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plot: in which, kelsey falls for her coach as she's engaged to her boyfriend

trope: coach x player

pairings: wbb! black! coach reader x kelsey plum/ reader x candace parker (mentioned)

warnings: age gap, affairs, cheating, manipulation, foul language, lavender marriage

a/n: found this in my drafts so enjoy 🫶 updates r slow bc of school but im working to get some out for y'all

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"Who do y'all think the new coach gon' be?"

Kelsey glanced up from her phone to look at everyone, a couple of the girls adding a little comment about some college coaches. They were getting a new assistant coach for the Aces, and apparently this coach was supposed to be one of the best to do it. She wasn't sure who it was going to be. None of them were. But they did know, this person used to be a player, or rather, a WNBA champion.

"What if it's y/n?" Kelsey asked, the woman randomly popping into her mind. She knew she was a WNBA champion, and coached Sabrina Ionescu in Oregon. Maybe she was finally coming to the W with her coaching.

"Y/n? Nah, I heard she was re-signing with Notre Dame." Chelsea input.

"Yeah, and even if she was gonna coach in the W, it's most likely gonna be for the Liberty." Syd added, very aware of the loyalty y/n had for Sabrina. Even she believed if the pandemic never happened, she would've made sure Sabrina got that college chip. A lot of people saw Oregon not making it to the final four, but there was no doubt y/n wasn't getting that team to the finals. It was one of the biggest what-ifs.

"I don't know. She did say she was interested in coaching A'ja..." Kelsey trailed off, receiving a nod and smile for A'ja. She got a little excited when she heard y/n's comments on her winning MVP in 2020.

"I doubt she'd leave college though." Jackie mumbled, messing the laces on her shoe.

They were gathered in the meeting room, going over film and such. Becky was wrapping it up by announcing who their new assistant coach was gonna be. "Alright, so, I'm sure you're all well aware of the rumors going around about our new coach."

Syd raised her hand, and Becky looked to her, "yes, Syd?" She leaned to the side a bit, elbow digging into the armrest. "Is she hot?"

Kelsey stifled a laugh, and A'ja smacked Syd's arm as she tried to hold in her own laugh. Becky was not amused. She looked annoyed if anything. "Anyways. I want y'all to be on your best behavior when she joins us on Monday. She's one of the greatest to do it, and we gotta show her that we're serious or she's not gonna stick around for long. Y'all understand?"

They collectively nodded in response and Syd raised her hand once again. Becky sighs in exasperation, "yes, Sydney?"

"Who is she?"

"Y/n Y/L/N." Their jaws dropped, and Kelsey stood up, turning to flip all of them off. "What'd I say? Liberty loyalty my ass."

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"She ain't shit for that." Y/n comments, stepping out of her car, one hand holding her phone to her ear as she talked to her husband. "You better than me. I'm takin' her man and turnin' him all the way out if she play in my face like that. He gon' come home beggin' her to put him on his knees instead." She laughed, grabbing her bag and shutting the door. "Girl, you such a homewrecker. That's crazy as fuck."

She smiled, locking her car and making her way to the facility. "Can't be a homewrecker if the home already wrecked baby."

"You not even tryna beat the allegations."

"Hey, that marriage was already wrecked-" she reached for the door, just for someone to do the same. She paused, turning to look at who it was 'cause she barely paid attention to anything in front of her when she was on the phone. "I'mma call you back baby." She hung up and tucked her phone in her pocket, all while making eye contact with Kelsey Plum.

"That your friend?" She questioned, pulling open the door for her new coach.

She laughed, stepping inside, "nah, that's my husband." 

"I find that extremely hard to believe, coach." Kelsey pulled her bag over her shoulder, and y/n chuckled at the title. "You know you don't gotta call me coach." Kelsey glanced up at her, as she was taller, obviously. She was second in blocks in the WNBA so that spoke enough. Although she wasn't Brittany Griner tall, she just jumped as high as her. "That too formal for you?"

She bit back a smile, taking some glances at her as they walked down the hall side by side. "A little bit, yeah. It's kinda reserved for my college babies." She wasn't slick, but Kelsey was very oblivious. "You know- speaking of college babies, I was just curious, why you didn't go to New York to coach your favorite one?"

