33 parts Ongoing She wasn't supposed to be a problem. Not on paper, anyway. Five points, two assists by the end of the night. But Kay played with this fire that made KK notice her, even in the chaos. She picked up full court, jaw set, daring KK to make a mistake. When KK drove into the lane, Kay fouled hard enough to make a statement but not hard enough to draw a whistle. When KK hit a tough layup, Kay just smirked and jogged back like nothing had happened.
It was irritating. And a little impressive.
The game came down to the wire. Hartford was deafening as UConn clawed back from a late deficit. KK hit a pull-up to tie it at 70 with thirty seconds left, the noise rattling the rafters. But then USC silenced the building with a late bucket, the final horn sealing a 72-70 Trojan win.
The Huskies walked off tight-jawed, frustration written across their faces. KK clenched her fists, still buzzing with adrenaline, with anger, with the sting of letting her home crowd down.
That's when she saw Kay again. The freshman guard was jogging toward the locker room, eyes wide as she looked around the arena. She wasn't celebrating - she was soaking it all in, like she couldn't believe this was real.
Later, Kay would tell reporters: "That crowd... wow. They love their team in Connecticut. It's loud, it's passionate. You feel it the whole game. Even as an opponent, it makes you want to play harder."
KK never forgot that.
Because while the loss burned, something about that night stuck with her. The way Kay didn't look scared. The way she looked like she wanted more.
At the time, KK couldn't imagine they'd ever share the same locker room. Couldn't imagine Kay would transfer, that their paths would tangle tighter than a box-and-one defense.
But later, when it happened, KK thought back to Hartford. To that first clash. To the girl who dared to get in her face in front of her home crowd.
And maybe - just maybe - she liked that Kay had.