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cuquitalocita · 3 years ago

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i love you yeah yeah yeah |rowaelin month- day 3|

rowaelin masterlist

an: i’m not gonna lie, i had so so much fun writing this one! i’m a tennis player and my sister is as well, therefore why i know so much about the junior pro league. for those of you who don’t know, the orange bowl is an actual tournament played internationally for juniors and i’m ranting wow so anyway i hope this isn’t too tennis vocab-y :)

word count: 3,876

It’s the final two days before competition at the International Orange Bowl this year being held in Terrasen and it’s no surprise that tensions between players and academies are more than high. We’re so glad to be here for yet another year of thrilling competition in which the winners will automatically be placed into the first round of the U.S. Open. I, for one, and more than excited to see some new teen faces this year, what about you, Gavriel?

You know Cairn, I completely agree and as someone from Terrasen, you must be more than excited to see some friendly competition on your home turf.

Oh, I sure am excited, but I don’t know if you’d call this competition exactly ‘friendly.’ For those of you unaware, the rivalry between the TAT (Tennis Academy of Terrasen) and the DTC (Doranelle Tennis Center) has been going on for close to ten years now, beginning all the way back to when founders Maeve Vesta and Evalin Galathynius were in college, rivals through and through. Now adults, their children carry on their competitive legacy, taking the nation by storm. If you see the final match of any tournament, you can bet your money it’s a Doranelle kid and a Terrasen kid.

The stakes sure are high during this tournament, as it isn’t closed, like the academies’ usual ones. Instead, anyone player eighteen years old and younger with the qualifying points was eligible to register. I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces this year.

Me too, but you can never go wrong with the usual suspects. This year, my money is on eighteen year- old Rowan Whitethorn from Doranelle, ranked second in the country, in the men’s finals. As Maeve’s nephew, Rowan has been put in the spotlight for most of his life, not to mention taking a clear leadership role among the DTC alongside Lorcan Salvaterre.

That’s a good point, Gavriel, in the past years Rowan has made it to at least the quarter-finals but has always lost before he can truly do. I have a feeling the kid has a lot more in him. And as for the women, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see the Terrasen seventeen year- old cruising through a few rounds before her tough competition starts. We can’t expect anything less than Evalin Galathynius’ daughter, right?

I for one, am more than excited for pre- first-round interviews. It’s always quite interesting to see each players’ mindset before they set out for blood.

“What do you think our favorite golden girl has in store for us this year, Gavriel? Something tells me she’s a little more than annoyed given what happened at the finals of the last international tournament held in Terassen when Remelle Frost from the Doranelle academy beat her in what was the biggest upset of the season.”

Aelin rolled her eyes and glared at the back of her mother’s seat, the woman in question frowning as the annoying voice of Cairn Rossa rang through the rental car. She reached forward to turn the station off just as Gavriel’s voice rang out once more.

“Let’s not beat around the bush here, Cairn,” the older man was responding. “I’ve been doing this just a bit longer than you enough to know when a player isn’t themselves. One loss isn’t the definition of a player the same way one win isn’t either. I suggest both teams- including Aelin and Remelle themselves- step onto the court, and play.”

Aelin let out a satisfied huff. She knew she had always liked Gavriel. Aelin liked that the man looked at the players as more than just players in a video game or statistics on a screen. As a former player himself, Aelin knew the man understood the game in and out and was more than qualified to report during the national tournaments, no matter where he was born and what side he was essentially placed on.

The station was snapped off as her mother’s finger found the correct button, earning an annoyed glare from the Uber driver next to her that she promptly ignored in favor of turning back to her daughter, opening her mouth to say something. Aelin’s own eyes stared back at her before shifting down to the phone she held in her hand. It had just buzzed signaling a new notification that had her mother lifting her brows.

Aelin immediately shifted forward in an attempt to look over her mother’s should before her hand was on her face, batting her daughter away with a motherly ‘leave me alone’ look. She relented, leaning back into her seat with slumped shoulders. Finally, her mother huffed but remained with her back facing Aelin.

She knew it was different this year, she could practically feel it in the air. Without her father with the two women in the car, the tournament atmosphere was a different universe.

It was getting dark outside, the sun setting behind them as they drove through the dazzling city. The car came to an abrupt stop in front of the hotel that sent Aelin jerking out of her own thoughts. Her mother turned back to her with a sad knowing smile and patted her daughter’s knee.

“We’re here. Try to get some sleep- you have a long day tomorrow.”

“What’s the plan for today?” Aelin asked her mother around a mouthful of bagel the next morning. It wasn’t every day the founder of the University came to watch her players in a tournament, but whoever won this won would be fed into the first round of an official professional tournament. It would be amazing PR for the academy, Aelin knew, but she also knew her mother felt bad that her father had escorted Aelin to all of her tournaments in prior years. And now that he wasn’t here anymore…

“Eat up- after you’re done I’ve reserved three courts at the complex and we’ll get together with everyone.” ‘Everyone’ being every other players from the academy who had enough points to enter the qualifiers. Not all of them were as highly ranked as Aelin, but she found it helpful to train with them all the same. They were her friends. “We do need to pick Lysandra up from the airport first though,” she said as she frowned at her phone. “Her flight was supposed to have landed a few minutes ago but she hasn’t reached out…”

Aelin rolled her eyes at her mother, she always did have a thing with protectiveness over her best friend.

“Mom, don’t worry about it,” Aelin assured her. “Aed said he would pick her up and then meet us at the courts. I wouldn’t want to be in that car if I were you.” She faked a gag, causing her mother to laugh.

“Alright then. Eat, find your rackets, and take the rental to the courts. It was just delivered this morning. I have some business to finish here at the hotel.” She left Aelin with a kiss to the head.

It didn’t take long for Aelin to pull up to the familiar yet daunting tennis complex bigger than even the academy, and she pushed the car into park, simply staring for a moment.

This was it.

Three years she had come close to winning as the youngest person in history. So close. But this was the year. This was her year. She could do this. She would do this.

And so Aelin Galathynius pushed her shoulders back and raised her chin as she grabbed her massive tennis bag from the trunk and slung it over her shoulders. The weight was heavy and familiar as she walked through the glass double doors and to the front desk, only to halt in her tracks when she came face to face with a familiar head of silver hair.

Rowan Whitethorn.

She had quite often mused about how unfair it was that her essential biggest rival was so attractive. It didn’t really make hating him very fair, now did it? But there he stood, green eyes shining and teeth flashing as he snapped something at the young man at the desk. The poor boy looked ready to pee himself and Aelin couldn’t help but release a sharp laugh, causing both Rowan and the blonde next to him to whip around.

Aelin watched as Rowan’s eyes sparked and his mouth curved into a sneer as he took her in from head to toe. She forced herself still and kept her eyes on his face. It was all she could do. Rowan opened his mouth and Aelin prepared her hackles to rise instantly.

“Aelin. Good to see you here.” But it wasn’t Rowan who spoke. No, it was Remelle Frost, her least favorite bottle blonde on the planet that spoke as she curled a possessive hand over Rowan’s bicep. Aelin simply rolled her eyes, never one to beat around the bush. It was common knowledge that the blondes didn’t like each other. And after the Adarlan tournament, Aelin wouldn’t hide her disdain for the girl.

“Wish I could say the same,” she replied dismissively as she shouldered past Rowan and made for the front desk. One charming smile and the boy seemed to handle her much better than Rowan. She gave him her mother’s name, him quickly nodding a confirmation and giving her the court numbers, saying they would be available in just a moment.

She turned around, unsurprised to see Rowan glaring at the back of her head. It had been almost eight years of this rivalry. At least for them. Aelin thought it might’ve been a little ridiculous, considering that it started with her mother and his aunt, but the Doranelle kids just made it so easy to hate them. So easy to want to pound them on and off the court. She wouldn’t apologize for the adrenaline the rivalry provided her with.

Aelin smirked, cocking her hip. “Like what you see?”

“Hardly,” he growled. “Just wondering whether or not you actually came to play this time.”

Aelin recognized the comment for what it was- a direct jab to the last tournament where she had lost to Remelle. If the comment hadn’t pissed her off so much she would’ve recognized the compliment for what it was.

“Well, that depends which game you’re talking about, Whitethorn.” Her voice was just teasing enough to annoy him once more, and Aelin’s grin grew.

“Don’t you have a court to go find?” Remelle cut in from beside Rowan, who had distanced himself from her. Aelin didn’t blame him. She wanted to do the same thing.

“And here I was enjoying our little chat. I’ll see you guys tomorrow, mar sin leat.”

“This isn’t Terrasen,” Remelle hissed. “We say ‘good luck’ here. Gods, you Terrasen kids are pieces of-”

Someone caught her by the waist as Aelin attempted to throw herself at the girl and she was soon spun around in their arms, coming face to face with her own eyes. Aedion’s were flashing too as his eyes were fixed behind her, no doubt at Rowan.

“Leave it, Ace, it’s not worth it.”

“It’s true, princess,” Rowan finally spoke with a sneer. “You’re gonna need those pretty little hands tomorrow. Wouldn’t want you to have an excuse when you get your ass kicked.”

“Oh, I’ll show you-”

Aedion dragged her away before she could get another word out, her fists clenched and her teeth bared. She shoved him when he put her down.

“Fucking Doranelle,” Aedion spat under his breath as he shook his head.

He merely gestured to a figure behind her, causing Aelin to whip around with wide eyes. Shit. Duke Perrington grinned at her through the snake-eyed lens of his camera and gave her a tiny wave as she bared her teeth at him

Perfect. Now it would look like Terrasen had begun a fight before the tournament even began.

