September 26, 2025 • 29 mins
North Carolina Courage player Brianna Pinto joins Sarah to discuss the Black Women’s Player Collective’s upcoming high school showcase, what her Courage team is focusing on as the NWSL playoffs approach, and her desire to one day work for FIFA. Plus, survey says the soccer industry has some work to do, the WNBA semifinals continue tonight, and some really cute softball and gay shit.
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Follow Brianna Pinto on Instagram here
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Follow the Black Women’s Player Collective here
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Pick up some Black Women’s Player Collective merch here
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Read Meghan L. Hall’s story for USA Today on the Jonas Brothers/Phoenix Mercury fan drama here
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The NWSL schedule can be found here
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Read more about the bleak takeaways from Women in Football’s survey results here
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And find the full WIF survey here
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Check out Sierra Romero and Addison Caldwell’s cute proposal here
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Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
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Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
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Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist
Mark as Played
Transcript
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 remembering
the time when college me went to an after party
at most Stef's mansion in LA and you couldn't tell
me shit for weeks. I am urging the youngsters out
there to pull up some black star tunes. Start with respiration,
with common good stuff. Don't worry, this wreck will make
sense after today's interview. It's Friday, September twenty sixth, Happy Friday. Places.
(00:24):
On today's show, we'll be talking with North Carolina Courage
midfielder and Black Women's Player Collective board member Brianna Pinto
about the bwpc's upcoming first of its kind showcase for
high school players, her team's push to make the NWSL postseason,
and her desire to one day work for FIFA. You
will not only be impressed by Brianna, you might start
to doubt what the hell you're doing with your own life.
(00:46):
Plus survey says the soccer industry has some work to do.
The WNBA semifinals continue tonight, and some really cute softball
engage shit. It's all coming up right after this Welcome
(01:08):
back slices. Here's what you need to know today in hoops.
The WNBA Semifinals continue tonight. Each series is tied to
a game apiece, and both shift locations for Game three,
moving to the lower seeds home court. The Indiana Fever
will host the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and
the Phoenix Mercury will host the Minnesota Links at PHX Arena.
(01:30):
Vegas and Indie tipoff first at seven thirty pm Eastern,
followed by the Mark and the Links at nine thirty Eastern,
both on ESPN two. Indiana and Phoenix will each host
Game fours on Sunday as well. Tip Offs are at
three pm Eastern and eight pm Eastern, respectively. And you
remember we told you that the Jonas Brothers concert was
supposed to be Sunday night in Phoenix but has now
(01:51):
been rescheduled for Monday to accommodate the Mercury. Well, since
the move, there's been some real beef between Joe Brose
fans and WNBA fans on social media. We'll link to
a story about it by meganel Hall in the show notes. Yall,
can't we just get along? More? W New York Liberty
General Manager Jonathan Colb spoke to reporters in an exit
(02:11):
interview on Thursday morning, clarifying some of the reasoning behind
not renewing head coach Sandy Brondello's contract, Colb said, quote,
very serious thought and consideration was made to retaining Sandy,
but ultimately we determined that evolution and innovation is what
is needed at this time end quote. Brondelo is the
first coach in league history to be let go the
season after winning a championship, but Cold told the press quote,
(02:35):
You're somewhat playing with fire if you make decisions based
on the past. I think our organization has always taken
pride in being innovative and looking forward and being future
oriented and process based. End quote. He also said he
has the utmost confidence that the team stars Brianna Stewart,
Sabrina Yonescu, and John Qwell Jones, who are all free
agents in twenty twenty six, will want to return to
(02:57):
college hoops. You may remember we told you back in
August that Tennessee's senior guard Ruby Whitehorn had been charged
with aggravated burglary and domestic assault. Now those charges were
lowered to misdemeanors of vandalism and aggravated criminal trespass, and
she is now back as a full participant with the team.
Head coach Kim Caldwell initially placed Whitehorn on an indefinite
(03:18):
suspension during the legal matter, and told the Daily Beacon
student newspaper about the decision to bring her back earlier
this week. Quote, it's not an ideal situation. It's not
a situation that reflects our program the way we want
it to. There's a strong legacy here and it did
not withhold the name of the brand. She later continued, quote,
it's also my job to coach my players. My players
(03:39):
are young people, and they make mistakes. We gave her
a penalty that was pretty severe, and if she batted
an eye to that, or didn't want to do that,
or wasn't going to bend over backwards to make up
for what she did to the brand of this program
by failing to meet the standard, then we were going
to move on. End quote. Whitehorn was a key piece
of the Tennessee team last season, averaging eleven point six
points per game to Soccer. We've got three games on
(04:00):
the schedule tonight and both of the co leaders of
the NWSL Golden Boot race will be in action trying
to add to their totals. First, Esterere Gonzales will look
to shine in a critical matchup between Gotham FC and
the Portland Thorns, teams that sit at three and four
in the NWSL table. That matchup begins at eight pm
Eastern on NWSL Plus. Also at eight Eastern, co Golden
(04:21):
Boot leader Temwshewingo will look to stay hot as her
Kansas City current hosts The Last Place Chicago Stars on
Prime Video. Chicago will be playing to keep its postseason
hopes alive. They'll be eliminated from playoff contention with a
draw or a loss. Then at ten thirty Eastern, it's
the Orlando Pride hosting the San Diego Wave back on
NWSL Plus and streaming on Paramount Plus. More games Saturday
(04:44):
and Sunday two, of course, so a link to the
full NWSL schedule in our show notes. More soccer. As
I mentioned in the show intro, the Black Women's Player Collective,
a nonprofit organization founded by black NWSL players, announced this
week it will co host a showcase in November featuring
two twenty to thirty of the best black high school
soccer players in the country. The event, officially called the
(05:05):
Next Wave National showcase will be held in Texas in
partnership with All State and Black Star Media. We'll have
way more on this event and what inspired it later
in the show, when we're joined by Brianna Pinto. Sticking
with soccer, Women in Football, a network of professionals who
work in the global game published an industry workforce survey
on Wednesday. The survey had eight hundred sixty seven respondents,
(05:26):
seven hundred and fifty nine women, one hundred men, and
eight non binary people, and twelve percent were from underrepresented
ethnic groups. WIF chief executive Von Harrison rightfully called the
results of the survey quote unquote bleak. Seventy eight percent
of respondents experienced discrimination based on gender in their workplace,
over half faced sexism or misogyny, sixty three and a
(05:48):
half percent of women experienced sexist banter or jokes, and
over fifty six percent said no action was taken when
they reported gender based discrimination in the workplace. And there's
plenty more. We'll link to an athletic stree worry about
the survey results in our show notes. Finally, in rugby
world number one England and world number two Canada, we'll
duel it out in the Women's Rugby World Cup Final
(06:09):
on Saturday. The Brits have won all thirty two test
matches aka international contests since the last World Cup final,
their heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in twenty twenty two.
