July 30, 2024 • 44 mins
Sheryl Swoopes, one of basketball’s greatest players EVER, joins Sarah to talk about her early stardom, playing while parenting, Athletes Unlimited Basketball, the growth of the WNBA and her response when opinions about Caitlin Clark devolved into personal attacks. Plus, a What The Fact that will enrage you and an Olympic basketball Good Game, Good Game, Fact You that'll blow your mind!
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Follow Sheryl Swoopes on social! Instagram: @airswoopes22
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Learn more about AU Basketball: https://auprosports.com/basketball/
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Watch USA Gymnastics compete in the team final today at 12:15pm EDT on NBC, or stream on Peacock
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Watch USA Basketball 3x3 take on Germany at 11:30am EDT today on NBC, or stream on Peacock
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Follow Sarah on social! X: @SarahSpain Instagram: @Spain2323
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Follow producer Misha Jones! X: @mishthejrnalist Instagram: @mishthejrnalist TikTok: @mishthejrnalist
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Follow producer Alex Azzi! X: @ByAlexAzzi
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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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 happy
to announce a new hypeman has dropped. Jason Kelsey handshake emoji.
Olympic Women's Rugby a match made in Heaven. Swifties that means,
set your DVRs, learn the names of the players. Let's
give this Olympic women's rugby team the love they deserve.
On today's show, we'll be talking with four time Olympic
(00:21):
gold medalists and four time WNBA champion, The Woman, the Myth,
the Legend, Cheryl Swoops, plus our big Easter Egg reveal.
It's more proof that I should not be left to
my own devices. But first, here's what you need to
know today. Tmusa waterpolo is currently one in one in
Olympic competition after a thirteen eleven lost to Spain on Monday.
(00:44):
This was a rematch of the Olympic final three years
ago in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Get this.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's only the US team's second loss at the Olympics
since two thousand and eight. The US women's water polo
team is one of the most dominant teams in the
world in any sport, so it's always big news when
they lose. But it also doesn't mean much in the
context of the Olympic tournament. Hopefully just leads to a
rematch in the gold medal game. Next up for Team
USA Italy on Wednesday at twelve thirty pm Eastern in
(01:12):
rugby in a chippy quarter final match with Great Britain,
Team USA held on in one seventeen to seven to advance.
Next up is a semi final match against New Zealand
today at nine thirty am Eastern, live on Peacock. The
US is seeking its first ever Olympic gold medal in rugby.
Both bronze and gold medal games are later on this afternoon. Also,
(01:32):
if you're still not following our rugby Queen Alana Mayor,
you're like a million or so people behind, so get
on that right now. You can watch her convert Jason
Kelsey to hype man, stiff armed people a la Marshaun Lynch,
and turn pretty much every moment of the Olympics into
a comedy routine. The gymnastics team final is today, beginning
at twelve to fifteen pm Eastern.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Here's how it works.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
During the final, each country has three athletes compete on
each apparatus, and all three scores count despite tweaking your
calf while warming up during Sunday's qualification, is expected to
compete on all four apparatuses Apparati apparatus, same with Jordan Chiles,
while Jade Carey will appear on vault and Sudney Lee
(02:14):
will compete on bars, beam and floor. The Americans will
enter the team final as the favorites for gold, and
they posted the best score in qualifying by a long shot.
But of course, gymnastics is an unforgiving sport and anything
can happen. Remember in the team final three years ago,
Simone Biles, dealing with the twisties, had to withdraw and
the US went on to win silver again. That event
(02:35):
is twelve to fifteen pm Eastern, So take a long
lunch break.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
You know I'm gonna be.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Watching Team USA takes the court for the first time
in three x three basketball today at eleven thirty am
Eastern against Germany. That US team is going to be
super fun to watch. Sierra Burdick, Derek Hamby, Ryan Howard
and Hayley Vanlyth. And a quick refresher on three x
three just in case you haven't watched it since Tokyo, Okay.
The Games are super fast, like if you go get
(03:00):
a snack and you come right back, you might miss
it fast.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Each game is only ten minutes, but it can end
sooner than that.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
If one team reaches twenty one points, watch that on
NBC or stream it on peacock.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Maybe had a couple screen setups. They don't miss any
of the action.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Speaking of basketball, team, USA is five on five. Squad
kept it tighter than expected early against Japan, but then
pulled away for a one oh two seventy six win.
Asia Wilson led the team with twenty four points and
thirteen rebounds. We can't shout out USA women soops without
a quick good game, good game.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Fact you times two fact number one.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
With their win against Japan, it's been eleven thousand, six
hundred and eighty two days since the basketball team lost
an Olympic game. Fact number two. Only three of the
twelve players on the current US roster were alive for
that loss. Diana Tarassi, Alisa Thomas, Britney Griner shout out
the olds. Speaking of USA hoops, we got to take
(03:57):
a break, but when we come back. I had the
one of interviewing Cheryl Swoops for the keynote conversation at
Monday's Athletes Unlimited Innovation Summit, you can hear why she
was brought to tears talking about Athletes Unlimited basketball, her
take on the evolution of the WNBA, and her response
to the accusations leveled against her at.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The beginning of this season.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Come on back, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Settle in for a great conversation I had yesterday with
the legendary Cheryl Swoops. Cheryl Swoops was the first player
to be signed in the WNBA, A three time WNBA MVP,
four time WNBA Champion. As an eleven year member of
the Houston Comets, she accumulated over two thousand career points,
five hundred career rebounds, three hundred career assists, and two
(04:44):
hundred career steals. She has won three Olympic gold medals.
She's one of eleven women's basketball players to have won
an Olympic gold medal and NCAA Championship, a FOEBA World
Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to
the Naismith Hall of Fame in twenty sixteen and the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in twenty six seventeen. She's
a coach and analyst a mom and a legend. She
(05:05):
took on Michael Jordan and went on one at his camp,
and even though she lost, she got lipstick and makeup
all over his T shirt and got to take it
home as a souvenir.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So she's a winner.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
In my book, it's Cheryl Swoops the goat.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
What's up, girl, Shay Sarah?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Hi, so great to see you again.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
We just hung at the WNBA All Star Week and
we're gonna get to some stuff from that. But I
want to actually start back when you were playing Michael
at his camp.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And here's why.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It was this moment in time, this peak maybe of
your stardom. You're getting invites to MJ's camp, You're the
first player ever in the WNBA, You've got your own shoe,
the air swoops like in those first couple of years.
What stands out to you from that time and that
attention you were getting.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Gosh, I guess if I compare that time to today,
I'm like, that was nothing right, because it's just crazy
attention that the league's getting today. But I think for me,
like back then, what really stood out, honestly was the
fact that Michael Jordan knew who I was. You know,
(06:13):
like Michael Jordan to me like, there will never be
another one? Me too, girl, You'd like right, like he
just he just was Michael. And I remember when I
didn't get the call. My college coach at the time,
Marcia Sharp, she got the call and was like, Hey,
(06:36):
Michael Jordan wants you to come work as a basketball camp.
And so I was like, wow much, Seriously, how much
do I have to pay to go work his basketball camp?
She's like, Cheryl, that's not how that works. But I
remember just having a very brief conversation with him about
he watched the Final four and he just had so
much to say about my game and had so much
(06:58):
to say about women's basketball that I was just like, Wow,
We've made it. That was the That was my mindset
and my thought back then. But when I compare it
to where we are today, I'm like, wow, well.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I want to talk about that because the Wnball Star
Game just had this insane ratings three point four to
four million people, and that shattered the last record of
one point four million that was back in two thousand
and three when you were playing. But one point four
million is a lot. A lot of times we say
those statistics, and we don't ask ourselves, well, what was
going on in two thousand and three, why was that
(07:34):
a record? Yere right, So you were in that game.
Those early years of the W had incredible attention. They
were it was quite popular. People were excited about it.
But then it dipped, and I'm wondering to what do
you attribute some of that really high excitement when it
started and then the lull before the recent major growth.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I don't know, you know, I really was having this
conversation with someone the other day when we were talking about, like,
when the W started in ninety seven, it was the
excitement behind it and everyone was ready for it, and
it was coming right off the ninety six Olympics. So
like the enthusiasm and the excitement, people were like, give
us more, give us more. And so I think the
(08:12):
first like ten years of the W was really really fun.
It was exciting, and you were winning every time. Well
that made it even better. But I know people look
at the game today and they're like, wow, like these
women are really good. And I said to someone the
other day, I said, but we've always been good, Like
(08:33):
the game has always been exciting. I think the biggest
difference today is social media to me plays a huge
part of where the game is today. Right, there are
more eyes and fans feel very connected to the players
right or wrong, like them, love them, hate them. It
gives them a space to feel like they're connected to
(08:55):
that athlete. And at some point when the WNBA first started,
right the first ten years, we're excited, I think fans
got bored. I guess right, it was like, well, the
comments won the first flour and someone else won this one.
