#kelsey x russell

[crownrots-archive]

🌊 KELSEY MOORE & RUSSELL CLARKE   ── she’s the only divine thing he’s ever believed in. ( x ) 

[norrisainz33]

beauty and brains || cs55

☆ summary: carlos’ long term partner is an engineering student, victoria’s secret model and all around fam favorite. him and a few others surprise her ahead of the singapore gp!

☆ pairing: carlos sainz x model!student!reader

☆ fc & warnings: kelsey merritt & none

☆ requested: yes!! thank you sm for the request and for your patience🤍

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

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user1: beauty and brains fr

user2: you are everything

yourbff: i can’t even imagine the stress of exams and the show

ynuser: i am so stressed but we shall persevere 😭 last time i ever have to do this!!

yourbff: you have GOT THIS GIRL! you gonna be a graduate so SOON!!!!!

ynuser: going to need some drinks after this is all over

yourbff: say less baby

carlossainz55: my gorgeous girl i can’t wait to see you 🤍

ynuser: i can’t wait to see you in singapore mi amor 🤍

carlossainz55: counting down the minutes. i am so incredibly proud of you

ynuser: 🥹🥹🥹🥹 don’t make me cry carlos

alexandrasaintmleux: you’re going to crush these exams mon ami

ynuser: thank you best friend 😘

user3: vs fashion show?! that is huge! im so proud of you 😭

user4: omg i’m going to the singapore gp too!!! i hope i see you

user5: you are the blueprint

carlossainz55 has posted to his story

[i am so proud of you my love. the sky is the limit and this only the beginning]

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user3: YAYYYY CONGRATS TO OUR FAVORITE PRINCESS

user5: how she managed to get a degree and be a full time model at the same time is so impressive

landonorris: yessssss that’s our girl let’s gooooooo

carlossainz55: could not be more proud!

landonorris: i am having the hardest time keeping my mouth shut abt the fact that we’re going to her show. she keeps talking about how much she misses you and all of us

carlossainz55: if you tell her i’ll drive you straight off track in singapore

landonorris: understood

user6: carlos are you going to the vs show??????

ynuser: i love you so much 😭 thank you for the flowers, im so glad to have gotten them this morning. i wish you could be here!

carlossainz55: it is the least i could do!! i love you more than words could express. i’ll see you soon 🤍

lilymhe: you should’ve gotten her more flowers

carlossainz55: 100 roses is not enough?

lilymhe: nothing is enough when you’re dating the most perfect woman in the world

carlossainz55: i suppose you got me there

scuderiaferrari: we are so proud of y/n!!

user8: begging to know if you’re going to make an appearance at the victoria secret fashion show king

user10: simp ☝🏻

user11: you’ve moved me with this carlos

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ynuser: new york city - it’s time 🪽

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user6: ahhhhh it’s vs time!!!

user8: gUYS is carlos going to be there to support her 😭

user12: i feel like no bc singapore is right around the corner

user8: ugh yeah true but this is so important and he already missed graduation 😭

user12: ik!!! crossing fingers he can make it

user10: the footballers in her likes lol

carmenmundt: so effortlessly beautiful

ynuser: that’s you carmen 😘

carlossainz55: that’s MY girl

ynuser: yes it is 🤍

user9: i’m literally so excited to watch the show later

victoriassecret: can’t wait to see you later y/n 🩷

yourbff: so glad to be here with you 🫶🏻

ynuser: you’re my rock

oscarpiastri: time to shine

ynuser: 💎

user10: that’s our engineering graduate!!! look at her go!!!

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f1gossip: 🚨 breaking: carlos sainz, lando norris, charles leclerc, george russell, carmen mundt, and alexandra saint mleux have all been spotted arriving at the victoria’s secret fashion show in support of y/n y/l/n who will be walking in the show tonight

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user12: user8 he’s there 🥹

user8: i fully screamed this news made me so happy

user12: we love to see the support 😭

user15: no bc i’m about to cry. what do you mean all of them flew out to new york when they’re supposed to be in singapore in 3 days to support their girl y/n/n?????

user22: no because they clearly love her so much im sick

user16: this is an elite pull by y/n

user4: this is everything to me i hope you understand

user19: praying this brings good karma to carlos in singapore

user18: y/n is so loved

user8: she really is 😭

user5: things i will never shut up about: this

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lando.jpg: even though carlos told me to close my eyes more times than i could count at the show, i wouldn’t have wanted to spend 24 hours in nyc with anyone else. congrats to y/n - we all love you muppet

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user3: he revived lando.jpg to congratulate his friend this is so sweet

user55: CARLOS TOLD ME TO CLOSE MY EYES IM CRACKING UP

carlossainz55: thanks for coming with me mate! and yes don’t look at my girlfriend

lando.jpg: my bad mate! i forgot i went to the fashion show to not look at any of the fashion

ynuser: carlos 🙄

carlossainz55: 🤭

user9: who is gonna tell carlos that his girl is a model and it’s literally her job to be looked at in crying

ynuser: landito!!!! i can’t express how happy i was to see you all there. thank you for coming my sweet sweet bestie

lando.jpg: y/n/nito!!!! ofc always happy to support you

user8: the way carlando and y/ncarlando are so close is so incredibly important to me

user43: the second pic of y/n and carlos just called me single in 55 different languages

lando.jpg: same

user43: LANDO

oscarpiastri: lily and i wish we could have been there!!! still so proud of you ynuser

ynuser: you were there in spirit, i felt it

use13: i’m not gonna be normal abt this, sorry in advance everyone

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ynuser: last night was unreal, a total dream come true. ever since i started modeling it was a dream of mine to walk in the victoria’s secret fashion show and i did it!! but what made the night even sweeter was all the amazing people who came to support me. to my carlos, thank you for making that happen 🤍 see you all in singapore!! i need a nap 😴

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user2: you were radiant

user5: the peoples princess fr

carlossainz55: anything for you mi angel

ynuser: i’m the luckiest girl in the world

carmenmundt: i’m so glad i got to be there!!! you are a STAR

georgerussell63: what carmen said!

ynuser: thank you carmen and georgie!! i love you both 🫶🏻

alexandrasaintmleux: proud is an understatement

ynuser: 🥹 i’m so thankful for you

user7: she is the moment

user10: i hope you get the best sleep of your life on that trip to singapore

sabrinacarpenter: gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous

ynuser: 🤍

user9: i’m going to miss you when i scroll

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user3: you need a rest ms girl idk how you’re still standing after exams and the vs show and now traveling to singapore

lilymhe: yayyy lemme come find you

ynuser: yesss please!!! i’m with carmen and alex

lilymhe: yay yay yay yay

user6: praying you bring him good luck today! i am SICK of the dutch national anthem

yourbff: did you sleep the whole flight?

ynuser: omg yes thank GOD. pays to have a bf with a private jet

yourbff; GOOD you needed that

lilyzneimer: i’m so glad you’re here with us 🫶🏻 i missed you

ynuser: i missed you more lils

lilyzneimer: truly not possible

user5: i’m here too!!! hoping to see you ms queen

user9: thank god you’re back in the paddock i missed seeing pics of you there

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ynuser: carlos sainz!!! el matador!!!!! oh my god i am speechless!! you did that baby 🤍

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user55: CARLOOOOSSSSSSSS

user6: carlos sainz winner of the singapore gp!!!! breaker of the mv win streak!!!

user8: tell me you all saw the clip of her crying while watching him on the podium

user2: might have been the cutest thing i’d ever seen

user8: i hope a love like that finds me

carlossainz55: you brought me some luck mi princessa 🤍

ynuser: no luck needed with a drive like that 😍

landonorris: i made the photo dump 🥹

ynuser: of course you did mr podium man

user9: carlando podium is so important to me

yourbff: congrats carlos!!! truly amazing stuff from you

carlossainz55: gracias y/bff

scuderiaferrari: ❤️❤️❤️

user11: i never thought i would care so much about vroom vroom cars but y/n you have shown me the light

user10: oh i love you two so much

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

a/n: thank you for reading!! likes and reblogs appreciated. i do be slow af on here with these requests,, my apologies y’all

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

disclaimer: pictures are not mine and everything i write is fiction

© norrisainz33 || please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[azurezfiction]

What are your favorite ships for Power Rangers characters? Especially for characters like Conner and Javi?

