Good Game with Sarah Spain

Basketball reporter Rob Knox, who covers HBCU hoops for The Next, joins Sarah to discuss how team success can affect player odds for individual awards, the college hoops stars currently flying under the radar, and the HBCU and mid-major teams everyone should be talking about. Plus, how to prep for Unrivaled’s tip-off, when heckling goes wrong, and an open question about just how many new pro volleyball leagues one country can...

Award winning journalist, producer and author Katie Barnes joins Sarah to explain the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” bill that the House passed earlier this week. They discuss who and what could be affected if the Senate passes the bill, potential unintended consequences, and what is and isn’t made clear in the language of the bill. Plus, another un-retirement, PVF players hit the court to...

It’s Unrivaled Team Draft Day! Sarah, Alex, and Mish debut a fool-proof points system to help you pick which Unrivaled club to root for in the league’s inaugural season! It’s part hoops draft, part Seventeen magazine quiz and part Buzzfeed personality test. Plus, WoSo wedding szn and super slices have us siced!

• Want to help contribute essentials to those impacted by the LA fires? T...

Basketball analyst and former Notre Dame hoops head coach Muffet McGraw joins Sarah to talk about the incredible job her successor Niele Ivey is doing with the program, Hannah Hidalgo’s case for National Player of the Year, the pushback surrounding a post Hidalgo shared on social media last summer, and why the coaching landscape still doesn’t pass the gender bias test. Plus, Team Canada soccer is shaking things up, the ...

We nominated, you voted, and now the results of our first ever Slice-ee Awards are in! Plus, Sarah gets you caught up on the latest NWSL headlines, juiciest NCAA hoops upsets and favorites for the first tennis Slam of the year. Then, a PWHL “Good Game, Good Game, Fact You” featuring shattered records and the new iHeart Women’s Sports pods you should add to your rotation.

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We close out our “New Year, New Leagues” series with a few more women’s sports leagues to keep tabs on in 2025 and beyond. Plus, Big Citrus convenes to review everything we learned this week, from what excites us most about these new leagues to some lingering questions and concerns. 

• You have one last chance to vote for the Slice-ees (aka our end-of-2024 women’s sports a...

Women’s Elite Rugby (aka WER) is the focus of today’s edition of “New Year, New Leagues.” WER President Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf and Chicago player Betty Nguyen join Sarah to discuss the inspiration for the league, the difference between 7s and 15s, and how each team filled out its roster. Plus, the stars, stakes, stats, and stories you need to know.

• Follow the WER on Instagr...

Our “New Year, New Leagues” series continues! Pitching legend and GM of the AUSL Volts Cat Osterman joins Sarah to chat all things Athletes Unlimited Softball League. They talk how this league will differ from previous AU softball formats, its groundbreaking year-round insurance policy for athletes, and the stars, stakes, stats and stories to look out for.

• Follow the AUSL here

League One Volleyball (aka LOVB) takes center stage for installment #2 of our “New Year, New Leagues” series. LOVB President Rosie Spaulding and Salt Lake City player Jordyn Poulter join Sarah to discuss how the league is prioritizing athlete experience and why in-game commentary will sound a little different. Plus, the stars, stakes, stats, and stories you need to know. 

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We’re starting 2025 with our “New Year, New Leagues” series of shows, bringing you everything you need to know about the new professional women's leagues kickin' off, tippin' off, first pitchin' and first servin’ their way into our hearts in 2025. First up, Unrivaled Basketball president Alex Bazzell joins Sarah to talk about the stars, stakes, stats and stories in the new 3-on-3 league.

We’ve spent the week revisiting our favorite interviews of 2024, and last but not least is Sarah’s conversation with Rose Eveleth, host of the Tested podcast. They joined her back in August to talk gender verification testing, the binary categorization of humans, and the “dangers” that inexact sciences seek to protect women athletes from.

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As part of our “Best of 2024” series, here is Sarah’s conversation with USWNT legends Sam Mewis and Becky Sauerbrunn from August, right before the U.S.-Brazil gold medal game at the Paris Olympics. Sam and Becky discussed everything from the start of the Emma Hayes era to their favorite post-game eats. 

• Listen to Sam Mewis's podcast, "The Women's Game" here

We’re revisiting some of our favorite interviews of 2024! Today, we hit play on Sarah’s conversation with recently retired WNBA hooper Layshia Clarendon. Lay joined Sarah to talk grieving his career while honoring themself and their stillness, being the first out trans player in the W, and the Finals series between two of her former teams.

• Follow Layshia on IG here!

We’re revisiting some of our favorite interviews of 2024! Back in August, former pro cyclist and forever activist Kathryn Bertine joined Sarah to discuss the history of the Tour de France Femmes, and why equality in cycling is still a long way away.

• Read Kathryn Bertine’s memoir, Stand and watch her film, Half the Road

• Leave us a...

We’re revisiting some of our favorite interviews of 2024, starting with U.S. cross-country skiing star Jessie Diggins. Sarah originally caught up with Jessie in August during the Summer Olympics, but today we’re running back the interview as it’s the height of Jessie’s own competition season.

• Watch Jessie compete in the 2024-25 Tour de ...

It’s time for the first annual Slice-ee Awards!! Sarah, Misha and Alex announce the nominees in each category and ask YOU to cast ballots. Plus, Jane McManus, editor of The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024, joins Sarah to share her favorite pieces from this year, and chat about her upcoming book The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women's Sports. Then a *unique* In Memoriam, and some delights and comforts to o...

Jenny Nguyen, founder of The Sports Bra women’s sports bar in Portland, Oregon, joins Sarah to discuss her transition from chef to bar owner, betting her life savings on her vision, how opening the bar changed her relationship with her parents, and how to know a risk is worth taking. 

• Interested in starting your own Sports Bra franchise? Check it out here

• Foll...

To celebrate the holidays, we present you with three nicely-wrapped segments. We kick off the festivities with a “Yes, And” about one of the best basketball players of all time before handing out a “Good Game, Fact You” and a “What The Fact” to the same recipient. Plus, it only took 112 episodes, but Sarah, Misha and Alex finally decided on a name for themselves. 

Tessa Bonhomme and Julia Tocheri, hosts of the PWHL’s Jocks In Jills podcast, join Sarah to talk about using their pod to help fans connect with players, the Minnesota Frost’s rollercoaster offseason, Hilary Knight’s scoring resurgence, and Julia’s former summer job as a Historical Interpreter. Plus, it’s time for the NCAA Volleyball Final four, NWSL expansion news, and Sarah’s gotta say goodbye ...