The Interview: Ashley Hatch
The Reigning NWSL Champion and Golden Boot Winner Has a Big Chance This Year with the USWNT
Here’s the headliner audio clip from Ashley Hatch, where she talks about what she likes most in the new NWSL CBA and explains how the Washington Spirit managed to win a title last season during the battle for ownership between Steve Baldwin and Michele Kang and an investigation finding abuse of the players by former coach Richie Burke:
The entirety of the written interview is reserved for paid subscribers. As always, you can still get the entire free audio versions of my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to go for your pods.
Grant Wahl:
Our guest now just got named to the U.S. women's national team roster for the SheBelieves Cup and recently scored her first two goals for the senior national team. Ashley Hatch is also a reigning NWSL champion with the Washington Spirit and the Golden Boot winner for the league. Ashley, congratulations on everything you're doing, and thanks for coming on the show.
Ashley Hatch:
Yeah, of course. Thanks so much, and thanks for having me.
Grant Wahl:
Lots to talk about here, but let's start with the national team. You took advantage of your chance in Australia, scored a couple goals. Now you're back. What has Vlatko Andonovski, the coach, told you about what he wants from you and the opportunity that you have here?
Ashley Hatch:
I mean, even before the Australia camp, I was going in and out of camp, and the feedback that they gave me the most was just being consistent and being able to take risks in the final third, take people on 1v1, just be that relentless attacker. And so I took that into this year, took it to heart and definitely worked on it. I knew that the opportunities with the national team don't come easily, so I knew that I had to take advantage of that, and I'm super happy with how that went in Australia. Now it's just continuing to be more consistent at that level.
Grant Wahl:
What are the biggest adjustments for you personally going from club level to training and playing with the national team?
Ashley Hatch:
I mean, the style of play is a little bit different. I mean, we have two different coaches, different player personnel, so it's just being able to switch from one style to the next. The national team environment is as intense and as competitive as any environment can get. So it's really fun, and just being able to execute the game plan and execute what Vlatko is wanting us to do as a team and as individuals.
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Grant Wahl:
There were several big names not on this U.S. roster, including Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press. Do you get the sense that just about everyone is on square one now, that a new phase has begun looking ahead to next year's World Cup?
Ashley Hatch:
I mean, I'd like to think so. All those players that you just named are great players, and they've accomplished so much. I'm really looking forward to getting the opportunity to, if they do get integrated back into camp or whatever it is, being able to compete against them, I guess you could say, for a spot on the national team. Me and a lot of the younger players, we've looked up to these players for so long, and now we're in the position to compete against them for the beloved spot on the national team. So yeah, I mean, I would like to say I hope that it's a sign of a new wave, but it's not going to be easy to kick out the old veterans. So we'll see how it goes.
Grant Wahl:
In the NWSL, there is so much happening already and the season hasn't even started. First off, congratulations on getting a labor deal done with the league. So there will be no work stoppage. When you look at the new CBA, what are the things in there that you're most excited about?
“I'm frustrated with how long this saga has gone on, especially since us players, the ones that are getting the brunt of it, are kind of getting thrown around. We're trying to figure out where to live, where we're going to train. That was the story all last year, and we're coming into it again this year, not having an owner to lead us and push us in the right direction for logistics and stuff like that.” — Ashley Hatch on the Washington Spirit ownership battle
Ashley Hatch:
I mean, being able to have more control on the type of fields that we play on. No more baseball fields. That's huge. Also, working towards free agency, actually having that in the conversation and having it be a possibility in the coming years. Increasing salaries also. One thing that was in there is having nursing rooms for mothers, simple things that I feel like a lot of people don't think about, but that are huge.
I played with Cheyna Matthews at the Washington Spirit, and I remember that was a struggle for her just being able to find the privacy to do that kind of stuff as a mother. And so I think people like her definitely had a voice in this and are paving the way to make soccer a job that mothers can continue to do, because I think so many mothers have stopped playing because it's hard enough to be just a player and play sometimes in the league, but let alone to be a mother in this league. I don't know how they do it. Simple things like that that people don't think of I think are huge. I'm super happy and excited about it.