As for Team Canada, despite being one of the best
in the world, they had to crowdfund their way to
this World Cup, successfully raising nearly a million Canadian dollars
with a campaign called Mission Win Rugby World Cup twenty
(06:32):
twenty five. Well, their one went away from making that
mission a reality. Kickoff is at eleven am Eastern on
Saturday at Alion Stadium in Twickenham, England, with a sellout
crowd of eighty two thousand expected. We got to take
a quick break. When we come back, we're kicking it
around with Breonna Pinto sit Tight joining us now. She's
(07:07):
a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage and a board
member for the Black Women's Player Collective. A Durham, North
Carolina native who played her college soccer for the UNC
tar Heels. She was a first team All American her
sophomore in junior seasons before entering the NWSL draft. She
was selected third overall by Gotham FC. And then was
traded to the Courage. At the end of that first season,
the US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. In
(07:27):
twenty nineteen, she founded the Pinto Football Foundation, which invests
in grassroots programs designed to grow the game of football
in underserved communities and strives to minimizetructural and financial barriers
to participation. She hikes, she golfs, She writes ATVs and
camels in Dubai. Try to keep up. It's Brianna Pinto. Hi, Brianta, Hi,
how are you? I'm good? Thanks so much for joining us.
(07:48):
I'm so excited to talk about this big event coming up,
but I want to chat a little bit about your
career first, because I was reading about how your college coach,
the legendary Ensindorans at UNC, also recruited your dad for
the tar Heels back when he was coaching on the
men's side. Do you have any good stories from that
father daughter legacy there and that connection to Anson?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Absolutely so. There were some pickup games that were called noonball.
Was actually covered in the New York Times several years ago.
But noon Ball's kind of how I learned to play
and where I fell in love with the game, but
it was former professional athletes that played for the university
and then college coaches that would get together in afternoons
during weekdays and play together. So long after my dad's
(08:28):
playing days at Carolina, he and Anson rekindled their relationship
and we talked about my dream. So I was there
at like five years old, just watching them all play
and learning the tactical aspects of what they were trying
to do on the field, and I told Anson that
I was going to play for Carolina one day. So,
you know, they spoke belief into me, and I continue
(08:49):
to develop at the youth level, and my dad and
my mom really poured into my dreams, both on the
field and off, and I was incredibly fortunate to be
able to achieve a lifelong dream. So it was super
cool just that we shared a coach and someone who's
been so pivotal in the women's game. So just the
fact that Anson recruited my dad and then myself was
(09:11):
really awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So you've been a part of the US national team
program since twelve. You played for the U seventeen and
you twenty teams and got a call up to the
senior national team for the she Beliefs Cup in twenty
seventeen when you were just sixteen years old. What parts
of your game are you still looking to improve as you,
I assume, push for another call up.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah, I would love to get to the back to
the national team. I think that's always been the lifelong
dream to play in a World Cup and Olympics. I
want to continue to create in score goals, but on
a regular basis, I want to light up the NWS
cell and have a complete season and do that over time.
I think it's the consistency that I'm chasing. But I
also want to be dominant on both sides of the ball,
(09:49):
so defensively, I want to make sure that nobody can
get through me. I've added a little bit of versatility
to my game in the last few years. I've been
playing forward recently, and that's been because I'm seeing a
new part of the game and being asked to develop
different skills. So I always love being stretched, and I'm
hoping that I can continue to develop well into my
(10:10):
twenties so that I could eventually reach the US women's
national team again.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah. You know, before you even went pro, I think
you made it clear that you have big dreams on
the pitch, but you also want to make a big
difference off of it. In October of twenty twenty, you
joined four other young athletes you called yourselves Next Jen United,
and you ran for and won seats on the US
Soccer Federation's twenty person Athlete Council. You wanted to diversify
the federation's leadership, both in age and culture. So tell
(10:36):
me how you got that idea and organized to make
it happen and what did you see missing that you
wanted to fill in.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So, actually, the most transformational experience in my soccer career
was actually off the field. I had the opportunity to
be the US Youth representative for US Soccer at the
sixty eight FIFA Congress where we were advocating for the
hosting rights to the twenty twenty six fef for World
Cup with the United Big Committee. And when I was
getting the speech in Moscow, Russia, I looked around the
room in the governing bodies of FIFA and it didn't
(11:03):
reflect all the people that played soccer globally. So using
that experience in the relationship that I made during that time,
I wanted to know what I could do in my
own community and with our within our own federation to
just bring more voices to governance, and it was an
early passion of mine thanks to that opportunity, and I
got together with for other athletes who sort of checked
(11:26):
the boxes in terms of diversity of age ability because
we had an extended national team, player race, geographic location,
and we really wanted to make sure we bring We
brought new voices and ideas to the Athlete Council and
we're really proud of where it is today. I've been
serving for five years now, so just to see how
(11:46):
quickly time has gone by and how much US Soccer
has done for the landscape of the sport over the
last few years is incredible, and I'm really thankful just
for the opportunity to continue to serve, because I do
want to lead the game better than I found it
and make sure that young kids like me coming up
in the game have a place where they're well respected
and have all the resources for success. So governance is
(12:10):
something I want to continue well after my playing days
are over. I want to play as long as I
possibly can, but I would eventually like to work for
FIFA and continue to advance the access to the sport.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
That's incredible, and boy do they need you. I think
right now, if you wanted to do both at once,
I would already be voting for your voice within FIFA
to represent the voices that are often not spoken up
for there. That's incredible. You were also one of five
active NWSL players to represent the Players Association last year
and the final negotiations for the new CBA, and I
(12:45):
think this history, even as young as you are, of
being an organizer, a leader, a voice for the athlete,
really leads organically into your role with the All State
Next Wave National Showcase, which I'm so excited to talk about.
