One Winner

Kate read the message sent from Nika at just one glance. It didn't take until her second glance over the message until it finally hit her. UConn made it to the Final Four as well. All Kate was capable of at this moment was to stare at the message repeatedly as her heart dropped. She wasn't sure if it was a good sinking feeling or a bad one.

Yes Kate had dreams and thoughts of UConn and Iowa facing off, but she never thought that it would actually happen. The chances of this actually happening seemed nearly impossible to Kate once she found out they were going against LSU. But God and the Hawkeyes worked all of their magic and came out on top.

The look on Kate's face changed immediately to a blank face. The face didn't go unnoticed by Caitlin despite how stupid she is.

"What's wrong Kate? You look, you look.. I mean, you don't seem happy anymore like you were a few seconds ago. Are you all good?" Caitlin's voice startled Kate, causing her to stop spacing out.

"Yea it's just, we're versing UConn in a few days." Jaws dropped and audible gasps were heard from the room. Kate knew everyone's thoughts even without anybody saying anything,

If this was a few months ago, Kate was sure everybody's reaction would be so much different. None of them at the time had confidence that they were going to ever beat UConn. But they did a few months ago. That gave every single one of them the boost of energy they needed and were all stoked now that they got to rematch them.

Out of everyone on the team, if there was someone who was going to be stuck in their head, then it was going to be Kate. Kate knew the reason why she played so well in the last match-up. The problem is that she's seen so many times on television where one person in the relationship is so caught up in everything and then they play shitty and let the team down.

Despite all of that, everyone continued to celebrate as Caitlin began to do the 'disco fever' emote from Fortnite. She loved every chance she got to verse UConn. Not only would she see her bestie, Paige, but she also got to prove Geno Auriemma wrong every single time and show that not recruiting her was a mistake.

Nonetheless, Kate got so caught up and distracted that she forgot to text Nika back. Nika should be prepared this time and know that Kate or the others aren't going to go easy on them just because they're all friends. It's the thing for everybody who has ever done a sport. Friends off the court, enemies on it.

Nika ♥️

See you at the Final Four.

Princeza💘

see you then

April 3rd, 2023

Albany International Airport

It was early morning in Albany International Airport. The Hawkeyes were catching a flight to Cleveland to play in the Final Four in two days. Normally for flights they had to catch during tournaments, whether it was B1G or NCAA, they would take very early flights or very late night flights so they never waste any necessary time they would need for practice.

The flight system the Hawkeyes had was a very functional one. Although there were three seats  per row, they would most of the time leave one empty. Caitlin and Kate sat to each other on every single flight since Caitlin came to Iowa. It hurt knowing this was the last time they were going to be travelling to play for a game. If they made it passed the Final Four, the Championship game was still in Cleveland.

Unfortunately for them since Albany was a smaller airport, they had a connecting flight in Dulles, Virginia, but the layover was relatively short and all of them knew about it already.

For the next day and a half this flight would be the Hawkeyes' time of rest. As soon as they checked into the hotel, they were going to a practice facility somewhere in Cleveland and doing two hours of practice on the court then an hour and a half in the weight room. Once done with that they had a 1 hour meal break, then back to the courts for 2 hours, dinner, then rest.

The next day would be quite similar but they would be substituting another 2 hour practice for amenities like the cold plunge, massages, or sauna to assure that nobody is sore for the next day. Coach Bluder recommends everyone do both cold plunge and the sauna but the only people who actually enjoy the cold plunge are Kate, Caitlin, AJ, and surprisingly, Kylie.

Caitlin and Kate were now in their plane seats with Kate taking the window seat. There was nothing but pure, comfortable silence between the duo. Kate managed to knock out Caitlin's humming with her airpods.

"Can you believe next time we're going to New York its going to be for when we get drafted into the W?" Kate took out one of her airpods, making her music pause as she listened to Caitlin's question.

"You mean when you get drafted? But no, I seriously can't believe it. Like what do you mean in a week and a half from now Miss Caitlin Clark won't be my teammate anymore? She's going to betray all of us for new people." Caitlin rolled her eyes as Kate started to poke at her.

"Well yes because now I will actually get to verse you and kick your ass on something that's more than just 1v1's."

