Chapter Two

A'ja Wilson pov

I groaned as my alarm blared at 5 AM. The time difference between Louisiana and Vegas always kicked my ass for the first few days back. I rolled over, automatically reaching for Jordyn before remembering I was back in my own bed in Vegas. The boys noticed my movement and immediately jumped up, ready to start their day.

"At least some things never change," I mumbled, dragging myself out of bed. As I let them out into the backyard, my phone lit up with a text.

Jordy🫶🏽: Good morning beautiful. Kill it at training camp today. Love you ❤️l

I smiled, typing back quickly: Missing you already. Tell Mikayla I said congratulations on her first day.

The New Orleans Hurricanes had struck gold getting Mikayla Williams in the draft. That girl was gonna be dangerous, especially with Jordyn mentoring her. Not to mention their lineup with Odyssey, Shakira, and Kahleah? The league was getting more competitive every year and I loved it.

After a quick shower and breakfast, I headed to the facility. The parking lot was already filling up despite the early hour. I spotted Angel's car right away – can't miss that bright white G wagon – and pulled into my usual spot next to her.

"A!" Angel's voice carried across the lot as I stepped out of my car. "Your favorite is back!"

I laughed, walking over to hug her. "Looking like a Barbie as always. How many shopping bags you got in that trunk?"

"Don't even start with me," Angel grinned, falling into step beside me. "Jackie already roasted me about my Gucci haul yesterday."

"How's Jordy?" she asked as we walked into the facility together.

"Living her best life in New Orleans. You see they got MK?"

"Girl, yes! That whole squad is stacked. But so are we," Angel said, bumping my shoulder. "Wait till you see what KK's been doing in practice."

As if on cue, we heard the distinctive sound of a basketball hitting the court as we approached the gym. Through the doors, I could see our rookie, KK Arnold, already running drills with Chelsea.

"Told you," Angel whispered as we watched KK execute a perfect pick-and-pop with Chelsea. "She's been here every morning at 4:30."

"Riyadh!" Jackie called out as she walked in, using my middle name like she always did when she was about to roast me. "Tell 5 star that 7am shopping sprees don't count as morning workouts!"

"Leave her alone," I defended, though I was laughing. "At least she showed up looking cute."

"What can I say? I learned from the best," Angel winked at me, pulling her currently blonde hair into a ponytail.

As more players filtered in, the gym came alive with the familiar sounds of basketball and friendly trash talk. Chelsea was running point in a practice drill, her court vision still unmatched even after all these years. I caught sight of Candace working with some of our newer players on post moves, breaking down the footwork with that same intensity she had as a player.

"Alright ladies, bring it in!" Coach Hammon's voice cut through the chaos. We gathered around her, and I couldn't help but feel that familiar excitement building. This was home.

"First off, welcome back everyone. Hope you all enjoyed your break because now it's time to work. We've got something special brewing here this season," Coach Hammon said, then turned to Candace. "CP, you want to break down the morning drills?"

Candace stepped forward, clipboard in hand. "Okay, Chelsea, you're working with KK on those pick-and-roll reads. Syd and Jackie, you'll rotate in on that too. A'ja, Angel, Tash, Liz– you three are with me working on some new offensive sets, and last but not least Money, Lish, and Rhyne yall are with Ty today," she said giving the whole breakdown.

As the coaches laid out the practice plan, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. A quick glance showed a picture from Jordyn with their new team, everyone in Hurricanes practice gear. The caption read: First official practice! Missing you ❤️

I showed it to Angel, who was already eyeing Coach Parker's clipboard with intense focus. "Your girl's team looking good," she said, then grinned. "But we still got the best squad in the league."

Practice was intense, just like I expected. Between Coach Hammon's defensive drills and CP's offensive schemes, and Ty noticing all the little things, we were all dripping sweat within the first hour. During our water break, I watched Chelsea working with KK, amazed at how quickly our rookie was picking things up.

"She's a quick study,"Candace said, coming to stand beside me. "Reminds me of Kate when she first came in."

"Speaking of quick studies," I nodded toward Angel, who was still practicing the move Coach Parker had shown us earlier, "5 Star over there hasn't stopped working since you showed her that new footwork."

"That's why I love coaching her. That motor, she remains me so much of you from your early years A," Candace smiled. "Y'all make my job so easy."

Later, as I was grabbing my water bottle, KK jogged over. "Hey A'ja, just wanted to say thanks for being so nice. I'm not gone lie I was a little nervous to meet you today. I know I'm working mostly with Chelsea and Jackie, but watching how you and Angel work together, how you lead this team – it really helps show what being a pro is all about." She rambled. I smiled placing my hands over her own as she fiddled with her hands.

"That's what we're here for, rook. You keep putting in that work with Chelsea, you're special."

After practice, Angel caught up with me in the parking lot. "A, we still on for dinner tonight? You know I gotta hear all about your offseason."

"You just wanna see if Jordy taught me how to cook yet," I laughed, but nodded. "Yeah, come through. Jackie and Chelsea are coming too."

"Bet. I'll bring dessert."

"You mean you'll stop at Nothing Bundt Cakes on your way over."

"And what about it?" she called over her shoulder, climbing into her truck.

I shook my head, smiling as I got into my own car. My phone lit up with another text from Jackie:

Jackie🍩: KK's coming to dinner too. I invited her

I typed back quickly: okay that's fine by me. See yall in a bit

Excuse all error Ajah 🩷