Aliya Anderson dribbles along the court for an open layup. She and her
teammates got back to play exquisite defense. The other team brought the ball up, as Aliya and her team talked to each other so that they could coordinate together. Aliya yelled“SKIP!” As a sign that a player had passed the ball to a teammate far away, and her teammate, Riley Tracy hears Aliya and snatches the ball out of the air for the steal and dribbles for the fast break but gets cut off.  She passes the ball to Aliya who drains an open three. That happened just a few days ago, and Aliya was thinking about how she can improve in her game. Ever since she was a little girl she’s wanted to be in the WNBA but has not gotten any calls from teams. She’s been concerned about it for a very long time, but today especially, since it is the of graduation at Stanford University.
A girl named Aliya Anderson enjoys playing basketball and she is a 6’3 forward playing for the Stanford basketball coach Tanya Parsons. Aliya is excited for graduation, but is also very sad that she has not been contacted by any WNBA teams. Her dream is to play for the Los Angeles Sparks, where her favorite player and Stanford graduate Sydney Leonard plays. Before the graduation starts, she tells Tanya about her worries, and her coach comforts her and tells her that the GM’s will call soon. The graduation ceremony begins, and Aliya is called up to the stand to get her college certificate. Her family is cheering her on, and she has graduated college with a sports medicine degree. As the ceremony comes to an end, Aliya has plans to go to many graduation parties, but she decides to not to go, because she is very emotional about not making it into the WNBA.
After the ceremony ends, Aliya and her family drive home with her mom sobbing in the front seat, her younger brother in the back seat, and her dad driving. When they get home, Aliya goes to her room, and lays on the bed. She looks at the ceiling, as a breeze blows in the room through the window, and she thinks to herself, What if I don’t make it to the WNBA?  Her mom, Grace, played in the WNBA for the Connecticut Suns, and like any mother, she calls the WNBA team GM’s (General Manager) and tries to convince them that Aliya is the right choice. They all told her the same thing, Aliya was injured for her Freshman and Sophomore year, and that they haven’t seen much of her, along with the fact that they don’t want someone who is going to be injured off and on. Grace immediately thought to tell Aliya why, but she didn’t want her to be even more nervous than she was already.
Grace instantly thinks to call Tanya Parsons for help. She goes to the home phone in the kitchen and dials in Tanya number. Tanya picks up and Grace pleads, “Hi Tanya I need your help. I called my contacts at the WNBA to find out that teams don’t want Aliya because she was injured for two years, and they also don’t want an injured
person on their team. Please Tanya we need your help, Aliya needs your help.”

Tanya thinks for a second and suggests “I can call Sydney and Julie Leonards to see if she can talk to her GM’s. But that’s really all I can do.”
“Thanks Tanya, I’m glad Aliya got you as a coach. Oh and by the way, please don’t tell Aliya about this, I want her to think that she did all on her own.”
“Okay I won’t” Tanya promised, then call ended.
Aliya thought that she had no hope for getting in the WNBA, since GM’s usually call before the end of the college season,she decided to search for a business who is looking to hire a sports therapist. As she was driving around, she gets a strange phone call. She thought that it was just a friend or family checking up on her but when she answers, she hears a familiar voice. Not anyone she hangs out with everyday but someone she’s heard from TV and interviews. She realizes that it was Sydney Leonards, calling to tell her that under deep consideration, the LA Sparks GM wanted to interview her! Aliya’s heart was racing and she didn’t know what to say. She froze and Sydney said “hello? Are you still there?”
Aliya finally came to the words “yes sorry, I don’t know what to say. Thank you for the opportunity! Um when will I talk to the GM?”
“Head home right now. She went over to your house to talk to you.” Aliya thought wait, did the GM of my favorite basketball team go to my house!
Aliya excitedly said, “Thank you so much Sydney! I’ve always been a huge fan of you!”
Aliya drives hurriedly to her house, worrying that Amy Butcher might have left. Aliya arrives home, and quickly jumps out of the car to see the LA Sparks GM, Amy Butcher sitting on the a rocking chair on the front porch. The sun lighting up her face,
with a light breeze blowing her hair back, Aliya whispers to herself, “Is this real life? She looks so much better in person.” 
Aliya hurries out of the car, and says “Hi Mrs. Butcher, it’s such an honor to meet you.”
“I feel the same way.”
Aliya then says, “Sorry, come on in. Would you like anything to drink?”
“No thank you but I do have some questions for you.”
“Okay, let's sit over here.” Aliya leads Amy to her couch as she cheerfully plots herself down it. “Alright, let's get started. I know you played for Tanya, who is a good friend of mine. You were hurt the first two years of college. Do you feel 100% ready right now?” Amy asked.
“Yes, I had physical therapy to my ankle and it hasn’t bothered me since.”
“All right that’s really all I needed to hear.You’re going to be fine in the WNBA.”
“Okay, well hope you enjoyed your stay here for the two minutes you were here.” “Thank you for rushing home! I’ll see you at the draft.” Aliya closed the door, as she danced around with a big smile on her face
Soon, Aliya arrived at the WNBA draft. She was prepared to be drafted in the second round because the LA Sparks had first pick and she knew she was not good enough. As she walked through the double doors, she felt as if she was in a movie. A bright light
on her, as a fan blows her hair back, but then she comes back to reality, and really a flickering light is shining throughout the room, and a big loud fan blows her hair back. She sees Sydney and her sister Julie who came to congratulate her, and Aliya thinks:
Wow, this is great. I get to see my favorite players, and I also get to be picked in the WNBA. Is this real life? Aliya was very excited to see them, and continued to walk into where the event was held. She sat down, and talked and met people for around an hour, until the draft started. Aliya settled down, and the announcer said “Let’s begin. First up, the LA Sparks who choose Aliya Anderson Stanford University #30 is in the position of forward.”  Aliya walked up to the stage to get her new Sparks jersey, and thinks to herself: It was worth the wait.