“You need to be in your P’s and Q’s along with her,” Bonner says of being Thomas’s teammate. “She’s gonna let you recognize [if you’re not], and typically I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m older. You’ll not speak to me like that.’ I do know it comes from an excellent place, and he or she simply needs to win. However we go at it loads.” (When requested if Thomas has any of her personal challenges enjoying alongside Bonner, Thomas simply smiles and says, “No challenges.”)

Equally essential to the well being of the connection is discovering issues to do collectively past going to work and speaking concerning the sport once you get residence. Cava and Greco produce other sports activities they wish to play collectively once they’re not on the ice, like golf and pickleball. They like to attend athletic occasions collectively too, particularly Toronto Maple Leafs video games. In the meantime, Bonner and Thomas actually worth date nights, which they are saying really feel like an escape from the grind of their demanding basketball schedules.

“We now have completely different hobbies and we’re superb at simply taking our personal house after we want it,” Seattle Reign FC participant Jess Fishlock stated on the In These Cleats podcast of her spouse and teammate, Tziarra King. (The 2 married in December.) “l’ll simply be like, ‘Pay attention, I truthfully want a lid on it. Now I’m simply gonna go over right here [and] watch my exhibits’ or she’ll go up and do a puzzle or play along with her crops.”

For Bonner, it’s not her first time being in a high-profile relationship with a teammate—she was beforehand married to her Mercury teammate Candice Dupree, and the couple has two youngsters collectively. After their marriage ended, Bonner says she swore she would by no means once more get entangled with considered one of her teammates. When she and Thomas started relationship, it took Bonner months to name it what it was. The 2 waited a 12 months earlier than going public with their relationship on social media.

“My first relationship was so public, I simply wished to take pleasure in my relationship with [Alyssa] for somewhat bit earlier than we let the world know and everyone shaped their opinion,” Bonner says. For her half, Thomas had at all times been very non-public when it got here to her private life. “For me to go public meant I used to be tremendous snug along with her,” Thomas says of the couple’s determination to disclose their relationship.

It may very well be bizarre to play with an ex or the ex of your present accomplice. And perhaps it’s at instances, however queer ladies famously know find out how to keep pals with their exes, so everybody finds methods to coexist. Particularly as a result of once you present as much as a sport or apply, you’re displaying as much as your office. In case you can’t depart your private life on the door, you’ll be able to’t successfully do your job.

“After all gamers are [dating teammates],” Cava says. “However even when folks have exes on groups, everyone seems to be so skilled. We all know find out how to deal with the scenario and there’s no drama. You’re doing what you like, and it’s your job; once you get there, that’s strictly what we’re doing.”