#because their wubble failed

[female-buckets]

I was at the Merc game in Minny, sitting a couple of rows up from the phx bench. I could see the board as coach drew up plays. From what I could tell, they ran very few that were actually drawn up. It was kind of funny. Helluva game to see live.

LMFAO OKAY 😂😂😂

That was a tight 2OT game where Phoenix executed a bunch of extremely clutch plays. And they weren't using Nygaard's chicken scratch X's and O's.

Hmm... this confirms my Mercury Mutiny theory. Commander Taurasi and Commander Diggins have seized control of the ship away from Captain Nygaard.

In other words, the team is now run by Coach Skyana.

This makes a lot of sense. They're recycling Sandy's small ball playbook from the 2020 wubble. And this is why Diamond isn't starting. She's the only major player that wasn't on the 2020 team. So they're still getting her familiar with the 2020 play calls.

It started the morning Tina left. The morning of the Dallas game. Skylar and Diana saw their opportunity and they took it. They told Nygaard "don't worry, we know what to do. We'll cover for you today." And they ran the Dallas game. They had 3 games in 5 days and they ran them all. I remember Nygaard saying something odd in a press conference back then. She was like "we haven't had time to practice yet but everything seems to be working."

Nygaard has no prior head coach experience with superstar team leaders. Court leaders won't hesitate to seize a team if they lose faith in the coach. She didn't realize that was happening until it was too late. It's generally very bad for the front office if the coach can't control the players. The front office would've pressured Nygaard to restore order. So she hit the mutineers with her counter-attack.

Nygaard: "It's not an All-Star game without Diana Taurasi."

(Translation: "Skylar, you may be an all-star, but you have no sway over this team without Diana backing you. And I'll win Diana over.")

Skylar: "🤡"

(Translation: "Try it.")

You can't win Diana over with flattery. You can't beat her at her own game. That didn't work. In the Sparks/Mercury game after the 🤡 exchange, Sky and Diana were still huddling up after every Nygaard huddle. That was the game with the crappy final play from the Mercury. You could clearly see Sky and Diana huddle up immediately after Nygaard's final timeout. They weren't gonna run Nygaard's play, but they failed to execute the Skyana play right. Mutiny is tricky in the clutch. It takes trial and error to figure out how to get the whole team on the same page.

After Skyana bungled that final play, Nygaard and the front office got serious about breaking up the mutineers. The mutiny is effective because there's two court leaders. Together, they can run a full game from buzzer to buzzer. Diana can't do it on her own. If she didn't have Skylar, she'd be forced to work with Nygaard again. So the front office threatened to trade Diana's co-conspirator. But Skylar is backed by Diana and the entire Mercury fanbase. The front office can't actually pull off that trade. They were trying to intimidate the mutineers into backing down and working with Nygaard.

Then came the Liberty game, and Skylar and Diana made their stance on Nygaard clear. Right before tip-off, they marched their roster over to Sandy and gave her a line of hugs. It was very sweet. But it also felt very deliberate. They don't just miss their old coach. They're literally ignoring their current coach and running Sandy's plays 😂

So the mutiny is here to stay. The 2OT Lynx game was frustrating, but it gave Skyana a bunch of practice communicating and executing clutch plays.

And now they've won their season series against the Mystics.

SKYANA!!!

Idk how they're pulling this off. Maybe they communicate telepathically through their buns. What a nightmare for their own front office lol. But at least they're having fun. And that's what matters.

[gotham--fc]

How do you get covid when you’ve been in a bubble for two months?? What??

[13uswntimagines]

You’re in Wubble Now (Bino x Teen!Reader)

Request: R is Sue and Megan daughter(14 years old) ? Like what is being at the wubble together?

Authors note: Hey dudes, I really don’t know much about basketball, or its players, but I hope you enjoy this! Hit me up with requests, questions or if you just wanna say hi!

You smiled brightly up at the sky, enjoying the way the sun fell on your face. You had missed the feeling of the sun on your face and cleats on your feet for the past 4 months you had spent in quarantine. You were glad that wubble included an outdoor area where you could practice your juggling in. You didn’t want to lose your edge over your Aunt Tobin.

You glanced down at the ball, flicking it up to balance on your toe-box, before starting to practice the various tricks you knew how to do. All the while moving towards the place that you had designated in your mind as “goal”. As you neared the area, you tapped the ball a little too hard, sending it careening over the small fence and directly onto the outdoor basketball court. You groaned loudly as it collided with one Sami Whitcomb. 

“I’m so sorry,” You tried to cover your giggle with your hand, but failed. 

“Trying to take her out so Chicago Sky has the advantage kid?” Jordin Canada laughed, sapping a hand on your shoulder, and you shot her a cheeky smile. You and your Aunt JJ had a running joke that the Stars were your favorite team, though you were rather partial to Portland, just to annoy your mothers. 

