Making It Count, page 30
As Layne stood at the end of Shay’s bed, wrapping Shay’s ankle after putting another ice pack on it for her, Shay smiled up at her. Then, they ate on Shay’s bed, talking mostly about the game tomorrow night and what Layne had seen on film.
“You’re good at this,” Shay told her, resting her head on Layne’s chest later that night.
“At holding you?”
“Yes, that, too.” She chuckled. “But I meant coaching.”
“I’m not coaching.”
“Yes, you are,” Shay said and pushed Layne’s shirt up in order to get her hand on her girlfriend’s skin. “You’re a great player, but you might even make a better coach one day.”
“I might have to be.”
“Have to? You don’t like it?”
“I think I like it enough to be a graduate assistant, but I still want to be in sports management. I like the idea of getting athletes great contracts and sponsorship deals, especially the female athletes.”
Shay closed her eyes and said, “In Chicago?”
“You know, the other day, I saw a job posting for that company I had the internship with. It’s not for anything I could or would do, but I just clicked on it out of curiosity. It mentioned that they’re going remote for a while, with the option for the role to be permanently remote. I think this is about to be the new normal. It won’t just be until COVID isn’t as bad as it is now.”
“And?”
“And maybe I can work somewhere and not have to go into an office. I don’t know. First, I have to figure out if I’m staying in my MBA program or not, but that’s for another day. Right now, I want to hold you all night again, wake up next to you, and get ready for our final game together.”
Shay smiled before she kissed Layne’s neck.
CHAPTER 38
Layne looked around and was actually glad there were no fans in the stands. There was already enough pressure on the players without them there, and if the place had been full, it would’ve been the largest crowd anyone at Dunbar had ever played in front of. That would make anyone nervous, and she was nervous enough already: they were playing the number one seed in the whole tournament. Their opponent had been the number one ranked team for most of the regular season, had won their conference, and had only lost two close games all year. This would be a real David and Goliath battle in which Layne wasn’t sure that Dunbar would come out on top.
“They’re faster, stronger, bigger, and you’re probably wondering if we even stand a chance,” Coach began.
“Well, I wasn’t, but I am now,” Hilton joked.
Coach rolled her eyes and said, “We have the better game plan. We just have to put it to work. We have to execute high-percentage shots, make our free throws, play tight defense, and not get into foul trouble. We’re ready for this. No one else has made it this far, so let’s show them why we’re here.”
They put their hands in and yelled, ‘Dunbar!’ before the starters walked out on the court.
“I don’t know about you, but I was ready for her to start in with, ‘Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose,’ there for a second,” Shay said.
Layne smiled over at her.
“You ready?” Shay asked then.
“I’m ready,” she replied.
Hilton lost the tip, which really wasn’t surprising. Their competitor tonight had the likely first pick in the draft, along with probable picks two through five. Or, at least, all of their starters would go in the first or second round at the latest. The only two games they’d lost that year had been due to COVID illnesses or injuries to those starters. Layne had been fully prepared to run more than she had all season, with how fast they all were. She got a dose of that with the very first play when the player she was guarding ran circles around her, shot a quick jumper, and made the easy two.
“Shit,” she whispered to herself.
“We’re okay,” Shay told her, probably hearing her, and placed her hand on Layne’s shoulder briefly before she went to inbound.
Shay called the play, and they shuttled the ball quickly from player to player until the zone defense was bouncing back and forth and unable to keep up with the speed of the ball. Layne shot a three, and it went in. She got a little of her confidence back then. They’d only played thirty-nine seconds so far, but Dunbar was up by one, at least.
The next several minutes, they went back and forth, with the other team hitting a two or a three and Dunbar hitting a two or a three. Dunbar kept their fouls in check, but so did their competition. With the amount of running back and forth, Layne was already feeling tired. Coach noticed and pulled her. Layne took a seat, grabbed some water, checked the clock and the score, and prepared to go back in as soon as Coach yelled for her.
