Silver (and Black and Blue) Stars

Something happened to me tonight that doesn't happen too often.
There I was, shooting the heated action of a professional basketball game when one of the players came careening out of bounds and directly — I mean directly — on top of me! I've had lots of close calls before. There was the time Manu Ginobili fell over the photographer next to me and landed partially in my lap. But this time was different.
Who was it?
Shaq? Nope.
Tim Duncan? Nope.
It was none other than Katie Douglas of the WNBA's Indiana Fever! She drove for a layup and her continuation brought her right over me. I saw it coming, almost in slow motion. I stretched out my arm to try to stop her momentum, but she seemed determined to fall.
I thought about the irony of it all. Just a couple of weeks ago, I would have been sitting on the packed baseline of an NBA playoff game. In those situations, photographers sit side by side, knee touching knee. If a player came ouf of bounds, there's nowhere to go but into the photographers.
But tonight was a WNBA game. I was the only photographer on that side. An entire baseline sat empty, except for the one spot which I was sitting. And she fell directly into my lap. I think she likes me.

(photos courtesy of John Davenport, San Antonio Express News)

My back hurts.