In a press conference that OL Reign held on Friday morning, veteran players Lauren Barnes and Jess Fishlock summarized the feeling of NWSL players across the league after such a solemn few days. “You just have a cloud of sadness that comes over you,” Fishlock shared. “Because the reality of it is: it could have been any one of us.”
In a space where sports are meant to unite and inspire us — to bring us together — the basic promise of safety was stripped away from players. They were reminded of how little power and protection they have had in their careers.