Vanessa DiBernardo is a midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL. 

What has it been like since you returned home from the Challenge Cup?

It’s starting to feel kind of back to normal. It’s nice not being in a bubble.

I’m sure it must be nice not having to live in a hotel room. I’m curious though, do you have any concerns about playing outside of a bubble for the Fall Series?

Our team has been pretty good with communicating, I think before we went to Utah, we had restrictions on what we can and cannot do outside of practice. Just because what you do outside is going to affect everyone else as well. So I think we’ve definitely put some guidelines in place for everyone to follow, but it’s nice to kind of at least have the freedom to go outside and go for a walk and stuff like that. Just being at home and sleeping in your own bed is something we were taking a bit for granted.

And how do you feel about traveling for games?

I think it’s definitely tough. Here in Chicago, we’re in the middle of the country, so we’re going to have to travel by air regardless of which team we play. I think in an ideal world we would like to charter and that would be our first choice, but I think our team is going to do well and look at flight times and try to do the best they can to keep us as safe as possible. That’s what we’ve asked for as players, and they’ve listened, so I think we’re going to be okay. But there’s still a pandemic going on, so you have to be a little worried.

How has the league communicated with you in terms of addressing concerns that players have about traveling and staying safe?

They’ve sent us guidelines and stuff to follow, so that’s good. And I think just all the stuff that we learned before going into Utah has definitely helped. And if we have big concerns, we go to our player reps and they go to our Players Association and they try to give us answers to our questions. So I think the communication has been good so far, and hopefully as these weeks continue to progress nothing serious happens.

The format of these fall games are obviously very different from the tournament format at the Challenge Cup. How do you feel about that?

It’s definitely different. I didn’t really realize when we were in Utah, we actually played every team there, which I think we’re the only team that did that. So it will be nice to get a home and away game against two great clubs who we played in the tournament. Just playing them again so quickly will be a good adjustment, just to see where we’re at. It’s definitely weird only playing two teams, but it’s better than not playing any game, and I think it definitely helps that we’re staying in as much of a bubble as we can. And then just having the games on TV is huge. There’s one each weekend on the CBS network. I think that’s huge for us as a league, so we’re pretty excited about that.

What are some of your team’s goals for these games? 

We’re looking at these games as a way to try new things. And we’ll have a lot of young players, so just getting them experience. They’ll still be good games and challenging games. And in the NWSL, I think, experience is huge. So for some of our younger players, I think this series will be very helpful for them.

There are a lot of players from around the league that have either been loaned to teams in Europe or signed there. How do you think that will affect the Fall Series? 

I think across every team, there are players who have gone overseas, so teams will be missing some pieces that they had in Utah. But again, it’s just a big opportunity for younger players to come in and fill roles and have a great opportunity. It just allows teams to try new things without maybe some of their players that they rely on a bit more. So it’s definitely a different look and opportunity, and there’s not very many games, so you can kind of try something new each game and see what works best.

Your team has been practicing together now for a few weeks since the Challenge Cup ended. How would you describe the team’s mindset at the moment? 

We’re just trying to get back into things, get sharp and, again, there’s new players around and you’re trying to just get used to how each other plays. We didn’t have a lot of time going into Utah, and we had a lot of new players in our frontline that were new to the team. So I think this time has been good for us to kind of actually train with each other and not necessarily have a game after a game after a game.

What are some of your personal goals?

I think just getting out there, playing games and feeling like myself. I had an injury streak for a little bit, and last year I was coming back from an injury. So this year I feel like I’m actually healthy and using these games to kind of just get back into form and really just focusing on that is what I’m looking forward to.

Jessie Warren is a professional softball player for Athletes Unlimited. At Florida State, she led the Seminoles to the 2018 Women’s College World Series title and was named Most Outstanding Player of the World Series. She spoke with JWS about what led her to Athletes Unlimited, her unique style of coaching, and how the league is working to keep everyone both safe and sane. 

What went into your decision to join Athletes Unlimited?

The idea was pitched to me in the beginning of December, and at first I was a little skeptical just because I didn’t understand the format and things like that. But then after talking to Jade Ray, who was actually going to come play but opted out to go to the police academy, I became really interested. And then Victoria Hayward reached out, and I didn’t know if my Pride season was going to run into this season. So, I was kind of a little bit like, “I don’t know if I can do it,” because obviously I already had obligations with Pride. But then once I realized that Pride season wasn’t going to run into AAU, it was an automatic yes.

And then after getting to know about the format, I thought it was really cool. It’s something different that nobody’s ever done before, obviously. And I think it’s a good difference, because it was grasping a lot of people’s attention, catching an audience’s eye about the differences in the game, obviously not the rules or anything, but just the point system. And it allows us as individual athletes to try to succeed as an individual, but also play to law and succeed as a team.

Your team went 3-0 in the first week. What are your thoughts on how the games went?

Right away I noticed that the people who were racking up the most points are those that are on a winning team. My team called ourselves the Cuties because of the orange jerseys we wore and in the practices that we had, we really focused on team runs and how we could get people in. We knew if we won innings, we would win points. And if you win innings you are going to win the game. It’s team ball. If you’re playing team ball obviously you’re doing something individually successfully, so you’re going to get some points too. I think we were most more focused on winning each inning and winning as a team than we were worried about getting ourselves points. And it kind of really showed that we were playing as a unit and not individually.

Now in the second week we will see all new teams. How do you plan to adjust to a new team dynamic and stay as consistent?  

I think that’s always the hard part. You know, if I could keep the team that I was on for the whole six weeks, that would be awesome, but it’s an even better opportunity as an individual to get to know other people and connect with them. I’m just keeping an open mind that everybody’s dynamic and their coaching style is going to be different.

Cat [Osterman] is a captain this week, and her coaching style is going to be completely different than mine, so her team will be a whole different dynamic. As a player, I’m just going with it and trusting that they know what they’re doing and just going out there and playing ball.

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JADE HEWITT MEDIA
You were obviously pretty successful at balancing your role as a team captain, coach and player. Did you find that balance to be easy or were there any difficulties there?

I had a lot of help from Christian Conrad. He was kind of familiar with what I wanted to do and then Cat Osterman was a huge person for me to have on the team. For the experience that she has on the coaching side to help as well. But at the end of the day, I sat down with Christian, I talked about my strategy. And we kind of just all clashed minds and came up with a lineup. And then, for the girls, I was more of, “Hey, do what you guys do.” We’re going to just be laid back and chill. At the same time, we’re still going to be disciplined, but I’m not going to be someone that’s going to be down their throats or anything. That’s just not my style.

What do you think this type of a league will do for women’s sports at the pro level and specifically for softball?

This whole business is just such a great idea. And then John and Jonathan, our league founders, have done such a great job marketing this whole thing. And there’s so many people that I’ve heard from that have texted me and are just like, “This is so cool. It’s so fun to watch. I love seeing it on TV.” You don’t really see many women’s professional sports, and just the fact that this is going in the right direction, it’s just so amazing for the younger generation and the young girls that are looking up to us.

