Kelsey Stewart has been a member of Team USA softball since 2014. A University of Florida graduate, she led the Gators to two National Championships. Recently, Stewart was among the 18 softball players who quit Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in response to a controversial tweet from the team’s GM. The players went on to form This is Us Softball. Below, Stewart discusses the events of the last few weeks and what softball can do to become more inclusive. 

(Editor’s note: this conversation took place shortly before This is Us Softball announced they would be cancelling the remainder of their season due to coronavirus.)

What was your reaction when you first read the tweet from Connie May, the Scrap Yard GM? How did the events unfold? 

I had actually left that morning, before the game, because I had to go take care of some personal stuff. One of my friends sent me the tweet and she was like, “Is this serious?” When I went on Twitter and saw the tweet firsthand, it was actually unbelievable. I screenshotted it and sent it to the girls. Then, I sat there and I thought about it. Should I make a statement? Should I not?

I realized I’ve been quiet for so long. I had been having conversations with other Black softball players over the past few weeks, so I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to stand up for what I believe in and take a stance. I sent a message in the GroupMe saying that I respected whatever decision everyone wanted to make, but I personally would not play for this organization ever again.

A lot of people thought that it was about the flag or us standing during the anthem, but it wasn’t. She basically used us as a political pawn. She threw her views on us. She didn’t allow us to have a voice. And it was very insensitive to what’s going on with the Black Lives Matter movement.

How did it progress from a few players speaking out to more players quitting the team? 

I think everyone saw how hurt I was and how hurt Kiki [Stokes] was. Everyone was in agreement. That’s it. Everyone just got on board. Then, we started the This Is Us team, which is super cool. It’s about empowerment, unity, and awareness. I think we’re doing a great job. We have a website, This Is Us Softball, and I think we’re making great waves in the softball community.

This Is Us. So proud to be apart of this group. Some really special people. We will be apart of the change. To provide support to our movement check out https://t.co/HlsyeQs11I pic.twitter.com/b7tTx4dLT3

— Kelsey Stewart (@stewartkels7) June 26, 2020

What was the atmosphere like after you left the team and how is it now with the formation of the This Is Us team? 

I think when I left, everyone was a little stressed out. They were confused. They didn’t understand what was going on. I think it’s hard to relate to what Black people go through when it’s not your own issue. I think that this was the first time most of them had to deal with it firsthand, and it really opened their eyes.

Now, we’ve all decided to change the narrative — make it about this movement and what we can do as softball players to make our sport more inclusive. Now, it’s a little more lighthearted. We’re playing for something way bigger than ourselves. As you get older and you become professional, you sometimes forget about those reasons. To find something bigger than yourself is always a great thing.

How do you think softball, specifically, can be more inclusive and supportive of its Black athletes?

I think that it starts at a young age. A lot of people in the Black community don’t play softball or baseball because they are expensive sports. I think we can find ways to give back to the younger generations. I know I go through bats and gloves often — I get a new glove every year and my old gloves are still in great shape. Once you’re done with your equipment, you can donate it to younger kids and it will make a difference. Then, as far as the college level and the professional level goes, I think we need to allow players to have a voice. We need to allow them to have a platform to express their beliefs, and be proud of their background, and not have to hide who they are.

The This Is Us team consists of 11 players who are also on the Team USA roster. How do you think that being together in this movement has allowed you all to become closer, and what do you think you all have learned?

I think we were already getting closer before this because we were on tour with each other. Then, with COVID, it stopped. I think we knew that if we were going to be in this, we had to be in it together. That is something that I will take with me forever because this is the first time where I feel like my teammates truly and honestly have my back — that they would do anything and everything for me. We’ve learned that we can trust each other, no matter what. Now I know that my teammates would defend me to the death, and that’s pretty cool.

We’ve also learned how powerful our voices really are. Softball is not on the same level as soccer or volleyball. But our voices are powerful and we can reach a lot of people. It was important for us to stand up and realize that people do want to hear our stories. It doesn’t matter how big our platform is. As long as we stand for something that matters, it will reach the masses.

