July 17, 2025 • 51 mins
Three-time Olympian and two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe joins Sarah to talk birthday celebrations, being on the good side of 40, finding joy post-retirement, what’s on her decade to-do list, co-hosting a podcast with her fiancée Sue Bird, what is lost when athletes don’t use their voices, and being a target for far-right foolishness. Plus, hear from some of the stars at the USWNT Players Ball.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're high
tailing it from La to Indy.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
See ya, soccer girlies. Time to kick it with the Hoopers.
All Star Weekend here we come.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
It's Thursday, July seventeenth, and on today's show, we're skipping
the need to know and getting straight to my conversation
with the icon.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The legend, gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And two time World Cup champion Meghan Rappino I caught
up with the freshly forty pino for a little belated
birthday chat. We talked about what's on her decade to
do list, what it's really like co hosting a podcast
with fiance subd, what gets lost when athletes don't use
their voices, and how she handles being a target for
far right foolishness. Plus a drag Unicorn and a Cheetah
(00:41):
Girls dance party, a recap of the US women's national
team players Ball and Alec The Morgan, Crystal Dunn and
Emily Fox reminisce about.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
A group of greats hanging them up. It's all coming
up right after this.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Joining us now is it's the belated birthday bitch herself.
She's one of the most decorated, celebrated, venerated, caffeinated, oft imitated,
but never duplicated women's soccer players ever. A three time
Olympian and twenty twelve Olympic gold medalist, two time World
Cup winner and one time World Cup runner up. In
twenty nineteen, she won the Ballon d'Or feminine, the FIFA
Women's role Player of the Year, and the Sports Illustrated
(01:20):
Sportsperson of the Year. A three time NWSL Shield winner
with the Seattle rain who retired her number fifteen jersey,
She's won half of a touch more.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
The podcast with Sue Bird.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
She's a fashionista, a trendsetter, a tireless advocate and activist,
a former time one hundred Most Influential People, and a
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom back when being
president actually meant something. She yiaded her achilles in her
final game, and now she has her site set out
nothing less than world domination. We presume Pino Bird twenty
twenty eight. It's Meghan Rapino.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Hi Peno, Hi hi, Hi wow. What an introduction. Oh
my goodness. I mean, you got to really cut that down.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
There is too much to say about you, and now
you are on the rights of forty.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Happy belated birthday, Thank you, thank you. It feels good
over here, feels good. It really does.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I used to think old people were lying, and I'm like, no,
I get it now. And I was gonna tell you
my advice for all people who are newly forty, which
is basically that everything other than your body falling apart
is better on this side, and you give zero fix.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
But the problem is you've always given zero fix.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So I'm actually slightly concerned about what Meghan Rapino post
forty is going to be.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Like About'm probably giving a couple more fix, oh, in
different places, which is good. You know, I'm getting my
seasoning is maturing in my older age. But yeah, I
mean I'm still just like what it was, what's happening?
That's happening? What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Like a fine wine, you could say, which is actually
where you celebrated your birthday? In one of my happy places,
It's where I had my bachelorette it's where my husband
and I celebrated are pre anniversary before we got married.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Tell us about the fortieth birthday celebrations.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Oh it was Sue Bird did a number on the
so let me tell you if anybody ever has the
opportunity to let Sue plan a trip for them, which
you likely never will, but I will take full advantage.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It was so nice. It was so chill.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
It like you know, when like your vacation actually matches
up with the time where you need it, you want it,
It's like it's good you've blocked things out, so like
that was good about it. The weather was perfect. I
mean we did it really chill. It was like one
winery sort of like late morning, early afternoon pool time,
(03:40):
great dinners every night. Got to experience the French laundry
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
You know some of those places, like those fancy dancy places,
like halfway through You're like, I want to eat something else.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I don't want this anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I always call him a foam and a splooge place
exactly where I'm like, I just want food.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I don't need a foem and a splooch on every
dish I've been saying.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
It's like it ends up being like the foam that
is actually bread, but it tastes like fish, but it
is a burger.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
But like you're like, I'm but very hungry.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, You're like what's happening. This was not the French laundry.
The French laundry. Every single bite was amazing, and then
it was just like great people. Some of my closest friends.
Is more of like a West Coast friend thing. My
sister was there, Rachel, my twin sister, who was also
turning forty, so it was just like lovely.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
The whole thing was amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So like slow pace and chill and obviously drank some
really good wine out there.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah that's so nice. I love that. What do you
think is the most washed part about you now that
you're forty? Oh man, most washed?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Gosh, it's probably just like all the working out.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'm just like I'm over it. I'm looking over it.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I'm just like I can still do some stuff, like
sometimes I'll go to a Berry's class or I'll like
do and then I'm just like, this is so hard
and something inevitably flares up every time I do it,
and it's like I could do more, and I'm just like, ugh,
my back by my lower back is.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
The most washing me.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Geez.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I also found that at one point, I don't know
the exact day, after long days I started even when alone,
sitting on a bed and being like oh yeah, oh
getting it just like that, verbally making words when I
sit down, Oh how nice it is to sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
That's definitely the most wash part about me. Nothing better
than getting into bed.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, what's the thing that still makes you feel the
most young?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
You know?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Right now I feel And it took me a little
time to get here after retirement, because it's not like
a skill you can just sort of turn on, but
like the joy of discovering doing something new, or discovering
joy or like even like so and I were like
riding the Lime bikes the other day and we're.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Like, what.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
This is unbelievable. People ride bikes because of fun.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Been Like we're just we've been so used as an athlete,
Like you spend all your time, energy and focus on
sort of like doing one thing and you get a
lot of joy out of it, you sort of it
says a ton of built in joy. But just like
kind of clearing the space for myself to actually want
to do other things and like I'm cooking a lot more,
and like I love flowers and I'm like trying to
(06:37):
get into photography and I'm riding a bike. So It's
just like, I think the experience of finding joy and
like having actual like emotional space for that is like
really been a fun kind of like discovery the last
few months for me.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Yeah. On that note, what do you miss the most
about being a pro athlete? The final and the locker room.
Those are the two things.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I think those are the only two things that I'm like,
I really really like you just you can't replicate, you
can't get back. There's nothing like it. And I think
those were like just like the two best parts. Showing
up to the locker room every morning just to shit talk,
just to banter, just to like get the vibes with
(07:25):
the with the players. And then obviously like the very
biggest moments. I've watched, you know, w finals, I've watched
World Cup finals, I've even just like watching the Euros
that are happening right now watching a tennis final, I'm like, oh,
that is just like and I obviously was lucky to
play in a number of them, and there's nothing like
(07:48):
getting to the moment where this is the point of it,
like this is why you do all the other bullshit
that sucks, and like you're running in the rain not
to like be like I'm disciplined. No, that's the run
in the rain, so you can get to the final
and like.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Have that moment those That's the only thing I would
ever go back to.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I've listened to Glennan Doyle and Aby Wambach on their
podcast and also on your podcast talk to you and
Sue about the high of winning and how it doesn't
last as long as you think it will. It's wonderful,
it's amazing, but even the very next day when you
get up to celebrate even more, you've already lost a
little bit of the edge from the night before, right
(08:29):
after the victory. Does that seem to carry over post
sports or can you find longer satisfaction in the career
wins in the life wins? Are you learning how to
reset your brain so that it isn't about the build
up to the thing and then when the thing's over
there's a letdown.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Well, I'm certainly resetting, reframing my brain and like my
nervous system and all of that. I think I still
for sure have the like thrill seeking because that was
just built whether it was a game or a goal
or a tournament. I am finding the I think the
(09:08):
growth part is like seeking out things that have like
a longer tail of enjoyment and of satisfaction and of
like comfort in a lot of ways, I think so
much of sports is just being on the edge at
all moments, mentally, physically, emotionally, And it's like, yeah, if
(09:30):
you're on the right side of that.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Edge, you're doing great. If you're on the wrong side
of that edge.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And either way, you're pumping cortisol NonStop, which like ultimately
for a lifetime is unhealthy.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Is husual aments, Yeah, and it's difficult to sustain. And
I think in the beginning when I first retired, I
just found myself either either wanting those moments even just subconsciously,
or just feeling the absence of like there's no like
roller coaster to ride. But I think being out of
(10:04):
it a little bit more, I'm able to. I think
I've like built this muscle, like even just like going
for a walk or having a slow afternoon, or learning
new skills, or just like the enjoyment of just like
calming down and being in a really different place is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Like it's hard.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
You kind of have to like let go of that rope,
float around for a bit and then before you're kind
of getting I feel like I'm just now sort of
getting on the other side of that and being able
to be like, oh, that's what that means. That's why
a walk is so nice, right, That's why ballads is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So that's why cooking is so nice.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
I'm actually able to like feel that in my body
now way more than I have.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And it's nice that that happens as we get older
and we do start to appreciate things that we can
do as older people, because you know, you get restricted
down the other step. And for you, in particular, your
retirement was so sudden. It wasn't just that you knew
it was coming and this will be my last game,
but due to the aforementioned Achilles eating, you didn't finish
the game, and then you didn't get to wake up
the next day and be like, oh, do I want
(11:08):
to go for a run in my first day of
retirement or chill? Instead, it was Okay, I'm going to
be in a freaking boot and do rehab. I don't
think you've talked much about the process of rehabbing the
achilles Wowell retired and being like, oh, I'm not working
back toward being a World Cup athlete anymore. I'm just
working back toward like making my like function for the
rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
What was that?
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Like?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
You know, in one sense, it was like easier that
it happened the way that it did, because I was
still just like there.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
I was like, I have to rehab.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Now I've rehabbed probably seventy five percent of what I
would of. I was like, you know, when you're an athlete,
you're like psycho about it, you know, doing every single
little thing. And I was like, I'm going to do enough,
and like I'm fine now I can run. And I
rehabbed a grade and all of that. But it almost
made it easier because I had a little bit of structure.
(12:01):
I had some like discipline and some guard rails and
some like babying basically still happening because I had to
like you know, get surgery and show up and getting
coached up on the getting coached up, and I have
you know, an amazing physical therapist Kyle, who I still
work with, who is like the perfect balance because I
just like want to go in there and yack and
(12:21):
like I want to like do my rehab, but I
also just want to like mess around and stay healthy
and and do all the things. But it was also
like incredibly difficult because I mean, anybody who's had an achilles,
it's just the first two months just suck.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
You're like in the next twenty years, yeah, if you
get a shitting search in your OK.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah yeah, O'Malley who's become the aforementioned sort of Achilles guy.
