, paige! you've done enough!" one of them shouted. there was a mix of anger and concern in their voices as they helped me up. my head was spinning, and i could barely stand. the coach signaled for a timeout, and i was escorted off the court. the medic advised that i shouldn't play for the rest of the game.

from the bench, i watched as paige was benched for two minutes. it felt like an eternity, and when she returned to the game, uconn started to pull ahead. the final buzzer sounded, and they had won. i was devastated.

in the locker room, my teammates tried to cheer me up. "don't worry about paige, mackie. she's just a dirty player," one of them said. "we would have crushed them if you were out there," another added. their words were meant to comfort me, but it was hard to shake off the disappointment.

after the game, i went to see my family and fans who had come to support us. they hugged me tightly, and their encouragement helped, but the sting of the loss lingered. just as i was about to leave, paige approached me. "mackie, i'm really sorry about what happened. i didn't mean to hurt you," she said, looking genuinely remorseful.

i nodded, appreciating her apology, but the pain of the game and the loss was still fresh. i knew we'd have another shot, but for now, i had to let this one go.

paige looked really upset and said, "mackie, i honestly didn't mean for it to go down like that. i feel terrible. please, let me make it up to you somehow."

i was still feeling the sting of the loss and the pain from the fall, so i hesitated. "i don't know, paige. it was a pretty rough hit."

she nodded, understanding. "i get it, but i really want to make things right. here, take my number." she quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "text me, and we can talk more. maybe we can figure something out."

i took the paper, still unsure. "alright, i'll think about it," i said.

paige gave a small, hopeful smile. "thanks, mackie. i really appreciate it. talk to you soon, okay?"

i nodded, pocketing the number. "yeah, maybe."

AUTHOR'S NOTE
hope this was good😭🙏 lmk what u guys think so far!!! i can't wait to see where this goes, i have big ideas for this!