Alum Kelli Hayes leaves her mark on women’s basketball through social justice work

Kelli Hayes knew she wanted to do something different.

In late 2017, when Hayes was a senior guard for UCLA women’s basketball, many teams across the nation were kneeling during the national anthem as a form of peaceful protest against racial inequality and other forms of social injustice.

Hayes didn’t want to kneel. She said kneeling symbolized giving power and tribute toward an entity, like one does when kneeling in prayer – and she wanted to do something unique that better represented her message.

The Bruins had a meeting to discuss a new symbol, but it wasn’t until the middle of the next night when Hayes figured it out.

“After our team had the conversation about what we wanted to do for the national anthem, I went to sleep that night and woke up at 5 a.m. and I was like, ‘Linking arms,'” Hayes said in a conversation with The Bruin at the end of the 2017-2018 season.

Hayes said the demonstration created one link between all of her teammates, each with their unique stories and life experiences, and made for the perfect demonstration.

That’s when Hayes developed Together We Link, a social justice initiative aimed at linking people together through their different backgrounds, whether that be racially, socially or economically.

“We all stand, even though I identify as a Black woman, and my teammate may as well, but we still have different experiences, we come from different communities, different socioeconomic statuses, so on and so forth,” Hayes said. “And so I wanted it to stand for everyone – not just Black people, not just white people, not just gay people, what have you, I wanted to stand for everyone. “

So there Hayes stood with her teammates and coaches in the national anthem line – arms linked in unity.

Fast forward three years later, as UCLA has progressed on the basketball court – the Bruins have been ranked in the top-10 for the majority of the 2020-2021 season and are preparing for an NCAA tournament run later this week as a No. 3 seed – the program hasn’t stopped using its voice for change.

The current team, including five players who linked arms when Hayes was still on the roster, has been involved with multiple social justice initiatives, including the team’s More Than a D.R.E.A.M. initiative, which stands for diversify, reveal, educate, advocate and motivate.

The initiative aims to shine light on social justice movements by producing social media content, according to sophomore guard Charisma Osborne, with the goal of being the “cornerstone of change” in the world.

Coach Cori Close said without Hayes, none of this would have been possible.

“(Hayes) has truly not only made a difference in her own efforts, but she’s left a legacy that other people are taking the baton from her and going to another level because she set the tone,” Close said.

Close specifically mentioned senior forward Lauryn Miller, who Close said was one of the team’s leading figures in its efforts for Black History Month during February. This involved giving Black history presentations to the team and helping plan UCLA’s special Black History Month game against Oregon State on Feb. 21.

Despite the outcome, I’d be remiss to not stop and thank those that helped make today happen. Getting to have a game dedicated to Black History and further MTAD’s mission is no small feat. Thank you to UCLA admin but our WBB program especially for believing it’s bigger than ball. pic.twitter.com/xG0g2RcTQI

— Lauryn Miller (@laurynmiller__) February 22, 2021

But the program’s groundwork for change was laid long before this season, and it was Hayes who expanded its scope and impact, according to Close.

Hayes said the team did extensive community service during her time at UCLA, but it stopped short of her goals for sustained change.

“As a program, we did a lot of service. For example, we adopted an inner-city school almost every year and purchased brand-new shoes and socks and literally washed the feet of these kids and the faculty and staff and put brand-new socks and shoes on them,” Hayes said. “But then what? We leave, we take pictures, they get brand-new shoes, but then those pictures go away, those kids grow out of shoes – there was no relationship.”

Hayes’ vision for Together We Link was built upon the idea of sustained change, but it took time to develop.

After graduating from UCLA, Hayes continued with her community service – she wanted to make a change, and that still started with basketball.

Hayes laced her shoes back up to compete in multiple international competitions for the Philippines, winning a gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. From there, Hayes applied to a master’s program at USC, where she connected with the Big Homie Project and founder Jacqueline Diep.

The Big Homie Project is a community service-based program aimed at bridging the network and opportunity gap in underserved communities, according to Diep.

Diep – a USC alumna – planned a basketball-related community service event called Hoops for Change, and reached out to Hayes asking if she could play at the event.

While Hayes couldn’t make it to the basketball portion of the program, she still found a way to contribute.

“She wasn’t able to make it, but she was still involved,” Diep said. “She was involved in shedding light on women’s basketball. She was involved because she really wanted to figure out a way to drive change and actually give back to the community as well.”

Hayes continued to contribute to the project, and helped plan a “Hooping with Santa” event with Diep that raised nearly $7,000 in toys for children in underserved communities.

The San Jose native also helped purchase gifts for children in the community, which she said was an especially humbling experience for her.

“I was actually there when we distributed the gifts and just seeing people’s faces, … just knowing that we made an impact in that way – because of (COVID-19) a lot of people are struggling right now financially,” Hayes said. “It’s the little things in life.”

Diep said it’s this kind of thinking that sets Hayes apart.

“She truly wants to use her platform to really give back and make a difference,” Diep said. “Meanwhile, she’s actually in grad school right now at USC. But she came home and she’s using her time not only to finish her degree, but also to give back to the kids in the community and taking the time out to mentor these kids in the community. That’s truly what makes the difference at the end of the day.”

With this community service experience, Hayes was able to create her own social justice project, one that has links to the current UCLA women’s basketball team. Hayes’ Project BOLD – which stands for building opportunities, leadership and development – will help athletes develop identities away from the sport they play, according to Hayes.

Still in the development stage, Hayes said she has already been in touch with former UCLA guard and current WNBA player Jordin Canada about expanding the project.

Close said Hayes’ efforts after graduation epitomize what the program has stood for since her exit.

“I love the way she’s continued to carry that out post-UCLA,” Close said. “I mean, that’s the mission of the program, right? To be an elite basketball program that teaches, mentors and equips young women for life beyond UCLA. But we don’t do that for them. We provide an environment for them to choose that path and to become equipped with that path. It has been incredible to watch Kelli choose in that vein.”

The path Hayes chose has inspired the next generation of Bruins striving to make a change, according to Close, with Miller and senior forward Michaela Onyenwere – both of whom played with Hayes – serving as prime examples.

From Miller and Onyenwere come the next generation of difference-makers. Close said Osborne and sophomore guard Camryn Brown have been influential in UCLA’s current social justice efforts, as the pair of sophomores are also part of the More Than a D.R.E.A.M. Committee along with Miller and Onyenwere.

Osborne and Brown also both help host the team’s “Bruin Table Talk,” a talk show where the players engage in conversations about various social justice issues with guests ranging from UCLA alumna Gabrielle Union to former NBA player and UCLA men’s basketball guard Earl Watson.

“It’s beyond cool,” Close said. “I think Camryn and Charisma, just watching what they’ve done, … it’s a powerful thing when you give away your life for the sake of change, and for the sake of others, and I think they’re experiencing the power of their voices and the depth of their service.”

For Hayes, she is proud of the lasting legacy she has left on the program.

“I’m OK with having to be the stepping stone or that step to get to where they are now,” Hayes said. “Imagine where they’re going to be three, four years from now. And then 10 years from now. It’s going to be amazing to see that I was able to at least be a small part of that.”