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plot: in which, their twenty year rivalry is put to an end when candace joins the las vegas aces in '23

trope: enemies to lovers

pairings: wbb! reader x candace parker

warnings: foul language, small mention of death & infidelity

a/n: love candace down 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ alr who we doin' next? jackie young, kate martin, or satou sabally?

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The rivalry went back to high school, yeah, high school. It was expected to end there, until they got to college. Y/n committed to UConn. Candace committed to Tennessee. After college, it didn't stop there. It carried on into the WNBA. Y/n was drafted to Detroit Shock in her rookie year. She stayed with them until 2010, when she left to play for the Minnesota Lynx. She won a couple championships with them before she left in 2022 when Becky Hammon called her up, asking her to come play for the Aces. She'd been with the Aces since.

It was one of the best rivalries in women's sports. It was the competitiveness, the drive, the pure and utter hatred these two women had for each other. The hatred carried off the court as well. In the press, they'd talk shit about the other, diss them through social media, in person, it didn't matter. They had zero respect for each other.

Fast forward to 2023, the day everyone found out Candace Parker was joining the Las Vegas Aces. The same day, they all found out that very morning that y/n had renewed her contract another year. The same day, the fans found out Candace Parker and Y/n Y/L/N were going to be teammates for the first time in history.

Y/n was beyond furious when she was informed. Becky didn't even have the decency to tell her face to face. She had to find out through Stephen A. Smith on ESPN. To make matters worse, when the news got out, the first person to call her? Candace Nicole Parker.

That's happening currently. It was FaceTime call. They were both just staring at the each other. It was dead fucking silent between them. Y/n wanted to curse, break some glass, scream in fucking rage. Candace was the first to break it. "I know this is hard-"

"Hard?" She scoffed, still in disbelief, television on in the background, Stephen yelling passionately about the situation. She picked up the tv to mute it, sitting up better, propping the phone on her knee. "This is anything but hard. This is fucking impossible."

Candace sighed, "I think you're being a little dramatic. You're not thinking-"

"Oh no, I'm thinking. I'm thinking long and fucking hard. This is impossible. You are fucking insane for this. Everyone involved is fucking insane. If you think I'm gonna be your teammate- God, just the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach." She grimaced in disgust, Candace rolling her eyes at her dramatics. She could be so immature.

"Do you think I'm doing this to torment you?"

"I think you're doing this because you want to end your career defying the odds. You want to end it with another chip on your record. You want to end it, tormenting me one last time." She did have quite the point, and realistically, it made lots of sense. It was probably what everyone was thinking. "You saw that I was succeeding here, and you wanted to steal the spotlight. That's all you're good for these days. Shock value."

Now it was Candace's turn to get angry. "Okay, no, I'm not gonna let you speak to me that way. You have every right to be pissed off, but saying I'm nothing but shock value is another level of delusion. I didn't kick your ass for two decades for you to speak to me like that. I'll see you at training camp, bitch."

Y/n rolled her eyes as the call ended, "still one sensitive ass bitch I see."

Just when she thought it couldn't get any fucking worse. Two weeks later, she found out Candace was living in apartment across hers. How? She ran into her when she was leaving for a morning run.

Training camp came up awfully quick. Waking up that morning was hell. She considered not showing up at all. Maybe she'd get waived. But, unfortunately, there was no way Vegas was ever gonna waive her. She wasn't very far from the facility, so she got there fairly quick. She wasn't late, but she wasn't early either. Everyone's eyes were on her. Nobody dare spoke a word.

It was the first time they were seeing her. She didn't even come to the facility to practice in her off season. She quite literally went to a community center to practice just to avoid running into Candace.

She made her way to the locker room, glancing at Candace's locker before going to hers. Syd, Kelsey, and A'ja shared looks, still not saying anything. "You good, y/n?" Kelsey asked, breaking the tension, at least she thought. "I'm fine." She mumbled, undressing as some more people entered the locker room. It was Candace, Jackie, Chelsea, and Alysha.

"Nice tats." Candace spoke smoothly, directed towards y/n who had her back covered in ink.

Y/n pulled on her sports bra before turning around, the room filled with tension, again. She and Candace just stared at each other, nobody saying a word yet. The girls looked at Chelsea for help, as she was the best for icebreakers. She chuckled nervously, "alright, that's some progress. Y/n, you wanna exchange a compliment back?"

Y/n blinked, "there's not a single nice thing to say about her." She turned back around, pulling on her compression shirt.

"Fine, I take back my compliment," Candace scoffed. Y/n finished changing and walked out, not sharing another word.

It got worse during practice, when Becky and Natalie put them on the same team. Kelsey was running point and anytime she'd pass to Candace, the ball wouldn't find y/n. And anytime Kelsey passed to y/n, the ball wouldn't even graze Candace's fingers. It was frustrating both of them.

It wasn't surprising when it boiled over.

Y/n called the timeout and they watched as she walked straight up to Candace. They were ready to run and interfere before Becky stopped them, encouraging them to let y/n and Candace talk it out. If it escalated, they could get involved. "Is this your first time playing point?! Pass the fuckin' ball!"