He has has been for a long time, does a
ton of ton of US pro athletes. He did a
great job. But it's just like you're not weight bearing
and you're either on crutches or the scooter. But even
like around the house was the worst. If if something's
like one foot outside of your you know your range, I'm.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Just like ough, now I'm hopping.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
So that was like arduous, I think in a time
where like I was so tired and so done and
so ready to retire, Like I really was excited about retiring,
and just like having that burden on the back end
was difficult. And then I think just the actual game,
like that is so I I of course I do
(13:26):
not want.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
That to be the last time I ever played.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I have two really difficult moments and like the last
meaningful times that I ever played for my national team obviously,
and for the rain in the league, and like part
of it is like so poetic because it's just like
that is so life, and I've had the highest of
eyes and the lowest of lows. So there's something I
really do appreciate about it. But like, no, I wanted
(13:52):
to play the game. I was feeling good. I wanted
to finish out the season and do that, and I,
you know, I don't really feel like anything was taken
from me because that's what you do. You go out
on the field, and you know, if it would have
happened like the day before in practice that week, that
would have been even worse.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But this is like you go out and play and
there's always sort of that risk.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
But yeah, it's like, in a way, of course it
happened this way, and it feels like, you know, totally
perfect that it did. And then in a way it's like, yeah,
I wish I had a time machine and I don't know,
could like fit some tape or he'll lift in there
or something.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
We got to take a quick break more with Pino.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Right after this, A lot of your teammates former teammates
have retired in the time since you left. In fact,
we're recording this on Tuesday ahead of the US women's
national team PA Players Ball where they're going to honor
(14:52):
a handful of players, Tobin Heath, Becky Sowerbrun, Alex Morgan,
sam Us, Kelly O'Hara, Meghan Klingenberg. It's just this whole
era of player that meant so much to the national team.
What's it feel like on the other side watching someone
hang them up.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Oh, it's been so like surreal almost to see, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
All of us do this over. It's kind of like
it feels just like a steady.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Succession.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I mean, I think more than anything, I feel pride
because every single one of these players retiring, You're just like, Wow,
that's like one of the most influential female athletes in
our country and certainly on our program. And everybody has
like their own very unique special story, and I know
(15:40):
them all inside out. Like we played the bulk of
our career together. We did all of these things together.
We built so much together, we fought through so much,
we laughed so much, so many dinners and locker rooms
and games and championships and parties and all of it.
So it's like I don't feel a ton of sadness honestly,
(16:01):
because I'm just like, yeah, this is this is sort.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Of what happens.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I think, you know, more than anything, I feel like
pride and joy and our generation left the game in
such a different place, and I would argue such a
better place than it's ever been.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
And like the way that the game is going.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Now is such a testament to our group's fight and
our group's tenacity and skill and joy and personality and
all of it. We had so many elements that were
needed at that time, and like, just to look at
what's happening now, the success of the national team. I mean,
obviously everybody saw us in Paris, just like the proudest
(16:40):
antis you could ever be being there. Like, I think
we all feel that about the game, and you can tell,
and it's really cool to see all of us pouring
back into it obviously in podcasts and business and investing
and media and commentating and in all the ways that
we're doing it, Like you can tell how much the
game means to us, but also how.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Much we mean to the game.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, you know, I want to ask you about that,
because the US women's national team has stood for so
much more than just great soccer players. They've had to
fight for more and you were a part of a
team that fought for equal pay, the team that threatened
to boycott ahead of the ninety six Olympics to get
a better contract. All these battles over the years, not
just for the current team that was playing, but for
the next generation of players to come. And I think
(17:23):
it also led to a lot of you finding a
voice that you used to speak up for others as well,
whether that's LGBTQ rights or racial justice. And in your case,
you wore Britney Griner's initials to the White House to
draw attention to her detention in Russia. We may never
have a player quite like you when it comes to
being sort of a walking protest.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Maybe we will. I hope we will.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
But it feels like, just in general, the national team
as a whole has been quieter of late when it
comes to advocacy. Do you think that's a fair characterization,
And do you think it has to do with specific
players on the team with what's going on in the world,
or do you think with less of a need to fight,
they don't feel that urge for activism overall.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Quite as much.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I mean, I think the first thing I saying, I
hope nobody has to fight like our generation had to
fight or stand up for all the things, so hopefully
that's that's part of it.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I do think that the team has been quiet.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I don't even think that's like a controversial thing to
say or a thing that you can argue. I think
they absolutely have coming off an era that had like
gigantic personalities, whether it was Alex or myself or Carly
or Hope or Tobin or Press or Kelly, like all
(18:37):
of us had these huge personalities, and then collectively as
a team, we have this huge personality and we have
you know, the.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Equal pay and racial justice and a different time in
the country and all that.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So I think there's naturally going to be like a
little vacuum that happens where it's like players haven't been
able to step into who they are quite yet. And
I think things have gotten a lot better, Like Okay,
you're obviously not gonna be finding for equal pay anymore
or protesting that or talking about that, so like that's
a huge topic that's like the off the table, So
(19:11):
I think I won't say, like, as things get better,
players get quieter, but like they'll find their things that
they need to turn the screw on and that they
need to go full gas on.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
And I would always say this to.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Players, whether it's national team players, soccer players, basketball players, whatever,
like the more you are involved, the better it's going
to be for you, Like the more you use your voice,
the more you're in on the CBA, the more educated
you are on.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
The business of it.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Because while things have gotten better, of course now it's like, Okay,
this player got transferred for a million dollars, Like is
that even enough?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Like is that market value? Is your salary enough?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Or the right?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
How much of that are they getting right exactly?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
So I think they'll find their ways into the thing
that they care about. And I think they'll also find
that the less they use their voice, the worse it's
going to get for them, or the slower the progress
is going to be.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Like that that's just natural.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
So I think that would like if I would have
a warning shot, which is not really a warning shot,
but like the less you do, the worse it will
be for you. So like, be involved in those things,
be involved in the PA, be involved in in the
CBA negotiations, like be involved in your own brand. I
always say this, like it's yours. Like the players, the
game is yours. Your own brand is yours. Your your
(20:35):
ability to control it is yours.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
It's whether you own it or not.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
So like you can either own it all and have
a huge hand in it, or someone else can own
it for you.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
But like, no matter what, like it's yours.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
So I think the more that they're involved and the
more they have time to kind of step into that
and build those voices and find those voices, and honestly,
it takes certain personalities to do that. I mean, I
would argue that m Hayes is the biggest of the
women's national team right now, and I think she's happy
to do that. I also think the players are happy
for that. Some of them obviously outdue to injury, out
(21:09):
do maternity leave. Other players are stepping up, but I
just think it's kind of a mix of all of that.
But yeah, again, the more you use your voice and
are involved, the better the environment is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Going to be for you.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
And I think something I've been thinking a lot about
as like the larger political landscape is changing so drastically
with the new administration, is that they always warned that
in political times of what feel like calm for those
whose party is in power and who things are going
well for, there does tend to be a relaxing and
during that time, you sort of think everything's fixed without
(21:43):
recognizing that the other side is working double time to
get back.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And that's when ree View Wade gets overturned.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
And that's when this administration starts taking things back that
we've sort of started taking for granted. So sometimes in
the calm moments is actually when you need to be
working double hard to get things passed while the things
that are in place, people that are in place are
more likely to be amenable to it. And so right
now it feels like we're so overwhelmed by the millions
of things that are going wrong, and I'm thinking, man,
(22:09):
a couple of years ago, we should have been pushing
for even more of the things that we wanted so
that it'd be harder for them to claw them back,
which is something to consider for women athletes right now,
as we worry about like what's what's to come? I
wonder you know, you're such an incredible voice for progressive women,
pushing us to demand more and expect more and deserve more.
And I've told you this before, but I look up
to you so much because I need women who are
(22:30):
even bolder than I am, who are even more fearless
than I am, who are even more out ahead of
things than I am, because I feel like I am,
and I still get scared sometimes or still feel like
I need to step back sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
When, if ever, have you.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Felt scared or nervous about standing up for yourself or
marginalized groups for whom you advocate.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I mean, I think it's always like in the mix.
Some for sure, you're always sort of like making the calculation.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I think for me it's like do I believe in
it or not?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
And if I do, then it's going to be something
that I want to talk about and I want.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
To stand for and I want to be there for.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
I think the larger thing is like strategy. So I
think that you know, especially from twenty sixteen to twenty
there was like a particular strategy that was working. It
was bull it was up front, it was sort of
banging the drum, it was explicit. Maybe that's not working
as well or as much now, Okay, so how do
we shift strategy? I mean, I think there's a really
(23:29):
interesting opportunity right now for women's sports and for women
athletes and female athletes.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
It's like the.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Tide of the country sort of moving more conservative, or
you could say that obviously with this administration and the
roll back of everything and just progressive values in general.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
And yet women's sports is the.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Most popular thing that's happening right So everybody seems to
be fine with that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
They love going to watch the basketball games, they love
going to watch the national team.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So like, what is that opportunity that you can use
as a female athlete to say, like, Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
We're rolling back Roe v.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Wade or we're rolling back all of these rights, and
yet you still want to watch me play.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
And yet you still want this to happen.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
You still want your daughter to have the opportunity and
your son to have the opportunity to grow up in
this kind of world. So like you're still the role model.
And I think that's something that's so special about athletes,
like just by nature of sports, like you're setting the
right example, you're doing the right thing, you're trying your hardest,
you're working with your teammates, you're you know, having respect
(24:37):
for other people, you have discipline, you have joy, you're playing,
it's good for your body, all of these things.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
So I think that's how I.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Encourage athletes now, because it is daunting. I mean, I
think it's daunting for me personally, it's daunting just in general.
It's like such a flood of just insanity and horror,
quite frankly, And so, how do we use the thing
that has always been our best skill and our most
important thing in our biggest cudgel?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Really?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
How do we continue to use that to talk about
the things we care about and to articulate and narrate
the world we want to live in, not necessarily trying
to combat everything that we're experiencing right now.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Well, and to your point of it being a cudgel,
I think leagues can use it by telling places, hey,
we're not bringing a team, an expansion team to your city,
a city where women do not have control of their
own health care decisions. We do not feel comfortable in
a sport that drafts players somewhere where they don't choose
to go, where they will not be in control of
what they do with their bodies. And I think there
(25:39):
can be certainly some discussions about safety and otherwise that
can help them use it to say, you're not getting
the revenue and the attention and the excitement that our
league would bring to you unless you start to address
some of the ways that you're not a safe place
for women.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
And also just like provide the games in general.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
The experience and the fanfare and the environment that is
women's sports leagues and is categorically different, and it's expressive
and it's radical. It always has been and always will be.