They have dreams and the knowledge that they can come play professional softball, professional volleyball, and they’re able to work at something that they may not have been able to work for before. I’m just blessed to be able to pave the road and start something for them. I’m excited for the future of all sports in AU, especially softball.

Was there anything else that you wanted to mention that I didn’t bring up?

I do actually really want to add that the hospitality and how they’ve taken care of us since we’ve been here has been great as well. We have batting cages, we have training facilities, our locker rooms are great, and we’re following the CDC’s guidelines. It’s great to feel safe with everything that’s going on in the world. I was kind of second guessing it at first. I know I had a conversation with my mom. Like, I don’t know if I want to go because of Covid. But the league has done a great job following protocols and being in contact with CDC and having great doctors here and things like that to keep us safe. I think that’s my number one thing is I feel safe.

And another thing is the mental health part of it all. You think about coming into isolation by yourself for six weeks, and then you think about your mental health being alone, because some people just aren’t good with things like that, but again, they’re doing such a great job to help us. We have trivia nights and things like that to keep us kind of busy so that we’re not going crazy in the bubble. Every Friday night we have this thing called Friday Night Lights, and last week was about mental awareness, this week it’s going to be something different, then next week it’s going to be something different. Again, they just have a bunch of activities for us to come and attend online or even in person, but in person is only for people that are in the bubble. But it’s just awesome and great to see so many athletes and know that I’m not the only one going through some of the things that I’m going through. Just being able to talk to them and relate with them has been such a great experience as well.

What went into your decision to join Athletes Unlimited?

I don’t know if you know this, but I haven’t played softball in two years. So, a couple of my friends that are in this league reached out to me and were like, hey, would you be interested in this? And I wasn’t really, because I had been out of the game for two years, and I thought if I came here, I would just get embarrassed because of all the talent here. But they were like, you know what, just listen to the call, and if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. So I got on the call and AU presented the league and basically from that call, I couldn’t turn away because the structure seemed so cool and also because I was out of work from COVID. I needed income and I just thought about the whole presentation… they really sold me with everything this league is about. It’s pretty awesome.

And how has it felt being back on the softball field after taking some time off? Are you happy with your decision to return to the game?

I’m definitely happy I did it, especially because I miss these girls. I haven’t seen a lot of them in two years, so I’m definitely happy I did it. There are some days I feel really happy. Like wow, I miss this feeling of hitting a home run. And then after losing our first game, I was like, I did not miss this feeling. I forgot how mad I get and how depressing it is to lose. And I was like, God, I did not miss this. But for the most part, when I hit everyday I figured out something and I remembered something that I used to do, and it’s cool to get back into it again.

Your team finished out week 1 with a 7-6 win. Super exciting to end on that high note. What are your thoughts on that game specifically and about how the team made adjustments moving forward after your first two losses?

It was a really cool experience personally for me, because I had to make a lot of adjustments in the lineup, and I feel like the first couple of games I made decisions that I didn’t necessarily feel were right. I was advised by multiple people to do certain things that I felt iffy about. And I think game three, I was just like, nope, I want to win. We need to for our team. So, I’m just going to go with my gut decisions, and I did that. The first two games, we hit the ball well, but not when it needed to be done. So that last game players were like, let’s sacrifice more. Let’s just try to win each inning. That is how you get points. You can have great stats, but if your team doesn’t win, it kills you point wise. So as a team, we just played a little bit more unselfishly and just tried to keep moving runners on base and that’s how we won game three.

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JADE HEWITT MEDIA
As a captain, you also acted as the team’s coach. You picked the lineups and made strategic decisions. Did you have any difficulties balancing your role as a coach and a player? 

There was some stress for sure. I feel bad for my roommate, Sam, because I was venting the whole weekend. It’s difficult because you’re picking nine players for a lineup, when you drafted all of them because they’re all good. So it was difficult. And it was hard for me too, because I had rookies on my team that I’ve never seen play before. And I had veterans who I know have played the best pitchers in the world. So the first couple of games I based my lineup on what I knew and then after that when certain people were not performing I had no choice, I had to take them out. It’s definitely hard because everybody knew my thought process when I was making the lineup, because it’s like, you’re good, but you didn’t do good today. So I know how good they are, but you have such a short time to prove yourself, and I have to go by who’s doing good on that particular day. It was tough.

Now you have seen who is playing well and how people mesh together. Do you think if you get the opportunity to captain a team again, you may pick differently? 

Yeah, I think I learned a lot about seeing other teams succeed. I feel like the players I picked are individually very strong. I was a hundred percent confident in my team. They were great. But everybody here is good, so you can’t really go wrong. You just have to trust that you can learn how to play with one another and make it work in a short amount of time. There’s a few adjustments that I may make moving forward just after having that experience.

With the new scoring system, there’s an emphasis on individual points. With that in mind, do you have any individual goals that you’re focused on this season?

No, I really don’t to be honest. I kind of went into this with low expectations, and that might sound bad. But after not playing for two years, I don’t want to have high expectations for myself. I want to do the best that I can do with my skills at this time. I still work out every day. I just want to hit the ball and try to help my team. I just want to win, really.

Athletes Unlimited has redesigned the way you play pro sports. They just added volleyball and there are other sports in the work. What do you think this type of a league will do for women’s sports at the pro level and specifically for softball?

I think this league is absolutely huge for our sport. I think that it’s already growing so fast, and I think the fact that we’re on ESPN and CBS, and the fact that all the players here have close to a combined one-million followers. They are marketing it great. And I think the biggest thing is that we’re on ESPN and CBS. I think if you look at college softball, it’s huge, and I feel like it’s because it’s on TV and people want to watch. So getting us on TV so people see us is making it big. And I think the point system is awesome. People are like, oh, they’re doing that? It’s exciting for fans and obviously for the players.

Nicole Pendley is a professional softball player for Athletes Unlimited. A 2x national champion for the University of Oklahoma, Pendley also serves as a graduate assistant coach for Mississippi State. 

What went into your decision to join Athletes Unlimited?

I liked the uniqueness of the league. It was something totally different than the NPS [National Pro Fastpitch], which I previously played in, and I feel like I just didn’t have the best experience with the NPS. So something new and different was refreshing, and it intrigued me.

So you had your first games of the season this weekend. What are your thoughts about how those went? 

I mean, I knew there were really good players in this league, but it just solidified that it’s just the best of the best in every game. People are coming out to play, and the pitchers are being challenged by the hitters, and vice versa. So I just think it really solidified that there’s insanely good players playing.

Moving forward from these games, what have you learned so far?

I mean, nothing crazy in particular. I noticed that it’s really hard to be a coach. I’ve learned that it was hard to make the lineups. I mean, there’s so many good players on my team. It was just hard to put everyone in the lineup and decide where people go. So I tip my hat to all coaches because I didn’t realize how hard it was. And then just trying to make decisions while I’m on the field has been challenging as well.

Now you have seen who is playing well and how people mesh together. Do you think if you get the opportunity to captain a team again, you may pick differently? 