April 5th, 2024

Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio

The energy seemed to be totally different than it was a few days ago. There was around an hour and a half until the game started and the nerves were finally starting to hit everyone. Doubts were getting into everyone's head and the majority of the Hawkeyes began to wonder if they even deserved to be in this spot and if they were going to win.

Everyone was well rested and not sore whatsoever. The past two days were filled with brutal and excruciating practices but everyone knew that was the only way you could get better and improve. Temporary pain is fine when the outcome is satisfaction.

This matchup was already projected to become the most watched college basketball game on ESPN. Social Medias such as TikTok and Instagram were all talking about this matchup. Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers were the college hoopers of America. But with the girlfriend matchup of Nika and Kate, it just added so much more to the pot. Four players every women's basketball watcher loved all in one game. What more could someone ask for?

The next ten minutes in the locker room was filled with everybody locking in. It's not often when people get a second chance at things. Iowa made some mistakes last year but this was their chance to get it right. It's more than just a game. Championships are cool and stuff but being at the Final Four means you did it for your region. You won for them. That's more important than just some ring.

And how good would it feel to beat the Basketball Capital of the World not once, but twice?

Kate stood up ready to give her pre-game speech to the rest of the girls. It was a routine at this point so everyone knew to lower the music and pay attention to the blonde.

"A year ago, around this time, we were in the same spot with another team that was nowhere near easy to defeat. But we did beat them. And we will beat UConn just like we had done before." Kate scanned her eyes across the room. She never took any of her speeches for granted as they may have been the last. But here she was today, still present to give another one.

"I want us to go out there no matter if we win or lose, that we showed to ourselves and ourselves only, that we did all that we were able to do. That we gave this game our all and that we will leave with no regrets. I'm so thankful for you all and thank you for making this year a very special one. Together on 3. 1, 2, 3!"

No one missed the queue. "Together!"

Kate, Caitlin, Hannah, Gabbie, and Sydney all huddled up near their bench just a minute before the game started. It was difficult for Kate not to look at Nika at this moment. Kate didn't know it yet but Nika was already looking at her. Looking at Kate is worth the consequences from Geno.

Bet it was amazing for Ryan and Rebecca to commentate this game since they loved talking about the girlfriends on opposing teams. No shade whatsoever towards those two. They just loved being messy sometimes though.

Real quickly before tipoff began, Kate walked over to Nika as everyone else was greeting each other.

"Have a good game. I love you."

Nika's jaw almost dropped hearing those three words come out of Kate's mouth. Nika looked up at Kate who had a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face.

"I love you too." Nika didn't know what strategy Kate was planning. Was this a way to fuck with her head the whole game? Kate was too pure to do something like this, at least Nika thinks. Kate put her hand on Nika's shoulder for a moment then went to her spot for tip-off.

The game started with Aaliyah and Hannah tipping off, with UConn winning the tip and the basketball was immediately in KK's hands but quickly overturned.

It was near the end of the third quarter and the game was currently tied 45. Nika was going in for the offensive rebound but was tripped up by Sydney and Aaliyah and she fell to the floor. Kate hadn't noticed but once she saw a limping Nika making her way to the other side of the court, it made Kate's heart shatter. There was absolutely nothing Kate could do in this moment to comfort Nika and it killed her.

Hannah was at the free throw line and Kate was trying her hardest not to wonder and see where Nika was going. She assumed she was going to head back to the locker rooms but Kate knew Nika better than anybody else. Nika would fight and do everything she could not to go back to the locker rooms.

Lovers who stick together get hurt together, because not even a minute after Nika got injured, Kate was lying on the floor almost the exact same spot Nika was at because her nose got hit causing her nose to start bleeding.

Once Kate headed back to the locker rooms, Nika came back and noticed she was gone.

"Where is Kate at?" Nika's jaw clenched as she kept looking over at the Iowa bench but still failed to see Kate.

"I accidentally hit her nose, Nika. Please don't kill me, please." Aaliyah had prayer hands but to her surprise, all Nika did was look at her with a devious glare and moved along.

