WEBVTT - Big Midwest Dad Energy with Alyssa Naeher 0:00:00.560 --> 0:00:02.800 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain where we're up 0:00:02.880 --> 0:00:06.840 and not crying, which is allegedly an old Norwegian response. 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:09.240 To how are you up and not crying? That'll have 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:10.160 to do today. 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:13.000 Or maybe, as Miracle Max would say in The Princess Bride, 0:00:13.119 --> 0:00:16.520 we're only mostly dead, which is still a little alive. 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:18.920 Either way, we need it now. 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:21.640 It's Thursday, March thirteenth, and on today's show, we'll be 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.639 chatting with goalkeeper a Listenaier of the Chicago Stars, not 0:00:24.720 --> 0:00:27.520 the Red Stars, the color neutral Stars, about her wedding 0:00:27.560 --> 0:00:30.320 filled off season, the nerves that hide behind her stone 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:32.480 cold game face, and when she knew it was time 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:36.040 to retire from the international game. Plus ranking NWSL teams 0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:39.440 on a scale of holding steady to madly chaotic, a 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:42.400 reminder to savor the final moments of an undefeated season 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:44.440 while you can, and a shout out to a team 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:47.239 making its first big Dance appearance. It's all coming up 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:57.520 right after this welcome back slices. Before we get to 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.520 the need to know now that I'm back home, I 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:01.240 just need to give a quick shout out to all 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:04.160 the folks at iHeart after an incredible five days in 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:06.760 Austin at south By Southwest. I'm going to chat some 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:09.480 more about a little serendipitous convo with a musical friend, 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:12.600 the backstage scenes at the iHeart Podcast Awards, and my 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.480 new celebrity BFF later in the show. But I just 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:17.479 wanted to say thank you again to the many, many, 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:19.160 many iHeart people I worked. 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:21.679 With and met over the weekend. It was blast. Okay, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:22.960 here's what you need to know today. 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:26.959 Let's start with college hoops, where a few more teams 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:30.080 clinch spots in the NCAA Tournament by winning their conference tourney. 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:33.680 That includes Yukon, which won its twelfth straight Big East 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:37.319 title on Monday night, defeating Creighton seventy to fifty. Page Beckers, 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.080 who finished that game with twenty four points and eight rebounds, 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:42.959 became the first player to be named Most Outstanding Player 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.040 of the Big East Tournament three times. The win also 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.160 means that Beckers closes out her career having never lost 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:52.560 a conference game, boasting a personal Big East record of 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:56.160 sixty six and oh to the West Coast Conference, where 0:01:56.200 --> 0:01:58.880 Oregon State, competing in that conference journey for the first 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:01.800 time following the dis solution of the PAC twelve, defeated 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:04.200 Portland fifty nine to forty six on Tuesday. 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:05.160 Having clinched the. 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:07.520 Automatic bid, the Beavers are now headed to their fourteenth 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:11.320 NCUBAA tournament appearance. Now this is especially impressive after the 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:15.000 Beavers lost four starters from last year's twenty seven win 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:19.079 NCUBLEA Elite eighteam to new schools after the PAC twelve breakup, 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.480 heading to the Sun Belt Conference, where the Arkansas State 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:25.600 Red Wolves defeated James Madison eighty six seventy nine in 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.919 overtime on Monday night to earn that program's first ever 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:32.840 NCUBA Tournament bid. Entering the season, Arkansas State was predicted 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:36.520 to finish thirteenth of the fourteen Sun Belt Conference teams, 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:38.800 but the squad went on to post a fifteen to 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:41.280 three record in conference play to nab a number two 0:02:41.320 --> 0:02:44.400 seed in the tourney and go on to win conference 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:46.959 tournament championships. Continue through the weekend leading up to the 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:51.000 NCAA March Madness Selection Show on Sunday to College Hockey, 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:54.320 where the nc Doubleatorney gets underway tonight with three games 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:56.480 and you better get out a couple screens because it's 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:59.400 going to be a busy few hours. Two games start 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:01.839 at seven pm Eastern with Penn State taken on Saint 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.200 Lawrence and Minnesota Duluth going up against Sacred Heart. Then 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:08.520 at eight pm Eastern, it's Clarkson versus Boston University. 