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plot: in which unrivaled brings them back together

trope: college teammates to lovers

pairings: wbb black! southern reader x sabrina ionescu

warnings: death, homophobia, religious trauma, conversion therapy, smut at the end

a/n: unrivaled sab pls marry me 🙇‍♀️ 

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After about five minutes, y/n returned. "Who was that?" Sab asked.

"Funeral home." She answered shortly, and Sab's face completely fell. "..why is a funeral home calling you?" That was just her way of asking who died without coming off as disrespectful.

"Cause they're puttin' my Daddy's funeral together."

"How did he pass?" She asked, hoping she could get y/n to talk about it. Talking about her problems always tended to help her in college so maybe it would still work. Y/n sat back down, Sage immediately going to her, sensing she was upset. "Alzheimer's. He passed about two weeks ago."

"I'm sorry. That must've been really painful for you." Sabrina wanted so badly to hold her but they were not at all there yet.

"You know, he wasn't always like that. I'm not tryna make excuses, but, after my mom died, he switched churches and just became an entirely different person. In a way, alzheimer's gave me my dad back. He confused me with Momma a lot, but I got to see him in a different light. I got to see why my mom fell in love with him. He was a good man. Grief just pushed him down the wrong path." Sabrina understood her perspective, given he was her dad, but she felt bad that y/n had to grow up with his beliefs forced upon her.

"You don't need to explain anything to me. I get it. I just...I don't get why you still let his beliefs influence you. I know you don't wanna talk about it but- answer me this. Have you ever genuinely enjoyed sex with a man? And if you say yes, I'll get off your back about it. I'll never bring it up again. I just need to know the truth. I need to know that you weren't faking it with me." A single tear rolled down her cheek but she quickly swiped it away, not wishing to appear weak in front of her.

She seemed to be deeply considering Sabrina's words. The topic hit her harder than she expected. But it all felt so wrong to even think about it. "Joe asked me that exact same question the night he broke up with me."

"What was your answer?"

"I can't do this." She shook her head in denial, more tears rolling down her cheeks as she stood up. "I'm not well in the head. I'm sick. I shouldn't have these thoughts. They're wrong." Sab stood up, wanting to desperately help her, reaching for her hands but she pulled them away before they could touch. "Why are they wrong, Bee?"

"Cause it's a sin. It's against God. My Daddy said so- the people at the camp said so."

Sab's face fell again, in disbelief, "he sent you to a conversion camp?"

"In middle school, he said I was sick and they could cure me, but they didn't. And they told me I was gonna go to hell and never be able to see my mom again if I kept thinkin' about girls." She fell back onto the couch, struggling to breath. Sab kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands, "okay, focus on me. Breathe. Slowly."

She followed her instructions, calming down significantly. She sniffled, "I can't be cured, can I?"

"No." Her face fell, and Sab lifted her chin, "because you're not sick, Bee. What you feel towards women does not make you sick. God loves you just the way you are. Take me for an example. I am just like you, and I know God loves me. Look at what he's done for us. We went from broke college students to WNBA players, all while being exactly who we are. So many of the women we share a locker room with a proof enough. You don't think they're sick right?"

"No."

"So, what makes you any different from them?"

"But, they said-"

"You keep saying they. What about you, Bee? What do you think?" She went quiet, considering her words more carefully, feeling Sab brush her thumb over her cheek to wipe a stray tear. "Who cares what they say. What do you think about yourself?"

She subconsciously leaned into her touch, "I think I deserve to love whoever makes me happy."

"You do. Don't let anyone else tell you what you can and can't feel." She nodded and Sab pulled her into a hug, softly rubbing her back. Sage slipped in between them, wanting in on some of this hugging. They pulled away with small chuckles, both giving her some pets. She shifted nervously, scared to ask because she knew Sab didn't like her father, "the funeral's in two days...I don't wanna go alone."

"I'll go with you." Sab said without a second thought. She did not want y/n to go and come back with same thinking she just helped guide her out of. She was not letting that happen to her ever again.

"Why are you bein' so nice to me?"

Sab took her hands delicately, "You never stopped being my best friend."

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"This is the house I grew up in. My pops built it by hand for my mom. This was her dream home." She explained, both of them walking towards the big two story house. It was insanely gorgeous. "It's beautiful." Sab smiled, stepping onto the large porch that wrapped around the house.

Y/n ran her hand over the wood, "Yeah, I been thinkin' of sellin'."

"Why? I mean- wouldn't you wanna keep it in the family?" Sab asked as y/n pulled out the keys unlock the door. "I don't really have much family left. My Daddy's side doesn't talk to me at all. My mom's side is all the way in Texas. I doubt they'd come to the funeral. They stopped talkin' to my Pop after my Momma died. She kinda held the family together. It broke apart when she passed."

They stepped inside and Sab couldn't help but admire the vintage interior. It was almost like stepping back in time. "Momma had a thing for vintage," she explained. She loved the interior, but it constantly reminded her of her mom and she just couldn't handle the pain of looking at it, let alone living in it for the rest of her life. That's why she wanted to sell. She needed it off her hands. She needed the entire land off her hands.

"She had amazing taste," Sab comments, following her into the kitchen.

"If you don't want to stay here- I can get you a hotel room. I know this place is kinda creepy sometimes, especially at night." Y/n began, grabbing a trash bag to empty out the fridge. She was gonna spend these few days cleaning the place up before she put it on the market. Sab quickly objected to that idea, "No, I'm not letting you do that. I'm perfectly fine staying here. Besides, I don't wanna leave you by yourself."