So that's just like almost like a safe space within
a city. Like I'm going, you know, to the Kansas
City game. I'm like, I love that I'm going to
(26:14):
that game.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
I'm going to feel safe.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I'm going to express myself and I'm going to be
able to show up with my friends, my family, whatever
that looks like. I think those spaces are really important
to just to exist in jail and to protect as
more money comes in, as more owners come in that
are from the men's leagues with the money as opposed
to maybe being endemic to the women's space, making sure
that they still protect an honor.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
And center of the players in the way that it
has been. You are still treated like a target by
the far right. They love me, and because of the
current extremely media landscape, your name is often invoked as
a way to signal wokeness with tons of literal fake
news headlines like Megan Rappino disqualified from Pro Soccer Hall
(26:56):
of Fame, which you know not true.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
How do you deal with this?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Do you have a strategy Like if a family member's like.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Hey, did you see this?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Or if you happen upon something, or if you, god forbid,
accidentally read the comments, which I literally never do.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
What how do you even process and deal with it?
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I learned this very early on after kneeling, and I
feel like it was just such an epiphany for Kaepernick.
For those who don't remember, yeah, yeah, kneeling with Colin Kaepernick.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It was such an epiphany moment for me, and it
was like, it's not real. This isn't real for me,
this isn't the world I live in. Sometimes it has
real life consequences, yes, but like the President tweeted at
me two different World Cups in a row, I had
the exact opposite performance in the World Cups and he
basically said the same thing. So I'm like, this isn't
(27:45):
this isn't real. Like the headline that I got kicked
out of a Guy Fieri restaurant that's obviously fake.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
And like kind of funny.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Too much doggy sauce, Yeah, too much, too many bleached
tips for both of us. I don't know what's happening.
I look at it like, what is actually happening? Like
some of the stuff. Yeah, Like I've had extra security
at games because there's death threats and we want to
be safe. But I think for the most part, like
(28:12):
a they talk about me because they're scared of me
and they don't like what I say, And I'm like
an avatar for this world that they don't want, which
is where people can be themselves and progressive ideals and
everybody can kind of go about their business, so they
(28:33):
sort of I see myself as like an avatar and
a real person. Like it's like I'm also like, what's
the opposite of wokeness, like a sleepness?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'd rather not I'd rather be awake to it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
But I think my strategy really is just to like
stay rooted in reality. I'm amazing partner obviously in Sue
who keeps me grounded and family and people that I
work with, And I'm also like, what do I want
to say, like, I can't control what happens and in
the right wing sort of media sphere or when they
use me or when they don't, or what they say
(29:04):
about me, but I can control what I say, what
I'm messaging. I always feel like the more I am
mentioned over there, the closer I am to the white
hot center. That's usually how it goes. The more that
I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Or Yes, I feel the same way. There's a certain
site that it's like it always pings me. I have
a Google alert mainly for like this show or to
see if things get picked up. Yeah, and when I
get on there all the time for things unrelated to me,
but they have to make sure they squeeze my name
in there. I'm like, I'm in your freaking head, Yeah,
and you're so pissed because I'm getting it right and
I'm hitting you where it hurts, and so You've got
(29:40):
to keep bringing me up and trying to take me down.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
But to your point, it's not real. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I think there's also a part of it which I
try to talk about this and like I think is
a real part of social media. There's like a huge
number of just fake accounts and their whole job is
to either aren't the controversy themselves or I'm sure they
have a list of hot button words and it's probably
like Kaepernick, Mangarpino, Kaitlin Clark, WNBA, Angel Reese like whoever,
(30:11):
or trans athletes, trans athletes, god forbid the like one
kid in Louisiana, I want to play softball whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
I think, Like, those things are very real.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
So it's like, what is really happening, Like, Okay, a
narrative or a headline is popping off, Okay, like where
did it come from? Who wrote about it? What's actually happening?
Where did it originate? Is it real?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Like is it actually real? You've experienced this a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
We've experienced this around women's sports, especially and particularly in
the W the last couple of years, a lot of
these like headlines started out fake and they have no
and it's like, it's not what the players feel, it's
not what actually happened for the players. It's not what's
happening in in arena. It's not always happening to the fans.
So I think for us all to be really aware
(30:56):
of that and have a really healthy dose of skepticism
when it comes to social media in particular, and the
social media companies aren't doing anything really because it's driving
numbers and that's sort of what they care about. They're
not really doing anything to steymy it, so like we
have to be aware of it.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Speaking of the aforementioned great partner, SUPERD, let's talk about
the podcast a touch. More episodes air on Thursdays on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
I just love it so much.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
It's so fun and smart and tackles the tough stuff
and the light stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
What are you learning about yourself?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
The dynamic between athletes and media, the idea of trying
to cover it all but focus on the things that
you care about too, Like, as you become media, what
are you learning? Oh gosh, the experience of being a
podcaster is so funny, Like all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Soon I look at each other and we're like, what
is happening? Who signed us up for this? And then
we're like, oh my god, we did. It's been a
total learning curve. It's been really hard times because we
went from like being the one interviewed. It's so easy
to answer questions and say what you think and feel
and someone asks you what you think and feel and
at least yeah, now I'm having to show up and
(32:11):
be like, wait, I have to like bring up what
I want to say and what I feel, and like,
you know, round it.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Out, do some research, do some research. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
So we you know, we want ultimately to do justice
to the place that we love the most, which is
women's sports, and we want to talk about it obviously
from our perspective. I think we both have such a
unique perspective just having played so long, but in this
era when it went from what it went from when
I was, you know, twenty two to what it is now,
(32:42):
like we've seen an unbelievable expansion and growth from from
every different metric, So like how are we seeing it?
We know so many of the ins and outs of
like how we got here and how you know, from
five years ago, this is exactly why we're here and
this is where we're going in five years, and then
we want to like be respectful of the place, like
so many of these players are our friends and like
(33:02):
people who we you know, really respect, and it's like
it's hard to be like, oh, this player's not playing well,
or I want to see this more or comment on
you know, things that are happening. We don't want to
be the like salacious goss but also like we want
a fun, entertaining show, and I think there's room for
all of it. And I love seeing what's happening just
(33:26):
in like the women's sports media landscape. There's so many
players coming in. Your pod is one of them.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I told you that, I absolutely love it. Like we
need it all.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
We need the commentary, we need the journalism, we need
the entertainment, we need the former players, and so we
just try to like bring our perspective, be honest, talk
about the game in a way that we would have
wanted talked about, and the things that interest us. And
then obviously there's our unique relationship aspect about it.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
And it's like we're Sharon.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Vicker's and we're cracking love and like we're we're doing
this podcast together and it's like the Hull Air and
we're both trying to figure it out and sort of
waiting our way into retirement, you know, one big step
at a time.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I'm almost always a sue. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I
need a sue to be a me.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
We got to take a quick break more with Pino.
Right after this, you and Sue are a ridiculous power couple.
Obviously your combined powers are enviable, but it's got to
be complicated to to work and live together and also
(34:34):
to be making sure that you yourself. Do you ever
have to remind folks like, hey, we're two separate people.
Sometimes this offers for me and sometimes it's for her.
Sometimes this job or this opportunity is something I should do,
but I'm not bringing her, or this isn't a right
fit for her.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Does that happen a lot.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Yeah, for sure, and definitely something that we've had to
navigate and evolve and like strategize around. Frankly, over the
course of our relationship. I feel like when we first
got together it was like, yeah, we're both just sort
of there, but neither of us like you know, wildly
popular or women's sports was just in a totally different place.
And then for so long we were playing, so we
(35:11):
sort of naturally had this break between who we were
and we got to have a really big individual space.
And I definitely noticed, you know, when we both were
retired and around that time, it was just like I
could see how easy it would be and it would
have been, and how much people want that they want
Sue in Meghan. They want, you know, whether it's a
(35:32):
power couple or because we're gay, or because we're.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Never Megan and Sue.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Yeah, it's always souone Meg. You gotta get the shorter
one in there first. And we've talked a lot, both
personally with our couple's therapists, but also with our team
and with the people we do business with, like let's
be really strategic about where this makes more sense for Megan,
where this makes more sense for Sue, and then being
(35:57):
really specific about where the overlap and obviously the POD
is such a big part of that, but it's like
I want to have my own life also, and Sue
wants to have her own life also, and there's things
that like she does that I could never do and
would never want to do, and vice versa, and just
being like really thoughtful about that, so like ultimately we
(36:18):
can get the best out of ourselves and still have
you know, at the end of the day, we're professional athletes,
like our egos are there. We need that sort of
like personal space and time for ourselves. It's really important
and I think just from a personal perspective, like we're
working together, that's very different. We're used to, you know,
being on separate teams and traveling, so like, where's the
(36:39):
time for just myself, for just Sue, And then where's
the time just for us as a couple outside of work.
You know, it's like, especially when it's this kind of
work and it's all kind of remote and it's like
kind of always happening at the same time, and it
can always sort of be happening, So trying to be
really thoughtful about where we just really put it down
and you know, turn the mic off and get to
(37:00):
just bes.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yeah, speaking of being you, you got engaged in twenty twenty,
no pressure or anything.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You're allowed to have a private life. But is there
a date for the wedding?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Did you already get married and you're just gonna like
sneaky style drop wife in an interview like Tobin and
Kristen Just yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I know.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
I'm like, have they been married for like two minutes
or two hundred minutes?
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Right?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
No, there's there's no date yet. I know everybody wants
the party.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
I get it. I want to pass. I totally get it. No,
there's no date.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
We're not married yet. I think if we got married,
we want to own it, and you know, I hope
so just because I'm almost kill me. Also, yeah, I
want to see all the photos of everyone there and
all the Yeah, I want the I want the like
live stream wedding like we got with the World Cup
win where it was just like several days.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Who was that that was?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I think it was Acelin, Yes, Ashelan and Alley Long,
Ashlin and Alley Long.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
We're like the queens of giving us almost like a
forty eight straight hours of like now we're at the
pool and everyone's mostly dead, and now we're going at
Good Morning America and now we're on top of a bar.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
That's what I want for the wedding. It's just a
small ass.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Just give us all forty eight straight hours of insight
into your personal Oh yeah, exactly what else are you
working on besides the pod? And how do you decide
what to say yes too? Because to your point, you've
probably been asked a million things and your time could
be taken up every moment while also trying to say, like,
hey do I like flowers and bird watching?
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Yeah, I started developing my no button while I was
while I was playing I think, you know, having the
experience of twenty nineteen and that, like lightning in a bottle,
said yes to so much, don't regret any of it.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And then I was like, whoa, you cannot say yes
this much.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
This is nuts unless I had like literally four four
other like clones of myself.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, the twin needs to be more identical. Oh that's
whe gosh.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
That would that would really I'm like, it's fifty to fifty,
go like, let's just go for it. I wish, I wish.
I think now I'm like, what do I really like?
What am I passionate about? What do I really want
to do that I'm going to be excited about spending
my time on. I still have a great partnership with Nike,
which I'm able to get in there and do some
(39:10):
designing and like use the kind of like creative branding
stuff that I love so much. Actually going to the
euro Final with Nike, so that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Cannot wait. I think some stuff is just like does
it move me?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
You know, like some whether it's it's not really so
much about money. I mean at some point, like a
certain price tag is like yes, I'm getting on that plane.