Her mother was going to kill her.

Aelin felt like the stadium had never been bigger. She had known this year she would be playing where the professionals themselves did, including Maeve and her mother, but never in a million years had it looked so daunting or made her feel so small.

The tournament had been, well needless to say, easy for Aelin so far. She had breezed through her first few matches, absolutely destroying the poor girls, and her third had been straight sets as well. But now it was the semis. And she would have to face Remelle on center court. It seemed the gods liked playing jokes on Aelin Galathynius.

She could feel every pair of eyes snap to hers the moment she stepped onto the court but she looked forward. Maybe she was a crowd favorite- but that would do her no favors in the upcoming match. Aelin thought she was going to hurl all over her new shoes and she let the deafening cheering of the audience cover the sound of her pounding heart.

Remelle walked in not long after she and Aelin met her in the middle of the court, racket in hand. Showtime.

Aelin might have been paying attention when the coin had been flipped, might have been minimally involved when she called heads or when she won the call and opted to serve first. She might have been only slightly aware of her surroundings as she took a small sip of her water and walked to the back of the court.

And then it was movement.

It was backward and forwards, side to side, low and high, and it was the same dance Aelin knew better than anything. The same feeling in her feet when she sprinted to the ball and the same stretch of muscles when she reached for a shot. This was who she was- this was the pattern she had lived for ten years.

But it didn’t seem to matter, not as the score continued to tip less and less in her favor with every passing point. She was playing well- but Remelle was playing better. And there was nothing Aelin could do but survive and ignore the satisfied smirks the other girl would throw her during their side changes.

Think, Aelin, think.

Nothing was coming to her head. All she could hear was the pounding adrenaline through her body telling her to play. To cross each bridge when she came to it. There was nothing more she could do than play.

It was then, when Aelin threw herself at a particularly difficult ball, that she felt something shift. And she knew she was screwed.

Aelin was a tennis player- she had rolled her ankle before. But this was different. It had never hurt this bad. And as the rest of her body came down with her ankle, she thought that it could be it. That it was the end of the match all due to a stupid ankle injury.

With her heart in her throat, Aelin signaled to the red- headed umpire.

Injury, she mouthed to her, and the woman- Ansel, it seemed her name was- simply nodded. She was in the massive locker room without a second thought, dragging out a spare bucket of ice held in one of the corners of the room and shoved her foot it. Might as well get it over with.

Aelin winced as the ice on her foot began to take effect and her muscles began to ache, her breathing beginning to lose its consistency. Gods, she hated this. She hated the useless feeling that came over her at the thought of possibly being unable to finish the match. At the thought of all the people, she would be letting down.

She was tired. Aelin was so, so tired.

Gods, she just needed-

The door to the locker room burst open with a loud and abrupt clang, causing Aelin to jerk forward, spilling water on the ground as she opened her mouth. She was ready to tell them that she needed some privacy before her eyes locked onto a familiar figure that sent her heart pounding for a different reason.

“Rowan, you can’t be in here!”

The hulking boy ignored her protests, striding over her in no more than a few steps, both of his hands immediately going to the base of her neck to search her gaze with his own worried one, clearly not caring that he was in the girl’s locker room and would be kicked out of the tournament if he was found.

“Are you alright?” he insisted, his voice low and hoarse, forest eyes intense.

The gentleness in which he touched her had Aelin sighing and her hands reached up to lightly take hold of his wrists, bringing them down and gathering them in her own hands to hold to her chest.

She hadn’t meant to fall for Rowan Whitethorn.

But like everything in her life, it had happened quickly and unexpectedly, and Aelin had dealt with it head-on. It had been a year now. An entire year of playing tournaments in each other’s home’s just so they could see each other. Just so no suspicion was be aroused by the tabloids.

And Aelin hated it.

All she wanted to do was be able to link her hand through Rowan’s in public without causing a public scandal about a decade-long rivalry.

“I’m okay, you fussy buzzard,” she teased as she looked at him, pleased to see when the frown on his lips twitched the slightest bit upward. “It was just a little fall. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

But because he knew her so well, he had heard the uncertainty and fear in her voice as she spoke. So saying nothing, he pulled Aelin to his chest and allowed his arms to wrap around her completely, enveloping her in the scent that she had considered home for months.

And as she breathed him in, she wished home wasn’t always so godsdamned far.

Rowan let her breathe shakily into his chest, constantly running a soothing hand up and down her back as he hummed a small melody that he often did to get her to sleep over the phone at night. Aelin was the first person to admit it was much better in person.

“You don’t have to do it, Aelin,” he said finally, his movements never ceasing. “You don’t owe them anything.”

She knew who he was referring to of course, of the people who had come to watch the new ‘upcoming star’ in action and were expecting to see quite the show. They were the people Aelin had been trained to want to impress.

Aelin pulled back to tilt her chin up and look him in the eyes.

“I can’t just quit, Rowan. I won’t.”

“You have nothing to prove, Fireheart.” And Aelin almost broke as he used the nickname her father had. “Not to anyone.”

She shook her head, helplessness seeping through her body more and more as she looked at the boy in front of her. The pain in her ankle was even worse now. Unsurprisingly, he noticed, and his calloused hands moved to her wrists as he lead her back over to the bucket of ice water.

He kneeled down in front of the bench as she sat down and placed her foot in the water, wincing along with her even after she threw a glare at him.

I don’t see you with a foot in ice.

Seeing you in pain is enough to hurt me, his eyes gazed back playfully. Aelin rolled her eyes, quickly shutting them as another shock of pain rushed through her body, making her inhale sharply.

Her boyfriend frowned once more, clearly upset he could do nothing to help her. So he gathered her hands in his own, bringing them to his face to place a gentle kiss on them, pulling an unwitting smile from Aelin.

“I love you,” she said quietly. Rowan met her soft gaze for a moment before Aelin leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers in a kiss she hoped said everything she couldn’t. Thank you, I don’t know what I would do without you. I wish we weren’t a secret.

“I love you too, Fireheart.”

She would never get sick of hearing him say that. Of hearing the utter truth in his words.

Rowan was watching her with that adoring look he reserved only for her, his face open so she could see every emotion playing across his face. It only made her want to kiss him again.

So she did, although this time he met her halfway, taking her chin lightly between two fingers and tilting it up so he could kiss her thoroughly as her hands rested at the base of his neck, lightly twirling the pieces of soft hair she found there.

They sat there for a while, simply kissing, enjoying the feeling of each other’s lips and proximity when it was so few and far between, and Aelin relished in the feeling of loving someone who loved her back. In the feeling of not having to act.

When she accidentally tugged at a knot in his hair, Rowan pulled away with a painful groan and a nip to her bottom lip, causing Aelin to laugh and push his cheek away with two fingers.

“Sorry, Buzzard,” she laughed as Rowan stood up, with a playful glare. He folded his arms in front of him and it was only then that Aelin remembered she had a foot inside of a bucket of ice. And her medical time out was running out. “Shit. I have to go.”

Aelin jumped into action, taking her foot out of the ice with a hiss and grabbing a towel as Rowan maneuvered himself around her to find her shoes and socks. Apparently he had understood her message loud and clear about her intentions on forfeiting the match or not- he wasn’t stupid enough to argue with her.

Quickly enough, Aelin was good as new- well, as new as she could be with a half swollen ankle.

“Well,” she dropped her arms to her sides and turned to her boyfriend. “How do I look?”

“Like an idiot who shouldn’t be playing.”

“Or…?” she arched a brow. Rowan sighed and stepped toward her, his hands bracing both of her arms as he leaned forward to press an earnest kiss to her forehead.

“Or Terrasen’s champion,” he murmured against her skin.

Aelin grinned, a wicked and feral smile that meant she was ready to raise hell.

“Now that’s more like it.”

If someone had asked Aelin to regale the crowd with details of her match after she had come out victorious, she would have been unable to do so. Because all she remembered was the pounding of her feet on the ground, and the neon color of the tennis ball, and the feeling of her heart palpitating in her chest.

Oh, and of course she couldn’t forget the moment after her match- winning shot, when every care and inhibition had left her in one foul swoop. When she had sprinted over to the stands and thrown herself into the arms of the silver- haired enemy, delighting in his deep laughter..

And kissed him in the middle of the stadium for all to see.

this prompt was: secret dating

taglist:

@story-scribbler

@rowaelinismyotp

@live-the-fangirl-life

@claralady

@surielandiareendgame

#aelin galythinius #rowan whitethorn #aelin #rowan #aelin x rowan #rowan x aelin #rowaelin #rowaelin fic #rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin au #rowaelin modern au #tog #sjm #throne of glass #rowaelin month

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dalerwalker2 · 3 years ago

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Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

They're regarded as two of the greatest tennis players of all time. Reinaldo Marcus Green, a Black and Latino film director, aims to transport spectators to a time before Venus and Serena Williams were champions — when all they had was an ambitious plan devised by a dedicated father who wore short shorts and a cowboy hat on a tennis court in Compton, California. "King Richard," directed by Green, opens nationally on Friday and depicts the tale of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams (played by Will Smith). He embarks on a family journey from modest origins to the brink of tennis fame and prosperity with his wife, Oracene 'Brandy' Williams (played by Aunjanue Ellis). In an interview with News, Green said of Williams, "To the outside world, he was fairly contentious, vocal, and colourful."

