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Defensive midfield is not an easy position to adapt to. For more attacking players, the defensive duties associated with the role can stretch concentration and stamina to breaking point. For technically skilled defenders, playing higher up — with the game no longer in front of them and pressure from multiple directions — becomes a challenge their ball-playing qualities can’t handle. With all of that in mind, Kiki Pickett’s rapid transformation from full-back to Bay FC’s starting number six is significant.
This time last year, Pickett was starting life with her third club in four seasons. Back in 2021, the Kansas City Current paid $175,000 to select her as the fourth overall pick in the National Women’s Soccer League Draft. She played on both sides of the defense during that campaign before being traded to the North Carolina Courage, where she briefly operated on the forward line in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. Between injury and competition for places, she was unable to get consistent…