But at some points, like Do I care about this?
Do I like doing this is something that I'm interested?
Do I like this person? Do I like what they're about?
I think it's kind of that. And then it's like
I'm framing it right now in the way of like, yeah,
(39:46):
is this going to like add to my life or
is this taking away from something that I actually want
to do, whether it's like a walk or not travel
or cooking or doing something else. And being thoughtful about
like just carving time out to do nothing thing I
think is really hard for me and really hard for athletes,
but I'm like getting a little bit better at it
and kind of seeing the benefits that you can have.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
I interviewed this guy years ago, and I took away
this one piece of advice that I really try to
apply and I'm very bad at it, but I'm working
on it, which is, when you say yes to something,
make sure you understand you're saying no to something else.
And so if you want to do it, that's fine,
but like it could like you said, just be no
to taking a walk or taking a nap or watching
a television show you like or something, and so if
(40:31):
you do it too often, you end up saying no
to all those other things that feel unscheduled but only
happen if you don't have.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Something on the schedule. So I've been working on that.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Speaking of we've taken up too much of your time.
So last two, this one's real easy. What's on your
to do list for this decade in your forties?
Speaker 2 (40:47):
What's the big what's the big to do list? Oh,
the big to do list?
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Or something being out there, something huge, something unreachable, something
embarrassing if it doesn't happen because it's such a big want.
Oh gosh, Well, I want to become really good at photography.
I've just bought my first camera, like actually like film camera,
(41:12):
and I'm like looking at it over there.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I'm like, oh, it's hard. I like really don't know
what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Like like you want to go in a dark room
and all that. Yeah, I want to do the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I want to like become actually good at It's like
you travel so much.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
You have you know, you got a phone, you take pictures,
they never go anywhere.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
That is like a fun thing that I want to do.
And then oh man, I mean it's it's like I
just still want to do the world domination thing. I
want to be one of the places and build something
that can be one of the places where women's sports
like can really live branding, marketing, growth, like the creative
(41:53):
guidance and sort of like architecture of this next phase
in women's sports.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
That's like what I really am passionate. Oh I'm excited.
I just got so excited for you to do that.
Get on it. Okay, and then last question.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Your show always uh asks people being interviewed bench Stark cut.
So we're gonna make you do our version, which is good, gooder,
gooddest in honor of good gudest. Okay, so good good er, goodest,
Sam Coffee's t shirt, tuck, Lynn Biandolo's leg sleeve, and
Laura Harvey's cooler chair.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Oh man, I mean I'm cutting the legs sleeve because
I'm just like, I.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Don't cut anything.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Thankfully, we're a little kind of you say, Okay, just
good legs leaves.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
Good, It's fine. And then gooder.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I'm going with the tuck because that's just like so funny.
If the cooler wasn't in here, that would be.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
In the Gooddest. The tuck is just so Sam too.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
It's like I am ready prepared, professional, and I'm going
to score some goals and do this.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
I love it so much. It's so good. It's just
like hilarious to me. And I love when people.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Have like self expression whatever that is in a very
uniform scenario. And then of course the cooler because she's
over there probably motherfucking someone or another buck to something
or having a winge about something or just strategizing. It's
like it's a tough job. She needs to take a
load off. Sometimes it's hot out there the turf.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
It's tough.
Speaker 3 (43:24):
Like she kind of sit it down so she can
get into her brain and obviously Harve's best to ever
do it, so gotta go that the gooddest.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
I hope when she sits she like me, goes, oh yeah,
she probably does.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
She's over forty, She's.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
Like, oh she's ready high for a seat, Megan. As
you can tell, I could talk to you for literally hours.
I'm very proud of myself because I am so obsessed
with you. I both consider you a friend and someone
I will just follow around like a little puppy because
I think you're the fucking best.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
So thank you so much for this time. Yeah, thank
you so much for having me on Big Fan. Thanks
so much to Megan for taking the time. Always so
good to catch up. We got to take another break
when we come back.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Dispatches from the Purple Carpet Welcome back slics. On Tuesday night,
I got to attend the US Women's National Team Players
Ball in LA, which is an annual big old bash
that they have this time to celebrate some newly retired players,
(44:27):
some fresh faces getting their first national team caps, and
forty years of the US women's national team. Hard to
believe it's been forty years. The event was actually originally
scheduled for back in January, but they had to push
it back because of the LA wildfires. So just major
shouts to the Players Association, bec Aru, Anny Reid, everyone
else behind the scenes for really working to make it
(44:48):
happen this week and make sure that the players got
their due and got to have this moment to celebrate.
The room was such a fun group of people, so
many friends of the show there, Comedian Aaron Foley, actor
Er Fight Master, agent Alison Gaylor, El Duncan and Andrea
Carter from ESPN, Abby Wambach, Tierna Davidson, Sydney.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
LaRue, Ali Reiley, Lauren Holiday.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
So many folks that have been on the show were there,
also our friends Sam UIs and Meghan Klingenberg. They were
actually honored alongside fellow retirees Alex Morgan, Kelly O'Hara and
Tobin Heath. And there was a ten year anniversary celebration
of the World Cup Team two from twenty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
So it was just a really great night.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
It was a blast catching up with so many friends
from across the footy and women's sports space, and it's
always just fun watching the players get all glammed up
and let loose a little bit. Sadly, there was no
Roose Levelt performance this year, despite several requests from me,
but she did change into slippers midway through the party
and hop on stage with Crystal Dunn, Lynd Bian Doolo
and some others for a little dance party to the
(45:49):
Cheetah Girls song Strut. You may remember that was sort
of the song of the Summer Games for the gold
medal winners in Paris. A lot of US sing alongs
that made their way to social media last year of
that Cheetah Girls song.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Leslie Jones hosted the event.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
There was also a performance from drag Queen glitteris Yeah,
you heard that right, including a very rousing rendition of
Pig Pony Club complete with a maine and a unicorn horn,
which was.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
A lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Before the party got going, I took a second to
chat with a couple of players about the retiring legends
getting honored, including talking to Crystal Dunn, who spoke about
the lasting impact of one of our faves, Sam Ewis.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
Take a listen.
Speaker 6 (46:28):
Sam has been someone who's been on my journey for
a very long time with me. We've played on so
many youth national teams together, obviously on the full team together,
and a bit of club obviously at North Carolina. And
she's even so much to the game. She is such
a light in every room that she walks into, and
she's just an amazing teammate. And I think, you know,
when you step away from the game, I think I am.
I hope she's most proud of the fact that she's
(46:48):
made such an impact in everybody's life.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
And I caught up with Emily Fox, who said she'll
remember this retiring group of players as a huge force
for equality here.
Speaker 4 (46:56):
She is, I mean, really just like their legacy and
will pay lawsuit in terms of like all of them
and effort that they put in to make that possible
for all of us. I feel like people still don't
realize how big of the deal that is.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
And I feel like I'm constantly reminded.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Every day, like how lucky we are because of them.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
I wouldn't say lucky, but just fortunate that they gave
us that.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
So yeah, And I even chatted with one of the
retirees herself, Alex Morgan, who talked about taking the journey
from Newby to retiree with fellow honorees Becky Sower Brunt,
Tobin Heath, and Kelly O'Hara.
Speaker 5 (47:28):
Here's Alex, was it twenty twelve, twenty eleven, Oh my goodness,
just like literally eyes wide open, being like, okay, what's
going on. We're all kind of the newbies here, and
now we're like done, we're retired, and just to think,
like more than fifteen years later, just having so much
fun with all of them for fifteen years and like
(47:49):
getting to know them on such like a deep level
and now just all us all going our own ways
and our own business ventures.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Just been a long journey but really fulfilling.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
It was just a really fun, fabulous night, and it's
always so fun to see the greats get their due
and see such a big spectacle.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
For women's sports and women's athletes.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
The only regret I have is that last time I
went to the Player's Ball, I got a handful of
players and folks and attendance to make one of my
patented human pyramids.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
This is something I like to do at parties.
Speaker 1 (48:22):
And we all got on our knees, made the pyramid,
glam gowns and all.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
And this year I forgot. So there's always next year.
I'll be back.
Speaker 1 (48:30):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good game play. At the day, we mentioned that we're
headed to Indy and producer Mesh is going to be
there too, part of a really cool event in downtown
India on Friday. They're going to be helping host a
roundtable discussion with former players from the Women's Professional Basketball
League aka the WBL. It was the first ever women's
pro basketball league in the US, and the event is
(48:53):
in tandem with the Can't Retire From This Project, which
is a women's hoops brand and community that Mesh is
part of so there's gonna be a workshop the event
where attendees can make their own basketball planners to take
home and house little plant babies, and food and drinks
will be there too, so if you're interested, you can
hit up Mesha's DMS for more info.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
It is a free event and.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
If you can't make that, Mesh will also be at
WNBA Live inside the Indiana Convention Center all day on
Saturday at the door dash booth, so you can grab
some tickets stop buy say hi.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
We'll link to where you can purchase them in our
show notes.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
And of course I'll be bouncing around all over Indy
for All Star as well my live interviews. One of
them has sold out and one of them is private,
so unfortunately I can't shout those out. But I will
be at plenty of other events and activations, so if
you see me, please make sure to say hi.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
Because I love meat and slices in the wild.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
We always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
I always tell y'all it's really easy watch enforcing vague
WNBA dress code rules, rating zero out of ten cool
points review. Friend of the Show Ben Pickman reported that
(50:02):
the WNBA issued fine warnings last week to New York
Liberty players Natasha Cloud and Isabel Harrison for wait for it,
wearing hats on the bench while sidelined with injury. Both
Cloud and Harrison were sitting out of the Liberty's home
victory over the Las Vegas Aces, and Cloud was wearing
a black hat that said Calm before the Storm, while
(50:22):
Harrison was wearing a white beret.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Cloud told Pickman she.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
Didn't even know she could be penalized for wearing a
hat on the sideline of a game she was not
playing in, and she's clearly annoyed that the league is
enforcing the little known rule now. Not being transparent about
what the rules are, when they're enforced, and when players
are fined for infractions has been a topic of conversation
in the w for quite some time. Both coaches and
players want more clarity about the rules and when they're
(50:48):
being enforced, and Cloud also wants the league to focus
on more important things than bench fits. She said, quote,
I just feel like we're doing nitpicky shit. I'd rather
the w focus on actual things than trying to take
our money for wearing what we want to wear and
expressing ourselves. End quote us too, Tash, us too. Now
it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening. See
(51:09):
you tomorrow. Good game, Pino, Good game, Pino's Achilles surgeon.
Speaker 2 (51:14):
Thank you, my Achilles surgeon.
Speaker 1 (51:18):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(51:39):
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
Production assistance from Avery Loftus and I'm your host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're high
tailing it from La to Indy.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
See ya, soccer girlies. Time to kick it with the Hoopers.