I don’t think I would go about it differently. Any player you get is going to be really good. It’s just the matter of figuring out everyone in this league, how to throw to them, how to play. So I don’t think I would change anything because no matter who I get in the draft, it’s going to be a good team.

Your sister is also playing in the league and you drafted her onto your week one team. What was that experience like and what do you think it will be like playing against each other? 

It will be a little weird, but I think it would be fun to play against her. She definitely helped me on my team. She has a lot of knowledge, just like all the other players. So just her contribution to the coaching side of it was really helpful, but it’ll be interesting to play against her.

With the unique scoring system, there’s an emphasis on individual points. With that in mind, do you have any individual goals that you’re focused on this season?

They haven’t changed. My goal is to get on base. Hit the ball. I haven’t really paid attention to the points very much because I don’t think my approach should change just because there’s points involved. So I mean, it’s the same outlook I’ve always had. Get on base, hit the ball hard.

Athletes Unlimited has redesigned the way you play pro sports. They just added volleyball and there are other sports in the work. What do you think this type of a league will do for women’s sports at the pro level and specifically for softball?

I think it will just put us more on the map. I mean female pro sports are there, a lot of people just don’t know about them. When I ask people about pro softball, they don’t even know there’s a league. So I think Athletes Unlimited, with them taking a unique approach and having a new point system… It’s just going to catch people’s eye. People are going to be interested in how it works, and we’re going to get more viewers, and it’s going to spread. I think just the uniqueness of this league is going to spark a lot of interest in people.

Haylie Wagner is a left-handed pitcher for Athletes Unlimited, a new, players-focused softball league recently launched in Chicago, Illinois. During the first week of play, she was one of four captains who selected her own team for competition. We spoke to her about the process, AU’s model of play, and what it means for the future of the sport.   

What went into your decision to join Athletes Unlimited?

My decision was actually 10 months in the making. I got a call and decided to take a day trip along with Victoria Hayward, and we went to New York to have this league pitch to us this wonderful, amazing, unique idea. From the second I sat down in that office in New York City, I was intrigued and excited and so interested to see where this was going to go. It didn’t take more than a month, less than a month, to have a contract issued and be on board to get this thing going and start this new adventure. I wanted to play softball. I wanted to be a part of history, and 10 months later, we’re here. It’s been amazing.

The league format puts the power in the players’ hands. You are the ones choosing your fate, choosing who is your team and even coaching the team. Do you think that has made you more engaged and invested so far?

Definitely. I think being able to have a little bit more control over everything and not just being a captain, but also just all the other athletes, we really have to pay attention to who’s doing what and who works well together. We have to focus on how points are being made because, who knows, next week we could be captain and we’re in charge of drafting our team. You really have to pay attention to individual aspects, which makes everything more competitive. We’re able to go out there and focus on those points for ourselves, while also saying, hey, this person’s doing really well too, I better pay attention. That adds extra competitiveness, so it’s really good.

You were a captain for week 1. What was it like drafting your team?

For our second scrimmage, I was actually the captain as well for the gold team, so I kind of had a little bit of background and I got to experience it once. But being able to go into the first real draft, and knowing it’s for a series of three games, you had to think a little bit different about it. I knew my plan going into it, but I knew after the first pick it was probably not going to work out perfectly. And that’s exactly what happened. I had a list of my order of catchers that I wanted, and three out of the top four were taken, so I had to adjust real quickly and go from there. The strategizing part is really fun. You have to have a depth chart of four or five different options that you would be comfortable with and have an order for it and go from there based on what you need. For me, as a pitcher, I knew I wanted a defense that could also hit and produce some runs. I know that if I’m pitching, I can count on them to get them out and then get them in the dugout to provide some offense.

You choose Amanda Chidester as your #1 pick. How much did playing together at Michigan have a factor in that selection?

I don’t think playing with her had a lot to do with it. I love Amanda Chidester. She was a senior when I was a freshman in college, so I’ve played many, many years with her. She can do a lot of things, and I knew right then and there that I wanted her on my team. I also did not want to pitch to her. That had a big factor in it as well. And for each draft, there are four facilitators, for each team each week, and they rotate through depending on the color of team. I had Lauren Lappin who is also my coach from last year, so that has been really helpful just knowing that I can trust her, I know how she coaches, I know she knows the lineup. These are things that I’ve never really had to fully think about before. Being able to talk with her and talk it through and have different opinions and advice was really, really helpful.

With the unique scoring system, there’s an emphasis on individual points. With that in mind, do you have any individual goals that you’re focused on this season?

I don’t think they’re individual goals based off of the money side or the bonus points. I think, as a pitcher, my goal is always to go out there to attack the hitters and get outs, and I’m not going to change that. I want my defense to work and I want to produce some offense. Really individually, I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing all these years and compete, and there’s not one bad athlete in this league, so it’s going to be tough and it’s going to be exciting and competitive, and it’s going to be mentally and physically exhaustive, but individually I’m just going to keep being me.

The season is six weeks with a lot of back-to-back games, what are your expectations for nonstop action? 

I’m excited to have a three game series. It kind of takes us back to the college days of a three game series in a weekend and just back to back to back. In a way, we’re all kind of used to it. It might have been a few years for multiple people or some may have just graduated, but it’s going to be tiring. It’s going to be exhausting. The off day that we have every Tuesday is going to be very important for everybody to get their recovery in. But it’s going to be a fun, exciting five weeks. For a lot of us, it’s been over a year since we’ve played in a game, so we’re really excited about that and to be able to put softball on the map and be on national TV, on ESPNU, is really amazing.

Athletes Unlimited has redesigned the way you play pro sports. They just added volleyball and there are other sports in the work. What do you think this type of a league will do for women’s sports at the pro level and specifically for softball?

For women’s sports in general, I just think it’s going to be really intriguing to a lot of people and a lot of fans, especially once fans can come to stadiums and come to arenas and come to facilities and actually watch and participate. I know that they have some really awesome things planned for fans in person, so just really keeping fans engaged and keeping them excited and intrigued. The point system is another way for them to really focus in and kind of keep track along the way with everything. For softball in general, I think it’s history in the making. We are the new era of softball. It’s a new, exciting time, and we’re able to still play in person during a pandemic. I think that’s just really exciting to be able to play and be on national TV during this crazy time and hopefully bring some joy to some households.

Elizabeth Eddy is a midfielder currently playing for Vittsjö GIK in Sweden on loan from Sky Blue FC of the NWSL. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her experience in the Challenge Cup, arranging a loan to Sweden, and the differences between the two countries’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic.  

Before you were loaned to Vittsjö GIK in Sweden, you played with Sky Blue in the Challenge Cup. What was that experience like for you? How was living in the bubble and playing without fans? 

Our understanding as athletes is that the goal is to play the sport, and we are willing to do whatever is necessary. And with coronavirus and how governments handled things, how the world handled things, we were forced to play in a bubble. And so it was to some degree a glorified jail, but I would say they made it a very enjoyable jail.

