#meanwhile Penny dying in the bg

[feeble-minded-little-gay]

where do I even start with this clip sndndjd

(x)

[female-buckets]

The only thing I know about the London Olympics was Sue was late or something because her mothers partner died suddenly just before the games. She was in full basketball only mode for the games then ended up really struggling with it later on and needing to take time off

Fuck. I didn't know that. The 2010s were so fucked up for Sue and her crew.

The 2000s were all about reaching new horizons in the sport. They were all about proving themselves as the new generation. And then they discovered the Russian jackpot. Everything was basketball, and everything was good. Crazy, intense, competitive, and soaked in vodka. But good.

But in the 2010s, reality hit them real fucking hard. Shabtai's murder at the end of 2009. Sue's friend fighting cancer in 2010. Then her stepdad dying in 2012. LJ's miscarriage in 2013. Penny's parents dying of cancer in 2013 and 2014. DT's mom fighting cancer in 2016.

That was just a lot. And meanwhile, there was still some yearly drama meltdown going on in the WNBA or in Europe. Only now the drama meltdowns were happening all over social media. DT and Sue were expected to step in as veterans and sort out the young players' behavior. So they were tasked with damage control, promoting their ungrateful league, and maintaining their elite skills on the court. But outside their basketball seasons, there was this steady march of sickness and death. They weren't present for it but it caught up with each of them.

Sue finished her UMMC contract in 2014 and ended her overseas career. She never played the winter season again. Then Diana and Penny sat out the 2015 WNBA season, but it wasn't much of a vacation. Diana had a decade of frustration with the WNBA that she needed to express. And she had her hands full with BG. Candace Parker also sat out over half the 2015 season. It looked like the LA Sparks were tanking for Stewie. Sue was getting ready to ditch the Storm for the Mercury. And Lauren in 2015 was still destroying herself trying to get back on the court.

2015 was a fucking mess. Diana compared the league to a rec league and it really looked like one. Everyone had a moment that year where they questioned the whole thing. Like "why the fuck am I giving up my life to play in this league?"

It's a lot. But still, that's just the surface. I think there was a lot more shit going on between 2012-2016. There's more tea to be uncovered. On the WNBA level, the Europe level, and the national team level. All of it.