Structure

The book's structure is fairly straightforward, as it is written by a journalist. It begins at a critical time in the players' lives, when they choke against Northampton. It advances chronologically from there, culminating in the state championship game, which is their goal the entire time.

The prologue serves as an entryway for the reader into the world of girls' sports, and how it's different from boys'. The author takes this time as a way to show her own introduction into this world, through the first girl on the team that she met, Kristin Marvin, to the first sporting event she attended professionally.

Then, the author describes key moments during the summer and basketball season leading up to their fateful final game. Throughout the chapters, the author marks the passage of time by describing what people are doing in the town of Amherst, in order to add...