This event is presented with Black Star and the Black
Women's Player Collective. So first tell us about those two organizations.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah. So, the BWPC is an organization that I joined
during my rookie season in twenty twenty one, and we
were focusing on making sure there's more spaces for black
women in our sport. Simply put, like, growing up, I
didn't see a ton of people looking like me. One
of the people that I sort of looked up to
that was both part of UNC and then UNC or
(13:25):
in the US women's national team was Crystal Dunn, and
she played a pivotal role in making the BWPC happen. So,
you know, now being part of the board and just
advocating for more resources in our sport and making sure
that we're using our platform for good has been incredibly special.
So we're really looking forward to this All State Next
(13:45):
Wave National Showcase, And basically, it'll be an opportunity for
twenty to thirty girls, black girls that are top performing
in the nation to come spend a weekend playing games
but also developing ocasionally but also mental health resources and nutrition,
college prep sessions, and then they'll also be exposed to coaches, scouts, agents,
(14:09):
things like that, and we'll talk about what our experience
was like going from East to pro and the challenges
that we faced along the way. But we're really excited
to partner with Blackstar and All State because there are
organizations that have similar values. Black Stars is really passionate
about being the intersection between media and entertainment but also
(14:29):
sport within the black community, and they're going to do
a great job with a storytelling element of it making
sure that the impact is shared globally.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Okay, so call me out if I'm a more on here.
But when I think a blackstore, I think of like
teleb quality. Is this the same Blackstar?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I just know a Blackstar is an organization that is
onto like social media and Instagram. I'm not familiar with
who you just suggested.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Oh come on, okay, so Blackstar is like a hip
hop duo. It's it's gosh, I forget it's I think
it's most Deaf who. I don't know if he still
goes by most Deaf and tilib quality. But that's the
only black Star I've ever heard of. So that's why
I was like, are they getting involved? That's pretty baller.
So there's a different black Star that is culture and
(15:15):
sports and the black community online.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, correct?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, Well, if you wanted synergy, you could invite black
Star to perform at the event.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
That'd be very cool. I'll definitely have to look into it.
I mean again, I don't know. I don't know the
band and the organization, so I'll have to look more
into that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
All right, Well, we're going to get you some musical history, Brianna.
I know you're busy. It sounds like you're busy doing
lots of great things, but we are going to get
you up on most deaf and tilib quality.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Were they around before two thousand.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Yes, yes they were. They are before your time, but
I guarantee if you listen to some of their music
you would recognize it. So they've stood the test of time. Okay, So,
like you said, this is an incredible opportunity for black
female soccer players to get spotlighted, not just to participate
in front of coaches and scouts and agents, but also
(16:06):
to get some of that programming that they might not
be getting elsewhere. What do you really want to make
sure that these players leave with beyond the opportunity to
showcase their skills.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I want them to have a sense of community. I
think sport has a beautiful way of uniting people from
diverse backgrounds and different walks of life. And some of
my favorite experiences with soccer just the people I've gotten
to meet. So just to have this event over the
course of a few days and bringing so many people
who are leaders and change makers in our sport and
(16:37):
looking to diversify the women's landscape of the game is
really really special. So I just hope that the girls
come with an attitude to learn, come ready to socialize
with new people, come ready to compete, of course, because
we do want the quality on the field to be
top notch. But I just hope that they leave with
(16:57):
an appreciation that they matter in the sport and that
we see them and we just value all their individuality
that makes them special. So again, we want to make
sure that they have the resources to thrive at high
school level, the college level, and eventually the pro level,
and we want to create more pathways for young black
girls to reach.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The end of yousl November twenty second to twenty fifth,
it's going to be at Prairie View A and M University,
which is a historically black university. Why was it important
to have the showcase there?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Historically black colleges and universities are incredibly important because they
have been the backbone of the Black community and our
educational opportunities throughout their nation's history. And we want to
continue to uplift their athletics because they've been overlooked, to
be quite honest, and I think they're doing a lot
of great things. So we really wanted to make sure
(17:47):
that it was in a space where the girls feel
valued and feel like they're seeing other people that see
the world in similar ways. And HBCUs are incredibly important
because it prepares you for the next step of life.
And not only do we want them to invest in
their athletic dreams, but we also want to encourage them
(18:08):
to shoot for the stars with their academic dreams as well.
And there's no better place than Prairie View, Texas. Plus
it's centrally located, so it makes it a little bit
easier for people from all over the country, both on
the west and the East coast who get there. But
I think it'll be really special to see the resources
that they have, the facilities that they have. The weather
will be nice obviously in November that will be important
(18:30):
as well. So I think it's just a great location
and we're excited to uplift all of the leaders at
their university as well.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Still spots available are all filled up.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So a bunch of BWPC players, a coaching network, scouts
and club directors are suggesting players that they think would
be good fits for this. But it will be finalized
in about the next month or so.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Nice and this feels like a natural intersection from Pinto
Football Foundation. Can you tell me a little bit more
about what you do with them, because I know you
work with the Boys and Girls Club and a bunch
of other just youth based stuff. It feels like you're
constantly looking back and trying to pull people up with you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah, it keeps me going. I love pinto Football Foundation
because it's everything I'm passionate about and putting those things
into action. Again, I've been afforded a lot of resources
in this game, whether that's monetarily or a platform, access
to fields, and I know that's hard to come by
(19:33):
for a lot of people. So again, I want to
leave the sport better than I found it. So I
really want to pour back into my community because they
helped raise me, and they really watered the beliefs that
I had and everything that I wanted to do. They
cheered me on every step of the way, even through
the ups and downs. So alongside my family, my dad
(19:55):
played collegiately, my mom was a D one softball player
at Carolina as well. My brothers played collegiately and professionally.
We wanted to make sure that we left something lasting
in our community. So we hold free clinics for anyone
that wants to attend, and we're just trying to plant
the seed and just get them to fall in love
with the game, and thanks to Adidas, one of my sponsors,
(20:18):
I've been able to leave them with equipment so that
they can continue to play for years to come, whether
that's a soccer ball or shame that's or water bottle.
