Mallory looks forward to playing basketball when she signs up with a league, but after she freezes up and makes mistakes during games, anxiety sets in. With support from her coach, family, and friends, she begins to relax, improve, and enjoy her first experience on a sports team. Mallory's first-person narration reports her thoughts and emotions with play-by-play immediacy, while the many grayscale illustrations portray this appealing fourth-grader in action, on and off the court. Two mean-girl teammates change their ways in time to create a happy ending for the book, for its heroine, and for fans of the Mallory series.