Y/n bit back a smile, slowly nodding her head, "okay..I'll show you the guest room."

She set down the trash bag and shut the fridge. She didn't expect Sab to actually want to stay there, so it was a nice feeling when she objected the hotel offer. She led her down the hall and up the stairs. Only one of the doors was shut, the others wide open. Sab couldn't help her curiosity, "what's in that room?" She asked.

Y/n didn't even look at it as she stopped in front of the guest room door, "their bedroom. He died in there." She cleared her throat, stepping inside the room and flipping on the light. It was very well lit, the sheer curtains allowing some sunlight to peek in, but the trees surrounding the house prevented full sun coverage. "This is the guest room. You can stay in here."

She noticed the room seemed to be more updated compared to the others. It made her wonder what the original interior looked like. "It's a lot...different, still very pretty, but different. Was this always a guest room?"

"Uhm, no. It was a nursery, for my baby brother, but he didn't make it. My dad couldn't stand to look at it so he turned it into a guest room. Guess it helped with the pain." She answered, locking the closet since it was filled with a bunch of baby items she planned to get rid of before selling. She added a wardrobe in the corner so the closet wouldn't be necessary.

"I'm sorry- I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine. I was five, I hardly remember." She shrugged, but that wasn't completely true, she remembered a lot about her little brother. She remembered how excited she was to meet him, and how attached she got to her mom when he was growing in her belly. She remembered his name, she even got it tatted on her leg. But it wasn't a tough subject for her. She could talk about it without crying.

"I'll go get our stuff. You can use the landline to order some food if you're hungry. My treat." Y/n offered, and Sab followed back down the stairs. She went to pull out her card but the blonde quickly stopped her, "that's not necessary. You've done enough for me. I can pay for dinner," she insisted.

She sighed, not in the mood to go back in forth with her about it, "fine, you can pay- just this one time."

After Sab unpacked her stuff for their 3-day stay in Louisiana, y/n had finished cleaning up the kitchen when their food arrived. Sab tipped the driver extra 'cause it was a pretty long trip and he still managed to keep the food hot. But, he also immediately recognized her and couldn't help but ask for a picture. She smiled, taking a quick selfie with him given he was very respectful about it.

"I hope you don't mind me askin' but what are you doin' down in the bayou?" He asked. He knew this property very well, and he also knew about the rumors about the property being put on the market. And Sabrina didn't look like the type to buy a house by the bayou. "It's cool. I'm actually here to support a friend."

"You a good friend. It was nice meetin' you. Y'all have a nice day now. Enjoy the food." He waved, stepping off the porch just as another car was driving towards the house.

Sab walked into the kitchen, spotting y/n devouring a pizza slice. "There's a car pulling up outside. Are you expecting any company?" She questioned. "Nope." Y/n walked over to the window, peaking outside and immediately rolling her eyes at the sight of her auntie and her husband. "I told him she wasn't welcome," she muttered in disdain.

"Who are they?"

"My mom's sister Halle and her husband." Y/n answered shortly, walking back over to the counter to continue eating. They were gonna walk in anyways. The front door was pushed open and the two stepped inside. "In the kitchen," she announced, irritated when she didn't hear them remove their shoes.

Halle raised a brow at the other basketball player, "didn't know you had company."

"Even if you did, I doubt you'd care." y/n shot back, taking a sip of her water, the blonde awkwardly smiling, "hi, I'm Sabrina."

"I'm Halle and this is my husband Derek. Would you mind stepping out? I need to speak to my niece in private." Y/n shot a glare at the woman, irritated with her condescending smile. "Don't excuse my guest like you own the place. This is my house. My property. And you on my land. Show some respect or I'll have you leave."

"This is my sister's house-"

"That belongs to me. My Daddy put it in my name when he died. Is your name on this house? No. Did you build it by hand? No. So as long as my name remains on that paperwork, it is mine." She corrected. Sab bit back a smile, she was a little proud that y/n was standing up for herself. She could only imagine how much this family had pushed her around. She could tell it wasn't the behavior she was used to cause Halle seemed pretty shocked by her defensiveness.

"All right, it's gettin' too hostile in here. Let's take a breath and calm down. We're family. Let's act like it." Derek interrupted, setting a hand on his wife's back to calm her down.

"No. She's not my family." Y/n denied, receiving an appalled look from her aunt.

She did notice y/n didn't deny Derek being her family and that offended her. "And Derek is?"

"Yeah. He is. You wanna know why? Cause he's the only person who's ever been there for me. He sent me cards and presents for every single birthday since my momma died. He checks up on me every single day. He's there for me when I lose a game and the first to call me when I win one. Tell me, Aunt Halle, have you ever sat down and just watched me play? Just once? I bet you can't even name how many championships I've won."

She averted her eyes to the floor, falling into silence, proving her point. She looked at her husband, "I told you this was a bad idea. I'm waitin' in the car." She scowled, her heels clicking against the floor as she stormed out in anger.

Sab took ahold of y/n's hand, the little gesture enough to provide her some comfort. She did notice Derek stare at their hands for a second before looking away. She wondered if he was against it in any way. "Why did y'all come here? And don't tell me it's for the funeral 'cause she never gave a damn about my Daddy when he was alive and she sure as hell don't give a damn that he's dead. I know you hated him too."

