1
00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,320
Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we've got

2
00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,520
Speaker 1: Brandy Carlisle's two new songs on repeat and we're counting

3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,360
Speaker 1: down the days till the full album drops. Slices Brandy

4
00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:16,720
Speaker 1: plus Boniever Swoon. It's Thursday, October sixteenth, and on today's

5
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,840
Speaker 1: show will be joined by a trio of experts who

6
00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,560
Speaker 1: know a thing or two about negotiating. I caught up

7
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,360
Speaker 1: with Megan Burke and Tory Huster of the NWSL Players

8
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,240
Speaker 1: Association and Aaron Drake of the WNBA Players Association to

9
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,199
Speaker 1: discuss the behind the scenes process of collective bargaining negotiations,

10
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,080
Speaker 1: what the two leagues have learned from each other, and

11
00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,240
Speaker 1: to ask if there's any chance this w deal gets

12
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,640
Speaker 1: done on time. Plus leaking on yourself, All eyes on

13
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,200
Speaker 1: the w and another retirement Hot off the Press. That's

14
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:56,840
Speaker 1: all coming up right after this Welcome Back slices. Here's

15
00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:01,080
Speaker 1: what you need to know today. Let's start with soccer

16
00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,120
Speaker 1: and the news that Kristin Press is retiring at the

17
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,560
Speaker 1: end of the twenty twenty five NWSL season. Press, a

18
00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,000
Speaker 1: two time World Cup champion, announced the decision on Wednesday

19
00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,600
Speaker 1: on Good Morning America, saying quote I thought I would

20
00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,160
Speaker 1: wait until I didn't want to play anymore, but I

21
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,840
Speaker 1: realized that time's never going to come, and I can

22
00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,479
Speaker 1: play and my body can keep going, and I think

23
00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,520
Speaker 1: it was really important for me to make this decision

24
00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,840
Speaker 1: for myself before that became a different reality. End quote.

25
00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,000
Speaker 1: Press started her professional career in twenty eleven as part

26
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,000
Speaker 1: of the now defunct Women's Professional Soccer League AKAWPS, and

27
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,119
Speaker 1: she earned her first cap for the US national team

28
00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,840
Speaker 1: back in twenty thirteen. In the last year, Press has

29
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,800
Speaker 1: served mostly as a substitute for Angel City FC, after

30
00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,200
Speaker 1: she missed more than two full years from twenty twenty

31
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,600
Speaker 1: two to twenty twenty four due to a knee injury

32
00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,000
Speaker 1: in subsequent surgeries. Press's decision to retire follows that of

33
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,920
Speaker 1: her wife, Tobin Heath, who hadn't played in several years

34
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,920
Speaker 1: but didn't officially announce her retirement until earlier this year.

35
00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:00,880
Speaker 1: Press's spectacular career stands as is, but I also couldn't

36
00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,160
Speaker 1: help but think that she retires with so many lingering

37
00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,680
Speaker 1: what ifs. The early part of her career was gravely

38
00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,760
Speaker 1: affected by dysfunction at Magic Jack in the WPS, causing

39
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,720
Speaker 1: her to take her game to Sweden, only to return

40
00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,320
Speaker 1: to more toxicity in the NWSL with the Chicago Red Stars,

41
00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,000
Speaker 1: where voicing her concerns got her traded to Houston, and

42
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,560
Speaker 1: instead of playing there, she again decided to go back

43
00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,760
Speaker 1: to Sweden. Eventually, after stops with the Utah Royals and

44
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,800
Speaker 1: a season at Manchester United, she landed at Angel City,

45
00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,760
Speaker 1: a team with financial support, a big fan base, and

46
00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,040
Speaker 1: the resources and amenities and the culture that she should

47
00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,640
Speaker 1: have had all along, and a knee injury derails that

48
00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,239
Speaker 1: storybook ending. Press is ninth all time in scoring for

49
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,200
Speaker 1: the US national team and made an incredible impact across

50
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,200
Speaker 1: multiple teams. But I think she's a great example of

51
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,600
Speaker 1: someone who likely could have done even more in a

52
00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,720
Speaker 1: system that valued and served its greats from the beginning.

