"The darkest night
is inevitable,
but the stars remain,
even when we can't see them"
Outside, the tempest grew fiercer with every passing moment, its frigid hold tightening around the city of Abuja like an unrelenting grip. Rain battered the windows, doors, and walls of the arena, threatening to overwhelm its fortifications and inundate the foundation of the structure itself. Yet within, a different tempest brewed – a storm of passion, excitement, and unchecked energy
The young athletes assumed their positions within the paint, the Queens poised to score while Wyse sought to stifle their attack, each player assigned to defend another. Upon the Queens' bench, the players exchanged glances
"Oluchi, it appears Coach intends to replace you." Mayowa observed
"Indeed," Oluchi acknowledged, her gaze unwavering. "Then, let us demonstrate our teamwork before I depart. It's been a while"
"Agreed," Mayowa replied, the two players exchanging a high five in solidarity
As the game resumed, the Queens gained possession of the ball, and Mercy deftly tossed the ball towards Oluchi, who stood guarded by Success beyond the three-point arc
"It would seem that your coach shares my sentiments," Success remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice
"How so?" Oluchi inquired, her focus unbroken
"The young point guard on the sidelines would prove a more suitable choice," Success declared, glancing towards Chioma, who readied herself to enter the game
In that fleeting instant, Oluchi forcefully bounced the ball near Success' left leg. In a moment of panic, Success attempted to dodge the encroaching sphere. The ball careened past her, sailing high into the air. Zainab leaped, desperate to thwart the impending alley-oop attack, but her efforts paled against Mayowa's soaring jump. With a thunderous slam, Mayowa drove the ball into the hoop, her triumph tempered only by the foul she drew from Zainab, gifting her an opportunity for an additional point. Oluchi relinquished her position on the court, Chioma seamlessly taking her place
"Well played, Oluchi," Mrs. Lawal commended
"Thank you, Coach," Oluchi replied, accepting the compliment as she took her seat on the bench, wiping away perspiration with a white towel
The game continued, and Mayowa's missed free throw granted Wyse possession. The Queens hastily returned to their defensive positions. With Success spearheading the Wyse's attack, her progression was halted by the steadfast defense of Chioma
"What is your name?" Success queried, maintaining the rhythmic bounce of the ball
"Chioma," she responded, her guard unwavering
"I am Success," she introduced herself. "It is a pleasure"
"Likewise," Chioma acknowledged, her stance unwavering
Success, unfazed, passed the ball to Cynthia, who was under the vigilant guard of Tosin
As Cynthia's fingers made contact with the ball, she exploded past Tosin, leaving her defender in her wake. Cynthia's advance, however, was impeded by the swift actions of Tolu, forging a two-against-one scenario. Cynthia, undaunted by the unfavourable odds, smirked at Tolu as she maneuvered around her. Mayowa and Mercy hastily moved to corner Cynthia, the intensity mounting with every passing second. Cynthia, seemingly unfazed, grinned as she launched herself sideways, releasing yet another unconventional shot. The ball soared, tracing an unwavering trajectory directly into the heart of the basket, eliciting a collective gasp of astonishment from the entire gymnasium
Amidst the chaos, Oluchi marveled at the prowess Cynthia James.
"She's too fast," Oluchi admitted
Eno nodded in agreement, "With her speed alone, she is unstoppable," she added, the apprehension evident in her voice
Shalom voiced her concern. "If only we could somehow stop her," she said, her brows furrowed.
The Queens' coach, Mrs. Lawal, interjected with a foreboding tone. "I'm afraid her speed isn't the most terrifying thing about her," she revealed
The girls exchanged confused glances, unsure of what their coach was implying
Sensing their confusion, Mrs. Lawal elaborated, "I once explained that in a basketball game, most of the shots are missed, didn't I? Well, that doesn't apply to that young woman. Her shots always accurate; it's impossible for her to miss a shot. It's funny."