In 2018, director Reinaldo Marcus Green attended the Sundance Film Festival. The filmmaker grew interested in showcasing another side of Williams' character after meeting the family and hearing their tale. "He was simply a parent trying to do the best he could with the resources he had to do right by his kids." "No one is flawless," Green said. "He's picked up some valuable lessons along the road." At the conclusion of our film, he had to accept that his girls were growing up, and he had to figure out what to do when that happened. Do you tighten your grip or relax?" Green was born in the Bronx and grew up on Staten Island and other areas of New York City. His father is Black and his mother is Puerto Rican. Green said that his neighbourhood was similar to Compton. about King Richard : ‘King Richard’ Trailer: Will Smith Transforms Into Venus and Serena Williams’ Father Green's mother and father opted to have him and his sibling live with their father when his parents split. Green said, "They really wanted us to have a father figure in the family." "It was also essential for my mother." The filmmaker said he can't help but compare his father to Williams, who was raising two boys to be big league baseball stars. "We had a father who was comparable to ours... I was born and raised on a baseball field. I was a trip and all-star baseball player "Green, who also played in college, agreed. "My father, too, was dressed in short shorts. So I understood what it was like to grow up with a father who other people thought was a bit odd, but who you knew deep down was a great man." When depicting the narrative of two Black sisters who became champions in a sport that has been unavailable to many different youngsters, Green wanted to convey that degree of intricacy and sincerity to audiences. The film, according to the filmmaker, is a one-of-a-kind look into the Williams sisters' early existence. Viewers will watch them take their initial steps toward becoming pros at an early age, as their parents laid the groundwork for all of their future tennis and other achievements. Green described them as "ambassadors for their neighbourhood." "Tennis is only one facet of what they've accomplished." Increasing judicial diversity Carlos Mendez, the founder of the Multicultural Tennis Association, recalls seeing tennis courts in his mostly Latino East Los Angeles neighbourhood as a kid. The courts, on the other hand, were all shut down. Williams, who devised a tennis plan for his children about 12 miles away in Compton, finds similar ground with the Mexican American parent. "When I saw the movie 'King Richard,' I discovered a lot of parallels and similarities," Mendez stated in a video interview. "It was critical for me to push my daughter, as a Latina, to do something outside of our heritage, our comfort zone." Mendez said that he wanted his daughter to have the chance to play tennis as she grew up. However, when his daughter began at a country club as the only Latina in a class of 30, he says the original purpose of sharing his love of tennis with his family evolved into spreading the sport with other people of his community.

Carlos Mendez, who formed the Multicultural Tennis Association, believes he can make a difference. "There aren't a lot of kids out there that look like me or like my kids," he remarked. "Only around 6% of collegiate tennis players are Hispanic, compared to approximately 25% of soccer players." Mendez created the Multicultural Tennis Association in Las Vegas, and he's now based in Chicago, where the organisation has grown thanks to the Mike Tyson Cares Foundation's support and is conducting free activities in inner-city parks in collaboration with the Chicago Parks District. But, in addition to the objective of making tennis more inexpensive and accessible, Mendez believes a cultural revolution is required. "We don't really push our young females to go out there and compete in our society," he remarked. "We need to tear down that barrier and enable youngsters to pack those tennis courts," says the author. Mendez, like Williams in the film, feels that combining school and athletics is the key to success. "As a father, it's critical for me to raise a well-rounded child," says the author "he said "And kids shouldn't only believe they'll be the next champion; what happens if they don't become professional tennis players?"

A scene from "King Richard" with Demi Singleton, Will Smith, and Saniyya Sidney. "Stories are being written for us." Green argues that more and more varied tales are being presented on film, when questioned about the significance of visibility on screen. Viewers, on the other hand, aren't interested in films that just tick off diversity boxes. "What you could see today is, let's put a Black person in charge, or let's put a Latino in charge," he remarked. "However, it was not written for us." It is being slotted since it was written for someone else. Rather than having tales written for us. And I believe that will be the next wave of films." Green believes it begins with Black and Latino individuals authoring and delivering their own tales, as well as having the chance to work both in front of and behind the camera. "We're on a lengthy road because we want significant, long-term change," he says of making authentic Black and Latino films. "It's not only a matter of the moment." Hopefully, our films will stand the test of time. And not simply let's do it right now and paint by numbers." more from new 24 hour Richard Sherman, now with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Should Richard Sherman sign the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Richard Buckley, fashion journalist and husband of designer Tom Ford, dies at 72 Police looking for missing woman Gabby Petito ask for her boyfriend’s cooperation source : nbcnews#instagram #happy #nature #photography #fashion #instadaily #beauty #instalike #fun #friends #me #summer #tbt #cute #beautiful #likeforlike #smile #music #ootd #family #model #follow4follow #lifestyle #design #motivation #beach #sunset #amazing #dog #makeup Read the full article

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

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cloveroctobers · 4 years ago

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IBRAHIM JARVIS —

IG info/bio: @/OFFICIALRAHIMJARVIS | 130k followers | pro🏌🏿, & yes i was on that dating show...don’t obsess over other people, obsess over water, stay hydrated friends!

22 (23) years old

From Birmingham, England

Pisces sun? + Virgo moon + Cancer rising

Parents are both Afro-Antiguan and Barbudans + migrated to The UK once they were pregnant with their first child

They’ve been married for over 20 years

He gets his height from both of his parents

His mother keeps her hair buzzed short, cooks the best Antiguan food + loves creole seasoning, she’s 5’11, & works as a bank teller

His father is 6’5, works as a substance a*use counselor & does not believe in tough love as a way of showing you care about your children. He learned that the hard way growing up

Ibrahim is a pro golfer & dislikes tiger woods, “he’s a proper arsehole, typical American yeah?”

Got into the craft thanks to his maternal grandfather who was also into golf along with other sports & taught him all he needed to know. At first Ibrahim didn’t like it, found it rather boring & would rather stick to video gaming but his grandfather wanted to break his grandchildren out of staying in the house all the time

It kept him fit and also relieved any anxiety Ibrahim had in life and he had a good amount

He’s got an incredible swing, thanks to his long arms

He’s 6’3

Has three older brothers: Jesse (27) , Keithroy (25), and Reuben (24)

He loves working out and spotting other people, feels likes it’s a team effort & he’s a team player

Drinks gallons of water on a daily and nothing else, it’s even better if he puts fruit in it

Always eating fruit, for breakfast/with or after his dinner. Rather eat fruits than vegetables...yes he’s an adult but he can’t stand broccoli or radishes

Canon: hates seeing other people test their fruit to see if it’s ripe or not. But it’s fine when he does it himself, he just thinks about all the germs that are on other peoples hands when they’re doing so; it physically makes him sick & irritated if he ends up touching the fruit that’s mushy/lumpy

He’s a big fan of comics. Always has been since he’s a kid and has a huge collection of them, his oldest ones are packed away in a couple of crates (in his loft room that he uses as a extra storage room) since he no longer has space in his room. Yes he has no shame (and shouldn’t) of having them on display even tho his oldest brothers clown him for it

Massive fan of black panther & was hyped when it first came to theaters. Saw it three times in one day

Was heartbroken when Chadwick Boseman p*ssed

He’s awkward at expressing himself & sometimes it makes him feel misunderstood & it’s frustrating

Hates people that come up with these ideas of him instead of allowing him to collect his thoughts and speak them the right way

Yet he can be the type of person that wants to ignore issues and hope they go away

He wishes people had enough patience like he did with others in the world

He seeks advice from his dad, since he’s a counselor & everything yet it’s slightly different?

Can be a sweetie & very romantic in relationships

Will do the most (he won’t see it that way) & drop $ on you if he wants to...buying things, trying & failing to DIY, doing wealthy ppl shit, expensive trips— canon: taking his girl to Spain? Was it? Or Italy? I don’t remember... the whole 9

Had 1 gf before the villa. He broke up with her for being too flashy with his things & found that she wouldn’t have liked him if he didn’t have a bit of money

His parents live with him. “They’re basically my roommates until or if they find a house they like.” He didn’t go overboard once he got his first paycheck, he didn’t need a mansion but he did go big enough, industrial style but homey with some minor modern touches for his dream home—he didn’t want it to feel cold or penthouse-like

Isn’t too flashy on the socials but will post something every now & then if he feels the need to show it

Doesn’t post much of his face, mostly what he’s doing in the moment...lots of golfing pics!

Dresses like a dad but it works for him. Loves a good snug polo & plaid trousers/regular that are cut above the ankle, “those are highwaters innit?!” “No mum, it’s the style.” Rolled up jeans, tall white socks & some patterned, baggy sweaters, fancy hats, picks oxfords over sneakers, etc...

Definitely takes the time to iron/steam/press his underwear & socks

Enjoys getting his hair braided, isn’t tender-headed at all (must be nice)

Only grows his hair out during the fall/winter seasons or cuts/gets a shape up

When he posts about his tournaments or time at the golf course, he can always count on Bobby to comment the usual... @/returnofdamckenzie: do you ever have moments where you Reenact troy bolton on the lovely green grass? @/officialrahimjarvis: Idk whether to block u or have a laugh mate, yes i had to look him up!