And I know a lot of people don't even have
a soccer ball, so how are they supposed to like
continue playing on their own if they don't have the
basic necessity to play the game. So it's just been
really special because we've created a space for one where
(20:41):
kids are safe, too, where they get to be around
college athletes, pros, great coaches in the area, and three
they get to meet other people in their community. And
again it's been so much fun because so many people
and businesses from around the Triangle area in North Carolina
have offered up help just to keep things accessible. One
(21:04):
of the things that we look to address is the
food insecurity because we are targeting underserved communities, so in
order for a kid to play well, they need to
be fueled properly, So we always provide lunch and then
we do a Q and a session at the end
talking about education through athletics, because again, all of my
family members got great educations at various universities, and we
(21:28):
believe that education can be a pathway for athletics. So
as long as you're working hard in the class or
equally as hard in the classroom as you are in
the soccer field, then you'll be set up for success.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
And I want to mention that even though you did
leave early to enter the NWSL draft, you did go
back and get your degree from UNC, so you're a
part of that legacy of academic excellence and making sure
you finished up there. And I love I'm a field
hockey girlly. I played field hockey in high school, so
I love that you also did some joint sessions with
field hockey there. And obviously we've had Aaron Mattson on
the show, the incredible head coach at UNC field hockey,
(22:02):
So there's a little tie there to your tar heels
and the field hockey legacy that they've got as well. There.
Before I let you go, I do you want to
talk a little bit of courage. As we're chatting today,
your team is hanging on to the final playoff position
in the NWSL table, just two points up on the
Houston Dash and racing Louisville. So what do you need
to do to stay in the top eight.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
We need to win games. This is the best league
in the world, and you know, anybody can win on
any given day. So we've got to put together all
of our pieces, make sure we come out ready to
defend the field and create goal scoring opportunities, and make
sure we're clinical in front of net. So it's really simple, like,
we've got to win games, and I do think we
(22:43):
have every piece necessary to do that. The courage is
going to go on a great run over this next
month to make sure that we're in the playoffs, because
that's the fabric of our identity and the fabric of
the club. And I really believe in the group, and
we've been a resilient bunch. Obviously we haven't had every
result go our way, but it's a long season for
a reason, and you just have to get hot at
the right minute. And I think that we are in
(23:06):
the pursuit of.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
That you mentioned having to be resilient. Your head coach,
Seawan Nahous was fired sort of abruptly mid season. You're
playing out the season under interim head coach Nathan Thackery.
What kind of conversations, did you as a leader and
did other players have during that unexpected change at the
top to say, you know, we got to push through
this and finish out this season regardless of who's leading us.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Yeah, Coach and Ahouse served the club for many, many years,
and we thank him for this service because he was
incredibly passionate about what he did and creating a good
style of play that we all believed in. But you know,
change is inevitable in professional sports and you kind of
have to roll with the punches. But our group wanted
to make sure that we kept our locker room positive
and really made sure that everybody knew that we had
(23:47):
each other's backs. And I think we have grown a
little bit at the second half of the season, and
coach Dacheray has really stepped in well, and he's just
tried to instill belief in the group then reminding us
that we can win on any day and we have
to put in good performances and make sure that we're
aggressive both offensively and defensively. So I think the group
(24:11):
has been great. Everybody enjoys being around each other. The
training level is at such a high level, and you know,
we're grateful just for the opportunity to compete in a
league as competitive as the NWSL is. So we want
to make our fans proud and make sure that we're
putting on performances that they would like to watch, and
we're going to go after every win that we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Well, Brown, I think your team and the sport are
in great hands with you leading the way, So thanks
so much for giving us some time and congrats on
literally everything you've accomplished put especially on this incredible showcase
that you're helping put together.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Thank you so
much again. It's been a joy just to see the
women's game continue to grow over the years, both as
a fan of the NWSL when I was, you know,
a teenager and now playing in it, and then also
all the organized that have come to support the players
and giving us a platform. So the good game with you,
I think is awesome, like how you're covering the sport
(25:08):
and making sure that the storytelling aspect of who we
are as human beings is accurately being told. So I
really appreciate that You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Thanks again to Brionna for joining us. We have to
take another break when we come back. Some softball and
gay shit. Welcome back Slices. We got a little softball
and gay shit announcement on this fraya. We want to
say congratulations to athletes Unlimited Softball League player infielder for
(25:43):
the Volts, Sierra Romero, who got engaged to her partner
Addison Caldwell over the weekend. The two posted some gorgeous
picks and Addison, girl, you did well. Caldwell got down
on one knee on the side of a rock cliff
overlooking the ocean. Yeah, that's the stuff. We'll link to
pictures of the proposal in our show notes. Cheers you two.
(26:05):
We love that you're listening slices, but you know we
want you to get in the game every day too,
So here's our good game play of the day. Follow
Brianna on social media. We'll link to her account in
our show notes, and follow the Black Women's Player Collective too.
They do some really cool stuff, including five v five tournaments, clinics,
meet and greets, and more. They've also got some pretty
cool merch, so we'll link to where you can grab
(26:26):
some in our show notes. 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 oh four fifty seventy, and don't
forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy. Take it
from listeners like Mary Pz, who wrote, I'm loving GGWSS.
It's a one stop for all women's sports. But it
(26:47):
doesn't stop there. They cover life issues and they are amazing. Allies.
Keep doing what you're doing, big Citris, Thank you Mary,
and what about listener Eric six point twenty, who wrote,
this show is more than a sports toimealk show, or
even specifically a women's sports talk show. It is a
critically necessary tonic and an increasingly maddening world. It's a
(27:07):
daily mental health exercise in rational, reasonable discussion, and most importantly,
Sarah's unrelenting sense of humor puts a needed smile on
my face every morning. Damn, Eric, that was really really nice.
That made my day. In fact, we might change our
show's tagline to a critically necessary tonic and an increasingly
maddening world. That's very well written. All Right, I'm feeling good.
(27:29):
Those made me feel good, so good that I'm going
to give a review of my own save in a
seat for the ones who got you there, rating two
out of two empty chairs review. Newly named head coach
of the US national basketball team, Kara Lawson made sure
to recognize two important members of her life that didn't
live long enough to see her incredible accomplishment at the
(27:50):
official press conference introducing her as the new leader for
Team USA. The Duke University women's hoops head coach, former
WNBA champ, and Olympic gold medalists, save two seats in
the front row, one for her dad and one for
her college coach Pat Summit, Tennessee. Orange flowers rested on
Pat seat and blue and white flowers for dad, wrote
Lawson in an Instagram post about the saved seats. Quote
(28:13):
wish they could have been there in person, but I
know they were there in spirit. End quote. Now it's
your turn, y'all, rate and review. It really helps us.
