Coupeville Sports

The woman, the myth, the legend … Lexie Black. (John Fisken photo)

The Black ‘n Blue Sisters, Lexie (left) and Brittany Black.

Superstar.

Some people are like rays of sunshine, sent into the world to fight against the darkness.

Lexie Black is one of those people.

A radiant burst of joy come to life, Miss Black, who celebrates her 27th birthday today, is one of my favorite people in the world. Without question or qualification.

I remember her as a young woman, slouched behind the counter at Videoville while we worked together, thumbing through fashion magazines and trying to pretend she wasn’t the tallest person in the room.

Already a dead-ringer for Milla Jovovich, even in her teens, Lexie was only missing one thing the “Resident Evil” star possessed — confidence.

But it arrived, maybe not in one day, but over time.

There was a moment when Lexie stepped onto a basketball court, snapped to her full height and realized she could, and would, kick unholy amounts of booty, Jovovich-style.

The queen of the blocked shot — she still holds the record with ten rejections in a single 1A girls’ state playoff game — Lexie was a beast on the hardwood.

She did it with hard work. With grit. With a refusal to ever back down, to ever look at an opposing team’s uniform and assume she had to lose because that uniform said ATM or King’s.

Lexie was graceful in both victory or defeat, but she was going to make damn sure either way you knew you had been in a war.

Running along side lil’ sis Brittany as half of the Black ‘n Blue Sisters, she helped spark the greatest sustained run in any sport in Coupeville High School history.

The duo would go on to play college hoops in Alaska — enduring a new home where their eyelashes would often freeze in the brief time it took to go from car to gym — and the awesomeness grew.

It’s not just sports, though. It’s in all aspects of her life.

I see Lexie today, standing tall and proud, full of joy, proof you can look like a super model, be a goofball and excel at everything you do and I see a lesson for every young female athlete who wears the red and black.

Be proud of yourself. Believe in yourself. Fight hard for what you want.

Know that when you lay it on the line every game and play your heart and soul out, that you will make lifelong fans, people who will be there to support you long after you stop playing.

And yes, she was probably rolling her eyes several paragraphs back, but face it, Lexie, we think the world of you.

You made this town proud. You made your family proud. You continue to make everyone who calls you a friend proud.

You are the best, Lexie, every day, in every way.