Dated Jo for about 5 months after the villa until she broke up with him, finding that their lifestyles were too hectic for them to continue, at least that was her public statement to the fans but they really grew apart & the “love” was no longer there

Ibrahim seemed to be more upset about it than Jo in the beginning resulting in snappy replies for awhile, which again stems from him not knowing how to express himself

She checked up on him A LOT, almost as if they never broke up but Ibrahim felt like he needed his space now. They talked it out the best they could over dinner and got closure but that didn’t mean it didn’t sting. He just didn’t think it was needed to be calling each other everyday to see how they were both holding up. If they were done, then that’s what they should be

Jo didn’t see it that way. She still cared for Ibrahim, that didn’t mean that they had to stop talking in her view. She wanted to know how he was coping, and was known for “sticking her foot in her mouth” so that was also a flaw in their relationship

She would say certain things that touched on how she was feeling but didn’t express them at the right times & then there was Ibrahim who didn’t know HOW to say the things he felt which left jo to assume things

Ibrahim was back to the single life and he hated it. He wanted someone he could come back home to, someone that wanted to be with him for the long run. A part of him feels like Jo wasn’t planning to be with him for the long run in the first place and in a way that was okay? Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going in relationships but there should be some sort of goal? Maybe? At least that’s what he thought. Yeah they had fun but he wanted more someday

He was still young he didn’t need to be hung up about it right? Sike. He didn’t know how to take things lightly. That wasn’t how he was built. And to get comments about his ex relationship and have fans dragging him about his choices in the villa A YEAR later!!! Was disheartening

Shannon seemed to be doing well. He thought they would still be friends, at least that’s what she showed before she left the villa. Before he got her dumped. They talked a couple of times since then, jo personally wasn’t a fan of that—Shannon didn’t care but it was clear there was some tension still there

Until he contacted her just to realize she probably had his number blocked but her IG was public and she had a new man & was traveling about

His dad and Reuben were the only ones rooting for them

He had no choice but to be happy for her. Who was he to come in between that? Not that he wanted to but it’s a natural reaction to wonder after a fresh breakup, “what if?”

Talks to Priya every so often now. He seems to find comfort in her, it’s the same for her on her end

His mother has a feeling Priya is the one her son will end up with. Even if she is older...Keithroy also liked her the best

While Jesse seemed to be the only one who supported his relationship with jo

I honestly thought he would have liked Hannah in the beginning but idk if it was him or Gary that said she was too unrealistic when it came to love? I think they both said something along those lines which is odd since it seems Ibrahim has no problem treating his girl like a princess

Probably only has one special dish that he can cook the best & it’s gumbo. otherwise hes out of the kitchen or having his personal chef cook for the family

Goes live on twitch—when he has time, playing many games with the boys from the villa, which pleases the fans

Talks to them all as much as he can

Noah seems to be the first to always text back since Bobby is the one who’ll start off responding in minutes then forget to text back cause he’s off doing handstands or booping people on the nose or some shit, Gary always ends up busy doing something with his nan or for Lottie—but Noah’s always around

They seem to be the closest outside the villa, they mesh well & hang out the most when they can

he likes having his sound on & LOUD when he texts! There’s something so satisfying about hearing the clicking of texting to him

Watches a lot of sports on the Telly, it doesn’t have to be just golf. Usually watching that sport sends him right to sleep while the others keep him active/vocal...yes he’s a tv yeller

Holds sports parties at his home & invites all of his family & mates, he HATES having to clean up afterwards. If it wasn’t for his mum he would save the cleaning until the next day yet he doesn’t mind cleaning his car twice a week

Continues to make his violet man drink & wouldn’t be opposed to someone giving him a endorsement deal for it

Is the “I love everybody!” Drunk

Enjoys yard work over cleaning the house

Has his own customized golf cart that he keeps in his garage

He likes driving that more than his Buick suv tbh

Wants kids some day, not too many, not too little just right— he’ll probably have two but for rn his Doberman pinscher is his bby

Either ends up with Priya with slight insecurities that she’s too good for him or he falls in love with a tennis player, either way I’m fine with both

Crushes/his type? : Jojo Levesque, SERENA WILLIAMS, China McClain, Brie Larson, Victoria Pedretti, Nathalie Emmanuel, & Keke Palmer

Listens to: Aminé, Big Sean, Frank Ocean, Brent Faiyaz, Pink $weats, B Young, Ali Gatie, Russ, Raveena, Jessie Reyez, Rayana Jay, Cosima, TianaMajor9 etc...

Anthem = Lucky Daye, “Buying Time”

#litg #litg2 #litg s2 #litg ibrahim #litg jo #litg shannon #litg priya #litg au #litg headcanon #litg headcanons #litg Bobby #litg noah #litg rahim

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my-name-stitch · 5 years ago

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about me

@anonthenullifier tagged me in a conglomerate of the “about you” things but i’m late (as always but like, you know why i’m late this time) bc i just remembered she did. so. under a read more if you do wanna know more about me. won’t be tagging anyone ‘cause i don’t have anyone to tag, but if you wanna do it, go for it and let me know, please. c:

ONE: Name/Alias - stitch bc I grew up when internet anonymity was Important and You Have To Do It Or Else and i’m not over that conditioning

TWO: Birthday - sep 22

THREE: Zodiac sign - virgo (or virgo/libra cusp to some)

FOUR: Height - 5'5

FIVE: Hobbies - tennis, reading, fantasizing about what i wanna write writing, drawing, surfing the ‘net, sleeping, amateur photography, avoiding things i don’t wanna do like the plague, sleeping, doodling (bc it’s different than drawing, i swear), being a lil shit, baking, going to museums, video games

SIX: Favourite colours - reds, black, purples, greens, pinks... but also like... i like every color a lot? red is a clear favorite and some hurt my eyes more often than not (neons, whites, yellows - lighter brighter colors) but like... colors, man. i love ‘em.

SEVEN: Favourite books - brand spankin’ new one - good omens. older one - pride and prejudice. still quite fond of the hp books, fuck off. sherlock holmes. getting into manga: bnha, ancient magus bride, daiya, hq!!

EIGHT: Last song I listened to - an a/c playlist... a bastille song, warmth, is on rn as i type this

NINE: Last film I watched in theatres - oh fuck uhh... probably spiderman far from home??

TEN: Inspiration for muse - music. straight up my only muse, generally speaking. if hyperfixation counts, that. but i don’t suppose it does, really.

ELEVEN: Dream job - pro tennis player. just. fuck, man. that’d be the life. or an archaeologist? shit i love dinosaurs lol. never considered it ever since i was a kid bc my dad said the salary was unstable, and he’s right, but... you know those kids that look like they’re gonna pee themselves when they’re looking at dinosaurs? i never grew out of that. startled my friends with that bc, i quote, “we’ve never seen you that expressive before”

TWELVE: Meaning behind your URL - i love lilo and stitch.

Nickname: poke-baller lmaooo. my friend’s parents call me that and have for like... eight years now? i mean, i suppose people generally focus on either my name or a nickname they want to give me (bc i respond to anything and don’t care so long as it’s not rude), but personally i think of myself as me and just go with whatever people wanna call me.

Gender: female

Where I’m From: ‘murica

Dream Trip: you know what. fuckin’ anywhere, man. this girl is gonna fuckin travel and no one is gonna stop me.

When I Made This Account: hell if i know. maybe 2009? a friend made me and didn’t explain how tumblr worked, so i didn’t use it, forgot about it, and got back on in 2013 when a different friend wanted me to make an account and explained how things worked. don’t think i used it too regularly until 2014-ish tho.

Why I Made This Account: oops. look above lol.

Hogwarts House: proud slytherin

Favorite Animal: cats. any type. house cats? big cats? little big cats? fat cats? skinny cats? hairless cats? fluffy cats? cats.

Followers: 611... which includes porn bots, accounts that have followed me through multiple fandoms (i see y’all, don’t think i don’t notice y’all), and dead blogs.

Rules: Bold everything that applies to you and tag ten people you’d like to get to know

I’m over 5’5” // i wear glasses // i wear contacts // I have blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have blue eyes // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile (resting bitch face ftw) // I am pleased with how I look // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

I play a sport // I can play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during school or work breaks // I can do a handstand //

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year my entire life lmao // I have a crush // I have a best friend I have known for ten years // my parents are together // I have dated my best friend // I am adopted // my crush has confessed to me (and then i turned him down on the counsel of a friend, which was good bc he had anger issues i’d never seen bc he never got angry with me) // I have a long-distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made online friends // I have met up with someone I met online

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sunrise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // autumn is my favorite season

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick-shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game (give me pokemon or give me death) // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial (technically speaking. do/will i claim it on forms? no.) // I am a redhead // I own at least three dogs

#ask stitch #well not really an ask #but like #thats the only tag i got

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suejbueche · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

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bernadettedmoreno · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

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rosepmarkert · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

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lilianjdubose · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

0 notes

laylavonrueden · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

0 notes

mrfogmaxpro · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

0 notes

debbiebfansler · 3 years ago

Text

Reinaldo Marcus Green, the black and Latino director of "King Richard," speaks about fathers and sports.

#actor #Arts #cinemanews #CNN #KingRichard #Netflix #New24hour #new24hour #New24hours #NEWS #news24 #News24hour

0 notes

danganronpa-v3-ask-away-blog · 7 years ago

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Wow... That is pretty bad....

Bad is relative. For Team Danganronpa, your bad is our great! Anyway, I think it’s time to look at some videos! Shuichi’s up first!

After what felt like eternity, Shuichi’s Audition Tape flickered onto the screen. It played out as they remembered it at the Final Class Trial. Shuichi explaining that he wanted to be the Ultimate Detective, that he could be the first culprit with that Talent, and about his plans for his execution.

…

As the video ends, all is silent. Maki and Himiko are both watching the Detective silently, but it’s the Tennis Pro who breaks the silence first.

You told me things would be bad, Shuichi. But this… This is…

It’s wrong. So very wrong… As I am now, I just can’t believe I’d say something like that. But at the same time, there’s a part of me that knows what I watched was real.