"Me? I was open for a three and you didn't even look my direction!" Candace argued.

"Yeah well your three's are a little dodgy 'cause you're not a real shooter," y/n shot back. Candace scoffed, holding her hand out for the ball, and Chelsea threw one to her. She shot it in from the logo, right over an unfazed y/n. "You heard the net. Did that sound dodgy to you?"

Y/n rolled her eyes, holding out her hand and Kelsey passed the ball to her. She threw it, not even turning around to look at the hoop. She heard the swish. "You keep forgetting. Anything you can do, I can do better."

Candace smirked, knowing exactly what she wanted to say back, "oh yeah? Can you win rookie of the year better?"

That did manage to piss her off, just like she wanted. She nodded, "and you wanna tell me who won the championship in their rookie year..or you still clingin' on to that little trophy?"

"That little trophy is sitting right next to my MVP one," she shot back.

"You just keep proving my point. You're just here to torment me and ring chase. There ain't shit special 'bout you no more, Parker. You should've retired in Chicago where you belong." Her words stung, not because they were true, but 'cause she actually felt so negatively towards her. Of course she hated her, but she always felt that y/n hated her a lot more than she did.

"What about you? I mean, we're the same age. You think you're still in your prime?" Her question was genuine. She genuinely wanted to know what made her so different. Why did she have to retire but y/n didn't even breathe the word herself? "You already broke Rebekkah's record. I know damn well that's not keeping you here no more."

"That's none of your fuckin' business. Just pass the ball and we won't have a fucking problem." She scowled, walking past her, shoulder checking her in the process.

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The next day, Candace knew she had to fix this shit fast and clearly y/n wasn't mature enough to do it herself. So, with advice from her Aces teammates, and y/n's Minnesota coach, Cheryl- cause there was no way in hell was she asking Geno for advice, she knew what to do. They told her the best way to talk and approach y/n.

She knocked on her door, a bottle of red wine in hand because they said it was her favorite. Footsteps approached and the door was pulled open. There she was, hair tied up, a bra and sweats, with a wooden spoon covered in some kind of red sauce. "What you want?" She had no reason to greet her kindly like she wasn't. Frankly, Candace was killing her vibe.

"I want to talk. Can I come in?" She held out the wine and y/n sighed, taking it into her hands. "See you sprung for the cheap kind," she muttered, turning around and leaving the door open for Candace to come inside. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, "it was the only one le- whatever, I'm not gonna explain myself to you."

She set the bottle down and returned to stirring her pasta. She turned off the heat and opened up her cabinet to get a bowl. "You hungry?" Candace raised a brow, "as long as it isn't poisoned." Y/n grabbed another bowl, "if I knew you were coming, I would've."

"Very reassuring," she mumbled sarcastically, taking a seat on the stool.

She set down a bowl in front of her, not receiving a thank you and she wasn't expecting one. She poured herself a glass of wine, only a little bit because it was still training camp. She picked up her plate and took a seat on the stool little ways from Candace. "What do you want to talk about?"

Candace sucked in a breath, trying to focus on anything but her chest. Who just walks around in a bra? "Can you put on a shirt first?"

"You gonna give me yours?" Y/n mocked, taking a bite of her food.

"I would but then I'd be in a bra so.." Candace mumbled, taking a bite of the food, trying not to react positively because it was so fucking good.

"Great. So it's settled. Please, state your case." She was already growing irritated. Her day was going so nicely and here came Candace, killing her whole vibe. "Look, I know you're frustrated, rightfully so. I didn't want to be your teammate either. Frankly, I was under the impression that you weren't resigning. I made my decision under that impression when I should've just called you and asked. And for that, I apologize."

She just nodded, not providing her with a verbal response. "I want what you want. I want to have a successful season. I want to win a championship with this team. But, I do know that we cannot do that if we are at odds. Everyone needs us on the same page. And that doesn't mean we have to be friends or like each other. We just have to work together and be as civil as we can to create an environment friendly locker room."

It took her a second to respond, trying to gather her mind. Candace gave her all the time she needed. She sighed, subconsciously messing with her ring, "I uh..I can do that."

"You'll pass the ball to me?"

"Only if you pass it first."

The next day at training camp, the energy shifted immensely after they seen y/n and Candace share a good morning in the locker room. That was all. No small talk. Just a regular, normal, non argumentative greeting. It made everyone feel relief. They still treaded lightly around them but it was a lot easier to work now.

Becky and Natalie took the chance to put them on the same team again. It started rough at first, but they slowly got more comfortable and were able to make smooth passes to each other. They set screens, they played defensively, and offensively. They didn't hog the ball anymore. They worked extremely well under the basket together. It was insane to watch.

Clips were definitely making it to Twitter tomorrow morning.

They were towards the end, y/n got a steal, ran down with the ball, A'ja on her and Candace following. She passed the ball around her back and Candace caught it, getting the layup. They were cheered on by some practice players and teammates. Y/n smirked, both of them going in for the dap up until they froze, quickly dropping their hands and walking away from each other.