Like give us something different, give us something more exciting
to cheer about. So at one point there it was
(09:17):
like people forgot about the WNBA and then you lost
teams right Houston, Sacramento, teams who won championships, and a
lot of people forgot about the WNBA. And I think
at one point the league finally figured out, like we
need to continue to market this league year round. We
can't just market it in the summer because in the
(09:38):
off season people tend to forget about the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And I feel like that's investment too. It bursts onto
the scene and is really popular. Despite some poisoning of
the well, there were very prominent male sports writers who
were making fun of the w There were even some
questions still do yes, but yes they usually get shouted
down now though, and before it was like, hey, it's
okay that there's this butt.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Of the joke that we're going to make women.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
But I think also the marketing was an interesting choice,
like some of the Sue burd in a halter top
and swing cash on the hood of a car. It
was like that that's not really what we're going for here,
but it thrived anyway, and then it was like, well,
we put some money in and now it exists and
we're done, and instead there needed to be a continued investment.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
That seems to be a problem with a lot of
women's sports.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Is this idea of like putting a little bit in
and then demanding ROI instead of realizing, like any startup
or new business, you need to put in a lot
of money with the intention that over the long haul
you're going to get back what you're putting in. And
that felt like some of that drought was because of
not really feeling like investing in it. The early years
were also a fascinating time for people to remind themselves
(10:41):
that women are athletes and women, and you actually changed
minds on that in a really meaningful way. Because you're drafted,
you're getting ready to play your first WNBA season, and
you get pregnant and the league decides to actually film
you being pregnant, film you coming back just six weeks
after you gave birth to play, and they tried to
(11:01):
make you sort of the everyday mom that was relatable,
like Cheryl Swoops has ever been every day at literally anything?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I am Sarah, Well, you do have a back problem
as an.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
So that's relatable.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
And the whole personal summer menopause thing that's relatable. Yeah,
this travels, it's right, But you help destigmatize female athletes
giving birth.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Because you're just starting your WNBA career, You're a twenty
six year old, there's all the pressure of helping me
the face of this new league and you're a new mom.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
I mean it was a lot. But before I even
answer that, I want to go back to what you
ask earlier. I think one of the things with the
league in the beginning was really trying to figure out,
like how do we market these women? And I'm not
sure the league really knew like who is our audience?
(11:57):
Who are we trying to market to? Who do we
want to get to come out to the game. And
back then, right like all of us were we were
trying to wear this hat only one right that the
league said this is this is the image we've got
to put out and this is what we need people
to think we are. And today one the league has changed.
(12:18):
But more than that, the players have basically said, I'll
keep it clean. But the players honestly are like, wells, yeah,
Like we're going to be who we are and you're
either going to like us, you're gonna love us, or
you're gonna hate us, but it's not going to change
who we are as individuals. And I think that in
itself has really changed where the league is. It's changed
(12:41):
more brands wanting to get on board and say I
really want you to be a part of my brand
and represent my company.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
It's a response to society too, though for originally the
league is very concerned about racism, homophobia, judgments about female
athletes and whether they fill the roles of women that
we expect. It was like, let's pretty them up and
make sure everyone thinks they're hot while they're playing sports, right,
And instead now it's just be authentically yourself feminine, masculine, gay, straight, villain,
(13:08):
funny whatever, and just in life in society at large.
Were allowing people to be themselves more and that allows
the athletes to step into what you're talking about, which
is massive for women's sports. I think it's one of
the biggest things that has turned the tide for every
single women's sports.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Well, and it's and it's huge today, right because back then,
you know, we there were things that we didn't like,
but we didn't feel like we had that voice to
necessarily stand up and say this is not right or
this is we don't agree with this. And I always
say someone had to be the first. So when the
(13:41):
league started at ninety seven, we were just happy to
have a league, right, didn't really matter charter flights, we had, roommates,
didn't have our own room. I'm a mom. I have
a roommate with a child, right, and so if I
wanted my own room, I had to pay the difference.
So there were so many things that looking back on it,
I'm like, how in the world as a professional athlete,
(14:05):
as an adult professional athlete, we're having to share rooms
with someone else? Like I Yeah, anyway.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
And who drew the short straw of rooming with Cheryl
and her kids.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Uh. But I couldn't even imagine though, having to have
a roommate, right, even if I didn't have a kid.
I just I need my own space. So to that point,
when I found out in ninety seven that I was pregnant,
it took me a while to tell the league because
(14:36):
I had no idea how they were going to respond
at first, and there was a part of me that
was like, I cannot believe I'm letting the league down right,
being the first player to sign and they're doing all
of this marketing behind me, and then I find out
I'm pregnant. So finally I was like, all right, they're
gonna find out, so I need to tell them. But
I have to tell you the support that I received
(14:58):
back then from Nike and even from the league, there
was never any pressure at all to come back and
be a part of the league. That was important to
me because I wanted to do that. But it's so
crazy when I think about what I personally went through
as a woman, as a mom, as an athlete, oh gosh,
(15:25):
but just the struggles that I had to go through,
and so I today I hear or I listened to
like Skyler Diggins. I listened to her tell her story,
and I went through those things, but I had nobody
that I could talk to. So it was one of
those things where I went, I practiced, I played, I
did my job like no one had a clue what
(15:47):
I was really going through, Like just on a personal
level of how do I balance being the best mom
I can be but also being the best athlete I
can be because there was so much pressure, right, so
many eyes on me. I remember reading this one story. Sorry,
I didn't know I was gonna cry, but I remember
reading this one article from this reporter who I won't
(16:10):
name but he's still free. But he just basically said,
like there's no way she will ever be able to
be a mom and be a successful athlete, which I'm
sure there are so many women who deal with that, right,
like motherhood and being a career, having a career, being
(16:33):
a wife, whatever that is. And I remember reading that
and the first thing I thought was, like, you have
no idea who I am, and you have no idea
what I'm capable of. So like that type of stuff
just only fuel my fire, right, But I also knew
(16:57):
that there would be more women who would come after me,
who would be in that same situation. So for me,
it was so important that I was able to not
just show the w and show men, but I wanted
to show women like, like, we can do this, We
can be great moms, we can have great careers, and
(17:18):
we don't have to make sacrifices on any of it.
And I won't say it was easy, but I had
a great circle of people around me was I did okay.
I did okay.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know what, though, it reminds me when we talk
about the growth of women's sports and some of the setbacks,
if we don't acknowledge the things that happened with intention,
we are ignoring the context that's required to really understand
the path toward today. The pseudoscience that was used to
argue that women shouldn't play while pregnant or after pregnant,
(17:48):
The pseudoscience that said women would come back from pregnancy
less than or less capable, which was not founded at
all in actual medicine. All of that was used with
intention to tell women that their space was at the
home with their children. I mean, it was like two
thousand and three, the head of the International Ski Federation
said women still shouldn't do ski jumping because.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Their uteruses would fall out.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Two thousand and three, we're still doing that, and so
when we don't acknowledge the stuff that happens with intention
to hold us back. The seventy year soccer band in
England and now women's soccer is doing great and people
are like.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Well, they finally figured it out.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
No, there was a seventy year band of women playing
professional soccer there. You think that held them back a little?
Like we got to talk about it, yeah, because otherwise
we blame the product, and it's never been the product.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Let's talk about the All Star works ever. Ever, ever, ever,
let's talk about the All Star weekend. I went to
a very lovely dinner in your honor, which was beautiful.
We love to see people get their flowers, even if
it's a few years late. You got your flowers at
the time, but we're still giving them to you. And
you mentioned that you want to have a brunch to
connect current WNBA players with the players of the past,
and not just the big names like you, but everybody
(19:00):
who helped bank the league what it was.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Why is that so important to you?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
I mean, you know a lot of people look at
the W when it started, and of course they remember
myself and Lisa and Rebecca and Don and Coop and Tina,
which rightfully so. But for me, this brunch, which by
the way, I know that's time why we're talking about it,
but thanks to AU a huge sponsor, was an incredible brunt.
(19:29):
Love it, but it was so important to me last
year was the first one in this year, but I
want to be able to bring back former players and
celebrate them and like you said, and give them their flowers,
because every single player that was a part of the
W when it started, they play a huge role in
where we are today. And I think because of all
(19:51):
the attention that the league is getting to day the
rookie class, rightfully so. But there's a part of me
that feels disrespected for those other players because you don't
hear about them very much, you don't talk about them
very much. The league doesn't really do anything for them.
(20:12):
And so I want to put all of us in
a room together where we can celebrate each other, where
we can reminisce the good, the bad, everything in between.
We can talk about the crazy hairstyles we had and
you know, the outfits that we were, But I want
to put us in a room where we're just being
celebrated and we're talking about where we were, where the
(20:32):
league was, where it is today, where we're going. I
think it's a great time for celebration, but also trying
to bridge that gap between former players and current players,
because unfortunate thing is. As well as I think the
league is doing right now, I think it could be
in such a better place if former players were more
(20:53):
involved with the w And there are a lot of
current WNBA players who don't know the former players. If
if it's not like you know the top ten and
there were so many former players who were some bad asses,
I can say, ass, I'll keep it there that. I
feel like the players today need to get to know
(21:16):
who these players were, the players who pave the way,
who have given you the opportunity to be where you
are today. And so that's that's what I want my
brunch to be, and just celebrating women in general for
being in this space.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I think there's such mythologizing around men's sports. We hear
about and know about the greats and even the not
so greats that just have good stories.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
We don't do that in women's sports.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
It's something I'm trying to do on my show Good
Game with Sarah Spain daily on iHeart.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Podcasts And if you haven't subscribed, subscribe.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Subscribe, follow, like write a review, rate five stars please.