The gravity of her words settled upon the team like a heavy fog, as they began to grasp the seemingly insurmountable challenge before them
Mrs. Lawal concluded her analysis with a solemn warning, "If we can't stop Cynthia James, we have no chance of being the best in Nigeria,"
The girls sat in stunned silence. The prospect of defeat loomed large, casting a shadow over their aspirations of greatness
The game resumed, and the Queens found themselves in possession of the ball with Chioma leading the charge. The court was alive with sounds of determination, as the battle waged on.
"Chioma, let's take it easy. This game is only just starting," Success taunted
Ignoring the taunt, Chioma passed the ball towards Tolu, who the pass it to Tosin without catching it
Cynthia, ever-present, addressed Tosin with a condescending remark, "Yo, Tosin. Don't disappoint me. Surely you can do better than this. Am I wrong?"
Tosin's eyes flashed with irritation, her teeth gnashing in frustration. But then, she spotted Tolu standing behind Cynthia
"Screen!" Nene shouted, as Tolu positioned herself to block Cynthia's path
In a moment of clarity, Tosin became aware of a strategic opportunity created by Tolu's screen, and she capitalized on it, dashing past both Cynthia and Tolu. As she approached the hoop, guarded fiercely by Zainab and Ruth, Tosin leaped high into the air, poised to earn a crucial point for her team.
Yet, her hope was swiftly dashed as a hand reached out and knocked the ball from her grasp. Tosin's eyes widened in shock as she realized that Cynthia had once again thwarted her attack
"Not even screens work against her? What in the world are you, Cynthia James?!" her thoughts laced with a mix of frustration and admiration
Zainab quickly grabbed the defensive rebound and threw the ball back to Cynthia. Tosin and her teammate rushed back to defend. Cynthia, however, was unstoppable. She jumped into a fadeaway shot, her body arcing through the air in a seemingly impossible motion. Tosin leaped high up into the air to block the shot
"So high!" Ruth exclaimed
Cynthia smirked and said, "Oh yeah, you can jump a little higher than everyone else. So what?" as she unleashed s fadeaway shot that sailed effortlessly over Tosin's outstretched arms and sank into the hoop as the entire arena fell silent, stunned by the display of skill and precision
Among the spectators, a murmur of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
"Everything Cynthia does is unreal," One spectator exclaimed.
"Yeah. Not only is she fast, but her attacks are unstoppable," another agreed
A third chimed in, lamenting the Queens' predicament, acknowledging their talents while conceding the seemingly impossible odds stacked against them. "The Queens are good, no doubt. It's just bad luck that they had to go up against Cynthia James in their first game"
On the court, the tempers flared as Tolu marched towards Tosin with a stern expression. "Are you awake now?" Tolu asked, her hand connecting with Tosin's cheek with a loud slap
The Queens gasped in shock; their eyes wide with surprise.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Mercy demanded, rushing to Tosin's defense as Tolu's eyes blazed with intensity.
"No matter what, Tosin is still our leader," Mayowa protested.
However, Tolu was unforgiving. "I'm sorry, but this pathetic player here isn't our leader. She's an impostor"
The Queens exchanged uneasy glances, their faces reflecting their confusion and concern "What do you mean? Of course, she's Tosin, our captain." Chioma chimed in
Tolu's voice dripped with disdain as she turned to Tosin. "Playing half-heartedly, jumping half as high as you normally do, looking absent minded. You may look just like her, you may sound just like her, but there is no way you are the Tosin I know. When did Tosin become such a weakling?"
Tolu's words struck a chord within the teams. They realized that something was indeed amiss with Tosin. Tosin, herself was shattered, her emotions in turmoil. She had been thinking about John since they left Lagos and Tolu's words had cut deep. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.