Candace wiped her hand on her shirt mumbling, "not there yet."

Chelsea pursed her lips, arm thrown over Jackie. "They'll get there."

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Week 2 of training camp. They obviously had great chemistry on the court, and everyone saw it. But, they still hadn't had an actual conversation that wasn't talking about basketball plays. It sucked because their teammates knew they'd actually like each other if they just saw each other's personalities. They felt like they had to do something. Otherwise, they couldn't fully be a team.

Therefore, they made plans as a group. A'ja and Kelsey chipped in to rent out a movie theater, with dinner plans after. It was for team bonding. But mostly Y/n and Candace bonding. If not, A'ja was gonna order a get-along-shirt and make them wear it for a full day.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." Y/n spoke, phone held up to her ear as she stepped out of her apartment. She wasn't dressed fancy, just casual. "Cool. Uh, you also gotta pick up Candace. Okay, bye." A'ja rushed out, hanging up the phone before she could argue.

She groaned, slamming her door shut and locking it. She walked down the hall to knock on Candace's door, muttering words of displeasure under her breath. Candace pulled it open, surprised to see her and not A'ja- who said she'd pick her up. "Don't you have a car?" Y/n deadpanned.

"It's in the shop. I thought A'ja was picking me up?" Candace sighed, stepping out of her place and locking the door.

"Seems they tricked us." Y/n mumbled, beginning to walk to the elevator, not waiting for her. Candace quickly joined her and she sighed, annoyed once again.

They got down to the car, y/n climbing into the driver's seat and starting it up. Candace got into the passenger seat, pulling on her seatbelt. She reached over to put music on until y/n slapped her hand away. "Hey, hey, you don't see me coming into your car touching all your shit. Driver picks the music and passenger shuts the fuck up."

"Fine. I won't touch your precious car. Bet you're the type to give your car a name." She mumbled the last part under her breath as y/n pulled out of the lot. She connected her phone, playing some Beyoncé. Other than that, they made zero conversation during the ride. Y/n didn't spare her a glance but Candace kept looking over at her frequently. For what reason? None...other than the fact that she had an engagement ring on her finger.

She should've just shut up and minded her business, but she couldn't. She had to ask. "When did you get engaged?"

She seen her tense up before shaking it off, paying attention to the road. "8 years ago."

"Not married?"

"He uh..he left me for his young hotter college student." She shrugged, one hand on the wheel, the other on the armrest.

Candace genuinely had no idea. She didn't even know y/n had been with anyone. She kept her life off the court super private. Nobody knew much about her outside of basketball. At least the fans didn't. People close to her probably knew plenty. But they weren't close, so obviously she didn't know. "Why do you still wear it?"

She glanced at the ring, feeling those emotions all over again. "It's the only ring I thought I deserved more than my basketball ones."

Candace nodded, able to understand that, but it did make her feel a little sad. She hated that for her. "Personal feelings aside, I'm really sorry it didn't work out for you."

She stopped the car, putting it in park. "Me too."

"Oh shit, they're here. Everyone act cool." A'ja and the team were standing around the lobby, watching y/n pull open the door to walk in, and shockingly, she held the door open for Candace. "Did I just see that?" Kelsey asked quietly. Syd smirks, sensing some gay energy there even if y/n claimed to be straight. "I saw it. I saw it real good."

"I'm not gonna lie, if y'all makin' me watch anything even remotely scary, I'm out." Y/n stated as they walked down the lobby to get some food and drinks for the movie.

Candace laughs, "you don't like scary movies?"

"My brother left me alone in the car in the middle of a haunted maze and paid a bunch of actors to come scare the shit outta me. Been scared of everything since." Y/n said, not realizing their teammates smirking, sharing knowing looks. "What about supernatural horror movies? You don't like those?" Candace queried.

"Hell nah. I live by myself- so if hear even the slightest creak in my house, I'm grabbing a bat and calling a priest. Annabeth or whatever the fuck her name is not gon' catch me slippin'." She expressed passively, collecting her popcorn and soda.

Candace laughed again, shaking her head in amusement. "You mean Annabelle?"

"Yeah, that creepy little bitch." She pushed her bucket under the dispenser to add extra butter. It was an aggressive amount.

"Hey, y/n. If you had to sacrifice someone on the team to Annabelle, who would it be?" Syd asked, adding extra butter to her own. Candace rolled her eyes, knowing y/n was obviously gonna say her.

"You, 'cause you asked that dumbass question." Y/n remarked, picking up her bucket and walking away.

Kelsey grinned, patting Syd's shoulder, "at least it wasn't Candace."

Syd scoffed in offense, "why I gotta be sacrificed so they could bond?"

In the theater, y/n and Candace both took their seats...next to each other. They didn't even have to be tricked into it. They just sat down and continued their conversation. It was all going to plan. Just like Becky said it would. If they didn't trick them and let them be themselves, things would flow naturally and that's what was happening.