She was a little amused by the slight teasing in Kelsey's tone. "It wasn't the right timing. But I'll get there eventually. That's bound to happen."

"You don't think you'll stick around?"

"Nah, I'm just sayin' you don't know what the future has in store for you. That's all." She shrugged, stopping in front of the stairwell, both of them going different ways.

Kelsey smiled, continuing her walk to the locker room. "I'll catch you later, coach."

"Stop callin' me that!"

Kelsey grinned, looking over her shoulder at the slightly annoyed woman. "Alright, see you later baby."

A week passed, it was week two of training camp and the ladies were in the locker room just getting changed after a hard practice. The night before, they had a team dinner and the whole team got to meet y/n's husband. Let's just say, they had some opinions. Specifically Sydney Colson. "So, uhm, I might just be reachin' but...I feel like y/n's husband might be gay."

Their eyes all shot to her and hers widened, "what?! I was just sayin'! It's not givin' lavender marriage to y'all?"

"Why would it?" Kelsey questioned.

"Kelsey- I love you, but I need gay opinions. You- stay in your curved lane, and A'ja stay in your straight lane. Jackie- yeah." She raised her brows, confused and potentially offended by those words. "Hold up- why is my lane curved?" Sydney returned a blank stare, "girl, we all know there's a little fruit in your cup, you don't gotta lie now."

"I'm not gay though."

"Be serious. You flirt with women more than I do and I'm the gayest here. Who you tryna fool?" Sydney deadpanned, and that shut her up really quick. She rolled her eyes, returning to whatever she was doing as they continued their conversation on coach. "Anyways- I think coach is in a lavender marriage, and I don't know if it's for her or him 'cause they both gay as fuck."

"You think y/n is gay?" Chelsea asked.

"Absolutely. Have you seen her? She's literally another Candace Parker." A'ja snickered, very amused by this conversation. "She's got the girl kisser charm. She's got the look. I mean- when have we actually ever seen her wear a dress? She wears suits more than the men at the NBA drafts. Not to mention, her favorite artist is literally Kehlani, and honorable mentions Jhené Aiko and Drake. It's very much giving I'm a toxic masc lesbian who eats pussy and slings strap."

"Who gots a strap?" Their eyes widened, turning to look at their assistant coach.

Y/n stood there, hands tucked in her pockets looking at Syd for an answer. "You?" A'ja immediately smacked her arm, Syd wincing dramatically but not regretting what she said. She genuinely wanted to know. Y/n laughed, "you funny. Anyways, I wanted to pull Kelsey for a chat if y'all not occupying her. I can wait-"

"No, you're good." Kelsey got up, and followed her out.

Syd waited until they were gone to speak again. "Oh she's a veteran at this shit. She switched the topic so fast- that's experience."

"What'd you wanna talk about?"

Y/n took a seat on the bench not to fair from the locker room, Kelsey sitting beside her wondering what this could be about. "I was just checkin' on you. I noticed you took a call during shoot around and you came back with a drop in attitude. Is everything okay at home? 'Cause you know we'd understand if you need to take an off day."

"Oh- no, I'm good. It's just that my fiancé drove me to practice and he was supposed to pick me up but he bailed so I gotta get an Uber now and he don't even got the decency to pay for it with his NFL money that he talks so much about." Kelsey rambled, rightfully still bothered by it. She had every right to be knowing she could've just drove herself but he just had to insist on taking her.

Y/n stood up and patted her shoulder. "Get your stuff. I'll take you home." She couldn't even object 'cause coach was already walking away.

"What did coach want?"

"She's giving me a ride home." Kelsey answered, gathering her stuff from her locker.

"Be careful. She might play some Kehlani on the radio," Syd joked.

Kelsey laughed, flipping her off on her way to the door. "Shut up."

She got to the parking lot, finding y/n's Mercedes parked close to the facility. She pulled open the door and climbed in, setting her bag down by her legs when she heard the radio playing..a Kehlani song. She couldn't even hide her little snicker. "What's funny?" Y/n questioned, waiting until she buckled up before pulling out.