"You ain't wrong about that." He mumbled, the memories of the constant arguments between him and her father filling his thoughts. They were always about y/n. He wanted her to come live with him and Halle 'cause he didn't like the beliefs he was forcing onto y/n. He thought she'd be better off in Texas with her mom's family. "I'm here for you. I know y'all was close, and I know you goin' through a lot right now with that and the recovery. I just wanted you to have some family with you."

"I appreciate that, but it don't explain why you brought her. She ain't give a damn about me since my Momma died." He sighed, glancing behind him through the window where his wife was waiting in the car. "Just give me a second." He quickly rushed out and y/n glanced at Sabrina. "Sorry you had to hear all that. I wasn't expecting them. I would've warned you beforehand."

"It's okay. My family has their fair share of drama too." Sab assured, giving her hand a small squeeze.

They came back and Halle was really not pleased about being dragged back inside, but she understood why y/n said all of that. She knew she was wrong. "I'm sorry, Bee. I should've pushed harder to take care of you like my sister would've wanted. And I know it's far too late, but I want to be there now. I want to be in your life." Y/n was genuinely shocked to actually receive an apology, let alone one so sincere. She didn't know how to feel about it.

She sighed at the silence she received from her niece. "You've won 2 WNBA Championship's with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023 and you're a 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist. I strongly believe you would've won the NCAA championship playing for LSU in 2020 had the tournament not been canceled. I know that because I have watched every single one of your games all the way down to your middle school days. Every day, I regret not being present in your life to celebrate you in those moments."

"I'm gonna give you a moment alone," Sab whispered, rubbing her back before stepping out. Derek also took that as a sign to step out and let them resolve this on their own.

He stepped into the living room, noticing Sab looking over the books on the shelf. He knew exactly who Sabrina was as an avid basketball fan, but he didn't realize her and y/n were so close. He knew they both went to Oregon in their freshman year but y/n refused to talk about her short time there so he didn't think much of it. "I didn't realize you and y/n were so close. She never said anything."

"Oh, uhm, yeah, I guess we are. We kinda reunited through Unrivaled." Sab explained shortly. Given her first interaction with y/n's dad, she hoped this wouldn't be anything similar to that. They could be pretty unpredictable.

"Right. Well, I wanted to say thank you- for being there for her. I hope you don't mind if I ask- but, has she made any decisions about where she wants to go?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Sab immediately knew he was talking about basketball teams. Y/n clearly hadn't told him anything about it yet. She hadn't even talked about it with Sab yet. It just didn't seem like the most concerning thing to her. "Uh, as far as I know, she's more focused on her recovery rather than picking a team. Why do you ask?"

"I've got lots of family who wanna see her play for Dallas, that's all," he chuckled. Now that Sab thought about it...y/n would look pretty good in a Liberty jersey.

Sab chuckled lightly, a bit more focused on y/n's knee condition. "How about we focus on actually getting her on the court first?" Derek raised a brow, "I thought she was already training. That's what she joined Unrivaled for." Sab pursed her lips awkwardly, shaking her head, "it is..but I wouldn't say she's made that much progress yet."

"What are y'all talkin' about?" Y/n asked, walking into the living room with her aunt by her side, both of them a lot more happy with each other. Clearly they resolved their...issues. "Basketball. Why you ain't stepped on that court yet, Bee? They cleared you a week ago." He said, sounding exactly like her father when it came to recovery.

"Well they was wrong. My knee ain't ready." Y/n lied, receiving pointed looks from all of them.

"Uh-uh, I ain't come all the way down to the damn bayou in my good heels to hear you givin' up." Halle expressed. "Your Momma went through this exact thing in high school. She tore her acl in sophomore year and was ready to give up her dreams cause she didn't think she had it in her no more. And guess what I did to stop that, Bee?"

"What?"

"I challenged her to a 1v1."

Y/n laughed out loudly in disbelief, completely offending her aunt. "No shade, Auntie- but, you can't play ball." Sab had a feeling y/n was gonna learn a very important lesson and she was all for it.

"I can't play ball? A'ight, let's bet on that. Derek, go get my sneakers." She kicked off her heels and shoved them into his chest. He grinned, quick to run out of the house and grab her stuff. "This gon' be the easiest bet ever," y/n stated in a cocky tone.

"You got your shoes, babygirl?" Halle questioned, cause slides was not gonna do it.

"Yeah, matter of fact, I got my signature shoes." Y/n left upstairs to fetch her shoes she had sitting up in the trophy room. She had a deal with Adidas- signing with them over Nike because every single game her mother played, she was wearing a pair of Adidas. Choosing them was a decision she made solely on her own, not even telling her dad about it until after the contract was signed. They were still the best sellers.

Derek returned with his wife's sneakers and she was quick to pull them on, not even bothering to change her clothes. Mind you, this 36 year old woman was in a pantsuit. "This is either gon' go really bad or really good," he comments, glancing at Sab who nodded in agreement. She was nervous for both of them.

Y/n came downstairs in her shoes and with her basketball. She glanced down at her aunt's shoes, her smile slowly fading into confusion. She recognized those shoes anywhere. "Where you get my Momma's shoes at?"

"She was my sister. I have all her basketball stuff. And if you beat me, I'll give you all of it down to the shoes on my feet." She stated, y/n looking at her uncle for confirmation and he nodded, holding up his car keys, "she ain't lyin', Bee. It's all in the car."