"No, I'm not kidding. My brother made it his life mission to traumatize me. One time, he was supposed to take me trick-or-treating and instead, he took me to a haunted house. I had to sleep in my mom's bed that night with all the lights on." Candace chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. "Wait- how did he make you go in the house though?"

"See that's the thing, the outside of the house dead ass looked like candy land. I had no suspicions." She stated, still bothered by it to this day. Candace snickered, trying not to spit out her drink. "That's wrong as hell. They did you dirty."

"Yeah, I have a terrible relationship with candy because of Halloween." She stated casually, tossing some popcorn in her mouth.

"Wait- hold on. You're scared of candy?"

"Okay- I swear if you try and tease me I will never pass you a ball again." Candace sighed, accepting defeat. "Fine. I won't tease."

They didn't talk for the rest of the movie, which confused the fuck out of their teammates. They didn't even look at each other. It was weird. But they couldn't question it. Even at dinner, they hardly made conversation. Just a few responses but they didn't talk directly. They only spoke if the group was. It still counted as progress. A win was a win.

Fast forward to media day. They scheduled a specific photoshoot for Candace and Y/n together for a Slam cover. Nobody else. Just them. Y/n was very on the fence about it. She still agreed.

"I don't want this to make us look like we friends or somethin'." Y/n spoke towards the photographer, knowing he probably had some shit up his sleeve. She made it clear from day one that she was gonna be a civil teammate with Candace. Just because they were playing together, doesn't mean she was gonna be her friend. No matter how much the fans wanted it.

"No, no, of course. We completely understand."

"Stop scaring the poor guy, y/n." Candace input, walking over with her jersey on, makeup and hair done.

"I'm not. I'm just makin' sure we understand each other. Ain't nobody tryna look like your bestie." She remarked, Candace rolling her eyes as she picked up a ball. "Loosen up. Nobody thinks we're friends. You've made that very clear."

They had them try out different poses and y/n had an objection to almost all of the poses that looked too friendly. Then they suggested one of them to sit down and the other stand. Y/n had something to say. "See but that looks like the cover of love & basketball. Why would her hands be on my shoulders? What's next? Y'all want us to do a prom pose?" Candace had to laugh, just because of how ridiculous all these things sounded.

The photographer was getting very frustrated that nothing was working. "Alright then. How would you do it?"

Y/n grins, "I'm glad you asked." They moved the stool out of the way and she grabs onto Candace's waist to pull her over. She made her hold the ball with both hands and Candace quickly understood what she wanted. Then y/n moved, angling herself so they looked back to back as she crossed her arms.

The photographer was decently impressed and they got a couple shots of that specific pose for the cover. Candace tossed the ball back to a worker. "Let's get one more." She grinned mischievously, turning to wrap her arms around y/n from behind when she wasn't expecting it. "Parker!" She grabbed her arms to push her off but it was too late, they got the picture anyway.

"You said you wanted a prom pose." Candace laughs, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"You're so lucky there's people watching."

"Why? Were you gonna spank me?" Candace smirks as they led them over to some chairs for an interview thing.

She just blinked, fed up with her nonsense. "I can't stand you." She glanced down at the two chairs and frowned, "wait, we have sit next to each other? This close?" She questioned in disbelief.

Candace rolled her eyes, "stop being a baby and sit on the chair. I don't have cooties." Y/n grimaced, muttering, "you might." She pulled the chair away so it wasn't so close before taking a seat. Their arms still ended up touching, but y/n didn't pay much attention to it.

They were gonna be asked some questions for the article. A woman sat down in front of them, wearing a blue dress, hair curled with glasses on. "I'm sure you've been through this a hundred times so we'll just get right into it," she said, the two nodding in agreement. "Would you say you still have any hatred for each other as you've claimed in the past?"

Candace went first. "Uhm, I wouldn't say I hate her anymore. I feel like that's a strong word. But, I also don't know if I feel anything positive for her."

Y/n wanted to make a joke about how that made them sound like exes but restrained. "I'd just say, I strongly dislike her."

"Candace, how does it feel to share a locker room with y/n for the first time in your career?"

"Um, it's actually been quite pleasing. I'm beginning to respect the way she presents herself to her teammates. She encourages everyone to speak their mind, and get out their shell. She's there for her teammates in so many ways off the court and it's very respectable. I have no complaints." Candace glanced at y/n who didn't have much of a reaction. Although she was messing with her ring a lot.

"And y/n, how does it feel to share a locker room with Candace?"

"Honestly, it's still something I'm getting used to. But, I don't have any complaints, other than her sock and shoe choices. Who wears black shoes and white socks? That's weird, right?" Candace chuckled, her words getting a small laugh from the interviewer. "I pull it off," she shrugged.

"Arrogant as always," y/n retorts.

"Candace, as you know, this is the first time you and y/n are sharing a court as teammates rather than competitors. What does that mean to you?"