“For Shay,” Coach ordered with one minute left on the clock in the first quarter.
Layne went in for Shay and took over at point to give her a rest. She passed to Ledger, who took a shot at the top of the key and made it. Going into the second quarter, they were all exhausted, and Dunbar was down by four. Layne looked around the chairs as they all breathed heavily and downed water and Gatorade to replace the sweat they’d lost.
“Stay with them,” Coach instructed. “No one has been able to do so, but we have. Keep taking good shots. Play tight D. We’re still in this. Stay with them until half. We’ll regroup then.”
With two minutes left in the second quarter, Shay hit a three, but the other team made two twos in a row. Layne hit a shot, got fouled, and then made her free throw, but the other team made a three. At the end of the half, they were still down by four.
Layne looked around the locker room during the break. They only played seven players usually, but Coach might need to let another bench player get in the game because things were looking bleak.
“Okay. How are we?” Coach asked. “Shay? Ankle?”
“Honestly, it’s a little sore.”
Layne looked over at her and watched as the trainer retaped the ankle for Shay.
“Can you play?” Coach checked.
“Yeah, but it’s going to get worse.”
“Layne?”
“Yes, Coach?”
“Can you handle more minutes when I need to give her breaks?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Ledger?”
“Yeah?”
“When Layne runs point, I want you to get that double-team off her. She’s made three threes for us tonight. I need her to get the ball and get open.”
Ledger nodded.
“Hilton, great job staying out of foul trouble. You’ve got four to give. Use them in this half, but be smart.”
Hilton nodded, too.
“Hey, we’re only down by four,” Coach encouraged them. “No one thought we’d be here this far in the game. Hell, no one even thought a twelve seed would make it out of the Sweet Sixteen, but here we are. We deserve to be here. You remember that when you go out there and get back on that court.”
Minutes later, they went back out and shot around, getting warmed back up for the second half.
“You know what?” Shay said just to her.
“What?”
“I love you.”
Layne smiled and said, “Okay. Well, I love you, too. Why are you so happy? We’re losing.”
“I’m not,” Shay replied with a shrug. “I’m not losing, I mean.” She smacked Layne on the ass.
“Babe!” Layne laughed before adding, “And that’s a pretty good line, by the way.”
“It’s the truth. I don’t know if we are going to win. I want to, but they’re better than us. It’s pretty easy to see. What I do know is that, even if we lose today, I still win because tonight, you’ll be in my room with me.”
“Yes, I will.”
“And when we get back to the dorm, you’ll be with me there, too, right?”
“We still need to be smart,” Layne replied. “I don’t want to get kicked out of the dorm before the end of the year.”
“We will. But I don’t want to stay away from you anymore.”
“I don’t want that, either,” Layne said. “Now, head back in the game, Captain.” She bumped Shay’s shoulder playfully.
When the game restarted, Dunbar made a quick two, but within the next three minutes, they were down by eight. Then, ten. Then, twelve, and it seemed almost impossible for them to climb back, with the other team making just about every shot they were taking and Dunbar in a slump.
After two time-outs, they finally made their first basket in five minutes.
“Hey, let’s go!” Shay yelled after she hit it and slapped their hands as they ran back on defense. “We’re not out of this!”
Her faith in them helped, and they managed a turnover and a shot. Then, two more. Layne made a three, and at the beginning of the fourth quarter, they were back to being down by four.
“Hey, we’ve been hanging in. Now, let’s amp it up. I want the lead,” Shay said when they huddled up at the free-throw line. “Let’s show them how we got here.”
Layne ran the baseline as fast as she could, caught the ball, shot, and made the three. On the next play, Ledger caught a sloppy pass and got it up to Shay, who made the layup. Shay then landed awkwardly but told Layne she was fine, just needed a rest, and went to the bench.
Layne was on point. Ledger did her job and got her open. With four minutes left, Layne made a two, shortening Dunbar’s deficit to only one.