We enjoyed it as much as you can. You’re always in a group, and it was very scheduled, to the point where it’s like, here’s your breakfast slot, here’s your training slot. You’re like, “Oh, I have no free choice ever,” which I personally do not like but I’m aware that that’s the choice. If you want to play in this world with coronavirus, you have to be okay with giving up some freedom. I’m aware of the cost, and I’m willing to pay it, but I also am not a big fan of it.

But like I said, all things considered our leaders did a fantastic job of making it as enjoyable as possible, as professional as possible. And they did a very, very good job, so it was really fun. We had a game room where it was ping pong all the time. We had snack rooms. I will say the one huge blessing out of the whole thing is that you end up getting really close to some of your teammates because you live on the same floor of a hotel for however long you’re in the bubble. So you get to become really good friends and spend a lot of time together and getting social. I think that was a really cool portion of it.

You arrived in Sweden a week ago to play on loan through the fall. During the loan process, what was the communication like from the league and how did the opportunity come about? 

Before the bubble tournament started, one of my prior teammates from when I was at home texted me and was like “Hey, Liz, would you want to play in Sweden potentially? We need somebody that can play the position that you play.” I was like, “Yeah, what’s the information?”

 So she sent me her coach’s contact information and that’s how I found one of the coaches who is Swedish. The cool thing about Sweden, which I didn’t know, is that every single person in Sweden speaks English and they start at around age seven. So I talked with the coach and he was great. He told me: “I care a lot about the character of our players. And because Sabrina, who’s already with this team, vouches for you, that carries a lot of weight because the culture of the team is really important,” which I thought was really cool, because when you’re on a team where the culture is very good, people respect each other and they love each other and they have a lot of fun together. It’s just a really healthy environment that gives your team much higher chance of success.

So it ended up working out. The loan agreement stuff from the NWSL side was, I would say, pretty difficult. And I think the big reason why was because they were in the middle of the Challenge Cup and trying to rush that. But I had reached out to our GM, and we have a good relationship. I think I messaged her for like a month, probably every single day asking her what the next step was and what I needed to do. I told her that I negotiated with the Sweden team to get the contract all set up. Like, “Here it is. What else do you need from me?” And honestly I was hoping and praying it would work out because I wanted to continue to play. And you only get better at something by being able to practice, constantly practice. I’m super thankful to be here.

How has everything been with the virus there? I am assuming it is very different from the US.

Not a lot of people are wearing masks here. It seems like everything’s fine. I know that the virus is real, but how they handle it, it’s been very healthy in the sense of not being paranoid and really out of control. And I think also just the size of the country, and how the rest of the world tries to go to America all the time, and so you see a lot of opportunities for people to bring the virus. I think in Sweden there’s just less people coming through. So I think that is how they are allowed to have the freedom to choose to handle this one. But most of the people I asked them, I was like, “How did you guys handle it?” They’re like, “Well, when the government says to do something, most people just do it.” They don’t complain. They’re just like, “Oh, we trust our government,” where I’d say that’s a difference with America, where it’s harder to trust the leadership.

Are there any protocols while playing?

Well they didn’t have any fans at games for a while and I think the week before I got here was the first time they’ve had fans, and they capped at 50. They had 50 fans in the stands, and they’re really cool supporters, just hyped about the game. The town I am in is 1,800 people, so everybody knows you when you walk around.

This was obviously a crazy year. Assuming next year is different, what are your soccer goals for 2021?

My goals moving forward are to become the best soccer player I can, and one day to play for the USWNT. That’d be my biggest goal, and that’s what I’m aiming for. That’s the big reason I come here to play in games and continue to develop as a player.

Claudia Longo is a redshirt sophomore at the University of Washington where she plays midfield for the women’s soccer team. Originally from Issaquah, Washington, Longo won two state championships with her high school team before being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during her senior year. Below, she talks with JWS about her career in soccer thus far, her diagnosis, and how she continues to persevere through adversity. 

Since you are from the area, was University of Washington always where you knew you wanted to go to school?

Yeah, I mean, I grew up a U-Dub [UW] fan — it was everywhere in the neighborhood and U-Dub is literally in my backyard. So it was pretty cool to receive that offer. But in the beginning, I was looking to go explore other parts of the country. I was definitely looking to “get out,” but once I visited the campus, took the tour, and met the coaches and players, I was like, “Okay, this is it. This is where I want to be.”

Your high school was pretty competitive, too. I read that you guys won the state championship. How was that? 

It was, and still is, a great program and it has been pretty successful for years now. Tom Bunnell was our head coach — he is actually retired now but he was great. He won five state championships while he was there. And then actually, when I was there, we won two state championships. It could have been three, I still regret it, but that’s all right. But yeah, it was really fun to play for that squad, too. I actually ended up playing at U-Dub with some of my ex-squad teammates, which was super fun.

When did you start noticing your MS symptoms? 

I first started getting symptoms a couple of years prior to my senior year of high school, but I had no idea what was going on. During my junior year, I went completely numb and had tingling in my legs for a few weeks. I just thought, “Okay, maybe I’m over-training or whatever.” I remember it was mid-game. And I was like, “Okay, my cleats must be too small.” I literally went out, changed my cleats, wore somebody else’s bigger cleats, came back on and it wasn’t helping. My mom took me in to get some blood tests done. Nothing came back. So we were like, “Okay, let’s take a couple weeks off and see what happens.”

I ended up getting a bit better over the course of several months and I was even able to play my senior year. I felt good, but I was getting super tired after my games. I was used to playing the full 90 minutes, but it felt so different. I was throwing up after games, it was just weird. After we won the state championship, I took a couple of weeks off, but then I started training before and after school. I did that for a couple of months and then I started experiencing way more fatigue, a lot of numbness and tingling. I had this thing where when I looked down, I would get electric shocks running from my back to my legs. That was the sign to my parents that, “Okay. Something’s not right here.” We went and saw a neurologist and he ordered several MRIs. That’s when we found out that I had MS. I was diagnosed in March of my senior year. That was a month and a half before I was to graduate and move to U-Dub.

Were you able to finish out your senior spring of soccer or were symptoms too bad at that point to continue? 

Yeah, I was able to finish it out. I remember in the quarterfinal game, I just laid down on the bench for all of halftime and thought, “What is happening?” But I was able to kind of regather myself when that would happen. It mostly happened in the postseason so, obviously, there was a lot of adrenaline and other things playing into it. I was able to grind it out then, but a few months later it was to a point where I just couldn’t keep pushing through.

Once you were diagnosed, did the doctors tell you that you wouldn’t be able to play sports at all?

It was obviously a shock to the system. I really had no idea what was coming, but I was under the care of a great doctor. She told me it as it was, she said, “Yeah, you have MS. You have these symptoms.” But she was confident that I would be able to get back on the field one day. Obviously, it wasn’t going to be easy, but she said that we could make it happen. So that was really reassuring to hear.

Did you have a lot of appointments thereafter? 

Yeah, and I take medication. There is no cure for MS though. You take these medications to stop the progression, basically to stop getting these new lesions in your brain and your spine. Ultimately the goal is that, yes, I’m going to have these symptoms, but let’s prevent any other symptoms in the future from flaring up. So far, I’ve been stable. I’m on great medications that allow me to continue playing soccer, which is awesome.