"Um, well, I do want to clarify that genuinely had no idea this was going to happen. I was under the impression y/n wasn't resigning. It was was a surprise for both of us. I won't lie and say the thought of not being her competitor was appealing. I've always had so much respect for our rivalry. Everytime I saw her on the opposing team, it was the only thing I could think of. Now, being her teammate, I'm seeing y/n in an entirely different light. It's an unusual feeling. I've known this woman since I was a freshman in highschool and I did not know a single detail about her that wasn't centered around basketball until a week ago. It's still something I'm getting used to. But, it means a lot to me. She'll go down in history as the greatest rival I've ever had, right next to one the best teammates."

"And how do Candace's words make you feel, y/n? Do you agree with anything she's said?"

"Of course, yeah. I uh..I honestly had no idea she felt that way." She mumbled, the kinder words making her feel a little confused. "Um..I usually don't care for anyone's approval. But, if I did want a teammates approval, she would be the first person I'd go to. That's how much I respect Candace."

Candace couldn't help herself, tearing up just a little. Someone was quick to hand her a tissue. "Sorry, it's just-- that's literally the first time she's ever said my first name."

Y/n chuckled, reaching over to pat her knee casually. Candace looked at y/n, forgetting about everyone else in the room as if they also weren't being filmed. "I really appreciate you saying that. I know just giving me a compliment takes a lot, so, I appreciate it, I do." Y/n nodded, not making fun of her or adding a remark like she would've two weeks ago. She actually respected Candace showing some vulnerability.

She took the tissue to gently dab the tears in her eyes so she didn't ruin her makeup and tucked it in her pocket so they could continue. She had reservations with a basket of fries and her bed so that needed to get this done. Just to prevent the tears, she reached over to set her hand over Candace's before they continued. She knew this was gonna be mentioned in the article and shown in the bts clips, but she didn't care. She wasn't heartless.

"Y/n, over the years we've heard Candace talk about your rivalry and what it means to women's basketball but we don't really see you talk about it as much. What would you say this rivalry means to you?"

"Over the years, I didn't really enjoy talking about it- simply because I didn't like Candace. I didn't want to give her something to talk about. But, I've grown from that mindset now that I've actually gotten to see her in a different perspective. So I'd say this rivalry means a lot to me personally. Candace has been apart of my career since I was 15 years old. Our rivalry is always gonna be cemented in history, but that's not what matters to me. It's so much more than history. It's the memories she's given me, and more importantly my mom."

She received curious and confused looks. Candace was only looking at her, curious as to what she meant by that. She knew it must've been something hard by the way y/n's grip on her hand tightened. "Nobody knows this, but two years my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It was um..it was extremely hard on me. Before that she could state every single achievement I've had, every championship. And after, she couldn't even remember my middle name. But, before she passed, we watched a basketball game together. It was UConn vs Tennessee. The only person she recognized was Candace."

Candace reached over to take her hand, y/n trying to fight through the tears. It was the first time she was talking about it, and she tried her hardest not to cry but it was too painful. But it was worth mentioning. "That night, we talked all about the rivalry, and for the first time since she got diagnosed, I felt like I had my mom back. I think that moment really defined how much this rivalry impacted my life."

She was offered a tissue but she declined. "I'm okay. It's fine. We can keep going."

"Candace, did you know about that?"

She shook her head, hands still holding onto y/n's. "I didn't. This is the first time I'm hearing about it. But, I do wanna say it means the world. I've had the privilege of meeting her mom a couple times and each time, she was absolutely delightful. I really wish she could've seen us play together. I think she would've loved it."

Y/n smiled softly, "she talked about that a lot. She said you would've cleaned up my missed layups."

Candace laughed softly, "she's not wrong about that. I clean them up a lot."

"A lot is crazy. You know how many rebounds I have to catch after your 3s?" She shot back, receiving an offended look. "Whatever. I'm just gonna say, her mom was very right when she said we'd be good together."

"On the court," she added, or more like corrected.

"That's what I meant. What did you think I meant?" Candace squints in disbelief, causing her to shrug. "I don't know, you could've meant anything. We both know you had a crush on me in highschool." Her jaw dropped, not sure whether to be offended by that. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I never had a crush on you."

"The eyes never lie," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Candace scoffed, letting go of her hand, "whatever. Believe what you wanna believe."

Another week went by. Candace felt like they were getting somewhere. They were having long conversations about stuff outside of basketball. Y/n understood her on such a deep level it was insane. She had never had such good conversation with someone before. Y/n didn't even yell at her for calling what they had a friendship. Even if y/n wanted to vomit at the word. She couldn't deny it. They were at friendship level.

They were in Seattle for the game. It was their first game. The first game Candace and Y/n were playing a game as teammates. It was a sold out game. They didn't play together during pre-season because Becky was resting y/n. She wanted her 100% for the regular season and commissioners cup.

They had two days of free time and instead of y/n spending it with the team, she was spending it with an NFL player who she'd been secretly seeing. It wasn't locked down or anything. They were really just talking, seeing where it could go. They started talking around training camp when he got her number through his teammate Darren, who was with Kelsey.

