Paige had managed to encourage Azzi to dress up well for the pre-game fit, convincing her that this may be her one and only national championship game appearance. Paige then suggested to Azzi that they walk through the tunnel together, to which Azzi easily obliged. Paige saw this moment more like a couple's engagement photos, knowing that in three hours, when the game was done, the world would finally know she and Azzi's truth. Everything they'd been through, everything they've worked past together, it would finally make sense.

Azzi had the front half of her hair cornrowed, the back half out and in curls. For the game, she would just tie the back half into a low bun. Paige had her hair crimped, wearing a light pink pant suit with matching loafers. Azzi decided to kind of match with Paige, choosing a white off the shoulder body con dress that stopped at her knees. Azzi hated heals so she stuck with white flats.

"Oh my gosh!" Ava grinned when she and KK met up with Azzi and Paige for pre-game prayer. Ava was similar to Kayla now. Kayla was another non-member of the huskies but went with them damn near everywhere and was included in many activities. The huskies understood Ava as KK's girlfriend and though she may have gave some people *cough cough, Azzi* hell, she's shown that she has grown a ton since then and actually isn't that bad. "You guys look so pretty," Ava insisted, also matching with her girlfriend, but Ava wouldn't be going through the tunnel so that didn't matter.

"You guys should take a pre-game pic," KK suggested, just wanting to add to the conversation. Ava nodded, "I'll take them, if you want?"

"Okay," Azzi agreed, speaking in a sultry tone as she looked Paige in the eyes, awaiting agreement. "Yeah," Paige whispered, staring at Azzi's lips as she did so. Paige had been standing right behind Azzi, who was an inch shorter than she. Ava discretely flashed an image of this moment, Paige's hand on Azzi's hips and her eyes glued to Azzi's lips. It's a surprise that they didn't kiss right there, but after all, they were still in a hotel with other people. A public kids like this at a moment like now could throw Azzi off guard, as she already knew the drill with Paige to be 'never show direct or intense affection in public'.

The minutes came and passed and before the team knew it, they were all saying their goodbyes to parents, siblings and partners so that they could make their way to the arena to play in the 2025 Women's College Basketball National Championship game. Cameras followed as each girl made their way through the tunnel, Azzi and Paige adamant on being side by side no matter what. The two stopped for a moment, Paige wrapping her arm around Azzi and Azzi throwing up two peace signs with a smile.

For Paige, the player intros and national anthem went by in the snap of the finger. Though her best efforts wouldn't make the game go by any faster, she did have a plan that she'd be damned if ruined. Right away, Paige made that very, very clear.

"Bueckers for three!" The stadium erupted, just thirty seconds into the game. Like the previous game, Paige and Azzi would be switching every five minutes. That was the downside of playing the same exact position. Their body measurements were nearly identical; Paige was just an inch taller and Azzi was about fifteen pounds heavier—all muscle.

"Watkins shoots back!" The announcer exclaimed. USC's Juju Watkins was the face of their organization. Last year, Juju and Paige practically faced off in a do or die. While both women put on a performance for the ages, USC fell short. This year, Juju was on a mission. Little did she know, however, that Paige was, too. Thus started the back and forth.

By the half, UConn was up only ten; a good start, but not enough to say this game was in the bag. "Here's the game plan," Geno wrote on the whiteboard once all the women were in the locker room, "Paige, I'm gonna play Azzi this whole third quarter and sees how JuJu is defensively against her." Geno concluded this because he'd noticed that Azzi was able to pick JuJu's pocket once early on, and blocked three of her shots. Azzi was playing man-to-man on JuJu whereas Paige was playing zone. As competitive as Paige was, however, she didn't mind it for once. Today, in Paige's mind, was all about Azzi.

"Good luck" Paige playfully patted Azzi's back, to which Azzi turned around caressed Paige's cheek before leaving the locker room. The huskies were just twenty minutes away from being national champions, if they could just hold on from here.

The third quarter began with a strong sense of anticipation as Azzi took the court, ready to face off against USC's offensive powerhouse, Juju Watkins. The arena shook with excitement as the game resumed, the tension in the building growing with each passing second.

Azzi's agility and tenacity were on full display as she weaved through USC's defense, her quick footwork and precise ball handling leaving the Trojans struggling to keep up. With each possession, Azzi's understanding of why she was here, at this stage, shone through. Her eyes remained fixated on the prize as she relentlessly drove towards the basket, drawing fouls and sinking crucial free throws.

