April 7, 2020 (New York, NY) – Yahoo Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation today announced #WeKeepPlaying, a first of its kind live event bringing together some of the most iconic women in professional sports to inspire young athletes during the COVID-19 crisis. The elite athletes will share their own stories of personal resilience to engage and inspire young athletes across the globe during this unprecedented time. The event will stream live on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm ET exclusively on the Yahoo Sports mobile app and YahooSports.com.
The event, which will be moderated by journalist Cari Champion, will include some of the most renowned athletes across basketball, soccer, swimming, football, hockey and track & field who will speak to young athletes about the importance of staying healthy mentally, physically and emotionally. #WeKeepPlaying will also include a conversation with sports icon, international activist and Women’s Sports Foundation founder, Billie Jean King, and former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice who was also the first woman to be admitted to the Augusta National Golf Club.
“Sports play a vital role in the mental and physical health of young athletes, so, as the global athletic community pauses its activity, it is more important than ever to have a candid conversation about the wellbeing of our youth,” said Guru Gowrappan, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Media. “Yahoo Sports is committed to connecting people to their passions, and providing fans with comprehensive access to sports content and commerce that they crave. We are proud to bring our audience content that addresses the needs of our young athletes during these unprecedented times.”
“During this challenging time of COVID-19, we know that young girls all across the country cannot participate in sports or live out their passions on the field, court, ice, pool or anywhere they play sports,” said Billie Jean King, founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation. “Our Foundation is the ally and advocate for all girls and women: we know her, we cheer for her, we believe in her, and we are here for
her. That is why we are bringing together our community of prominent women athletes and leaders to empower, support and inspire young girls – and each other – during this unprecedented time.”
Participating in the discussion will be:
● Scout Bassett. A Paralympic track & field athlete and world record holder. She is the 2013 recipient of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Travel & Training Fund grant.
● Sabrina Ionescu: The first basketball player (female or male) in NCAA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds, and the all-time NCAA leader with 26 career triple-doubles. She will be entering the WNBA draft this month after most recently playing for the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Conference.
● Katie Ledecky. A two-time Olympian in swimming who has won five Olympic gold medals, 15 world championship gold medals, and is the current world record holder in several events.
● Carli Lloyd. A captain of the USWNT who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year, and a three-time Olympian.
● Chiney Ogwumike. A two-time WNBA All-Star for The Los Angeles Sparks and NBA analyst for ESPN. She is a graduate of Stanford University.
● Kendall Coyne Schofield. An ice hockey star who was the first female in history to skate in the NHL skills competition. She is an Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist and current member of Team USA and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA.)
● Katie Sowers. NFL assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, the first female and the first openly gay coach in history to be on the sidelines for the Super Bowl.
Viewers will be able to submit questions in the lead up to the live event via @YahooSports on Twitter and Facebook by using #WeKeepPlaying. Content from this conversation will be featured on Yahoo Sports, which has been offering its audience the latest information, content and conversation — especially around mental health — during the crisis.
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About the Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. The Women’s Sports Foundation has positively shaped the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We’re building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports. To learn more about the Women’s Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org
About Verizon Media
Verizon Media, a division of Verizon Communications, Inc., houses a trusted media ecosystem of premium brands like Yahoo, TechCrunch and HuffPost to help people stay informed and entertained, communicate
and transact, while creating new ways for advertisers and media partners to connect. From XR experiences to advertising and content technology, Verizon Media is an incubator of innovation and is revolutionizing the next generation of content creation in a 5G world.
About Yahoo Sports
Yahoo Sports is the mobile home for sports fans, offering the most robust access to live, local and primetime NFL games, an award-winning fantasy platform, comprehensive news, original series, scores, standings and more. With real-time, personalized content and immersive mobile experiences, Yahoo Sports is innovating for the next generation of sports fans. Download the Yahoo Sports app on iOS and Google Play and download the Yahoo Fantasy app on iOS and Google Play to sign-up and play with Yahoo Fantasy Sports. Yahoo Sports is part of Verizon Media.
For more information, please contact:
Verizon Media
Ashley Schlag Ashley.schlag@verizonmedia.com
(712) 490-3963
TrailRunner International
Kelly Wallace Kelly.wallace@trailrunnerint.com
917-991-6308
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Photos: Getty Images, Molly Choma (Billie Jean King image)