All Star Weekend here we come.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
It's Thursday, July seventeenth, and on today's show, we're skipping
the need to know and getting straight to my conversation
with the icon.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The legend, gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And two time World Cup champion Meghan Rappino I caught
up with the freshly forty pino for a little belated
birthday chat. We talked about what's on her decade to
do list, what it's really like co hosting a podcast
with fiance subd, what gets lost when athletes don't use
their voices, and how she handles being a target for
far right foolishness. Plus a drag Unicorn and a Cheetah
(00:41):
Girls dance party, a recap of the US women's national
team players Ball and Alec The Morgan, Crystal Dunn and
Emily Fox reminisce about.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
A group of greats hanging them up. It's all coming
up right after this.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Joining us now is it's the belated birthday bitch herself.
She's one of the most decorated, celebrated, venerated, caffeinated, oft imitated,
but never duplicated women's soccer players ever. A three time
Olympian and twenty twelve Olympic gold medalist, two time World
Cup winner and one time World Cup runner up. In
twenty nineteen, she won the Ballon d'Or feminine, the FIFA
Women's role Player of the Year, and the Sports Illustrated
(01:20):
Sportsperson of the Year. A three time NWSL Shield winner
with the Seattle rain who retired her number fifteen jersey,
She's won half of a touch more.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
The podcast with Sue Bird.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
She's a fashionista, a trendsetter, a tireless advocate and activist,
a former time one hundred Most Influential People, and a
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom back when being
president actually meant something. She yiaded her achilles in her
final game, and now she has her site set out
nothing less than world domination. We presume Pino Bird twenty
twenty eight. It's Meghan Rapino.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Hi Peno, Hi hi, Hi wow. What an introduction. Oh
my goodness. I mean, you got to really cut that down.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
There is too much to say about you, and now
you are on the rights of forty.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Happy belated birthday, Thank you, thank you. It feels good
over here, feels good. It really does.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
I used to think old people were lying, and I'm like, no,
I get it now. And I was gonna tell you
my advice for all people who are newly forty, which
is basically that everything other than your body falling apart
is better on this side, and you give zero fix.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
But the problem is you've always given zero fix.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
So I'm actually slightly concerned about what Meghan Rapino post
forty is going to be.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Like About'm probably giving a couple more fix, oh, in
different places, which is good. You know, I'm getting my
seasoning is maturing in my older age. But yeah, I
mean I'm still just like what it was, what's happening?
That's happening? What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Like a fine wine, you could say, which is actually
where you celebrated your birthday? In one of my happy places,
It's where I had my bachelorette it's where my husband
and I celebrated are pre anniversary before we got married.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Tell us about the fortieth birthday celebrations.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Oh it was Sue Bird did a number on the
so let me tell you if anybody ever has the
opportunity to let Sue plan a trip for them, which
you likely never will, but I will take full advantage.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
It was so nice. It was so chill.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
It like you know, when like your vacation actually matches
up with the time where you need it, you want it,
It's like it's good you've blocked things out, so like
that was good about it. The weather was perfect. I
mean we did it really chill. It was like one
winery sort of like late morning, early afternoon pool time,
(03:40):
great dinners every night. Got to experience the French laundry
for the first time.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Incredible.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
You know some of those places, like those fancy dancy places,
like halfway through You're like, I want to eat something else.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I don't want this anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
I always call him a foam and a splooge place
exactly where I'm like, I just want food.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I don't need a foem and a splooch on every
dish I've been saying.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
It's like it ends up being like the foam that
is actually bread, but it tastes like fish, but it
is a burger.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
But like you're like, I'm but very hungry.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, You're like what's happening. This was not the French laundry.
The French laundry. Every single bite was amazing, and then
it was just like great people. Some of my closest friends.
Is more of like a West Coast friend thing. My
sister was there, Rachel, my twin sister, who was also
turning forty, so it was just like lovely.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
The whole thing was amazing.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
So like slow pace and chill and obviously drank some
really good wine out there.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah that's so nice. I love that. What do you
think is the most washed part about you now that
you're forty? Oh man, most washed?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Gosh, it's probably just like all the working out.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I'm just like I'm over it. I'm looking over it.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I'm just like I can still do some stuff, like
sometimes I'll go to a Berry's class or I'll like
do and then I'm just like, this is so hard
and something inevitably flares up every time I do it,
and it's like I could do more, and I'm just like, ugh,
my back by my lower back is.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
The most washing me.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Geez.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I also found that at one point, I don't know
the exact day, after long days I started even when alone,
sitting on a bed and being like oh yeah, oh
getting it just like that, verbally making words when I
sit down, Oh how nice it is to sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
That's definitely the most wash part about me. Nothing better
than getting into bed.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, what's the thing that still makes you feel the
most young?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
You know?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Right now I feel And it took me a little
time to get here after retirement, because it's not like
a skill you can just sort of turn on, but
like the joy of discovering doing something new, or discovering
joy or like even like so and I were like
riding the Lime bikes the other day and we're.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Like, what.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
This is unbelievable. People ride bikes because of fun.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Been Like we're just we've been so used as an athlete,
Like you spend all your time, energy and focus on
sort of like doing one thing and you get a
lot of joy out of it, you sort of it
says a ton of built in joy. But just like
kind of clearing the space for myself to actually want
to do other things and like I'm cooking a lot more,
and like I love flowers and I'm like trying to
(06:37):
get into photography and I'm riding a bike. So It's
just like, I think the experience of finding joy and
like having actual like emotional space for that is like
really been a fun kind of like discovery the last
few months for me.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Yeah. On that note, what do you miss the most
about being a pro athlete? The final and the locker room.
Those are the two things.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I think those are the only two things that I'm like,
I really really like you just you can't replicate, you
can't get back. There's nothing like it. And I think
those were like just like the two best parts. Showing
up to the locker room every morning just to shit talk,
just to banter, just to like get the vibes with
(07:25):
the with the players. And then obviously like the very
biggest moments. I've watched, you know, w finals, I've watched
World Cup finals, I've even just like watching the Euros
that are happening right now watching a tennis final, I'm like, oh,
that is just like and I obviously was lucky to
play in a number of them, and there's nothing like
(07:48):
getting to the moment where this is the point of it,
like this is why you do all the other bullshit
that sucks, and like you're running in the rain not
to like be like I'm disciplined. No, that's the run
in the rain, so you can get to the final
and like.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Have that moment those That's the only thing I would
ever go back to.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I've listened to Glennan Doyle and Aby Wambach on their
podcast and also on your podcast talk to you and
Sue about the high of winning and how it doesn't
last as long as you think it will. It's wonderful,
it's amazing, but even the very next day when you
get up to celebrate even more, you've already lost a
little bit of the edge from the night before, right
(08:29):
after the victory. Does that seem to carry over post
sports or can you find longer satisfaction in the career
wins in the life wins? Are you learning how to
reset your brain so that it isn't about the build
up to the thing and then when the thing's over
there's a letdown.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Well, I'm certainly resetting, reframing my brain and like my
nervous system and all of that. I think I still
for sure have the like thrill seeking because that was
just built whether it was a game or a goal
or a tournament. I am finding the I think the
(09:08):
growth part is like seeking out things that have like
a longer tail of enjoyment and of satisfaction and of
like comfort in a lot of ways, I think so
much of sports is just being on the edge at
all moments, mentally, physically, emotionally, And it's like, yeah, if
(09:30):
you're on the right side of that.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Edge, you're doing great. If you're on the wrong side
of that edge.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And either way, you're pumping cortisol NonStop, which like ultimately
for a lifetime is unhealthy.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Is husual aments, Yeah, and it's difficult to sustain. And
I think in the beginning when I first retired, I
just found myself either either wanting those moments even just subconsciously,
or just feeling the absence of like there's no like
roller coaster to ride. But I think being out of
(10:04):
it a little bit more, I'm able to. I think
I've like built this muscle, like even just like going
for a walk or having a slow afternoon, or learning
new skills, or just like the enjoyment of just like
calming down and being in a really different place is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Like it's hard.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
You kind of have to like let go of that rope,
float around for a bit and then before you're kind
of getting I feel like I'm just now sort of
getting on the other side of that and being able
to be like, oh, that's what that means. That's why
a walk is so nice, right, That's why ballads is
so nice.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So that's why cooking is so nice.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
I'm actually able to like feel that in my body
now way more than I have.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And it's nice that that happens as we get older
and we do start to appreciate things that we can
do as older people, because you know, you get restricted
down the other step. And for you, in particular, your
retirement was so sudden. It wasn't just that you knew
it was coming and this will be my last game,
but due to the aforementioned Achilles eating, you didn't finish
the game, and then you didn't get to wake up
the next day and be like, oh, do I want
(11:08):
to go for a run in my first day of
retirement or chill? Instead, it was Okay, I'm going to
be in a freaking boot and do rehab. I don't
think you've talked much about the process of rehabbing the
achilles Wowell retired and being like, oh, I'm not working
back toward being a World Cup athlete anymore. I'm just
working back toward like making my like function for the
rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
What was that?
Speaker 5 (11:28):
Like?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
You know, in one sense, it was like easier that
it happened the way that it did, because I was
still just like there.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
I was like, I have to rehab.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Now I've rehabbed probably seventy five percent of what I
would of. I was like, you know, when you're an athlete,
you're like psycho about it, you know, doing every single
little thing. And I was like, I'm going to do enough,
and like I'm fine now I can run. And I
rehabbed a grade and all of that. But it almost
made it easier because I had a little bit of structure.
(12:01):
I had some like discipline and some guard rails and
some like babying basically still happening because I had to
like you know, get surgery and show up and getting
coached up on the getting coached up, and I have
you know, an amazing physical therapist Kyle, who I still
work with, who is like the perfect balance because I
just like want to go in there and yack and
(12:21):
like I want to like do my rehab, but I
also just want to like mess around and stay healthy
and and do all the things. But it was also
like incredibly difficult because I mean, anybody who's had an achilles,
it's just the first two months just suck.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
You're like in the next twenty years, yeah, if you
get a shitting search in your OK.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah yeah, O'Malley who's become the aforementioned sort of Achilles guy.