"Sorry- it's just, Syd made a joke about you and Kehlani so it's a little ironic-"

"What kinda joke?" She glanced over at her, catching how conflicted and nervous her player was. "Come on, we outside work. You can tell me. I can take a joke." Kelsey cleared her throat, glancing at her coach for a second. "Uhmm, basically she kinda joked about you being gay because your favorite artist is Kehlani." That immediately got a laugh out of y/n as she pulled out of the lot.

"That's actually super funny." Kelsey pursed her lips, glancing out the window deep in thought. She expected y/n to be offended. Then again, the more time she spent around her outside of work, the more she realized how carefree and funny she could be. She was so strict during practices it never really occurred to her. "What about you?"

She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts to tune back into the conversation. "What?"

She chewed on some gum, a little grin on her smooth lips. "You think I'm gay?"

That confused her. She didn't know how to respond to that. "Um..is that a trick question?"

Y/n chuckled softly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other set on her thigh wishing it was Kelsey's instead. "Nah. You can be honest wit' me. I don't take offense. I mean come on- my best friend was Candace Parker. She didn't ever spare me."

"Okay uh..yeah, I think maybe you can come across a little gay." Kelsey answered, half honest with her answer. If she was truly honest, she'd call her a full on lesbian.

"You wanna know the real truth?"

"Enlighten me."

She stopped at a red light, and turned her head to look at her favorite player. "I'm a raging lesbian."

Again, she wasn't surprised but also deeply confused. "But- aren't you..?"

"Married?" She chuckles, "yeah, my husband's gay. It's what we call a lavender marriage." Now she was intrigued. "What was the reason?" Y/n pressed on the gas again, going past the green light. "His parents are...uh, super fucking religious, which can also be code for homophobic."

"What about yours?"

"Exact opposite. They knew I was gay from a young age. But Ray is my best friend, and he didn't want to risk losing his family. I'd do anything for him so when he asked, I didn't say no. As a best friend, I wanted him to be able to live his life freely without the fear of losing them. But uh, don't tell nobody that. I'm tellin' you for a reason." Kelsey smiled softly, eyes gazing over y/n's side profile as she eyed the road. "That's really nice of you. But why tell me? Why not A'ja or Chels? I know you're pretty close with them."

"Not in the way I wanna be close wit' you." She pulled to a stop right in front of Kelsey's house, the one she shared with her fiancé that y/n couldn't give a fuck about.

Kelsey chuckled in disbelief, "me? What's so special about me?"

"What isn't special about you? Seriously. You've got the potential to be MVP. You have the potential to single-handedly carry the worst team in the league to the playoffs. You're special. And you probably don't even realize it. I want to make you realize it." She leaned over, setting a hand over her knee, the players staring deep into her eyes. "As your coach, I need to make you realize you're more than you think, you're greather than you think. That applies to more than just on the court."

She understood, but only on the court. She had no idea what she meant by off it. "I uh..I don't understand how that could apply off the court "

"That's for you to figure out."

Kelsey took a breath and gathered her stuff as y/n's hand slid off her knee. She opened the door and turned to step out, not before looking back at her coach. "Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime."

Getting into her house, by the sound of her fiancé yelling at a monitor, she knew he was home. She set her stuff down and walked down to his office, finding him on the game, headset on, eyes glued to the screen. He didn't spare a glance, but still acknowledged her presence. "Good practice, baby?"

"Yeah uhm, my coach gave me a ride home."

"Which one?"

"Y/n."

He paused his game, turning to her, visibly bothered by her answer. "Yeah give me a sec' I'm talkin' to my girl." He pulled off his headset and walked over to where she stood, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "You know how we said if anything bothers one of us, we tell each other?" Kelsey nodded, wondering where this was going. "I don't really feel comfortable with y/n taking you home- or anywhere really."

That was the last thing she expected to hear. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Look, don't say nothin' but, I heard from some of the guys that she's...she's lesbian." Kelsey furrowed her brows, not sure why that was relevant. "Okay? That's her business. Why do you care? It's not like I'm gay."

"You ain't hearin' me. I don't care that's she's lesbian. It's the fact that people been sayin' she had a relationship with one of her teammates who was married. They be callin' her a homewrecker and like a master manipulater. I just don't want her to get in your head too. That's all." He explained, sliding an arm around her waist. For a split second, she found herself comparing them. The way he touched her, to the way y/n touched her. Then she snapped out of it.