The last three seconds of the game was a blackout. Caitlin was inbounding the ball, throwing it off of Paige's back to waste more time. Caitlin was then inbounding the ball to Kate who threw it up in the air. Next thing Kate knew, Iowa won and Nika was trying everything to not break down and cry.

There was one winner today and it was Iowa.

The Iowa Hawkeyes were chanting and cheering still in disbelief that they won. There were tears on the court and they were happy ones. Kate knew that this was such a big accomplishment and was something to celebrate but Nika was in the back of her mind the whole time with a saddened face.

Guilt was creeping onto Kate's face as her smile slowly vanished. She should be able to feel good about herself though. This was a big moment in Kate's life and she didn't want to reflect on it being sad, but she also didn't want to reflect back on it feeling guilty.

The celebration on the court lasted for a while with every single player being interviewed. The Final Four was a dream for all of the Hawkeyes and they managed to get there twice.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

It was near 2AM when the Hawkeyes returned to their hotel. They deserved this night of celebration. Normally whenever they travel to a game, two people would share a hotel room. Since it was the Final Four, they took it more serious than ever which each person getting their own individual room. The Final Four was a big big game and they couldn't afford having anybody's routine getting messed up by someone else.

Kate was just about exhausted from this day and wanted nothing more than to just lay in bed. She dreaded longing on to any social media tomorrow, more specifically TikTok, knowing she'll have to face the UConn vs. Iowa TikToks with captions being 'the game was rigged' and Nika and Kate being edited with the song 'Traitor' by Olivia Rodrigo.

Immediately Kate went into the bathroom to take a quick body shower then put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The room was dark with the only light coming from her phone. She got dozens of texts from her family and friends. Nika's name was nowhere in sight. Kate didn't care though. She knew how hard this must be for Nika and just wanted to give the girl as much space as she possibly could.

After about 5 minutes of being on her phone, Kate heard a knock on her door. It was a soft knock. Loud enough for Kate to hear, but quiet enough so it wouldn't wake anybody up.

"Who the fuck is knocking on my door at this time?" Kate rolled her eyes as her body mindlessly got out of bed and began walking towards the door. She assumed it might be someone like Caitlin or Gabbie, but they all said their goodnights already.

Kate opened the door to lazy to check through the tiny window hole. It didn't take Kate half a millisecond to register who was right in front of her. "Nika?"

Nika was standing in front of Kate's doors with her eyes puffy and glossy and her cheeks red. It wasn't rocket science figuring out that Nika was crying before because of the way the Final Four game ended.

"Hi." Nika looked into Kate's eyes as she put on a smile for a second. Kate gestured for the Croatian to come inside the room and that's what she did.

They both made there way to the edge of the bed, neither of them sharing a word. Kate had no idea what to say and if she should initiate the conversation first. But Nika wouldn't drive all the way from her own hotel and come here if she didn't have to say anything to Kate, would she?

The distance between the two girls was big enough. There was a good foot or two between the two. Although it was dark, Kate tried the best she could to examine Nika's face. All she could see was Nika intensely staring at the floor and her head looked like it was about to blow off.

Kate couldn't take the silence anymore and decided to speak up first. "I-I feel like there's so much I need to say to you but I don't know where it would be appropriate to start." Nika refused to look at Kate. She couldn't bear having her girlfriend see her in such humiliation.

"Why did you say I love you to me right before the game? Was it just to fuck with my head?"

Kate looked at Nika up and down. She had it coming but she didn't expect for Nika to ask about it in this exact moment.

"I wanted you to know that no matter what happens, that I love you. I will always love you. That moment, see you from across the court, I just realized then that I truly do love you. I've always loved you Nika but something in my mind sparked. You're my person no matter the outcome. I'm sorry if that wasn't the best moment of time to say it to you but I really wanted you to know."

Nika's face grew soft for a moment.

"I will always love you too Kate."

Another moment of silence came, the tension in this one feeling less awkward.

"It's not fair. That whole fucking game. It wasn't fair." Nika finally looked into Kate's eyes, whose eyes were filled with concern and guiltiness. "It should've been us who won." Nika was poking at her chest as she tried her hardest to fight against the tears.