That is a very loaded question! I have a lot of ships that I have for my favourite characters (main of which can be considered rarepairs or crackpairs). Before we get to those, let's tackle Conner and Javi first shall we?

So, for Conner. When it comes to shipping for him, I tend to lean towards outside of the Dino Thunder team. (mainly because you can tear CassidyxEthan from my cold, dead, rotten corpse thank you very much). A friend of mine and I joked about the DT rangers meeting the Squadron rangers, and Conner immediately swooing over Xev and Telosi.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Conner wouldn't immediately start simping over Xev, Telosi and their muscles.

He probably also has a thing for Cole. Especially those biceps and Ryan. And Shane. And Hunter. and Dustin. Adam. Rocky. Definitely Jason. Big time. Eric is out though. He shares a name with Conner's bro, and that's a major no. He'd absolutely go ga-ga over Dillion. Damon's, TJ, Mike C, and Leo too. Chad.

I'd say Joel too but... lets be honest, no one can win against Angela Fairweather. No one.

Anyone with muscles, Conner's there. But when it comes to romantic involvement for shipping? Xev, Telosi, Dillion, Cole, possibly Shane. Depending on how it's written, DustinxConnerxHunter... long as Dustin isn't Erik McKnight's teacher, I'm good.

Now, for Javi...

I'm blaming @skyland2703 for my growing fondness for JavixAmelia. It's a very cute couple, and I can't believe I never thought of them as a ship until I started seeing their content. Another friend of mine has also made me a fan of Javi x Ollie too, and with Russell's (Zayto) recent tweet it does make me curious if Javi x Zayto will happen or the potential it could hold.

As for my favourite characters... I have a variety of ships~ I'll go in order of series that way no one gets left out or behind.

MMPRS1-Turbo 1: Katherine x Billy; One of my top OTPs of all time. I really wanted them to have nice things. Tommy x Jason, Tommy x Kim: These two have my heart~ And you can't tell me something wasn't going on between Tommy and Jason through the series. Adam x Rocky, Adam x Rocky x Aisha x Tanya, Adam x Tanya, Rocky x Aisha, Aisha x Shawna, Aisha x Tanya; Do I really need to explain? These four are pretty much rock solid. Splitting them apart if like a huge NO imo. Turbo 2-Wild Force TJ x Cassie; Lets be honest, the Phantom Ranger was never gonna stick around for Cassie. She needs someone dependable in her life and that's TJ. Zhane x Andros: Once again, utterly blaming a friend of mine for this. I've fallen down the rabbit hole and can't seem to get out. Zhane x Astronema/Karone: I can't help it. It's a cute ship! Mike Corbett x Carlos Vallerte: My OTP of Power Rangers. I forever be shipping them and hopefully getting my motivation to actually get writing them, I read a fic several years ago that made me ship them. Unfortunately that fic no longer exists. Kai x Damon; literally don't know how I came up with this one, but I thought it would be pretty cute that the engineer/mechanic and the uptight soldier would hook up with one another, and Damon endlessly flirting with him non-stop even during work hours~ Ryan x Carter: My OTP of Lightspeed. I feel like Ryan would be great for Carter, helping him come out of his shell a bit and be a more explorative while sharing quiet moments when it's simply the two of them. Dana x Taylor; Soft military nurse that will kill you with kindness and Taylor that disciplined military pilot that can kick your ass with a glare? It can't go wrong! Nancy x Kelsey: It's match made in heaven. PROVE. ME. WRONG. Eric x Wes, Eric x Wes x Jen: It's inevitable that they three will end up together. And you can FEEL that chemistry/tension between Eric and Wes on scream. They definitely have something back during their school days. Katie x Trip: Do I need to explain? Merrick x Cole: I have a weakness for these two, it's just... they simply FIT together. Ninja Storm - RPM Dustin x Hunter: I like how the two bounce off each other, and their aesthetics that match together. They definitely have very good chemistry together and I can see them ending up together at the end of Ninja Storm. Ethan x Cassidy: LET. THEM. HAVE. NICE. THINGS. Sky x Bridge: I know, I know. I've been pulled on the Sky x Bridge train, but you can't tell me there isn't something going on between them. Vida x Chip: I really love these two. I know they are best friends and everything, but at the same time, I feel like their romance is something very believable that can happen between them. Giving it the proper time to grow. Xander x Nick: This is a guilty pleasure of mine but like... *squints* like you can't tell me that the two had SOMETHING happening when no one was looking. RJ x Casey: Need I say more? There's no heterosexual relationship about them. Dillion x Ziggy:... Just let me have this. Please? They personally had more chemistry in my eyes than Dillion and Summer. But that's simply me. Flynn x Gemma: SOUL MATES. Samurai to Dino Fury/Cosmic Fury(?) Jayden x Antonio: THERE IS NO HETEROSEXUAL EXPLANATION FOR THESE TWO. Gia x Emma: I say by what I say when I say Gia should have been leader and red. Noah x Orion: Nerdy boy and alien? SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Tyler x Shelby: One of the few times I do enjoy the main couple in the show~ Matt Griffin x Tyler x Ivan: I blame my friend for this but you can't tell me it wouldn't be interesting. The modern cowboy, the explorer, and the knight? Imagine the shenanigans! Izzy x Fern: QUEENS. They deserver EVERYTHING! I don't really ship a lot involving Beast Morphers, Ninja Steel, or Dino Fury yet. I'm waiting to see what Cosmic Fury holds first to see how the relationships grow and change for the second season.

My number 1 crackship of all time:

Dane Romero x Mr Kelman x Andrew Hartford: Involving time shenanigans that ensure all three are around the same age and being able to be in love and be together without any problems. I have NO idea why or how I came up with this ship, but it's mine and I love it~

[shaydixons]

[leseulmot]

for @maimishou I hope you enjoy!

•••

“You’re my best friend, you know.”

Jo’s voice cut through Kelsey’s nonsensical ramblings—about their upcoming APUSH debate in which Kelsey was set to be a muckraker of the 1920s and Jo was playing Henry Ford and the argument she was planning to tear her friend’s capitalist character down with. Grey’s Anatomy was playing on the TV in front of them, something dramatic happening that Jo hadn’t been paying attention to for a while. She wasn’t a big fan of the show, anyways.

Kelsey’s face was obscured by the face mask that she had brought over for the two of them to share—Jo had a matching one lathered across her skin, as well—but it wasn’t too hard to picture the questioning quirk of her eyebrows, the almost suspicious scrunch of her nose that she wouldn’t dare do with the mask on. Jo had known the girl for too long. She knew Kelsey’s quirks like the back of her hand.