"Those are just rumors, okay? I'm not gonna switch up on you. We're not even close like that. She's just my coach. We're not best friends. You don't gotta worry 'bout her." She assured, setting her hands on his face to bring him down for a kiss.

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"You closin' up?"

"Yeah, I'mma stay back wit' her. I'll catch you tomorrow though." Becky nodded, patting her back before she left the practice court. Y/n took a seat, leaning back in a manspread as she watched Kelsey work on her dribble. She had a tough game and got into her head about it so y/n wanted to hang back and see if she could help. "You dribble in your sleep too?"

Kelsey paused, losing the ball and it rolled over to her coach. "What?"

"You got your pocket picked. It happens to the best of us. Don't think too much into it." She remarked, picking up the ball and standing to her feet. Kelsey rolled her eyes, "whatever." Y/n passed her the ball back, and Kelsey moved to the three point line to shoot. "Attitude don't get you no where."

Kelsey huffed, tired of her presence and consistent comments. "What really happened between you and Candace Parker?"

She froze for a split second before throwing the ball back casually. "Friends grow distant everyday."

"That's bullshit." Kelsey threw the ball, not even in the mood to shoot anymore. Y/n didn't seem fazed. "What's bullshit?" The player stormed over to her, shoving her shoulder. "You! You're bullshit. How come I have to be honest with you and you can just lie straight to my face? You act like you wanna be my friend- you wanna be there for me, yet you can't even afford me the bare minimum of not lying to my face!"

Y/n looked down at her, hands pulled behind her back in a calm composure. "What have I lied about?"

"What don't you lie about?"

"A'ight." She chuckled softly, and god did Kelsey want to smack that smirk on her face. "What do you wanna know?"

"What happened between you and Candace?"

"We had an affair."

Kelsey blinked, already suspecting that but it still felt surprising to hear from her mouth. "They were right about you..."

"Right about what, baby?"

She looked up at her, expression filled with disgust. "You are a homewrecker."

Her smile never faded as she took a step closer, awfully close to her. "See- I can understand why your little boyfriend would care...but I can't see why you would. I mean..it's not like I don't see you undressing me with your eyes. You don't exactly seem opposed to a little cheating."

"I would never cheat on him."

Y/n took another step, arm slipping around her waist to press her body into hers. She didn't fight her hold, not yet. She leaned down, lips grazing over her ear, internally smirking at the little gasp she heard leave her soft lips. "You already have."

She gulped, trying to move but she didn't allow her. "Let me go."

"You'll give in...just like Candy did."

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It was June 20th, about halfway into the W season. They were 13-3 and tomorrow they were playing Chicago Sky who was 11-5. Y/n never looked forward to the Chicago games. It always meant seeing Candace. And everytime they made eye contact for even the smallest second, she was getting glared at. It had been a couple weeks since Kelsey went off on her, and it still didn't stop her from her goal. If she wanted Kelsey, she was gonna have her.

She was a very patient woman.

As soon as the Chicago team landed in Vegas, Candace took an Uber to a lunch spot she agreed to meet Kelsey at. The call just came randomly. She was slightly confused because she wasn't exactly best friends with her. But still, if she wanted to talk, she wasn't gonna deny her that. She got there quick, immediately making her way over to the booth in the corner. Kelsey got up and they shared a hug. "Thanks for coming. I know this was last minute."

"Of course. It was no problem." She assured, taking a seat across from her. "What'd you wanna talk about?"

"I wanna talk about y/n."

Candace's eyes shot up from the menu, body growing tense. She cleared her throat, wishing she had a glass of water. "Umm okay. What's up?"

"She told me about the affair."

Candace hummed, catching on. She knew what this was about. Just thinking about it pissed her off. "She uh...she got to you, hasn't she?" Kelsey cleared her throat awkwardly, "I don't- I don't know what you mean."