You were diagnosed your senior year of high school and then you head off to college. What was going through your mind at that point?

I’ll be the first to say it was definitely tough. My initial response was to go on the most aggressive treatment and keep training and doing what I was used to. That was tough. I was doing infusions once a month that made me feel pretty sick. I was throwing up nearly every day and getting pretty bad migraines. But I was still training and pushing through because I wanted to move in for preseason and be on the field. Ultimately, I did move in for my freshman season and I tried to play a couple of weeks of the preseason, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t what my body needed. And so, after pushing through for about six months, I ended up taking a quarter off, moving back home and just taking care of my body.

Taking a quarter off to focus on your health must have been tough. How did you persevere during that time?

My coaches and my teammates were so incredible through all of it. When I first got diagnosed, I reached out to my coach, Lesle Gallimore. She got all of our staff together for a meeting and went over what it was going to look like for me and just made it clear that she was going to do whatever it took to keep me on the team. My teammates all rallied around me, too. So, it’s been really nice to have such a supportive team to help get me through it.

Did you take time off from classes too, or just training?

I actually ended up taking fall quarter completely off from school and soccer. I moved back home and took some time to really process what this new normal was going to look like. I changed my medication to something that was a little less aggressive and that ended up working out really well. I changed my diet. I found new forms of exercise that made me feel good and not like I had to throw up every second. It was tough to not be with the team and not be in college for my freshman year, but it was definitely a blessing in disguise.

When did you return back to school?

I went back for winter quarter, but I only went back for school. I wasn’t ready to play soccer yet. During spring quarter, I slowly started to add soccer back into the mix while I was practicing with the team. I practiced maybe two or three times a week and slowly worked my way back into what I was used to. Lesle coached us through that spring and then also last fall. This past winter is when our new coach, Nicole Van Dyke, came in and took over.

When you did return to soccer, how did it feel?

I still remember to this day, the first time that I trained by myself right before I went back spring quarter to start training with the team. I didn’t care about anything else. I was just so happy to be on the field and to be touching the ball and to have my cleats back on. That was a moment that I had been waiting for for over a year and it just felt so good. At my first practice with the team, I was just stoked to be there. I remember looking at my coach, Amy Griffin, and I just started tearing up. I had no idea what the next several months or years were going to look like, but I was so happy to finally be back with the team. Again, it wasn’t easy. I had a lot of adjusting to do and I was still not feeling great. I was off of the old medication, but I still had some MS symptoms that were getting in the way. It was tough, spring quarter was really tough. I had to learn to adapt to what the new normal was on the field, if that makes sense.

How do you think your experiences overcoming adversity at such a young age affected the athlete and person you are today?

It has really made me appreciate the sport. I’m standing here talking about my experience being a soccer player with MS. There are plenty of people out there with MS who aren’t as fortunate as me. I think each day is a blessing that I get to continue saying that I’m playing the sport. The adversity has really put, not even the sport, but life in perspective for me.

What are your personal goals both in soccer and outside of soccer?

Last year, I was able to play in a couple of games, which was super cool. I’ve had multiple conversations about this with my coaches. They know that I hold myself to almost too high of a standard, but I would definitely love to get back out on the field, see some more playing time and have a bigger impact on my team — both on and off the field, whatever form that looks like.

How would you describe yourself as a player?

I play midfield, so a big part of my game is vision. I like to see myself as a link player. And so one thing that was tough when I came back was I would get these balls in the midfield, but if I turned my shoulder too much or if my body got overheated, I started to have blurry vision and I would get dizzy. That was really tough because I felt like when the ball was at my feet, I had lost that innate vision that I felt like I had played with for so long. Now, I’m working on ways to play smarter. That doesn’t mean that I’m going out on the field and working on checking over my shoulder for an hour — that’s not going to help me. Maybe it’s watching more film instead, so that I’m relearning that vision without having to make my symptoms worse, if that makes sense. My new coach, Nicole, doesn’t treat me like I’m a kid with MS. She holds me to the same standards that she holds everyone else. And if I make a bad pass, she’s on me. She’s not going to ease off because I couldn’t check my shoulder. My coaches keep on pushing me and I think that’s huge.

Mo’ne Davis is a college softball player at Hampton University entering her sophomore year. Before transitioning to softball, Davis was a Little League baseball pitcher where, at the age of 13, she became the first girl to earn a win and pitch a shutout in Little League World Series history. Below, Davis details her transition to softball, her first year in college and the importance of supporting HBCUs. 

You are going to be a sophomore at Hampton this year. Have you started classes yet?

Yeah, I started classes on Monday. We’re all online and at home for the fall. I miss the girls on the team and just hanging out with them and the coaches. But it’s important for us to stay safe and make sure everyone shelters now, so that we can hopefully come back in the spring and have a season.

You made your college debut this past February, and then the season was cancelled because of COVID-19. What have the last few months been like for you? 

We had our spring break at the end of February. Honestly, between spring break and when they wrapped up the season, I’d say that was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had playing softball. We were on campus by ourselves during spring break, so we all started to really connect with each other and have a lot of fun. Then the scene just ended out of nowhere. I was sad, but now we are all excited for next year. The good thing is we’re only losing one senior, so we get to keep the same team for the next two or three years. I had a great time for the short period that I had this past season, and I’m looking forward to getting started back up with the girls and just reconnecting with them.

What have you heard about your team’s plans moving forward in terms of either practicing together or preparing to play next spring? 

We haven’t really heard anything. Our coach is trying to figure out what we could possibly do. Right now, she’s saying to just work out and be in game shape by February. Personally, I’m working out, taking some ground balls, working on my fielding, working on my hitting, doing a lot of running to stay fit, doing some lifting. I’m trying to do as much as can with what I have. None of my teammates live close to me, but I have my friends from high school who played, so I go and work out with them. I’m just trying to make the best out of the situation, so when the time comes I’ll be ready to play.

Besides COVID, how would you describe your freshman year, both in terms of softball and school?

I would say I really enjoyed it. I thought I was going to struggle with classwork, but I didn’t at all. I had some good friends in my classes. The professors were really nice. A lot of girls on the team helped out to make sure all the freshmen were cool and staying on track. I had a lot of fun and I’m just excited to get back.

This Saturday is the anniversary of your famous Little League World Series shutout. When you look back at your Little League World Series run now, what stands out to you?

I think a lot of people would say my maturity, but for me, whenever I think about Little League, I think about what I did with the other players from around the world. My favorite memory that will always stick with me is when we played dodgeball in the rec room with basically every team there. We were all just being kids and we weren’t focusing on baseball — we were just getting to know each other and hanging out.

Other than that, I would say making memories with my teammates and making new friends was a great part of Little League. I still talk to a lot of the players from different teams. We always bring up memories when we’re all together and we just have good laughs. I don’t really remember too much about the on-field experience because I was just kind of locked in and zoned in.

How did your teammates welcome you when you first arrived on campus? Did anyone ask for your autograph?