Nobody knew, except Kelsey. And of course, she accidentally spilt the beans.

They were all at dinner together for some team bonding, y/n not included because she was on a date. Candace was curious because y/n usually never skipped out on them, so she asked. "Anyone know where y/n's been?"

Kelsey snickered to herself, "sneakin' around with her new boo." Seeing everyone's faces, she froze, realizing her mistake. "I wasn't supposed to say anything..."

Candace didn't like the sound of that at all. She thought y/n would've told her. They told each other everything now. Why was she hiding it? "Okay- no, rewind. What are you talking about?"

Kelsey sighed, knowing y/n was not gonna be thrilled with her. "Uhm, so basically, Darren's teammate asked for y/n's number and he gave it to her without asking me- something I chewed him out for by the way. And now him and y/n have been seeing each other recently. They're not dating though. She said it's not serious yet."

Candace dropped her spoon, their eyes finding hers and Syd tried not to smirk. She wasn't stupid. She knew something was up. The eyes never lied. "Hold on- why are you upset about this?" Kelsey asked.

"I'm not upset. Can we talk about something else?"

Later that night, y/n was laying in bed when her door was knocked on. She groaned, rolling off and getting up to get the door. She pulled it open to see Candace and the woman immediately pushed her back in. "Whoa, you can't just open the door half naked." Candace's scolded, shutting the door as y/n rolled her eyes.

"You complain about everything." She mumbled, pulling on some shorts to satisfy her complaints.

"And you still listen so clearly it works," she shot back as y/n made herself comfortably on the bed again. "You look bothered. Tell me what's up." Y/n voiced, laying her head against the pillows, hands placed on her stomach.

"I don't know- I just, I don't get why you wouldn't tell me you're seeing someone. I feel like we're closer than that. It's not like I keep secrets from you." Y/n blinked, not sure what to say to that. "Okay uhm...I'm sorry?"

Candace scoffed, "see you're not even apologetic in the slightest! I tell you everything and you can't even tell me you've been seeing someone for weeks." She sighed, sitting up better, feeling guilty that she was making her feel that way. "I'm sorry- okay? But I know how you are."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You judge literally every guy who smiles at me," she deadpanned.

Candace rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "That's different. I'm allowed to be a little judgemental given what you've been through. I don't want you to move too fast and get hurt. You still wear the ring..." y/n glanced down at her finger, the ring still sitting there. She held out her hand. "So take it off. If that's what's bothering you so much. Take it off."

Candace didn't waste a second, walking over and taking y/n's hand. She pulled off the ring and tucked it into her pocket. Y/n looked up at with soft eyes, "that better?"

"Don't keep secrets from me again."

Y/n pouts, patting her chest, "scouts honor."

Candace laughed, shoving her head back into the pillow. "You're so stupid."

"Are you staying? Cause I'm not cuddling you. I can barely tolerate your hugs." Y/n said, receiving an eye roll. "Shut up. You love my hugs." Candace kicked off her shoes and pulled back the covers. "I'm doing the gay pillow thing by the way." She stated, grabbing some pillows to make a wall so she and Candace did not touch.

"You're so dramatic. You know you love when I hug on you." Candace teased, climbing over the pillows to hug her. She tensed up like she was struck by lightning. "You have five seconds to release me."

She made sure to use up her five seconds before letting go. Y/n sighed in relief, "oh thank God. I thought I was dying of suffocation." Candace laughed, laying back down and y/n turned off the lights. "So...do you like the guy at least?" She queried.

Y/n stared up at the dark ceiling feeling Candace's eyes on her. "Uh, on a mental level, yeah. He's nice. He makes good conversation. But, there's like one problem..."

"What's that?"

She almost hesitated to say it. "What is it? Come on, tell me." Y/n sighed, "swear you won't laugh?" She nodded as y/n turned to look at her. It was dark, but the light from the city lights peeked through the curtain just enough for them to see each other. "I don't think I'm...sexually attracted to him."

Candace immediately started laughing and y/n rolled her eyes, fed up with it. "You said you wouldn't laugh."

"I'm sorry- I am, seriously." She took a deep breath, trying to conceal her laughter but she caught the little smile on y/n's lips. "So..you've been seeing this guy for weeks and...you haven't got turned on by him once?"

"Dry as desert," she mumbled.

Candace laughed again, head falling on y/n's shoulder and she didn't shove her off. "Oh my god. That's the funniest shit I've ever heard. I feel kinda bad." Y/n scoffs lightly, "you should. You're laughing at my struggle."

"Oh come on, it's funny. Actually wait- what does he look like?" Y/n picked up her phone to show her a picture, and Candace raised a brow, completely confused. "Wait- he's actually hot. You're telling me you're not attracted to that?" Y/n nodded, tossing her phone back on the table. "I think somethings wrong with me."

"Maybe you're gay," Candace jokes, laying her head back on the pillow.

She sighed in defeat, staring at the ceiling, "at this point in my life, I wouldn't be surprised."

