Pacify Her | Paige Bueckers

twenty-one | ring

"Introducing your UConn Huskies!" The announcer said over the intercom as the game began. The huskies were the home team, so they were doing their intros last. Because they played the same position, Paige and Azzi would alternate spots half way through each quarter—to prevent fatigue.

"A five-nine sophomore guard from Germantown, Wisconsin" The announcer's voice echoed throughout the packed arena. Ava stood up, having been seated in the row right behind the players, recording the jumbotron before panning her phone toward the huddle that KK would be emerging from. "Number two, Kamoreaaaaaa Arnold!"

"A six-foot fifth year guard from Edina, Minnesota," Paige's introduction went next. The packed stadium began roaring at the mention, everybody knew who this intro was for. "Number five, Paigeeee Bueckers!" Unlike KK, who was typically far more goofy, Paige hit the dougie as she passed by her teammates and joined KK off to the side.

"A six-foot-three redshirt sophomore forward from San Diego California," the spotlight panned to Ice. "Number twenty-five, Isuneh Bradyyyyyyy!" Ice was calm, she didn't do too much, ever. Similarly to KK's walk up, she got up with a smile, high-fiving her teammates as she walked by them. She dapped up Paige and KK as she joined them off to the side.

"A six-foot-two junior forward from Wayne, Indiana," the announcer triumphantly exclaimed, seemingly more comfortable in his announcing. "Number thirty-four, Ayannaaaaa Patterson!" Ayanna and Azzi did a handshake as dapped up her teammates, making it down the line and joining the other starters off to the side.

"And last but not least," the announcer continued. "A six-foot-five redshirt sophomore center, from Cairo, Egypt." The camera panned on Jana as this was being said. "Number twenty-four, Jana Èlllll Alfy!" With a wide smile on her face, Jana skipped through her lined up teammates, joining the starters off to the side as she did so. The girls then bowed their heads, prepared for the national anthem to be sung.

While Paige's head was in the game, she also had something else on her mind. While she'd been shopping with Azzi, them being two stores apart, Paige set her eyes on a beautiful diamond ring displayed in the window of a high-end jewelry store. The ring featured a dazzling round-cut diamond, perfectly clear and colorless, set in a delicate platinum band.

The diamond sparkled like a star in the night sky, casting a mesmerizing glow that caught Paige's attention in a heartbeat. Its elegant design and exquisite craftsmanship made it a true work of art, exuding a sense of sophistication and luxury. As Paige gazed at the ring, she couldn't help but imagine the way it would catch the light and sparkle on Azzi's finger, a symbol of love and commitment that last a lifetime.

"Paige!" Geno called out, startling the starting shooting guard. "Get in the huddle." Paige looked side to side subtly, realizing the song was over and both teams have since returned to their respective sidelines. She exhaled as she shook her head.

The game got off to a hot start for UConn, but it was not at all with Paige's help. Right away, number five was missing key shots and making textbook errors. She had two turn overs within the first five minutes, half way through the half. Luckily, she was switching with Azzi anyway, but she knew something was wrong. However, she did not quite understand what it was that was wrong. All that I, the narrator am telling you, Paige did not yet grasp. The ring was on her mind, yes, but she didn't know that her unfocused playing was because she subconsciously needed said ring.

In those first five minutes, Paige did try her best, believe it or not. But the more she tried to hone her focus on the game, the more her playing deteriorated. "What the fuck," Paige muttered to herself, shaking her head as Azzi passed by her, giving Paige a brief, consoling rub of the back.

As Paige started in the second quarter, her focus continued to waver. This was even after a harsh pep talk from coach Geno. Coach Geno always knew how to set Paige straight, so if he couldn't today... something was seriously, seriously wrong. Paige had two shots in the paint smacked into the stands and made poor decisions on the shots she chose to take. Instead of playing her full half of the quarter, Geno took Paige out at the two minute mark of the second quarter. Ashamed, Paige kept her head down as she walked toward the bench.