The Kansas City Current mistreated draft pick Mykiaa Minniss to such an extent that it made her hate soccer, according to her mother.
Kansas City selected Washington State defender Minniss with the 35th overall pick in this year’s draft.
But in a post on Twitter, Nicole Minniss said that her daughter was treated “less than professional” in a brief stint with the Current. According to Nicole, Mykiaa had to pay for her own flight to Kansas City to report for training camp as well as her own food while she was there. She said she received “little to no feedback” on her performance before she was eventually cut.
Nicole said that Mykiaa would then end up in camp with the Orlando Pride, which she said treated her “exceptionally,” calling it a “night and day experience” compared with Kansas City. After a few days, however, Mykiaa left the Pride to focus on her mental health.
To Whom It May Concern: pic.twitter.com/z45OX5Rx0v
— Nicole Minniss (@nomychaa) March 31, 2023
“Watching my daughter lose her passion, and now hate the sport that was her first love has been one of the hardest things I have had to watch her go through,” Nicole said.
The NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement states that teams must provide a per diem or meals to unsigned draft picks during training camp. There is not any specific language around paying for travel.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman happened to be in Kansas City on Saturday for the Current’s home opener (which they lost 4-1 to Portland) and addressed the complaint in remarks to the media.
“When I landed, I called [NWSLPA executive director] Meghann Burke. I spoke to [Current owners] Angie and Chris Long. We were on the phone very early this morning, all parties together.”
Here is #NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and KC Current HC Matt Potter addressing the Mykiaa Minniss report.#KCBABY pic.twitter.com/abF6RUYiEc
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) April 1, 2023
“We share a commitment in that we all take this really seriously,” Berman added. “We want to understand what happened in this circumstance. We’re incredibly sad that was her experience, and we want to see how we can improve in the future and learn from this.
“So I have a lot of confidence with the people that are around the table, both proactively to create positive environments, as well as for the people who are prepared to be responsive in real time when there are challenges and we’re committed to seeing it through.”
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