With three minutes left, Shay was back in the game, but Coach had Layne run the next play. They got Shay open, and she made another three. Dunbar was now tied with the number one team in the country.
With thirty seconds left, Dunbar played the tightest defense of their lives because they were still tied, and when the shot went up, they all watched it in almost slow motion, silently praying it didn’t go in. The ball bounced off the rim, and by the time the other team got the offensive rebound, the buzzer had sounded. They were going to overtime.
They were wiped, and Layne knew it, but as she looked over at the other huddle, she could tell the other team was, too. She wasn’t sure they’d had to play this hard all season. If everyone was tired now, though, Dunbar might have a chance. They’d play for another five minutes, and someone would be crowned a national champion.
Shay, Layne, Ledger, Hilton, and Roy took the court. Layne winked at Shay, who smiled back at her. The clock started rolling. They held their competition to only two points in the first two minutes, but they hadn’t scored themselves and were now down by two, with only three minutes left. Hilton’s shot hit the glass and rolled along the rim before dropping inside, tying things up, but they lost one of the guards on the other side of the court, and a quick three from their competitor meant that Dunbar was now down by three, with a minute and a half left.
After holding the ball for as long as they could, they made a two and went back on defense, managing to hold the other team to no points and getting a rebound. When Shay brought the ball up, Layne saw her checking the clock. There were sixty seconds left when Shay got the ball inside to Hilton, who passed it out to Roy, who took a shot. It went in just as the shot clock expired. They were only down by one, with under a minute left, but it wasn’t time to foul. They would have another possession. Until then, they just needed to hold the other team to two points or none at all, and they’d have a chance to tie it up.
Then, Hilton fouled under the basket and on the shot. Not only that, but she fouled the best free-throw shooter on the opposing team, who made the shot and would now have a chance to put her team up by four, with under thirty seconds left in the game. Hilton looked dejected, but Shay hurried over to her, and Layne heard her tell Hilton to let it go. There was still time left.
When the free throw went in, Layne saw it slipping away, but she held it together. Shay got her the ball, and Layne took a three with sixteen seconds left. It was a shot that she only took because she’d been open, but it went in. They were down by one, with fourteen seconds left. Now was the time to start fouling. They had one to give, so on the inbound, Shay fouled quickly, forcing the other team to inbound again. Layne fouled that time, and they walked to the other end of the court for one and one.
A miss on this shot from their opponent would give Dunbar time to rebound and run a play for the win. They didn’t miss. Dunbar was down by two. The second shot didn’t go in, though, and Dunbar needed a two to tie or a three to win.
Fourteen seconds on the clock. Layne’s heart was racing. She’d never been this tired or this winded. Shay looked tired and winded, too, but also ready. Hilton got the rebound and passed it to Roy, who had been the closest to her. Roy got it to Layne, who brought the ball up and scanned the court. She knew where Shay would go, but so did the opposition’s defense. Two players made their way out to guard Shay.
“Roy!” Layne yelled.
Roy hurried over and set a pick for Shay. Hilton moved out from under the basket and set a pick for the other player who had been guarding Shay. Shay rushed to Layne, who practically handed her the ball. Then, Layne stood still and waited. Shay was behind her, but Layne knew what she’d do. Shay fired off a three with four seconds left on the clock. If she missed, they’d have time for a rebound and to put up a quick two, but Shay didn’t miss.
Shay made the three, and with one second left on the clock, there wasn’t enough time for the other team to inbound the ball and get a shot off. The few people in the stadium cheered. The Dunbar bench went wild. Still, there was that second left, so everyone stayed where they were. Then, the ball came in, and the buzzer sounded.
Dunbar University had won it all. The biggest Cinderella team of the season was now the best team in the country.
Shay was in her arms before Layne knew it, and she held on to her so tightly.
“I love you,” Shay said. “I can’t believe we did it!”
“God, I love you,” Layne replied and kissed Shay on her sweaty neck. “You’re so fucking amazing.”