But I am trying to do that because part of
what we love about sports is water cooler talk, having takes,
having debates, and we can't do that if we're saying
top five all time WNBA point guards and you don't
know the ones that played twenty years ago. We can't
have those fun mount rushmore of what. You can't do
that if we don't have that context. And so the
(22:07):
myth building is extremely important, and so is internalizing female
greatness in young people, so that those athletes who maybe
grew up and are now in the WNBA but instead
idolized Lebron and Dirk. And you know what I always here,
Elena Deeladon is the Dirknowitzkin's like, no, how about find
a woman from the WNBA that was a big who
could run the ball in two threes and big inside
(22:29):
and you know that kind of stuff is so important
and it's really under discussed how much that affects our
view of what we're watching and how we can textualize it.
So I love that you're doing that. You mentioned AU
helping out with the brunch. AU actually also gave you
a shot at commentating when you had been rejected. Can
you talk about why that was so important?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Yeah, so, y'ah, if I cry, I'm gonna blame it
on my back. Okay, No, you know, first of all,
I just think what AU is doing. Megan, I don't
like you either.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I feel like Barbara Walters.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
No, God, jeez, I don't even know the people in
the room like this for y'all to see me crying,
But I just think what AU has done and what
they continue to do.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
I'll get to myself in a second. Given women an
opportunity to play in another women's professional basketball league is huge,
And I know a lot of people look at AU
and they're like, oh, is it the G League to
the W And I'm like, absolutely not. It is another
(23:45):
women's professional league. It's still the only other five on
five women's professional basketball league here in the States. And
for me to have an opportunity to be a part,
the little bit that I do commentating alongside Cindy Brunson,
U Basketball has always just given me a place where
(24:11):
I don't know, in a way where I feel wanted
and need it. And so when I tried this in
other avenues without bringing them up, you know, on ESPN,
it was kind of like, eh, no, You're not ready,
and I'm like, well, damn, I've been retired for ten years.
(24:33):
I don't know when I will be ready, and so
I just I've always been taught that when one door closes,
another one will open. And if God closes that door,
it means that's not where you're supposed to be. So
just be patient. And I remember the very first year
of AU, when it was in Las Vegas, getting a
call from Sherry Kemp whose she was in the back
(24:56):
of the room. Don't know where Sherry just went Sherry,
did you leave? Because she knew I was going to
bring up her name. Well, Sherry called me because Eileen
Hawser had reached out to Sherry and said, I really
think Cheryl would be good doing the games. Had a
conversation with her and I was just like, I absolutely
(25:16):
would love to be a part of AU. And I
think the reason why I get emotional without getting emotional
right now is because sometimes you put in so much
work at your craft and all the awards, all the accolades,
they're great, right, that recognition is incredible, But I think
(25:39):
there's still for me. There was still a part of
me that was like, damn, like I worked my butt
off and there's nowhere for me in this this space,
this commentating space. And AU opened the door and said
we want you, we want you to be a part
of the family. And to me, that meant so much
(26:00):
much more to me than any award I've ever won,
because they saw something in me that a lot of
other people didn't and gave me an opportunity to do
something and be a part of something that was brand new.
And I've never really been in that space. But I
have to tell you the excitement I get from not
(26:21):
only doing the games, but being around the players, being
around the AU family's it's such a great group that
I don't know why players who aren't going overseas, I
don't know why they wouldn't be a part, wouldn't want
to be a part of it. Because the competition is
top notch, the players are amazing. I love the family environment,
(26:45):
I love the community, and it's just it's a four
week season for those who may not know a lot
about AU. If you don't, you need to. You're in
this room, you need to. And it's just such a
great environment. And I've said this before and I'll say
it again today. I'm so great, grateful and thankful and
indebted to John and Jonathan and the AU family for
giving me this opportunity, and it's one that I'm very
(27:07):
grateful for.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, you know, for those who aren't familiar.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
One of the things that I think should be covered
more about AU is that it's a model for what
we demand of other leagues that haven't gotten there yet.
But they're doing it the way we always ask others
to when it comes to maternity rights and values of
the players being their own coaches, and you know, the
vested interest that they have in the league. Like the
(27:33):
way that they're doing it is what we wish other
leagues would do. So being able to promote it better
so that other leagues will take the nod and kind
of start it themselves. I also think you mentioned like
being able to be in one place with your family.
You don't have to go overseas. Everyone can go to
one place for that four weeks. It's just a great,
great opportunity. It's a player led lea. Yeah, right, so
(27:54):
the players pretty much have control over I don't want
to say everything, not everything, but you know what I mean,
and it's it's the players' voices that they listen to
and the players themselves they're they're they're helping to grow
the league.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
They're helping to grow the game. And you know, for
for players when they play in the WNBA and when
the season's over, a lot of players don't don't want
to have to go overseas, right, and a lot of
them have to go. There are players who still choose
to do it, but to be able to stay stateside.
It's a four week season, Bring your family, It's great competition,
(28:33):
they're making good money for four weeks, and it's just
it's a really really great competitive league that I think
more and more WNBA players are going to want to
be a part of.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Olympic basketball happening now. Team USA women looking for an
unbelievable eighth straight gold.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
It has been thirty two years, eleven six and eighty
days to be exact, since they last lost an Olympic game.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Pretty decent not com what, yeah, I mean? I don't
even think you can jinx them, that's how incredible they are.
But let's just do it just in case. What are
you watching for when you're watching those games, when you
have a dominant team like that, what are you watching
for to see like this could be the thing that
would make them more vulnerable or this is the thing
they need to be doing.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Right well, I think there we are our biggest competition,
right and until we get to the medal rounds, we
really shouldn't be tested very much. So when I watch,
it's more about what we're doing, not what the other
teams are doing, and are they playing together or are
they playing selfishly which has never happened. It's all about
(29:42):
team USA. It's all about just bringing home the gold
medal this year. For me, though maybe a little different
because and I'm only saying this because she said it,
this will be Diana's last Olympics, So I'm I just
want to I want to watch her, right like, I
(30:02):
want to see what she's getting out of these games
and how well she's going to play, Because forty two
years old, Diana Tarassi is still getting buckets. I don't
care what everybody has to say on social media, they
don't know anything, but she's still getting it. I love
this team. I love the vets we have with the
(30:22):
younger players, and it's just so exciting for me this
time of year to be able to watch because it
just kind of takes me back to when I played
in my very first one in nineteen ninety six, and
to think that we're going for our eighth straight gold medal, unbelievable.
It's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
I love too that Diana called it out and she said,
only in women's sports would twenty years of experience be
considered a negative right instead of.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Something that we talk about how incredible it is.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Yeah, because darned if we don't talk about men like
Lebron who is incredible doing what he's doing at his age,
And instead of doing that with Diana, we're like push
her out and bring in someone else.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
It's yeah, it's absurd.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
That's a whole nother conversation. Agreed.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
You're gonna be joining the Women's sports audio network on
iHeart alongside my show Good Game with Sarah Spain subscribers
every day, give us a little teaser. I know you
don't know yet have a launch date, and you're still
working out some details, but like, what do you want
to talk about? What's missing from the space, what are
you excited to bring?
Speaker 4 (31:21):
So I think I just got my co host, but
I can't announce for you. You don't want to bring
any news, and I have I have three names for it.
Every other name I wanted it was taken. The first
one that I wanted was can I say a bad word?
I close your ears? No. But the name I wanted
(31:44):
was real shit, yeah right yes? And the yeah, it's taken.
So I don't know what it is. But the idea
behind my podcast is not just it's not just a
sports podcast. It's about real shit and life right, things
that we as women go through every day. Things that
(32:05):
we as female athletes, everything from pregnancy to menopause to
stuff that we just don't talk about. But I think women,
if they had a space to talk about it, would
come and talk about it. But also listening for me,
listening to all these other sports podcasts this year, namely
for men who think they know whatever what women want right,
(32:30):
or think they know what women are capable of doing,
I'm like, let me tell y'all what we really are
capable of doing. So I'm excited about it. I have
no idea when the launch date is, but yeah, y'all
tune in, no, stay tuned so you can, like subscriber
perfect to.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Your point you just said, though about it.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
One of the most astounding things I heard early in
the w NBA season, when the unhinged rhetoric around Caitlin
and Angel and the league was happening, was a former
NBA player professional athlete who said that the women of
the WNBA should ease off and let Caitlin score because
it'd be better for the league if she was doing well.
And I thought, never has it been more clear how
(33:13):
much men, but a professional athlete man did not understand
women's sports in what universe? Would you ever think, in
any sport, all the way down to kids, that you
would let the opponent play better?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
In what universe?