“Hey short stack, you’re good with your feet, but are you any good with your hands?” Sami joined in the banter, spinning the soccer ball on her finger before tossing it back to you. You smiled and caught it on the top of your left foot and began to juggle again. 

“Are you kidding me? She’s got Pino’s height and none of Bird’s skills,” Breanna Stewart joked, resting her elbow on the top of your head. You huffed. Yes, you were short, and the USWNT always liked to remind you of that, but next to your mom’s teammates, you were practically a dwarf and they didn’t mind telling you about it. 

Just because you preferred soccer didn’t mean you weren’t any good at basketball. Hell, you and your mom had done nothing but play pickup games in the driveway since the whole COVID thing started. You weren’t terrible, to begin with, but you had definitely gotten better if you did say so yourself. You had even pulled the basketball version of a nutmeg on your mom. Plus, you never backed down from a challenge. 

“I think I could take you,” You smirked, puffing out your chest. The women laughed at your adorableness. They knew just how competitive you were, they had seen it in your determination to make the U15 soccer team, and in all of the stories about you, Sue had shared with them. 

“Be careful what you ask for kid, just because you’re a Rapino-Bird doesn’t mean we won’t whip your ass,” Jordin said seriously, (gently) bumping your shoulder. You set your jaw in a way that they had come to recognize as your ‘I’m going to win any way I can’ face. 

“Sounds like a challenge to me,” Sami laughed at how cute your determined face was, patting your upper back in a way that reminded you of your mom. 

“Oh, you’re on. 2v2 me a Sami vs you and Breanna” You nodded at Jordin, who flashed Sami a wink. They couldn’t let the soccer players teach you everything, now could they. 

****

The game was going well for you, as you and Sami were up by 12, and you were about to extend that lead. She crossed you the ball, bouncing it in between Breanna’s legs. You collected it, realizing that if you tried to dribble, you’d most likely fall victim to Jordin’s marking. So you took the shot, Jumping up just outside of the three-point area. Jordin, not expecting the move, bumped into you milliseconds after the ball had left your fingertips, sending you careening into the concrete floor. 

“You alright kid?” Sami asked, watching as you got back to your feet, and gasping when you turned around. 

“Shit, Sue’s going to kill us,” Jordan mumbled when she saw the gash that had formed just above your right eyebrow, and the red substance that was seeping down your face, staining your brand new Re-inc popsicle shirt. 

“Kill you is more like it,” Breanna smirked, shoving Jordin’s shoulder lightly. 

“And I’d be more worried about Megan,” Sami murmured as she took a closer look at your cut. 

“I’m fine guys,” You grumbled, pulling your head out of Sami’s gentle hands and turning to find the basketball. The rapid movement caused even more blood to drip down your covered face, and land unceremoniously on the pavement. 

“Yeah, let’s get you to the medic,” The women rolled their eyes at your insistence, Jordin grabbing one arm, and Breanna grabbing another while Sami placed a hand at the center of your back to get you moving forward. 

The walk to the First aid room had been relatively uneventful, as the women wouldn’t budge on their stance that you needed to get checked by the doctors (though several other players sent you worried looks as you passed them). 

“I’m going to need to call one of your mothers down here for consent to treat you,” The doctor said quietly, handing you a piece of gauge and motioning for you to hold it to the cut that was still freely bleeding. You rolled your eyes at him and nodded for Sami to call your mom. She was always more level headed than Ma when you got hurt. You should have guessed that they would be together and that they would not be happy to find out that you’d been hurt… again. 

“What the fuck happened?” Megan exclaimed, bursting into the first aid room, racing over to you and glaring at the women who were accompanying you. It was kinda funny cause even though she was so much shorter than them, they all shrunk under her gaze. 

“Meg, chill.”Sue interrupted, stepping between her wife and her very afraid teammates. Megan may have been short but she was called your mama bear for a reason.“What happened?” Your mom asked you directly, crouching down so she was eye level with you, and taking the soaked gauze from your grasp. You sighed dramatically. 

“We were playing a game of pickup, and I got bumped. They freaked out,” you scoffed, waving your hand at the three women who were still covering inter you Ma’s gaze. 

“I think our response was well deserved,” Sami grumbled, gesturing towards you. So maybe there had been a lot of blood, but your Aunt Ash had always said that head cuts always bled more. 

“It was just a scratch,” You rolled your eyes, your annoyance leaking into your tone, sure that if it had been any one of your mom’s teammates, you would still be outside on the field, enjoying the sun. 

“Yeah, like Kelley’s nose during the World Cup,” You am sent you a pointed look, and you froze. 

