I’ve become an avid women’s sports fan over the past few years. I dedicate most of my time and interest to women’s soccer, but I’m proud to call myself a casual WNBA and PWHL fan, too.
I’m super excited that women’s sports is a Book Bingo category this year! Part of what hooks me is the storylines and personalities of the women’s leagues and athletes. Join me in my love of women’s sports!! Here’s a couple categories within the category to get you started.
Memoirs/Autobiographies
There is a plethora of athlete memoirs and autobiographies where athletes tell their own stories. Dive into these books by both current and retired athletes to learn about what makes these remarkable women able to perform at the most elite level.
A’ja Wilson snagged her fourth(!) MVP award at the end of last year’s WNBA season. Will she do a five-peat this year? The Las Vegas Aces come to play the Seattle Storm on September 17th. Even if you root for the Storm, read all about A’ja Wilson’s journey to greatness and soak up her sage advice in Dear Black Girls.
In Make it Count, CeCé Telfer takes control of her own narrative. The first transgender athlete to win a NCAA Championship, Telfer continues to fight for her right to exist, compete, and shine on the track. Read her debut memoir to understand the power of sport in building resiliency, confidence and joy.
If you’ve been on the light rail recently, you’ve probably heard Megan Rapinoe over the speakers telling you to move into the train to avoid overcrowding (and I hope you are following this advice!). If you’re interested in learning more about this local soccer legend’s life, career, and ongoing advocacy, check out One Life.
General Nonfiction
So much of women’s sports history that’s been pushed aside or buried. These build our understanding of the diverse, complicated and meaningful history of women’s sports.
In Hail Mary, Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo chronicle The National Women’s Football League. Initially pitched as a gimmicky publicity stunt, the League soon grew across the country in both teams and popularity. The powerful, motivated women athletes involved challenged norms and changed the field of women’s sports for years to come.
Deborah Stoll centers women, queer, and trans skaters by sharing the stories of some of the most influential skaters in Drop In: The Gender Rebels Who Changed the Face of Skateboarding. The four athletes featured – Alana Smith, Vanessa Torres, Marbie Miller, and Victoria Taylor – redefine skateboarding culture and who it’s for.
Romance Novels
Women’s sports have always been a home for LGBTQIA+ athletes, fans, and culture. Celebrate the stories of love that come out of that safe space with a LGBTQIA+ sports romance novel.
For a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers storyline set at a soccer summer camp, check out Racquel Marie’s sweet YA novel You Don’t Have a Shot. Valentina and Leticia are forced to work out their issues by co-captaining an underdog team and – of course – catch feelings along the way.
Grand Slam Romance by Ollie Hicks brings the heat, the sparkle, and the magic to a small-town softball league. This graphic novel series will make you giggle, blush, and want to join your local queer softball team (magic or otherwise).
Workplace romances happen in every job. They’re that much more intense when your job requires sweat, muscle and skin. In Love and Sportsball by Meka James, athletic trainer Dijah Upton falls for star basketball player Shae Harris. As the season progresses, so does their bond, and the two women find themselves fighting for a championship and for their relationship.
General Fiction
Don’t feel like a romance novel or nonfiction? Literary fiction provides a unique entry into an athlete or team’s psyche.
Ren loves swimming and dreams of becoming a mermaid to escape the pressures of her family, coach and self. But the mermaids she aspires to are from the deep and dark: ravenous, bloodthirsty, and vengeful. In Chlorine, Jade Song uses body horror as the mechanism for showing the monstrous impact of high pressure on young women athletes.
Hot Girls With Balls by Benedict Nguyễn explores the pressures of women’s sports and social media with sharp, bold satire. Six and Green try (and fail) to avoid controversy as trans women on competing men’s volleyball teams vying for a championship, while also trying (and failing) to control the image of their relationship and popularity on social media.
Finally, Headshot captures the lives of eight teenagers as they take to the ring in a boxing tournament. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Rita Bullwinkel’s debut novel brings the reader directly into the fights: physical, relational, and personal.
I hope choosing a book to read for this category feels like falling in love with your new favorite team. I’m rooting for you!!
~ Posted by McCall O.
For more ideas for books to meet your Summer Book Bingo challenge, follow our Shelf Talk BookBingoNW2026 series or check the hashtag #BookBingoNW2026 on social media. Book Bingo is presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures and the King County Library System.