Thanks for listening. See you next week. Good game, Brianna,
Good game, Black Women's Player Collective, Few women still having
the crowd fun to get to World Cups. Good Game
(28:34):
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 Rutterer. Our
(28:55):
editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch and Gianna Palmer.
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones' production assistance from Avery
Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're remembering
the time when college me went to an after party
at most Stef's mansion in LA and you couldn't tell
me shit for weeks. I am urging the youngsters out
there to pull up some black star tunes. Start with respiration,
with common good stuff. Don't worry, this wreck will make
sense after today's interview. It's Friday, September twenty sixth, Happy Friday. Places.
(00:24):
On today's show, we'll be talking with North Carolina Courage
midfielder and Black Women's Player Collective board member Brianna Pinto
about the bwpc's upcoming first of its kind showcase for
high school players, her team's push to make the NWSL postseason,
and her desire to one day work for FIFA. You
will not only be impressed by Brianna, you might start
to doubt what the hell you're doing with your own life.
(00:46):
Plus survey says the soccer industry has some work to do.
The WNBA semifinals continue tonight, and some really cute softball
engage shit. It's all coming up right after this Welcome
(01:08):
back slices. Here's what you need to know today in hoops.
The WNBA Semifinals continue tonight. Each series is tied to
a game apiece, and both shift locations for Game three,
moving to the lower seeds home court. The Indiana Fever
will host the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and
the Phoenix Mercury will host the Minnesota Links at PHX Arena.
(01:30):
Vegas and Indie tipoff first at seven thirty pm Eastern,
followed by the Mark and the Links at nine thirty Eastern,
both on ESPN two. Indiana and Phoenix will each host
Game fours on Sunday as well. Tip Offs are at
three pm Eastern and eight pm Eastern, respectively. And you
remember we told you that the Jonas Brothers concert was
supposed to be Sunday night in Phoenix but has now
(01:51):
been rescheduled for Monday to accommodate the Mercury. Well, since
the move, there's been some real beef between Joe Brose
fans and WNBA fans on social media. We'll link to
a story about it by meganel Hall in the show notes. Yall,
can't we just get along? More? W New York Liberty
General Manager Jonathan Colb spoke to reporters in an exit
(02:11):
interview on Thursday morning, clarifying some of the reasoning behind
not renewing head coach Sandy Brondello's contract, Colb said, quote,
very serious thought and consideration was made to retaining Sandy,
but ultimately we determined that evolution and innovation is what
is needed at this time end quote. Brondelo is the
first coach in league history to be let go the
season after winning a championship, but Cold told the press quote,
(02:35):
You're somewhat playing with fire if you make decisions based
on the past. I think our organization has always taken
pride in being innovative and looking forward and being future
oriented and process based. End quote. He also said he
has the utmost confidence that the team stars Brianna Stewart,
Sabrina Yonescu, and John Qwell Jones, who are all free
agents in twenty twenty six, will want to return to
(02:57):
college hoops. You may remember we told you back in
August that Tennessee's senior guard Ruby Whitehorn had been charged
with aggravated burglary and domestic assault. Now those charges were
lowered to misdemeanors of vandalism and aggravated criminal trespass, and
she is now back as a full participant with the team.
Head coach Kim Caldwell initially placed Whitehorn on an indefinite
(03:18):
suspension during the legal matter, and told the Daily Beacon
student newspaper about the decision to bring her back earlier
this week. Quote, it's not an ideal situation. It's not
a situation that reflects our program the way we want
it to. There's a strong legacy here and it did
not withhold the name of the brand. She later continued, quote,
it's also my job to coach my players. My players
(03:39):
are young people, and they make mistakes. We gave her
a penalty that was pretty severe, and if she batted
an eye to that, or didn't want to do that,
or wasn't going to bend over backwards to make up
for what she did to the brand of this program
by failing to meet the standard, then we were going
to move on. End quote. Whitehorn was a key piece
of the Tennessee team last season, averaging eleven point six
points per game to Soccer. We've got three games on
(04:00):
the schedule tonight and both of the co leaders of
the NWSL Golden Boot race will be in action trying
to add to their totals. First, Esterere Gonzales will look
to shine in a critical matchup between Gotham FC and
the Portland Thorns, teams that sit at three and four
in the NWSL table. That matchup begins at eight pm
Eastern on NWSL Plus. Also at eight Eastern, co Golden
(04:21):
Boot leader Temwshewingo will look to stay hot as her
Kansas City current hosts The Last Place Chicago Stars on
Prime Video. Chicago will be playing to keep its postseason
hopes alive. They'll be eliminated from playoff contention with a
draw or a loss. Then at ten thirty Eastern, it's
the Orlando Pride hosting the San Diego Wave back on
NWSL Plus and streaming on Paramount Plus. More games Saturday
(04:44):
and Sunday two, of course, so a link to the
full NWSL schedule in our show notes. More soccer. As
I mentioned in the show intro, the Black Women's Player Collective,
a nonprofit organization founded by black NWSL players, announced this
week it will co host a showcase in November featuring
two twenty to thirty of the best black high school
soccer players in the country. The event, officially called the
(05:05):
Next Wave National showcase will be held in Texas in
partnership with All State and Black Star Media. We'll have
way more on this event and what inspired it later
in the show, when we're joined by Brianna Pinto. Sticking
with soccer, Women in Football, a network of professionals who
work in the global game published an industry workforce survey
on Wednesday. The survey had eight hundred sixty seven respondents,
(05:26):
seven hundred and fifty nine women, one hundred men, and
eight non binary people, and twelve percent were from underrepresented
ethnic groups. WIF chief executive Von Harrison rightfully called the
results of the survey quote unquote bleak. Seventy eight percent
of respondents experienced discrimination based on gender in their workplace,
over half faced sexism or misogyny, sixty three and a
(05:48):
half percent of women experienced sexist banter or jokes, and
over fifty six percent said no action was taken when
they reported gender based discrimination in the workplace. And there's
plenty more. We'll link to an athletic stree worry about
the survey results in our show notes. Finally, in rugby
world number one England and world number two Canada, we'll
duel it out in the Women's Rugby World Cup Final
(06:09):
on Saturday. The Brits have won all thirty two test
matches aka international contests since the last World Cup final,
their heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in twenty twenty two.
