PWHLPA Appoints Malaika Underwood as Executive Director

The Professional Women's Hockey League Players Association has appointed former collegiate & national team athlete and established sports business executive Malaika Underwood as its new Executive Director, effective March 3.

Underwood, who is based in Florida and will continue to make home there while traveling as needed to the various PWHL markets and elsewhere, signed a multi-year agreement with the PWHLPA.

A native of San Diego, Cali., Underwood played college volleyball at North Carolina before spending 17 years as a member of the USA baseball women's national team. After her playing career came to an end, she transitioned into coaching roles. Simultaneously, for the past 20 years, she's worked on the commercial side of sports, including stints with IMG, The Brandr Group, the Collegiate Licensing Company and One Team Partners.

"The last ten years or so, I've really been entrenched in the world of players associations, and I've worked across a number of them, including the WNBPA, NWSLPA, MLBPA, NFLPA... the list goes on," Underwood said. "That experience, both on the personal side and the professional side, is what colors my interest and what I think I bring to the table for the PWHLPA."

The new role with the PWHLPA is a natural fit for Underwood, who has already built relationships with a number of the players through her previous work and brings such a wealth of relevant experience.

"I'm so impressed by what the players have built," she said. "It's not just the last couple of years. Many of them have poured so much time and energy and effort into growing the sport and creating a sustainable future at the professional level for themselves. I've been both watching from afar, but also in the more recent years have been able to develop a relationship with them."

Underwood doesn't specifically have any experience in hockey, but she sees that as an advantage, not a downfall.

"I actually think that's what makes this such a good match," she said. "I'm bringing experience and knowledge to hockey from across so many other sports. I have experience building and growing businesses that support the whole athlete, that maximize their rights, that create partnerships and generate revenue opportunities, that support long-term success."

"As an example, I helped build one team into a multibillion-dollar sports company that represents thousands of female and male athletes across football, basketball, soccer and rugby," she added. "Those are all sports I've never played competitively. My experience as an athlete and my business experience make this such a good match, and I'm excited about the opportunity to bring all of that to this role for the players."

Underwood also noted the similarities she sees between the PWHLPA and some of the other women's sports organizations she's worked with.

"All of those leagues [the PWHL, the NWSL & the WNBA] and players associations are experiencing significant and quick growth," she said. "The experiences of the NWSLPA and the WNBPA will be really valuable to me, and the relationships I have with Meghann Burke and Terri Jackson, having worked with them while I was at OneTeam, will help expedite some of the growth that we're facing and some of the opportunities that lay out in front of us."

"I think there are a lot of similarities in the path that our sports and the leagues have taken," she added. "There are certainly differences, but I think those similarities are going to end up being really, really valuable for where we go as an organization and as a union."

Underwood may be new to the PWHLPA, but she's been following and watching the league since its inaugural season and is well familiar with what it took to get to this point.

"The record-breaking first season, the historic collective bargaining agreement, that all sort of laid the groundwork to what's really something special here, and we're seeing it continue this season," she said. "I love how competitive all the games have been, and how close the race to the playoffs has been. I'm really looking forward to watching it all out play out here in the second half of the season."

"It's been exciting, and it's also exciting through the lens that now, these players are my bosses," she added. "So there's even more interest on my part when I'm watching these games, and it's made it a lot of fun."

"This is a Movement"

With her past experience as an athlete, coach and executive in the sports business sector, Underwood is uniquely positioned to recognize the growth of women's sports over recent years, and what potential lies ahead.

"What an amazing and exciting time in women's sports, and certainly that's true for women's hockey specifically," she said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. People are just now appreciating the quality of the product, the impressiveness of the athletes. It's the full package, and people are just starting to see that."

"There's just so much more there, and as it becomes even more accessible, which I think is a real true key to unlocking all of this, I think we're just going to continue to see exponential growth, and I couldn't, in my part of all of this, be more thrilled to help," she added.

"To lead that next chapter of this movement, because it really is that. It's a movement, not a moment," she said. "That's what feels different, having been in the sports world both as an athlete and as an executive, this isn't just a blip on the map. This is a movement, and this is happening, and that's super exciting."

In her 2021 profile as a member of Forbes' 40 Under 40, Underwood noted that the sports world needs to do a better job of "attracting women and people of color." When asked about this point in 2025 and how important it is for a woman of color to be taking on this role, she stressed the importance of inclusivity.

