Simone is excited to move into her dorm and start navigating life on her own terms, but her past choices present unexpected setbacks. Eager to turn the baseball team around, Damon and Coach Marcus are thrown an even bigger curve ball than they were anticipating. Meanwhile, Amara faces the consequences of her actions, and what that means for her future.

With everything Simone is trying to balance, she starts to crack but finds the motivation to keep going from a group assignment with Damon and Thea. Damon struggles to bond with the team, but with the help of JR, Damon does something that scares him and gets him back on track. Keisha wrestles with letting go of her dream, while Cam's dream may be over before it even started. Meanwhile, Coach Marcus witnesses what the cost of being a whistleblower is having on Amara.

After returning from break, Simone throws herself into distraction, including her tennis tournament, to avoid dealing with what's really bothering her. When Damon finds himself with more questions than answers, he finds help from Thea. With the help of Nathaniel, JR realizes he needs to change his narrative on how he sees himself after he has a viral game moment. Meanwhile, Amara inches closer to the issues going on with Bringston and Coach Marcus' paranoia is at an all-time high.

As Homecoming week continues, Simone grapples with her role on the tennis team and Thea receives some upsetting news. With Coach Marcus nowhere to be found, an interim coach steps in which creates conflict for Damon and JR as they try to win their most important game. Keisha throws herself into raising funds for Bringston in the hopes of helping to keep her chosen family together, while Cam makes a decision that could have major consequences. Meanwhile, Amara finds herself back in the spotlight with a surprising career opportunity.