Everyone was pretty chill. I met a lot of my teammates before we got started, so we were all super chill. As time goes on, you get to know each other and then everyone starts joking like, “Oh my God, can you sign this?” It’s all jokes once you really get to know each other, but they try to make it as normal as possible for me. Same goes for all of the students at school — they all make sure that I’m comfortable there and that I’m enjoying my college experience.

You were a pitcher in baseball and now you are an infielder in softball. Can you speak to that transition?

I first started playing softball and taking it seriously in 10th grade. The biggest transition for me was base running and learning the rules. In baseball you can take a lead, but in softball you can’t. And some of the base running rules, I wasn’t sure about. I mean, I’m still not really sure about them, I just kind of go along with it.

With playing second base, the hardest thing is making sure I know what I’m doing with the ball and that I get to my position in time. We worked a lot on it in the fall and the spring. It’s hard to work on it now because you don’t have enough people to try to build that team chemistry. I’m going to try and keep learning somehow, but those are really the hardest things for me. I picked up everything else pretty quickly. The fieldings are the same. I don’t pitch which is amazing because I don’t have to learn the pitching motion. It was probably one of the easiest transitions — it didn’t really challenge me that much.

I’ve seen videos of baseball players trying to hit a softball pitch and it is usually a lot harder for them than you would think. How is it for you? 

I tell a lot of my old baseball teammates, like, “It might seem that easy, but it’s really not.” But then I have some old teammates who actually know how difficult it is and they’re like, “Yeah. It’s really not that easy,” like “I give props to all the softball players hitting a ball that’s rising, because it looks like it’s going to be right over the plate and then ends up at your head. It’s not easy to hit.” I’m like, “Thank you. There are some respectful baseball players out there.”

You mentioned that you started playing softball around 10th grade. Did you transition to softball because of limited opportunities to play baseball at a higher level as a female? Or, was it because softball is something new and there are more opportunities to play in college? 

Well, I played middle school baseball in seventh and eighth grade and I made the varsity team. Then, in ninth grade, I played on the JV high school team and I didn’t get to pitch as much. I liked the coach as a person, but I didn’t like him as a coach. He didn’t really give me a chance to prove myself, to really show that I can hang with the guys. So, it wasn’t as fun. My friends tried to convince me to play softball in 10th grade because they were losing a shortstop. They said that a lot of good players were coming in just to try it out for the year. So, I would say my friends motivated me and persuaded me to hop on the softball train. We ended up winning the league two years in a row.

What went into your decision to play at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU)?

At the moment, I wasn’t really thinking about just going to a HBCU. I just wanted to be comfortable wherever I was. Since I decided to play softball so late, a lot of schools were already done with their 2019 recruits. Two HBCUs reached out and I visited both campuses. I did my research on both colleges, making sure they had my major, looking at the teams and the rosters, and how they did in previous years. I looked at how close each school was to home so that my parents could come visit, and I had a lot of family and friends in Virginia so that was one of the main reasons I chose to go to Hampton. Also, Hampton has a really good journalism school which is what I want to do in the future. All of the girls there were super nice, and the coaches were nice. The team focuses a lot on family and making sure every player is a part of the family. That was really important to me because, growing up, all of my teammates were basically family members to me.

Recently, we’ve seen several top basketball recruits either commit to HBCUs or say they’re planning to consider them. Why do you think it’s important for more Black athletes to consider HBCUs?

I think it’s important in the sense of just giving back to your people. I went to a predominantly white high school. Being one of the few black kids there, some people didn’t have the greatest experiences. I was fortunate that I didn’t have to go through those struggles, but I was always there for whoever had problems. I was always there to help them out and be a shoulder to lean on. Once I went to a HBCU, it was completely different. You are surrounded by people that you can relate to — everyone has different backgrounds, but you can always relate to the person. I think that’s pretty cool.

A lot of players overlook HBCUs because people don’t often get drafted from these schools. I think once basketball players and football players get on campus, they’ll be grateful for the experience and they’ll be able to help push HBCUs to gain more recognition. I know a lot of basketball players, like Chris Paul, are trying to push HBCUs forward. If these high-ranking high school recruits come up, it will really boost the attention HBCUs get. People will want to watch not just that one recruit, but the whole team play.

What else will it take to create a true HBCU movement?

A lot of basketball players are pushing HBCUs, but I think it will really come down to these top high school recruits choosing HBCUs. I mean, for example, you have Mikey Williams who is only a sophomore and he has tons of followers on Instagram and he kind of promotes HBCUs. I’ve had people DM me asking if he’s coming to my school and I don’t even know the kid personally. Just from him promoting HBCUs, other people get involved and start doing their research and looking at the schools. And it just keeps circulating. If high school recruits keep looking at HBCUs and promoting them, it helps boost HBCUs up and give them the attention that they need.

Karina LeBlanc is a retired soccer goalkeeper who recorded 110 caps with the Canadian national team, playing in five World Cups and two Olympics. LeBlanc won a gold medal at the 2011 Pan Am Games and a bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is now the head of women’s football for the CONCACAF as well as a UNICEF ambassador, motivational speaker and TV commentator. Below, she spoke to JWS about a recent health scare, her life as a new mother, and the future of women’s football. 

You became a mother this past spring, but had to be separated from your daughter for over two-weeks due to a COVID-19 scare. Can you describe what happened for those who don’t know? 

So I was pregnant when the pandemic hit. And a week after giving birth to my daughter, Paris, I started experiencing weird things. And everybody always says like, “You swell up after,” but as an athlete, you know your body. We know when something is off. Even though I’d never given birth, I knew something was off.

And I remember watching Serena Williams talk about her story and how, because she knew her body, she had helped save her own life after giving birth. I told my husband, “Can you make sure you watch the Serena story? Because I just want to make sure.” I ended up having shortness of breath. I ended up calling the doctor, and she’s like, “Okay, well, we’ll just check in with a heart specialist, because that seems a little odd.” And as soon as I called that doctor they were basically like, “Listen, you need to go to the hospital right now, you do not have time to wait for an ambulance.” To be honest with you, as we were driving to the hospital, I thought, “This is it.” And I was trying to catch my breath. I said my goodbye speech to my husband and our little girl, she was squeezing my finger.

I was diagnosed with pleural effusion from heart failure. After three days in the ER, they were ready to release me. And so I thought that morning I was going to get out, I was like “Yes! Here we go!” It was like Christmas. I get to go home to my new baby girl. And next thing I know the doctor is on the phone telling me, “Listen, there’s been an outbreak. I can’t come to release you. There’s a doctor there who will release you, you’re going to get to go home but you can’t see your daughter, we suggest you self-quarantine for two weeks because we are not sure if you have the virus.” And I went from the highest high to the lowest low.

Had you ever experienced anything like those two weeks mentally, or was that a totally new challenge? 

So I go through the two weeks, and you learn a lot about yourself in those times. For me, I’ve always known the importance of mindset and perspective because that’s what you learn as an athlete. You have to have your mind right. And as a goalkeeper in soccer, the mind was one of the most dangerous or most powerful things. I checked in with my former teammates, we had a couple of Zoom calls. Just trying to get my head right. And if there’s anything I learned, it’s just how strong we are as women, as human beings. And in that time I think my greatest lesson was, obviously my faith, but also that we are stronger than we think, and we can get through this. And I had the light at the end of the tunnel with Paris, which was great.