53
00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,040
Speaker 1: You can read more about Press's complicated career in Meglenahan's

54
00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,520
Speaker 1: piece for The Athletic, and then also in The Athletic,

55
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,640
Speaker 1: you can read Press's thank you letters to herself, soccer

56
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,680
Speaker 1: and the fans more soccer. We got a new US

57
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,480
Speaker 1: women's national team roster on Wednesday, with coach Emma Hayes

58
00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,080
Speaker 1: naming a twenty six player training camp ahead of a

59
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,200
Speaker 1: trio of friendlies against Portland and New Zealand later this month.

60
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,480
Speaker 1: Highlights include the return of Trinity Rodman, who makes her

61
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,240
Speaker 1: way back to the national team for the first time

62
00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,920
Speaker 1: since April after missing the last two camps with an

63
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,280
Speaker 1: ongoing back injury, as well as the return of Jaden Shaw.

64
00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,640
Speaker 1: The twenty year old Shaw hadn't been invited to senior

65
00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,799
Speaker 1: team camps earlier this year after her trade to the

66
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,080
Speaker 1: North Carolina Courage, but she's thrived in the NWSL since

67
00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,120
Speaker 1: being traded to goth Them FC, which clearly caught Hayes attention.

68
00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:39,800
Speaker 1: We'll link to the full roster in the show notes,

69
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,640
Speaker 1: as well as the schedule for the upcoming friendlies to

70
00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,920
Speaker 1: the WNBA. And a little oops a daisy new expansion team,

71
00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,800
Speaker 1: the Portland Fire, appears to have accidentally leaked the name

72
00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,080
Speaker 1: of the team's first head coach. On Tuesday, the team's

73
00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,119
Speaker 1: Instagram and LinkedIn accounts posted an announcement that Alex Sarama

74
00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,760
Speaker 1: had been named as the franchise's head coach, but the

75
00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,840
Speaker 1: post were quickly deleted. Local media outlet The Portland Supporter

76
00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,760
Speaker 1: was the first to report on the posts and deletions.

77
00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,320
Speaker 1: Per Annie Costable, a front Office Sports Serama is expected

78
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,760
Speaker 1: to be announced in the coming days, but his contract

79
00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,680
Speaker 1: hasn't yet been finalized. He's been an assistant coach with

80
00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,279
Speaker 1: the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last fifteen months, and prior

81
00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,480
Speaker 1: to that, he worked as an assistant coach and director

82
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,280
Speaker 1: of player development for Portland's G League affiliate team, the

83
00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,920
Speaker 1: Rip City Remix. Now, it's worth noting that this isn't

84
00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,960
Speaker 1: the first time Portland's big reveal has been spoiled by

85
00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,800
Speaker 1: a leak. Remember back in June, the team's name was

86
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,440
Speaker 1: discovered via trademark filings. Man If Portland keeps spoiling its

87
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:37,960
Speaker 1: own surprises, we're going to have to give them an

88
00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,240
Speaker 1: official The rumors are true. Inspired tagline Portland. Where there's smoke,

89
00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,760
Speaker 1: there's the fire more WNBA. This year's WNBA Playoffs were

90
00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,400
Speaker 1: the most watched ever on ESPN Networks, averaging one point

91
00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,840
Speaker 1: two million viewers across all three rounds, up five percent

92
00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,240
Speaker 1: year over year, and the WNBA Finals were the second

93
00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,520
Speaker 1: most watched finals series ever on ESPN Networks. They've had

94
00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,840
Speaker 1: exclusive rights to the WNBA Playoffs since two thousand and three.