Y/n shared a look with Sab, the blonde smirking, "I'll ref."

"Bet."

"You wanna know what I get if I win?" Halle smiled, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "sure, why not?"

She smirked, stepping closer, "if I win...you sign with the Dallas Wings." That was almost a deal breaker. Everyone knew that was y/n's least favorite team in the league. She faltered for a split second before sticking out her hand. "You got a deal."

Sab raised her hand with a sheepish smile, "Quick question...where are you gonna play?"

"I got a court out back." Y/n explained, grabbing a broom from the closet cause the outdoor court her dad and mom built always got covered in leaves. They walked outside and around the back of the house. Derek sweeped the court of leaves and they both took some time to stretch before they started. Y/n had her knee brace on over her sweatpants, silently praying her knee wouldn't do her dirty today.

"You need a pep talk?" Sab asked as y/n stood to her feet, using her hairtie to pull her braids into a bun. "Nah. I got this. It's an old lady in a pantsuit. She prolly don't even know how to hold a ball."

Sab stepped on the halfcourt line and both of them got on either side, Derek standing by hoping his wife didn't pull a muscle doing this. "First to 10," the blonde said, holding the ball in one hand. They were starting off with jumpball. She tossed it in the air and they both jumped up but Halle hit the ball behind her and immediately ran up to grab it, tossing it in the hoop for a layup.

Y/n scoffed, "lucky shot." She brushed it off as Sab threw the ball inbound to her. She was not at all expecting her aunt's defense to be so good, it was nearly impossible to shoot the ball. And just when she thought her three was solid, her aunt jumped up and blocked it. It was all ball so y/n couldn't even argue a foul.

Halle chuckled at her niece's expression. "Who you think coached your Momma?"

She huffed, her aunt pushing against her, she backed up and dribbled the ball, faking a left and stepping to the right causing y/n to trip over her own feet and falling to the ground. Halle shot an easy layup and Sab called a timeout on y/n's behalf. "Thought you was a 2x champ. My mistake," Halle smirked.

Y/n stayed on the ground, collecting her thoughts. There was no way she just got her ankles broke by her auntie in a pantsuit. It was humbling to say the very least. Sab held out her hands and y/n took them, getting up from the concrete. "Not to state the obvious but you're gettin' whooped."

"There ain't no way I'm goin' to Dallas." Y/n muttered in disdain, brushing herself off.

Halle stepped back onto the court with a cocky smirk. "Score is 4-0. Bee's ball. Remember, no free throws, a foul will count for a turnover." Y/n caught the ball and struggled to get enough open space for a 3. She pulled one of her mom's old defensive moves and shot in a 3. Halle couldn't help but smile, it felt like playing against her sister all over again. Y/n played almost exactly like her.

Sab passed the ball inbound to Halle and she tried to get over y/n her niece for a layup only to get denied and the block was all ball, no foul called. "Oh, my bad. I thought you was a real ball player." She mocked, catching the ball into her hands after Sab passed it inbound. She was a very cocky player. Sab couldn't lie, hearing y/n talk shit always made her feel some kinda way.

She pushed against her, Halle falling onto the ground as y/n shot the ball in for a 2. She held out her hand and helped her up as Sab collected the ball. "You get all your moves from your Momma or you got some of your own?" Halle questioned sarcastically, holding out her hands for the ball.

Sab passed her the ball and she dribbled it, only for y/n to snag the ball from her hands and run up for the layup. "2x champ for a reason, Auntie." She shrugged.

"Score is 4-7." Sab announced, throwing the ball back inbound to Halle.

Y/n mistakenly left enough room for her to shoot the 3, successfully making it in to tie them up. "You gon' look real nice in the Dallas jersey, Bee," Halle smirked, getting under her niece's skin with that comment.

Sab passed the ball inbound to y/n and she stayed behind the 3-point line. Two points wasn't gonna win her the game, only a three could. She backed up, farther and farther from the line, but she knew she was running out of time to shoot it and she wasn't gonna get any closer by the way her Aunt guarded her. So, she took one last step back and shot the ball for a long three, giving Sabrina flashbacks to their first game together in Oregon.

She won.

Sab grinned, running into her arms excitedly, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I never doubted you for a second." That was a lie. She definitely lost faith when Halle shot in that three but it was only for the smallest second.

She pulled away when she noticed Halle approaching, her sister's pair of sneakers in her hand like promised. "You earned them."

Y/n smiled, pulling her into a hug first. "Thank you for hangin' on to 'em." She pulled away and took them into her hands.

"I should be thankin' you. I haven't felt this close to my sister in years. I hope now you'll take after her and keep pushing yourself to be the very best. You still got it. You never lost it, Bee." She expressed, and her words know brought y/n to realize she hadn't thought about her knee once during the game. She trusted it for the first time in a very long time.

"Yeah..I guess I just needed my confidence back." She smiled, glancing down at her mom's shoes with admiration.

"Alright- not to interrupt this beautiful moment but there's an alligator approaching us," Derek spoke steadily, causing them to all turn and look. "Don't panic-" y/n was cut off when Halle screamed and ran directly towards the house. Sab instinctively ran to hide behind y/n in fear cause she didn't wanna run and leave her alone with the predator.

"That's just Larry." Y/n shrugged, receiving looks from the two who hid behind her. "You named an alligator?" Sab stared at her in shock, the player just nodding with a chuckle. "Yeah, everything deserves a name. He chased me down the porch and ate my basketball when I was ten. He's a fast mothafucka. Y'all should probably go inside."