Meanwhile, Paige watched from the sidelines, her focus undeterred for the moment as she studied the game, mentally strategizing and offering support to her teammates. Her confidence and composure were evident, her smiled being a calming force for the team as they battled through the competition.

As the third quarter drew to a close, UConn had managed to extend their lead, thanks to Azzi's exceptional performance. The energy in the arena was electric, the crowd on their feet, cheering and chanting as the Huskies inched closer to victory.

With the start of the fourth, Paige returned to the court, her determination burning brighter than ever—knowing that she was perhaps less than half an hour away from being engaged. The game intensified as both teams fought tooth and nail, but it was clear that UConn had found their rhythm. Paige's precision shooting and strategic playmaking, combined with Azzi's relentless defense and offensive prowess, propelled the Huskies to maintain their lead through the final quarter.

In the last few minutes of the game, the arena reverberated with thunderous cheers of UConn's supporters as the Huskies held onto their advantage. With every steal, every rebound, and every basket, the team inched closer to securing the national championship title. By the thirty second mark, an emotional Juju Watkins, only a sophomore but now falling short for the second year in a row, began making her way to the locker room.

As the final buzzer sounded, Azzi and Paige embraced on the court, their joy and relief was evident as they reveled in the moment; the weight of their shared journey lifting off their shoulders. Soon enough, the entire huskies team and stuff was jumping up and down, holding one another as tears emerged. The podium was already being carried out to the center of the court, and the "national champions" hats were brought out. Quickly, KK grabbed two hats, making her way over to Ava and putting one on her head.

"Here," KK had gently grabbed Ava's phone from her, opening up the camera application. She handed Ava's phone to a random that had been sitting beside her. "Take a picture of us, please!" The stranger took three: one of KK's arm wrapped around Ava with her head leaning on the crown of Ava's head, another of them sharing a kiss, and a third of them standing with hands held, smiling.

KK looked back, noticing that the girls were getting on the podium and Paige had a square box in hand. "Oh shit," KK mumbled as she took back Ava's phone, leading her girlfriend onto the court with her. "Come with me real quick" she asked of Ava, who nodded and followed with no questions asked.

As Paige hoped, Azzi was interviewed, having been named finals MVP. While the team cheered at every word that emerged from Azzi's mouth, Paige got on one knee behind her, patiently waiting for Azzi to finish. Once she had, Paige tapped the back of Azzi's leg. Azzi turned around, thinking something crawled on her, but nearly jumped at the sight of Paige on a knee, presenting a diamond ring to her. Camera's immediately panned to Paige and Azzi and the crowd began deathly silent, all watching the moment on the Jumbotron.

"Can I have that?" Paige asked the interviewer, regarding the microphone. She nodded and handed it to the UConn star. Paige cleared her throat, as tears welled up in Azzi's eyes. All cameras, eyes, they were on Paige Bueckers right now. Pazzi fans around the world held their breaths as they watched this moment unfold on television.

"Azzi," Paige smiled. "I know this probably isn't how you imagined you'd get proposed to by me, if you ever imagined that you'd get proposed to by me." Azzi smiled, mouth closed, as her eyes twinkled.

"I know we never formerly dated and college ball made it nearly impossible for us to love out loud" Paige went on. "We were forced to be teammates first before anything else, and the burden of falling short every year weighed heavily on our shoulders. We made the sacrifice, our love, for the sake of UConn." Azzi nodded sheepishly, biting her lip.

"I owe you, long time," Paige was now also moved to tears. "We've been through so much, did so much. You never gave up on me, you stood by my side even when I did not deserve it. You gave me chance after chance and always defended my name in every room that I was not in." Paige sniffled, "this ring, as expensive as it was, isn't anywhere near enough to repay you for all that you've done for me. But, I hope that with what I am about to ask you, it's a start."

"Azzi Fudd," Paige stopped to exhale deeply before going on with the question. "Will you marry me?"

Azzi took the microphone from Paige, all eyes now on her. She pushed hair behind her ear and adjusted her hat before she replied. "Absolutely," Azzi smiled.

Paige burst into tears as she stood up, her face red with emotion. She placed the ring on Azzi's left ring finger before kissing her and hugging her tight. Tears emerged from the crowd as nearly everybody in the arena had their phones out to capture the occasion. With confetti still raining down, their trophy held high, and a perfect season completed, Azzi and Paige held hands as fiancées, their bond being a testament to their unwavering dedication, teamwork, friendship and most importantly...

Their love.

"To Pazzi!" Ashlyn yelled, the rest of the team jumping all over Azzi and Paige.