Chapter Three

Jordyn Love pov

"Love! Heads up!"

I turned just in time to catch the ball Kahleah fired my way. Even during warm-ups, KC's passes came at you like missiles. Six years in the league and she still practiced like she had something to prove. That's probably why we clicked so well.

"Good morning to you too," I laughed, tossing the ball back. The New Orleans practice facility was already humming with energy despite the early hour. Odyssey was running Mikayla through some offensive sets while Shakira worked on her three-point shot at the other end of the court.

My phone buzzed in my hoodie pocket – A'ja's contact photo lighting up my screen. I smiled, seeing she'd replied to my good morning text with a picture of Deuce sprawled across her bed back in Vegas. He misses you already she'd captioned it.

"If you're done being all lovey-dovey with your girl, some of us are trying to work here," Kahleah teased, stealing the ball from my hands.

"You just mad shorty ain't as letting you hit," I teased back, earning a basketball thrown at my head which I caught easily. Standing at 6'9", I had some advantages.

"Alright ladies, let's get started!" Coach Williams called out, bringing us all to center court. As our team gathered, I couldn't help but feel proud looking at our roster. The Hurricanes might be an expansion team, but we'd built something special here.

"Kah, I want you working with Mikayla today,"Coach said, before turning to the rest of the team. "Odyssey, you're running point with the first unit. Jordy, Kira, Kelsey – you're spacing the floor for Kah and Mk, Let's see how this looks."

I walked over to KP and Kira as I peered at Kah and Mk chopping it up. Our rookie was everything we'd hoped for when we drafted her – raw talent, eager to learn, and that New Orleans connection that made the fans love her even more.  Kelsey and I walked over to them as they fished up.

"Ready to work?" I asked, and her eyes lit up with that intensity I was starting to recognize.

"Born ready," she replied, settling into her stance.

As we started breaking down the different play calls with her, I could hear Odyssey calling out plays behind us. Dey had always been a vocal leader on court, and having her experience was invaluable for our young team.

"Look," I said to Kira, as Kah demonstrated her pump fake before going for the layup, "it's all about creating space. With your size and speed, you've got advantages most guards don't have. Use them."

She nodded, mimicking the move perfectly. "Similar to how you and Jackie play?"

I paused, a smile tugging at my lips. "You been studying film?"

"Every game from last season," she admitted. "The way yall was battling on the court last season? That's the level I want to reach."

"Well, you're in the right place then. Rook,""Besides you have the best Vets ever," Kah said pointing at herself. Kira had this good to model after," she said pointing to me as I gasped. "KC, you supposed to be on my side!" I laughed, but the competitive fire was already burning. We had been best friends since our AAU days and I wouldn't have it any other way. Playing against Kah was always interesting – trying to shut down someone you know inside and out, while they know all your tricks too. So it's nice to finally play with her and not against her.

Practice continued with that same intensity. Coach Williams had us running new offensive sets, taking advantage of our height in the post while keeping our spacing for Kahleah and Shakira's shooting. Having Odyssey at point gave us a veteran presence that kept everything flowing smooth.

During our water break, I checked my phone again. A'ja had sent another text: Just watched KK run that play you always shut down. Girl got wheels fr. She fast af

I smiled, typing back: Better hope she's ready when we play y'all. Mikayla been studying our film

"Love!" Coach called out. "Show the team that high-low action we were working on."

I pocketed my phone and jogged back to the court. As I got into position, with Shakira up top ready to feed the entry pass, I couldn't help but think about how different this season felt. New Orleans had embraced us completely – the streets were already filled with Hurricanes gear, and our season tickets had sold out faster than anyone expected.

After we were done it up, I stayed on the court for some extra shooting. Mikayla was already there, working on her fadeaway.

"Mind if I join?" I asked, grabbing a ball.

"Actually," she said, looking a bit nervous, "I wanted to ask you something. How do you do it? Playing against someone you love?"

I took a shot before answering, noticing something familiar in the way she asked – that same worry I used to carry. "You learn to separate court time from everything else. When that ball goes up, A'ja's just number 22 on Vegas. But," I smiled, remembering our last matchup, "it also pushes you to be better. Nothing like trying to stop someone who knows all your moves."

"And off the court?"

"Off the court, we're each other's biggest supporters. Don't tell nobody, but I bought a Las Vegas aces shirt a few days ago cause it had her number on it." I said as we shared a laugh before her face went back sad. I studied her face for a moment before passing her the ball. "This isn't just about basketball, is it?"

Mikayla caught the ball, holding it tight against her chest like a shield. She looked around the empty gym before meeting my eyes. "Can I tell you something? But like... keep it between us?"

I nodded, moving to sit on the nearby bench. She followed, still clutching the ball.

"I've been dating JuJu for like eight months now," she said quietly, a small smile breaking through despite her obvious worry. "Started back in college, kept it pretty low-key. But now..." she trailed off.

"Now you're both rookies, in different cities, with the whole world watching," I finished for her. She nodded.

"JuJu's in Chicago, and like, we're both living our dreams, you know? But sometimes I wake up terrified that the distance will be too much, that our careers will pull us apart. I see how you and A'ja make it work, and I just... I don't know if we're strong enough for that."

I felt my heart soften. Here was this incredible rookie, tough as nails on the court, sharing one of her deepest fears. "First of all," I said, bumping her shoulder with mine, "you pulled JuJu Watkins? Girl, you got game off the court too!"

That got a laugh out of her, which was my goal. "But for real," I continued, "love in this league? It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. Look at AT and DeWanna...or Dijonaj and NaLyssa. It's possible. A'ja and I, we had those same fears. Still do sometimes. The key is communication – being honest about your fears, your needs, your dreams. And remember, the W is a family. We all understand what you're going through."

"Yeah?" she looked up hopefully.

"Trust me. Half these vets have partners in other cities. We make it work because what we have is worth fighting for." I paused, then added with a grin, "Plus, think about it – you'll always have someone who understands exactly what you're going through. The pressure, the expectations, the grind? JuJu gets it because she's living it too."

"That's true," Mikayla nodded, finally loosening her grip on the ball. "She actually sent me this long text last night about how proud she was that I made it here, to New Orleans. Said she can't wait to play against me."

"See? That's the mindset you need. Turn the distance into motivation. And hey," I nudged her again, "when we play Chicago, you can bet I'll be asking Coach to let you guard her. Give the fans a show."

Mikayla laughed, exhaling a bit . "You'd do that?"

"Of course. That's what family does. And Mk ? For what it's worth, I've seen how JuJu looks at you during league events. I thought yall were just friends but I see it now. That girl ain't going nowhere."

We shot in comfortable silence for a while before Odyssey and Shakira joined us. Soon, what started as extra practice turned into an impromptu two-on-two game, with Kah keeping score from the sideline while icing her knee."Young kids got too much energy," she complained, but we all knew she'd be right back out here tomorrow, pushing just as hard as the rest of us.This season was going to be interesting, to say the least. But as I looked around at our facility, saw Mikayla still working on her shot, Odyssey reviewing plays with Coach, and Kahleah arguing with Shakira about their dinner plans, I knew we had something special brewing in New Orleans.My phone buzzed one last time as I walked to my car:(@aja22wilson mentioned you in a post: Someone tell @jordylosve0 that I'm the better post player) I laughed tweeting back at her before heading home. Yeah, playing against the love of your life wasn't easy. But building something here in New Orleans, helping write the next chapter of WNBA history? That made it all worth it. Besides, A'ja Wilson might be the league's MVP, but even MVPs have to lose sometimes.And this year? This year the Hurricanes were coming for everything.

Excuse all errors Ajah 🩷