"You ain't gotta tell me twice," Derek was immediately out of there.

Y/n picked up the broom and nudged the gator along, "come on, go on back home now, Larry. You scarin' the ladies. I'll give you a bag of chicken nuggets next time." He turned around and walked back to the water which wasn't too far from the house. Sab sighed in relief, still holding onto y/n's arm for dear life. "I don't know if I should be scared of the alligator or the fact that you feed it like a pet."

"Probably both," she shrugged nonchalantly, walking back to the house with Sabrina still clinging onto her arm. "By the way, I hope you're okay with switchin' rooms 'cause they gon' stay in the guest room and it's got the biggest bed. You can stay in my room and I'll sleep downstairs on the couch."

"Are you sure? We can share the bed," Sab suggested, not wanting her to wake up all sore because of the couch. "No, no, that's not necessary. The couch is decently comfortable." She excused, definitely lying through her teeth cause that couch was absolutely horrid to sleep on, especially with her height.

They entered the house and walked into the kitchen, she froze when her aunt was holding up the For Sale sign she bought. "Tell me you're not seriously puttin' your Momma's house on the market." Y/n wasn't gonna lie to her, she did buy those signs for a reason. She just hoped to hold out the truth for as long as she could. But that was proven impossible with how nosy her family was.

"What else do you expect me to do? I can't live here. I don't have it in me. This place is...it's not my home anymore." She expressed, feeling defeated.

The couple shared a look, understanding her pain, but at the end of the day, they needed to keep this land in their family. "We'll buy it. We'll move down here and take care of it. We been talkin' 'bout startin' a family, maybe now it is the time."

Y/n scoffed in disbelief, "Y'all don't even like the bayou."

"We can adjust, Bee. I can be a stay at home Mom and Derek can transfer here. We'll figure it out." Y/n wasn't super convinced, very conflicted with all of this. Halle walked over, taking her hands with a soft smile. "Louisiana is your home. You gon' wanna come back and if that means I gotta move to the bayou then so be it. My sister loved it here so I'll grow to love it too."

Y/n smiled warmly, "y'all are gon' be really good parents." Halle grinned, bringing her into a hug.

»»

It was late at night when Sab woke up, a dry feeling in her throat. She walked down the slightly creaky stairs, and into the kitchen, only to jump when she seen y/n sitting at the kitchen island, her laptop screen providing small light. "You scared me." Y/n glanced up, her reading glasses sitting low on her nose, "sorry..?"

"I- um, I got thirsty."

"Water bottles in the fridge." She said before turning her attention back to her laptop, very focused on whatever she was doing. Sab opened the fridge and grabbed a water before making her way over to her friend. "What are you doing up this late?"

"Reviewin' team contracts," she explained, leaning back in the chair and lifting her glasses to rub her tired eyes.

Sab didn't really know what to say without sounding biased. Spending more time with y/n completely changed her mind on the free agency. Before- she hated the idea of y/n coming to New York. But now? Yeah, she wanted her to choose Liberty badly. "So..? What teams got the best offer?"

"After reviewin' all of 'em, the best offers round up to Seattle, Indiana, Dallas, Phoenix, and New York." Y/n answered, and the only one of them was a hard pass. It was Dallas, obviously. She wasn't going there no matter how good the money was. It's not that she had anything against the team, she just didn't wanna live in Texas. Too many of her mom's cousins lived there and always hit up her dms asking for money. She also just never liked Texas.

Sab took a seat in the chair next to hers, "who had the worst offer?"

"Washington."

The blonde snickered, that was the answer she expected. "That's not very surprising."

"My manager wants me to pick two teams so she can set up the meetings." She explained further, grabbing her glass of water to take a sip. "Sounds like a tough decision," the blonde mumbled. Y/n shrugged, "not really. I mean- I ain't never been a big fan of Seattle cause 'ion like the weather. We already know Dallas is a no, and as for Indiana, I don't really fuck with the coach there after the shit she said about me that one time."

"It's down to Phoenix and New York. With Phoenix, I'd be a starter for sure. I ain't sure 'bout New York- they offered the most and are willing to put more on the table, but they already got lots of stars on the team." She continued, pausing when she noticed the smallest frown forming on Sab's face, "but, they got one thing Phoenix doesn't."

Her eyes brightened and she cleared her throat, trying to act nonchalant, "like what?"

"You."

She couldn't even fight her smile, her cheeks turning cherry red. It made her really cocky. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty great."

She chuckled in amusement, nodding her head in agreement. "I'd expect nothing less from my best friend." Sab tensed momentarily, the words sticking to her.

Was it too early to say she wanted to be way more than just her best friend?

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They were back in Miami, Florida. The funeral went...decent enough. He was buried right beside her mother, so that was nice for her. Y/n dropped her stuff off at her apartment and immediately made her way up to Jackie's apartment to pick up Sage. She originally was supposed to stay with Chelsea but she volunteered Jackie- even though Jackie denied being a cat person.

She unlocked the door and walked in before giving a courtesy knock. She bit back a laugh spotting Jackie napping on the couch with Sage curled up in her strong arms. "Not a cat person my ass." She pulled out her phone and snapped some photos, making sure she got many different angles so Jackie couldn't lie about it being photoshop.