“So are you.” Shay pulled out of the hug and kissed Layne on the lips. “And we’re no longer teammates, so–” She pulled Layne in for a deeper kiss, which Layne happily accepted.
Seconds later, they were pulled apart by Hilton and Ledger, which was appropriate because they were part of a team; they could celebrate as a couple alone later. The whole celebration was a blur, though, and it ended before Layne knew it. They walked over and told the other team, ‘Good game,” before they practically rushed back into their locker room.
“Something you two want to tell me?” Coach asked.
“We’ve been together for over a year,” Shay answered. “And I know we still have to be careful, but, Coach, can Layne and I share a room tonight? To be honest, we’re going to do it anyway, but if we have your permission, that will make it a lot easier.”
Their coach laughed and said, “It’s fine. But masks everywhere outside of that room until we’re back, yeah?”
“Yes, Coach,” Layne replied for both of them. “And, Coach?”
“Yeah?”
“I know you’ve put me up for that extra year, but I don’t want it,” Layne said. “I…” She looked at Shay. “I don’t want to play without her. And I think I’d like to go out with a win, you know?”
“You don’t think we’ll repeat next year?” Coach teased.
Layne laughed and said, “I wouldn’t put it past you. Is the offer to be a grad assistant still on the table, though? If so, I can do that.”
“It is,” Coach replied. “Let’s talk when we get back. We’ll find the money to help you out with school.”
“Thank you!” Layne said, feeling like she might have part of her future worked out at least.
“And, Shay, you’re the top requested interview,” Coach added. “I’m sure you’re not surprised. You and Layne will be representing us for the virtual press, so celebrate for a few minutes with your team and get yourselves ready. You should get used to that, too.” She pointed at Shay. “You’re about to get drafted, kid.”
EPILOGUE
After her second year with the Indiana Fever, Shay was traded to the Chicago Sky, which had been her request, and the team had been kind enough to let her go. She hadn’t played many minutes for them during the two seasons anyway, and they’d gotten a draft pick for the following season out of it, so she didn’t think they cared too much. After all, it was all business when someone played a professional sport. Nothing should be taken personally.
Shay had already felt lucky to have been drafted at all after being the captain of the first twelve seed ever to make it into the Elite Eight, Final Four, and then a National Championship game. When Dunbar had managed to win the whole thing, Shay had gone in the third round to Indiana. She’d been the second-to-last pick, but she hadn’t cared. She’d been from a school that hadn’t even played Division I basketball all that long ago and had managed to win a championship.
Yes, people had called it a championship during a COVID season. Some had said they wouldn’t have won it otherwise. And while none of them would ever know for sure, that team they’d beaten in the end had had four of its five starters return, and their backup starter had been their first woman off the bench the season before. They’d all gone in the first round of Shay’s draft, so the fact that Dunbar had pulled off a victory against them said something to Shay.
It had been three years since that championship, and Dunbar had made the tournament the following year, but they’d lost in the second round as a thirteen seed. They hadn’t made it back since, which made Shay a little sad, but that was how it went sometimes. Their coach had been poached the year after their championship and had moved on to a bigger school, which she deserved. Losing Shay, Hilton, Layne, and a couple of other seniors meant that Dunbar had had to rebuild for a bit after that, but this season, they were on track for a pretty decent year and would at least make their conference championship tournament if not the NCAA tourney, too.
Shay had requested the move to Chicago because Layne had moved there after she’d finished her MBA at Dunbar and had gotten a scout role at Northwestern, working for the women’s basketball team. Scouting wasn’t what Layne wanted to do forever, and she had hopes that she’d get into sports management in a few years, but she was great at spotting basketball talent. She’d spent the past two years as a graduate assistant at Dunbar and had helped their coaching staff recruit a couple of three-star recruits out of high school, along with a four-star. Shay had helped as well by showing up and talking to them about her time at Dunbar and now playing pro ball.