So that’s the truth you’ve decided upon, Shuichi? That these tapes really were us?

Yes. When the game first ended and we stood in the rubble of the virtual academy, I said that there was a chance that everything was a lie, that everything we’d seen was faked. But seeing those tapes again without the stress of a class trial hanging over me, I can say for certain that those tapes are real.

That’s all I needed to hear…

I trust your judgement Shuichi. It’s what kept us alive in the game and it’ll get us through this as well. Monokuma, I’d like to see my tape next.

One tape for Maki Harukawa coming right up!

Monokuma places another disc into the player and the TV begins to flash, when suddenly Maki, dressed in school clothing, appears on screen.

Uh… Hi there. My name is [REDACTED] and I really want to be on Danganronpa. I’ve never been good at making friends, so I pour all my time into the show.

I kinda really want to be an Ultimate Talent we’ve never seen before. Like the Ultimate Child Caregiver. You know, I don’t actually enjoy fighting or violence. I like to solve things peacefully, like a caregiver, so it fits right?

Actually, one of my friends that used to help me out was on a past season. She got decapitated by the Ultimate Gardener with the shears. Do you remember that one? When I saw that, I thought, I want to be on that show and see if I can do okay like my friend!

I know I’m kind of girly, and I’m a little nervous, but I really think I’d be a suitable candidate for the show. Even if I probably wouldn’t want to kill anyone…

That’s enough.

You were a pacifist Maki? Like, you didn’t want to kill anyone?

How ironic that I got the talent I wanted… They just happened to do a 180 of my personality.

It’s not right… Invading your beliefs and twisting them to suit the show. Geez…

Poor little impressionable Maki. The only reason you applied was because of your friend from Season 49. And then you go and get your entire personality shifted from a kind-hearted pacifist to a cold-blooded killer.

Do you want to di-

As if realizing her words, she pauses. Those very words went against her old self’s beliefs. Even the casual words that she didn’t think about were tainted with Team Danganronpa.

Just shut up instead.

So who’s next?

(So I personally headcanon Maki as one of the personality 180s, so to speak. In the killing game, she was a fairly lonely killer who had been through a rough time.

Her past self was a little bit more lively, but more shy and a clear pacifist. She hated fighting, though she enjoyed the murders of Danganronpa just like any other person in the outside world.

I added that she had a friend who was in Danganronpa purely to make it just that little bit more fucked up. Maki really got off easy though. She’s only got to deal with the fact that she was a pacifist. Others won’t be getting off as easy as her.

- Mod Billy)

#maki harukawa #monokuma #shuichi saihara #himiko yumeno #ryoma hoshi #anon ask #answered ask #audition tape

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techcrunchappcom · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/todays-sports-news-what-you-need-to-know/

Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest – Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has said he is open to facing one-time rival Mike Tyson in a trilogy fight for charity on the condition that Tyson asks for the bout to be set up.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Tyson, 53, fought two epic bouts with Holyfield, 57, during their professional careers, including their controversial 1997 encounter in which Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.

‘Iron Mike’ had released several training videos in recent weeks fuelling speculation he could be returning to the ring, while Holyfield announced his return for a charity bout on Instagram earlier this month.

“If I ask him it’s almost like me being a bully saying I want to go against somebody I’ve beaten twice,” Holyfield told the BBC. “I don’t want pressure on me that ‘you just want to fight Mike because you know you can beat him’.

“If he hits me I’m going to hit back. I’m going to be 58, he’ll be 54, you talk about being in good health and doing things the proper way that respects it. I don’t have no problem with it.”

Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, retired after a loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, while Holyfield called time on his career nine years later.

If they do return, they will be following in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in coming out of retirement for an exhibition fight.

-Reuters

England womens football called off

England’s womens football competitions, stalled by the Covid-19 crisis, have been ended with immediate effect.

Manchester City women Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The FA says the decision was taken to end the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship following “overwhelming feedback from the clubs” and to give them the chance to “prepare and focus on next season.”

Manchester City were leading the Super League by a point from Chelsea, who had a game in hand.

The FA said no decision had yet been made on how the league winner or relegation to the Women’s Championship would be decided, or how entries for the 2020-21 UEFA Women’s Champions League would be determined.

Aston Villa were six points clear at the top of the Women’s Championship.

Top-flight English football’s men’s teams were given permission to resume training in small groups last week.

-Reuters

Remembering Jesse Owens

It was 85 years ago today that American sprint legend Jesse Owens set four world records.

Described by Sports Illustrated as the “Greatest 45 minutes ever in sports” history, Owens set records in the 100 yard, 220 yard, 220 yard hurdles and long jump.

He achieved the feat running for Ohio State at a College meeting in Michigan.

His tally was in fact six world records as he also achieved metric milestones in two of the races.

A year later Owens went on to win four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

-World Athletics

Baseball returning to Japan

Pro baseball is set to return in Japan with the Nippon Professional Baseball league to begin its 2020 season on June 19, as the government lifts restrictions aimed at stopping the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Games will initially be played without spectators, NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito announced, without saying when fans may be able to return.

The NPB season was supposed to start on March 20 but has been delayed because of the coronavirus.

New cases in Japan have decreased significantly recently and a state of emergency imposed in April to help stop the virus is gradually being lifted and professional sport is being allowed to resume.

Two Japanese teams held intra-squad practice games in empty ballparks yesterday as they gear up for a return to action.

Several of Japan’s top football clubs, including Andres Iniesta’s Vissel Kobe, also began training on Monday.

-Reuters

Indian hockey legend dies

India’s three-times Olympic hockey gold medallist Balbir Singh has died at the age of 95 after a prolonged pulmonary illness.

Singh helped India win its first Olympic gold as an independent country at the 1948 London Games when they beat Britain 4-0 in the final. India then went on to defend the title at the next two Games in Helsinki and Melbourne.

Singh scored five goals in India’s 6-1 victory over the Netherlands in the 1952 final — a record that still stands. He also captained the country at the 1956 Games when they scored 38 goals in five matches and conceded none.

Following his retirement, Singh coached the Indian team which won the World Cup in 1975.

-Reuters

Reds okay with departing team-mates

Queensland Reds players harbour no ill will towards Wallabies lock Izack Rodda and two other team mates for rebelling against pay-cuts, the Super Rugby team’s captain Liam Wright said.

Rodda, flyhalf Isaac Lucas and lock Harry Hockings were released from their contracts last week after refusing to take pay-cuts signed off by the players union and governing body amid a financial crisis brought on by the coronavirus shutdown.

The three have been criticised heavily by former players and pundits for their stance, which has effectively ended their career in Australian rugby for the foreseeable future.

Wright, however, said the trio’s departure could bring the rest of the Reds playing group closer.

“It’ll definitely be a positive for us,” Wright said.

“We’ve lost some good mates but they’ll still be our mates and they’ve made their decision. This group can only get stronger through it.

“It just makes sure that everyone who wants to be here is really willing to put in.”

Rodda missed out of the Reds captaincy to South Africa-born flanker Wright and there were reports of friction between the lock and the team’s hard-nosed coach Brad Thorn.

The three players, who are all managed by the same agent, are expected to look overseas for playing opportunities.

-Reuters

Kvitova happy to be back

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is happy to finally play tennis again for fans around the world – even if they can only watch on television.

Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova. Photo: Photosport/Icon Sportswire

The world number 12 will headline an all-Czech tournament in Prague starting today without spectators, handshakes or the usual towel service.

The return to action is one of the first after pro tennis tours were suspended in early March as countries went into lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Some exhibition events without fans have been held in countries like Germany and the United States while more are planned elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Kvitova last played at the Qatar Open in February where she lost in the final to Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka. She said finding rhythm and playing without support would be the hardest part returning.

“That it will be without people is something I still can’t imagine at all,” she told a news conference on Monday.

“We will play some nice tennis… I think we are mainly here to bring tennis back not only to the Czech Republic, but to the world, too.”

The tournament, with eight players in both the men’s and women’s draw, will resemble regular tennis as much as possible.

-Reuters

Ban on cricket spit only temporary

A recommendation banning the use of saliva to shine a cricket ball when the sport resumes after the novel coronavirus shutdown is only a temporary measure, Anil Kumble, the chairman of the International Cricket Council’s Cricket Committee, said.

Cricketers have used the age-old method of shining one side of the ball with a combination of saliva and sweat to help bowlers generate more movement in the air as it travels towards the batsman.

However, as part of efforts aimed at minimizing the risk of spreading the virus, the governing body’s cricket committee has recommended the ban on using spit.

“We have been very critical and we have been very focused on eliminating any external substances coming into the game,” former India leg-spinner Kumble said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.

“This is only an interim measure and as long as we have hopefully control over COVID in a few months or a year’s time then I think things will go back to as normal as it can be.”

Australia quick Pat Cummins has said cricket’s lawmakers should approve the use of an artificial substance to shine the ball if the ban on saliva was enacted, while compatriot Josh Hazlewood has said it would difficult to police such a ban.

-Reuters

New Zealand to host tennis tournament

The prize-money is paltry, the field lacks star power and the tournament director is busy hammering out the draw while locked down in quarantine.

But New Zealand will be proud to revive elite tennis next week when it stages the “Premier League” in Auckland, marking the southern hemisphere’s first pro competition since the Covid-19 pandemic brought global sport to a halt.

The men’s team-based tournament will run for three weeks from June 3, giving tennis-starved fans something to watch in the absence of the pinnacle ATP and WTA tours, which have been suspended since early March.