95
00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,440
Speaker 1: An average of one point four to five million people

96
00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,719
Speaker 1: tuned into the Aces four game sweep of the Mercury,

97
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,679
Speaker 1: down slightly from one point five to seven million people

98
00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,960
Speaker 1: last year who watched New York and Minnesota battle it

99
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,720
Speaker 1: out in a much more closely contested five game series. Finally,

100
00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,480
Speaker 1: in Vibes News, League One Volleyball aka Love has announced

101
00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,839
Speaker 1: a new expansion team, Love Los Angeles. Alexis O'hanian, husband

102
00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,440
Speaker 1: of tennis great Serena Williams, Reddit founder sports investor, fresh

103
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,680
Speaker 1: off his latest Athlos track event, has entered an agreement

104
00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,200
Speaker 1: along with his seven to seven six Ventures team to

105
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,640
Speaker 1: lead the Love LA ownership group. The team will become

106
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,440
Speaker 1: the league's seventh professional team and will debut at the

107
00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,080
Speaker 1: start of season three in January of twenty twenty seven.

108
00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,320
Speaker 1: Side note how many times per love LA game you

109
00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:54,000
Speaker 1: think they're going to play? Hello, Belay, We're going to

110
00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,240
Speaker 1: take a quick break when we come back. Many hands

111
00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,279
Speaker 1: make light work with Megan Tory and Aaron That's next

112
00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,039
Speaker 1: joining us on the show for a second time. She's

113
00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,560
Speaker 1: the deputy executive director of the NWSL Players Association and

114
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,400
Speaker 1: a former pro player who spent most of her career

115
00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,320
Speaker 1: with the Washington Spirit and Clubs in Australia before retiring

116
00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,280
Speaker 1: last December. She was the only player to have been

117
00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,080
Speaker 1: on the Washington Spirit for all eleven seasons of its existence.

118
00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,360
Speaker 1: A Cincinnati native, she played her college soccer for the

119
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,159
Speaker 1: Florida Seminoles, where she received the Golden Torch Award, which

120
00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:27,880
Speaker 1: is given to the athlete from each sport with the

121
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,280
Speaker 1: highest grade point average. As president of the Players Association

122
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,719
Speaker 1: from twenty twenty to twenty four, she was integral in

123
00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,800
Speaker 1: helping the nwsl and the Players Association agree to its

124
00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,200
Speaker 1: first ever CBA back in twenty twenty two, and then

125
00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,640
Speaker 1: a groundbreaking new CBA last year. It's Tory Houster also

126
00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,599
Speaker 1: back for a second time. She's an attorney and the

127
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,680
Speaker 1: executive director of the NWSLPA, who led negotiations of the

128
00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,400
Speaker 1: league's first ever CBA in twenty twenty two and their

129
00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,560
Speaker 1: league and sport shifting CBA in twenty twenty four. A

130
00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,440
Speaker 1: former player in the WPSL, WUSA, WPS and in England,

131
00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,960
Speaker 1: she played college soccer for Saint Louis University, where she

132
00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,719
Speaker 1: earned the nickname the Berkenader and was named the school's

133
00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,599
Speaker 1: Player of the decade. She's a former coach and a

134
00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,200
Speaker 1: serious lurer with a degree from Northeastern University. But we

135
00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,600
Speaker 1: still once made a thirteen person human pyramid outside of

136
00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,520
Speaker 1: bar at two AM and Louisville. And the last time

137
00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,240
Speaker 1: she joined the show, it was from a beach chair

138
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:20,040
Speaker 1: on vacation. It's Megan Burke and making her Good Game debut.

139
00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,880
Speaker 1: She's the Senior Advisor and legal counsel for the Women's

140
00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,960
Speaker 1: National Basketball Players Association aka the WNBPA. She also co

141
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,440
Speaker 1: leads the Justice Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Player Leadership Committee,

142
00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,480
Speaker 1: sits on the Sports Council for the American Federation of

143
00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,400
Speaker 1: Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and is a member

144
00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,960
Speaker 1: of the Union's Collective Bargaining Negotiations team. A Nashville native,

145
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,200
Speaker 1: she's a Harvard grad. But she didn't just go to Harvard.