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:10.240 Those games are all available on. 0:03:10.400 --> 0:03:14.640 ESPN plus to Softball where Athletes Unlimited announced its inaugural 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:18.679 AUSL season will kick off on June seventh. Teams will 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:21.480 tour during this first season, hitting up at least ten cities, 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:25.880 including Rosemont, Illinois, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Round Rock, Texas. We'll 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:28.160 linked info on games and tickets in the show notes, 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:31.600 and expect a little did you Know segment coming up 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:34.200 about how Chicago invented softball. 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:36.120 That's right too. 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:39.560 Unrivaled where entering the championship weekend, the upstart three on 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:43.160 three league has a new investor in MNBA player Steph Curry. 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.960 In a statement announcing his stake, he said, quote, I 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:48.880 am incredibly proud to join the Unrivaled family as the 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:51.480 league continues to set a new standard for how women's 0:03:51.480 --> 0:03:54.960 professional sports should operate, empowering athletes and ensuring they have 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.560 a real stake in their own success. Unrivaled is not 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:00.240 just innovating the way we play basketball, but also we 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:02.760 value and invest in the athlete to drive the game forward. 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:03.680 End quote. 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:07.360 Steph has been a longtime fan and supporter of women's sports. 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:09.640 It's so awesome to see him get on board with Unrivaled. 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.720 The league's playoffs begin on Sunday, with the number one 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:15.760 seed Lunar Owls facing the number four Vinyl and the 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.039 number two Rows taking on the number three laces. We'll 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:21.400 have more on those games in tomorrow show and now 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:24.320 I will not be taking questions about my team Phantom 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:30.400 BC not appearing in the playoffs. All right, slices, It's 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:34.520 tournament time in Unrivaled and college hockey and basketball. But 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:37.680 we've also got the NWSL kicking off and reminding us 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:40.520 of the beauty of a blank slate. Think of all 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.360 the possibilities that exist when everyone's team is still undefeated. 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:45.160 That's right. 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.919 The twenty twenty five NWSL season gets under way this weekend. 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:53.680 Here's a quick team by team primer primer heading into 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:57.040 the league's thirteen season. Somebody tell me primer primer, I've 0:04:57.080 --> 0:04:59.960 heard both, just once and for all. Okay, First up, 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:02.240 we've got the Orlando Pride, who entered the season as 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.920 the defending league champs and defending Shield winners. They dropped 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.280 last Weekend's Challenge Cup to the Washington Spirit, but we've 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:10.920 still got super high expectations for the Pride this year, 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.120 as the team returned star forwards Barbara Banda and Marta, 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.720 last year's NWSL Defender of the Year Emily SAMs and 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:21.080 gm Hailey Carter, and head coach seb Hines. The least 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.000 stable thing about this team the state it plays in, 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:28.279 King Florida to the Washington Spirit, a team lucky enough 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:31.080 to boast both Trinity Rodman and twenty twenty four Rookie 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:33.520 of the Year Croy Bethune, and that also managed to 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:37.120 win the aforementioned Challenge Cup without either player, as Bethune 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.880 is still rehabbing a meniscus injury while Rodman stayed on 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:42.240 the bench due to a lingering back issue. The squad 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:44.799 also added to its depth in the off season, meaning 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:47.479 the target on this team's back is only likely to grow. 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:50.760 And now that Trinity Rodman is on record saying it's 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.640 not a matter of if, but when she'll go play 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.479 overseas in her career, they better try to get some 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:59.440 more winning in while she's around let's head over to 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:01.880 Kansas City, where former US women's national team head coach 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.560 vladco and Danovsky continues to show why he's one of 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.279 the best at the club level. Kansas City is still 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:09.719 likely to be the Temwachewinga Show. The twenty twenty four 0:06:09.839 --> 0:06:12.600 MVP and Golden Boot winner, signed a three year contract 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:16.520 extension with the current this offseason. So while those three teams, Orlando, 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:19.640 Washington and Kansas City seem to have just gotten stronger 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:22.880 since last year, it was a much more chaotic offseason 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:25.760 for a bunch of other clubs, and that includes Gotham FC, 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:28.760 a team that saw a mass exodus of top players 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:33.239 during the offseason, including Crystal Dunn, Jenna Niswanger, Yasmine, Ryan Delaney, Shean, 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:36.760 and Lynn Biandolo formerly Lynn Williams. A total of eleven 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:39.960 players left the squad, while an additional three retired. But 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:43.359 Gotham also has plenty of talent returning, including US women's 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:46.479 national team players Emily Sonnet, Tierna Davidson and Rose Level, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:48.680 so don't count out those batties yet. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:50.800 Also on Team Chaos. 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.279 The San Diego Wave, whose twenty twenty four season was 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:56.599 defined by allegations from former staff of a toxic workplace 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:59.680 and the shocking firing of head coach Casey Stoney, who 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.159 react simply was named head coach of the Canadian national team. 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.640 The Wave also entered twenty twenty five with out star 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:07.359 Naomi Germa, who broke the women's transfer fee record this 0:07:07.440 --> 0:07:10.480 offseason when she signed with Chelsea in the Women's Super League. 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:13.440 Major upheavals seems to be the theme for the NWSL's 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.560 two other California teams too. There continue to be a 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:20.000 lot of questions surrounding BAYFC, both because of the hiring 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:23.120 of Graham Abel who later resigned, as well as a 0:07:23.160 --> 0:07:26.400 newly reported investigation into the team's technical staff, including head 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.600 coach Albertin Montoya. And the last CALLI team, Angel City, 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.440 enters the season still lacking a permanent head coach. The 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:35.240 club hired a new sporting director, Mark Parsons, but still 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:38.160 has Sam Lady serving as head coach in an interim capacity, 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:41.520 So no coach, but they did lock up the Thompson sisters, 0:07:41.520 --> 0:07:45.000 Alyssa and Giselle to multi year extensions in January. Both 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.120 sisters were part of the recent US women's national team 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:49.560 call ups for the she Beliefs Cup. A few states 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:52.720 over from the California chaos, we find the Utah Royals 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:55.840 and NWSL sophomore Ali Sentnore, who should be a bright 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.040 spot for the squad that finished eleventh in the standings 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.960 in its returned to the NWSL in twenty twenty since 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.480 the conclusion of last season. Centner made her US women's 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:06.560 national team debut in November and was named twenty twenty. 0:08:06.360 --> 0:08:08.240 Four Young Player of the Year by US Soccer. 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.480 If you want bangers, Centener is bangers only, don't blink. 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:15.520 The North Carolina Courage also boast a young US women's 0:08:15.600 --> 0:08:18.120 national team star on the rise in Jaden Shaw, who 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:20.120 joined the team in a trade from San Diego during 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:23.040 the off season. North Carolina also managed to snag rookie 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.800 Brooklyn Courtnall as the team's first signee in the post 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:28.680 draft era. Courtnall has already made an impact for Team 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:30.920 Canada at the youth level and is expected to bring 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:32.960 a steadying presence to the Courage's back line. 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:35.480 Moving on to the Houston Dash, a. 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:38.520 Club that went shopping at the Gotham Store, snagging Yasmine 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.559 Ryan and Delaney Shehan from their East Coast opponents this offseason. 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:43.640 They also named a new head coach and for bris 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:47.160 Katraw will also be keeping tabs on Houston's ownership status. 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:49.320 It was reported earlier this year that the team's majority 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:52.600 owner is exploring options to bring in additional investors or 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.400 even sell the club entirely heading to the Pacific Northwest. 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:59.120 Last year was a weird one for the Seattle rain 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:02.280 with the normal study club missing the NWSL playoffs for 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:05.240 the first time since twenty eighteen. The team did have 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.760 a big get in the offseason, though, trading with Gotham 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.520 for Lynn Biandolo to the Portland Thwards, where fans are 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:13.720 likely feeling pretty uneasy after the athletic recently summed up 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.520 the team's key performer as quote anyone who's available for 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:22.280 selection end quote oof. That designation is thanks to lots 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:25.360 of roster turnover since last season. Team is now without 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.680 Christine Sinclair and Becky Sowerbrun, who both retired last season, 0:09:28.920 --> 0:09:31.920 and three of Portland's starters, Morgan Weaver, Marie Mueller, and 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:34.720 Nicole Paine have been placed on the season ending injury list. 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:39.319 Last up, the Chicago Red Star Excuse me, the Chicago Stars, 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:42.240 where our biggest adjustment this season will undoubtedly be getting 0:09:42.320 --> 0:09:44.160 used to the team's new color neutral name. 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:45.800 The biggest question mark for. 