“You’re my best friend, too?” Kelsey’s voice was almost a question, but the smile in her eyes—still not stretching her skin because Jo taught her well—more than genuine. She kicked out at the other girl with her foot. Jo had painted Kelsey’s toes just a few minutes ago and she had complained about the purple separator she had forced on the other girl the entire time. Jo grinned as she dodged Kelsey’s kick, letting a snort of laughter out. “Why are we getting sentimental right now? We haven’t even broken out the wine.”

Jo rolled her eyes, her low, sarcastic groan loud in her small living room. She tossed herself back onto the couch as dramatically as possible, throwing her head back and rubbing the back of her head into the colorful throw that lay across the back of her family’s couch. She liked to tease that her mother treasured this old textile more than she loved her own daughter. Her hair came back static-y and angry, pops of noise picking about the air as she pulled away and grinned over at her closest friend.

“I just wanted to let you know.”

“I already know, silly,” Kelsey’s laugh was bright. It was electric. Her eyes wrinkled up, not-yet-permanent crows feet dashing out like strikes of lightening. Jo was sure, if not for the mask she had on her face, there would be a happy, pink coloring high in her cheeks. Kelsey quickly relaxed her face when she realized that she was likely wrinkling the mask, but her cheeks were tight around her lips as if she were attempting to swallow her laughter down but couldn’t in full.

It painted a funny picture. Or maybe it was just the pure charm that was Kelsey. Laughter spilled from Jo’s lips in response and soon the two were laughing together, ignoring the wrinkles spreading across their masks. Even though she had been the one to suggest this self-care day Jo didn’t care. She didn’t care that her hair was messy and tangled. She didn’t care that the paint on her nails was likely getting smudged and rubbed into that throw that her mother loved so much. She didn’t care. Because that laugh, that piercing, ringing, beautiful thing made her heart stop. It made her brain short circuit. It made her limbs freeze up and her mouth go numb.

Jo would do anything to keep that laugh in her life.

“Gosh, we’re both messes now!” Kelsey broke through Jo’s haze of admiration, the girl peeling the mask from her face and tossing it towards the trash bin they had pulled from Jo’s room. It landed atop the cotton balls and makeup wipes that had been using earlier with something that could hint at a wet flop. She reached for the other girl’s mask before Jo could react, pulling it from her face, as well. The cool air on her newly exposed face made her cringe back. “I’m serious, Jo! My pores are probably still all clogged up!”

“It’s okay, Kels,” Jo laughed at her friend’s distress. “You’re still beautiful.”

“Jo!” Kelsey squealed in response, her hands flying up to cover her face as she leaned into Jo’s shoulder. Jo couldn’t help but laugh again, wrapping her arms about her friend and falling back into the couch. Kelsey’s own laughter was warm against Jo’s neck as she peeked up at her friend. Her eyes were bright with mirth and Jo knew without seeing all of the other’s face that there was a smile on her lips. “You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“Yes I can!” Jo protested. “You’re my best friend! We’ve just determined that!”

Kelsey fell silent, leaving Jo’s laugh ringing by itself before she realized her friend had quieted down. She tilted her head down to look at the other, a question in her eyes. Kelsey’s face was a touch pink, her gaze off to the right as if she were attempting to avoid Jo’s sight—and she wasn’t just looking at something off to the side, Jo had checked to be sure.

“Kelsey?”

“Just,” Kelsey started, clearing a lump that had seemingly gotten stuck in her throat. Jo tugged at a strand of Kelsey’s hair as if to prompt her. “Just friends?”

Jo felt her breath catch in her throat, her lungs seizing up as she considered what Kelsey had just said. Her words bounced relentlessly through her head. She felt slightly put out as well, of course, but that was mostly due to the fact that Jo had always expected to be the one who confessed first. She had toyed with the possibility that Kelsey would return her feelings, usually on sleepless nights where not even Instagram could keep up with her million-mile-an-hour mind, but she had never found herself being confessed to by the girl of her affection in even her wildest dreams.

Jo’s mouth was dry as she gaped at her friend. Kelsey seemed to be getting progressively more embarrassed, the pink of her cheeks plunging into a red and the girl squirming almost uncomfortably in Jo’s hold as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. Jo tightened her hold on the other, watching as she calmed her movements, glancing up at her once again.

“I mean,” Jo managed to say. She was sure that her face was just as red as Kelsey’s by now. “We can be more if you want?”

“Was that a question?”

“I guess?”

Kelsey giggled into Jo’s shoulder once again, burying her face into the crook of her neck for a moment before extracting herself once again. Jo was both disappointed and relieved. Relived because this was a conversation that they needed to have as well as the fact that she was ticklish. Disappointed in the fact that Kelsey had pulled away. So sue her. Jo had always been in love with the idea of simply being surrounded by her best friend—even if that was the only form the affection came in.

“Well. My answer is yes. I would like to be more.”

“Oh!” Jo croaked out excitedly, a smile breaking across her face. She grinned down at Kelsey, who grinned just as brightly back up at her. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”

“Can I…?” Kelsey trailed off. It took Jo a moment to realize what the other girl was asking, her mind still reeling with what had just transpired.

“Definitely!” She finally managed, letting Kelsey squirm her way out of her arms. Jo settled her hands atop Kelsey’s. Were her palms always this sweaty?

Where Jo was sitting cross legged on the couch, Kelsey had somehow found her way to kneeling atop it, her whole body turning to face Jo as opposed to the girl in question, who had just angled her torso towards the other.

“Awesome.” Kelsey breathed as she pressed closer to Jo.

Jo watched as her friend’s eyes flickered from her own gaze to her lips and back again. She took that as a prompt for her to do so as well, and was once again mesmerized by the idea of Kelsey’s lips. By the idea of kissing them, of kissing Kelsey, of Kelsey kissing her.

Kelsey surged forward only a moment later. It wasn’t anything like fireworks or bursts of light. It was the awkward press of lips against lips, a chaste thing that hinted at clacking teeth if their mouths had been open.

The two pulled back with laughter spilling out of them. And then, after a moment, they pressed back in.

Jo was pretty sure there were fireworks this second time.

[shame-in-english]

Season 2, Episode 8.

[sharetheskam]

i’ve always been part of like the 3 people who liked skam austin but season 2 is really amazing like i’m so happy of how they are handling this storyline and everything is so well done, i’m loving the girl squad and daniel is truly one of my favorite versions of william !! that last clip of the girls was definitely my favorite how caring and supportive they were :’)

[kaisreactions]

I never thought I’d say this but:

Ele’s actions in the last clip reminded me of Kelsey. She was purposely trying to hurt Edo, just like Kelsey has been purposely trying to hurt Grace. It’s much worse when you actually try to hurt someone, especially one you care about, it’s just brutal. She had no business talking about his family, when she knew nothing about it. I think that definitely hit a nerve for Edo, because after she said that, you could see it on his face, he gave up. And even though he was irritated from the beginning, he didn’t want to give up on their relationship until Ele said that, and even then he wanted her to say something to prove that she still wanted to be with him. She wanted to find a reason to end it and she knew what she said would hurt him and she decided to do it because of how it would hurt him. This was really cruel, especially because he wasn’t ready to open up about his family, and she herself knows how hard it was for her to open up about her family. We don’t want them to go their separate ways, but they had to, at least for now, they clearly don’t know how to exist in compromise with their differening ideals.