Candace pats her shoulder, "the ladies simp after you anyways. It wouldn't be much of a change if you were." Y/n chuckled, pushing her head away, "very funny."

"Get some sleep." Candace turned on her side, shutting her eyes.

Throughout the night, she stirred feeling y/n's arms slide around her waist from behind, fingers brushing her skin under her shirt. It wasn't the first time this happened. They fell asleep on y/n's couch once and ended up cuddling through the night. She wasn't a heavy sleeper so she felt it every time. And for some reason, everytime she woke up, y/n was already up and getting ready like nothing happened.

She tried not to think too much into it.

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A couple more weeks passed since their first game. The more they played together, the more they bonded off the court. The fans couldn't tell what their relationship was. They had little moments on the bench, catching Candace annoying y/n or making her laugh. But they could tell y/n and Candace didn't dislike each other anymore.

Now, they were playing the Indiana Fever. It was the 3rd QTR when y/n was sitting on the bench with Candace, both of them getting a little breather. Anytime they were on the bench sitting beside each other, someone was recording. Candace leaned over to whisper to y/n, "one more bucket and you're gonna hit 7,000 career points."

Y/n furrowed her brows, "seriously?"

Candace laughed, "how do I know your stats better than you?"

She winks, patting her thigh, "cause you're obsessed with me."

She rolled her eyes, and gestured to the signs fans brought, ready to celebrate the 7k points. "Did you not notice the signs?" Y/n glanced around, smiling when she realized, "that's so cool. They keep track of my stats better than I do." Candace smiled, patting her knee, "don't let 'em down now."

Becky checked her and Candace in towards the end of the 3rd. They had about 15 seconds left with Aces in possession. Jackie passed it back inbounds. They passed it around to wait out the clock. Candace dished it to y/n with 3 seconds left. "Parker dishes it out to y/l/n for the assist who steps into the 3 to beat the buzzer! And she hits it! Y/n makes seven thousand career points!"

The crowd erupted and the first person in her arms was Candace. She closed her eyes, just letting herself be in Candace's arm. Their teammates literally stood around and waited, letting them have their moment together. To think just two months ago, they hated each other's guts. It was crazy what being teammates could do to a twenty year long rivalry.

Candace pulled away and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Proud of you." She waved for her teammates to come in and they all ran to tackle the vet into a hug, jumping around excitedly.

Holly pulled y/n for the interview and Candace lingered back to wait for her. "Y/n, you just made seven thousand career points. How much does that mean to you?" Y/n grinned, looking around as the crowd got louder. "It's uh, it's an amazing feeling. I'm not first but I'm listed a lot higher than Candace so that's a huge win for me."

Candace rolled her eyes, not surprised to hear her say that. She gloated about it to the press the first time she passed her. Y/n even looked over her shoulder to wink at her. "Always on your mind," she mumbled.

Holly smirks, "speaking of Candace, you two just shared a very beautiful moment on the court. It looks like you've developed quite the friendship. What does it mean for Candace to be here for this important milestone?"

"Oh, it means a lot. She's an amazing friend. Nobody gets me like her. Two months ago I would've never expected Candace Parker to be celebrating one of my career achievements so yeah, it's crazy. I'm super grateful. She's a beautiful person- and uh, a great passer." She stammered at the end, Holly raising a brow when she called Candace beautiful, of all things she could've said. But hey, more tea for her.

"Alright, well, congratulations to you, y/n." She nodded, adding a thank you and making heart hands for the fans as she walked back over to her teammate. Candace made heart hands and made their hearts kiss before throwing an arm around her. As they walked back to the tunnel, Candace leaned over to whisper, "beautiful?"

Her lips pursed, hands behind her back awkwardly, even more nervous with Candace breathing against her neck. "I got nervous."

Candace chuckled, "you're so cute."

After the game, y/n passed on a celebration dinner, just wanting to be at her apartment taking it all in. They were walking to the parking garage together, as Candace rode with y/n since it was more convenient. "Y/n! Can I get a picture?" They looked over to see a woman walking over, her friends standing by the car giggling and whispering as they waited by their car.

Candace continued her walk to y/n's car, still watching as y/n met the woman halfway to take the picture. "Sorry, I'm so short," she giggled, unable to get her in the frame even when y/n bent down. "It's fine. I got it." She took the phone and snapped the selfie with her. "Thank you so much. Could you sign my jersey?"

Y/n nodded, taking it from her hands, "did you want me to put your name or anything?"

"You could put your number," she boldly suggested.

It took her back a lot, but she was allowing herself to explore her sexuality more ever since the conversation with Candace in Seattle. "Uh, as long as you don't post it." The woman smiled, "I would never. Secrets safe with me." Y/n smiled, signing her number on the jersey next to her signature.

She handed her the marker back and the woman held her arms out. "Can I get a hug?" She nodded, bringing her into a quick hug before departing from her. She walked back over to Candace who didn't say anything at all, just waiting for her to unlock the car.