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:47.760 The roster entering the year is how the squad will 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.000 adjust to the absence of superstar forward male Swanson, who's 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:53.000 been away from the team due to personal reasons, with 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:55.840 no date set for return. We'll have plenty more on 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:58.760 this squad coming up next. With goalkeeper Alyssa Nyer. I 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:01.439 caught up with her last week. That conversation is next 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:03.120 stick around Slices. 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:11.319 Joining us now. 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:14.840 She's the goalkeeper for the NWSL's Chicago Stars, the reigning 0:10:14.960 --> 0:10:17.920 US Soccer Female Player of the Year and FIFA Women's 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.040 Goalkeeper of the Year, a World Cup champion and an 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:23.400 Olympic Golden Bronze medalist, the first goalkeeper in women's soccer 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:25.680 history to keep clean sheets in a World Cup final 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.600 and an Olympic final. She's a proud nitny lyon, and 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:32.760 she's everybody's uncle. It's Alyssa Mayer. Hi, Melissa, Hi, ser 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:35.959 so glad to have you on the show. It's kind 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:37.800 of hard to believe that the start of the NWSL 0:10:37.880 --> 0:10:40.640 season is already here. I imagined for you, in particular 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:42.800 because your off season was entirely weddings. 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:45.080 It was, which was a lot of fun, fat to 0:10:45.200 --> 0:10:47.640 celebrate with a lot of teammates, a lot of friends. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:51.640 So definitely had a good offseason, but went quick, that's 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:52.120 for sure. 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:54.839 I feel like you went to every single women's soccer 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:55.720 wedding this offseason. 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:57.000 Did you hit all of them? Or was there a 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:58.200 single one you weren't invited to? 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:01.320 I hit most that I played with, I would say, 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:03.720 I think there were some additional ones of other players 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.960 that I haven't had the opportunity to play with. But 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:09.480 I think anybody that I would have been teammates with, 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:12.120 I was at their wedding, which was which was awesome. 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:12.520 I love that. 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.160 Yeah, and it was kind of nice timing too, Like 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.640 right after you announce your stepping away from the international game, 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:19.440 you get this series of celebrations in your honor where 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:20.839 you get to hang out with all the people that 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:21.480 you might miss. 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:24.320 Yeah. I mean, honestly, I can't believe it really worked 0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:26.679 out that I was able to like physically beat at 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:28.360 all of them. They spaced it out well enough that 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:32.160 nothing actually overlapped, which was which was great for me. 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:33.679 I didn't have to make any decisions and have to 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:35.720 choose between people because that would have had been the 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:37.400 worst I was able to hit them all. 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:39.400 It was like eight and thirty two days or. 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:42.319 Something six six and twenty nine or thirty. 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:43.160 That's insane. 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:47.040 That's just the travel and the different outfits alone. Did 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:48.320 you double up any outfits? 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:50.079 Definitely doubled up comfits. 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:52.480 Necessary. 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:55.000 But yeah, so you spent your off season going to 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:57.440 weddings and now you're you gotta play soccer. What are 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.480 you most excited about at the start of the Star season. 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:03.200 I think just you know, the new the start of 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:06.320 any new season is always exciting. New team, got some 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.920 fresh faces, a lot of returning familiar faces, got some 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:12.000 players coming back from injury that excited to get back 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:15.079 onto the field. You know, to be able to have 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:17.080 the same coaching staff that we had last year and 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:20.160 build off of what I felt like was a pretty 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:24.439 successful season for us last year and obviously a disappointing 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:27.480 way to to lose and go out, but you know, 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:29.679 get to go right back to Orlando where it ended 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.800 last year to play the same team. You know, we've 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.400 we've been working hard this this preseason to get ready 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.760 and prepared, and I think now is the you know 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:41.160 you you get excited about what's to come for the 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:43.080 season and what we're gonna be able to put together 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.920 and compete on the field and hopefully get some results 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:48.319 and get ourselves back into a playoffs. 