[iridescentwinters]

city of satan

— prompt: starting scene of skam austin season 2

grace and her friends watched shay and drew, a pretty recent pair that had gotten together over the summer, like they were lab rats.

josefina’s eyebrows furrowed. “now, i don’t know her that well,” she started, “but i didn’t think that he’d be her type. like, over-flexing big headed jocks.” she paused, before continuing. “nah, not jocks in general, but footballers.”

grace looked over at megan, who had the same suspicious yet knowing look on her face. “i didn’t think so either.” grace then off-handedly replied, as if her words had an underlying meaning to them. well, they did. but jo hadn’t caught on, obviously.

jo then looked back at meg, after taking a long sip of her milkshake. “when’d they get together?” she asked. meg’s eyes were still on the couple, who were still making out. “two weeks back, but marlon said they’d been talking since the carnival.”

jo’s eyebrows furrowed. “how?” she asked, and meg’s only response was a shrug. “they knew each other from middle school, though. drew went to the same one as us. they’d been together once when we were in 5th grade.” she explained. 

bzz. grace’s head moved from her friends, to her back pocket. as she fished it out, she said, “at least she’s over marlon, then.”

the name that appeared on her screen made her frown a little. donald.

jo looked at the both of them in bewilderment, since this was new information to her. “over marlon? what do you mean by that?”

as meg quickly summarised what shay had told her, grace contemplated for a minute or two, before finally unlocking her phone and opening the text.

good Lord, you look so damn hot in that get-up.

grace scoffed. unbelievable, she thought, as she looked around subtly, before looking back at what she had on. it was a simple black crop top, complimenting her usual faded jeans, and fishnet stockings.

but after daniel’s little piggish compliment, grace felt a lot more exposed than she felt originally.

“hi!”

grace jumped slightly in surprise. kelsey had arrived, along with zoya, with a huge smile on her face. “h-hi.” she managed to greet back, her heart still racing. she hated how she always felt like that whenever she had her phone out in front of kelsey. more specifically, daniel’s chat open.

the unaware blonde looked back over her shoulder, to look at shay and drew, who had finally stopped going at it because tyler had joined them, before looking back at them. “isn’t it crazy how they’re together now?” she asked, as grace placed her flannel over herself, trying to cover the upper half of herself.

“why’s that crazy?” meg asked, her eyebrow raised. kelsey shrugged, although it was obvious at what she was trying to say. “i mean, they’re two polar opposites, and yet they somehow attracted. i thought that only happened in like, tv shows or something.” her head started to dramatically move as she spoke. “like, badass independent girls with the cocky footballers. really cool, right?”

grace wasn’t following, and neither did she want to. and once kelsey took a look on her facial expression, she knew it too. she quickly coughed, before changing the topic. “anyway, football season is coming up!” she clapped her hands excitedly. “and you know what that means.”

grace and the other girls looked at each other, confused. “that they’ll play football?” zoya asked, stating the obvious with narrowed eyes.

jo let out a snort, while meg and grace started to chuckle. kelsey, however, rolled her eyes. “well duh, zoya,” she said, “but not that.” she paused, looking at the girls as if she was waiting for them to figure it out themselves. when they didn’t, she sighed dramatically, before finally answering their question. “that we’ll get to dance for the games!”

zoya gave her an ‘are-you-kidding’ me look. “okay, just because we’re friends with the kittens now, doesn’t make them suddenly disappear.” she sassed.

kelsey blinked, as if she hadn’t thought about that fact before. she quickly recovered, though. “you’re right. which means, we’d have to do a mini dance competition, then. like, to see who’s gonna be the team dancing. the football team should be the judges as well.”

grace’s face fell. “uh, what?” she asked, as if she thought she might’ve heard kelsey wrongly. but when the other girl only looked back with a confused expression, she groaned. “kelsey, why should the football team, who are clearly not dancers, be the judges?” she asked, a little rhetorically. “one, they’re not even gonna be of any help, and two, that’s basically giving them access to bossing us around and  you know that they’re idiotic pigs who’d jump at the chance to just watch girls dance and take it the other way.” how kelsey even came to that conclusion, just amazed grace.

“what! no!” kelsey was quick to defend the football team. “they’re not like that! and hello, they’re athletes, just like dancers.” she pointed out. “plus, how difficult is it to just point out a team that they’d like to see dancing at their games?”

grace looked over at meg and jo, who only shrugged. “i mean, i’d like to be watched by my football daddy.” jo admitted. “it makes me feel sexy, in a way. like, whenever he looks at me i just….” she trailed off, once she saw grace’s unamused look.

zoya was her last hope in knocking some sense into kelsey, but even she shrugged. “i say we just take every advantage we can of those motherfuckers, for every bit of clout!”

kelsey cheered, before looking at meg. “hey, maybe shay could put in a good word for us, since y’all are friends.” she said in a lowered tone, as if she was telling a secret.

grace rolled her eyes out of annoyance, before throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. “whatever. then i’m not in.”

all of the girls reacted with a series of surprised looks and exclamations. “what? why?!” kelsey looked the most lost. “you know we need at least-”

“i said i’m not in, not quitting the team. no one said anything about not having 5 members dancing.” grace interrupted. “you guys can go ahead with the ‘competition’ with them as the judges,” she air-quoted, “but i’m not gonna dance in front of a bunch of assholes for their own amusement.” she folded her arms, obviously making her mind about her decision.

kelsey groaned. “grace, i worked so hard to get this team together, and we’re practically in with the football team right now! you can’t just quit because something’s not going your way! that’s just childish.”

grace leaned forward. “actually, i can.” she sassed. “i wasn’t even interested in joining in the first place. i did it just to get to know meg and zoya better.” she admitted.

jo’s jaw dropped. “well, thanks a lot!” she said sarcastically. grace immediately leaned over meg’s lap, to grab jo’s hands. “no! no! and of course you too, jo! you’re my main chick.” she winked, and jo winked back.

the bell finally rang, indicating that lunch was over, and the girls started to gather their things, getting ready for their next class.

as they began to separate in different directions, kelsey yelled out, “this discussion isn’t over yet!”

grace became to reverse-walk. “actually, it is, kelsey!” she yelled, holding up a peace sign, before walking normally again, but this time, with a little grin of triumph on her face.

this was going to be one hell of a semester.

sorry i went MIA yesterday, i was going through major writer’s block

[crownrots-archive]

KELSEY MOORE X RUSSELL CLARKE 

TAGGED BY @jacobseed to do use this template again, thank you orion <3

[handeaux]

The True Story Of UC’s Male Homecoming Queen

It was one of those stories that floated around the University of Cincinnati campus until it took on a life of its own. The gist was this: After World War II, a male veteran allegedly ran for homecoming queen and won. The legend survives on UC’s web site in an alumni magazine quiz.

The legend made sense and conformed to stereotypes. In the late 1940s, UC’s enrollment soared as veterans on the G.I Bill signed up for classes. So many former servicemen attended that UC filled its quadrangles with Army-surplus barracks. The ramshackle dorms earned the nickname “Vetsville.” The UC graduating class of 1949 was about two-thirds veterans.

It made total sense that one of the Vetsville students decided to prank the annual Homecoming festivities. Problem was, there is no mention of a male homecoming queen in UC’s yearbooks, or in the student newspaper, or in any of Cincinnati’s daily newspapers from that time. So, where did the legend originate?

It turns out that UC did select a male queen and veterans were involved, but the true story is a bit more complicated, and it offers some insight into Cincinnati’s LGBTQ history.