Kate felt there was much more Nika had to get off her chest but she wasn't sure what. "I'm sorry Nika. It was just a dumb ref call. You guys would've won without it." Kate wasn't really sure how to comfort Nika. Yes, she wanted Nika to feel better but she wasn't going to say that her team didn't deserve to win. Aaliyah's screen was clearly illegal.

"And it didn't help you guys outrebounded us and shot great from the floor. But so did we. Just why did you guys win and we didn't?" Nika let out a fake chuckle as she returned her focus back to the floor and shook her head. "It's fine, it's just a stupid tournament anyway."

Kate stopped her sitting position and laid down on the bed, resting her back and head on the headboard. She knew that there was so much Nika needed to get out and she knew it was going to happen at any second now. Kate patted the spot next to her but Nika refused. She then patted it again and Nika finally came over and laid down as she rested her head on Kate's chest.

Kate wrapped her arm around Nika's shoulder as they both sighed. "You can express what you need to baby. It's just you and me in here and I will never judge you for showing your emotions."

At that exact moment Nika's tears began to roll down her face and cry as Kate could feel Nika's body move underneath her arm from it.

"I feel like I let my team down. I let Caitlin get away with to many open shots, I shouldn't of had any turnovers at all but I fucked it up for my team. I'm the reason why we lost and now the whole team is heartbroken, Aaliyah will never play with the team again, the whole community is going to be disappointed in me."

It began to get more difficult for Kate to make out what words Nika was saying because of all of the sob's between words. Kate continued to stroke Nika's hair hopefully as a sense of comfortness.

"I'm sorry I never congratulated you. I'm just so pissed off right now and I can't look at you knowing that you think that I'm a failure."

Kate held Nika tighter, reassuring the Croatian that she could never disappoint her. "You don't need to congratulate me. Fuck congratulations. You are not a failure Nika, you did nothing wrong. You played great defense on Caitlin and nobody is going to be disappointed in you. You could never be a failure to me. You played the best that you could've and you know that."

The words from Kate seemed to make Nika cry more but not in a bad way. The words from her girlfriend was all she needed to hear to let her know that everything was going to be okay.

Kate kissed Nika's temple as Nika kept crying in her arms. All Kate could do was just think about everything. She thought about the happy times she's had with Nika and how she never wants to see Nika this broken and sad ever again.

After a few minutes Nika's sobs began to slow down and her breathing began to slow down too. There was no doubt in Kate's mind that the girl was asleep.

Nika had a flight tomorrow in the afternoon back to Connecticut while Kate and the rest of the Hawkeyes stayed here in Cleveland. In two days from now, well technically one day since it was April 6th, the Hawkeyes will be versing the South Carolina Gamecocks for the National Title. Kate was nervous considering they had been undefeated this whole season. Then again, they also ruined that undefeated season last year in 2023 at the Final Four.

Kate decided to scroll through her phone one last time, finally building up the courage to go on TikTok. The game had ended just a few hours ago but TikToks that she envisioned in her head were already popping up on her For You Page.

There was tons of "betrayal" videos and tons of edits already made of the last one second of the game with Caitlin throwing the basketball off of Paige's back.

Kate soon exited out of TikTok and stared at the ceiling while still stroking Nika's hair. The sound of silence gave Kate time to reflect back on this whole year.

Not even a year ago was it when the Iowa and UConn girls went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and lived in a house together. Nika and Kate hated sharing a room with each other but they learned to grow and build a relationship with each other.

Kate went to Croatia with Nika, she met her family, all of their dreams came true. The start of the 2023-2024 was rough for Kate after Nika broke up with her. But look at where they are now. The couple is back together and versed each other in the most watched basketball game on ESPN. And although it wasn't the outcome for Nika, she got to be comforted by her girlfriend.

Now they were both hoping to be drafted to a team in the WNBA and make the cut where they could still play against each other and maybe even against all odds, be on the same team.

So yeah, although there were some bad times, Nika Mühl and Kate Martin have had a pretty good year.

Authors Note:

As Taylor Swift likes to say, see you next era.

Pls don't kill me for making Iowa win pls pls pls (not me having rooted for them in the Final Four😁😂)

Don't know if I want Iowa or USC to win the Championship.

College Season just abt done, WNBA season on its way

Also once again hope yall enjoyed