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:51.199 You mentioned a lot of younger players on the squad. 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:53.760 How have you grown as a leader in your years 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:55.800 with the team. I was listening to Tieranna Davidson, your 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:59.200 former teammate, our buddy Tierna on sam Uis's Pot and 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:02.760 she talked about having to be intentional about not only 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:05.680 taking in as she learned how to be a professional player, 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:08.520 but making the pivot to pushing out and what she 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:10.800 was giving back to the players around her as a veteran, 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:13.200 That's sort of something that might core organically with age 0:13:13.200 --> 0:13:14.920 and time in the league, but also might be something 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:16.800 you have to really think about in order to be 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:19.120 a leader. How have you seen yourself grow because you've 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:20.760 been with this team for a long time now your 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.199 hands down the vet that is running the show. 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:25.600 Yeah, I think it's you know, I've always been I've 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:29.239 never necessarily been the most the most vocal, the most 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.319 you know, high energy, the most in your face kind 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:34.360 of leader. I've I've always been more of the lead 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:37.200 by example, show show up and do my job. And 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.600 you know, but I think even within that, especially the 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.800 last couple of years, you know, I've I've had a 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:47.280 lot of different experiences over my career. I've had every up, 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:51.280 every down, every success, every failure, and I think, you 0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.600 know it, I think it's my job as as a 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:56.680 leader and a veteran to be approachable, to be that 0:13:56.800 --> 0:14:00.280 person that is, you know, I may not be the 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:03.840 one just initiating and going in and saying something right away, 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:07.280 but hopefully I can be approachable enough that young ones 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:11.120 feel comfortable to ask questions, to learn through my experiences 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.000 and kind of pick my brain about different things, and 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.400 see how I carry myself, and see what I do 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:18.280 in a training session, how I recover off the field, 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:22.600 and what that looks like. And I think I had 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.760 the luxury of having so many great veteran players that 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:27.800 I got to learn from and watch. And I think 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:31.680 the beauty of having or the benefit of having those 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:34.640 veteran players is they take on such a burden of 0:14:35.200 --> 0:14:36.640 a lot of the media, a lot of the talking, 0:14:36.680 --> 0:14:39.960 a lot of conversations with coaches and gms, and a 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:41.640 lot of the off field stuff that when I was 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:43.840 a younger player, whether it was professionally or even with 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.720 the national team, my only job was just to keep 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:47.920 the ball out of the back of the net. That 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:50.560 was my sole focus, the only thing I had to do. 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:53.320 And I don't think I realized until I got a 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:57.200 little bit older. And that naturally becomes your role as 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.360 you play in a second and a third Orld Cup, 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:03.040 or second or third Olympics, when it's now going into 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:04.400 I don't even know what season this is all. I 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:07.680 know it's ten with Chicago, but some are fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:12.600 I lost track. But you know, you just naturally take 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.800 on those responsibilities. And I think the intentionality that Tierne 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:18.880 is probably talking about as well is that connection with teammates. 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:22.440 Are that approachability or making yourself available to have some 0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:23.520 of those conversations. 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:26.920 It feels like this is an obvious answer based on 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:28.920 the number of weddings you were invited to, But is 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.880 it difficult at all as a goalkeeper to integrate yourself 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:32.760 with the rest of the team. 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:34.120 It feels very siloed. 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.000 I don't think so. I think there's there's so much 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.960 opportunity off the field anytime you traveled. You know, we 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:42.720 just got back from a preseason trip. We were in 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:46.040 Florida for two weeks. And obviously anytime you're away with 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.360 the team and traveling and you know in and out 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:52.920 of you know, locker rooms and meals and anything like that. 