The story starts with UC’s student newspaper, the News Record. In February 1947, the paper published an editorial complaining about all the queen competitions on campus. Every student dance – and there were dozens of them – crowned a queen, who needed to campaign for weeks ahead of time. The News Record decided enough was enough:

“This farce should be stopped before it kills itself. Let’s keep the prom queen and the freshman queen, but why not give the organized women a break? To be a success, a dance need not feature a coronation. Too much of anything is not good.”

The same issue included a columnist’s appeal to UC’s veterans, calling upon them to employ their wartime experience to inject new ideas into student activities:

“We feel that initiative and spirit have reached a low ebb on this campus. The veteran is, of course, the only answer to the problem. His war training has matured and disciplined him. And activities are not below his dignity.”

As it turned out, the UC Veterans Association (which, despite all the sex-role stereotyping was about 10 percent women) was selling tickets for its “Sweetheart Dance” that precise week, while co-eds campaigned to be named “Sweetheart of the Veterans Association” at that very dance.

And so the evening of Saturday, 15 February 1947 arrived. The Pavilion Caprice at the downtown Netherland Hilton swayed to the sounds of Al Cassidy’s orchestra. Three black-robed judges somberly surveyed the candidates and unanimously chose their Sweetheart, but, as the News Record explained, there was a surprise:

“’She’ was really ‘he.’ No kidding. The ‘Sweetheart’ of the Veterans Association is none other than Kit Russell, female impersonator, appearing locally.”

Although he was a World War II veteran, Russell was not a student. He was the star of the Gay Boy Revue, a drag ensemble headlining at the Band Box Night Club at Peebles Corner. According to the Cincinnati Post [21 February 1947], some people failed to see the humor – or the point of the protest:

“The parody of electing Kit Russell, the Band Box female impersonator, as queen of the Veterans Association dance at the Pavilion Caprice Saturday as a protest against the too many queen crownings didn’t go over too well with a few who took the thing seriously.”

Other than a brief item in the student newspaper and a couple of mentions in the college column of the Cincinnati Post, the whole incident was forgotten, but morphed into a later false memory of a vet being crowned at Homecoming.

Kit Russell (born Russell L. Paull of Pennsylvania) was about to lose his gig at the Band Box. Ohio liquor control agents pressured the courts to take away the Band Box’s liquor license, declaring that the Gay Boy Revue flaunted “things which are unclean and indecent.”

It is interesting that the forces of law and order should focus their wrath on the Band Box. The Gay Boy Revue appeared at several Cincinnati night clubs before and after their stint on Peebles Corner. Over a 10-year period, they entertained at Kelly’s on Central Avenue, the New Look Club in Newport, the Old Bar Nite Club in Northside, Koenig’s Clubhouse in Fort Mitchell, Balli’s Radio Gardens upstairs in the Crosley Building, and the Nine Mile House (later Twin Lanterns) in Dent.

None of these establishments catered to a predominantly gay clientele. At the Nine Mile House, the Gay Boy Revue followed a troupe of female nudists. Nor was the Gay Boy Revue the only drag act in Cincinnati at the time. From the 1930s into the 1950s, there were usually one or two drag acts playing in Cincinnati on any given evening.

As for Kit Russell, he left Cincinnati for a brief career in Hollywood performing (in and out of drag) in some obscure movies, including the 1949 thriller “Project X.” He went on to manage a couple of drag clubs, notably the influential 181 Club in New York’s East Village. A 1979 anthology of LGBTQ studies included John Kelsey’s memories of Kit Russell, from an appearance at a Cleveland bar:

“Another impersonator I recall was Mr. Kit Russell, who was billed a ‘the world’s most beautiful female impersonator,’ and what a good-looking woman he appeared! Yet any glamour was quickly dispelled in an effusion of one-and-one-half entendre jokes.”

Kit Russell lived to enjoy a modicum of fame as a pioneer of drag culture. Russell L. Paull died, aged 70, in 1994 in South Carolina. Perhaps he ought to be named, posthumously, an honorary Bearcat.

[daddyxleroy]

тнe мa ғaмιly

jason momoa - leroy ma ( the father )

michael b jordan - roman ma in a relationship with xo | ( blood related to trey ) 

tyler posey - gabe ma in a relationship with riley pembroke

jake t austin - levi ma ( triplet with bailey & hailey ) 

kaylee bryant - bailey ma ( triplet with levi & hailey )

sara waisglass - hailey ma ( triplet with levi & bailey )

mya montoya - deanna ma soon to be in a relationship with xavier 

myka montoya - dani ma soon to be in a relationship with ej

kim nahyun - shazlyn ma

bae joohyun - viola ma 

park chorong - sofia ma 

kim sihyeon - colby ma

hwang yeji - raquel ma

park sooyoung - anjelite ma

Yara Shahidi as Faith

Vannesa Morgan as Amariah

Zendaya as Harmony “Bree” 

Diggy Simmons as Trey (blood related to roman) 

Tina Woods as Hazel

Danielle Rose Russell as Ivy 

Sarah Shahi as Trinity ( the mother) 

тнe peмвroĸe ғaмιly

chris evans - david pembroke ( the father )

alex fizalan - kyler pembroke

hailee steinfeld - valerie pembroke

lili reinhart - kaila pembroke flirting with trey ma

greta from all american - brooklyn pembroke in a relationship with kingston hofferman

nick robinson - dustin pembroke flirting with ivy ma 

timothee chalamet - connor pembroke

oh hayoung - bethany pembroke

Brittany O’ Grady as Liliana

Crystal Reed as Riley (girlfreind to gabe mahelona alverz) 

Brenton Thwaites as Jeremy 

Christian Yu as James

margot robbie as Luciana (the mother)

тнe parĸer ғaмιly

jessica alba - laura parker ( the mother )

carter jenkins - anthony parker

yoon bomi - sierra parker 

noah centineo - mateo parker 

vanessa merrell - jane parker 

jung yerin - kelsey parker 

kim jongin - jacob parker

hwang eunbi - lena parker 

Elizabeth Gillies as Avery

Kaya Scodelario as Mia 

Tom Holland as Daniel

Ryan Destiny as Jorydan 

Henry Cavill as Nathaniel “Nate” (the father)

camila mendes - brinley parker

тнe oc'ѕ

Lindsey Morgan as Ximena “Xo” Santiago (girlfriend of Roman Mahelona-Alverez )

Charles Melton as Kingston “King” Hofferman ( boyfriend to Brooklyn Pembroke)

Michael Evans Behling as Elijah “EJ” Turnner ( “boyfriend” to Dani)

 Zayn as Xavier “X” Romero (boyfriend to denna)

Gal Gadot as TBN

[shaydixons]

we don’t need boys to validate us.

[junker-town]

WNBA championship contenders, ranked

Every WNBA playoff team, ranked by their chances of winning the championship.

The 2021 WNBA playoff field is set, and we’re gearing up for what is slated to be one competitive postseason. The Reigning champion Seattle Storm are back, and so are last year’s runner-ups, the Las Vegas Aces. With two deep runs into the postseason last year, we could see a repeat of the 2020 Finals match-up, but not without some competition along the way. A few teams are threatening to mix things up this postseason, and they won’t make it easy for the Storm or Aces.

The Phoenix Mercury have been dangerous all year, and have a devastatingly talented backcourt, from their starting guards to those off the bench. The Connecticut Sun have also been fun to watch since Week 1 of the regular season while being led by the likely MVP, and you can’t forget about the young but talented Dallas Wings.

All in all, this year’s postseason should be highly competitive, and I’m ranking each team on how likely they are to take home the 25th WNBA championship.

