Oklahoma’s Abortion Law Raises Questions About N.C.A.A.’s Softball World Series

In 2017, Sanya Richards-Ross, an Olympic medal-winning sprinter, revealed in a book that she’d had an abortion to compete in the 2008 Games. “I literally don’t know another female track athlete who hasn’t had an abortion,” she said.

How Roe v. Wade’s repeal might impact female college athletes was a topic that few participants in the softball World Series were interested in discussing.

U.C.L.A.’s Kelly Inouye-Perez, the only one among the eight head coaches in Oklahoma City who agreed to an interview, did not directly address the topic, but she invoked Title IX, which included greatly expanding women’s access to college sports. She said “opportunity means choice” across a variety of circumstances.

“I’m encouraging my female student-athletes to have the strength and courage to take a stance, but do your homework,” Inouye-Perez said. “Make sure you’re not just following what everybody is doing, but do your homework. See how it’s impacting you.”

Coaches at Arizona, Texas, Florida, Northwestern and Oregon State declined interview requests, and the coaches at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, after initially agreeing to interviews, later declined.

Asked at a Saturday news conference what she would tell the parents of recruits who were concerned about the state’s anti-abortion law, Oklahoma Coach Patty Gasso said: “I don’t feel equipped to answer that because it’s never come across. I don’t even know how I would go about it. I just don’t feel comfortable on this stage to be talking about those subjects, to be honest.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/10/sports/oklahoma-abortion-softball.html