He has has been for a long time, does a
ton of ton of US pro athletes. He did a
great job. But it's just like you're not weight bearing
and you're either on crutches or the scooter. But even
like around the house was the worst. If if something's
like one foot outside of your you know your range, I'm.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Just like ough, now I'm hopping.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
So that was like arduous, I think in a time
where like I was so tired and so done and
so ready to retire, Like I really was excited about retiring,
and just like having that burden on the back end
was difficult. And then I think just the actual game,
like that is so I I of course I do
(13:26):
not want.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
That to be the last time I ever played.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
I have two really difficult moments and like the last
meaningful times that I ever played for my national team obviously,
and for the rain in the league, and like part
of it is like so poetic because it's just like
that is so life, and I've had the highest of
eyes and the lowest of lows. So there's something I
really do appreciate about it. But like, no, I wanted
(13:52):
to play the game. I was feeling good. I wanted
to finish out the season and do that, and I,
you know, I don't really feel like anything was taken
from me because that's what you do. You go out
on the field, and you know, if it would have
happened like the day before in practice that week, that
would have been even worse.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
But this is like you go out and play and
there's always sort of that risk.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
But yeah, it's like, in a way, of course it
happened this way, and it feels like, you know, totally
perfect that it did. And then in a way it's like, yeah,
I wish I had a time machine and I don't know,
could like fit some tape or he'll lift in there
or something.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
We got to take a quick break more with Pino.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Right after this, A lot of your teammates former teammates
have retired in the time since you left. In fact,
we're recording this on Tuesday ahead of the US women's
national team PA Players Ball where they're going to honor
(14:52):
a handful of players, Tobin Heath, Becky Sowerbrun, Alex Morgan,
sam Us, Kelly O'Hara, Meghan Klingenberg. It's just this whole
era of player that meant so much to the national team.
What's it feel like on the other side watching someone
hang them up.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Oh, it's been so like surreal almost to see, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
All of us do this over. It's kind of like
it feels just like a steady.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Succession.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I mean, I think more than anything, I feel pride
because every single one of these players retiring, You're just like, Wow,
that's like one of the most influential female athletes in
our country and certainly on our program. And everybody has
like their own very unique special story, and I know
(15:40):
them all inside out. Like we played the bulk of
our career together. We did all of these things together.
We built so much together, we fought through so much,
we laughed so much, so many dinners and locker rooms
and games and championships and parties and all of it.
So it's like I don't feel a ton of sadness honestly,
(16:01):
because I'm just like, yeah, this is this is sort.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Of what happens.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
I think, you know, more than anything, I feel like
pride and joy and our generation left the game in
such a different place, and I would argue such a
better place than it's ever been.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
And like the way that the game is going.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Now is such a testament to our group's fight and
our group's tenacity and skill and joy and personality and
all of it. We had so many elements that were
needed at that time, and like, just to look at
what's happening now, the success of the national team. I mean,
obviously everybody saw us in Paris, just like the proudest
(16:40):
antis you could ever be being there. Like, I think
we all feel that about the game, and you can tell,
and it's really cool to see all of us pouring
back into it obviously in podcasts and business and investing
and media and commentating and in all the ways that
we're doing it, Like you can tell how much the
game means to us, but also how.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Much we mean to the game.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, you know, I want to ask you about that,
because the US women's national team has stood for so
much more than just great soccer players. They've had to
fight for more and you were a part of a
team that fought for equal pay, the team that threatened
to boycott ahead of the ninety six Olympics to get
a better contract. All these battles over the years, not
just for the current team that was playing, but for
the next generation of players to come. And I think
(17:23):
it also led to a lot of you finding a
voice that you used to speak up for others as well,
whether that's LGBTQ rights or racial justice. And in your case,
you wore Britney Griner's initials to the White House to
draw attention to her detention in Russia. We may never
have a player quite like you when it comes to
being sort of a walking protest.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Maybe we will. I hope we will.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
But it feels like, just in general, the national team
as a whole has been quieter of late when it
comes to advocacy. Do you think that's a fair characterization,
And do you think it has to do with specific
players on the team with what's going on in the world,
or do you think with less of a need to fight,
they don't feel that urge for activism overall.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Quite as much.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I mean, I think the first thing I saying, I
hope nobody has to fight like our generation had to
fight or stand up for all the things, so hopefully
that's that's part of it.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I do think that the team has been quiet.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I don't even think that's like a controversial thing to
say or a thing that you can argue. I think
they absolutely have coming off an era that had like
gigantic personalities, whether it was Alex or myself or Carly
or Hope or Tobin or Press or Kelly, like all
(18:37):
of us had these huge personalities, and then collectively as
a team, we have this huge personality and we have
you know, the.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Equal pay and racial justice and a different time in
the country and all that.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So I think there's naturally going to be like a
little vacuum that happens where it's like players haven't been
able to step into who they are quite yet. And
I think things have gotten a lot better, Like Okay,
you're obviously not gonna be finding for equal pay anymore
or protesting that or talking about that, so like that's
a huge topic that's like the off the table, So
(19:11):
I think I won't say, like, as things get better,
players get quieter, but like they'll find their things that
they need to turn the screw on and that they
need to go full gas on.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
And I would always say this to.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Players, whether it's national team players, soccer players, basketball players, whatever,
like the more you are involved, the better it's going
to be for you, Like the more you use your voice,
the more you're in on the CBA, the more educated
you are on.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
The business of it.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Because while things have gotten better, of course now it's like, Okay,
this player got transferred for a million dollars, Like is
that even enough?
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Like is that market value? Is your salary enough?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Or the right?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
How much of that are they getting right exactly?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
So I think they'll find their ways into the thing
that they care about. And I think they'll also find
that the less they use their voice, the worse it's
going to get for them, or the slower the progress
is going to be.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Like that that's just natural.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
So I think that would like if I would have
a warning shot, which is not really a warning shot,
but like the less you do, the worse it will
be for you. So like, be involved in those things,
be involved in the PA, be involved in in the
CBA negotiations, like be involved in your own brand. I
always say this, like it's yours. Like the players, the
game is yours. Your own brand is yours. Your your
(20:35):
ability to control it is yours.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
It's whether you own it or not.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
So like you can either own it all and have
a huge hand in it, or someone else can own
it for you.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
But like, no matter what, like it's yours.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
So I think the more that they're involved and the
more they have time to kind of step into that
and build those voices and find those voices, and honestly,
it takes certain personalities to do that. I mean, I
would argue that m Hayes is the biggest of the
women's national team right now, and I think she's happy
to do that. I also think the players are happy
for that. Some of them obviously outdue to injury, out
(21:09):
do maternity leave. Other players are stepping up, but I
just think it's kind of a mix of all of that.
But yeah, again, the more you use your voice and
are involved, the better the environment is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Going to be for you.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
And I think something I've been thinking a lot about
as like the larger political landscape is changing so drastically
with the new administration, is that they always warned that
in political times of what feel like calm for those
whose party is in power and who things are going
well for, there does tend to be a relaxing and
during that time, you sort of think everything's fixed without
(21:43):
recognizing that the other side is working double time to
get back.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And that's when ree View Wade gets overturned.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
And that's when this administration starts taking things back that
we've sort of started taking for granted. So sometimes in
the calm moments is actually when you need to be
working double hard to get things passed while the things
that are in place, people that are in place are
more likely to be amenable to it. And so right
now it feels like we're so overwhelmed by the millions
of things that are going wrong, and I'm thinking, man,
(22:09):
a couple of years ago, we should have been pushing
for even more of the things that we wanted so
that it'd be harder for them to claw them back,
which is something to consider for women athletes right now,
as we worry about like what's what's to come? I
wonder you know, you're such an incredible voice for progressive women,
pushing us to demand more and expect more and deserve more.
And I've told you this before, but I look up
to you so much because I need women who are
(22:30):
even bolder than I am, who are even more fearless
than I am, who are even more out ahead of
things than I am, because I feel like I am,
and I still get scared sometimes or still feel like
I need to step back sometimes.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
When, if ever, have you.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Felt scared or nervous about standing up for yourself or
marginalized groups for whom you advocate.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
I mean, I think it's always like in the mix.
Some for sure, you're always sort of like making the calculation.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
I think for me it's like do I believe in
it or not?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
And if I do, then it's going to be something
that I want to talk about and I want.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
To stand for and I want to be there for.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
I think the larger thing is like strategy. So I
think that you know, especially from twenty sixteen to twenty
there was like a particular strategy that was working. It
was bull it was up front, it was sort of
banging the drum, it was explicit. Maybe that's not working
as well or as much now, Okay, so how do
we shift strategy? I mean, I think there's a really
(23:29):
interesting opportunity right now for women's sports and for women
athletes and female athletes.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
It's like the.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Tide of the country sort of moving more conservative, or
you could say that obviously with this administration and the
roll back of everything and just progressive values in general.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
And yet women's sports is the.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Most popular thing that's happening right So everybody seems to
be fine with that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
They love going to watch the basketball games, they love
going to watch the national team.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So like, what is that opportunity that you can use
as a female athlete to say, like, Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
We're rolling back Roe v.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
Wade or we're rolling back all of these rights, and
yet you still want to watch me play.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
And yet you still want this to happen.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
You still want your daughter to have the opportunity and
your son to have the opportunity to grow up in
this kind of world. So like you're still the role model.
And I think that's something that's so special about athletes,
like just by nature of sports, like you're setting the
right example, you're doing the right thing, you're trying your hardest,
you're working with your teammates, you're you know, having respect
(24:37):
for other people, you have discipline, you have joy, you're playing,
it's good for your body, all of these things.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
So I think that's how I.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Encourage athletes now, because it is daunting. I mean, I
think it's daunting for me personally, it's daunting just in general.
It's like such a flood of just insanity and horror,
quite frankly, And so, how do we use the thing
that has always been our best skill and our most
important thing in our biggest cudgel?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Really?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
How do we continue to use that to talk about
the things we care about and to articulate and narrate
the world we want to live in, not necessarily trying
to combat everything that we're experiencing right now.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Well, and to your point of it being a cudgel,
I think leagues can use it by telling places, hey,
we're not bringing a team, an expansion team to your city,
a city where women do not have control of their
own health care decisions. We do not feel comfortable in
a sport that drafts players somewhere where they don't choose
to go, where they will not be in control of
what they do with their bodies. And I think there
(25:39):
can be certainly some discussions about safety and otherwise that
can help them use it to say, you're not getting
the revenue and the attention and the excitement that our
league would bring to you unless you start to address
some of the ways that you're not a safe place
for women.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
And also just like provide the games in general.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
The experience and the fanfare and the environment that is
women's sports leagues and is categorically different, and it's expressive
and it's radical. It always has been and always will be.
So that's just like almost like a safe space within
a city. Like I'm going, you know, to the Kansas
City game. I'm like, I love that I'm going to
(26:14):
that game.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
I'm going to feel safe.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I'm going to express myself and I'm going to be
able to show up with my friends, my family, whatever
that looks like. I think those spaces are really important
to just to exist in jail and to protect as
more money comes in, as more owners come in that
are from the men's leagues with the money as opposed
to maybe being endemic to the women's space, making sure
that they still protect an honor.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
And center of the players in the way that it
has been. You are still treated like a target by
the far right. They love me, and because of the
current extremely media landscape, your name is often invoked as
a way to signal wokeness with tons of literal fake
news headlines like Megan Rappino disqualified from Pro Soccer Hall
(26:56):
of Fame, which you know not true.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
How do you deal with this?