Grant Wahl:
So your team, the Washington Spirit, won a league title last year with a great run to finish the season, even as so much other stuff was happening with the people who have run the club. How were you able to continue to play great soccer during all that?
Ashley Hatch:
I think we all just kind of had to lean into each other. Because there was so much chaos going on around us, the only option we had was to lean into each other, and the only freedom and place of self-expression I feel like was on the field. I feel like we did that really well as a team, and I'm just super proud of all my teammates and all the adversity that we were able to overcome. I feel like people hear about it and they read about it, but I don't think anyone will truly understand what we had to go through as a team last year.
Grant Wahl:
We had Molly Hensley-Clancy from the Washington Post on my podcast to talk about her reporting, and she did so much of it that really showed a light on everything you're talking about, that you all had to deal with. There's the ownership stuff too. I know the Spirit players have been publicly supportive of Michele Kang taking control of the team. It looks like we may be headed in that direction finally. It's not a done deal yet though. What's your sense as a player of everything?
Ashley Hatch:
I'm frustrated with how long this saga, I guess you could say, has gone on, especially since us players, the ones that are getting the brunt of it, are kind of getting thrown around. We're trying to figure out where to live, where we're going to train. That was the story all last year, and we're coming into it again this year, not having an owner to lead us and push us in the right direction for logistics and stuff like that.
Michele Kang I think would be a great owner. I think she's shown that she's invested. The fact that she's still around fighting for us is great. But at the end of the day, I'd be happy with anyone who is willing to step up and give us the time and attention that I think our team deserves. So I hope that we're able to come to a conclusion here soon.
Grant Wahl:
Yeah, I can totally imagine that. We're speaking on Friday, the podcast is coming out Monday. Right now, what are some of the things that players on your team are dealing with logistics-wise heading into this new season?
Ashley Hatch:
So right now, we're training at the St. James. It's a really nice facility, but most of the team is living in Ashburn, so we're still having to deal with the commute. We have new girls here, but they're staying in hotels because we can't move them into apartments yet, because we don't know exactly where we're going to be training after Florida. It looks like it's going to be Episcopal, which is a great facility, but that's still 45 minutes away from Ashburn, where the apartments are. And the long commute just makes for a longer day, and it's just hard on our bodies to be sitting in the car that long.
And then also not having a solid training room, a facility. I mean, St. James is great, but we are going to have to go back and forth from St. James to Episcopal, probably. So there's a lot of unknowns. I know some people are trying to figure out if they want to move. My husband and I, we just moved to Fairfax, kind of blindly hoping that it would be a little bit closer to the direction wherever we end up. It's hard for us to make decisions, life decisions on where we're going to be, but that's kind of what we're dealing with right now.
Grant Wahl:
Washington Spirit, get this done and let your players figure this stuff out. They shouldn't be having to deal with all this for as long as they have and are continuing to. That's absolutely amazing. But thank you for sharing. You've been a player rep for your team. How have you gone about trying to support your teammates through the ownership crisis, through the abuse situation with former coach Richie Burke?
Ashley Hatch:
I think the most important job of the player rep is just to make yourself available for your teammates if they have any questions, or if they just need some clarification. We're lucky enough to have Tori Huster on our team, who plays a huge part in the Players Association. So she also helps a ton as well. But I remember when we first heard the news of the coaching change and then all the allegations were coming out, I think everyone kind of dealt with things differently.
Some people like to talk about it, some people don't. I think it was just for me, just making myself available, whether people wanted to talk or not to talk. I think that's just how all of us operated through it all, is if you want to talk about it, great, we're here for you. If you don't, that's okay, and not pushing anybody in any certain direction. I think that helped us a ton to grow closer together as people, as teammates, and then also play better on the field.
Grant Wahl:
From a soccer perspective, how do you feel about your chances to repeat?
Ashley Hatch:
I mean, I think they're great, but I also know all the hard work that it took last year. So I know that it is definitely not going to be easy. We're integrating new players, we have new challenges this year. We have a lot of girls getting called up to national team, not even just the U.S. We have Jamaica, Canada, we have Julia [Roddar]'s on Sweden. We have a lot of international players, which is great, because it means we have quality footballers on our team, but then it also means that we'll be gone a lot and there'll be a lot of interchange.