It will also have the sporting spotlight exclusively in New Zealand for its opening 10 days, having left professional rugby’s June 13 restart in the dust.

All 112 matches will be staged without the general public in the terraces but the games will be broadcast live on Sky Sport’s Youtube channel, Sky Sport Next.

“Yeah, it’s a big thing,” Tennis New Zealand’s commercial manager Gareth Archer told Reuters.

“As soon as rugby starts there’s probably no more talk about (anything else) in New Zealand so to get a week or two on them is a good thing.”

-Reuters

#Sports

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rickhorrow · 5 years ago

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10 To Watch : Mayor’s Edition 102119

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 21 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

TV broadcasters and streamers invested $38 billion in sports rights in 2018, nearly double the $20 billion spent in 2012. Globally, TV broadcasters, and to a lesser degree, online streamers, fork out 26% of their total content spend on sports rights, according to a report published last Wednesday by Ampere Analysis and carried by the Hollywood Reporter. The market for sports rights has nearly doubled in the last six years, from $20 billion in 2012 to $38 billion last year. The U.S. remains the largest single market for sports rights, with a $19 billion annual spend, a figure likely to jump as new rights cycles kick in for the NFL, MLB, and the NBA. Ampere forecasts the top U.S. leagues generating $4 billion more per year in rights revenues by the end of the next six years. And in Europe, broadcasters and online players in Europe's big five markets – the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – shelled out $11 billion for sports rights in 2018, double the amount from six years ago. European broadcasters and pay TV operators in the big five spend a third of their content budget, on average, on sports, compared to 26% in the U.S.

espnW and the U.S. Department of State are hosting the eighth year of the Global Sports Mentoring Program October 11-November 19. The program will see 16 emerging female leaders from around the world begin a month-long mentorship in the United States alongside top American female executives from some of the most influential organizations in sports and business. Including ESPN, executive mentors in the 2019 program represent: the Big East Conference; Creative Artists Agency (CAA); Google; LISC; Minnesota Lynx/ Timberwolves; the NCAA; New Balance; the NHL; Saatchi & Saatchi, Spurs Sports & Entertainment; the University of Connecticut; and the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA). The initiative joins such other events as this week’s espnW Women + Sports Summit in Newport Beach, CA and the recently-completed LPGA Indy Women in Tech Driven by Group1001 tournament and week-long symposium that promote women’s leadership, education, and advancement both in and out of sport.

MLS will officially award Sacramento an expansion franchise this week. According to the Sacramento Bee, MLS will hold a press conference and fan event in California’s capital city on Monday to announce that the United Soccer League’s Sacramento Republic FC will make the step up to become MLS’ 29th team. Sacramento has been attempting to secure an MLS expansion team since 2015, but its chances were improved at the beginning of this year when Ron Burkle, billionaire part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined the Republic as lead investor. The Republic then received city council backing in April for a new $252 million, 20,000-seat stadium. Later that month, the Republic emerged as a front runner in the race to join MLS when the league announced it had been authorized to advance talks with the ownership groups of Sacramento and St Louis, which was officially awarded its own expansion team in August. If Sacramento is confirmed, it will pay a $200 million expansion fee to become the fourth MLS team in California. Confirmation would also mean that MLS has only one spot left to fill if it is to stick to its expansion target of 30 teams.

Tiger Woods has been the subject of countless articles, books, and TV segments, but for the first time, he will tell his story in his own words. Last Tuesday, Harper Collins announced Woods’ BACK, a memoir chronicling the golfer’s life from growing up a celebrated golfing prodigy to shattering racial barriers and rising to fame, then facing continuing injuries and personal scandal, to mounting a comeback at 43 years old culminating with the 2019 Masters. “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong,” Woods said in the statement. “This book is my definitive story.” No publication date has been announced; the release stated that BACK will be “the first and only account directly from Woods, with the full cooperation of his friends, family, and inner circle.” For the moment, however, Woods is focused on “The Challenge: Japan Skins,” a big money made-for-TV match with Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Hideki Matsuyama taking place at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan.

Formula 1 eyes Miami to host its first-ever Grand Prix after reaching an agreement in principle to host a race at Hard Rock Stadium beginning in 2021. The proposed Formula One Miami Grand Prix would see F1 cars navigating a custom-built track around the stadium. Formula One had initially set its sights on a downtown track location, only to scrap the proposal in favor of Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, after local opposition. Concerns remain among residents over noise, traffic and pollution, though organizers insist this new location would reduce disruption compared to a downtown race. According to the Miami Herald, Dolphins and stadium owner Steve Ross will cover all race costs, including an expected $40 million custom track. It takes Formula One a step closer to holding a second U.S. race, a long-held ambition for the global motor racing series’ owners, Liberty Media. Since 2012, the sole F1 stop in the U.S. has been the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. A Miami F1 race would have an estimated annual impact of more than $400 million and 35,000 room nights.

ATP Media, the in-house rights agency for the global men’s tennis tour, saw revenues rise by 6.7% to $120.96 million in 2018. The UK-based production hub, which is also responsible for ATP Tour content creation, has registered gross profits of $13.57 million. The spike represents a 9.6% growth compared to the end of 2017. Broadcast rights sales, where ATP Media works alongside IMG, remain the dominant source of income. ATP Media also said it had benefitted from “favorable movements” on the euro and British pound exchange rates during last year. Broken up geographically, the UK operation generated $11.59 million in revenues at the end of 2018, while the rest of Europe raked in $31.91 million behind $77.45 million generated by ATP Media in other international territories. Among several of the media group’s high-profile broadcast deals, 2019 has already seen ATP Media secure an improved five-year agreement with Amazon Prime Video in the UK, which runs through the 2023 ATP season. In addition, deals were confirmed with Discovery-owned Eurosport in France and Sky Deutschland in Germany.

Finally, before a big game, it’s important for fans to get a Goodyear night’s sleep. The Goodyear Blimp has provided aerial coverage of college football games since 1955, and later this season will become the first non-player or coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Now, Forbes reports, fans will have the chance to stay in the iconic dirigible prior to the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game October 26. One-night stays can be booked through Airbnb for October 22, 23, and 24 in the blimp hangar in Mogadore, Ohio. Each night is priced at $150 (plus taxes and fees) to celebrate college football’s 150th anniversary. Guests "will have exclusive access to the Goodyear hangar, which is the size of 2.6 football fields, and a football lounge will be provided where guests can relax and watch some of the all-time best rivalry games in college football history.” Goodyear and Airbnb will also collectively donate $5,000 to the Cotton Bowl Foundation, which supports college football-related causes. While the blimp will remain on the ground, this takes “Air”bnb to a whole new level.

FOX Bet becomes an MLB authorized gaming operator just days before the World Series. According to Sports Handle, FOX Bet announced a multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball under which the online and mobile betting platform will become an Authorized Gaming Operator of MLB. The announcement came exactly a week before the scheduled first pitch of Game 1 of the 2019 World Series on October 22. FOX Sports, an MLB broadcast partner, has televised the World Series in every season since 2000. FOX Bet is the fourth sports betting entity to join MLB’s Authorized Gaming Operator program since the Supreme Court’s historic PASPA decision in May 2018, joining MGM Resorts International, DraftKings, and FanDuel as MLB official data licensees under the program. The partnership is the latest in a string of deals for the network’s nascent sports betting division. FOX is looking to go all in on sports betting – this partnership marks the third deal that FOX Bet has inked with a major U.S. pro sports league, including the NBA and a deal with the NFL through its Super 6 contest.

Ex-NFL star Warrick Dunn helps deliver 173rd home to single parent for charity. According to FOX Business, the former NFL running back helped surprise a single Florida mother with a new home Wednesday through his charity along with Habitat for Humanity and health care company Cigna. Warrick Dunn Charities, which is run by the former Pro Bowler, presented LaToya Reedy with a new home in St. Petersburg. It was the 173rd home the charity has given thanks to its “Home for the Holidays” campaign, which helps single parents achieve home ownership. Reedy told local media she had been working hard as a nursing assistant to provide a stable lifestyle for her 18-year-old son, but high rent prices and living paycheck to paycheck was getting difficult. Before Dunn became a pro football player, he was living with a single mother who worked very hard to provide for him and five other children, but his mother was killed before his 18th birthday and he helped raise his siblings while playing college football. Dunn sees his charity as a form of therapy to deal with his own traumas, taking comfort that he is helping others avoid similar housing and economic struggles.

Michael Jordan donates a huge sum to two Novant Health clinics in Charlotte, North Carolina. During a recent speech, Jordan teared up as he spoke about his $7.2 million donation to two Novant Health clinics in his area. According to the Charlotte Observer, The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinic and a second facility expected to open soon nearby will serve at least 35,000 children and adults over the next five years. The clinics provide both primary health care services as well as access to social workers, behavioral health experts, oral health practitioners, and physical therapy. Jordan’s financial gift to Novant Health is the latest in his philanthropic giving in Charlotte and his home state of North Carolina. Jordan has significantly ramped up his charitable giving since he became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010. The Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic opened just over three weeks ago, and has already cared for more than 300 people. It is particularly important for Charlotte families to get the health care they deserve, as the city ranks last among major U.S. cities in enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty.

#10 #10towatch

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junker-town · 6 years ago

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Courtney Williams is showing the WNBA how to let loose

Few people saw Courtney Williams coming. Now she’s bending the WNBA to her joy.

On August 23, 2018, Courtney Williams had the audacity to rankle the GOAT.

