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USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara describes ‘post-Olympic depression’

FRISCO, TX – MARCH 11: Kelley O’Hara #5 of the United States crosses the ball during a game between Japan and USWNT at Toyota Stadium on March 11, 2020 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Kelley O’Hara still remembers post-Olympic depression settling in after her first tournament in 2012.

The London Games marked her second major international competition with the U.S. women’s national soccer team, and the squad left the Olympics with gold medals. But O’Hara found herself struggling with the transition back to daily life.

“Post-Olympic depression was very real for me,” O’Hara said on the most recent episode of Snacks. “And we won, which is kind of crazy.”

The USWNT defender isn’t alone in those feelings. A 2021 study of Olympic and Paralympic athletes found that 24 percent reported experiencing high or very high psychological distress.

Following the 2012 Olympics, the team went on a 10-game victory tour that fall (which was “a lot, but also super fun,” O’Hara said). But as they were going on their run, the Women’s Professional Soccer league was folding. While O’Hara had signed with the Atlanta Beat in what was supposed to be a homecoming for the Georgia native, she and other players now had to figure out what to do next.

“We won, we had this incredible experience, and then we came home and it was such an incredible homecoming as well,” O’Hara said. “But we didn’t have games to go back to.”

That roller coaster of emotions can come after a loss as well, O’Hara noted, saying: “You’re gonna feel it either way.”

Even with the sustained success of the USWNT, the team has suffered its fair share of disappointments in O’Hara’s career: A silver at the 2011 World Cup; a quarterfinal loss at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil; a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“I think that winning bronze is probably more enjoyable as a team sport athlete in the Olympics than winning silver because you basically lose [during the gold medal game] and in the moment you probably can’t appreciate it,” she said.

While the 2011 loss “wasn’t as intense” because it was her first major international tournament, O’Hara said, the sting of the 2016 Games stuck with her for a while.

“I think 2016 was probably the worst I felt post tournament, because we went out in the quarters of the Olympics,” she said. “I tried to be cool and normal about it, go to the parties, go see some events which were fun, but I was like, ‘This sucks, I’m not having fun.’

“I sat on my balcony overlooking the beach for an entire morning until the afternoon because I just was like ‘I don’t wanna do anything. Why am I here, why did I come here? What am I doing with my life?’”

Following the third-place finish at the Olympics last summer, O’Hara said she was able to reset a bit with a week off in between the international tournament and returning to her NWSL club, the Washington Spirit. The disappointment of the Olympic loss pushed her to help the Spirit go on a tear to win the NWSL title.

“Us losing in Tokyo was a bit of a catalyst for me to be like, ‘No, we’re gonna win this championship this year. Like, that’s all I have left to do, we’re doing it,’” O’Hara said. “I was like, absolutely not.”

College rivals Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso drafted to the Chicago Sky

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are now teammates. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)

The Chicago Sky made a splash in Monday night’s WNBA draft, taking Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese in the first round. 

South Carolina’s Cardoso, who was the 2024 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, went third to the Sky. The day before, the team had swapped picks with the Minnesota Lynx to land the No. 7 pick as well, which they used on Reese, the 2023 Final Four MOP.

Now, the two will team up in Chicago after battling each other in both college and high school

"She’s a great player, and I’m a great player. Nobody's going to get no rebounds on us," Cardoso joked afterwards, while Reese expressed excitement about playing under new Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.

"Being able to be a Black woman and as a head coach, and everything she's done at the NBA level, I just knew everything they were bringing to the table," Reese said of the Sky. "Player development is something that I was looking for and they looked for in me. I'm super excited for this move."

Former NBA star and Chicago Sky co-owner Dwayne Wade welcomed the pair to Chicago.

“The foundation is set,” he wrote.

The Sky have entered re-building mode after winning a WNBA title in 2021. This offseason, they traded franchise cornerstone Kahleah Copper to the Phoenix Mercury for a package that included the No. 3 picked used on Cardoso.

Now, Cardoso and Reese will be looking to jump-start the team's return to contention.

Watch: Iowa star Kate Martin’s draft moment goes viral

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 15: Kate Martin and Cathy Engelbert Commissioner of the WNBA pose for portrait during the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 14, 2024 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

Former Iowa captain Kate Martin was in the audience during Monday night’s draft when she was selected 18th overall by the Las Vegas Aces. 