So I think just getting everyone on the same page, getting everyone excited and ready to go for whenever the opportunity presents itself. I think that's the biggest challenge that we're going to have in finding that rhythm. It's a long season, so I definitely think we can do it, but I definitely know it won't be easy.
Grant Wahl:
One of the biggest stories league-wide in the NWSL heading into the new season is the two new teams in California, Angel City and San Diego. It looks to me like the rosters they're building there and have built are pretty impressive, and these may be better than your typical expansion teams in the league. From where you are, what do you think as a rival team about what's happening with those teams out there?
Ashley Hatch:
I think what's happening is great. I think, like you said, in the past we've had one expansion team and it's kind of like the expectation is, oh, well it's their first year, it's going to take them a while to figure things out. But I don't think that's the case with LA and San Diego. I mean, if you look at their rosters, they both have some of our previous players who were definitely powerhouses for us.
So I'm definitely going into those games and taking them seriously, and I'm excited that it's going to be competitive, and I think it's great for the league, because if we can have two expansion teams this year and be successful teams, hopefully that's a sign that we can continue to keep growing year by year.
Grant Wahl:
You've obviously been this tremendously important player for the Spirit. You're the Golden Boot winner. Part of the news in this past week is one of your teammates, Trinity Rodman, just signed a new contract, four years, $1.1 million. The kind of money we're not used to seeing that often in the NWSL. What are your thoughts on that? What's she like to play with?
Ashley Hatch:
My thoughts are wow, congrats, Trin. I hope you're buying us all dinner next time we go out. [Laughs] But I mean, it's definitely exciting news. It's exciting for her. I think that Trin's a great player. I think the most exciting part about playing with her is she's only going to continue to go up from here. She's only going to continue to get better. I hope I can help her along that way and be a small part of that.
I know that when I was a rookie, all the players around me definitely helped me get to where I am today. So yeah, I'm just excited to continue to develop that relationship with her on the field and continue to score goals and win games with her. We'll see how it goes, but yeah, it's exciting.
Grant Wahl:
So when I look ahead, this year's a big year. It's obviously a chance to defend your NWSL title. Women's World Cup qualifying is this July. I don't know if they've announced the dates officially yet, but it's a little earlier than it usually is. And that's also qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, so that's a big tournament for the U.S.. When you look at the opportunity ahead here, what are your hopes for how much you'll play potentially with the U.S. women's national team?
Ashley Hatch:
My hopes are that I'll play every single minute, but I definitely know it's not an easy task and I've been in and out for so long that... I know last year I wasn't on the Olympic team, but I was slowly kind of in and out and I had hopes of being on the Olympic team, but obviously as the roster became more and more finalized and I wasn't being invited to those camps, I knew it wasn't a possibility.
So I think for me, I'm just going to keep grinding every camp. Take it camp by camp and just hope that whatever my performance is at that camp is going to be good enough to invite me to the next one and to the next one. So that's what my focus is now, but like I said, it's a competitive and really hard team to get a spot on. So we'll see how it goes.
Grant Wahl:
I mean, you're 26, so you're not young-young. And I realize this is all relative, right?
Ashley Hatch:
Yeah.
Grant Wahl:
But you're not in your thirties. At the same, did you ever feel at a certain point that your national team chance had passed you by?
Ashley Hatch:
I think the thought has definitely crossed my mind. I mean, I've had the thought before. Like, dang, did I miss the wave? I was too young for when all the older girls were in there, and then now this younger wave is coming in, and I'm not really considered part of the young-young wave. So the thought definitely crossed my mind for a second, but the competitive person in me, I'm still playing in the NWSL, still going to give it all I’ve got. From previous experiences, the more success you have in the league, the more opportunities you have at the international level. So yeah, it crossed my mind for one second, but it didn't stay for very long.
Grant Wahl:
Ashley Hatch is the reigning Golden Boot winner in the NWSL and NWSL champion. And she's part of the U.S. women's national team. Ashley, thanks so much for coming on the show.
Ashley Hatch:
Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having me.