She Got Game: My Personal Odyssey by Cynthia Cooper

Synopsis: A sports’ pro memoir on how she proved ‘she got game’.

Writing Style: First person, straightforward.

Pacing: Comfortable.

Premise: The ‘un-abashing’ meaning of success.

Personal Highlights: There is a lot to love about this memoir.  Although the story is dated, and the opening reading a little like “manufactured confidence,” the account of Coop's rise to MVP is picture-perfect relevant. I simply loved the way Coop drew out how attitude and persistence plays into teamwork...a necessary skill for not only raising a family and taking care of home and careers…but a necessary skill to get along in life, period. Coop leaving… and subsequently returning to USC proved prophetic to this point.

The world travelogues imparted after living abroad (Italy… Spain… Mexico… Brazil… Korea…) were engaging. Coach Chancellor’s comment… funny! That Barcelona analogy/spiel wholly resonated. Coop’s giving back…heartwarming. That part…helping her nephew… brought me to tears. The relationship she shared with her mother…and family, along with friends who mentored her and that wonderful expose on compromising feminity, plus the photos and gang members who ‘let those out who they thought might have a chance’ and so much more… such as that b-ball jargon which I so adored, is what makes this story jump. Haha…“…jump shot cooking,” “rocked the joint,” and how one of the teams “sent many ‘Cleveland’ fans home early…” …She Got Game really showed out. I loved this book. Highly recommended!!!