8. New York Liberty

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Liberty were the last team to get their bid to the playoffs beating the Los Angeles Sparks. They are led by Betnijah Laney, averaging 16.8 points per game, followed by Natasha Howard, averaging 16.2. My biggest concern with the Liberty is that they do not have a big presence in the paint. As a 6’2 forward, Howard leads the team in rebounds with 7.2 per game. This could be problematic against teams with more size, and it has proven to be an issue throughout the season as the Liberty sit 10th out of the 12th teams in the league for rebounding percentage.

The Liberty’s first opponent is Phoenix Mercury. They were able to pull off a two-point win over the Mercury early on in the season, but in the following two matchups, they lost by 27 and 16. Can the Liberty make a run this postseason? I don’t think so. They finished the regular season 12-20, and with that said, they’re fairly young. This postseason is all about experience for them and developing their younger players.

7. Dallas Wings

Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Dallas Wings were the second to last team to clinch their playoff spots, and I believe that the playoffs will be more competitive now that they are in. But with that said, though they are a talented team, like the Liberty, they are also young. Their most experienced player is fifth-year forward Kayla Thornton, and eight of their 12 players have played two or fewer seasons in the W.

Though age and experience should not be the sole gage for success, I see this more like a building postseason for the Wings. They finished off the regular season 14-18 and No. 5 in the West. Their resume is not the most impressive, but they’re a team that can fight. This is a year for their young core to get experience to build for deep postseason runs in the future.

6. Chicago Sky

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Sky had a rocky start to the season. After winning their first two games, they proceeded to go on a seven-game losing streak. Candace Parker was out for much of that streak with an ankle sprain, but when she returned the Sky managed to bounce back with a seven-game win streak. Overall, they have been quite inconsistent this year, and they capped the regular season with a .500 record.

Looking toward this postseason, so much is up in the air for the Sky. Parker has injured her ankle twice since the start of the season, and as their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, if she can’t stay healthy, it slims the Sky’s chance at a championship run. With that said, Kahleah Copper was very reliable throughout the regular season, leading the team with 14.4 points per game, while Allie Quigley has been sensational, as usual, from the three, shooting 45.4 percent from the three on 119 attempts.

Ultimately, even with Copper and Quigley as bright spots, I’d be surprised if the Sky made a deep run in the playoffs this season.

5. Phoenix Mercury

Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Coming out of the Olympic break, it looked like everything was falling into place for the Mercury. Since then, they’ve hit a three-game losing streak that will take them into the playoffs. I think they still have a chance to go far into the postseason, but I’ll hold my tongue on if I think they can win it all.

On the plus side, the Mercury have Brittany Griner, who has been a standout leading the league in blocks and offensive rating. Griner also leads the Mercery in points per game with 20.5, followed by Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi. That trio has been solid all year, and outside of those last three games, they have had a dominant second half of the regular season.

Ultimately, it will come down to consistency and grit for the Mercury. There is no denying that they are a solid team, and they have all the weapons to go on a tear through the postseason, but whether they do or they don’t, it’s all up to them.

4. Minnesota Lynx

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

Similar to the Sky, the Lynx got off to a rough start this regular season with a four-game losing streak right out of the gate. It’s only been up from there ever since. If Minnesota can ride their end of regular season hot streak into the postseason, they have a chance of going the distance.

The Lynx are led by two USA basketball gold medalists in Napheesa Collier (averaging 16.2 points per game) and Sylvia Fowles (averaging 16 points per game). Kayla McBride has also shared a significant amount of the scoring responsibilities, averaging 13.7 points per game. The Lynx have been consistent this season but not a team I would say could take it all this year. Even as the third team in the WNBA standings, the Lynx still need to find a way to set themselves apart in a congested postseason pool of talent.

In particular, they will need to find a way around the Sun and the Storm, who are shaping up to be their biggest competition heading into the postseason. The Lynx are talented, but it feels like there are a few missing pieces away from a championship.

3. Connecticut Sun

Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

The Sun have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this regular season, and much of that is thanks to Jonquel Jones. Jones and DeWanna Bonner have powered the team to the top of the East, and now they’re thinking about a championship. Jones is having the best season of her WNBA career, averaging a double-double, with 19.4 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game.

The Sun have the best record in the league, 26-6, and their success this year mimics closely the successful year they had in 2019, when they went to the WNBA Finals but lost a tough series to the Mystics. This year’s Sun team looks ever better. This could be their year to win it all and give their franchise its first title, but also, the Sky and the Storm stand in their way as two teams that have handed them four of their six losses this season.

2. Seattle Storm

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Will the Storm repeat? Well, we’ll have to see, but their resume through this regular season gives me every reason to believe that their chances are high. During the 2020 regular season, the Storm went 18-4. They finished the regular season this year at 21-11. Though they’ve logged more losses in this year’s long season, they are still sitting at second in the West, the same place they were last season when they won it all.

While other teams like the Connecticut Sun have improved since last year, the Storm have experience on their side. Much of their team was a part of the least two championship runs in 2018 and 2020. Star veteran guard Sue Bird is playing for her fifth WNBA title, which would further etch her name in the history books as the all-time WNBA champion. Also, Jewell Loyd’s numbers have improved since last year in points, rebounds, and assists, and Mercedes Russell is on track to play a major role in their postseason run for them at center. It is clear that they are no strangers to the postseason.

But we have to talk about the elephant in the room, Breanna Stewart’s health. In my opinion, Stewart is their X-factor. She was last season’s Finals MVP and averaged almost a double-double this year with 20.3 points per game and 9.5 rebounds. She went down with a foot injury with two games left in the regular season, but she’s slated to make her return this postseason. If she can stay healthy, Storm are a WNBA Finals worthy team, but without her, well, I’m not so confident.

1. Las Vegas Aces

Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images

The Aces made the WNBA Finals last season, but since then, they have added even more great players to their roster. At this point, they look like a superteam with A’ja Wilson, Liz Camabage, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and so many other talented players all on one roster. According to DraftKings Nation, the Aces have the best odds to win the title +220, but the only two teams that look like they can stop the Aces this season are the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx. The Sun beat the Aces in all three of their matchups this season, and the Lynx beat them in two out of three.

But even with that track record, the Aces know what it’s like to be so close to a title and lose it all. Because of that, they may be playing with a chip on their shoulder this postseason.

Overall, it’s hard to predict who will walk away with the 2021 title. I’d like to see the Connecticut Sun holding up the trophy to cap off a stellar season, but with the talent in this league, you truly never know.

[your-dietician]

Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/wnba/seattle-storm-vs-las-vegas-aces/

Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces

The trouble with two of the league’s top teams playing twice in the first five days of the 2021 WNBA season is the lengthy wait before we see them together again on court. But the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces — who met in last season’s WNBA Finals — face off Sunday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App).

Currently the two best teams in the league, the Storm and the Aces split back-to-back games in Seattle in mid-May. The Storm won the season opener for both teams, 97-83. Three days later, Las Vegas won 96-80.

The league-leading Storm (12-3) had won five consecutive games before falling at home Tuesday against the Washington Mystics. Seattle remains unbeaten on the road (7-0).

The Aces (10-3) currently hold second place in the WNBA standings and ride a five-game winning streak into Friday’s matchup at the Minnesota Lynx.

Which team do we think will win Sunday? How have both teams gotten better since they last met? And are they headed toward another clash in the WNBA Finals? Our panel — ESPN.com’s Kelly Cohen, Dana Lee, Mechelle Voepel and Kevin Pelton, and The Undefeated’s Sean Hurd — previews one of the biggest games on the schedule before the WNBA pauses its season for the All-Star Game and Olympic break.