"Look, Kelsey, you are playing a dangerous game. Y/n does not love you." Kelsey didn't believe that. She didn't want to. "That's not true. You don't see what she does. The touches, the looks-" Candace sighed, "no, no, I see exactly what she does 'cause she did it to me. She loves your relationship. She loves the thought of ruining it. That's what she does. She slips her way into your life and makes you fall in love so deep it consumes you and once you leave your relationship, she'll leave you and move on to the next. She gets off on that shit."

"How do you know that? Maybe she just fell out of love-"

"Kelsey, I know she's your coach- and it seems like she cares about you but I promise she doesn't. All she wants is to make you fall, ruin your relationship, and leave." She leaned over the table to take her hands, "don't fall for it. Don't even so much as kiss her. Do not give in. Remember, she will never go to you. So don't ever go to her. You promise?"

"I promise."

The next day, it was during warmups when Y/n got up to use the bathroom. She walked down the hall, locating the restrooms and entering the women's one. She was barely able to get to the sinks before she was pushed against the wall. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" She grinned at the sight of Candace, "I don't know what you could possibly be talking about."

"Don't do that. Don't talk to me in that sultry voice with those flirty eyes thinkin' I'm gonna fold." She scowled, y/n's shirt balled up in her fists. "It was worth a shot." She whispered, leaning in closer to the point their lips were only an inch or two away. "You here to tell me how much of a bad girl I've been? Or you just miss me?"

"I'm married- and before you start, yes, happily."

"You know happily never stopped me. Not when it comes to you and that pretty, tight little-" Candace smacked her across the face, and her head swung to the side. She chuckled, wiping her mouth to check for blood. "Alright. You wanna get rough? We can get rough." She grabbed onto her waist and turned her around, pressing her against the sink counter, chest pressed against her back. "Let me go!"

"You just assaulted me. I'm simply using my right to defend myself, Candy girl." She cupped her jaw with a smile, "God, you're so pretty. Look at that face. I miss it so much." She pressed a kiss to her neck, Candace trying her hardest not to give into it again, breath hitching at the feeling of her lips. "Miss watchin' those tears run down your cheeks when I fucked you in your husband's bed."

"You can have me back on one condition."

Her eyes sparkled with interest, "and what's that, baby?"

"You leave Kelsey alone."

Her hands dropped, immediately leaving Candace's body. She backed up, shaking her head. "No deal."

Candace turned in disbelief, "what the fuck is your obsession with her? She's not even gay. This is pointless. You're not gonna get anything out of it. Just leave her alone."

"I can't."

She scoffed, recognizing that look in her eyes, the same look she got before. "You can't seriously be in love with her."

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, it is. So what is it this time. Huh? What's the ulterior motive?"

"There isn't one." She denied, and she was being truthful but of course Candace wasn't buying it. "You expect me to believe you're going after her in good faith? For love?"

"I don't care what you believe, Candace."

She sighed deeply, "come on, leave her alone, y/n. She's young. She doesn't need to put up with your games."

"Can't do that, Candy."

"Fine. Do what you want." Candace took a step towards her, "but next year? I'm coming to the Aces to keep my eye on you."

"Go ahead."

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"I brought you back some mozzarella sticks. They still hot." Y/n stared up the ceiling of her apartment, Raymond walking over and lifting her legs to sit down before bringing them back on his lap. She sat up and grabbed the container of food. "How was your date, husband?"

"Terrible. He's a republican." Y/n snicked, taking a bite of the mozzarella stick. "Nothing we hate more than republican gays." He nodded in agreement, rubbing her back, "it sucks. His dick was big." She raised a brow, "you fucked?" He shook his head in disgust and disappointment, "what? No. We sent nudes."

"You'll find your guy. Don't worry."

"What about you? What's up with the sour mood? That's unlike you."

"I'm getting desperate." His eyes widened, turning to her in shock and she nodded, visibly disappointed with herself. "I know..it's bad. She hasn't made a single move. I had to stop myself from going to her house." He glanced at the handcuffs on the table, figuring she must've used them to keep herself in the house. "That explains the cuffs. I thought you had someone over."

"I did. How do you think I stayed put?"

"How was that?"

"Horrible. I kept thinking about her. God, this is pathetic. I feel..." he shook his head, "don't say it."

"I feel impatient."