"It sometimes gets overused, but the 'seeing her is important to being her,' no matter the sport," she said. "Inclusivity is important, because there is so much talent - not necessarily just from an athlete standpoint, but from what we as women have to give to the world, that is going untapped."

"The more examples we can have out there, the more young women will pursue opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have," she added. "I say that with a personal connection to that, because I have two daughters (ages four and six) and I want to provide, personally an example for them, but for others as well. It's extraordinarily important to keep that in mind as we continue to build the PWHL and the players association and other women's sports leagues and unions."

Reflecting on this, Underwood shared an anecdotal story about how, several years ago as a member of the USA baseball national team, she tried to take her daughters along as often as possible. One day, she decided to turn on the Little League Baseball World Series on TV, thinking that her daughter might enjoy seeing kids her own age playing the sport that she herself played.

"I turned it on, and she looked at it kind of confused for a little while, and then she was like, 'why are these boys playing baseball?' Because in her mind, only girls and women played baseball. That's what she had been exposed to for years and years," she said. "It didn't even occur to her that boys played baseball, which is such a counter story to how socially, we run up against this idea that girls play softball and boys play baseball. It made me chuckle."

"I immediately texted some of my friends and said, you're not going to believe this, but my daughter doesn't even know boys play baseball," she added.

"The overarching point here is, if you don't see it, if you don't know it's out there... That's not to say that people don't achieve things when that's the case, but it makes it that much harder, because you have to imagine it in your head," she said. "That's what's important about the PWHL and other women's leagues, but als in the leadership roles that exist behind-the-scenes at the office and at the PAs and everywhere. We've gotta make sure that we can continue to carve out opportunities there and pursue those opportunities at a high-level."

What's Next

Underwood will succeed Brian Burke, who has led the labor union since its inception in 2023 and whose tenure was coming to an end. Underwood won't officially assume her new role until March 3, but the work has already begun.

For starters, Burke is providing support during the transition period. The duo attended a PWHL game together earlier this season and have begun forming a relationship, Underwood said. She added that she expects to continue working closely with Burke in the coming months.

"Brian [Burke] has done incredible work with the players and laying the foundation for the union, and I'm excited to be able to continue to build on what he started," he said.

While Burke may not have an official role set for him after March 3, he has expressed his commitment to continuing to support the players association, however he can.

"There's really no replacing his endemic knowledge of hockey," Underwood said. "He's one of a kind, so I'm looking forward to staying close to Brian and I appreciate all of his support so far."

In a statement, Burke reflected on his time with the PA.

"From day one, it was imperative that the union find long-term leadership capable of sustaining and building on what the players have fought to create," he said. "Malaika Underwood is that leader. Her vision, expertise, and commitment to players make her the perfect choice. I am excited to support her transition into this role and look forward to seeing women’s hockey continue to thrive. Thank you to the players for entrusting me with this position. I will always be a proud supporter of the PWHLPA, women’s hockey, and its extraordinary athletes."

Underwood also continues to forge relationships with the players, specifically on the executive committee and the player representatives for each respective team.

In a release, Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield called Underwood 'the perfect person to guide us forward,' noting her experience as an elite athlete and leader in global sports.

"She understands firsthanded the challenges and opportunities athletes face, and has a proven track record of creating meaningful opportunities that support them on and off the ice," Coyne Schofield said. "Her passion for advocacy and expertise in driving commercial growth are exactly what we need as we shape the future of women’s hockey. We’re excited to have her in our corner as we continue building something special for the players, the league, and future generations of fans.”

Coyne Schofield is president of the PWHLPA, while Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse is vice president. The union's leadership group is rounded out by secretary Liz Knox and treasurer Savannah Harmon.

"I look forward to getting to know all of the players," Underwood said. "One of my first priorities is to get out and listen, to get to every single market, and to listen to the players. I want to understand what their needs are, what their aspirations are, both on and off the ice."

"That'll help me focus as I continue to work to do the things that the union needs to do: protecting their rights, ensuring their well-being, exploring ways to help elevate the league and the players, specifically through partnerships," she added. At the end of the day, as I look at this, I'm thinking we've got to create sustainable growth and empowerment for these players. That's what's going to guide everything I do."