Undefeated, fierce, goofy, and occasionally vulgar, The Wolves are a top soccer team in the age 16-18 indoor league. Eight of the nine girls are accustomed to autumns and summers spent on travel teams, competing against other elite high school players across the Midwest and the country. The ninth girl, #46, is new to the area, but pulled a stellar try-out that got her onto the team.
We are introduced to the delightful and jagged dynamics of #46’s teammates as she discovers them: #13 is a stoner who leans into her quirks, #2 doesn’t handle cursing well, #7 curses too much, #11 is a bit of a social justice warrior. They bond over homework assignments, menstrual cycle discussions, birthday plans, a cold that makes its way through the team, and the uselessness of their coach—perpetually hungover and content to let #25 (the seventeen-year-old team captain) run the show.
Through the wandering conversations, jabs, and jokes, The Wolves run drills with an agility and precision they hope will lead to bigger wins on the horizon: a trip to Nationals in Miami and opportunities to play for college recruiters. But as a shot at both prizes approaches, the game that united these strong, disciplined young women begins to isolate them. Though it’s nothing new to say sixteen is a hard age, The Wolves lives in the poignant intersection of growing pains and the difficult truths we begin to face in high school—and grapple with the rest of our lives.