Speaker 1 (33:27):
That was so infuriating to me, and it just reminded
me how much work we have to do, because that
went beyond all the other dumb shit that was said.
It really went to a space of like, you don't
even think what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Is sports anymore? Yeah, because that's not sports.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yeah, Yeah, I don't know if you want to get
into it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
We can get to Q and A. I was trying
to avoid this topic, but you brought it up, and
I'm like.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
I'll keep it short and sweet because I have so
many things to say about that. But the first thing, though,
is Caitman doesn't even want that. No, Like, how disrespectful
is that to her to even say, y'all don't guard her? What?
(34:10):
So I asked the question and said, to all of
the NBA guys and just all the male athletes, so
when when a rookie comes into your sport do you
do that? Do you say, oh, well, just give him
the ball and let him go score and shoot and
do all the great things that he does. No, you don't.
And so then it became well, gosh, they're picking her
(34:35):
up full court. Well yeah, yeah, duh, she shoots from
my I mean, it's still it's it's a game. It's competitive.
We're trying to win. I need to win. So if
me having to guard Caitlyn Clark full court means we're
going to get a win, then that's what I gotta do.
Coaches come up with a game, you know. But Sarah,
(34:56):
there were so many dumb things that were said to me.
It was that I want to talk about everybody else,
I'll talk about myself. They said that I was a racist,
I was jealous, I was envious, I was a lot.
I'll run out of fingers, and I said, like, not
(35:19):
only Caitlyn, like all of these rookies. They're trying to
get to where I've been, So why why? Why? Like
make that make sense? My My biggest thing was, I think,
what Angel Caitlyn, Kate Martin, who I am a huge
fan of. I love Kate Martin. Who is? I love
Kate Martin, Cambrink, Rikia Jackson, Camilla Cardoso? Who else? I'm
(35:45):
trying to get all the romans because I'll miss one
name and they'll say, well, Cheryl didn't mention this one.
I think what they've done, what they continue to do
for this league is incredible, without a doubt. We are
at a place in a space that we've never been before.
And is that because of this rookie class, particularly Angel
Caitlin one hundred percent. But I also don't want us
(36:09):
to forget about the Asia Wilson's, the Diana Tarassi's, the
players that have been here that continue to do everything
they can do to uplift this sport. It's been competitive,
it continues to be competitive, like just let these women
be great.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Such amazing stuff from Cheryl.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And by the way, if you noticed twice I think
she apologized for crying. And I want to tell all
of you how much more meaningful conversations like that are
when we see the real person in there. I've been
to so many conferences, I've moderated so many panels, and
I don't want people to be full of talking points.
I want honesty and real emotion. And Cheryl brought that.
(36:51):
So what a legend. Okay, time to pay the bills
again when we return. It's a very Olympic edition of
What the Fact? All right, folks, it's time for another
edition of What the Fact?
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Unless you slept through the opening ceremony and the first
few days of competition, you've probably heard it mentioned that
the Paris Olympics are the first ever gender balanced Olympics.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
But are they really?
Speaker 1 (37:23):
The International Olympic Committee has been using the hashtag gender
Equal Olympics for these games because, for the first time ever,
there are an equal number of athlete spots allocated to
both men and women. We've been climbing closer to this
so called moment of equilibrium for more than a century now. Ever,
since twenty two women competed at the nineteen hundred Paris Olympics,
making up just two point two percent of the field.
(37:45):
But while the numbers have most certainly improved, and really
really they have, that doesn't quite mean the games have
achieved gender equality. Take, for example, the soccer tournaments that
feature sixteen men's teams and just twelve women's. The same
imbalance exists in water polo, where there are twelve of
men's teams and just ten women's. And get this, sky
News reported this week that the IOC has no plans
(38:06):
to change that, at least not in soccer. In a
statement to sky News, the IOC said quote raising the
number of women's teams would potentially trigger requests from other
teams sports, which would then have an even greater impact
on the cost, complexity, size, and sustainability of the games.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
What the actual So.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
You're saying women's soccer can't have gender equality because I
don't know, maybe more women.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Would call for gender equality.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Of course, all this also ignores the fact that some athletes,
like Canadian soccer player.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Quinn and US runner Niki Hilts, are.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Non binary and ahead of the Olympics, Quinn actually called
out the IOC because their profile and the official parasite
lists the wrong gender.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
As of this recording, it still hasn't been fixed.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Off the courts and fields, women remain vastly underrepresented in
coaching as well and other sports adjacent jobs. While the
official numbers are still in process, it's estimated that just
one in ten coaches in Paris are women. You could
check out an op ed by the Women's Sports Foundations
ton Net Layton and Scout Basset at USA today dot
com and read a little bit more about the steps
we still need to take toward real equality, especially in
(39:12):
the Paralympics where we don't even have gender balance. So
while we're most certainly pumped for the games and the
increase in representation, let's make sure to call it what
it is, one more step.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
And not the end of the journey.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
We always love that you're listening, but we want you
to get in the game every day too. So here's
our good game play the day. Watch a new Olympic sport.
We get it tracked. Gymnastics, soccer, swimming. They're all so
fun to cheer for, but there's so much more out there.
Did you know that the final for team archery came
down to a three arrow shootout and a magnifying glass
(39:46):
to determine the winner and give South Korea their tenth
straight gold in the event. Seriously, a magnifying glass. Here
a few sports deep in competition that might have just
as thrilling of finals in the next few days. Handball, maybe,
table tennis, canoe slalom. I'm not saying I know the
rules of any of those, but I will be watching
and so should you. Let us know what you decide
(40:08):
to watch. And as a reminder, if you have any
questions while watching, make sure to send him to producer
alex Azi.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
She's really hoping one.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Of you can stumper.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
So far, she's really only struggled to answer her dad's question,
which was who is Snoop Dogg and why is he there?
Send her a tweet at by alex Azi al ex
Aszi and remember we'd always love to hear from you.
Hit us up on email good game at Wondermedia network
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
two two oh four fifty seventy.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Okay, you've waited long enough. It's time for the big reveal.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Did you guys catch the easter eggs in our first
eight episodes? And did you catch that? I said we
had ten episodes instead of eight because math is hard.
If you didn't get the answer, this should help. You
would not last an hour in the asylum where they
raised me. Girl is a nightmare dressed like a daydream.
You deserve prison, but you won't get time. Hi, I'm
the problem.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
It's me baby. Let the games begin.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Old habits die screaming because you know I love the
players and you love the game. You play stupid games,
you win stupid prizes. That's right, Taylor swift Lyrics. Several
of you got it right and emailed in and Marga
Sisson I hope. I said your name right is our
winner picked via random number generator, and she also sent
the nicest email to the three of us two so
(41:25):
I wanted to read a little bit of it. I
want to say congrats on the pod. It's amazing so far.
Love the different segments and guests have been unreal. Thank
you for bringing this to life and for bringing a
much needed light and space to women's sports. Thank you
for all that you do. I'm having the time of
my life. With you in this pod Yours and Women's
Sports and Taylor Swift. Marga ps for more listener name ideas.
Here are some Swifty inspired ones, the anti heroes, the
(41:47):
mirror Balls, the mad women, the lucky ones. Thank you,
Marga and Margo works at the Gist and we love
the Gist. That email made our day. Also thank you
to Andy Wannacott for your email. Here's a little bit
of Andy's clever message. It was full of te Swift references.
I was recommending this show to one of my friends
and I made the comment I like that Sarah Spain
is a basic white millennial Chicago girlie like me, and
(42:08):
I get all of her references, like there's been more
than one Taylor Swift quote in the episodes. I look
the age up later and Sarah is actually cuspy and
probably considers herself gen X. But the point stands. She
went on to give the Taylor Swift references from the
show and said, but what if I told you none
of it was accidental. I'm positive there have been more
than the ones I listed, but they slipped away into
a moment of time because they were never mine. Well played, Andy,
(42:32):
so many Te Swift references.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Also, thank you for assuming.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
That I was young when it is convenient, I am
indeed an elder millennial, and when it.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Is not convenient, I am indeed gen x. So thank you.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review to Good Game
with Sarah Spain.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
It's super easy. Watch so that Google commercial. It features a.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Father encouraging his daughter to use AI to write American
hurdler Sidney McLaughlin lavroni a fan letter rating one out
of five stars, and that once just for featuring a
super badass female athlete in the ad review.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Who the wants a fan letter from a computer?
Speaker 1 (43:07):
And who wants their kid learning that replacing genuine emotion
and personal care with a form letter created by a
machine is the answer to literally anything in life. The
kid doesn't learn to write, doesn't learn to express herself,
doesn't learn to be brave in sharing her feelings and
reaching out to a role model. She just learns how
to tele computer to do her work for her. And honestly,
(43:28):
even a stickler like me would rather get a handwritten
fan note that.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
Says You're great? Why O you are?
