The energy in the air was electric. March had arrived, and with it came the madness. The locker room buzzed with anticipation as we laced up our sneakers, adjusted our jerseys, and mentally prepared ourselves for the tournament ahead. This was what we had worked for all season. Every grueling practice, every extra rep, every late-night film session—it all led to this moment.
I glanced around at my teammates, each of them locked in, their own pregame routines unfolding. Paige sat on the bench, taping her fingers with practiced ease, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp. Caroline stretched near the lockers, quietly focused. Ice bounced on her toes, already hyping herself up. KK and Aubrey were deep in conversation, going over something on the whiteboard, while Jana adjusted her headband, deep in thought. And then there was Nika, my Nika, pacing slightly, her hands flexing at her sides as she got into her zone.
"You ready for this?" I asked, nudging her lightly with my elbow.
She stopped pacing just long enough to smirk at me. "I was born ready, Ty."
I chuckled, but we both knew the weight of this game. The first round of the NCAA Tournament always came with its own set of nerves. One loss and we were out. There were no do-overs.
Coach Geno walked in, immediately commanding the room. "Alright, listen up," he said, his voice calm but firm. "We've been here before. We know what this takes. You've put in the work. You know your assignments. Now, it's time to go out there and handle business."
A chorus of nods and murmured agreements followed. We knew what was at stake.
"Defense wins games," he continued. "We dictate the pace. We control the boards. And we play our game. Got it?"
"Yes, Coach!" we answered in unison.
"Good. Now, let's go remind the world who we are."
We huddled up, arms around each other, the tension mounting but our confidence unwavering. Nika led the final chant, her voice steady and strong. "One, two, three—"
"UCONN!"
And just like that, it was time. We stepped onto the court, greeted by the deafening roar of the crowd. The bright lights, the cameras, the energy—it was all so familiar, yet it never got old.
As the referee tossed the ball into the air for the opening tip, I felt it—that rush, that fire.
March Madness had begun.
And we were ready.
YOU ARE READING
Curls for the girls
FanfictionTyler is at UConn to go to school and play basketball but she just keeps getting distracted by a certain brunette and what confuses her the most she can't ever seem to get the Croatian out of her mind
