FULL COURT PRESS

When a professional basketball team signs a woman, havoc ensues. That is what happens in Mike Lupica's entertaining novel about Dee Gerard, the NBA's first woman player, and the many obstacles she faces. Lupica, a sportswriter, has a knack for writing sports humor, and Stephanie Knox's narration is an excellent complement to the book. Her presentation is well-paced, and her female voice adds the right tone to the story. In particular, Knox creates the right tone for Gerard, a hard-nosed, skilled basketball player who just wants to play but faces almost every imaginable impediment. Knox's narration also defines the male characters and helps to make the locker-room banter realistic. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]