The roster is a reflection of the veteran leadership, and heading into this Women's World Cup, we will need the veterans to provide leadership and the foundation for our consistent performances.

With the Olympics just 10 months away, if you believe that we need to get rid of some of these older players, clean house and go younger, then I think it's a mistake. It's really a mistake.

I wouldn't call them 'brutal,' but it's on the verge of reckless. I don't think it's purposeful and cynical. It's exuberant. It's wanting to win.

I don't think the idea is to keep people together just for the sake of keeping people together. The idea is that we have the core of a team that we felt was capable of winning a World Cup. These 20 players we feel are the 20 best players in America right now, and how much is going to change between now and 10 months from now?

Good retention is the reflection of good leadership. Every leader on this ship plays a role in our retention numbers. Our Command Retention Team is good and getting better every day.

The leadership they bring is so important. Michelle is a good hitter, and she has a little bit of power. Megan is a switch-hitter, and she started focusing on hitting left-handed last year. She can bunt, slap and hit for power. She has speed, and that's why she's on the left side.