The return of the National Women’s Soccer League brought a tidal wave of player protests against racial injustice last weekend, with an overwhelming majority of players kneeling during the national anthem.
One of the most powerful images came when Chicago Red Stars players Casey Short and Julie Ertz knelt together, with Ertz holding Short in an emotional embrace. Photos of the moment documented another member of the Red Stars putting her hand on Short, but notably declining to kneel with the rest of her entire team.
That player, forward Rachel Hill, took to Twitter on Tuesday to explain her decision, which she said “did not come easily or without profound thought.