"Oh, my god. Y/n! What has gotten into you?" She frowned, plopping her head back onto the pillow. "I know, right? I never feel like this. I'm the prize. I could handle three months. But five? I'm not cut out to wait this long. I need her. This is the most work I've done for a woman in years, not since Candace, and I worked my ass off for her."

"Damn right you did."

"What if I don't get her?"

"Don't say that!" He scolded, pulling her back up. "You get whatever you want. If you gotta break a rule and go to her first, you do it. Get your fuckin' girl."

"Right now?"

"No, not right now. It's 3 in the morning. Pick another day. Maybe...after y'all win the championship."

"Speaking of championship..." She crossed her legs under her, setting the mozzarella sticks aside to get a little more serious. "I want to make a bet." He hummed, "I'm listening." She took a breath, building up the courage to say it. "If we win the championship this year, I want to file for a divorce. But I don't want you to hate me."

"Hey, hey, I could never hate you. Alright? You've done more than enough sacrificing for me. Twenty years of marriage is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. Championship or not, I'd be happy to grant you a divorce." She smiled warmly, heart filled with eternal gratitude. She wrapped her arms around him, "thank you. I'm so glad you're my best friend."

"I'm blessed you're mine. You were the best wife a closeted gay man could ask for." She chuckled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Maybe now..this means you'll stop sticking your nose in marriages and build your own?" He teased, and she shrugged, "we'll see."

"You give me a headache. Can we file now?"

"Fuck you."

A couple weeks went by, they made it to the finals of the WNBA playoffs. They were in Connecticut for game four, an elimination game if the Sun didn't win. If Aces got the win, they got the championship. It was a game everyone needed to step up for. A game they absolutely had to win to end this series early. "Plum's stayin' late. You wanna supervise?" Becky asked, knowing y/n got through to Kelsey a lot more than she did.

"Yeah, I'll stay. See you tomorrow partner." She dapped her up and Becky walked out the gym, leaving her assistant coach and players alone. Y/n took a seat, watching Kelsey and Chelsea go one on one to work on potential matchups tomorrow. They were gonna have to guard players like Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams, two very good guards.

"Williams likes that mid-range. You gotta shake her up, make her take bad shots." She added towards Chelsea who was more likely to encounter Williams on the court. Just like Kelsey would be on Hiedeman. "She talk shit too. Don't let her get into your head. You gotta be a brick wall. Don't let nothin' through. If you can't do that, talk yo' shit back. Talk back to her like you talk back to me."

Chelsea chuckled, "I don't even talk back like that."

"Why you lyin'?" Kelsey retorts, knowing damn well Chelsea had lots to say about y/n, especially when they were hanging out after practice and y/n had went in on her. "Why you puttin' my business out like that?"

"It's been out for years babygirl. You know she used to cuss me out when we was teammates too." Y/n instigated, and Chelsea grinned at the memories. She really hated that y/n went from her teammate to coach. Meanwhile, y/n was living for it. "That's 'cause you was always tryna outdo me when we guarded each other during practice," Chelsea argued.

"She does that to me too, you ain't special," Kelsey remarks.

Chelsea scoffed in disbelief. "You lyin'. When have y'all ever 1v1'ed?"

"Literally after every practice. It's like our little routine. She likes to humble me after a good practice. And after a bad one, she let's me beat her." Kelsey explained, glancing over at her coach who was smirking as she snacked on some skittles. "So that's what y'all be doin' after practice. I thought y'all was havin' an affair." Chelsea joked, the two going a little quiet.

Y/n shrugs, leaning back in her chair and tossing a skittle in her mouth. "If that were true, I'd be fired."

"So are y'all goin' one on one or..? Am I not allowed to witness it?" Chelsea questioned.

Y/n looked to Kelsey, pushing a braid behind her ear, two braids loose to frame her face as the rest was pulled into a bun. "Up to you." Kelsey wasn't going for it. She wanted to keep that strictly between them. It was a routine she didn't wanna mess up. "We don't like an audience."

"Damn, it's like that. Alright. I'mma go then. Y'all have fun." Chelsea chuckled, sharing a side hug with Kelsey. She walked over to coach, dapping her up before finally leaving.

