Utah Royals midfielder Madison Hammond once felt doubt. Now, she only feels empowerment

Joining the Utah Royals wasn’t an easy decision for Madison Hammond, the NWSL trailblazer and defensive midfielder. It took bravery and a type of vulnerability she had never experienced before—a difficult choice that is now paying off in spades. At Utah, she’ll continue everything that has always set her apart: growing as a leader, playing more freely, and being a role model to Native American and Black girls who is never afraid to speak out about what she believes in.

Hammond signed with the Royals this past offseason as a free agent after four years at Angel City FC.

“It was an internal struggle for me to leave LA,” said Hammond. “I love LA, my family’s there, my partner’s there, all the things—and I just really established this sense of community there.”

But Hammond knew that in order to keep on growing as a player, she had to make a leap of faith—a big decision that ended up sending her from the beaches of Los Angeles to the mountains of Salt Lake City. “When I reflected on my time at LA, and who I want to be as a player, it turned into an on-field decision. I needed to put myself in an uncomfortable environment and embrace change,” she said.

At the Royals, Hammond, who is now in her seventh NWSL season, is growing into a leader her peers can look up to on and off the field. Her teammates recently voted her into the Royals leadership group after just a few weeks with the team, a result she wasn’t expecting.

“I want to be someone that people can rely on and depend on, both on and off the field, in a way that feels real,” she said. She tries to mentor younger players in a way that would have been helpful to her when she was first starting out.

On the field, Hammond said her goal this season is to play more freely—and to score more goals. Her role on the Royals is as a dynamic defensive midfielder, covering ground and breaking up plays.

“I think that I’ve gotten to a point in my career where I just want to take more risks and be more bold,” said Hammond. “[To] know that I’m confident enough in myself, and my teammates are confident enough in me.”

Throughout her soccer journey, Hammond’s family has always been there to support her. In fact, her mother has attended nearly every single club, college, and professional game she has ever played in. She plans to continue the streak by attending every Royals home game this season.

“Having my family at games has meant the world to me as a pro,” said Hammond. “There are days you don’t start, there’s days you don’t dress—and to know that your family is still there, that gives you so much power and strength.”

Hammond is also close to her grandmother, who she bonds with over Yerba Madre, one of Hammond’s sponsors. Hammond said her favorite flavors of the Yerba Madre energy drink are Enlighten Mint and Original.

Hammond holds a unique position in the NWSL: she is the first and only Native American player in the league. While that fact once caused “a lot of pressure, and a lot of feelings of doubt,” seven years into her career, now something has shifted—while she’s still the only Native American player in the league, it’s “really just an empowerment factor.”

“For so much time to have passed and to still be one of one, it means a lot to me,” said Hammond. “It means a lot to represent my community and to kind of be the person that has a voice to speak up.”

Now that she’s in Utah, Hammond wants to continue being a player that young Native Americans can look up to, something especially important in a community that is under-representated in professional sports.

“I think here in Utah, there’s a really unique opportunity, because there’s such a huge Native population in the state,” Hammond said. “My personal goal is to get more Natives to come to the game, and I think that would just open up a lot of opportunities… for young players that might need somebody that looks like them to just give them a little push.”

Hammond, who is both Black and Native American, is also active in the Black Women’s Players Collective (BWPC). Both identities are important to her. “It’s really easy to attach a headline of the first Native American to play in the NWSL, but there’s this whole other side of me as a Black woman that exists very authentically every day,” she said.

She feels grateful for the community and support that the BWPC provides, and gives back through the organization, like attending a recent event to support young Black girls in Salt Lake City.

Hammond has also been known for her activism, and feels a strong responsibility to use her platform. She has spoken out in the past to call out anti-Indigenous language, and has advocated for gender equity in sports and more diverse coaching staffs.

“I just feel such an innate responsibility to use even the tiny sliver of a platform that I have, because there are so many women underneath that platform that can’t say anything in their workplace, in their regular lives…” she said. “Wouldn’t you take that opportunity to use your voice?”

With her move to Utah, Hammond is only continuing to grow—as a player, as a leader, and as a voice the league needs more than ever.