You wrote a very candid and moving open letter to your daughter. Can you talk about the motivation behind that letter? Why did you feel like it was important to also share that with the world?

As an athlete and especially on a team sport, it’s almost like you’re used to having people around that are family, that are a community, you know? Obviously my husband was taking care of everything as I was self-quarantined, and all the kudos to him because here’s a first time father taking care of a newborn. But I felt, in some aspects, alone. And so I reached out to social media and I’m like, “I just want prayers and your thoughts.” And I remember my husband coming in the next morning, because, again, I had to keep my phone away from me because I had to keep my blood pressure down and you never know what triggers things. He’s like, “Listen, babe, your video has a lot of views. So I’m going to just tell you that. I know you’ve been wanting to look at it, but also be mindful that there are a lot of requests right now for you to speak.”

And the requests ranged from the media, to fans, to people asking me to help get the message out about the importance of staying home. And for me, I’ve always been connected to this idea of living my purpose and living my why. So there was that aspect. But then there was the George Floyd killing and the conversations on race. It was just so much, and it was like, “Where’s my voice in this?” I’m trying to figure it out. Because here I am Canadian, I’m Caribbean, I’m American. I’m a new mother. There’s just so many aspects going into this identity.

But the one thing I came back to was, “Listen, I want my daughter to know how amazing she is already. I want her to know our story so far, and let her understand the strength that she has.” Because, at three days old, she already made me a stronger and better version of myself. And for me it was just important to write it, but then also I wanted to share it because so many people helped me along the way to stay strong. And it’s interesting, after I wrote it, so many mothers and women reached out to me, it was incredible. I’m almost getting emotional thinking about it. Obviously a lot of former teammates reached out. A lot of people I played against. A lot of people in the sports world. But also just mothers who were either pregnant or mothers who had gone through it, or women talking about how it helped them to feel a strength within. And dads. All the reactions were beautiful. It was more than I thought. When I wrote it, I said to myself, “Okay, I’ll just put it out there.” I didn’t expect the reaction. But I mean, in this day and age, it’s so important for us to sit back and realize that what we have in front of us is gold, and not always focus on what we don’t have in front of us.

And how is your daughter doing now?

She brings so much joy to our lives. So she’s fantastic, she’s thriving.

I’m thrilled to hear that. Switching gears to soccer, you competed in 5 World Cups and 2 Olympic Games. Now that you’re retired, what are some of the moments you find yourself looking back on most frequently?

I think in my position now as head of women’s football, or soccer as we know it, at CONCACAF, it’s the power of the game and the impact it had on me. I was the shyest kid. Nobody ever believes this, because now you throw me in front of a thousand people, and I’m like, “What’s up!” But I was the shyest kid, you couldn’t get me to speak. And life changed when I kicked a ball.

Yes, I went on to win an Olympic medal and play in World Cups and do some incredible things, but now looking back at it, as an athlete, I was always asking myself, “What am I doing this for?” And when I was playing, it was to inspire that next generation, because as a young girl, I didn’t have any female athletes to look up to. That meant I never said no to an autograph or to a moment with a fan. That five seconds, to a young girl, could be a life-long, game-changing moment.

When I retired, it was, “Okay, now what? Who am I now?” I knew I always wanted to impact people for the better. And so with this position now, I’m able to be the head of women’s soccer in CONCACAF. That’s 41 countries. And while, in the US and Canada, the conversation surrounding women is how to achieve equality, when you travel to some of our other countries, it’s talking about the power of sport for this young girl. It’s showing how sport can help her become what she’s meant to be on this earth. Sport can give her a voice. Sport can give her purpose.

For me, it’s my truth. So it’s easy for me to talk about, “Let’s create more women who are stepping up and being bold and understanding who they are because of the game.” When I look back, it’s not necessarily the accolades that are the most important thing. It’s the fact that I found my voice, and now I want to use it to create more avenues so that sport can be a game changer for other young girls in this world.

You also played in the NWSL, which just became the first team sports league in America to safely return to play during COVID. How has that league grown since your time playing? 

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Fox crew and do the broadcast of the World Cup last June in France. That was game changing for women’s soccer. After, we thought it was going to be like, “Oh, here we go, taking off.” But then the pandemic hit. I think what you’ve seen is amazing leadership in Lisa Baird, as well as the owners, in stepping up and being bold. I think anybody who ever played soccer was jumping for joy when the NWSL set the trend and was successful. The way that it did it was fantastic, because it showed commitment. And it’s a testament to everybody who was a part of it. So I’m really excited about the momentum we now have in the women’s game.

What does your job usually entail, and how has it changed given the ongoing pandemic? 

The CONCACAF is the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean countries. FIFA is the governing body for all of football, and then FIFA’s broken up into six confederations.

So we are 41 countries with 41 different realities, and my job is women’s football. It’s a new position, and I’m the first to fill it. Obviously, the priorities with women’s football are to help develop and grow it across all of our members’ associations. I retired after the World Cup in 2015, where there were sold out stands, and men and women wearing our jerseys. But when I started playing, there were like eight people in the stands, and five were my family. So I have firsthand seen the growth of the game, especially in the US and Canada. But then when you travel across the region, there’s still a lot of work to do to change public perception and start the conversation about how we grow participation. For us, there are three objectives: change perception, increase participation, and build sustainable foundations.

We also deliver programs to qualify for a World Cup or Olympics, where teams have to go through our tournaments. So there’s a competition side, but we’re also trying to empower young girls through the sport of football. After the pandemic began, I was on maternity leave, but we were able to develop and deliver online webinar learnings. And we were the only Confederation to do that. For us, it’s important to engage on the woman’s side. We figure out who is in charge of women’s football in a certain country and we connect with her, empower her and engage with her. With the World Cup being as big as it was last year, we have to continue to move forward. The time is now for women in sports.

What do you think will be some of the biggest storylines in women’s soccer over the next decade?

I think you’re going to keep seeing more breakthroughs. The game’s going to become better, deeper, stronger. You’re going to see sponsorships step in and help the game grow. And again, you’re going to see participation grow. Because I think people are starting to see A, the power of sports, and B, the game changing opportunities they provide to young girls.

Through my UNICEF days, I saw that if you empower a girl, you empower a community. And for me, I was able to go into some parts of the world where you drop a soccer ball and everything is solved. There are no political fights, there’s no religion. It’s just the young kids who want to play. And I think more and more people will see that there are all these things that try to separate us, but you can drop a ball and everybody comes together.

I’m a firm believer of what the game can do for a young girl and a firm believer of what the game can do for a community. And, for me, if I can play a role in any of that, it’s a big deal.

Is there anything else that you wanted to mention that I maybe didn’t bring up?

