by Kate Fagan
First published 2023
In 2072, on the night of the WNBA's 75th Anniversary, New York Liberty star Jacklyn Jones receives an unexpected visitor. One of basketball's greatest players from the past appears to take her on a journey through time. Together they travel back to Springfield in 1891, where basketball was born, then move forward through the decades to witness the sport's evolution. They observe the first collegiate game between Stanford and Cal, where curious men climbed walls to watch. They meet the Chicago Club Store Co-Eds, an all-Black barnstorming team from the 1930s. The pair encounters legendary figures like Pat Summitt building the Lady Vols program, Margaret Wade and Lusia Harris at Delta State, and Cheryl Miller leading USC. They witness the rivalry spark between UConn and Tennessee. Along the way, Jones discovers the rich tradition of women's basketball that popular culture has overlooked. Through this magical tour of hoops history, she learns her place in a long line of pioneering players.
Genres: historical-fiction, sports, 21st-century, basketball
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, time-travel
Setting: California, Chicago, Delta State, New York, Springfield, Stanford, USC
Period: 1891, 1930s, 1970s, 2072
256 pages · Hardcover · Twelve