"I'm fine," Tosin reassured her teammates, her voice trembling
Tolu's eyes narrowed. "LIAR!" She screamed, her voice echoing through the arena
The game continued with the Queens in control, Chioma leading the attack on the court. However, the anxiety was palpable among the Queens' bench, prompting Shalom to suggest a timeout
"Coach, I think we should call a timeout," she said, her face etched with worry
Oluchi agreed, nodding emphatically. "I agree with Shalom. We need the girls to calm down"
Mrs. Lawal considered their concerns, then responded with a firm yet understanding tone. "I understand your worries, but a timeout won't solve this."
"What?" the team on the bench reacted, their confusion evident
Mrs. Lawal continued. "We could use a million timeouts, and nothing will change. Besides, we don't need a timeout here. What we do need is Tosin's reawakening. She obviously has a problem of her own that she doesn't want to tell us. I feel she's hit by a wall. But whether or not we are going to overcome this, depends entirely on if Tosin can break the wall standing before her and separating her from the light. Well, it's all up to her. We can't help someone who hasn't called for help. It's as simple as that"
Back on the court, Chioma passed the ball to Tosin, who was met with a taunting Cynthia. "You know, Tosin, it looks to me that you are not giving your all in this game. I don't know why I feel like you have what it takes to stop me. But in reality, it's been the exact opposite"
Tosin didn't respond and instead drove sideways to her left, causing Cynthia to follow after her in a bid to stop her. Tosin released a backwards pass to Tolu, who was nearby. Seeing what Tosin did, Cynthia stopped chasing Tosin and went after Tolu. However, Tolu released the pass back to Tosin for a nice one-two play. Tosin then leaped high into the air, as high as she could, and slammed the ball into the hoop. However, Cynthia almost blocked the shot again
"She still caught up? How?" Tosin though while jogging back to defend
Tolu, trying to encourage her teammate and friend, said, "It seemed like you jumped higher this time. However, it's still not as high as you can jump."
The game resumed with Wyse taking possession of the ball. With Cynthia leading the charge, Wyse took their position in attack
"Well, that was a cool teamplay. I'm impressed." Cynthia said as she bounced ball really hard, sending it back and forth between her hands in a freestyle. "However, it'd take more than that to beat Wyse."
Shocking the entire arena, Tolu took a defensive stance against Cynthia
"The gap might be too big; but, it's not over. The game is just getting started. The chance of a comeback is only 0% if we all give up." Tolu said, her voice filled with determination. "However, I refuse to make it 0%!"
Wyse were surprised that the Queens hadn't given up just yet
"Their eyes are not dead yet?! What an unbreakable spirit!" Success said, her admiration for the Queens evident
Nene agreed, adding, "Yeah, every team we've faced gives up after seeing how good Cynthia is, but the Queens are different"
Ruth nodded, smiling as she admitted, "They are a good team."
The Queens looked motivated and inspired to keep fighting. Fron their expression, it's clear that they haven't given up
"Hmmm. I admire one thing about you guys. And that's the fact that you guys don't give up easily," Cynthia said, acknowledging their unwavering spirit
As soon as Cynthia said that, she dribbled past Tolu with ease. Mayowa, Mercy, and Chioma rushed in to stop her. However, due to her speed, Cynthia blew past them with ease, leaving Tosin as the last line of defense. Cynthia then leaped into the air for an attack. Tosin leaped to block the shot. However, just when Tosin thought she had finally stopped Cynthia's attack, Cynthia pulled a double-clutch layup leaving the Queens stunned as the entire arena erupted in a loud cheer
And thus, the game continued in a one-sided display of dominance until the very end. The harder the Queens fought, the clearer it became that they were outmatched. Cynthia's exceptional performance, scoring an astonishing 100 points on her own, solidifying her status as an unstoppable force
Try as they might, the Queens couldn't find an answer to Cynthia's relentless onslaught. The game served as a harsh reminder of their powerlessness against their formidable opponent. The final buzzer's piercing sound echoed through the arena, signaling the end of the disheartening match and shattering the Queens' dreams.
With the score of 156-49, the Queens lost in their first match of the Christmas Champions Cup and has thus been eliminated from the competition