“I don’t stop in the middle of games,” you grumbled, pouting and crossing your arms, pulling off a flying squirrel impersonation that would make the woman proud, “and plus this is nothing compared to the time Aunt Toby took me surfing” You pointed out, shivering just thinking about the experience. The almost drowning part hadn’t been the worst part, the cuts from the coral on the bottom had. 

“You got caught under a wave and almost drowned,” Sue said sternly, forcing you to look her in the eyes, and grabbing another wad of gauze, as you had bled through the first two. 

“See, this is just a baby cut compared to that, or liked the time I went skateboarding with Emily,” You shot her a grin, and she sent you back a grim smile. 

“Yeah, that time you broke your collarbone,” 

You huffed. It had been Lindsey’s idea for you to try and jump the fire hydrant, and Emily’s fault that she hadn’t cleared the sidewalk for you. If you had followed through with the landing, you probably would have creamed the family of 4 just trying to enjoy their day. 

“I’m going to have to put stitches in,” The doctor interrupted, peeling back the gauze and setting up to treat your cut. 

“You’re not allowed by yourself with our teams anymore,” Megan huffed, glaring at the three women who were watching your interaction with their captain in awe. 

“Hey, it’s not our fault the shrimp-“ Jordin started to protest, only to be cut off by a glare from her Captain. 

“I don’t want to hear it,” Sue said, her voice dangerously low, before turning back to you. “You’re benched for the rest of the season kid,” She finished, cupping your cheek. You closed your eyes in frustration. You didn’t want to have to sit on the bench with your ma. 

“Hey, I’m not that bad,” Megan pouted at you, obviously offended by your reaction. You loved your Ma, you did, but you had way too much energy to not be able to play sports, even though you probably had a concussion. 

“No, you're not,” You said back lowly, and Sue laughed at your sad face. She knew that there would be no way to stop you from playing sports, but maybe the promise of cuddling with your Ma would at least give your cut time to heal. 

“Love you, my dear,” Megan whimpered, placing a careful kiss on your cheek, followed by another from Sue.

[molly-hooper-uk]

Reproduction deduction.

Well then, after a go at a few of our conversations, I figured I ought to right and proper update my blog. It’s been years, really. Life takes over as it’s wont to do and time just gets away from you. I’ll try to fill you all in as best I can with the little time I have right now.

If you’ve followed my blog at all, you’ll have probably guessed that Sherlock brought up the idea of having a child. I confess, it was the last thing I thought would ever happen, aside from US happening at all. Because of that, we’re having quite a lot of sex right now. He’s got charts, a thermometer, vitamins. He treats this endeavor between us with the same obsessive fervor he approaches everything else. He’s meticulous, and while you would think that would take away from the experience, it’s so bloody Sherlock, I can’t help but find it charming. Just last night we were... you know.. and right in the middle of it all, he pauses, takes my temperature with a temporal thermometer, and then carries on like he hadn’t done it at all. It was quite funny, though he seemed rather put off that I laughed. “This is serious business, Muh-LEE. Do try and keep up.”

Before this, our sex life wasn’t exactly active. He abstains from everything when he’s on a case; food, fun, pleasure, though he has never seen himself as a very sexual person and in turn, neither have I. Sherlock is Sherlock and it’s Sherlock that I love. Sex, no sex, we have just as much fun talking cases and post-mortems. There’s intimacy in our sharing information with one another. He’s taught me so much and in turn he’s refined my intuition. I love him and though he says it very rarely, I know the sentiment is returned in his way. When he says something meaningful, it’s always out of the blue and it never fails to give me the wubblies. “I like your clothes.” He said once, recently out of no where. “My tatty jumpers?” I asked. His answer, “Yes.” And that was the end of it. And it was enough. It was more than enough.

Out of the home front, Kingston, Sherrinford’s young son has topped up a bit to be a bit of a mischief maker. He’s bought a series of Native American romance novels with Sherlock’s Amazon account and I’ve been reading them and regaling Sherlock with the litany of hilarious words and phrases peppered throughout the pages. Kingston also purchased an entire set of The Walking Dead prayer candles, which he immediately deposited all over Mycroft’s flat upon their arrival, much to his chagrin.

I think it’s quite funny, the image of Kingston Holmes standing at the end of the dark hall with a Daryl Dixon candle lighting his face. I wish I could have seen Mycroft’s face. I often wish I could see his face when it comes to the things Kingston does. I think he’s been good for Mycroft. He’s still same old, Mycroft, but Kingston connects him to the world in a way I think he’d been missing.

Well, I’d better be off! Sherlock’s standing in the door with the thermometer again and giving me THE LOOK he gives me when he’s about to tell me to hurry because his time is being wasted by him waiting for me to finish my blog. He has things to do, like put eyeballs on the ceiling or thumbs in the kettle. (We’ve gone through 6 kettles since I’ve lived here. Six kettles!)

- Molly ♥