Jess Taylor has been with both Spark & the Fund for Trans Writers since September 2022.

Jess is also supported by VMH’s Zine Project.

One, Inbound to Three.

“One, inbound to Three, quick. Three from the wing, to the four playing off of the short corner, with only a moment left, you think she’s going to go for the easy two just before the buzzer cause they’re gonna assume being in foul trouble, we want to take it to the OT, so they will fade from the low post & the two elbows.”

(Coach is still in a delirious whisper, like when you whispertalk to the microwave asking for your food to heat up)

“Jenkins, when they encroach, you dish it out to point, top of key. Billings, I want you to dish it quiet on the inside to Jones. Jones don’t take the three immediately – assume coverage on the wing. Don’t think, do.”

There aren’t a lot of people who come to our games, one of the reasons being we aren’t given prime hours of gym time ‘cause hello, this is the world we live in, right? You got wheels, you get no deals, so shouting plays during the time-out isn’t exactly necessary. If you shout a play, someone in concessions is going to hear it - if they even bothered to open up concessions ‘cause hello, you see what I’m sitting in, right? so Coach has this neat way of getting loud from his chest, but it sounds like a whisper. But I’ve never seen him this agitated before.

“Throw it in to Jenkins without thinking, fade behind like you’re done this game – you’re not done! Axle up & right! Be as quiet as you can be & remember the two wheels back, we worked on. You remember?”

Coach is in a quiet hyperventilating mode, now. This is where I begin to worry about Coach’s blood pressure considering the shade of red he turns when he gets excited. I don’t think it’s a healthy shade of red – like embarrassment red when you’re kind of happy spending time with someone & they tell you something beautiful about how they feel about you. No, this is ‘call the medics immediately, I’m Jordan Peterson & I’ve had too much red meat’ kind of red. This is where he’s about to say something like ‘I know this team!’

“I know this team – they always double/triple team at the end & cut those speed lanes off. One of you is always left open to fade behind the three. You’re the top, Jones. There’s a reason you’re called the one & I want you to show it. Beat two long lazy slides right to the top of the point. Don’t even look down – trust your wheels.”

Ok, when Coach says trust your wheels…

“Jenkins, assume the three are blocked round you here, here & here. You find the window to Jones right at the top…”

Coach has this ability that I’ve never encountered in anyone else before. He knows how to pause dramatically for effect without it being contrived. You can tell he means it when he says

“…& Jones? You end this. Got it? Sometimes the legs don’t work but the shot always does!”

Coach is looking at me with that life & death stare & I’m just here, internally recognizing how basketball is a trans allegory.

How? Well, let me sink this shot & we shall discuss.