Y/n popped another skittle in her mouth, her nonchalant attitude beginning to frustrate Kelsey. "You gonna get up or do I gotta take my clothes off to get your attention?" That got an annoying smile out of her. "Would you like me to object to that?" Kelsey rolled her eyes and y/n finally got up to approach her. "That's pretty inappropriate of you, coach." She retorts.

"I can leave if it makes you so uncomfortable."

Kelsey tucked the basketball under her arm, tilting her head up at her coach. "Who said it made me uncomfortable?"

Y/n smiled, poking the ball out to take it from her. Kelsey snatched it back quickly and began to dribble as y/n got into a defensive position. "What do I get if I win?" She asked, silently working out how she was gonna get past her and to the basket. Her coach just chuckled in amusement, it was mocking. "Who said I was letting you win?"

"Those old knees ain't gonna stop me from kicking your ass," Kelsey retorts.

"I'm 37, not 50. If I wanted to come out of retirement tomorrow I could, and the first thing I'd do is kick your ass." She shot back, not backing down when it came to trash talk. She was a professional at that.

"You seem to forget I know all your tricks, all your footwork, all your plays." She pushed past her, running to the basket for a layup only to get blocked at the rim. Y/n exhaled, a cocky smirk finding her lips. "And you forget, you only know what I choose to give you. There's a lot you don't know about me." Kelsey huffed, tossing the ball back to her. "Does that apply off the court?"

"Everything I say applies off the court."

"We're getting married next year. I chose the date." Kelsey stated, putting a halt in her coach's step.

She took a breath before stepping outside the 3 point line. "Congratulations. I hope you everything you want out of it. Marriage is..it's great." Kelsey gulped, nodding in agreement. "Thank you. I'm uh- I'm really happy."

She couldn't even focus anymore. It was unusual. Typically, she'd smile, be cocky and arrogant when she heard about the marriage 'cause it'd only fuel her to ruin it. But this time? It was different. She didn't want her to get married, not to him. He didn't deserve her. He didn't even deserve to breathe the same air as her. It infuriated her. It pulled at her anger the more she thought about it. She had to leave before she did something she'd regret. "I think maybe we should pick this back up tomorrow."

Kelsey frowned in confusion, watching her walk away, ball slipping out of her hand. "Why are you going?"

"Don't stop me."

"What does that even mean?" Kelsey didn't listen. No, she walked after her and grabbed her wrist, turning her around abruptly.

She couldn't stop herself. She tried, but in the end, her impulse won. In that swift second, her lips were on Kelsey's, arms sliding around her waist to bring her impossibly close. She lived for it, down to the little gasp that slipped past her lips, to her soft hands that landed on her face gentle with surprise.

It was wrong. She was a coach. She was Kelsey's coach. It was against her contract, against everything a coach stood for.

But she couldn't stop.

October 5th was the last day they spent together, closely and intimately. Y/n moved out of Vegas as soon as her contract ran out, just a week after winning the championship. Kelsey was beyond upset. She was confused. She was lost. She was heartbroken. She didn't understand any of it. She spent the best week of her life with her and she just left like it meant nothing. She left right when she was ready to choose her over him just like Candace said she would.

The day after she married, she got news Y/n signed with the New York Liberty as an assistant coach. Everyone in New York was ecstatic, thrilled to hear the news. But Kelsey? No. She was sick to her stomach. She really thought it'd be different. She thought she was the lucky one. The one to change y/n, make her fall in love, make her change her ways. But no. She was just another notch on her belt. Another Candace.

It was the 12th, the New York Liberty were in Vegas for their 3rd preseason game. Kelsey was at Candace's apartment, hoping the vet would talk her out of pulling up to y/n's hotel room. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You lied to me."

Kelsey gulped, "I'd prefer the term, swayed the truth."

"You swayed the truth from me, and well, you not only kissed her, but slept with her several times in what...two weeks?" Candace questioned, and Kelsey shifted in her seat. "One and half technically. The sex wasn't very good either." She scoffed, clocking that lie immediately. "Alright, I'm gonna need you to stop bullshitting me. If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable."

