𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 • Nika Mühl

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠

Chapter #1

"UConn been on a winning streak so far and it looks like there planning to keep it throughout the rest of the season"

"I agree Mike, the UConn's starters have been really great this year. Both in the defensive and offensive plays"

"Would you look at that Paige is on the fastbreak, she passes it to Romano who goes for the drive!!... and ooh, tough break for Julie Romano!" exclaimed Mike, his voice tinged with concern as he leaned closer to the screen, scrutinizing the slow-motion replay of the incident.

"Yeah, you hate to see this kind of thing, especially at this level of play," replied his co-commentator, Lisa, shaking her head. The crowd noise had dimmed to a collective murmur, the energy in the arena now a cocktail of worry and suspense.

The camera zoomed in, capturing the grimace on Julie's face as she lay there, clutching her knee. "It looks as if she's unable to get up. Let's take a closer look at the replay."

As the footage rewound, the fall unfolded in excruciating detail. Julie had been driving hard to the basket, her signature move, when her foot seemed to snag on the court. Her body went one way, her knee the other.

"And oh... that doesn't look good for Romano," Lisa added, the concern in her voice unmistakable.

Mike nodded, eyes fixed on the screen. "It seems she is unable to put any pressure on her right leg as her team carry her off the court and onto the bench for the medics to take a look."

The camera panned to Julie's teammates, their faces a mix of shock and fear. But there was Geno,who quickly got into action purposefully covering Julie.

"Check out Coach Geno," Mike pointed out. "He's got that look in his eye. He's blocking their view of Julie—probably trying to keep them focused."

Lisa leaned back, arms crossed. "It's a tough moment for UConn. Romano's not just a guard; she's their floor general. If this is as serious as it looks, what do you think, Mike? Could this be it for Romano's season?"

Mike pursed his lips, considering. "It's too early to say, but that didn't look like a walk-it-off kind of injury. It's going to be a serious test for the rest of the team."

Lisa nodded solemnly. "Speaking of tests, Geno's got his work cut out for him now. He'll need to dig deep into his playbook and his bench."

In the background, the sound of the game resumed, but the usual rhythm felt off. The players moved up and down the court, but their glances kept drifting to the bench, to the huddle of medical staff around Julie.

"And there's the whistle," Mike announced as the play was interrupted. "Time-out on the floor. UConn's going to regroup, but you can bet they're all thinking about there teammate."

Lisa sighed. "Basketball's a team sport, but it's moments like these that remind you how much one player can mean to a team. UConn fans everywhere are holding their breath right now."

The camera caught a final shot of Julie, her face a mask of pain and frustration as the medics attended to her.

And it begins...