146
00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,080
Speaker 1: She was awarded the Barrett Wendell Prize for Exceptional Sophomore Work,

147
00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,160
Speaker 1: the Paul Revere Frothingham Scholarship Prize for the Harvard senior

148
00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,120
Speaker 1: who best exemplifies the qualities of excellent scholarship and character,

149
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,960
Speaker 1: and was selected to be the Class of twenty seventeen

150
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000
Speaker 1: convocation speaker. And that wasn't impressive enough, so she went

151
00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,880
Speaker 1: to Yale Law School. It's Aaron Drake. Hi, three of you.

152
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,560
Speaker 1: This is our first threesome Slash four some. Thank you

153
00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,160
Speaker 1: for being a part of it, Thanks for having us.

154
00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,840
Speaker 2: And Sarah, thank you for having us on. That's quite

155
00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,960
Speaker 2: an intro. That was amazing. Sarah, do you brieve?

156
00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:11,320
Speaker 3: Yeah?

157
00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,160
Speaker 4: I was just about to say, Nita break.

158
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,240
Speaker 1: I always try to tell my producers that I'm the

159
00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,960
Speaker 1: micromachines guy, but they're not old enough to know the reference,

160
00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,920
Speaker 1: so I just make myself sound old. Well, you guys

161
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,360
Speaker 1: are a trio of smarty pants, and I'm so excited

162
00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,480
Speaker 1: to talk about how women's pro leagues are uniting to

163
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,160
Speaker 1: ensure that women athletes get paid what they're worth, how

164
00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,840
Speaker 1: they unite to make sure women work in safe and

165
00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,080
Speaker 1: supportive environments, and that pro leagues continue their rocket ship

166
00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,480
Speaker 1: growth by prioritizing the product, which is the players. So

167
00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,560
Speaker 1: I want to start with you, Megan, because you and

168
00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,559
Speaker 1: Tory were on the show last August to talk about

169
00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:48,120
Speaker 1: the groundbreaking NWSLCBA that, among other things, abolish the draft

170
00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,480
Speaker 1: and help the NWSL better align with the global game

171
00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,360
Speaker 1: and schedule. So why are you here now when the

172
00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,800
Speaker 1: CBA negotiations at hand are for basketball for the WNBA.

173
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,240
Speaker 2: Well, first of all, you invited me, so thank you, Sarah.

174
00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,640
Speaker 2: That's always good to be with you. Well, look, I

175
00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,720
Speaker 2: think it's no secret that our relationship with the WNBPA

176
00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,880
Speaker 2: is a really important one. It's important not just to

177
00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,560
Speaker 2: the players collectively and to the unions collectively, but to

178
00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,560
Speaker 2: me personally. Terry and Aaron have been tremendous sisters in

179
00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,800
Speaker 2: the labor fight. We stand with them and their struggles

180
00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,120
Speaker 2: because they've stood with us and ours. And so while

181
00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,480
Speaker 2: they are certainly leading the way and they're at the

182
00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,920
Speaker 2: bargaining table, we're we're right behind them and hot on

183
00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:29,959
Speaker 2: their heels and standing with them and really excited to

184
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,319
Speaker 2: get to talk about all that today.

185
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:36,760
Speaker 1: Terry Jackson, of course head the WNBPA, Aaron who reached

186
00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,360
Speaker 1: out to whom to get this collaboration started.