The car ride back was completely quiet. Y/n was unsure why. Usually Candace would not stop talking after a game. Even when they got back to their apartment building, she still hadn't spared a word. Y/n dropped her stuff off in her place before walking over to Candace's. She knocked on the door, as she locked it for some reason.

Candace pulled it open, completely annoyed with her presence. "What do you want?"

"Why are you mad at me?"

She turned to walk away, y/n following her inside and shutting the door after her. "I'm not mad."

"You know I hate when you lie to me. Just tell me what's wrong so we can talk about this. I clearly did something wrong and I want to know what it is." She said, stepping into the living room as Candace lit some candles. She sat down, watching her movements closely. She set down the lighter and turned to her. "Why did you give that girl your number?"

"That's what's bothering you?"

"Answer the question."

"She asked for my number. What was I supposed to do? Say no?"

"Yes!"

"You're the one who told me to explore all my options and now you're upset that I'm doing that?" Somehow, she managed to piss her off even more than before. "I wanted you to explore me! I was the option! Not some random Instagram model!" As y/n tried to process that, Candace was pulling a box out of her pocket. She ripped out the ring and threw it at her. "There's your gift. Go give it to your new girlfriend since you wanna explore so fucking much."

Y/n looked at it closely, seeing 7,000 and today's date engraved on it. Candace was already walking away, causing y/n to quickly jump to her feet. "Stop, stop, Candace, stop." She grabbed onto her waist, pulling her back around, tears falling down her eyes. She felt beyond guilty for causing them. "I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry. I didn't..I didn't think you saw me in that way. I thought everything I felt was one-sided."

"Well it's not." Candace sniffled, wiping her tears, hating to cry in front of her.

Y/n pulled her into a hug, holding onto her as tightly as she could. Scared to let go. "I'm sorry, C. I'm still new to all this. I haven't felt this way towards a person since..him, and it's just, it's hard." Candace pulled away, "it's hard to have feelings for me?"

"Honestly? Yeah, it is." She cupped her cheeks softly, not letting her walk away, not before hearing her out. "It's strange, knowing someone for twenty years and just now seeing them as someone you want to be with on deeper, more intimate level. I didn't know I was capable of that, let alone if you were."

"I understand what you're saying. And I appreciate you being honest with me about your feelings. But after that...I just need some time to think and gather my thoughts." She took a step back, nodding her head in understanding. "I respect that. Come to me when you're ready to talk."

"I will."

Y/n made her way out, the ring still in her hand as she walked down to her apartment. She sat on the couch, sliding the ring on her finger with a small smile. She felt miserable. Like she screwed everything up. All because she didn't know how to pick up signals. She always had game..basketball game. The minute she left a court, she was oblivious to everything. She couldn't even flirt, not to save her life.

She sat there for an hour, just twisting the ring and staring into space. Then it stopped. She got a tiny knock on the door. Like she was the flash, she hopped over the couch and ran over to the door. Turning the handle and pulling it open, there Candace stood. She wore a soft smile, a smile that brought y/n immense relief. "Nobody gets me like you."

She left out a breath she didn't know she was holding before her arms reached out to hug Candace. She smiled, stumbling inside and kicking the door shut with her foot. She loved y/n's hugs. They relaxed your whole body. They filled you with reassurance. They filled you with love. Candace pulled her head back, pressing her forehead against hers. "Did you like the ring?"

She didn't answer, bringing her into a longing kiss. Candace smiled into it, hands sliding down to her waist, letting the kiss go on for as long as it could. "You're pretty good at kissing a girl," she teased.

She rolled her eyes, "okay, was that necessary?"

"No, but it was funny." Candace grinned, subtly pulling the strings on her sweatpants loose. At least she thought it was subtle. Y/n felt the energy shift immediately. "You gonna make jokes about me being a girl virgin too?" Candace hums, slipping her fingers beneath her waistband, "I thought about it, but that just felt a little too mean."

"How thoughtful of you," she mocked, patting her cheek.

"You're giving heavy brat energy right now and I'm not liking it." Candace stated, pushing her to the wall, catching her off guard completely but she liked it. "See that's the thing. You knew this about me. You called me a brat on the court all the time. I hate to admit it but you weren't wrong. I'm a huge brat. Is that a deal breaker?" She was almost taunting her with her words. Something she loved to do.

"Still love to taunt me after all these years," she muttered. She secretly liked it. She didn't want y/n to change even if they were together. She fell for her because she was so authentically herself. That shouldn't change at all. "It's my favorite. Just look at how your jaw clenches. It's cute." She teased, tracing her jaw with her fingertip.

Candace hummed, leaning in to whisper, smirking when she felt her body grow tense. "Just don't complain when I give you what you're asking for. 'Kay, babe?" She pressed a small peck to her neck, hands gripping her waist tighter. "Experienced or not. I'm gonna fuck that attitude out of you. Hope that's not a deal breaker," she mocked.

Of course, even if Candace gave her a taste of her own medicine, she was still cracking jokes. "I knew you had a crush on me in high school."

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