She cleared her throat loudly, causing both of them to jump. Sage rolled off the couch and ran to her owner eagerly. Jackie frowned, "oh, you're back. Yay." She voice was filled with mock enthusiasm.

"Sage, go say bye." The black cat jumped out of her arms and ran over to Jackie, jumping onto her lap and snuggling into her neck. She was the most affectionate cat ever. "I'll catnap you at practice tomorrow," Jackie whispered to the cat, receiving a small meow. Sage licked her cheek and jumped off, walking back over to her owner.

"Thanks for watchin' her, Jack." The woman just gave a simple nod back and y/n made her exit. Sage didn't need a leash. She followed y/n and stayed close by her at all times. She was very well trained.

The next day, Sage was wandering around the hallways while her mom was in the locker room. She got occasional pets from some of the athletes and staff that passed by her. Sabrina was just arriving there and she seen Sage trying to chase her own tail. She chuckled in amusement, "it's attached to your body, Sage."

The cat stopped to look at her and walked over for pets. Sabrina smiled, petting her soft fur before standing back up. "Don't jump on anyone, okay?" Sage just stared at her and the blonde walked off to the locker room. The cat turned to see Allisha and Rhyne walk over and kneel down to her. "Whose cat is this?" Lish chuckled, both of them petting her gently.

Rhyne looked at the collar that was green in the shape of a leaf. "Her name is Sage." She flipped it around and seen the owner's name. "Oh, it's Bee's cat." Lish raised a brow, "I didn't know Bee had a cat."

After they left, a few others walked by, some bending down to pet her. She was getting lots of love. The Phantom team were leaving to practice when Bee called Sage over and she was quick to run over and follow the team. They were glad y/n was actually getting back on the court, although they couldn't help but wonder what happened on the trip to make her change her mind.

Sage just wandered around when a ball flew at her and she quickly jumped out of the way. "That's my bad! Sorry, Sage!" Tash exclaimed apologetically, running over to grab the ball. Sage smacked her paw down on her shoe and ran to hide under a chair, making Tash frown as the others chuckled at her. "Damn, I said sorry."

Jackie and Kate peeked inside, searching for Sage. The blonde spotted the cat under a chair and nudged Jackie, "she's hiding under the chair." Jackie grabbed the squeeze treat from her pocket and whisper-shouted the cat's name. Sage perked up with curious eyes, spotting the two Laces players beckoning her over. She saw the treat and ran over to them. Kate scooped her up and they ran out with the cat.

They brought her to the Laces locker room. AT couldn't help but laugh, she thought they were joking when they said they were gonna go steal Bee's cat. Tiffany immediately took the cat into her arms to give it some treats. "She's so cute."

Sabrina glanced around the court, furrowing her brows softly, "where did Sage go?"

Y/n shrugs, "she probably hidin' somewhere."

One of the social media admins walked over as y/n was drinking some water. "Can you do a tiktok?" She glanced at her teammates for help, "what is that?" Tash looked at her in complete dissappear, "you have got to be joking. Please tell me you're joking."

"Is it that video app that Tip is always trying to get me on?" She asked, recalling the app 'cause Tip, Kate, Syd, and KB were always trying to get her on it but she never listened. "Yeah. I'ma make you an account cause this is crazy," Tash expressed, grabbing y/n's phone and unlocking it. Her password was so easy. It was literally her birthday.

She already had it downloaded, most likely Tip's doing. She hadn't ever used it yet. It just sat in her phone for a year. "Put your phone number," she said, passing the phone to her. She filled it all out and Tash gave her a username and added a picture. She searched for her account and followed it before giving the phone back to y/n.

She looked at her in confusion, "What do I do now?"

"You gotta make a video."

"What kind of video?"

Tash sighed, her hands on her hips, "can you dance?"

"Yeah. I know the entire step up 2 choreography and I played Just Dance religiously," she said with a proud smile, earning a little chuckle from Sabrina. Tash tried not to linger on the Just Dance part cause thinking about it any longer would've make her laugh uncontrollably. "So that means you're a quick learner?"

"Yes. Very quick learner. Ain't that right, Sab?" She winked, the blonde smiling, her cheeks burning red.

Tash paused, looking between the two in confusion. "Interesting. Anyways, would you be open to learning tiktok dances?"

She pursed her lips, contemplating it, "sure."

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A week later, y/n was on her way up to Sabrina's apartment to pick up Sage. She just got back from New York- before that, was Phoenix, Arizona. She and her manager had meetings with both teams to come to a decision on where her future in the WNBA lied. Sabrina offered to watch Sage while she was gone and it was safe to say, they had formed quite the bond.

She knocked on the door and Sabrina jumped off the couch to get it. She pulled it open, smiling at the sight of her best friend. "I thought you weren't showing up 'til morning. It's so late." She expressed, bringing her into a hug. It was indeed very late at night, the city lights and lamp providing light in her apartment.

"I thought so too." Y/n mumbled, stepping inside and kicking off her slides. She already dropped her luggage off and showered at her place before making her way up.

"I may have gotten Sage a cat tree while you were gone...I couldn't resist, it was too cute." Sab walked to the living room where the cat tree was set up in the corner. Sage was laying down, curled up and fast asleep. "It's princess themed. She picked it out herself. I also kind of splurged on treats."

Y/n chuckled softly, of course Sage was being spoiled to the fullest. "It's perfectly okay. She loves the princess treatment." She rubbed her ears softly with a gentle smile, "spoiled girl." She was a little surprised Sage wanted a cat tree that was so pink and girly. She typically liked forest/wilderness themed stuff.

