PLAY YOU FOR IT

A newly promoted basketball coach and a sports reporter face off against one another on the court, in the media room, and between the sheets.

When Jordan D’Amato is promoted to be interim head coach of a Division I men’s college basketball team, she becomes the first woman in that position. Because of her boss’ sexism and fear of public fallout, her future with the team is contingent on clinching a win. As a former college athlete and WNBA player, she’s used to a challenge. What she isn’t ready for is Caroline Beck, a journalist who’s no stranger to the microaggressions and misogyny Jordan is up against. Beck also happens to be a former college basketball player from a competitive family. Determined to get the first one-on-one interview with Jordan, Beck challenges the coach to a flirty game of horse and wins. She’s sure the interview will help her dig out of the trenches she’s been working in for years, but instead, her boss, Easton Prescott, tries to take the interview away from her. Jordan refuses to do the interview with anyone but Beck, which places a bullseye on the reporter’s back in the newsroom. The women’s attraction to one another is a conflict of interest that, if acted upon, could brick both their careers. The attraction between Beck and Jordan is written with masterful restraint, which unfortunately means that the romance sometimes lacks emotional depth and takes a distant backseat to the sports.

Not quite a slam dunk, but a solid layup that scores.