What does it mean to you, in our current political and social climate, to represent the United States at the national level?

Now, it’s bigger than ever. I think that the Olympics being postponed was actually a blessing in disguise because I’ve had this opportunity to use my platform. There is more awareness now. And I can really represent the Black girls. I was fortunate growing up that softball was in the Olympics consistently, and I saw Natasha Watley and realized, wow, I can be just like her. Now, I have my platform and I can really thrive in that. Michelle [Moultrie] and I are the only Black girls on our team, but we can now thrive in that. We have the platform to engage the younger generations, and allow them to want to be in our position, and encourage them that they can do anything they put their minds to.

You’re signed on to play for Athletes Unlimited. What do you think that league, especially as a new league, can do to promote inclusion and equality within the sport at the professional level? 

Athletes Unlimited has, honestly, been a refreshing experience. They do everything so professionally. We are always informed. I think they do a great job with allowing us to have a platform to use our voices. When everything started with the Black Lives Matter movement, they were one of the first organizations to reach out and say, “What can we do to help?” They are asking our opinions and they want to have meetings. The amount of people in this league who are from different backgrounds and different ethnicities is really cool. I’m excited for this new league to start because I think it’s going to be fantastic and it’s going to grow into something even bigger.

Has there been any word from Athletes Unlimited as to when you will start play, or if there will be a season?

We actually start on August 30th. We will report there either August 17th or a couple of weeks earlier, so we can quarantine. We won’t have any fans, but Athletes Unlimited partnered with ESPN and CBS so you can watch all of the games online.

Why do you think it’s important for athletes to speak up about social justice issues, specifically racial inequalities, in and beyond the sport?

The people who motivated me and inspired me to use my voice were Natasha Cloud and LeBron James. As athletes, we have a platform — we reach the masses. We reach the younger generations and the older generations. If we stay quiet, nothing will change. People support us on the court and they support us on the field. I think people need to realize, though, that yes, we are athletes, but we are also people and we fight different things every day. People learning who we are, beyond our sport, will really change the next generations. As athletes, we have to have a voice in everything that is going on. We have to vote. Just because we play a sport, doesn’t mean that is who we are. It’s just something we do.

The Olympics were postponed until 2021. What is happening in the meantime with Team USA? Are you planning on training together once it is safe to do so? 

We will probably start training this fall. It’s still up in the air because, with COVID, everything changes daily. As of right now, we have a couple of training sessions scheduled for this fall, and then we will start to tour again in February. Fingers crossed that everything stays on course.

Is there anything else that you want to mention?

On a lot of my posts recently, there have been comments from people saying that they want to put their bat and their glove down. Right now, I think that all of us older softball players are going through this so that younger players don’t have to. To all the younger players, keep swinging, keep playing catch, and we will protect you the whole way.

Cameron Brink already has her rookie of the year pick for the upcoming WNBA season, and it’s Indiana-bound star Caitlin Clark. 

In the latest edition of Kelley on the Street, host Kelley O'Hara caught up with Brink in New York hours before the Stanford phenom went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks at the 2024 WNBA Draft. When O’Hara asked who would win the WNBA's rookie of the year, she answered without pause.

"Caitlin Clark," she said, while a fan commented that she thought Brink would take home the award. Brink later added that the extra foul granted to WNBA players will be "good for me."

"I hope it’s me," Charisma Osborne, who was later drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, said when asked her ROY prediction. "But, I don’t know — we’ll see."

Watch more of Kelley on the Street:

Maria Sanchez issued a statement on Thursday, confirming recent reports that she has requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

In it, she revealed that the club has been aware of the request "since late March."

"This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but I want to confirm that I’ve requested an immediate trade," she wrote. "My expectations and reasons have been clear. I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade."

"I’m eager to refocus and dive back into what I love most: playing football," she concluded.

