Back in December, a New Jersey parent sued the archdiocese of Newark because the governing powers wouldn’t allow his daughter to try out for the boys’ basketball team at her Catholic school, despite the fact that there was no girls’ team. The legal fight was anything but holy, with the school temporarily expelling the student, Sydney Phillips, before she ultimately prevailed and suited up for a game.

Had they seen “Little Ballers Indiana,” the school administrators and archdiocese might not have waged the ugly courtroom and media war.

The three-part documentary series (premiering Friday at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon), which follows an AAU team of 11- and 12-year-old girls, makes a case for playing with — and beating—the boys. During the first 30-minute episode, in which the team scrimmages against males, WNBA superstar Elena Delle Donne reflects on the advantages she gained from playing with the opposite gender, and Mila, one of the team’s 11-year-old stars (who has a wicked handle) proclaims, “I’ll play with grown men.”

And then there’s the parent of a girl who launched her hoops career on a boys’ team lamenting its larger purpose off the court.

“You’re going to be in certain situations in life where you are the only one,” she says. “And you have to know what to do in those circumstances.”

The battle of the sexes aside, this endearing series is the pet project of Dallas Wings star Skylar Diggins and Crystal McCrary, who produced and directed 2013’s “Little Ballers.” The original documentary followed the journey of McCrary’s son’s (Archbishop Molloy High School’s Cole Anthony) AAU team as they made a run for the national championship. This recent installment of the hoops docuseries flips the gender and explores how basketball shaped the Hoosier State’s mentality and the sport’s increasing role in both female empowerment and the strengthening of the family unit.

But most of all, it shows these girls can flat out ball.

The team, called the Sky Digg Ballers, is sponsored by Diggins, who returns to her native South Bend, Ind., to start an AAU team as an offshoot of her childhood program. Coached by her stepfather and former coach, Maurice “Moe” Scott, the squad giggles as he dishes out sayings such as, “Don’t get mad, get better,” which becomes the ruling credo as they travel to tournaments across the Midwest.

Their benefactor pops into the locker room to give pep talks and sends gear like Nike headbands to the girls as they kick off their competitive season.

Many of these talented athletes have their sights set on a free ride to college and an eventual contract with the WNBA, which as many of them note is paved with hours of gym time. “I work out three hours a day,” notes point guard Bria. Through their dreams, the series weaves in Diggins’ own journey from high school phenom to Notre Dame’s all-time leading scorer and, eventually, the face of the WNBA.

Ultimately the narrative belongs to the diverse group of girls who have unique family dynamics and personalities. They find their common ground in their passion for bouncing a ball. And the season-long journey will leave you with no doubt about the transformative power of sports.