Curls for the girls

Ty's Moment

Ty's pov

The deeper we got into the tournament, the more I felt it—the weight of everything. The expectations, the pressure, the doubt that sometimes crept into my mind when I wasn't looking. I had my role on this team, I knew that. Play defense, make the hustle plays, be ready when my number was called. But something inside me was screaming that it was time for more.

The Elite Eight. A game away from the Final Four. The biggest stage of my life so far. And I wasn't about to let it slip by without making my mark.

The first few minutes were intense, just like we expected. Our opponent came out swinging, hitting a couple of deep threes right away. The energy in the arena was insane, the noise vibrating through my chest every time someone made a big play. We had our moments—Paige hit a midrange jumper, azzi muscled in a tough layup, Ice knocked down a three—but they kept answering, refusing to back down.

I sat on the bench, locked in, my knee bouncing as I watched the game unfold. I was ready. I needed to get out there.

"Ty, you're in!"

I snapped up, my heart pounding, and sprinted to the scorer's table. As soon as I stepped onto the court, I took a deep breath. This is it.

Right away, I made my presence known. On defense, I locked in, shadowing my assignment, moving my feet, refusing to let her get an easy look. When she tried to drive past me, I slid over, cutting her off, forcing her into a bad shot. Morgan grabbed the rebound, and just like that, we were off.

I sprinted down the floor, eyes on Ice as she pushed the ball up. She saw me and threw a perfect pass my way. Without hesitation, I caught it, squared up, and let it fly. The ball swished through the net, and the crowd erupted.

First bucket down. Let's go.

I clapped my hands, getting back on defense, my energy surging. A minute later, I found myself wide open again, this time beyond the arc. Nika spotted me, whipped the ball my way, and before I even thought about it, I let it fly. The second it left my hands, I knew.

Swish.

The bench went wild, and I felt something shift inside me. Confidence. Fire. This was my time.

Possession after possession, I stayed aggressive. I fought through screens, crashed the boards, sprinted in transition, doing everything I could to keep us in control. Midway through the third quarter, the game was tight, and we needed someone to step up. I felt it in my bones that it had to be me.

We ran a play, the ball swinging around the perimeter. Ice drove into the paint, drawing the defense, and at the last second, she kicked it out. Right to me. I caught it in rhythm, took a quick breath, and fired.

The ball arced high, spun through the air, and dropped through the net like it was meant to be there all along.

The roar of the crowd was deafening. My teammates swarmed me as the other team called a timeout, and I could feel my heart pounding so hard it might've burst right out of my chest.

I wasn't just playing my role anymore. I was changing the game.

Nika smacked me on the back as we walked to the bench, grinning so proud of me. "Look at you, superstar my girl."

I grinned back, breathless but electrified. "Had to remind everyone I can shoot, too."

Paige laughed, shaking her head. "Keep reminding them, Ty. We need that."

I nodded, wiping the sweat from my forehead as I sat down. I could still hear the crowd buzzing, still feel the heat of the moment in my veins. But there was no time to dwell on it. The game wasn't over.

We had a Final Four to get to.