The Sparks have a ball with Maya

"Hey yo, Water Girl, fill up these bottles we're thirsty!"
The players voice snatched me out of my daydream as I hustled over to where the girls who were trying out for LA Sparks were stretching and preparing for practice.

"Sorry you guys" I mumble as I began to fill up the water bottles. A tall, slim chick looked me up and down and gnudged another girl who was trying out, "Watch this" she said slyly as she towered over me, her 6'4 frame dwarfing me easily.

"Hey water girl you look pretty athletic and we need a fifth player on the other team, why don't you come be a placeholder?"

Her friend laughed and looked at me, "She's not cut out for that Shay, look at her, she's not an athlete, she's barely a water girl." She gestured her hands to my half filled bottles and continued, "She can't even do this right."

Shay chuckled and agreed, "True, but we need a fifth girl to go against because Diamond isn't here yet, she'll have to do."

The other girl rolled her eyes, "If you say so, she better not mess nothing up, what do you say Water Girl? You down for being the fifth player on the other team?"

I swallowed hard, I wasn't that good of a basketball player, I got cut from my high school team twice, I didn't want to let them down but I didn't want to be the reason they couldn't practice either, I mustered up the courage to speak, "I uuhh I guess I could play. At least until Diamond arrives."

"Good" Shay said as she nodded in approval, "Just go over there and do what the other team tells you, nothing more, nothing less, got it water girl?"

"Actually my name is Maya, I-"
Shay abruptly cut me off, "Yeah whatever Water Girl, go join your team." Shay and her friend were both amused by her rudeness to me. I had encountered bullies before and didn't want to give them any more reason to keep picking with me so I quietly shuffled over to my new makeshift team. It was a ragtag group of girls, some who looked quite athletic and others who didn't look like they had a snowball's chance in hell at making the Sparks roster, but all of them looked like better athletes than me.

A few of them greeted me and the others scoffed, "Oh wow! Really? Put the water girl on our team?" She bellowed.
"We're sure to lose now" another said under her breath.
Another girl just chuckled, "Diamond is NOT going to like this!"
Diamond was a tall center that had just been drafted and was projected to set the league on fire, she was about 6'8 and an absolutely dominant athlete, there was no way I could take her place but I was going to try my best.

As the scrimmage started I decided to play defense on Shay, I was a bit shorter than she was but I thought that wouldn't matter...it definitely did. She was lightning quick and scored on me with ease, dropping two easy buckets right over the top of me to start the game. My teammates groaned and I knew they weren't pleased with my performance and I didn't want to let them down!

When I got the ball it was instantly stolen by Shay and the one time I was able to shoot a shot, it was easily blocked, to say I humiliated myself would be an understatement. At halftime I had scored no points, and had turned the ball over 8 times, my teammates probably thought they would have been better off playing 4 versus 5 at that point.

As we sat on the bench I heard one of my teammates ask, "Where is the water? Why aren't the bottles filled up"?

Another girl chimed in, "Because we got a water girl on our team trying to ball instead doing what she's supposed to be doing, make her feel it up, at least she's good at something because it sure ain't basketball."

The rest of the team laughed at me being the butt of the joke, but I just ignored their sentiment and began silently filling up the water bottles.

"Good girl" one of the shorter girls in the back said as I passed her a bottle.

As I filled the bottles the coach began to speak and she was not happy with the teams performance, specifically mine, "I know we're at a... disadvantage out here" she looked directly at me, "so I won't be too hard on you ladies."

Her stern voice echoed throughout the gym as she paced in front of us like a drill sergeant in front of incoming new recruits, "You 4 are doing great though, don't let the "water girl's" awful, pitiful performance weigh you down, you look good out there despite having a handicap"

Ouch. I didn't show it on my face but the coach's stinging words made me feel like I was 2 inches tall, I know I'm just a fill in player but did she have to single me out?

As the coach continued to make adjustments I slumped into my seat regretting my decision to agree to be a part of this. I took a deep breath when suddenly the door burst open. I couldn't make out who exactly was entering the gym but I saw the silhouette of a towering figure, well over 6 foot, as she entered the gym I got a clearer visual of who she was; it was Diamond.

Diamond, had the swagger of a big star already despite being a rookie. The other girls on the team cheered and greeted her with glee as a few members of the Sparks came in behind her, she was clearly already on the team and trying out wasn't necessary for her, she was the first round draft pick and she knew she had a spot on the team.