As for Team Canada, despite being one of the best
in the world, they had to crowdfund their way to
this World Cup, successfully raising nearly a million Canadian dollars
with a campaign called Mission Win Rugby World Cup twenty
(06:32):
twenty five. Well, their one went away from making that
mission a reality. Kickoff is at eleven am Eastern on
Saturday at Alion Stadium in Twickenham, England, with a sellout
crowd of eighty two thousand expected. We got to take
a quick break. When we come back, we're kicking it
around with Breonna Pinto sit Tight joining us now. She's
(07:07):
a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage and a board
member for the Black Women's Player Collective. A Durham, North
Carolina native who played her college soccer for the UNC
tar Heels. She was a first team All American her
sophomore in junior seasons before entering the NWSL draft. She
was selected third overall by Gotham FC. And then was
traded to the Courage. At the end of that first season,
the US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. In
(07:27):
twenty nineteen, she founded the Pinto Football Foundation, which invests
in grassroots programs designed to grow the game of football
in underserved communities and strives to minimizetructural and financial barriers
to participation. She hikes, she golfs, She writes ATVs and
camels in Dubai. Try to keep up. It's Brianna Pinto. Hi, Brianta, Hi,
how are you? I'm good? Thanks so much for joining us.
(07:48):
I'm so excited to talk about this big event coming up,
but I want to chat a little bit about your
career first, because I was reading about how your college coach,
the legendary Ensindorans at UNC, also recruited your dad for
the tar Heels back when he was coaching on the
men's side. Do you have any good stories from that
father daughter legacy there and that connection to Anson?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Absolutely so. There were some pickup games that were called noonball.
Was actually covered in the New York Times several years ago.
But noon Ball's kind of how I learned to play
and where I fell in love with the game, but
it was former professional athletes that played for the university
and then college coaches that would get together in afternoons
during weekdays and play together. So long after my dad's
(08:28):
playing days at Carolina, he and Anson rekindled their relationship
and we talked about my dream. So I was there
at like five years old, just watching them all play
and learning the tactical aspects of what they were trying
to do on the field, and I told Anson that
I was going to play for Carolina one day. So,
you know, they spoke belief into me, and I continue
(08:49):
to develop at the youth level, and my dad and
my mom really poured into my dreams, both on the
field and off, and I was incredibly fortunate to be
able to achieve a lifelong dream. So it was super
cool just that we shared a coach and someone who's
been so pivotal in the women's game. So just the
fact that Anson recruited my dad and then myself was
(09:11):
really awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So you've been a part of the US national team
program since twelve. You played for the U seventeen and
you twenty teams and got a call up to the
senior national team for the she Beliefs Cup in twenty
seventeen when you were just sixteen years old. What parts
of your game are you still looking to improve as you,
I assume, push for another call up.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah, I would love to get to the back to
the national team. I think that's always been the lifelong
dream to play in a World Cup and Olympics. I
want to continue to create in score goals, but on
a regular basis, I want to light up the NWS
cell and have a complete season and do that over time.
I think it's the consistency that I'm chasing. But I
also want to be dominant on both sides of the ball,
(09:49):
so defensively, I want to make sure that nobody can
get through me. I've added a little bit of versatility
to my game in the last few years. I've been
playing forward recently, and that's been because I'm seeing a
new part of the game and being asked to develop
different skills. So I always love being stretched, and I'm
hoping that I can continue to develop well into my
(10:10):
twenties so that I could eventually reach the US women's
national team again.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah. You know, before you even went pro, I think
you made it clear that you have big dreams on
the pitch, but you also want to make a big
difference off of it. In October of twenty twenty, you
joined four other young athletes you called yourselves Next Jen United,
and you ran for and won seats on the US
Soccer Federation's twenty person Athlete Council. You wanted to diversify
the federation's leadership, both in age and culture. So tell
(10:36):
me how you got that idea and organized to make
it happen and what did you see missing that you
wanted to fill in.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So, actually, the most transformational experience in my soccer career
was actually off the field. I had the opportunity to
be the US Youth representative for US Soccer at the
sixty eight FIFA Congress where we were advocating for the
hosting rights to the twenty twenty six fef for World
Cup with the United Big Committee. And when I was
getting the speech in Moscow, Russia, I looked around the
room in the governing bodies of FIFA and it didn't
(11:03):
reflect all the people that played soccer globally. So using
that experience in the relationship that I made during that time,
I wanted to know what I could do in my
own community and with our within our own federation to
just bring more voices to governance, and it was an
early passion of mine thanks to that opportunity, and I
got together with for other athletes who sort of checked
(11:26):
the boxes in terms of diversity of age ability because
we had an extended national team, player race, geographic location,
and we really wanted to make sure we bring We
brought new voices and ideas to the Athlete Council and
we're really proud of where it is today. I've been
serving for five years now, so just to see how
(11:46):
quickly time has gone by and how much US Soccer
has done for the landscape of the sport over the
last few years is incredible, and I'm really thankful just
for the opportunity to continue to serve, because I do
want to lead the game better than I found it
and make sure that young kids like me coming up
in the game have a place where they're well respected
and have all the resources for success. So governance is
(12:10):
something I want to continue well after my playing days
are over. I want to play as long as I
possibly can, but I would eventually like to work for
FIFA and continue to advance the access to the sport.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
That's incredible, and boy do they need you. I think
right now, if you wanted to do both at once,
I would already be voting for your voice within FIFA
to represent the voices that are often not spoken up
for there. That's incredible. You were also one of five
active NWSL players to represent the Players Association last year
and the final negotiations for the new CBA, and I
(12:45):
think this history, even as young as you are, of
being an organizer, a leader, a voice for the athlete,
really leads organically into your role with the All State
Next Wave National Showcase, which I'm so excited to talk about.
This event is presented with Black Star and the Black
Women's Player Collective. So first tell us about those two organizations.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah. So, the BWPC is an organization that I joined
during my rookie season in twenty twenty one, and we
were focusing on making sure there's more spaces for black
women in our sport. Simply put, like, growing up, I
didn't see a ton of people looking like me. One
of the people that I sort of looked up to
that was both part of UNC and then UNC or
(13:25):
in the US women's national team was Crystal Dunn, and
she played a pivotal role in making the BWPC happen. So,
you know, now being part of the board and just
advocating for more resources in our sport and making sure
that we're using our platform for good has been incredibly special.