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Than a perfectly spelled, grammatically correct letter from Gemini or
Watson or Johnny five from Short Circuit or even the
T one thousand from Terminator two. Thanks for listening, everybody,
see you tomorrow when we talk to the incredibly badass
US fifteen hundred meter champion Nikki Hilt's aka, our official
non binary flag bearer for Team USA. Can't wait for
(43:57):
you to listen. Good game, Cheryl, Good Game listener, Swifties,
you not actual gender equal?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Gender equality.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
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 Azzi and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(44:26):
Our editors are Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez and
Grace Lynch. Production assistants from Lucy Jones and I'm Your
Host Sarah Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're happy
to announce a new hypeman has dropped. Jason Kelsey handshake emoji.
Olympic Women's Rugby a match made in Heaven. Swifties that means,
set your DVRs, learn the names of the players. Let's
give this Olympic women's rugby team the love they deserve.
On today's show, we'll be talking with four time Olympic
(00:21):
gold medalists and four time WNBA champion, The Woman, the Myth,
the Legend, Cheryl Swoops, plus our big Easter Egg reveal.
It's more proof that I should not be left to
my own devices. But first, here's what you need to
know today. Tmusa waterpolo is currently one in one in
Olympic competition after a thirteen eleven lost to Spain on Monday.
(00:44):
This was a rematch of the Olympic final three years
ago in Tokyo.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Get this.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's only the US team's second loss at the Olympics
since two thousand and eight. The US women's water polo
team is one of the most dominant teams in the
world in any sport, so it's always big news when
they lose. But it also doesn't mean much in the
context of the Olympic tournament. Hopefully just leads to a
rematch in the gold medal game. Next up for Team
USA Italy on Wednesday at twelve thirty pm Eastern in
(01:12):
rugby in a chippy quarter final match with Great Britain,
Team USA held on in one seventeen to seven to advance.
Next up is a semi final match against New Zealand
today at nine thirty am Eastern, live on Peacock. The
US is seeking its first ever Olympic gold medal in rugby.
Both bronze and gold medal games are later on this afternoon. Also,
(01:32):
if you're still not following our rugby Queen Alana Mayor,
you're like a million or so people behind, so get
on that right now. You can watch her convert Jason
Kelsey to hype man, stiff armed people a la Marshaun Lynch,
and turn pretty much every moment of the Olympics into
a comedy routine. The gymnastics team final is today, beginning
at twelve to fifteen pm Eastern.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Here's how it works.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
During the final, each country has three athletes compete on
each apparatus, and all three scores count despite tweaking your
calf while warming up during Sunday's qualification, is expected to
compete on all four apparatuses Apparati apparatus, same with Jordan Chiles,
while Jade Carey will appear on vault and Sudney Lee
(02:14):
will compete on bars, beam and floor. The Americans will
enter the team final as the favorites for gold, and
they posted the best score in qualifying by a long shot.
But of course, gymnastics is an unforgiving sport and anything
can happen. Remember in the team final three years ago,
Simone Biles, dealing with the twisties, had to withdraw and
the US went on to win silver again. That event
(02:35):
is twelve to fifteen pm Eastern, So take a long
lunch break.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
You know I'm gonna be.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Watching Team USA takes the court for the first time
in three x three basketball today at eleven thirty am
Eastern against Germany. That US team is going to be
super fun to watch. Sierra Burdick, Derek Hamby, Ryan Howard
and Hayley Vanlyth. And a quick refresher on three x
three just in case you haven't watched it since Tokyo, Okay.
The Games are super fast, like if you go get
(03:00):
a snack and you come right back, you might miss
it fast.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Each game is only ten minutes, but it can end
sooner than that.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
If one team reaches twenty one points, watch that on
NBC or stream it on peacock.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Maybe had a couple screen setups. They don't miss any
of the action.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Speaking of basketball, team, USA is five on five. Squad
kept it tighter than expected early against Japan, but then
pulled away for a one oh two seventy six win.
Asia Wilson led the team with twenty four points and
thirteen rebounds. We can't shout out USA women soops without
a quick good game, good game.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Fact you times two fact number one.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
With their win against Japan, it's been eleven thousand, six
hundred and eighty two days since the basketball team lost
an Olympic game. Fact number two. Only three of the
twelve players on the current US roster were alive for
that loss. Diana Tarassi, Alisa Thomas, Britney Griner shout out
the olds. Speaking of USA hoops, we got to take
(03:57):
a break, but when we come back. I had the
one of interviewing Cheryl Swoops for the keynote conversation at
Monday's Athletes Unlimited Innovation Summit, you can hear why she
was brought to tears talking about Athletes Unlimited basketball, her
take on the evolution of the WNBA, and her response
to the accusations leveled against her at.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The beginning of this season.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Come on back, welcome back.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Settle in for a great conversation I had yesterday with
the legendary Cheryl Swoops. Cheryl Swoops was the first player
to be signed in the WNBA, A three time WNBA MVP,
four time WNBA Champion. As an eleven year member of
the Houston Comets, she accumulated over two thousand career points,
five hundred career rebounds, three hundred career assists, and two
(04:44):
hundred career steals. She has won three Olympic gold medals.
She's one of eleven women's basketball players to have won
an Olympic gold medal and NCAA Championship, a FOEBA World
Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to
the Naismith Hall of Fame in twenty sixteen and the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in twenty six seventeen. She's
a coach and analyst a mom and a legend. She
(05:05):
took on Michael Jordan and went on one at his camp,
and even though she lost, she got lipstick and makeup
all over his T shirt and got to take it
home as a souvenir.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So she's a winner.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
In my book, it's Cheryl Swoops the goat.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
What's up, girl, Shay Sarah?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Hi, so great to see you again.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
We just hung at the WNBA All Star Week and
we're gonna get to some stuff from that. But I
want to actually start back when you were playing Michael
at his camp.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And here's why.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
It was this moment in time, this peak maybe of
your stardom. You're getting invites to MJ's camp, You're the
first player ever in the WNBA, You've got your own shoe,
the air swoops like in those first couple of years.
What stands out to you from that time and that
attention you were getting.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Gosh, I guess if I compare that time to today,
I'm like, that was nothing right, because it's just crazy
attention that the league's getting today. But I think for me,
like back then, what really stood out, honestly was the
fact that Michael Jordan knew who I was. You know,
(06:13):
like Michael Jordan to me like, there will never be
another one? Me too, girl, You'd like right, like he
just he just was Michael. And I remember when I
didn't get the call. My college coach at the time,
Marcia Sharp, she got the call and was like, Hey,
(06:36):
Michael Jordan wants you to come work as a basketball camp.
And so I was like, wow much, Seriously, how much
do I have to pay to go work his basketball camp?
She's like, Cheryl, that's not how that works. But I
remember just having a very brief conversation with him about
he watched the Final four and he just had so
much to say about my game and had so much
(06:58):
to say about women's basketball that I was just like, Wow,
We've made it. That was the That was my mindset
and my thought back then. But when I compare it
to where we are today, I'm like, wow, well.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
I want to talk about that because the Wnball Star
Game just had this insane ratings three point four to
four million people, and that shattered the last record of
one point four million that was back in two thousand
and three when you were playing. But one point four
million is a lot. A lot of times we say
those statistics, and we don't ask ourselves, well, what was
going on in two thousand and three, why was that
(07:34):
a record? Yere right, So you were in that game.
Those early years of the W had incredible attention. They
were it was quite popular. People were excited about it.
But then it dipped, and I'm wondering to what do
you attribute some of that really high excitement when it
started and then the lull before the recent major growth.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I don't know, you know, I really was having this
conversation with someone the other day when we were talking about, like,
when the W started in ninety seven, it was the
excitement behind it and everyone was ready for it, and
it was coming right off the ninety six Olympics. So
like the enthusiasm and the excitement, people were like, give
us more, give us more. And so I think the
(08:12):
first like ten years of the W was really really fun.
It was exciting, and you were winning every time. Well
that made it even better. But I know people look
at the game today and they're like, wow, like these
women are really good. And I said to someone the
other day, I said, but we've always been good, Like
(08:33):
the game has always been exciting. I think the biggest
difference today is social media to me plays a huge
part of where the game is today. Right, there are
more eyes and fans feel very connected to the players
right or wrong, like them, love them, hate them. It
gives them a space to feel like they're connected to
(08:55):
that athlete. And at some point when the WNBA first started,
right the first ten years, we're excited, I think fans
got bored. I guess right, it was like, well, the
comments won the first flour and someone else won this one.
