Read the excerpt from Outcasts United.

"She's a girl," he said. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Luma ordered him to stand in goal. She took off her shoes as the boy waited beneath the crossbar, rocking back and forth and growing more anxious by the moment. She asked for a ball, which she placed on the grass. Then, barefoot, as the team looked on, she blasted a shot directly at the boy, who dove out of the way as the ball rocketed into the net. Luma turned toward her team. "Anybody else?" she asked.

Based on Luma’s actions, which statement best describes the theme in this excerpt?

The best answer is A.

Theme is demonstrated as the fundamental idea or concern of a literary work that functions to unify all the elements of the plot together and convey an intended lesson or message to the readers.

As per the question, option A displays the statement that best reflects the theme in the given excerpt as it portrays the 'universal idea or message' that is being conveyed and explored throughout the passage. The unifying idea that associates to the readers is that 'gender never can become the defining factor in athletic ability' as reflected by Luma's actions like 'took off her shoes', 'asked for a ball..placed on the grass', 'barefoot..blasted a shot directly..that ball rocketed into net'. Her powerful actions reflect her strength that gives the readers a message and motivates them to not consider gender as a barrier to show their athletic skills. Thus, option A is the correct answer.