Before the Connecticut Sun played the Phoenix Mercury in the playoffs, the slim, 5’8 guard posted her traditional gameday Instagram photo. In it, she is jumping for joy while a stone-faced Diana Taurasi — arguably the greatest WNBA player of all time — stalks the court in the foreground. The caption read, “Gooo timeee!! Playoffs babyyyyy.”

Williams led the Sun with 27 points in the single-elimination game, and gave them the lead late in the fourth quarter with a four-point play. The Sun would only score four more points over the final four-plus minutes, however, as the Mercury went on to win, 96-86. After the game, Taurasi clapped back.

“You can post Instagram pictures, you can clap in people’s faces,” Taurasi told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in the postgame interview, also referring to a moment when the Sun’s Jasmine Thomas clapped in Taurasi’s face after drawing a foul. “That’s not going to get you a win, though.”

Throughout Williams’ three seasons in the WNBA, she’s managed to fly under the national radar. If you’ve missed her career thus far, maybe you even think that calling out the biggest name in the game was an attempt to draw attention. But you’d be wrong; Williams wasn’t trying to get under Taurasi’s skin (though perhaps she wasn’t not trying).

The way Williams sees it, posting the photo wasn’t a personal dig at Taurasi. It was a good photo, she says, and Taurasi just happened to be in it. It could have been any Phoenix player, really, she swears.

Or maybe it was personal, though not against Taurasi (or any other player). You see, Williams actually began her career in Phoenix, but was traded halfway through her rookie season. “It’s always a little chip on my shoulder every time we play Phoenix, I want to come out and show what I can do because clearly I wasn’t given an opportunity to do that over there,” Williams says.

Whatever it was, and whatever it appeared to be to fans who were watching, Williams’ firm stance is Taurasi’s response was “mad corny.”

“They was breathing hard!” she says. “You all” — referring to Phoenix — “barely won that game.” If she sounds like she’s talking trash, she definitely is. Running her mouth could have consequences for a young player like her, but Williams isn’t concerned.

She thinks beefing is good for the game, that it will bring attention and interest to a league which could use more of it. She wants to see more trash talking, and despite her characterization of Taurasi’s clapback, Williams respects the fact she went there. “A lot more people need to … open up their mouth and not be scared to speak up, because people like adversity, people like drama.”

She also sees a double standard in the way player beef is handled in the men’s game compared to the women’s, and she’d like to lead change by example. “Let any type of altercation happen in the NBA, it’s front row and center. But any altercation happen in the WNBA, it’s like, nobody better talk about that,” she says.

“We can’t talk about that because women aren’t supposed to act like that.”

Williams has never been one to pay attention to what other people think she’s supposed to do.

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Courtney Williams, left, celebrating a win over the Phoenix Mercury with teammate Jasmine Thomas in July, 2018.

On the day I meet Williams, I watch her warm up at a practice during Sun training camp, where she moves at her own speed through drills and sprints, a little slower than some of her teammates. Williams looks a bit like Samira Wiley but with tattoos and a slightly butcher swag, and if Wiley had a buttery Georgia drawl and could sink threes from anywhere on the floor. She wears tennis ball-yellow sneakers on the court, but when I see her outside the locker room she has switched into a pair of khaki-colored Yeezy Boost 350s. She pairs them with black Adidas track pants, a Sun quarter-zip pullover, a camo hat cocked backwards and slightly sideways atop her tight cropped curls with bleached ends, and a fanny pack worn cross-body — strap in front, pouch in back.

There is an looseness about Williams. She says “fact” when you say something she agrees with or make a good point, which I like; it makes me feel like I’ve earned her approval.

Her frame makes her an unassuming presence on the basketball court, and she grew up in Folkston, Georgia, a town of less than 5,000 people located just over the Florida border, too far out of the way for many college recruiters. As a result, Williams was underestimated out of high school. She’s gotten used to that. No one has ever seen her coming.

“From a young age, Courtney said that this is what she was going to do [play in the WNBA],” says Michele Williams Daniels, Courtney’s mother, from Folkston. “And she did it, and … there was nobody to lead the way. There has never been nobody to come out of Folkston for basketball, [boys or girls], and she did it. To go play to a Division I school and definitely not to be drafted in no first round.”

Williams is hard to find even on her home court. Uncasville, Connecticut, is home to the Mohegan reservation and the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino, an edifice of over-the-top maximalism doing its best Las Vegas impression that also houses the Sun. The entrance to the Mohegan Sun Arena is sandwiched between a Le Creuset store and blinking, chirping slot machines.

“Let any type of altercation happen in the NBA, it’s front row and center. But any altercation happen in the WNBA, it’s like, nobody better talk about that.”

But once inside, Williams gets the loudest cheers. “She has an uncanny way of having people gravitate to her, from teammates to fans,” says Sun coach Curt Miller. “She’s our most popular player and she gets the [biggest] applause of anyone on our team.” When the crowd screams for her, she flashes a smile bright enough to be seen from the nosebleeds.

Williams’ game is predicated on catching people off guard. She’s quick and can create shots from anywhere on the floor. “Just the fact that she’s able to fill up a stat sheet with that small body is amazing, and it’s not just points. It’s rebounds, it’s steals, it’s assists,” says her teammate, veteran guard Jasmine Thomas. “You see that small frame and you just don’t realize how big she plays.”

She believes she can do anything on the court and she can, thanks in part to her vertical leap. “Yup, I got hops,” Williams laughs. Despite her small stature, she is unfazed by the height of centers — who often have almost a foot on her — because of her ability to get up and over them. It seems physically impossible that someone of her size should be able to jump as high as she does and yet, up she goes.

In that playoff loss to Phoenix, Miller says Williams “put us on her back for a lot of that game.”

“We didn’t get to the finish line, but she willed us at times to almost a really, really important victory over a team that has two of the best who have ever played this game in their positions,” he adds. “She went toe-to-toe with Taurasi and Griner.”

The late-to-the-party internet took notice of the performance, too. The Ringer’s Shea Serrano, who was rooting for the Mercury, tweeted, “WHO IS [COURTNEY] WILLIAMS AND WHY IS SHE RUINING MY LIFE.”

Williams’ social media feeds, especially her Instagram, are true to her. She doesn’t produce content that a more polished, branded public figure might. Instead, she presents a mix of outfits (“That’s what the people want … I’m easily best dressed in the WNBA.”), family, and basketball. She’s been told to watch what she posts, because as a professional athlete, she’s supposed to be a role model. A parent told Miller she won’t let her daughter follow Williams on Instagram because of the content. Miller says that becoming a pro “off the court” is the next step in Williams’ development as a player.

View this post on Instagram

At the crib, so I had to pull out some heattttt It’s going up tonight in the Land

A post shared by Courtney Williams (@courtneywilliams10) on Dec 29, 2018 at 2:36pm PST

But Williams thinks that’s nonsense. She concedes that sometimes she posts stories of herself doing shots of alcohol. And she admits there are plenty of videos of girls twerking. And, oh yeah, there were all the strippers she liked to post when she first made it into the league (“I was living my best life!”). But, like Tupac, “I want to be a real model, not a role model,” she says. “I want people to love the real me. I like to turn up, I like to go to parties, I like to kick it with my nephew. I like different clothes. I love playing basketball.”

Part of being a “real model” is being openly and visibly queer, though she’s adamant that she doesn’t want to be “put in a box.”

Williams had a more traditionally feminine style when she was in college, which included long hair, and she wore a dress and heels to the draft. After the 2017 season, she did a big chop, taking out her weave and going natural. Her style — her “swag” — took on a more traditionally masculine presentation. Williams describes herself as dressing “like a little boy.” That presentation is important to her. At the same time, she also feels like people assume her orientation because of the way she presents.

“I still like dudes, but I got to wear a skirt because I like dudes?” she says, adding that she’s thinking about bringing back the long hair, just to throw everyone off their game.

“I like guys and I like girls, though these days I’ve been feeling more gay,” she says. “Whoever sweeps me off my feet is who I rock with.”

As a child, Courtney slept with a basketball and told her parents that she wanted to play in the WNBA one day. “She’s from a small town, but she thinks big,” Daniels says. Courtney’s hypercompetitive father Don modeled his parenting after Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena. His two daughters, Courtney and her older sister Doniece, never took to tennis, but Don adapted to their interests. Doniece preferred to play indoors, but Courtney wanted to play ball.

There was a hoop outside their home, and when Courtney was mad, she’d go outside and shoot. Together, she and Don took on the neighborhood, challenging everyone to play. Courtney inherited her dad’s competitive spirit — she wants to win whether she’s playing ball, checkers, or Monopoly — but more than that, she loves the game. “I enjoy myself every time I play basketball,” she says. “I would still be playing ball whether I was being paid for it or not.”

She learned just how much the sport meant to her when Don wouldn’t let her play her sophomore year at Charlton County High School. She was sneaking out of windows late at night to meet up with a local boy who Don thought was trouble. Don was adamant that nothing ruin Williams’ chance at a future in basketball.

“I was so mad at him,” Williams says. Though her mom lessened the sting by letting her continue to play AAU ball, Don says he’d do it all over again.

Williams came back to the team her junior year and scored 42 points in a game, breaking the single-game record that stood for 22 years — a record that had been held by her mother. She quickly broke the record again, scoring 44. She would go on to score more than 27 points a game her senior season, and yet Williams was never a top-100 recruit in high school.

