Mary Iakopo on Her Name & American Samoa Softball
AUSL Chicago Bandits

Mary Iakopo on Her Name & American Samoa Softball

Published on July 3, 2026 under Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)
Chicago Bandits News Release


What's in a name?

When it comes to Chicago Bandits catcher Mary Iakopo, the terms "pride" and "professionalism" come readily to mind.

There's pride in her Samoan heritage and in her role in helping the American Samoan Softball Association try to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. And there's the professionalism in the way she goes about her business in her second year with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's Bandits.

But first things first. And first of all, let's make sure we're saying Ms. Iakopo's last name correctly.

If you watched AUSL games on TV or attended Bandits games in the past, you may have heard announcers pronounce the name as "I-a-KOPO." But as a nod to her Samoan roots, Iakopo is asking everyone to pronounce it as "YAH-KOPO."

"I used to say it to where I believed it was a lot easier for announcers," she explained. "Once I changed it, I was like, 'Oh, my God, everyone's having their own version of it.' But I feel because the American Samoan team is on their way in the Olympic process, it was time to pronounce my last name correctly for my heritage and for our homeland.

"I used to pronounce it 'I-a-KOPO,' but 'YAH-KOPO' is the correct way."

When it comes to worldwide softball powers, American Samoa may not be the first team that comes to mind, but Iakopo, American Samoa Women's National Team Head Coach Samantha Ricketts, and fellow players are working to change that and make their own name in the sport.

"A few years ago, we took a trip to Samoa and brought softball to the island, not for the first time but for the first time as a really large group of my generation," Iakopo said. "So it was really cool to see how excited the girls were to meet all of us and learn new things. With the sport, there comes so many opportunities in terms of leadership, education, and so on. To bring American Samoa to the Olympics in softball would be a really cool opportunity because this is the first time we would be competing together. Anything to be a part of history, I would love to be a part of."

The road to LA won't be an easy one, but Iakopo and her teammates are relishing the role of underdog.

"I think one of Coach Ricketts' players said it best: 'An underdog is still a dog,'" she said. "So yes, we do feel the process is a little later than most would like, but it's still an opportunity to make history and put American Samoa on the Olympic stage.

"It's going to be quite difficult. I think we have the right pieces. I wish the USA team didn't take all of our Samoan pitchers like Megan (Faraimo) and Keilani (Ricketts), but we are grateful to build from the ground up. It makes for an even better story, truly."

For Iakopo, visiting her ancestral home in the Pacific was rewarding.

"It was just really cool to go to the schools and visit the kids and see what life is like out there because a lot of us are second- and third-generation, and we're so removed from it," she said. "But it was just nice to see where our grandparents and our ancestors grew up.

"(There's) a sense of pride, but it was also very humbling. You're just grateful for all of the sacrifices that our parents and grandparents made to put us where we are today. Without those sacrifices, I wouldn't play with a yellow shiny ball on ESPN every day. I am grateful for that, but we also wanted to give back to our community because our homeland means so much to us. It's definitely a huge sense of pride there."

As for the professionalism aspect of the Iakopo name, look no further than the difference between 2025 and 2026 for this University of Texas product. Last season, she went a combined 3-for-25 in 14 games, three with the Volts and 11 with the Bandits.

It's been a much different story this year, and after she hit a walk-off home run against the Spark on June 16, she gave a very telling quote.

"I was just grateful to be here last year," she said. "This year I'm making a statement."

When asked recently what she meant by that, Iakopo turned reflective in her self-assessment.

"I didn't do well," she said. "It wasn't a surprise last year. I think my preparation ... I was prepared to be here (with AUSL) for three weeks, as I was with the Volts prior to this. Being picked up as a full-time player, it was not an opportunity I was going to pass on. But let's be real. I got a call two months before the season had started. So my preparation looked a little different than everyone else's.

"Yes, I was absolutely grateful for the opportunity, especially when Jenny (Bandits GM Dalton-Hill) called my name again to be drafted again this second time. I wanted to be a contributing factor to our offense, not just our defense, and not just a helpful hand to our pitchers. We were one swing away from being in the championship game twice. I feel as if we had one more bat in the lineup, one more runner on base, anything could have been helpful in that scenario.

"I look back on last year as an opportunity to push myself as this game continues to grow and we continue to grow for the younger generation. It was more to put myself in a better position to help my teammates and help my pitching staff and to be helpful in general to this organization."

Iakopo's professionalism also manifests itself in her work with Bandits rookie catcher Jocelyn Erickson. Rather than view the catching position as a rivalry (Erickson plays first base when she's not behind the plate), Iakopo sees it more as a partnership.

"Honestly, our relationship has grown so much in the last few weeks," she said. "I appreciate her youth and the energies she brings to our team. Being that not both of us can play at the same time, I was prepared to be any sort of guidance for her, whether that was pitch calling or even connecting with our pitchers, because I've played with every single one of them before this year.

"I've known Kat (pitcher Sandercock) since we were in high school. I've played a few years with Amber (Fiser). If I was going to be any sort of help and guidance in that direction, whatever was going to be best for the team, I was going to be happy to help in that capacity. So I'm glad we were able to connect so quickly and really bond in terms of, 'Yeah, we're competing for the same spot,' but at the end of the day, we have become really good friends the last month."

Iakopo turns 27 next month. While she pursues her master's degree in digital strategy and audience engagement at Arizona State, she isn't quite ready to put the catcher's gear away, a thought that might not have entered her mind a short time ago.

"I plan on graduating this summer, graduating with my master's at the end of August," she said. "So I'm really excited about that. Honestly, if you would have asked me that like three years ago, I would have assumed that I'd be retired by now. But now that this game has grown the way it has, I'm excited to continue to play for as long as my body and this organization will let me. I want to continue to grow the game and be one of those vets who have been here for 10-plus years."

In other words, look forward to seeing - and correctly saying - the name Iakopo a lot more.

Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 47 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Softball League. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020.

Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and on X @brucemiles2112

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Athletes Unlimited Softball League Stories from July 3, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central