Sage opened her eyes and meowed at the sight of her mom. Y/n smiled and scooped her up, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She snuggled closer into her sweater before y/n walked over to join Sab on the couch.

She set her down and Sab beckoned the cat over. "Come here, princess." Sage walked over to her without wasting a second. It made y/n only a little jealous. "Go lay down in your castle. Good girl." She hopped over the couch and climbed up to her favorite spot on the tree. "Isn't she the cutest?"

Y/n nodded in agreement, "mhm."

Sab turned her attention to her best friend. "So? How was your trip? Tell me everything."

"I mean, there's not a lot to tell. It was just typical business meetings. I couldn't come to a decision in Phoenix, so we left to New York and stayed an extra day 'cause they wanted to give me time to think it over." She explained, but she knew Sab just wanted to know which team she went with.

"Did you end up making a decision?"

"Yes. I signed a one-year contract with the New York Liberty." Sab resisted her urge to scream and jumped into her best friend's arms. "I'm so happy for you! You're gonna love New York!" She pressed a kiss to her cheek and pulled away, "as much as I love this, I hope you didn't just sign because of me."

Y/n smiled, shaking her head softly at the concern. "As much as you were an important factor in my decision. I had a nice dinner with Sandy and we touched some important topics. She made me lots of promises that I wanna see be upheld."

Sab smiled excitedly, taking her hands into hers. "We're gonna be teammates again!" Of course, they were Unrivaled teammates, but it wasn't the same cause y/n wasn't actually going to be playing any of the games. Being teammates in WNBA was once a dream of theirs. They talked about it all the time. It only took eight years to finally have it come true.

She hugged her again, smiling when she felt y/n's hands slide around her waist, "I'm so happy for us." She pulled away slowly, but only enough to leave just two inches of space between their faces. She could tell she was making y/n very nervous just by the way her breathing hitched and her eyes flickered between her lips and eyes in confliction.

But, she didn't want y/n to feel pressured so she moved away. She was just getting more comfortable with herself, and as much as Sab wanted her, she did not want to rush her into anything. "Wanna watch a movie?" Her eyes fell to the hands and she nodded meekly, "sure."

"What's your favorite basketball movie?" Sab asked, reaching for the remote.

"Love & Basketball," she stated with a straight face.

Sabrina just sat there with a blank stare, internally questioning their entire friendship. Y/n couldn't hold it and just laughed, "I'm just messin' wit' you." She sighed in relief, smacking her shoulder for playing with her like that. "It's Space Jam...and High School Musical."

"Were you one of those girls who had a crush on Troy?"

She shook her head with a grimace, "No. I hated Troy. I had a crush on Sharpay."

"You got a thing for blondes?" It came out more like a statement than a question cause she was certain she was right about that. Even when she dated boys, they were blonde. She always seemed to attract them. Y/n didn't make any efforts to deny it either, her eyes studying the blonde beside her. Her hair was pulled up in a bun and she adorned some sweats with a matching sweater. "Correction. I attract blondes."

Sab hummed lowly in amusement, "You're getting cocky."

"Are you complaining?"

"No. Cockiness looks good on you."

A small smirk curled up her lips at the compliment. "I know."

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"Bee, wake up."

She groaned tiredly, ripping off her eye mask and squinting at the light. They arrived in Paris for the NBA Paris Games. Sab was required to be there by her brand, and y/n's brand also asked if she could be there given she was attracting a lot of attention due to her signing with the New York Liberty. Her brand never forced her to go to NBA games, but they always asked and sometimes when she felt like it, she agreed.

In this case, she only went because Sabrina asked her. She would've said no...given the fact that anytime Paris got mentioned, she got upset. Missing out on the Olympics last year was still a sensitive topic.

They got to the hotel so lovely provided by their brands. However, Sab asked her to stay with her...making up an excuse about her room being too big, claiming she'd feel more comfortable if she had a roommate. Y/n didn't bother to unpack, just leaving her suitcase by the door and jumping on the bed, falling right back asleep.

After she woke up from her sleep, it was midday in Paris, and Sab was already awake getting dressed for the game. Thankfully, y/n had gotten her hair braided before they left because she would not have any time to do it here. She covered her braids with a bonnet and showered. After showering, she styled her braids, it took her a while cause she kept changing her mind. (imagine whatever braids/style u want)

Sab was wondering why it was taking her so long, so she walked over and knocked on the bathroom door. "Come in!" She pushed open the door and spotted y/n sitting on the bathroom counter doing her makeup, still in her robe. She could see y/n struggling with it given she'd wipe the makeup off her face anytime it didn't look right. "You need help with that?"

She sighed in defeat, she only wore makeup for big events and each time she'd have someone do it for her. Growing up without a mom affected her most in situations like this. She was definitely gonna miss Kelsey doing her makeup for her. "I think I'm just gon' ditch makeup today. Alicia Keys look it is." She mumbled. She added a little concealer, mascara, and lip gloss to complete the look.

"Hold on. I have a clear gel for your brows." Sab ran out and returned with a tube of clear gel. "Is it itchy?" She questioned, squinting in suspicion as Sab brushed it through her brows. "No. It's not itchy..just don't scratch them." She set the tube down and smiled, admiring her best friend's beauty.

She looked away, a bit shy under her gaze, "How do I look? A mess?"

Sab shook her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. "No. You look gorgeous."