“I remember when she was a senior in high school, she took her little school who never wins anything to the state semifinals,” says Kenny Kallina, who coached Williams on the Florida Girls Basketball travel team. She dropped 47 points in the quarterfinals and was named first-team all-state, and yet she was left out of the senior all-star game for the state of Georgia. Kallina says he “raised a bunch of hell” about her omission but still couldn’t get her in the game. She went to elite camps at Georgia Tech and Auburn, and was MVP of both, yet neither school offered her because, Kallina says, they were too busy chasing players with more hype. “I was convinced that she was going to be really good the second I saw her,” Kallina says. “I don’t know why I was the only person who really thought that.”

Only one school made the trip to Folkston and saw her for who she was. Her drive and determination impressed University of South Florida coach Jose Fernandez. “I always thought Courtney’s best basketball was ahead of her,” he says. Williams committed to USF because of the fact the school worked so hard to woo her when no one else would. “That dude,” Don says of Fernandez, “he had to have [felt like he] found the pot of gold.”

Corbis via Getty Images

Courtney Williams driving to the basket while being defended by UConn’s Morgan Tuck (left), Breanna Stewart, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Gabby Williams during the 2016 AAC Championships Final.

In college, she introduced herself in person to fans in Connecticut who would soon be cheering for her on the Sun. Playing for USF, she was in the AAC Conference with UConn, and torched one the most dominant basketball dynasties of all time. Only Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry, both legends, recorded as many 20-point games against the Huskies in their careers. Williams also helped propel USF to just their second NCAA tournament appearance during her freshman year, then took the Bulls back to the tournament as a junior and senior.

“She was able to catch and shoot quickly, she was able to catch and go by you,” says Geno Auriemma, head coach of UConn women’s basketball. “She could hit pull-ups, she could hit threes, go right or go left. She was just a really difficult match up for anybody and I don’t think there’s anybody in college who really had an answer for her on a regular basis.”

Williams was rewarded for her collegiate success by being drafted eighth overall by the Phoenix Mercury, making her the highest draft pick in USF’s program history, and it seemed like she might finally receive her long overdue recognition. But after appearing in only six games with the Mercury, in which she averaged just over four minutes of play and less than one point per game, Phoenix was ready to let her go.

While walking through Times Square with two friends who had come to New York to see her play, Williams got a call from Mercury coach Sandy Brondello with the “good news” that she had been traded to Connecticut. “I didn’t know how I felt. I think my heart dropped but it dropped more of excitement,” Williams says. “I was soaking in as much as I could from all the great players over there [in Phoenix] but at the end of the day, we all want to play basketball. No one want to ride no bench so, you know, I felt like I get to start all over again.”

Phoenix lost sight of her potential. Luckily, someone else didn’t. Williams made such an impression on Auriemma in college that he lobbied the Sun behind the scenes to take a chance on her. He felt that perhaps the Mercury drafted Williams thinking that she was a point guard. Auriemma saw her as someone who simply went out and got points. “I said, [to Miller], ‘If that’s what you need her for, to go get the ball and go score, then she’s going to do that. There’s nobody that I know that can stop her from doing that.’”

What Williams did to UConn, she now does to the Sun’s opponents. Her history in Connecticut made her an instant hit at Mohegan Sun Arena, and she met that excitement. The Sun were 3-12 when they traded for her at the end of June 2016, and they finished that season by going 11-8. She gave the Sun 8.1 points per game as an off-the-bench, microwave scorer, and buoyed a struggling team with her energy.

In 2017, Williams stepped into the starting role when then-teammate Alex Bentley went to represent Belarus in the Euro Championships. But just a year into her time on the Sun, her place in the WNBA was challenged yet again.

“I want to be a real model, not a role model ... I want people to love the real me.

Bentley was traded to the Atlanta Dream in the midst of the 2018 season among vague and cryptic headlines about an “altercation” with Williams. The incident kept Williams away from the team and off the court for four games. Whether that time away was a personal or team decision is unclear. Williams wants to talk about what happened, but the team asked her not to (“See what I’m trying to tell you?” she shakes her head. “They keep everything on the hush.”) Sun vice president Amber Cox will only say “sometimes for team chemistry reasons, you have to make a change.”

The fact the Sun stuck with Williams after the Bentley incident is a testament to not only her skill, but her personality. Sports teams and leagues generally don’t like iconoclasts. Life is usually easier as a player who performs well on the court but doesn’t make waves off of it. But to Williams’ benefit, the Sun have let her shine exactly as she is.

For example, the Sun filmed a series videos for game breaks during the upcoming season that feature Williams teaching Coach Miller the meanings of some of her colloquialisms. In one, she explains him what it means to be “snatched.” It means “to look good,” just like Williams knows she always does. They’ve even begun selling t-shirts with her face on them.

The Sun may occasionally suggest that she clean up her social media accounts — but it’s just a suggestion.

“If she’s not [an integral part to this team], then we’re not as good as we could be,” says Miller. “I just think she has the ability to be a leading scorer on our team, a leader on and off the court.”

If anything, Williams has been a unifier for the Sun. “I’m really glad you’re writing this,” Thomas tells me. “She was in the headlines for other reasons last year” — the Bentley situation — “and I don’t want people to think that’s who she is.”

NBAE/Getty Images

Courtney Williams in a huddle with Sun teammates at home against the Mercury in July, 2018.

The decision to trade Bentley and keep Williams was “absolutely” a “commitment to Courtney as part of this franchise,” says Cox. “I think our commitment to this group” — Williams, Morgan Tuck, Rachel Banham, Jonquel Jones — “is giving them the opportunity to take this next step together and Courtney is obviously a big part of that.” Courtney admits that being forced away from her team during the season was tough.

“When anything happens on the team that causes some sort of controversy, you know, it can kind of be a disconnect with the team,” she says. “When I came back I tried to just do what I do and keep good energy.”

And her teammates clearly value her presence. “I feel better when she’s on the court with me,” says Thomas. Miller calls her the team’s “energy,” though he laughs and says that asking what she brings to the team is “a loaded question.” But he says that people love to play with her and that she’s never in a bad mood. Tuck says the same thing: she’s never seen Williams show up to practice down or upset. She lifts everyone else up when she walks into a room.

Her father calls Williams “my secret weapon.” The Sun say she is theirs, too. And even for all of her confidence and swagger, there’s humility at the core of Williams. When she finds out that this story is not an assignment I’ve been given, but one I had been planning since the end of last season, she’s a bit incredulous.

“Why you wanna talk to me?” she asks.

Why wouldn’t I want to talk to her? I first saw Williams play in person in July last season against the New York Liberty, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She seemed to be everywhere all at once, the ball perpetually sailing from her hands into the basket. Her game seemed implausible; someone so small shouldn’t be physically able to take up so much space. She radiated joy. She scored 16 points but it felt like 30. I did not know at the time that it was her first game back following the Bentley incident.

It was a game where Williams again had something to prove, like she’s had so many other times throughout her career. She wanted to show the team that stood by her that they made the right choice.

In turn, she wants to see all levels of the game encourage players to be themselves, to find the support she’s found in Connecticut.

“You need to fit a certain type of image when you’re in college,” she says, referring to the pressure to conform to more traditionally feminine ideals. “Your coaches and stuff tell you that, too … At the end of the day, though, you’ve got to let these girls do them.”

Corbis via Getty Images

Courtney Williams with teammates against the Chicago Sky in August, 2018.

Williams’ favorite restaurant is Arooga’s, a Friday’s-esque establishment just outside of the Mohegan Sun Casino, though she admits her options are limited in Uncasville. It’s where she comes after every game. We go for lunch following practice, and she stops to greet a fan who recognizes her. Williams is working through her food — buffalo wings (all flats, medium sauce), fries, and a mango Arooga-rita with sugar on the rim — when she turns around to the two men sitting in the booth behind us.

“Can you name any WNBA teams?” she asks them. They do not seem to know who she is.

Both shake their heads, no.

“What about NBA? Can you name three NBA teams?”

The men, who admit they don’t watch basketball at all, can.

“See?” She turns back around to face me. “That’s what I mean.”

If it were up to Williams, the WNBA would lower the rim so that players could dunk. It’s a controversial take, one that a lot of players vehemently disagree with. But Williams thinks that allowing the athletes to play above the rim would go a long way towards increasing interest in the league. She points out that if you ask a member of the general public to name a WNBA player, they might name Lisa Leslie.

“How long ago that was and that’s the only WNBA player you can name is Lisa Leslie? And it’s because why? It’s because she was the first woman to dunk a basketball. That’s why you know Lisa Leslie.” Same goes for her Sun teammate, Jonquel Jones, who dunked in the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game and then was the SportsCenter No. 1 highlight all week.

She points out that many other sports make concessions for the differences in men’s and women’s bodies: the net in volleyball is lower, and even the ball is smaller in the WNBA. “It’s like, we want that [the rim height] to be equal, but why?” While the centers, who are much taller than the average player, may be able to dunk, the truth is that the majority of the league’s players will never be able to do it.

She often punctuates her more controversial opinions with the acknowledgment that “the vets” — an unnamed group of league veterans — wouldn’t like to hear her say these things. She doesn’t care. While many in the league might disagree, who better to forge an unconventional path forward than a player who has spent most of her life being overlooked?

Williams, by the sheer force of her personality and talent, is on a trajectory to stardom. She has weathered everything that might have knocked her off course, and never once had to sacrifice who she is in the process.

She has every reason to be confident, and her time with the Sun has proven being bold can be infectious. If Williams does one day remodel the WNBA, it could only be exactly in her image: brash, fun, and inclusive. Williams would be the vanguard to a league unafraid to celebrate no matter who wanders into the picture.

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