An ice rink separates two lives moving in opposite directions: one chasing greatness, the other learning how to survive without a safety net. Love lingers in unsent messages, viral moments, and choices made too late or too carefully. As ambition sharpens and distance stretches thin, what they refuse to name begins to cost them everything. When fate finally pins them in the same place, under the same lights, the question isn't who they love-it's whether they're brave enough to stop skating around it.

⸻ Rookie year and the Dallas Wings locker room is buzzing as usual after practice, but Paige can't stop herself from noticing Marley Hayes, the team's pint-sized firecracker, shifting in her locker. A flash of ink catches her eye - delicate lines and bold curves snaking along Marley's hipbone, ribs, and shoulder blade. Paige feels heat rise to her cheeks before she can stop herself. "You know," she blurts, voice low and teasing, "those tattoos are... distracting." Marley freezes for a split second, then smirks, stepping a little closer, eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, really?" she murmurs, voice dripping challenge. "Guess you'll just have to pay closer attention." The air thickens with playful tension, and Paige realizes that Marley's flirt back is sharper, bolder... and somehow, perfectly timed to make her heart skip a beat. ⸻

IN WHICH, an extrovert adopts an introvert. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎or ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ IN WHICH, two unconn ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ huskies fall in love. [𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘅 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗰]

Paige Bueckers has spent her senior year focused on basketball, blocking out distractions, emotions, and definitely any hint of a crush-until Jordan Blake crashes into her world with that reckless charm, infectious laugh, and a friendship with half the UConn team. Cool, confident, and way too easy to fall for, Jordan becomes Paige's favorite complication. But everything changes with one text. What Jordan thought was a flirty (and very unfiltered) message to her tight inner circle-Azzi, KK, and Ice-was actually sent to everyone on the UConn women's team. Including Paige. Now the group chat is on fire, the locker room is buzzing, and Paige can't unread what she read-or unfeel what she's starting to feel. As tension, chemistry, and chaos collide, Jordan has to figure out if this embarrassing mess could somehow turn into the best thing she never meant to say out loud.

Paige Bueckers x fem reader Y/n is a junior transfer from the University of South Carolina. Due to her troubled past with the team she joins the Huskies in their pursuit of another national championship. Will y/n be able to let go of her past and accept the amazing life in front of her? Or will she fall pray to her demons and push away the people that truly love her? Author's Note: First and foremost, I want to emphasize that this is a work of fiction. I don't know any of the individuals mentioned, nor do I have any insight into how they might respond in real-life situations. I'm certain they are all wonderful people. For the sake of advancing the plot and creating a compelling story, some characters may be portrayed with negative traits or flaws. This is purely for narrative purposes. Without conflict or complexity the story would lack depth. Additionally, I want to clarify that I have no knowledge of anyone's sexual orientation. Once again, this is entirely fictional and should be viewed as such. Italics: inner thoughts ---: time skip ~~~: text messages

Paige Bueckers never expected to lose her focus to anyone-until she met Shaylin "Shay" Donnelly, UConn's senior cheer captain with a Boston accent sharp enough to cut glass and one-liners that could bring the entire student section to tears laughing. Shay is one of a kind: quick-witted, effortlessly funny, and sassy in a way that makes Paige grin even when she's trying not to. Shay owns every room she walks into-commanding the sidelines with fearless energy, big personality, and the kind of charisma that turns heads without even trying. She's the girl who can hype up an arena, roast someone in five words, and still flash a smile that somehow softens Paige's entire world. Paige finds herself drawn to her before she can even explain it-first to the voice, then to the confidence, then to the heart buried underneath the humor. Shay sees Paige in a way no one else does, challenging her, teasing her, grounding her, and pushing her to laugh at herself. And suddenly the ice-cold, hyper-focused Paige Bueckers is falling-hard-for the sassy Boston girl who cheers louder, shines brighter, and makes her feel understood in ways she didn't know she needed. ⸻

When Dallas Wings team manager Cassidy Dutton needs help escaping the grip of a relentless ex, Paige Bueckers steps in with a simple plan: fake date her until the problem disappears. It's supposed to be easy. Strictly appearances. Strictly business. Paige plays it cool - she's used to the spotlight, the cameras, the whispers. What's one more headline if it keeps Cassidy safe? But somewhere between staged hand-holding and "just for show" kisses, lines start to blur. Pretending feels a little too easy. A little too real. And when the truth finally catches up to them, Paige will have to decide if she's willing to risk her heart for something that was never supposed to matter. Because falling for Cassidy Dutton? That was never part of the game plan. ⸻

" 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒐 𝒖𝒔 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 " Paige Bueckers, star of UConn WBB. Her and her team gets invited to a dinner with the UConn Softball team? But what happens when Paige meets the star pitcher of the team? TW: abuse, drugs, self harm, sex, etc. started -- 04/23/25 ended -- 05/30/25

In the blistering heat of a Texas summer and the ever-demanding grind of pro sports, two worlds collide under the bright stadium lights - one of polished court dominance, the other of glittering performance perfection. Paige Bueckers, the golden girl of professional basketball, is used to pressure. She thrives in it. As the newly minted star of the Dallas Wings, she's expected to carry the franchise on her shoulders - all eyes watching, all bets placed. But off the court, Paige is more than just a sharpshooter. She's quietly lonely, privately soft, and increasingly distracted by the woman who dances at halftime with effortless grace and a smile that makes her forget the score. Shayne Miller, a third year Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, knows how to keep things presentable. Always polished, always poised - it's what Judy demands, and it's what Shayne's learned to survive on. There's no room for messy feelings, no space for slip-ups or scandal. Fraternizing with players is off-limits. And catching feelings for a WNBA star with sky-blue eyes and a crooked little grin? Completely out of the question. Until it's not. A chance encounter at a joint team event - a stumble, a waist grab, and one blush too deep - sets everything into motion. What starts as a harmless DM from Paige asking for a "bar recommendation" quickly spirals into late-night texts, rooftop meetups, and an undeniable tension neither of them can laugh off anymore. Paige, the lovesick basketball player who doesn't know how to play it cool, and Shayne, the random girl from the south who happened to play a Dallas sport with walls too high and a heart too guarded, find themselves caught between the spotlight and the quiet pull of something real. But under the weight of public image, personal boundaries, and unspoken rules, falling in love isn't just risky - it's damn near dangerous. Especially when the world is watching.