CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Two players for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever on Thursday night lent their start power to a fundraiser for women’s health care, Playing for Our Lives.

Organized by the Indiana Reproductive Freedom PAC, the players spotlighted the state’s lack of access to women’s health care from contraception and abortion to maternal care in front of the nearly 400 people at the Ritz Charles event venue.

Both Brianna Turner and Kelsey Mitchell shared personal stories about the women in their lives and their experiences with abortion and health care.

Turner plays the forward position and Mitchell is a guard.

Mitchell said, “Even though we have an athletic lifestyle, we still believe in, what we believe in. I think this is something that’s important to both of us.”

Turner shared that she had a teammate in the past who had to get an abortion. “Obviously, that’s her right, and I think I’m happy she got the opportunity to get that. She was in the state where she was able to get the abortion, but then again I think it’s just such a stigma. Even me saying that, a lot of people are like ‘woah, like what’s going on? How could she even say that?’ But, I support my teammates’ reproductive health care rights.”

Mitchell also shared a story about her twin sister during her time at The Ohio State University. “Many people don’t know that we came in together to play basketball, but so much more of life happened, and my sister ended up being pregnant on the team.”

She said her sister had an abortion. It was hard. She needed all the help and support she could get from family, teammates and health care workers.

Indiana has a near-total abortion ban, and the Indiana Court of Appeals recently upheld that law preventing abortions with few exceptions, including incest, rape, or a serious risk to the mother’s life.

Liane Hulka, executive director for the political action committee that organized the event, said, “Indiana was the first out of the gate to actively ban abortion. Unfortunately, most Hoosiers are not aware that Indiana has a total abortion ban, and so we have to keep working. We have to keep trying. We have to keep having community events like this — networking, donor fundraiser events — to make sure that every Hoosier recognizes that they don’t have equal rights.”

Aside from reproductive rights, the organization is also highlighting marginalized mothers in need of better maternal care.

Organizers hoped to raise more than six figures with the players’ help. Proceeds will support the PAC’s mission to elect politicians who support and expand reproductive health care access in Indiana.

Hulka said, “The Fever is a team that is nationally recognized across the country. … Here we are, we have this great team, but the women on the team don’t have equal access to health care.”

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