The girls on my makeshift squad let out a sigh of relief as they finally had a capable player on their team and I, the unathletic but trying her best, water girl could fade back into the distance.

Diamond briskly walked up to where my team was gathered and the coach welcomed her warmly, no consequences for being late. After a few seconds of greeting the coach she sauntered over to me, "You a new girl? I've never seen you before."

Her powerful yet silky smooth voice was just as intimidating as it was sexy, I swooned a bit at hearing her voice but I was trying my best to stay focused, not the time for that.

Another girl spoke before I could, "She was just taking your place Di', she's the water girl" she said before chucking.

"The water girl!?!" Diamond repeated loudly, "no wonder y'all look so beatdown" she laughed and she gestured to her teammates.

"Don't worry, I'm here now. It's all good." Diamond was brimming with confidence, the team had an obvious boost now that she was back. Her physical attractiveness was one thing but here bravado made me melt, despite all of her jokes being at my expense. The girls cheered and clapped as their leader had returned.

"Beat it Water Girl" she exclaimed while pointing at me and motioning for me to move away.

"Fine." I said rolling my eyes slightly. I didn't want to be a part of this anyway and I was getting my ass handed to me, I was happy to get out of there. As I made my way to my feet Diamond rubbed her chin and looked at the other Sparks players who were observing the scrimmage, "Ladies, you want to have a little shoot around while we have this scrimmage?"

The three girls looked at each other and shrugged, "Why not?" Said a taller girl named Kristie Anigwe. Her and Tea' Cooper were known stars for The Sparks, they stood next to Reshanda Grey and I was honestly in awe, these were girls I marveled at on tv week in and week out so it was amazing to see them live and in the flesh!

"Diamond smirked and looked over at me, "Water girl..." I guess that's what my unofficial name was as nobody seemed to want to learn my real name.
Diamond kept going, "You're gonna go play with the pros!"

I had no idea what to say or think, I was getting crushed by the girls who were trying out, there's no way I could compete with girls already on the team!

"Oh nooo Diamond I don't think I could do that, I'll just go back to getting water for everyb-"

"Nah you don't get it pipsqueak" she chortled.

For the record, I'm 5'11, so technically I'm a pipsqueak to her but I'm actually very tall I'll have you know!

She continued, "You're not actually gonna play with them. Are you kidding? Who do you think you are?"

I was confused at this point, "okay sooo what am I supposed to do if I'm not supposed to ball with them?"

Diamond squinted her large brown eyes rubbed her hand across her braided shoulder length hair, "You're not going to ball with them...but they ARE going to ball with you!"

I looked perplexed, "Ummm...what??"

Diamond's lengthy frame allowed her to get in front of me in no time, before I could even react she was towering over me, her hands on each of my shoulders. In a flash she had lifted me up to where I was eye level with her, I felt her large hands squeeze and press my body. She moved on to my legs, crunching them up towards my body. I was helpless and at her mercy. My frame began to contort and shift into a perfect circle.

The other girls on the team all gasped at what was taking place, they had never seen someone become a ball after all. But what started as gasping and surprise turned into laughter and glee.

"Oh snap Diamond! What you do to her?" One girl said between laughter.

"Pass her over here, let me see." Another girl chimed in to which Diamond obliged. She bounced me on the floor twice and threw a crisp chest pass to the girl who asked me to be passed to her. She dribbled me twice between her legs, each time I hit the floor I got dizzy and disoriented. She finally shot me towards the hoop. Swish! All the girls cheered and laughed at my predicament.

"Pass her to me!" Another girl yelled out. Diamond passed me to whoever said it and she began to spin me on her finger, "check me out y'all!"

The coach finally put an end to my torture with her whistle that pierced through the gym, "okay everyone leave the water girl alone! We gotta finish this scrimmage! Diamond, grab a jersey."

The girl that was spinning me on her finger dropped me and gnudged me with her foot towards the sidelines.

Were they not going to put me back into my normal form?!

The coach continued, "Kristie, Reshanda, Te'a, it's picture day. Get dressed, the photographer will be here in about 10 minutes."

Te'a Cooper picked me up and began to twirl me around and dribble me around, "I think she'll make a nice prop for the team pictures, what do you think ladies?" She said with a smile as the other girls laughed and agreed with her sentiment and began to each pose with me.

*Above picture taken*