It feels so good saying it: I am a strong, Black, lesbian woman.
Every single time I say it, I feel so much better. ~ Brittney Griner, basketball star
If you’re looking for lesbian books about basketball, you’ve come to the right place! Some of them are slam dunks, and, okay, maybe there’s an air ball hidden in here. But check out these 5 lesbian books that include a basketball theme. They won’t help you improve your overhead pass, but a little one-on-one never hurt anybody!
1. Rainbow by Verde Arzu
Taylor has room for exactly two things in her life: improving her performance as a college basketball player and maintaining the grades she needs to stay on the team and someday play in the WNBA. But when she meets the beautiful and confident Melony, Taylor’s whole way of life is called into question. Rainbow is a coming-of-age lesbian love story with a Love Jones kind of vibe. It’s the first of many queer black novellas by the author Verde Arzu.
2. Personal Foul by Lucy J. Madison
Kat Schaefer’s career is on autopilot. She’s an elite basketball official in the WNBA after surviving an extremely rocky childhood but still finds herself adrift in her personal life almost two years after her longtime lesbian girlfriend dumped her. Kat’s well-ordered world turns upside down again when she meets a hotshot rookie named Julie Stevens who knocks her world off balance with her stellar play and captivating eyes. Despite Kat’s best defense, she falls hard for the young player but she’s unable to open herself up to love again. Her solution is to retreat alone to the magnificent beaches of Provincetown, Massachusetts to heal old wounds and to figure out what the future holds.
3. Love at Half-Court: It May Be the Same Game, But It’s No Ordinary Love! By Rita Rashad
Kendra Michael is an All-American basketball player growing up in the suburbs of Washington, DC during the 1980s. Motivated to be the best basketball player ever, Kendra, at age 15 begins to explore her sexuality and growing attraction to girls. Always working to overcome the challenges of being a star athlete, Kendra may have to face the biggest challenge of her new lesbian life–love. Follow this coming of age story as Kendra faces disappointments, loves, struggles, and tragedies on and off the basketball court.
4. The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr
Nancy Takahiro is a star high school basketball player who is smitten by a new player, Raina Webber. When Nancy’s father falls in love with Raina’s mother and the families move in together, Nancy’s lesbian love for Raina becomes positively excruciating. This novel grapples not only with the awkwardness of adolescent love, but also with race: Nancy is Asian American, Raina is African American. And if that’s not enough, it’s full of information on college sport recruiting techniques.
5. Lady Lobo by Kristen Garrett
Casey Ellison, dedicated hoops fanatic, dreams of playing major college basketball. While competing in a high-school tournament, her explosive speed and scoring potential attract attention…and her fantasy comes true. She is offered a scholarship, and she has the opportunity to lead a major-college team in pursuit of the elusive National Championship. In this fast-paced novel, a young lesbian, Casey, has one ambition: to play basketball with the best A beautiful older athlete picks her up in the shower and begins a match off the court that challenges her in ways she hadn’t thought possible!