How have both teams evolved since they played in the opening week of the season?

Kevin Pelton: When these teams met over a month ago, Noelle Quinn was still an assistant to Dan Hughes, whose midseason retirement created the opportunity for her to become head coach. Seattle was still sorting through options to replace Natasha Howard at center, and Mercedes Russell wasn’t yet one of them — she was still quarantining after returning from her international play in Turkey. Now, Russell has firmly established herself as the Storm’s center as Quinn defined a rotation during the Storm’s recent 5-0 road trip.

2 Related

Kelly Cohen: To start the season, the Storm were playing well — but primarily on offense. In six games in May, they ranked eighth in the league in defensive rating (100.0). Through nine games so far in June, Seattle tops the WNBA with a 93.3 defensive rating. The Storm are 5-1 in their last six games, holding opponents to an average of 73.0 PPG. Seattle now looks ready to defend its WNBA championship on both sides of the ball.

The Aces started the season strong on both offense and defense, and have even turned it up a notch. Liz Cambage (15.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG) and A’ja Wilson (18.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG) are leading the team night after night offensively, but when players like Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum and Riquna Williams are contributing consistently, Las Vegas feels even more unstoppable.

Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mechelle Voepel: We knew it would take a little while for Seattle’s defense to adjust after losing two premier defenders in Howard and Alysha Clark. As Kelly said, the Storm have done that. In their nine games in June, they’ve allowed over 75 points just twice, including in Tuesday’s rather surprising 87-83 loss to Washington, which has been playing well despite its injuries.

For the Aces, point guard Chelsea Gray hit the ground running even back in May in her first season in Las Vegas. But the impact of one of the league’s best point guards — and soon to be an Olympian — continues to grow. The Aces could have used Gray last year when they made it to the WNBA Finals but then got swept. They’re glad they got her as a free agent this year; she’s second in the league in assists (6.4) to the Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot (8.6).

What or who is the X factor in this third and final regular-season meeting?

Pelton: Las Vegas’ 3-point shooting. Naturally, that’s not the first thing we think of with the Aces, but as long as they can make a few 3s they’re usually in good shape. Las Vegas is 10-1 this season when making at least four 3-pointers, with two of the Aces’ three losses coming when they made just three (in the season opener in Seattle) and none (at Connecticut). In the second game against the Storm, the Aces knocked down six 3s.

Riquna Williams’ 3-point shooting could help determine whether the Las Vegas Aces can hold court Sunday against the Seattle Storm, who are 7-0 on the road. David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images

Sean Hurd: Going off what Kevin said, I think maybe it’s the play of Riquna Williams. If we’re talking about the Aces’ 3-point production, Williams is at the front of that conversation. She leads the Aces with 2.0 made 3-pointers per game (attempts a team-high 5.3) and shoots 37.7% for the season. In Las Vegas’ loss to Seattle — Williams’ debut with the team — she had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting, including a 0-for-3 effort beyond the arc. In their second matchup, she had 10 points, went 4-of-7 from the floor and hit two of her four 3-point attempts.

Voepel: The Aces got to 100 points or more in their two victories last week against New York, and in the latter, Hamby had her second double-double of the season. She has the ability to impact games in multiple ways off the bench, and in this case her rebounding work might be key. There’s also the fact that she didn’t get to play against the Storm in last year’s WNBA Finals due to injury, which might still be some extra motivation for her this season.

What has been the biggest surprise — good or bad — this season when it comes to Seattle and Las Vegas?

Pelton: For the Aces, I’d say Kelsey Plum’s comeback from an Achilles rupture. Because Plum was away from the team for the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, her 32-point game against the Liberty makes up a heavy percentage of her season totals. Still, she had a 32-point game, a new career high. For Seattle, it’s Sue Bird threatening a 50/40/90 season in season 18 in the WNBA. Bird merely needs to make her next six free throw attempts to be there.

Mercedes Russell ranks second on the Storm with 6.0 RPG and has started 11 of 13 games this season. The fourth-year pro is also averaging 6.2 PPG. Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Hurd: The play of Las Vegas’ Jackie Young. I don’t know if we can necessarily call this a surprise since Young showed what she can do on the floor late last season when she scored at least 17 points in five of the Aces’ final seven regular-season games. But I think we’ve seen the next level of her game this year. On a roster as all-star studded as Las Vegas, Young being the third-leading scorer behind Wilson and Cambage is impressive. Equally impressive are the multiple occasions in games this season in which Young has been Las Vegas’ best player on the floor. According to the WNBA, Young also ranks third in defensive win shares among players who average at least 15 minutes per game.

Voepel: As important as Angel McCoughtry was to the Aces last year, I have been a little surprised that they haven’t seemed to miss her a great deal yet this season as she sits out with an ACL injury. Maybe that’s because her voice and enthusiasm are still there on the bench, and of course it helps to have Plum back and additions like Gray and Williams this season. As for Seattle, I thought maybe we would see a little more from center Ezi Magbegor in her second season, but she’s also just 21 years old and, as Kevin said, Russell has played very well.

Which scenario is more likely: A WNBA Finals rematch between the Storm and Aces, only one of them reaching the Finals or an entirely different matchup in the championship series?

Pelton: I’m going with a Finals rematch. Thanks to Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones’ absence for EuroBasket, the Storm and Aces have the inside track on the top two seeds, allowing them to advance directly to the semifinals and host those best-of-five series. Since the WNBA moved to this format, top-2 seeds are 9-1 in semifinals series, with the Mystics pulling the lone upset in 2018.

Dana Lee: I don’t see any other team getting past these two, and honestly, we’d be lucky if that’s the case in October. In the league’s history, we’ve only seen a rematch of the previous year’s Finals twice — in 1999-2000, between the Comets and Liberty; and the Sparks-Lynx in 2016-17. The storyline becomes even more compelling when you consider how different the Storm’s roster looks this year compared to when they won in 2020. When the Storm celebrated their title in a pregame ceremony in May (coincidentally they were playing the Aces that day), only five players on the active roster received rings. Think of this year’s potential Storm-Aces championship as a fraternal twin to 2020 — similar, but different.

Kelsey Plum, who missed all of last season while recovering from a torn Achilles, is averaging a career-best 12.9 PPG. She’s shooting 94.7% at the foul line, 45.5% from the field and 40.0% on 3-pointers. Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images

Hurd: I agree that Seattle and Las Vegas are the two best teams in the league and wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up getting a Finals rematch. But with that being said — and I’m singling out the Storm here specifically — teams have played Seattle close this season. The Dallas Wings (7-8, currently vying for a No. 6 seed) has played Seattle three times and has lost two very winnable games in the final moments. The Storm lost to a Mystics team without Natasha Cloud and Myisha Hines-Allen (and Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman). Even the 1-15 Indiana Fever came within three points of the defending champs as late as six minutes left in the fourth quarter on June 17.

The nominees for the 2021 ESPYS are in, and the players of the WNBA and NCAA are well represented. Cast your votes today.

Best Athlete, Women’s Sports • Breanna Stewart in the final four

Best WNBA Player • Stewie, Wilson, Parker or Ogunbowale?

Best Breakthrough Athlete • Crystal Dangerfield in the mix

Best Team • Is a Storm title brewing? Or could it go to Stanford?

Best Game • WIll the Cardinal claim another trophy?

Best Play • Say Shey!

