overtime | clark & martin

fifty-seven.

Ten Years Later
The 2036 Olympic Year
Indianapolis, Indiana

"This is arguably the biggest signing in the history of women's basketball. You have Jessica Williams and Caitlin Clark teaming up on the Indiana Fever. That's two MVPs on the same team. Then you throw in the likes of Gabby Williams, Aliyah Boston, and Georgia Amoore. I'm sorry but no one is beating that team, we need to go ahead and give them the championship right now."

"What? No! Okay so you've got a couple of All-Stars and Boston is a 3x Defensive Player of the Year-"

"And Clark and Williams are both 3x MVPs. Like I said, no one is stopping this team."

"They don't have to. The team may be able to stop itself. We've never seen Clark and Williams play together. Clark missed the 2028 Olympics and Williams sat out 2032. They've always been on different teams for the All-Star games."

"Well, now they're playing together for the 2036 WNBA Championship and the 2036 Olympics."

Jessica rolls her eyes as her niece continues to play the sports commentary out loud from the passenger seat of her car, "Mina how many takes about the signing are you going to listen to?"

"All of them," Mina responds as she turns the volume down on her phone, "Do you not understand how epic this is? It's like when Lebron went to the Heat or Durant to the Warriors!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Jessica says. Jessica's signing with the Indiana Fever had been breaking news and the hype surrounding it was abundant. She wasn't sure what to say or how to react because it hadn't really been her decision at the end of the day.

Mina grins, "This is the biggest deal ever. You and Caitlin are probably two of the best guards in recent history. And now you're on the same team! No one is going to stop you two! Well, no one except yourselves."

Jessica's eyes narrow at her niece, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Mina says with a smile, "With the news of your signing to Indiana, everyone is digging up the old lore of Jessica and Caitlin. You two were secretly dating and then when you won your first championship and Finals MVP, Caitlin went on television and declared her love for you."

Jessica scoffs, "That is not what happened."

"Grandma says that's what happened," Mina says, "Besides I was there."

"You were three, you don't remember anything," Jessica responds.

"I remember everything," Mina responds as she taps the side of her head, "I have a photographic memory."

"Sure," Jessica says sarcastically. Mina smiles at her aunt as she looks out of the window.

Mina was spending the summer with Jessica, Kate, and their two kids in Indianapolis. When the news broke that Jessica and Kate would be signing with the Indiana Fever for the upcoming season, Mina begged her parents to let her stay with them. She wanted to work out with Jessica and Caitlin. At the age of 13, Mina was getting pretty serious about basketball.

They reach the Fever facility, which Jessica was extremely familiar with, only now she would be there as a player and not as a reporter. Jessica and Mina got out of the car and Jessica scanned her badge as she opened the door, holding it open for Mina. They head inside and Mina looks around with wide eyes. The facility did undergo an upgrade after winning three championships.

"This place is so nice," Mina says looking around, "Maybe even nicer than Las Vegas."

Jessica doesn't say anything as the two of them head into the gym. Jessica and Mina put on their basketball shoes and begin their warmup stretches.