Angels and Ink

When the National Women’s Soccer League created Angel City Football Club in 2020, the professional Los Angeles team was quickly poised to become the hottest women’s soccer team, thanks to its social impact, strong fan base, and all-women founders Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman, and Julie Uhrman. Today, Angel City Football Club is primarily owned by Alexis Ohanian and boasts an A-list roster of celebrity investors, including Gabrielle Union, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Garner, and Serena Williams.

Created to achieve pay equity for female athletes, Angel City’s vocal players are on a mission to ensure they are not only seen but heard. To their mission, they opened a newly remodeled performance center at the former home of the Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams. Located on the 9-acre campus of California Lutheran University, the complex now boasts a massive 50,000 square feet of indoor space dedicated solely to the club.

After undergoing a multimillion-dollar remodeling of both the indoor and outdoor spaces, the modernized space was custom designed to set a precedent highlighting the league’s commitment to creating a high-performance environment for women. “I think the new performance center was a long time coming,” defender Mary Alice “M.A.” Vignola said. “It has really helped us because it’s our own. As a professional female athlete, to have our own space and rooms is incredible, and I think every female athlete deserves this.”

Vignola believes the new center, with a fully equipped fitness center, custom locker rooms, outdoor relaxation lounge, and medical treatment and rehabilitation areas, provides the extra space each player needs to thrive. “We are down each other’s throats all the time, but here, we can get away if we need to,” she said.

Vignola was eager to join Angel City because of the team’s quest to prove that women can be more than just athletes; they can be game changers. “Equality is the best word,” she said. “It’s not just about what we do on the field, but also off the field. We can do the same thing as men do.”

While Vignola said it feels good to now be on par with male soccer athletes, the phrase “A happy soul is the best shield for a cruel world” tattooed on her arm serves as a reminder of how far they have come. “It’s a big reminder to be myself and my most magnetic when I am out there,” she said.

“My personality is to be happy and smiling, but to be true to myself,” Vignola said. “I also have two big tattoos — a flower and lotus — on my back that I want to fill in. The first one I got was in my freshman year of college that says, ‘Go live’ on the back of my neck because I wasn’t sure what direction I was going.”

Like Vignola, Angel City’s best new rookie, Macey Hodge, who is in the middle of a two-year contract, said she is excited to be a part of a great team and grow as much as she can while she is there. Even though Hodge has played soccer since she was a little girl, she never expected she might go pro one day. It was the furthest thing from her mind in her senior year of high school when the midfielder made the almost unheard-of decision to leave the sport.

Her decision came as a shock to everyone, and Hodge admitted she was just as surprised but needed to find a way to separate herself as an individual from her as an athlete. “I had committed to going to Vanderbilt and had a lot of issues with my family life, and during my senior year, those issues got a lot bigger,” she said. “I didn’t allocate time for my mental health, so quitting soccer felt like it was the only option. It felt like my entire world was crumbling.”

Those issues included having her conservative parents discover she was gay, deciding to withdraw from Vanderbilt University, and hanging up her cleats altogether for an entire year. “Reflecting back, it was 100% the right decision to step away in 2019,” she said. “As a teenager, things feel a lot heavier. My relationship with my family was pretty strained. I was angry, bitter, and super depressed, and felt isolated. Before my hiatus, I was not in tune with my emotions as I am now. It was pivotal for me as I realized I had inherent worth as a person. That foundation allowed me to get where I am today.”

Hodge later graduated from Mississippi State University, where she was named the 2024 Southeastern Conference Midfielder of the Year. Shortly after, she signed on with Angel City.

To celebrate all she has achieved, Hodge is planning for some new ink. “I want to get hand tattoos next that say, ‘divine timing’ with one word on each hand,” she said. “I love my sleeve. It was a process but represents growth, different times in my life, and the journey I was on then.”

Australian Women’s National Team defender Alanna Kennedy said she was inspired to join Angel City as she was looking for a change and a return to the National Women’s Soccer League. Prior to joining the U.S. team during the 2025 preseason, Kennedy played in the international club from Manchester City of England’s Women’s Super League. “The climate played a part as I wanted something in the sun,” Kennedy said. “L.A. is a great city, and to play in a league again is very different here in the U.S.”

Kennedy admits her international experience, coupled with her ability to play different defensive positions, placed her in a keenly unique situation. “It’s always an advantage when you can play multiple positions,” she said. “With that also comes a lot of experience.”

While Kennedy was proud to be an Angel City Football Club player, she is now coming full circle as she heads back overseas as a member of the London City Lionesses. She said she admired the strong voices and appreciated the quality of play during her time with the National Women’s Soccer League. “It’s important to have a club push for equality, and being on a team of strong women is always inspiring,” she reflected.

Some of Kennedy’s favorite tattoos can be found on her left arm and hand. “The work was done by some great artists and have a lot of meaning behind it,” she said. “I have my parents’ initials and another one that says ‘I love a sunburnt country’ because I am proud to be an Australian. I also have a Tomb Raider and Lara Croft one that relates to my mom because she embodies strong, empowering women.”

The future of women’s sports is driven by fairness, tenacity, and visibility. The Angel City Football Club built a stellar lineup, a performance center, and a dedicated fan base, representing a movement in motion.