So we're really looking forward to this All State Next
(13:45):
Wave National Showcase, And basically, it'll be an opportunity for
twenty to thirty girls, black girls that are top performing
in the nation to come spend a weekend playing games
but also developing ocasionally but also mental health resources and nutrition,
college prep sessions, and then they'll also be exposed to coaches, scouts, agents,
(14:09):
things like that, and we'll talk about what our experience
was like going from East to pro and the challenges
that we faced along the way. But we're really excited
to partner with Blackstar and All State because there are
organizations that have similar values. Black Stars is really passionate
about being the intersection between media and entertainment but also
(14:29):
sport within the black community, and they're going to do
a great job with a storytelling element of it making
sure that the impact is shared globally.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Okay, so call me out if I'm a more on here.
But when I think a blackstore, I think of like
teleb quality. Is this the same Blackstar?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I just know a Blackstar is an organization that is
onto like social media and Instagram. I'm not familiar with
who you just suggested.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Oh come on, okay, so Blackstar is like a hip
hop duo. It's it's gosh, I forget it's I think
it's most Deaf who. I don't know if he still
goes by most Deaf and tilib quality. But that's the
only black Star I've ever heard of. So that's why
I was like, are they getting involved? That's pretty baller.
So there's a different black Star that is culture and
(15:15):
sports and the black community online.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yes, correct?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, Well, if you wanted synergy, you could invite black
Star to perform at the event.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
That'd be very cool. I'll definitely have to look into it.
I mean again, I don't know. I don't know the
band and the organization, so I'll have to look more
into that.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
All right, Well, we're going to get you some musical history, Brianna.
I know you're busy. It sounds like you're busy doing
lots of great things, but we are going to get
you up on most deaf and tilib quality.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Were they around before two thousand.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Yes, yes they were. They are before your time, but
I guarantee if you listen to some of their music
you would recognize it. So they've stood the test of time. Okay, So,
like you said, this is an incredible opportunity for black
female soccer players to get spotlighted, not just to participate
in front of coaches and scouts and agents, but also
(16:06):
to get some of that programming that they might not
be getting elsewhere. What do you really want to make
sure that these players leave with beyond the opportunity to
showcase their skills.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I want them to have a sense of community. I
think sport has a beautiful way of uniting people from
diverse backgrounds and different walks of life. And some of
my favorite experiences with soccer just the people I've gotten
to meet. So just to have this event over the
course of a few days and bringing so many people
who are leaders and change makers in our sport and
(16:37):
looking to diversify the women's landscape of the game is
really really special. So I just hope that the girls
come with an attitude to learn, come ready to socialize
with new people, come ready to compete, of course, because
we do want the quality on the field to be
top notch. But I just hope that they leave with
(16:57):
an appreciation that they matter in the sport and that
we see them and we just value all their individuality
that makes them special. So again, we want to make
sure that they have the resources to thrive at high
school level, the college level, and eventually the pro level,
and we want to create more pathways for young black
girls to reach.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
The end of yousl November twenty second to twenty fifth,
it's going to be at Prairie View A and M University,
which is a historically black university. Why was it important
to have the showcase there?
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Historically black colleges and universities are incredibly important because they
have been the backbone of the Black community and our
educational opportunities throughout their nation's history. And we want to
continue to uplift their athletics because they've been overlooked, to
be quite honest, and I think they're doing a lot
of great things. So we really wanted to make sure
(17:47):
that it was in a space where the girls feel
valued and feel like they're seeing other people that see
the world in similar ways. And HBCUs are incredibly important
because it prepares you for the next step of life.
And not only do we want them to invest in
their athletic dreams, but we also want to encourage them
(18:08):
to shoot for the stars with their academic dreams as well.
And there's no better place than Prairie View, Texas. Plus
it's centrally located, so it makes it a little bit
easier for people from all over the country, both on
the west and the East coast who get there. But
I think it'll be really special to see the resources
that they have, the facilities that they have. The weather
will be nice obviously in November that will be important
(18:30):
as well. So I think it's just a great location
and we're excited to uplift all of the leaders at
their university as well.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Still spots available are all filled up.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So a bunch of BWPC players, a coaching network, scouts
and club directors are suggesting players that they think would
be good fits for this. But it will be finalized
in about the next month or so.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Nice and this feels like a natural intersection from Pinto
Football Foundation. Can you tell me a little bit more
about what you do with them, because I know you
work with the Boys and Girls Club and a bunch
of other just youth based stuff. It feels like you're
constantly looking back and trying to pull people up with you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah, it keeps me going. I love pinto Football Foundation
because it's everything I'm passionate about and putting those things
into action. Again, I've been afforded a lot of resources
in this game, whether that's monetarily or a platform, access
to fields, and I know that's hard to come by
(19:33):
for a lot of people. So again, I want to
leave the sport better than I found it. So I
really want to pour back into my community because they
helped raise me, and they really watered the beliefs that
I had and everything that I wanted to do. They
cheered me on every step of the way, even through
the ups and downs. So alongside my family, my dad
(19:55):
played collegiately, my mom was a D one softball player
at Carolina as well. My brothers played collegiately and professionally.
We wanted to make sure that we left something lasting
in our community. So we hold free clinics for anyone
that wants to attend, and we're just trying to plant
the seed and just get them to fall in love
with the game, and thanks to Adidas, one of my sponsors,
(20:18):
I've been able to leave them with equipment so that
they can continue to play for years to come, whether
that's a soccer ball or shame that's or water bottle.
And I know a lot of people don't even have
a soccer ball, so how are they supposed to like
continue playing on their own if they don't have the
basic necessity to play the game. So it's just been
really special because we've created a space for one where
(20:41):
kids are safe, too, where they get to be around
college athletes, pros, great coaches in the area, and three
they get to meet other people in their community. And
again it's been so much fun because so many people
and businesses from around the Triangle area in North Carolina
have offered up help just to keep things accessible. One
(21:04):
of the things that we look to address is the
food insecurity because we are targeting underserved communities, so in
order for a kid to play well, they need to
be fueled properly, So we always provide lunch and then
we do a Q and a session at the end
talking about education through athletics, because again, all of my
family members got great educations at various universities, and we
(21:28):
believe that education can be a pathway for athletics. So
as long as you're working hard in the class or
equally as hard in the classroom as you are in
the soccer field, then you'll be set up for success.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
And I want to mention that even though you did
leave early to enter the NWSL draft, you did go
back and get your degree from UNC, so you're a
part of that legacy of academic excellence and making sure
you finished up there. And I love I'm a field
hockey girlly. I played field hockey in high school, so
I love that you also did some joint sessions with
field hockey there. And obviously we've had Aaron Mattson on
the show, the incredible head coach at UNC field hockey,
(22:02):
So there's a little tie there to your tar heels
and the field hockey legacy that they've got as well. There.