Like give us something different, give us something more exciting
to cheer about. So at one point there it was
(09:17):
like people forgot about the WNBA and then you lost
teams right Houston, Sacramento, teams who won championships, and a
lot of people forgot about the WNBA. And I think
at one point the league finally figured out, like we
need to continue to market this league year round. We
can't just market it in the summer because in the
(09:38):
off season people tend to forget about the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And I feel like that's investment too. It bursts onto
the scene and is really popular. Despite some poisoning of
the well, there were very prominent male sports writers who
were making fun of the w There were even some
questions still do yes, but yes they usually get shouted
down now though, and before it was like, hey, it's
okay that there's this butt.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Of the joke that we're going to make women.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
But I think also the marketing was an interesting choice,
like some of the Sue burd in a halter top
and swing cash on the hood of a car. It
was like that that's not really what we're going for here,
but it thrived anyway, and then it was like, well,
we put some money in and now it exists and
we're done, and instead there needed to be a continued investment.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
That seems to be a problem with a lot of
women's sports.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Is this idea of like putting a little bit in
and then demanding ROI instead of realizing, like any startup
or new business, you need to put in a lot
of money with the intention that over the long haul
you're going to get back what you're putting in. And
that felt like some of that drought was because of
not really feeling like investing in it. The early years
were also a fascinating time for people to remind themselves
(10:41):
that women are athletes and women, and you actually changed
minds on that in a really meaningful way. Because you're drafted,
you're getting ready to play your first WNBA season, and
you get pregnant and the league decides to actually film
you being pregnant, film you coming back just six weeks
after you gave birth to play, and they tried to
(11:01):
make you sort of the everyday mom that was relatable,
like Cheryl Swoops has ever been every day at literally anything?
Speaker 4 (11:07):
I am Sarah, Well, you do have a back problem
as an.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
So that's relatable.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
And the whole personal summer menopause thing that's relatable. Yeah,
this travels, it's right, But you help destigmatize female athletes
giving birth.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Because you're just starting your WNBA career, You're a twenty
six year old, there's all the pressure of helping me
the face of this new league and you're a new mom.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
I mean it was a lot. But before I even
answer that, I want to go back to what you
ask earlier. I think one of the things with the
league in the beginning was really trying to figure out,
like how do we market these women? And I'm not
sure the league really knew like who is our audience?
(11:57):
Who are we trying to market to? Who do we
want to get to come out to the game. And
back then, right like all of us were we were
trying to wear this hat only one right that the
league said this is this is the image we've got
to put out and this is what we need people
to think we are. And today one the league has changed.
(12:18):
But more than that, the players have basically said, I'll
keep it clean. But the players honestly are like, wells, yeah,
Like we're going to be who we are and you're
either going to like us, you're gonna love us, or
you're gonna hate us, but it's not going to change
who we are as individuals. And I think that in
itself has really changed where the league is. It's changed
(12:41):
more brands wanting to get on board and say I
really want you to be a part of my brand
and represent my company.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
It's a response to society too, though for originally the
league is very concerned about racism, homophobia, judgments about female
athletes and whether they fill the roles of women that
we expect. It was like, let's pretty them up and
make sure everyone thinks they're hot while they're playing sports, right,
And instead now it's just be authentically yourself feminine, masculine, gay, straight, villain,
(13:08):
funny whatever, and just in life in society at large.
Were allowing people to be themselves more and that allows
the athletes to step into what you're talking about, which
is massive for women's sports. I think it's one of
the biggest things that has turned the tide for every
single women's sports.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
Well, and it's and it's huge today, right because back then,
you know, we there were things that we didn't like,
but we didn't feel like we had that voice to
necessarily stand up and say this is not right or
this is we don't agree with this. And I always
say someone had to be the first. So when the
(13:41):
league started at ninety seven, we were just happy to
have a league, right, didn't really matter charter flights, we had, roommates,
didn't have our own room. I'm a mom. I have
a roommate with a child, right, and so if I
wanted my own room, I had to pay the difference.
So there were so many things that looking back on it,
I'm like, how in the world as a professional athlete,
(14:05):
as an adult professional athlete, we're having to share rooms
with someone else? Like I Yeah, anyway.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
And who drew the short straw of rooming with Cheryl
and her kids.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Uh. But I couldn't even imagine though, having to have
a roommate, right, even if I didn't have a kid.
I just I need my own space. So to that point,
when I found out in ninety seven that I was pregnant,
it took me a while to tell the league because
(14:36):
I had no idea how they were going to respond
at first, and there was a part of me that
was like, I cannot believe I'm letting the league down right,
being the first player to sign and they're doing all
of this marketing behind me, and then I find out
I'm pregnant. So finally I was like, all right, they're
gonna find out, so I need to tell them. But
I have to tell you the support that I received
(14:58):
back then from Nike and even from the league, there
was never any pressure at all to come back and
be a part of the league. That was important to
me because I wanted to do that. But it's so
crazy when I think about what I personally went through
as a woman, as a mom, as an athlete, oh gosh,
(15:25):
but just the struggles that I had to go through,
and so I today I hear or I listened to
like Skyler Diggins. I listened to her tell her story,
and I went through those things, but I had nobody
that I could talk to. So it was one of
those things where I went, I practiced, I played, I
did my job like no one had a clue what
(15:47):
I was really going through, Like just on a personal
level of how do I balance being the best mom
I can be but also being the best athlete I
can be because there was so much pressure, right, so
many eyes on me. I remember reading this one story. Sorry,
I didn't know I was gonna cry, but I remember
reading this one article from this reporter who I won't
(16:10):
name but he's still free. But he just basically said,
like there's no way she will ever be able to
be a mom and be a successful athlete, which I'm
sure there are so many women who deal with that, right,
like motherhood and being a career, having a career, being
(16:33):
a wife, whatever that is. And I remember reading that
and the first thing I thought was, like, you have
no idea who I am, and you have no idea
what I'm capable of. So like that type of stuff
just only fuel my fire, right, But I also knew
(16:57):
that there would be more women who would come after me,
who would be in that same situation. So for me,
it was so important that I was able to not
just show the w and show men, but I wanted
to show women like, like, we can do this, We
can be great moms, we can have great careers, and
(17:18):
we don't have to make sacrifices on any of it.
And I won't say it was easy, but I had
a great circle of people around me was I did okay.
I did okay.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know what, though, it reminds me when we talk
about the growth of women's sports and some of the setbacks,
if we don't acknowledge the things that happened with intention,
we are ignoring the context that's required to really understand
the path toward today. The pseudoscience that was used to
argue that women shouldn't play while pregnant or after pregnant,
(17:48):
The pseudoscience that said women would come back from pregnancy
less than or less capable, which was not founded at
all in actual medicine. All of that was used with
intention to tell women that their space was at the
home with their children. I mean, it was like two
thousand and three, the head of the International Ski Federation
said women still shouldn't do ski jumping because.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Their uteruses would fall out.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Two thousand and three, we're still doing that, and so
when we don't acknowledge the stuff that happens with intention
to hold us back. The seventy year soccer band in
England and now women's soccer is doing great and people
are like.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Well, they finally figured it out.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
No, there was a seventy year band of women playing
professional soccer there. You think that held them back a little?
Like we got to talk about it, yeah, because otherwise
we blame the product, and it's never been the product.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Let's talk about the All Star works ever. Ever, ever, ever,
let's talk about the All Star weekend. I went to
a very lovely dinner in your honor, which was beautiful.
We love to see people get their flowers, even if
it's a few years late. You got your flowers at
the time, but we're still giving them to you. And
you mentioned that you want to have a brunch to
connect current WNBA players with the players of the past,
and not just the big names like you, but everybody
(19:00):
who helped bank the league what it was.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Why is that so important to you?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
I mean, you know a lot of people look at
the W when it started, and of course they remember
myself and Lisa and Rebecca and Don and Coop and Tina,
which rightfully so. But for me, this brunch, which by
the way, I know that's time why we're talking about it,
but thanks to AU a huge sponsor, was an incredible brunt.
(19:29):
Love it, but it was so important to me last
year was the first one in this year, but I
want to be able to bring back former players and
celebrate them and like you said, and give them their flowers,
because every single player that was a part of the
W when it started, they play a huge role in
where we are today. And I think because of all
(19:51):
the attention that the league is getting to day the
rookie class, rightfully so. But there's a part of me
that feels disrespected for those other players because you don't
hear about them very much, you don't talk about them
very much. The league doesn't really do anything for them.
(20:12):
And so I want to put all of us in
a room together where we can celebrate each other, where
we can reminisce the good, the bad, everything in between.
We can talk about the crazy hairstyles we had and
you know, the outfits that we were, But I want
to put us in a room where we're just being
celebrated and we're talking about where we were, where the
(20:32):
league was, where it is today, where we're going. I
think it's a great time for celebration, but also trying
to bridge that gap between former players and current players,
because unfortunate thing is. As well as I think the
league is doing right now, I think it could be
in such a better place if former players were more
(20:53):
involved with the w And there are a lot of
current WNBA players who don't know the former players. If
if it's not like you know the top ten and
there were so many former players who were some bad asses,
I can say, ass, I'll keep it there that. I
feel like the players today need to get to know
(21:16):
who these players were, the players who pave the way,
who have given you the opportunity to be where you
are today. And so that's that's what I want my
brunch to be, and just celebrating women in general for
being in this space.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
I think there's such mythologizing around men's sports. We hear
about and know about the greats and even the not
so greats that just have good stories.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
We don't do that in women's sports.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
It's something I'm trying to do on my show Good
Game with Sarah Spain daily on iHeart.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Podcasts And if you haven't subscribed, subscribe.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Subscribe, follow, like write a review, rate five stars please.