Thank you, everyone, for the outpouring of kindness and support. pic.twitter.com/gcnN7dhCJU

— Maria Sanchez (@Maria17_7) April 19, 2024

Reports of Sanchez's trade request first surfaced on ESPN last week, and were later confirmed by multiple sources. 

In December of last year, Sanchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash valued at $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. It was the largest contract in NWSL history at the time — a figure that would be eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

Sanchez spent the offseason as a restricted free agent, meaning that Houston could match any other team's offer to retain her rights. Should the Dash trade Sanchez, her current contract terms would remain intact, limiting potential buyers to teams able to afford to take on an inking of that size.

The Dash has yet to address the trade, instead reiterating to ESPN that Sanchez is "under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close tonight, April 19th, at 12 a.m. ET. The window will stay closed through the next 11 regular season games, reopening on August 1st, 2024.

The four-time league champion Seattle Storm unveiled their new practice facility on Thursday, with Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel dubbing Interbay's Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance the team’s "new home."

"It's just such a special space," Brummel told Fox 13 Seattle. "I think when the players get here, it's gonna be overwhelming."

The sprawling 50,000-square-foot, $64 million property is just the second designated practice facility to be designed and built expressly for a WNBA team, with the Storm further noting that 85% of all design and engineering team members involved in the project's construction were women and people of color. The finished product holds two professional indoor courts, two 3x3 outdoor courts, a state-of-the-art locker room, and players' lounge, plus designated areas for strength and conditioning, kitchen, dining, and nutrition, and recovery. 

"This facility reflects our commitment to providing our athletes an exceptional environment that supports their growth, health, and performance," said Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder in an official team release. "It’s built for women, by women, embodying our dedication to leading the way in professional women’s sports."

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For their part, the team can't wait to make the faciilty their own.

"It's amazing," Storm guard Jewell Loyd told Fox 13. "Not having to drive everywhere around, knowing you have access anytime of the day to get into the gym, to workout." 

Head coach Noelle Quinn said she predicts the team is "never going to leave this building."

"Which is a good thing for me," she continued. "You talk about having an edge in performance. We want our athletes to not only perform on the court, but get whatever they need."

All of the Storm's staff and operations will now live under one roof, and the team also has plans to launch a youth basketball program operating out of the building.

The Caitlin Clark effect is quickly making its mark on the big leagues, as WNBA host teams around the country rush to upgrade their Fever games to larger arenas in order to accommodate surging ticket sales.

With Clark mere weeks away from her Indiana Fever debut, both the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have officially relocated their scheduled home games with head coach Christie Sides' squad. On Thursday, the Mystics became the latest to adjust their plans, moving their June 7th matchup from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southwest DC to the more centrally located — and much larger — Capital One Arena "due to unprecedented demand."

The Mystics home court's capacity taps out at 4,200, while Capital One Arena — home to the Wizards, Capitals, and Georgetown Hoya's Men's Basketball — can fit nearly five times that crowd at some 20,000 spectators.

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"The move to Capital One Arena will allow for additional fans in the stands as well as premium hospitality options, including Suites and the all-new all-inclusive courtside Hennessy Lofts," the team announced via Thursday's press release.

The Aces were one of the first teams to switch venues, aiming to take on the Indiana Fever in front of as many as 20,000 fans inside T-Mobile Arena on July 2nd. That’s a sizable a boost from their home venue, which holds just 12,000.

For those still planning to face the Fever in their home arenas, ticket prices have skyrocketed. Previously scheduled construction has already forced the LA Sparks to relocate their first five games — including their May 24th clash with the Fever — to Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid. The temporary venue is quite the downsize, holding just 4,000 in comparison to Crypto.com Arena's near-19,000. As of Friday, the get-in price for that game started around $400.

Despite fans launching a Change.org petition urging relocation, the Chicago Sky say they're unable to move their June 23rd Fever meeting from Wintrust Arena's 10,000-seat facility to the 23,500-seat United Center due to a concert. Tickets for that game start around $325 as of Friday.