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:56.760 Yet in training and in different things like that, we're 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:59.680 probably a little bit more isolated as goalkeepers. But there's 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:04.960 enough opportunity within within travel and just every day practice 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:07.960 and training room and locker room experience that you can 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:09.160 kind of make those connections. 0:16:09.640 --> 0:16:12.000 Yeah, a lot of changes with the Stars, not just 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:14.240 the name. I'm going to keep saying Red Stars by mistake, 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:15.560 but I'm gonna stick with it. So a lot of 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:18.040 changes with the Stars in recent years, including new ownership. 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:20.400 Have you had an interest in or have you already 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.880 pursued connections with the new front office and staff and 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:24.960 owners to try to figure out how you can help 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:28.000 them promote and support the team make this transition from 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.840 a previous iteration to what it looks like going forward. 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.720 Yeah, I think my biggest rule has been just letting 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.840 them know that, you know, I want to be part 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:39.960 of the changes in the future, and I want to 0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:42.880 be part of you know, making this place better for 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:45.680 not just players but staff and you know, from a 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.720 whole organization. So I think where I've been able to 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:53.160 kind of lend my experience is lending my experience. I 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:54.960 think that's you don't know what you don't know, and 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:57.760 I know nothing about what it takes to you know, 0:16:58.200 --> 0:16:59.960 own a club or run a club or an organize, 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:02.920 but I have the lived experience. I know what the 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:05.280 day to day looks like. I've seen what works and 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:08.000 what doesn't work. I've seen what builds trust and what 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:09.879 tears down trust. And I think I've been able to 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:13.000 develop a good relationship with you know, both Lauren and Karen, 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:16.480 our president. And doesn't mean we always agree on everything, 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:19.399 but I think there's we've always had very healthy conversations 0:17:19.440 --> 0:17:22.080 and there's a lot of mutual respect there of we 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:24.480 have these conversations. Sometimes they say no, sorry, we can't 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.800 do that. Here's why, and I respect that. I understand that. 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:30.240 And then there's other things that they go, that's great, 0:17:30.240 --> 0:17:32.280 we can definitely incorporate that. We can add that in. 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.920 So I think just being able to have that communication 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:39.760 and that mutual respect, again, it's just being able to 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:43.399 share what my lived experience has been over the last 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:46.720 you know, fifteen years, and then allow them to use 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.640 their area of expertise of you know what that looks 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:52.960 like from a business standpoint or from a club organization standpoint. 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:58.680 Yeah, we've already seen some really cool examples of Laura 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:02.280 Ricketts and her or background affecting the team, including that 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:05.320 incredible game at Wrigley Field. You know, some of the 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:07.840 marketing ideas around the team have changed as results of 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:10.440 them already having this established team in the Chicago Cubs 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:12.760 that she also is an owner of here in the city. 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.760 I had a really illuminating conversation with Lauren Holliday back 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.200 at the NWSL Championship weekend, and one of the things 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.600 we talked about was her being a player for so 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.199 long and seeing these different iterations of pro leagues and 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:25.560 then wanting to get on the ownership side, and my 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.600 coming from the media side entering the ownership side. It 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:31.760 benefits people to come from different spaces and come together 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:33.960 and try to figure out what works, what doesn't, and 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:37.480 what's needed, especially when it's a player activating on the 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:39.880 ownership side and being able to really be a part 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:42.720 of the decision making because not only then do you understand, oh, 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:44.800 it's way more expensive to do this thing that we've 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:47.240 been asking for than we thought, and so we think 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.439 they're just being jerks, but it's really not feasible at 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:51.640 this point for that to happen. But also being able 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:53.480 to then tell them, Okay, if we can't have this, 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:55.600 this is actually way more important to us, and you're 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.320 spending a ton over here and our experience is way 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:00.960