"I'm not here for you to grill me. I'm here for you to stop me from going to see her and give her a piece of my mind 'cause God knows I got a lot of shit to say-" Candace cleared her throat and she quieted, taking a breath to calm herself down. "Let's get this straight. You had a short little affair with her, fell in love, and she left you when you wanted to get serious."

"Don't forget she left, and got divorced anyways."

"Right, yes. I'm still not understanding why you would go see her. I told you this exact thing would happen. You're just doing what she wants you to do. You're feeding into her mind games. You're letting her win." Candace reached for her glass of water and passed it to Kelsey who looked very sick. She always felt like it when she spoke of y/n. "This is what she does. She gets off on having control over you."

"That's why I want to stop it! I want to go over there and tell her to her face-"

"And what? Let her smooth talk you? It's been years since I was with her and she still has control over me. There's times where I see her and I think of what could've been. But I had to snap myself back into reality. I had to realize that she was a horrible person who took advantage of me for her own selfish desires. You need to do the same. You need forget about her. You need to thrive in your beautiful marriage. You need to take control of your life again. She does not love you and she told you that when she left without so much as a goodbye."

Half an hour later, Kelsey sat in her car thinking about what Candace said. It had worked. Until she seen her husband's name pop up on her phone. She declined the call. She started the car and drove straight to the hotel she knew the New York team were staying at. Thankfully, she was friends with someone on the team so she was able to get the room number y/n was staying in.

She knocked on the door three times. She heard laughter, then the shuffling of feet. The door was pulled open, and there she was. Y/n froze, and so did Kelsey, heart skipping a beat. "Oh hey, Kelsey. What are you doing here?" Kelsey blinked, looking over at Sabrina who stood beside her former coach. "I uh- I need to talk to y/n if that's okay."

Sabrina smiled and nodded, "that's fine. We were just wrapping up. I'll leave you to it." She pressed a kiss to her coach's cheek as she gave her a little side hug. Then she stepped out and brought Kelsey into a quick hug before she was down the hall.

Barely able to process y/n was grabbing Kelsey's arm and pulling her into the room like a secret. "What are you doing here?"

Kelsey immediately didn't like her attitude. "Is Sab one of your next victims? I figured you weren't into blondes."

"Are you serious? You think you can burst into my hotel room uninvited and accuse me of sleeping with my player?" Kelsey shrugged, not sure what to expect from her. Not when she pulled what she did in Vegas. "A girl I coached in college?! Do you really think that low of me? Incase you didn't know, Sabrina's like a daughter to me."

"Excuse me for thinking so low of you when you've done nothing but manipulate me."

"Oh please miss me with that bullshit. You weren't a victim." She scoffed, running a hand down her face in exasperation. She honestly didn't expect Kelsey to show up. She didn't think she had it in her. "You're right. I wasn't." Kelsey saw through her. She saw the stress. The hurt in her eyes. "So why'd you do it? Why'd you leave if you claimed to love me so much?"

She felt insulted. Obviously Kelsey had every right to think it was a lie but it still hurt. Especially when she never lied about love. She didn't lie when she said she loved Candace. And she didn't lie when she said she was in love with Kelsey. "I left because I loved you. Because I knew I could I couldn't stay away from you. Because I knew I couldn't love you the way you deserved to be loved. I left because I loved you so much you're protection was all I cared about."

She wiped away a stray tear, taking a second to compose herself the best she could. "I didn't care if people found out. I didn't care about my image but I'd be dammed if I let you get smeared for my doings. It would quite literally tear me apart little by little if I had to see you getting your career destroyed all because you fell in love with me. Does that answer your question, Kelsey? Because I don't know what more you could want from me. You've already got my heart. Do you want my soul too?"

She picked up her glass of bourbon, taking another drink after receiving just silence from the woman she loved. "You got what you wanted, baby. You made me fall in love. Is that what you want? You want me to get down on my knees and tell you how much it is killing me to see you with him? To see you love him- to imagine you laying in bed beside him when I know if I chose to be selfish it could've been me?"

Kelsey closed the distance between them, crashing her lips onto hers. Hands found her waist, lifting her up and moving to the bed to lay her down. Lips moved down her neck, hands slipping under her shirt. "I love you." She whispered against her neck.

Kelsey brought her back up, cupping her face gently. "I love you too."

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