Exciting update: she has arrived………see more
Natasha Watley, raised in Irvine and a softball alumna of UCLA who clinched gold for Team USA two decades ago, now
resides in Los Angeles. She eagerly anticipated showcasing her hometown and sport to the latest generation of Olympians. However, her excitement turned to disappointment last month when Olympic organizers revealed that softball events for the 2028 L.A. Olympics would take place in Oklahoma City.
“It felt like a slight,” Watley expressed. “Choosing Oklahoma felt like opting for the simplest solution.”This week, Natasha Watley and Jennie Finch, both gold medalists from the 2004 Olympics, participated in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game events here. Finch, hailing from La Mirada, remarked that initially, she found the decision to relocate Olympic softball games from Los Angeles “heartbreaking.”