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Do you have a strategy Like if a family member's like.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Hey, did you see this?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Or if you happen upon something, or if you, god forbid,
accidentally read the comments, which I literally never do.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
What how do you even process and deal with it?
You know?
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I learned this very early on after kneeling, and I
feel like it was just such an epiphany for Kaepernick.
For those who don't remember, yeah, yeah, kneeling with Colin Kaepernick.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It was such an epiphany moment for me, and it
was like, it's not real. This isn't real for me,
this isn't the world I live in. Sometimes it has
real life consequences, yes, but like the President tweeted at
me two different World Cups in a row, I had
the exact opposite performance in the World Cups and he
basically said the same thing. So I'm like, this isn't
(27:45):
this isn't real. Like the headline that I got kicked
out of a Guy Fieri restaurant that's obviously fake.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
And like kind of funny.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Too much doggy sauce, Yeah, too much, too many bleached
tips for both of us. I don't know what's happening.
I look at it like, what is actually happening? Like
some of the stuff. Yeah, Like I've had extra security
at games because there's death threats and we want to
be safe. But I think for the most part, like
(28:12):
a they talk about me because they're scared of me
and they don't like what I say, And I'm like
an avatar for this world that they don't want, which
is where people can be themselves and progressive ideals and
everybody can kind of go about their business, so they
(28:33):
sort of I see myself as like an avatar and
a real person. Like it's like I'm also like, what's
the opposite of wokeness, like a sleepness?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'd rather not I'd rather be awake to it.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
But I think my strategy really is just to like
stay rooted in reality. I'm amazing partner obviously in Sue
who keeps me grounded and family and people that I
work with, And I'm also like, what do I want
to say, like, I can't control what happens and in
the right wing sort of media sphere or when they
use me or when they don't, or what they say
(29:04):
about me, but I can control what I say, what
I'm messaging. I always feel like the more I am
mentioned over there, the closer I am to the white
hot center. That's usually how it goes. The more that
I'm onto something.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Or Yes, I feel the same way. There's a certain
site that it's like it always pings me. I have
a Google alert mainly for like this show or to
see if things get picked up. Yeah, and when I
get on there all the time for things unrelated to me,
but they have to make sure they squeeze my name
in there. I'm like, I'm in your freaking head, Yeah,
and you're so pissed because I'm getting it right and
I'm hitting you where it hurts, and so You've got
(29:40):
to keep bringing me up and trying to take me down.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
But to your point, it's not real. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I think there's also a part of it which I
try to talk about this and like I think is
a real part of social media. There's like a huge
number of just fake accounts and their whole job is
to either aren't the controversy themselves or I'm sure they
have a list of hot button words and it's probably
like Kaepernick, Mangarpino, Kaitlin Clark, WNBA, Angel Reese like whoever,
(30:11):
or trans athletes, trans athletes, god forbid the like one
kid in Louisiana, I want to play softball whatever.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
I think, Like, those things are very real.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
So it's like, what is really happening, Like, Okay, a
narrative or a headline is popping off, Okay, like where
did it come from? Who wrote about it? What's actually happening?
Where did it originate? Is it real?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Like is it actually real? You've experienced this a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
We've experienced this around women's sports, especially and particularly in
the W the last couple of years, a lot of
these like headlines started out fake and they have no
and it's like, it's not what the players feel, it's
not what actually happened for the players. It's not what's
happening in in arena. It's not always happening to the fans.
So I think for us all to be really aware
(30:56):
of that and have a really healthy dose of skepticism
when it comes to social media in particular, and the
social media companies aren't doing anything really because it's driving
numbers and that's sort of what they care about. They're
not really doing anything to steymy it, so like we
have to be aware of it.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Speaking of the aforementioned great partner, SUPERD, let's talk about
the podcast a touch. More episodes air on Thursdays on Apple, Spotify, YouTube,
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
I just love it so much.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
It's so fun and smart and tackles the tough stuff
and the light stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
What are you learning about yourself?
Speaker 1 (31:34):
The dynamic between athletes and media, the idea of trying
to cover it all but focus on the things that
you care about too, Like, as you become media, what
are you learning? Oh gosh, the experience of being a
podcaster is so funny, Like all the time.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Soon I look at each other and we're like, what
is happening? Who signed us up for this? And then
we're like, oh my god, we did. It's been a
total learning curve. It's been really hard times because we
went from like being the one interviewed. It's so easy
to answer questions and say what you think and feel
and someone asks you what you think and feel and
at least yeah, now I'm having to show up and
(32:11):
be like, wait, I have to like bring up what
I want to say and what I feel, and like,
you know, round it.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Out, do some research, do some research. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
So we you know, we want ultimately to do justice
to the place that we love the most, which is
women's sports, and we want to talk about it obviously
from our perspective. I think we both have such a
unique perspective just having played so long, but in this
era when it went from what it went from when
I was, you know, twenty two to what it is now,
(32:42):
like we've seen an unbelievable expansion and growth from from
every different metric, So like how are we seeing it?
We know so many of the ins and outs of
like how we got here and how you know, from
five years ago, this is exactly why we're here and
this is where we're going in five years, and then
we want to like be respectful of the place, like
so many of these players are our friends and like
(33:02):
people who we you know, really respect, and it's like
it's hard to be like, oh, this player's not playing well,
or I want to see this more or comment on
you know, things that are happening. We don't want to
be the like salacious goss but also like we want
a fun, entertaining show, and I think there's room for
all of it. And I love seeing what's happening just
(33:26):
in like the women's sports media landscape. There's so many
players coming in. Your pod is one of them.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I told you that, I absolutely love it. Like we
need it all.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
We need the commentary, we need the journalism, we need
the entertainment, we need the former players, and so we
just try to like bring our perspective, be honest, talk
about the game in a way that we would have
wanted talked about, and the things that interest us. And
then obviously there's our unique relationship aspect about it.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
And it's like we're Sharon.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Vicker's and we're cracking love and like we're we're doing
this podcast together and it's like the Hull Air and
we're both trying to figure it out and sort of
waiting our way into retirement, you know, one big step
at a time.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I'm almost always a sue. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I
need a sue to be a me.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
We got to take a quick break more with Pino.
Right after this, you and Sue are a ridiculous power couple.
Obviously your combined powers are enviable, but it's got to
be complicated to to work and live together and also
(34:34):
to be making sure that you yourself. Do you ever
have to remind folks like, hey, we're two separate people.
Sometimes this offers for me and sometimes it's for her.
Sometimes this job or this opportunity is something I should do,
but I'm not bringing her, or this isn't a right
fit for her.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Does that happen a lot.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Yeah, for sure, and definitely something that we've had to
navigate and evolve and like strategize around. Frankly, over the
course of our relationship. I feel like when we first
got together it was like, yeah, we're both just sort
of there, but neither of us like you know, wildly
popular or women's sports was just in a totally different place.
And then for so long we were playing, so we
(35:11):
sort of naturally had this break between who we were
and we got to have a really big individual space.
And I definitely noticed, you know, when we both were
retired and around that time, it was just like I
could see how easy it would be and it would
have been, and how much people want that they want
Sue in Meghan. They want, you know, whether it's a
(35:32):
power couple or because we're gay, or because we're.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Never Megan and Sue.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
Yeah, it's always souone Meg. You gotta get the shorter
one in there first. And we've talked a lot, both
personally with our couple's therapists, but also with our team
and with the people we do business with, like let's
be really strategic about where this makes more sense for Megan,
where this makes more sense for Sue, and then being
(35:57):
really specific about where the overlap and obviously the POD
is such a big part of that, but it's like
I want to have my own life also, and Sue
wants to have her own life also, and there's things
that like she does that I could never do and
would never want to do, and vice versa, and just
being like really thoughtful about that, so like ultimately we
(36:18):
can get the best out of ourselves and still have
you know, at the end of the day, we're professional athletes,
like our egos are there. We need that sort of
like personal space and time for ourselves. It's really important
and I think just from a personal perspective, like we're
working together, that's very different. We're used to, you know,
being on separate teams and traveling, so like, where's the
(36:39):
time for just myself, for just Sue, And then where's
the time just for us as a couple outside of work.
You know, it's like, especially when it's this kind of
work and it's all kind of remote and it's like
kind of always happening at the same time, and it
can always sort of be happening, So trying to be
really thoughtful about where we just really put it down
and you know, turn the mic off and get to
(37:00):
just bes.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yeah, speaking of being you, you got engaged in twenty twenty,
no pressure or anything.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You're allowed to have a private life. But is there
a date for the wedding?
Speaker 1 (37:10):
Did you already get married and you're just gonna like
sneaky style drop wife in an interview like Tobin and
Kristen Just yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
I know.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
I'm like, have they been married for like two minutes
or two hundred minutes?
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Right?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
No, there's there's no date yet. I know everybody wants
the party.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
I get it. I want to pass. I totally get it. No,
there's no date.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
We're not married yet. I think if we got married,
we want to own it, and you know, I hope
so just because I'm almost kill me. Also, yeah, I
want to see all the photos of everyone there and
all the Yeah, I want the I want the like
live stream wedding like we got with the World Cup
win where it was just like several days.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Who was that that was?
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I think it was Acelin, Yes, Ashelan and Alley Long,
Ashlin and Alley Long.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
We're like the queens of giving us almost like a
forty eight straight hours of like now we're at the
pool and everyone's mostly dead, and now we're going at
Good Morning America and now we're on top of a bar.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
That's what I want for the wedding. It's just a
small ass.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Just give us all forty eight straight hours of insight
into your personal Oh yeah, exactly what else are you
working on besides the pod? And how do you decide
what to say yes too? Because to your point, you've
probably been asked a million things and your time could
be taken up every moment while also trying to say, like,
hey do I like flowers and bird watching?
Speaker 3 (38:25):
Yeah, I started developing my no button while I was
while I was playing I think, you know, having the
experience of twenty nineteen and that, like lightning in a bottle,
said yes to so much, don't regret any of it.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
And then I was like, whoa, you cannot say yes
this much.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
This is nuts unless I had like literally four four
other like clones of myself.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, the twin needs to be more identical. Oh that's
whe gosh.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
That would that would really I'm like, it's fifty to fifty,
go like, let's just go for it. I wish, I wish.
I think now I'm like, what do I really like?
What am I passionate about? What do I really want
to do that I'm going to be excited about spending
my time on. I still have a great partnership with Nike,
which I'm able to get in there and do some
(39:10):
designing and like use the kind of like creative branding
stuff that I love so much. Actually going to the
euro Final with Nike, so that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
Cannot wait. I think some stuff is just like does
it move me?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
You know, like some whether it's it's not really so
much about money. I mean at some point, like a
certain price tag is like yes, I'm getting on that plane.
But at some points, like Do I care about this?
Do I like doing this is something that I'm interested?
Do I like this person? Do I like what they're about?