Before I let you go, I do you want to
talk a little bit of courage. As we're chatting today,
your team is hanging on to the final playoff position
in the NWSL table, just two points up on the
Houston Dash and racing Louisville. So what do you need
to do to stay in the top eight.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
We need to win games. This is the best league
in the world, and you know, anybody can win on
any given day. So we've got to put together all
of our pieces, make sure we come out ready to
defend the field and create goal scoring opportunities, and make
sure we're clinical in front of net. So it's really simple, like,
we've got to win games, and I do think we
(22:43):
have every piece necessary to do that. The courage is
going to go on a great run over this next
month to make sure that we're in the playoffs, because
that's the fabric of our identity and the fabric of
the club. And I really believe in the group, and
we've been a resilient bunch. Obviously we haven't had every
result go our way, but it's a long season for
a reason, and you just have to get hot at
the right minute. And I think that we are in
(23:06):
the pursuit of.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
That you mentioned having to be resilient. Your head coach,
Seawan Nahous was fired sort of abruptly mid season. You're
playing out the season under interim head coach Nathan Thackery.
What kind of conversations, did you as a leader and
did other players have during that unexpected change at the
top to say, you know, we got to push through
this and finish out this season regardless of who's leading us.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Yeah, Coach and Ahouse served the club for many, many years,
and we thank him for this service because he was
incredibly passionate about what he did and creating a good
style of play that we all believed in. But you know,
change is inevitable in professional sports and you kind of
have to roll with the punches. But our group wanted
to make sure that we kept our locker room positive
and really made sure that everybody knew that we had
(23:47):
each other's backs. And I think we have grown a
little bit at the second half of the season, and
coach Dacheray has really stepped in well, and he's just
tried to instill belief in the group then reminding us
that we can win on any day and we have
to put in good performances and make sure that we're
aggressive both offensively and defensively. So I think the group
(24:11):
has been great. Everybody enjoys being around each other. The
training level is at such a high level, and you know,
we're grateful just for the opportunity to compete in a
league as competitive as the NWSL is. So we want
to make our fans proud and make sure that we're
putting on performances that they would like to watch, and
we're going to go after every win that we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Well, Brown, I think your team and the sport are
in great hands with you leading the way, So thanks
so much for giving us some time and congrats on
literally everything you've accomplished put especially on this incredible showcase
that you're helping put together.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Thank you so
much again. It's been a joy just to see the
women's game continue to grow over the years, both as
a fan of the NWSL when I was, you know,
a teenager and now playing in it, and then also
all the organized that have come to support the players
and giving us a platform. So the good game with you,
I think is awesome, like how you're covering the sport
(25:08):
and making sure that the storytelling aspect of who we
are as human beings is accurately being told. So I
really appreciate that You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Thanks again to Brionna for joining us. We have to
take another break when we come back. Some softball and
gay shit. Welcome back Slices. We got a little softball
and gay shit announcement on this fraya. We want to
say congratulations to athletes Unlimited Softball League player infielder for
(25:43):
the Volts, Sierra Romero, who got engaged to her partner
Addison Caldwell over the weekend. The two posted some gorgeous
picks and Addison, girl, you did well. Caldwell got down
on one knee on the side of a rock cliff
overlooking the ocean. Yeah, that's the stuff. We'll link to
pictures of the proposal in our show notes. Cheers you two.
(26:05):
We love that you're listening slices, but you know we
want you to get in the game every day too,
So here's our good game play of the day. Follow
Brianna on social media. We'll link to her account in
our show notes, and follow the Black Women's Player Collective too.
They do some really cool stuff, including five v five tournaments, clinics,
meet and greets, and more. They've also got some pretty
cool merch, so we'll link to where you can grab
(26:26):
some in our show notes. 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 oh four fifty seventy, and don't
forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy. Take it
from listeners like Mary Pz, who wrote, I'm loving GGWSS.
It's a one stop for all women's sports. But it
(26:47):
doesn't stop there. They cover life issues and they are amazing. Allies.
Keep doing what you're doing, big Citris, Thank you Mary,
and what about listener Eric six point twenty, who wrote,
this show is more than a sports toimealk show, or
even specifically a women's sports talk show. It is a
critically necessary tonic and an increasingly maddening world. It's a
(27:07):
daily mental health exercise in rational, reasonable discussion, and most importantly,
Sarah's unrelenting sense of humor puts a needed smile on
my face every morning. Damn, Eric, that was really really nice.
That made my day. In fact, we might change our
show's tagline to a critically necessary tonic and an increasingly
maddening world. That's very well written. All Right, I'm feeling good.
(27:29):
Those made me feel good, so good that I'm going
to give a review of my own save in a
seat for the ones who got you there, rating two
out of two empty chairs review. Newly named head coach
of the US national basketball team, Kara Lawson made sure
to recognize two important members of her life that didn't
live long enough to see her incredible accomplishment at the
(27:50):
official press conference introducing her as the new leader for
Team USA. The Duke University women's hoops head coach, former
WNBA champ, and Olympic gold medalists, save two seats in
the front row, one for her dad and one for
her college coach Pat Summit, Tennessee. Orange flowers rested on
Pat seat and blue and white flowers for dad, wrote
Lawson in an Instagram post about the saved seats. Quote
(28:13):
wish they could have been there in person, but I
know they were there in spirit. End quote. Now it's
your turn, y'all, rate and review. It really helps us.
Thanks for listening. See you next week. Good game, Brianna,
Good game, Black Women's Player Collective, Few women still having
the crowd fun to get to World Cups. Good Game
(28:34):
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 Rutterer. Our
(28:55):
editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch and Gianna Palmer.
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones' production assistance from Avery
Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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