09/17/2026
This moment is for my Mom… and my sister Carol. ❤️🕊️
As I prepare to step onto the court tomorrow to receive the Seattle Storm Believe in Women Award, my heart is full. More than anything, I’m thinking about the two women I wish could be there to witness this moment.
My Mom and my sister Carol.
Mom, it has only been six months since I had to say goodbye to you, and some days it still doesn’t feel real. Carol, losing you left a space in my heart that time could never fill.
I miss you both so much.
Tomorrow, I wish I could look into the stands and see your faces. But somehow, I can already hear your voices telling me how proud you are of me. I can almost hear you both saying, “That’s our Ata!” 🥹❤️
And knowing the two of you, you’d probably be making more noise than anyone else in that arena.
Before the awards, recognition, community work, or titles, I was shaped by strong women who taught me through their love, sacrifices, prayers, and example.
I did not get here by myself.
That is why the Believe in Women Award means so much to me. I know firsthand what can happen when women pour strength into one another and remind each other not to give up.
Mom, thank you for the life you gave me and the strength you instilled in me.
Carol, thank you for being my sister and for the memories that will forever be part of who I am.
Tomorrow, when they call Faleata “Ata” Ma’ae, I know I’ll smile and look toward Heaven, knowing two very important pieces of my heart are there. ❤️🕊️
This award may have my name on it, but this moment is bigger than me. It represents the women who came before me, the women who walk beside me, and the women coming after me.
Mom and Carol, this one is for you.
I hope I continue making you proud by using my life and my voice to do for others what so many women have done for me.
Tomorrow, I’ll step onto that court with both of you in my heart.
I love you. I miss you. Always. ❤️
We stand together. We rise together. Even beyond this life. 🕊️
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