The pro life settled around Lily Kane like a well-worn jersey—comfortable in places, pinching in others, but undeniably hers.

Her third season with the Boston Fleet had started strong: a hat trick in the home opener, a five-game point streak, and the quiet confidence of a player who knew she belonged. Off-ice, endorsements trickled in—local brands, a national equipment company, a women’s leadership campaign that felt like an extension of the talks she’d given in ...