Y/n smiled, and hopped off the counter. "Is it bad I have no idea what to wear?" Sabrina raised a brow, she could've sworn y/n had a stylist. "I thought you had a stylist?" Y/n walked into her room, shaking her head. "Nope. Never got one. I just went shopping with Syd's girlfriend and she'd tell me if my outfit was good or not."

Sabrina hummed, pulling open her suitcase and looking through her clothes to see what she could piece together for her. "There's some potential here," she mumbled. With the clothes packed inside, she pulled an outfit together. Glancing over her shoulder at a slightly nervous y/n, she spoke, "How do you feel about a suit?"

"Would a suit look good on me?"

"Any woman looks good in a suit, Bee."

»»

"That was fun, but I'm not gonna be able to walk in the morning." Y/n expressed as they stepped into the hotel room. She immediately ripped off her high heels. She'd been stumbling in them all night and her ankles were extremely sore. "These things are not built for tall people," she added, despite so many other taller women in the W wearing them like nothing.

"Yeah, but they're super cute," Sab smiled, sitting down on the sofa to remove hers.

"They are not worth the pain," y/n muttered in disdain, walking to her room. Sab quickly tossed her heels to the floor carelessly to follow her friend. "You're just used to sneakers. You've never had to arch your heel that much. It takes practice, Bee."

"No thanks. I need my ankles in case of a potential zombie apocalypse." She retorts, very serious about those words. She hated zombies. Sab plopped down on the bed tiredly after removing her coat. Of course her bed was in the other room, but she wanted to stay with Bee for as long as she allowed. She peered at her friend an amused smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "you watch too much walking dead."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that. I need all the strength I can get to continue it without Rick." She replied as she worked to unbutton her blazer.

"I think if a zombie apocalypse happened, I would die first," the blonde commented, staring up at the ceiling. Bee continued to undress, quick to counter the blonde's words. "That's not true. If a zombie apocalypse happened, I wouldn't ever let you out my site. You surviving whether you like it or not 'cause I ain't livin' without you."

Sab smiled, her cheeks burning red, "that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"In that case, you're very welcome." Y/n laid down beside her and Sab immediately turned her head to face her. Her eyes lowered down her body, she still had on pants, but the shirt was gone. At that moment of realization, she couldn't hold it in anymore. "Hey, Bee?" She turned her body on her side with a curious gaze. "Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything."

Sab moved closer, her voice dropping to a whisper, this would either go really well or really bad. "I love you."

Y/n was tired of lying to herself. She tried to push away her feelings for Sabrina but it was impossible. She thought about her every single day. Hearing Sab finally confess was enough for her to stop caring. She couldn't do it anymore. She was in love with her best friend. She'd been in love with her for eight years. It was time to finally fucking say it. "I love you too."

That response was exactly what she needed. Now all her worry was out the window. She leaned closer, leaving merely an inch of space between their lips. "I need you in more ways than just a friend, y/n."

Then, without wasting another moment, she closed the distance, capturing Sab's lips in a breathless, searing kiss. She took the opportunity to guide her on her back and shifted her way between her legs. "Fuck, I love you," she whispered, the clear gloss transferring to her lips. She hummed, tilting her head as her kisses trailed down her the nape of her neck delicately.

Sabrina pulled away, her hands trailing down her body and working on the buttons of her pants. She hooked her hands on the waistband and pulled them off, throwing them to the floor. She pulled off her own shirt and smiles, admiring how pretty her girlfriend looked below her. She missed this sight. Leaning back down, she teasingly playing with the hem of her panties, "you wanna be my girlfriend?"

She was not expecting her playful smile and teasing to be so attractive. She'd never been this turned on during sex since...well the last time she hooked up with Sab in college. It made her legs all weak, thinking about all the ways this was gonna escalate. "Yes. Yes, I wanna be your girlfriend."

She smiled, her eyes shining mischievously. "Good."

She peppered soft kisses to her stomach, traveling lower and lower. Her fingers hooked into her panties and she kicked them off her ankles, the fabric carelessly falling onto the floor. She pressed a kiss her inner thigh before spreading her legs further apart, her glistening cunt on display. Smiling, she pressed a small peck to her clit, "you're so pretty."

She whimpered, bucking her hips into nothing. Sab pressed her hips to the mattress, her nails digging into her skin. "Stop moving."

She grabbed her left leg and pulled over her shoulder before diving in, licking and sucking all over her aching clit. "Shit- fuck," the room filled with her moans. She threw her hand back in pleasure, feeling her tongue exploring every part of her heat. Her hand reached down and she grabbed a handful of the blonde's hair pushing her to go deeper.

Her moans were getting louder and louder, loosing all train of thought. One hand let go of her hip to press it against her clit, adding some pressure on the bundle of nerves. "Sab, oh fuck, I'm gonna come." Her legs shook violently, the grip on her hair loosening.

Sab smiled in delight, sucking the juices off her thumb. She stood up to remove the rest of her clothes before slotting herself right between her legs again. She pressed her naked body against her sweaty one. Her smooth fingers played with the strap of her bra, pressing a peck to her lips and moved further, her lips hovering over her ear. "Can you take more, pretty girl?"

The soft kisses peppered along her neck were distracting enough to make her nod, desperate to have more of her. "Yeah."

Sabrina smirked, tugging down the straps of her bra. "That's good, 'cause I'm not even close to being finished with you, baby."

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