The moment quickly went viral, as Martin was in the crowd to support superstar teammate Caitlin Clark going No. 1 overall, and was not one of the 14 players invited to the draft.

"To be honest, I don't think I'd have the type of career if I don't have a teammate like Kate," Clark said about Martin leading up to the 2024 national championship game. "She's been one that has had my back. She holds me accountable. I hold her accountable. But I think at the same time, me and Kate are wired so similarly that we get each other on a different level."

Martin being drafted marks the first time that Iowa has had two players selected in the same WNBA draft since 1998.

“She's one of the best leaders I've been around," Clark said. "She wants the best for her teammates. She's one of the most selfless people."

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said Monday that she is “so proud” of her player, “because her dreams came true.”

"She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years,” she said. “Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step.”

Martin said afterward that she’s “excited for the opportunity” and to showcase her “really good” work ethic. Helping Iowa to back-to-back NCAA title games, Martin finished her college career with 1,299 points, 756 rebounds and 473 assists.

“There are a lot of emotions right now,” Martin said in an interview on ESPN. “I’m really happy to be here. I was here to support Caitlin, but I was hoping to hear my name called. All I wanted was an opportunity and I got it. I’m really excited.”

While Martin was watching from the crowd, her family was watching from back home.

Caitlin Clark goes No. 1 to Indiana Fever — a ‘perfect fit’

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 15: Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall pick by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark is officially a member of the Indiana Fever, with the Iowa superstar going No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft on Monday night. 

Clark has been the consensus top pick since declaring for the draft on February 29, a few weeks before the onset of Women's March Madness. But for her, the call up was still full of emotions. 

"When you're just sitting at a table waiting for your name to be called, that really allows the emotions to feed you," Clark said. "You're with your family — obviously, playing a basketball game, I'm not out there with my family — so sharing that moment with them and enjoying it, and people that have really had my back and believed in me more than anyone, is super special."

Clark wasn't the only one pausing to take in the moment. As fans and commentators noted during the broadcast, it took a little more time than usual for Indiana to announce their pick — Fever GM Lin Dunn later told the media that she spent 15 to 20 seconds ensuring Clark's card adhered perfectly to league regulations before handing it over. She didn't want anything to get in between her team and a player she calls a "perfect fit."

"She's from the Big Ten, the Midwest — is there any place better for her than Indianapolis, Indiana?" Dunn said. "I think this is the beginning of us getting back on track to win another championship."

Clark echoed the sentiment.

"That's definitely our goal, is to get back to championship habits," Clark said. "For myself, I can't imagine a more perfect fit, a better place for me to start my professional career, an organization that really just believes in women's basketball and wants to do everything the right way. So I couldn't be more excited to get there."

She’s also particularly excited about linking up with former collegiate rival Aliyah Boston.

"Going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world, my point guard eyes just light up at that," Clark said of the former South Carolina star. "She's going to make my life easy."

Clark's four-year contract with the Indiana Fever has been reported at $338,000. Kicking off at the league's guaranteed first-year base salary of $76,535, it jumps to $97,582 by 2027.

In the hour following Indiana's official pick, sporting goods brand Fanatics sold out of the superstar player's No. 22 Fever jersey in nearly every available size. Each jersey retails for $99.99.

Caitlin Clark dunks on Michael Che in surprise SNL appearance

(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, which quickly went viral.

The Iowa star showed up on the show’s Weekend Update segment to playfully call out Michael Che’s history of making jabs at women’s sports.

It started when Che joked that Iowa should replace Clark’s retired No. 22 “with an apron.” 

When Clark entered, Che said that he was a fan. But Clark wasn’t convinced – especially not when co-host Colin Jost brought the receipts of Che’s jabs.

“Really, Michael? Because I heard that little apron joke you did,” she said, before making him read some jokes of her own in retaliation. Clark finished her segment by shouting out the WNBA greats that came before her. She then got in one final dig – bringing Che a signed apron as a souvenir. 

When Che promised to give it to his girlfriend, Clark delivered her last playful dig of the night.

“You don’t have a girlfriend, Michael,” she said.

Afterward, SNL castmember Bowen Yang told People that the 22-year-old and teammates Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin and Jada Gyamfi – who joined her at Studio 8H – “were so cool.”

“She's so charming and witty,” Yang said. “They were just the most stunning, noble people.

“Athletes just have this air about them. They know they're amazing. I mean, these are people who have numeric attachments and values to their performance. That's something that comedians never have.”

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