Sitting in front of a laptop from her hotel room in Tokyo, where it was 7 AM for her, Laura Harvey was all smiles during the OL Reign press conference announcing her return as head coach. In many ways, the view of Harvey on a Zoom screen was so familiar. It’s how reporters have interacted with coaches since the pandemic hit last year. And hearing Harvey make jokes and greet reporters with a, “Hi, how are you?” immediately brought me back to her days at Memorial Stadium.
But as Harvey paused during a question to point behind her — noting the lightning that visibly flashed beyond her hotel room window — it all felt a little surreal.