But I am trying to do that because part of
what we love about sports is water cooler talk, having takes,
having debates, and we can't do that if we're saying
top five all time WNBA point guards and you don't
know the ones that played twenty years ago. We can't
have those fun mount rushmore of what. You can't do
that if we don't have that context. And so the
(22:07):
myth building is extremely important, and so is internalizing female
greatness in young people, so that those athletes who maybe
grew up and are now in the WNBA but instead
idolized Lebron and Dirk. And you know what I always here,
Elena Deeladon is the Dirknowitzkin's like, no, how about find
a woman from the WNBA that was a big who
could run the ball in two threes and big inside
(22:29):
and you know that kind of stuff is so important
and it's really under discussed how much that affects our
view of what we're watching and how we can textualize it.
So I love that you're doing that. You mentioned AU
helping out with the brunch. AU actually also gave you
a shot at commentating when you had been rejected. Can
you talk about why that was so important?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Yeah, so, y'ah, if I cry, I'm gonna blame it
on my back. Okay, No, you know, first of all,
I just think what AU is doing. Megan, I don't
like you either.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
I feel like Barbara Walters.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
No, God, jeez, I don't even know the people in
the room like this for y'all to see me crying,
But I just think what AU has done and what
they continue to do.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
I'll get to myself in a second. Given women an
opportunity to play in another women's professional basketball league is huge,
And I know a lot of people look at AU
and they're like, oh, is it the G League to
the W And I'm like, absolutely not. It is another
(23:45):
women's professional league. It's still the only other five on
five women's professional basketball league here in the States. And
for me to have an opportunity to be a part,
the little bit that I do commentating alongside Cindy Brunson,
U Basketball has always just given me a place where
(24:11):
I don't know, in a way where I feel wanted
and need it. And so when I tried this in
other avenues without bringing them up, you know, on ESPN,
it was kind of like, eh, no, You're not ready,
and I'm like, well, damn, I've been retired for ten years.
(24:33):
I don't know when I will be ready, and so
I just I've always been taught that when one door closes,
another one will open. And if God closes that door,
it means that's not where you're supposed to be. So
just be patient. And I remember the very first year
of AU, when it was in Las Vegas, getting a
call from Sherry Kemp whose she was in the back
(24:56):
of the room. Don't know where Sherry just went Sherry,
did you leave? Because she knew I was going to
bring up her name. Well, Sherry called me because Eileen
Hawser had reached out to Sherry and said, I really
think Cheryl would be good doing the games. Had a
conversation with her and I was just like, I absolutely
(25:16):
would love to be a part of AU. And I
think the reason why I get emotional without getting emotional
right now is because sometimes you put in so much
work at your craft and all the awards, all the accolades,
they're great, right, that recognition is incredible, But I think
(25:39):
there's still for me. There was still a part of
me that was like, damn, like I worked my butt
off and there's nowhere for me in this this space,
this commentating space. And AU opened the door and said
we want you, we want you to be a part
of the family. And to me, that meant so much
(26:00):
much more to me than any award I've ever won,
because they saw something in me that a lot of
other people didn't and gave me an opportunity to do
something and be a part of something that was brand new.
And I've never really been in that space. But I
have to tell you the excitement I get from not
(26:21):
only doing the games, but being around the players, being
around the AU family's it's such a great group that
I don't know why players who aren't going overseas, I
don't know why they wouldn't be a part, wouldn't want
to be a part of it. Because the competition is
top notch, the players are amazing. I love the family environment,
(26:45):
I love the community, and it's just it's a four
week season for those who may not know a lot
about AU. If you don't, you need to. You're in
this room, you need to. And it's just such a
great environment. And I've said this before and I'll say
it again today. I'm so great, grateful and thankful and
indebted to John and Jonathan and the AU family for
giving me this opportunity, and it's one that I'm very
(27:07):
grateful for.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Yeah, you know, for those who aren't familiar.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
One of the things that I think should be covered
more about AU is that it's a model for what
we demand of other leagues that haven't gotten there yet.
But they're doing it the way we always ask others
to when it comes to maternity rights and values of
the players being their own coaches, and you know, the
vested interest that they have in the league. Like the
(27:33):
way that they're doing it is what we wish other
leagues would do. So being able to promote it better
so that other leagues will take the nod and kind
of start it themselves. I also think you mentioned like
being able to be in one place with your family.
You don't have to go overseas. Everyone can go to
one place for that four weeks. It's just a great,
great opportunity. It's a player led lea. Yeah, right, so
(27:54):
the players pretty much have control over I don't want
to say everything, not everything, but you know what I mean,
and it's it's the players' voices that they listen to
and the players themselves they're they're they're helping to grow
the league.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
They're helping to grow the game. And you know, for
for players when they play in the WNBA and when
the season's over, a lot of players don't don't want
to have to go overseas, right, and a lot of
them have to go. There are players who still choose
to do it, but to be able to stay stateside.
It's a four week season, Bring your family, It's great competition,
(28:33):
they're making good money for four weeks, and it's just
it's a really really great competitive league that I think
more and more WNBA players are going to want to
be a part of.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Olympic basketball happening now. Team USA women looking for an
unbelievable eighth straight gold.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
It has been thirty two years, eleven six and eighty
days to be exact, since they last lost an Olympic game.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Pretty decent not com what, yeah, I mean? I don't
even think you can jinx them, that's how incredible they are.
But let's just do it just in case. What are
you watching for when you're watching those games, when you
have a dominant team like that, what are you watching
for to see like this could be the thing that
would make them more vulnerable or this is the thing
they need to be doing.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Right well, I think there we are our biggest competition,
right and until we get to the medal rounds, we
really shouldn't be tested very much. So when I watch,
it's more about what we're doing, not what the other
teams are doing, and are they playing together or are
they playing selfishly which has never happened. It's all about
(29:42):
team USA. It's all about just bringing home the gold
medal this year. For me, though maybe a little different
because and I'm only saying this because she said it,
this will be Diana's last Olympics, So I'm I just
want to I want to watch her, right like, I
(30:02):
want to see what she's getting out of these games
and how well she's going to play, Because forty two
years old, Diana Tarassi is still getting buckets. I don't
care what everybody has to say on social media, they
don't know anything, but she's still getting it. I love
this team. I love the vets we have with the
(30:22):
younger players, and it's just so exciting for me this
time of year to be able to watch because it
just kind of takes me back to when I played
in my very first one in nineteen ninety six, and
to think that we're going for our eighth straight gold medal, unbelievable.
It's pretty special.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
I love too that Diana called it out and she said,
only in women's sports would twenty years of experience be
considered a negative right instead of.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Something that we talk about how incredible it is.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Yeah, because darned if we don't talk about men like
Lebron who is incredible doing what he's doing at his age,
And instead of doing that with Diana, we're like push
her out and bring in someone else.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
It's yeah, it's absurd.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
That's a whole nother conversation. Agreed.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
You're gonna be joining the Women's sports audio network on
iHeart alongside my show Good Game with Sarah Spain subscribers
every day, give us a little teaser. I know you
don't know yet have a launch date, and you're still
working out some details, but like, what do you want
to talk about? What's missing from the space, what are
you excited to bring?
Speaker 4 (31:21):
So I think I just got my co host, but
I can't announce for you. You don't want to bring
any news, and I have I have three names for it.
Every other name I wanted it was taken. The first
one that I wanted was can I say a bad word?
I close your ears? No. But the name I wanted
(31:44):
was real shit, yeah right yes? And the yeah, it's taken.
So I don't know what it is. But the idea
behind my podcast is not just it's not just a
sports podcast. It's about real shit and life right, things
that we as women go through every day. Things that
(32:05):
we as female athletes, everything from pregnancy to menopause to
stuff that we just don't talk about. But I think women,
if they had a space to talk about it, would
come and talk about it. But also listening for me,
listening to all these other sports podcasts this year, namely
for men who think they know whatever what women want right,
(32:30):
or think they know what women are capable of doing,
I'm like, let me tell y'all what we really are
capable of doing. So I'm excited about it. I have
no idea when the launch date is, but yeah, y'all
tune in, no, stay tuned so you can, like subscriber
perfect to.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
Your point you just said, though about it.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
One of the most astounding things I heard early in
the w NBA season, when the unhinged rhetoric around Caitlin
and Angel and the league was happening, was a former
NBA player professional athlete who said that the women of
the WNBA should ease off and let Caitlin score because
it'd be better for the league if she was doing well.
And I thought, never has it been more clear how
(33:13):
much men, but a professional athlete man did not understand
women's sports in what universe? Would you ever think, in
any sport, all the way down to kids, that you
would let the opponent play better?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
In what universe?
Speaker 1 (33:27):
That was so infuriating to me, and it just reminded
me how much work we have to do, because that
went beyond all the other dumb shit that was said.
It really went to a space of like, you don't
even think what we're doing.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Is sports anymore? Yeah, because that's not sports.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yeah, Yeah, I don't know if you want to get
into it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
We can get to Q and A. I was trying
to avoid this topic, but you brought it up, and
I'm like.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
I'll keep it short and sweet because I have so
many things to say about that. But the first thing, though,
is Caitman doesn't even want that. No, Like, how disrespectful
is that to her to even say, y'all don't guard her? What?
