Tiverton's Molly Little takes her passion for lacrosse to the next level — the pros

Tiverton’s Molly Little is in a class by herself.

Rhode Island’s only female professional lacrosse player, Little is a member of the Athletes Unlimited Women’s Professional Lacrosse League and her games are played at the U.S. Lacrosse Headquarters in Maryland.

Before that, Little was an accomplished defender at the University of Denver where she netted a host of awards, including twice being named to the Teewarton Award watch list (i.e. lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy).

Other accolades include:

◘Was voted the 2021 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and was a two-time, All-Big East first-team selection.

◘Twice earned Inside Lacrosse All-American honors.

◘Was voted a second-team Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American as a senior.

◘Played a key role in the Pioneers winning the 2021 regular season and Big East Tournament championships for the first time in program history.

 ◘Finished second in career draws at Denver with 214.

Playing pro lacrosse initially wasn’t the career path she chose to follow after transferring to Denver from Vermont.

“I transferred because it was a better fit for me athletically [in Denver] to get where I wanted to get down the line,” Little said in a recent phone interview. “It made more sense to be somewhere else.

“When I was a senior at Tabor Academy, I was slated to enter law school, which is expensive [Little eventually earned a B.A. in political science with a minor in both international studies plus gender and women’s studies]. Halfway through the summer of my senior year, my head coach (Liza Kelly) asked me to stay on staff. I was in the middle of playing professionally. I wanted to stay in lacrosse and she gave me the opportunity to do it. I said ‘Yes’ and never looked back.”

Athletes Unlimited is more than lacrosse

Since its founding in 2020, Athletes Unlimited has launched professional women’s sports leagues in softball, volleyball, lacrosse and basketball and provides competition for some of the greatest female athletes from around the world.

In addition, it empowers professional athletes to be leaders in their sport; promotes the personal well-being of athletes and brings fans closer to the game by innovating on and off the field to maximize engagement and excitement for fans.

Little played basketball and ran cross country at Tabor along with playing lacrosse.

“Lacrosse always was my favorite sport growing up,” she said. “My mom (Karla) played lacrosse in college so it was my natural sport. I always was better at it than the other sports.

“The other sports were something I enjoyed doing. Basketball translates into lacrosse with the footwork and cross country improves your stamina.”

A unique professional experience

The AUWPL is unique in that the season is played in July and August with four teams and with all players under contract.

The league has a draft at the beginning of each week so players aren’t always on the same team for the next game.

“It definitely makes it difficult but it challenges us in a different way,” Little said. “It adds an extra level of challenge and enables us to show our ability. And we only get two practices to figure it out.”

The scoring system also is unique in that a field player who scores a goal is credited with 12 points while a goalie who makes a save is credited with five points. During the league’s inaugural campaign, Little registered 1,029 points and four games of 100 or more points.

There’s more.

It has a fast-paced format consisting of four 10-minute quarters with a 60-second shot clock on a 90-by-60 playing field.

The top four players become captains each week and draft their teams from scratch for the following week’s games. Athletes score points as individuals and can win the MVP title plus cash bonuses.

Playing defense differs greatly from playing attack and midfield.

“I definitely feel my strengths are how aggressively I play and make the person I’m defending uncomfortable,” Little said. “By guarding them, I can force them to make mistakes.”

Getting national recognition

Little was so proficient while at Denver that she was invited to audition for the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Training Team that was going to compete in the World Lacrosse Championships.

“I didn’t make the final roster,” Little said. “It definitely was tough but they had a lot of veterans who were on the previous team. I knew it would be a great experience and I would learn a lot. Being on the training team was an honor.

“I’m glad I’m still on the training team and when the next world championship comes around I hope I can compete for a spot on the roster.”

Playing for Denver prepared Little for playing pro lacrosse as well as being selected for the National Training Team.

“I think it was just playing at a high level of lacrosse for four years,” Little said. “We were consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country."

Taking the next step

After graduating from Denver,she remained on staff as a volunteer assistant coach. In the 2023 season, she’ll be a full-time assistant at Jacksonville University.

“It’s definitely the path I’m going to follow,” Little said. “Being able to be out on the field every day and being involved in lacrosse is really rewarding.”

Moreover, Little isn’t joining a program that’s in its infancy.

“We have a new head coach (Liza Singleton) and I’m excited to work with her.” Little said. “It’s a great opportunity to build off the success they’ve enjoyed.

“They’ve won seven Atlantic Sun Conference championships and it’s exciting to be able to continue to go to NCAA tournaments and go further and further into May.”

Little also has advice for women who are considering playing pro lacrosse.

“I would say do your best and be as well-rounded as you can be,” she said. “That will give you the opportunity to take your career beyond college.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Molly Little is Rhode Island’s only female professional lacrosse player