Best Record-Breaking Performance • Tara VanDerveer in the field

Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports • UConn’s Paige Bueckers in the running

And if we want to take a look at Vegas, the Aces have dropped two straight to Connecticut. I think I’m scared to call either team a lock at this point, though beating either team in a playoff series seems steep.

Cohen: As I’ve written this season’s WNBA Power Rankings, I’ve monitored each team for the past six weeks — everything good, bad, great and ugly. Seattle and Las Vegas remain the two teams that have not had any issues besides a close loss here and there. So far, they remain injury-free, too. As we’ve seen this season, injuries or players being away from the team due to FIBA play or COVID-19 protocols have caused a handful of teams to struggle. If Seattle and Las Vegas continue to stay healthy, I can’t see any other teams touching them. Though I won’t lie — how fun would it be for a team like the Wings or the Mystics to play them closely in the playoffs? We love a Cinderella team and we love buzzer-beaters!

Voepel: As Kevin said, the fact that these two seem headed again to the double-bye into the best-of-five semifinals means everything. It’s not like the old playoff format where the semis were best-of-three, and there was a greater chance for upsets. The idea of any other teams beating either Las Vegas or Seattle three times seems unlikely at the moment. But we’ll see how healthy everyone is in a couple of months.

Which team will win Sunday, Seattle or Las Vegas?

Voepel: It is difficult to pick the Aces to lose at home, but the Storm will be extra-motivated to not lose their second game in a row, and Las Vegas has another game before facing Seattle. The Aces play at Minnesota on Friday, while the Storm will be preparing for Vegas. So I give a slight edge to Seattle.

Pelton: I think these two teams are close enough for home-court advantage to be the swing factor, so I’d favor the Aces in Las Vegas.

Cohen: After that loss to the Mystics earlier this week, I can see Seattle coming out strong. Speaking of that loss, Washington was able to win that game thanks to a monster night from Tina Charles. And the Aces have many players who can have the same type of game in order to get a win. I see it being a close one, but I think Las Vegas wins this one at home.

Hurd: Las Vegas has been playing great as of late. It’s hard to pick against the Aces if they can maintain this momentum.

Lee: Normally I’d agree with Kevin on home-court advantage, but the Storm have been freakishly good away from Everett — they’re 7-0 and the only team still undefeated on the road. That can obviously change on Sunday, but after returning from a five-game road trip earlier this week, the Storm had tied the league’s record by winning 14 consecutive away games, including playoffs. The last team to do it was the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002-03. Right now, Seattle hasn’t given reason to believe they can’t top that record this Sunday.

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Exclusive: Riccardo Tisci's New Nike Collection Is for an Imaginary Basketball Team, the Victorious Minotaurs

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Alix Browne

October 10, 2017 9:00 am

Photographs by Ethan James Green, Styled by Emilie Kareh

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Riccardo Tisci is never without family around him. There’s his flesh and blood family—the mother and eight sisters who were his emotional bedrock growing up in Como, Italy, and who provided his earliest exposure to fashion. (Because there was very little money, Tisci had to wear his sisters’ modified hand-me-downs; now they wear his clothes.) And then there is the extended family Tisci pulled into his orbit over his years as the creative director of Givenchy: Madonna, Kanye West, the artist Marina Abramovic, and the model Mariacarla Boscono among them. When Tisci parted ways with the French house at the beginning of the year, suddenly he appeared to be flying solo, but it became quickly apparent that there was another family ready to embrace him—and his talents—with open arms: Nike. “You can feel when people want only your name,” Tisci says, speaking from experience. “With Nike, you feel they really believe in you.”

Tisci already had a working relationship with the sports megabrand. He had put his spin on several Nike classics, including the Air Force 1 and the Air Max, and last summer he designed a collection of flamboyantly edgy performance gear for the Rio Olympics dubbed NikeLab x RT: Training Redefined. Oh, and that racy, crystal-studded Nike LBD that Maria Sharapova wore at this year’s US Open? That was a Tisci collab, too.

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From left: Kelsey Plum wears a NikeLab x RT jacket, shirt, pants, and shoes; Fleur Du Mal top; stylist’s own earrings. D’Angelo Russell wears a NikeLab x RT shirt, pants, and shoes; American Apparel socks; his own tank, bandanna, necklaces, bracelets, and watch.

Photographs by Ethan James Green, Styled by Emilie Kareh

But in many ways, his latest Nike collection, a full wardrobe designed for an imaginary basketball team, the Victorious Minotaurs, takes that relationship to a new level. “When I decided to change my life, before I made it public, I told a few people, and I told Nike,” Tisci recalls. “They said, ‘You are family for us. It doesn’t matter. We feel that you are going to stay with us for a long time.’ They waited for the gossip and craziness to pass, and then they called me to say, ‘We want to meet you to talk about something.’ When they asked me to do a collection that would be presented with the NBA season, I was almost in tears. It was the first time they had seen the emotional part of me. They always perceived me as being strong.”

Basketball has long been an obsession for Tisci. In his collections for Givenchy, he often inserted a number, or a bit of mesh—a reference to a team or a gang. “I always had sportswear in my blood, because I come from the street,” he explains. “I come from a very simple family, a council flat, basically. At school I got scouted for the basketball team. I was a big promise because I was very tall and very fast. Basketball for me was my freedom—and my revenge. In the yard, there was no difference between sexuality, between class—that is the beauty of sport, any sport.”

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Halima Aden wears a NikeLab x RT shirt; Nike Pro hijab.

Photographs by Ethan James Green, Styled by Emilie Kareh

The Minotaur uniform, which celebrates Nike’s global partnership with the NBA, features a varsity jacket, track pants, a pair of sleeves, a skirt that takes its cues from the mesh shorts the pros wear (technically, it’s a women’s item, but gentlemen, don’t let that stop you). “Over the years, sports have become very fashion-driven, so I decided to go back to the roots,” Tisci says. “I wanted to make it more exciting, to make it a little bit more luxury.” As for the baby blue oxford shirt? “I always dreamed to have a Nike oxford shirt. It’s very strange, but it’s something very cool, I think. I can’t wait to wear it.”

So who else is gearing up for the Minotaurs? There’s Blessin Giraldo, the fiery and determined Baltimore teen at the center of the Sundance Special Jury Award–winning documentary Step (just released on DVD); Steph Turner and Khalid Vaughn, who are using basketball as a platform to give back to their Harlem community through the burgeoning youth hoops movement known as Jelly Fam; the Detroit rapper DeJ Loaf, whose first mix tape was titled “Just Do It,” and who has a Nike swoosh tattooed on her hip (her first album, Liberated, drops later this year); the artist Hugo McCloud, whose athletic build is due in great part to the physical labor that goes into making his paintings (tarring, sanding, hammering, torching); models ­Youssouf Bamba and Duckie Thot, as well as Halima Aden, who was born in a refugee camp in Kenya and has walked the runway for brands like Max Mara, always in a hijab or head scarf. The Minotaurs even has not one but two point guards: NBA star D’Angelo Russell, newly transplanted from L.A. to Brooklyn, where he promises to bring the Nets some much-needed heat (his middle name is Dante); and WNBA No. 1 draft pick Kelsey Plum, who plays for the San Antonio Stars. It is a dream team, after all.

“I believe very much in the binding of energy,” Tisci says. “You need different heads, different energy. Some people think they are successful alone. I know I’m not. My success in my life has always been my team.”

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Meet the Victorious Minotaurs: D'Angelo Russell, Halima Aden, Hugo McCloud, Duckie Thot and More Stars of Riccardo Tisci's Dream Team

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