(34:10):
So I asked the question and said, to all of
the NBA guys and just all the male athletes, so
when when a rookie comes into your sport do you
do that? Do you say, oh, well, just give him
the ball and let him go score and shoot and
do all the great things that he does. No, you don't.
And so then it became well, gosh, they're picking her
(34:35):
up full court. Well yeah, yeah, duh, she shoots from
my I mean, it's still it's it's a game. It's competitive.
We're trying to win. I need to win. So if
me having to guard Caitlyn Clark full court means we're
going to get a win, then that's what I gotta do.
Coaches come up with a game, you know. But Sarah,
(34:56):
there were so many dumb things that were said to me.
It was that I want to talk about everybody else,
I'll talk about myself. They said that I was a racist,
I was jealous, I was envious, I was a lot.
I'll run out of fingers, and I said, like, not
(35:19):
only Caitlyn, like all of these rookies. They're trying to
get to where I've been, So why why? Why? Like
make that make sense? My My biggest thing was, I think,
what Angel Caitlyn, Kate Martin, who I am a huge
fan of. I love Kate Martin. Who is? I love
Kate Martin, Cambrink, Rikia Jackson, Camilla Cardoso? Who else? I'm
(35:45):
trying to get all the romans because I'll miss one
name and they'll say, well, Cheryl didn't mention this one.
I think what they've done, what they continue to do
for this league is incredible, without a doubt. We are
at a place in a space that we've never been before.
And is that because of this rookie class, particularly Angel
Caitlin one hundred percent. But I also don't want us
(36:09):
to forget about the Asia Wilson's, the Diana Tarassi's, the
players that have been here that continue to do everything
they can do to uplift this sport. It's been competitive,
it continues to be competitive, like just let these women
be great.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Such amazing stuff from Cheryl.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And by the way, if you noticed twice I think
she apologized for crying. And I want to tell all
of you how much more meaningful conversations like that are
when we see the real person in there. I've been
to so many conferences, I've moderated so many panels, and
I don't want people to be full of talking points.
I want honesty and real emotion. And Cheryl brought that.
(36:51):
So what a legend. Okay, time to pay the bills
again when we return. It's a very Olympic edition of
What the Fact? All right, folks, it's time for another
edition of What the Fact?
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
Unless you slept through the opening ceremony and the first
few days of competition, you've probably heard it mentioned that
the Paris Olympics are the first ever gender balanced Olympics.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
But are they really?
Speaker 1 (37:23):
The International Olympic Committee has been using the hashtag gender
Equal Olympics for these games because, for the first time ever,
there are an equal number of athlete spots allocated to
both men and women. We've been climbing closer to this
so called moment of equilibrium for more than a century now. Ever,
since twenty two women competed at the nineteen hundred Paris Olympics,
making up just two point two percent of the field.
(37:45):
But while the numbers have most certainly improved, and really
really they have, that doesn't quite mean the games have
achieved gender equality. Take, for example, the soccer tournaments that
feature sixteen men's teams and just twelve women's. The same
imbalance exists in water polo, where there are twelve of
men's teams and just ten women's. And get this, sky
News reported this week that the IOC has no plans
(38:06):
to change that, at least not in soccer. In a
statement to sky News, the IOC said quote raising the
number of women's teams would potentially trigger requests from other
teams sports, which would then have an even greater impact
on the cost, complexity, size, and sustainability of the games.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
What the actual So.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
You're saying women's soccer can't have gender equality because I
don't know, maybe more women.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Would call for gender equality.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Of course, all this also ignores the fact that some athletes,
like Canadian soccer player.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Quinn and US runner Niki Hilts, are.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Non binary and ahead of the Olympics, Quinn actually called
out the IOC because their profile and the official parasite
lists the wrong gender.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
As of this recording, it still hasn't been fixed.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Off the courts and fields, women remain vastly underrepresented in
coaching as well and other sports adjacent jobs. While the
official numbers are still in process, it's estimated that just
one in ten coaches in Paris are women. You could
check out an op ed by the Women's Sports Foundations
ton Net Layton and Scout Basset at USA today dot
com and read a little bit more about the steps
we still need to take toward real equality, especially in
(39:12):
the Paralympics where we don't even have gender balance. So
while we're most certainly pumped for the games and the
increase in representation, let's make sure to call it what
it is, one more step.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
And not the end of the journey.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
We always love that you're listening, but we want you
to get in the game every day too. So here's
our good game play the day. Watch a new Olympic sport.
We get it tracked. Gymnastics, soccer, swimming. They're all so
fun to cheer for, but there's so much more out there.
Did you know that the final for team archery came
down to a three arrow shootout and a magnifying glass
(39:46):
to determine the winner and give South Korea their tenth
straight gold in the event. Seriously, a magnifying glass. Here
a few sports deep in competition that might have just
as thrilling of finals in the next few days. Handball, maybe,
table tennis, canoe slalom. I'm not saying I know the
rules of any of those, but I will be watching
and so should you. Let us know what you decide
(40:08):
to watch. And as a reminder, if you have any
questions while watching, make sure to send him to producer
alex Azi.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
She's really hoping one.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Of you can stumper.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
So far, she's really only struggled to answer her dad's question,
which was who is Snoop Dogg and why is he there?
Send her a tweet at by alex Azi al ex
Aszi and remember we'd always love to hear from you.
Hit us up on email good game at Wondermedia network
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
two two oh four fifty seventy.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Okay, you've waited long enough. It's time for the big reveal.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Did you guys catch the easter eggs in our first
eight episodes? And did you catch that? I said we
had ten episodes instead of eight because math is hard.
If you didn't get the answer, this should help. You
would not last an hour in the asylum where they
raised me. Girl is a nightmare dressed like a daydream.
You deserve prison, but you won't get time. Hi, I'm
the problem.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
It's me baby. Let the games begin.
Speaker 1 (41:03):
Old habits die screaming because you know I love the
players and you love the game. You play stupid games,
you win stupid prizes. That's right, Taylor swift Lyrics. Several
of you got it right and emailed in and Marga
Sisson I hope. I said your name right is our
winner picked via random number generator, and she also sent
the nicest email to the three of us two so
(41:25):
I wanted to read a little bit of it. I
want to say congrats on the pod. It's amazing so far.
Love the different segments and guests have been unreal. Thank
you for bringing this to life and for bringing a
much needed light and space to women's sports. Thank you
for all that you do. I'm having the time of
my life. With you in this pod Yours and Women's
Sports and Taylor Swift. Marga ps for more listener name ideas.
Here are some Swifty inspired ones, the anti heroes, the
(41:47):
mirror Balls, the mad women, the lucky ones. Thank you,
Marga and Margo works at the Gist and we love
the Gist. That email made our day. Also thank you
to Andy Wannacott for your email. Here's a little bit
of Andy's clever message. It was full of te Swift references.
I was recommending this show to one of my friends
and I made the comment I like that Sarah Spain
is a basic white millennial Chicago girlie like me, and
(42:08):
I get all of her references, like there's been more
than one Taylor Swift quote in the episodes. I look
the age up later and Sarah is actually cuspy and
probably considers herself gen X. But the point stands. She
went on to give the Taylor Swift references from the
show and said, but what if I told you none
of it was accidental. I'm positive there have been more
than the ones I listed, but they slipped away into
a moment of time because they were never mine. Well played, Andy,
(42:32):
so many Te Swift references.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Also, thank you for assuming.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
That I was young when it is convenient, I am
indeed an elder millennial, and when it.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Is not convenient, I am indeed gen x. So thank you.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review to Good Game
with Sarah Spain.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
It's super easy. Watch so that Google commercial. It features a.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
Father encouraging his daughter to use AI to write American
hurdler Sidney McLaughlin lavroni a fan letter rating one out
of five stars, and that once just for featuring a
super badass female athlete in the ad review.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
Who the wants a fan letter from a computer?
Speaker 1 (43:07):
And who wants their kid learning that replacing genuine emotion
and personal care with a form letter created by a
machine is the answer to literally anything in life. The
kid doesn't learn to write, doesn't learn to express herself,
doesn't learn to be brave in sharing her feelings and
reaching out to a role model. She just learns how
to tele computer to do her work for her. And honestly,
(43:28):
even a stickler like me would rather get a handwritten
fan note that.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
Says You're great? Why O you are?
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Than a perfectly spelled, grammatically correct letter from Gemini or
Watson or Johnny five from Short Circuit or even the
T one thousand from Terminator two. Thanks for listening, everybody,
see you tomorrow when we talk to the incredibly badass
US fifteen hundred meter champion Nikki Hilt's aka, our official
non binary flag bearer for Team USA. Can't wait for
(43:57):
you to listen. Good game, Cheryl, Good Game listener, Swifties,
you not actual gender equal?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Gender equality.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
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 Azzi and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
(44:26):
Our editors are Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez and
Grace Lynch. Production assistants from Lucy Jones and I'm Your
Host Sarah Spain
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