The Heart of the Game is a 2005 sports documentary film about the Roosevelt Roughriders girls basketball team directed by Ward Serrill.

The film begins two years before African-American Darnellia Russell attends the predominantly white and upper-class Roosevelt High School.

Russell and her team return to the Washington State high school basketball championship tournament and play rivals, the Garfield Bulldogs in the finals.

"[1] On July 8, 2008, it was announced that Darnellia Russell had committed to attend Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada for the 2008-09 season.

[2] However, soon after Russell began going to Lakehead, their Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jon Kreiner announced that she had decided to return home to Seattle and not play for the Thunderwolves.

I had hoped that she would take a little more time to give it more of a chance but we are very happy to have provided her the best opportunity and situation we could for her to achieve her degree while playing at Lakehead University.

Darnellia has brought great international media attention to our program and I am honoured that she decided to play for us.” Lakehead Athletics Director Tom Warden said he understood Russell’s decision.

We wish her the best of luck in the future.” Mackenzie Argens, one of the freshmen Resler inserted during the state championship game, received a basketball scholarship to the University of Washington.

[4] Director Ward Serrill followed the Roosevelt Roughriders girls' basketball team for six seasons as he captured their story on film.