I just think that in these interesting times, I’m a firm believer that what we do, and the conversations we have, and what we push, and the actions we take are so important. As a new mother, especially talking with you guys, it’s so important to tell the stories of girls and women. The good, the bad and the ugly, but especially the stories that are inspiring. So I’m thankful to you for doing that. And I hope everyone who reads this article is able to find their purpose in growing the attention around women in sports and their purpose in making it better for the next generation.

I feel like it’s so perfect that you have a daughter!

You know what’s so funny? When we found out, I named her Paris because last summer’s World Cup was so powerful for us, and obviously that was where she was conceived. But every time I told people, they’re like, “Of course. You know what? God wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Napheesa Collier is a forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. Drafted 6th out of UConn by the Lynx in 2019, Collier she was subsequently named Rookie of the Year and was voted to the 2019 WNBA All-Rookie Team. Below, Collier details life in the Wubble, as well as her new podcast ‘Tea with A & Phee,’ which she hosts with A’ja Wilson. 

There was some initial skepticism around the WNBA bubble, but the consensus now seems to be that the bubble is better than expected. How concerned are you about bubble fatigue as the season goes on?

As far as being in the bubble goes, obviously it’s not ideal. It’s not what you want to be doing, but the WNBA really has made the best out of the situation. And the IMG campus is really big, so it helps that we’re not confined to one hotel or something like that. Our team even got to go to the beach last weekend. It was a private beach where it was just us there and there were protocols in place. Those kinds of things keep you sane. As far as game fatigue, I think it’s going to get progressively harder. This is our second stretch now where we have six games in a row. I think we’re definitely going to start feeling it more because it’s really hard to play every other day. Some teams have 10 games in a row, so it’s a lot.

You aren’t traveling, but you’re playing so many games back to back. How has recovery been?

Our first stretch was only four games long and we’re only just into our six game stretch now. But on days like today, we have full recovery where the whole team does something with our trainer for 20 minutes in the pool. We’re all just trying to take care of our bodies. We have NormaTec which is great. But we’re not having a bunch of practices, so you really have to lock in mentally. You have to force yourself to stay locked in because we don’t have as much time as in a normal season to scout other teams and then practice what we learn. Obviously, you always want to be locked in mentally, but you really have to hone down and focus now because there’s such a short window between games.

Thank goodness for NormaTec, right?

Seriously. It’s in my room right now.

How have the protocols been and do you think players will continue to follow all of them?

It’s been going really well with protocols, so far. I think everyone will continue to follow them because they’re working for us right now and we can see that if we keep doing this, then we’ll get to finish our season. I think the WNBA has been doing a really good job with it. We have testing every day and we have to wear our masks. They are doing a really great job with sanitizing everything and keeping things separate and just doing everything they can to make sure that everyone stays safe and healthy. So, we’re really excited and optimistic about finishing the season.

Social justice has been at the forefront of this season. How much of a factor was social justice in your decision to play?

For me, it was very important. Being in the WNBA, we all have a platform. But I think that playing gives you a bigger platform and keeps people engaged with the issues. People get fatigued hearing the same thing over and over, even though it is just as important as it was before. Playing gives us an advantage in that people are engaged in the games and we can push what we’re fighting for at the same time. I think it was really important for us, as a league, to be united this season, which is why we’ve had so much programming for victims of police brutality. We have it on our court and we have a new shirt every game.

Teams looked a little rusty in their first couple of games, but now it seems like every night someone new is going off. Do you feel like everyone has found their rhythm or do you expect there to be more ups and downs?

I think it was rough at first because one, we haven’t played in a long time. Our season was postponed and people had to come back from overseas early and not everyone had access to gym time. Even with gym time, it’s different working out compared to actually being in a game situation. So yeah, it was a little rough at first and, honestly, I think there will be ups and downs with fatigue. Like I said, it’s really hard to play so many games in a row. And if people are coming off of injuries or if they have injuries lingering or if they’re older, it will be harder. I think teams will continue to have a lot of ups and downs.

The Lynx are near the top of the league’s standings. What needs to happen to stay in championship contention?

Obviously, we need to continue to win games. We want to feel confident about the way we win them — we don’t just want to get by. For us, specifically, we are trying to cut down on turnovers. And we really struggled in the first couple of games with transition defense, but during the last couple games, we started to hone in on it. I think our transition defense is what makes the difference in our games because obviously everyone wants to be in transition. And when we can stop that transition, our half court defense is really good. So I think we need to continue our transition defense and cut down on those turnovers.

What are your expectations for the remainder of the season?

I’m excited. I really like the group of women on my team. I think our chemistry is great. So I’m excited to keep playing with them and just building. We have a lot of new players, but we’ve been able to form a group pretty quickly because we all want to play hard for each other. So far, when we have set a goal for ourselves, we have executed it in games. Like I said, our transition defense and our turnovers are progressively getting better each game. And it’s encouraging to see how coachable we are as a team. I’m excited to see what we can do this season.

We’re definitely excited to watch as fans. Last year your goal was to win Rookie of the Year and you did it. What are your personal goals for this season? 

My next big goal is to win MVP. I want to make first team All-WNBA, too. First and foremost, though, I want our team to win. So, that’s the big thing right now and that’s all I’m focusing on at the moment.

Moving into your podcast, which we are all huge fans of — we love that “locker room talk” vibe. How did the podcast, ‘Tea with A & Phee,’ come to be?

It really just stemmed from us being two young players in the league and wanting to share our perspectives on what we go through in the bubble. We feel like we’re up and coming players, and I think our perspective is a little different from people who have been in the league longer. We thought it would be interesting to talk about that and our experiences so far. Obviously, having guests on the podcast is super fun as well. We were definitely fan-girling a little before the last episode with Kevin Durant.

What are your plans with this podcast? Are you hoping to only do it while you’re in the Wubble or are you hoping to grow it? 

We want to grow it for sure. We did not think it would take off as quickly as it has, so we’re super excited to continue growing. Right now, we’re young in the league and I think it would be cool to see how our perspectives grow and our experiences change as we continue in the league. We don’t have any set plans right now, but I guess we’ll see what the future holds.

The relationship between the WNBA and the NBA is really special. Can you speak on that? There is so much love that goes in both directions. I think that’s really unique to basketball in the US.

I think it is, too. And I think it’s just love for the game. A lot of the trolling focuses on the women’s side, but people who actually play and who are serious about the sport understand how fun it is to watch both men’s and women’s. It’s two totally different styles of play. Ours is more technical and fastball, and more mentally sound than the men’s game. But the men are super fun to watch because they’re so athletic and it’s incredible the things they can do. As athletes, we understand both sides of that, the men’s and the women’s game. It goes both ways. We all love watching and supporting each other.

We’re on the outside looking in. What are we missing? What is the person who’s following the league from outside of the Wubble not seeing? 

Well, I mean, I go to practice and then back to my room! But, it’s cool to be with everyone else because you get to see them every day. You don’t get to do that in a normal season, so our relationships have definitely grown. You meet and interact more with people from other teams, too. So, it’s really cool how competitive we can be on the court and then how supportive we are off the court. Everyone is so friendly and cool with each other — that has been a really great part of the Wubble.