I've been loving seeing people make their Heated Rivalry recs, but a bit frustrated too. Cleat Cute is one of my favs... but it is not a "sapphic Heated Rivalry" just by virute of being sapphic sports romance. Not all queer sports romances are created equally and that's GOOD. But here are some recs that I think speak to elements of the series that has made it such a hit, and explanations of why :)

(this is not targeted at any creators or posts, just based on a frustration I've had with the generalization of nuanced works)