"This is referring to an illegal slide versus a legal one."
No, this is referring to legal contact vs illegal contact. If there is going to be contact with a fielder in the act of making a play on the runner, then that contact must be legal contact. The only legal contact is that contact created by a legal slide.
No, the runner does not have to slide. But - if there is contact she can be called for interference UNLESS she executes a legal slide.
(The above discussion does not consider accidental contact, or a "wreck.")
WMB
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