I think it's kind of that. And then it's like
I'm framing it right now in the way of like, yeah,
(39:46):
is this going to like add to my life or
is this taking away from something that I actually want
to do, whether it's like a walk or not travel
or cooking or doing something else. And being thoughtful about
like just carving time out to do nothing thing I
think is really hard for me and really hard for athletes,
but I'm like getting a little bit better at it
and kind of seeing the benefits that you can have.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
I interviewed this guy years ago, and I took away
this one piece of advice that I really try to
apply and I'm very bad at it, but I'm working
on it, which is, when you say yes to something,
make sure you understand you're saying no to something else.
And so if you want to do it, that's fine,
but like it could like you said, just be no
to taking a walk or taking a nap or watching
a television show you like or something, and so if
(40:31):
you do it too often, you end up saying no
to all those other things that feel unscheduled but only
happen if you don't have.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Something on the schedule. So I've been working on that.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Speaking of we've taken up too much of your time.
So last two, this one's real easy. What's on your
to do list for this decade in your forties?
Speaker 2 (40:47):
What's the big what's the big to do list? Oh,
the big to do list?
Speaker 1 (40:51):
Or something being out there, something huge, something unreachable, something
embarrassing if it doesn't happen because it's such a big want.
Oh gosh, Well, I want to become really good at photography.
I've just bought my first camera, like actually like film camera,
(41:12):
and I'm like looking at it over there.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I'm like, oh, it's hard. I like really don't know
what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
Like like you want to go in a dark room
and all that. Yeah, I want to do the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
I want to like become actually good at It's like
you travel so much.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
You have you know, you got a phone, you take pictures,
they never go anywhere.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
That is like a fun thing that I want to do.
And then oh man, I mean it's it's like I
just still want to do the world domination thing. I
want to be one of the places and build something
that can be one of the places where women's sports
like can really live branding, marketing, growth, like the creative
(41:53):
guidance and sort of like architecture of this next phase
in women's sports.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
That's like what I really am passionate. Oh I'm excited.
I just got so excited for you to do that.
Get on it. Okay, and then last question.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Your show always uh asks people being interviewed bench Stark cut.
So we're gonna make you do our version, which is good, gooder,
gooddest in honor of good gudest. Okay, so good good er, goodest,
Sam Coffee's t shirt, tuck, Lynn Biandolo's leg sleeve, and
Laura Harvey's cooler chair.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Oh man, I mean I'm cutting the legs sleeve because
I'm just like, I.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
Don't cut anything.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Thankfully, we're a little kind of you say, Okay, just
good legs leaves.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
Good, It's fine. And then gooder.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I'm going with the tuck because that's just like so funny.
If the cooler wasn't in here, that would be.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
In the Gooddest. The tuck is just so Sam too.
Speaker 3 (42:49):
It's like I am ready prepared, professional, and I'm going
to score some goals and do this.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
I love it so much. It's so good. It's just
like hilarious to me. And I love when people.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Have like self expression whatever that is in a very
uniform scenario. And then of course the cooler because she's
over there probably motherfucking someone or another buck to something
or having a winge about something or just strategizing. It's
like it's a tough job. She needs to take a
load off. Sometimes it's hot out there the turf.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
It's tough.
Speaker 3 (43:24):
Like she kind of sit it down so she can
get into her brain and obviously Harve's best to ever
do it, so gotta go that the gooddest.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
I hope when she sits she like me, goes, oh yeah,
she probably does.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
She's over forty, She's.
Speaker 1 (43:38):
Like, oh she's ready high for a seat, Megan. As
you can tell, I could talk to you for literally hours.
I'm very proud of myself because I am so obsessed
with you. I both consider you a friend and someone
I will just follow around like a little puppy because
I think you're the fucking best.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
So thank you so much for this time. Yeah, thank
you so much for having me on Big Fan. Thanks
so much to Megan for taking the time. Always so
good to catch up. We got to take another break
when we come back.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Dispatches from the Purple Carpet Welcome back slics. On Tuesday night,
I got to attend the US Women's National Team Players
Ball in LA, which is an annual big old bash
that they have this time to celebrate some newly retired players,
(44:27):
some fresh faces getting their first national team caps, and
forty years of the US women's national team. Hard to
believe it's been forty years. The event was actually originally
scheduled for back in January, but they had to push
it back because of the LA wildfires. So just major
shouts to the Players Association, bec Aru, Anny Reid, everyone
else behind the scenes for really working to make it
(44:48):
happen this week and make sure that the players got
their due and got to have this moment to celebrate.
The room was such a fun group of people, so
many friends of the show there, Comedian Aaron Foley, actor
Er Fight Master, agent Alison Gaylor, El Duncan and Andrea
Carter from ESPN, Abby Wambach, Tierna Davidson, Sydney.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
LaRue, Ali Reiley, Lauren Holiday.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
So many folks that have been on the show were there,
also our friends Sam UIs and Meghan Klingenberg. They were
actually honored alongside fellow retirees Alex Morgan, Kelly O'Hara and
Tobin Heath. And there was a ten year anniversary celebration
of the World Cup Team two from twenty fifteen.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
So it was just a really great night.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
It was a blast catching up with so many friends
from across the footy and women's sports space, and it's
always just fun watching the players get all glammed up
and let loose a little bit. Sadly, there was no
Roose Levelt performance this year, despite several requests from me,
but she did change into slippers midway through the party
and hop on stage with Crystal Dunn, Lynd Bian Doolo
and some others for a little dance party to the
(45:49):
Cheetah Girls song Strut. You may remember that was sort
of the song of the Summer Games for the gold
medal winners in Paris. A lot of US sing alongs
that made their way to social media last year of
that Cheetah Girls song.
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Leslie Jones hosted the event.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
There was also a performance from drag Queen glitteris Yeah,
you heard that right, including a very rousing rendition of
Pig Pony Club complete with a maine and a unicorn horn,
which was.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
A lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Before the party got going, I took a second to
chat with a couple of players about the retiring legends
getting honored, including talking to Crystal Dunn, who spoke about
the lasting impact of one of our faves, Sam Ewis.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
Take a listen.
Speaker 6 (46:28):
Sam has been someone who's been on my journey for
a very long time with me. We've played on so
many youth national teams together, obviously on the full team together,
and a bit of club obviously at North Carolina. And
she's even so much to the game. She is such
a light in every room that she walks into, and
she's just an amazing teammate. And I think, you know,
when you step away from the game, I think I am.
I hope she's most proud of the fact that she's
(46:48):
made such an impact in everybody's life.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
And I caught up with Emily Fox, who said she'll
remember this retiring group of players as a huge force
for equality here.
Speaker 4 (46:56):
She is, I mean, really just like their legacy and
will pay lawsuit in terms of like all of them
and effort that they put in to make that possible
for all of us. I feel like people still don't
realize how big of the deal that is.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
And I feel like I'm constantly reminded.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Every day, like how lucky we are because of them.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
I wouldn't say lucky, but just fortunate that they gave
us that.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
So yeah, And I even chatted with one of the
retirees herself, Alex Morgan, who talked about taking the journey
from Newby to retiree with fellow honorees Becky Sower Brunt,
Tobin Heath, and Kelly O'Hara.
Speaker 5 (47:28):
Here's Alex, was it twenty twelve, twenty eleven, Oh my goodness,
just like literally eyes wide open, being like, okay, what's
going on. We're all kind of the newbies here, and
now we're like done, we're retired, and just to think,
like more than fifteen years later, just having so much
fun with all of them for fifteen years and like
(47:49):
getting to know them on such like a deep level
and now just all us all going our own ways
and our own business ventures.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Just been a long journey but really fulfilling.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
It was just a really fun, fabulous night, and it's
always so fun to see the greats get their due
and see such a big spectacle.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
For women's sports and women's athletes.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
The only regret I have is that last time I
went to the Player's Ball, I got a handful of
players and folks and attendance to make one of my
patented human pyramids.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
This is something I like to do at parties.
Speaker 1 (48:22):
And we all got on our knees, made the pyramid,
glam gowns and all.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
And this year I forgot. So there's always next year.
I'll be back.
Speaker 1 (48:30):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good game play. At the day, we mentioned that we're
headed to Indy and producer Mesh is going to be
there too, part of a really cool event in downtown
India on Friday. They're going to be helping host a
roundtable discussion with former players from the Women's Professional Basketball
League aka the WBL. It was the first ever women's
pro basketball league in the US, and the event is
(48:53):
in tandem with the Can't Retire From This Project, which
is a women's hoops brand and community that Mesh is
part of so there's gonna be a workshop the event
where attendees can make their own basketball planners to take
home and house little plant babies, and food and drinks
will be there too, so if you're interested, you can
hit up Mesha's DMS for more info.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
It is a free event and.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
If you can't make that, Mesh will also be at
WNBA Live inside the Indiana Convention Center all day on
Saturday at the door dash booth, so you can grab
some tickets stop buy say hi.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
We'll link to where you can purchase them in our
show notes.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
And of course I'll be bouncing around all over Indy
for All Star as well my live interviews. One of
them has sold out and one of them is private,
so unfortunately I can't shout those out. But I will
be at plenty of other events and activations, so if
you see me, please make sure to say hi.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
Because I love meat and slices in the wild.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
We always love to hear from you, so hit us
up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or
leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o
four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
I always tell y'all it's really easy watch enforcing vague
WNBA dress code rules, rating zero out of ten cool
points review. Friend of the Show Ben Pickman reported that
(50:02):
the WNBA issued fine warnings last week to New York
Liberty players Natasha Cloud and Isabel Harrison for wait for it,
wearing hats on the bench while sidelined with injury. Both
Cloud and Harrison were sitting out of the Liberty's home
victory over the Las Vegas Aces, and Cloud was wearing
a black hat that said Calm before the Storm, while
(50:22):
Harrison was wearing a white beret.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Cloud told Pickman she.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
Didn't even know she could be penalized for wearing a
hat on the sideline of a game she was not
playing in, and she's clearly annoyed that the league is
enforcing the little known rule now. Not being transparent about
what the rules are, when they're enforced, and when players
are fined for infractions has been a topic of conversation
in the w for quite some time. Both coaches and
players want more clarity about the rules and when they're
(50:48):
being enforced, and Cloud also wants the league to focus
on more important things than bench fits. She said, quote,
I just feel like we're doing nitpicky shit. I'd rather
the w focus on actual things than trying to take
our money for wearing what we want to wear and
expressing ourselves. End quote us too, Tash, us too. Now
it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening. See
(51:09):
you tomorrow. Good game, Pino, Good game, Pino's Achilles surgeon.
Speaker 2 (51:14):
Thank you, my Achilles surgeon.
Speaker 1 (51:18):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(51:39):
Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 2 (51:44):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.
Speaker 1 (51:46):
Production assistance from Avery Loftus and I'm your host Sarah
Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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