187
00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,559
Speaker 3: So if we're talking about the collaboration of these two

188
00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:46,280
Speaker 3: unions in general, I'm not sure you know. I know

189
00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,319
Speaker 3: that we've been in existence for a little bit longer

190
00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,520
Speaker 3: than the NWSLPA, But when I certainly started in this show,

191
00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,920
Speaker 3: this relationship was steal tight already, and I knew that

192
00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,720
Speaker 3: for Megan and Tory who at that time I believe

193
00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,240
Speaker 3: was the president of the union and not yet fully staffed.

194
00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,640
Speaker 3: That they were resources, but not just resources, but were

195
00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,040
Speaker 3: people to be able to work with. And so sometimes

196
00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,720
Speaker 3: it's us and sometimes it's them, but we talk often.

197
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,960
Speaker 3: We talk often about a number of like the news

198
00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,520
Speaker 3: of the day, what we're kind of individually going through,

199
00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,440
Speaker 3: and what we're hearing from our players all the time.

200
00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's so smart, Tory, you, as Aaron mentioned,

201
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,199
Speaker 1: led the PA through all of these negotiations last year.

202
00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,599
Speaker 1: So what are the biggest things you would tell WNBA

203
00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,920
Speaker 1: players and their Players Association about CBA negotiations, the ups

204
00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,719
Speaker 1: and downs, the fights, the handshakes. What do you did

205
00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,040
Speaker 1: you take away from your time that you've wanted to

206
00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:43,680
Speaker 1: share with them.

207
00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,319
Speaker 4: I would say the one thing about negotiations is that

208
00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,160
Speaker 4: it's not hard to get people engaged. I think Aaron

209
00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,280
Speaker 4: and I have we've spoken about that negotiations are the

210
00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,280
Speaker 4: prime time for a labor union, but specifically for us

211
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:06,000
Speaker 4: and for our collective membership that is across fourteen different

212
00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,880
Speaker 4: markets for US, for the w for their teams. I

213
00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,920
Speaker 4: think one of the things for us that's been difficult

214
00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,160
Speaker 4: is communicating through all of the teams, all the different

215
00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:20,719
Speaker 4: players who are competitors on a weekly basis, and then

216
00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:25,360
Speaker 4: bringing everyone together for a collective effort. But we see

217
00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,760
Speaker 4: the WMBPA is doing exactly what we did last year,

218
00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,880
Speaker 4: really holding strong to what they know, they want, what

219
00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,520
Speaker 4: they know they deserve and they have earned. And that's

220
00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,480
Speaker 4: what we always try to do, and that's what we're

221
00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,520
Speaker 4: here to support them on for their fight.

222
00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:45,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, if there's anything difficult about making teammates out of competitors,

223
00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,439
Speaker 1: at least in the WNBA, there's only like two players

224
00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,560
Speaker 1: currently signed to teams. They're basically almost all free agents

225
00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,280
Speaker 1: right now because they're anticipating this new CBA, so it's

226
00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,160
Speaker 1: a little easier to convince them, hey, you might be

227
00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,280
Speaker 1: working with someone you're actually playing alongside next year. Nobody knows.

228
00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:03,240
Speaker 1: Nobody knows, Aaron, how different is this process for y'all

229
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,560
Speaker 1: because of the complicated ownership structure of the w Just

230
00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,120
Speaker 1: a reminder for everybody, forty two percent owned by the NBA,

231
00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,200
Speaker 1: forty two percent by the WNBA, sixteen percent of private

232
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,520
Speaker 1: equity group. But actually the NBA is a little bit

233
00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,839
Speaker 1: more like sixty percent because some of those owners double

234
00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,600
Speaker 1: dip in the first round and the equity. A lot

235
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,240
Speaker 1: of the new expansion teams are owned by NBA owners,

236
00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,960
Speaker 1: So how does that make it different. You're not really

237
00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:30,080
Speaker 1: just doing a players association plus ownership coming together to agree.

238
00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,400
Speaker 1: There's a handful of pieces that have to come together.

239
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's exactly right, Sarah. And it's a good question,

240
00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:39,600
Speaker 3: and it's one that I think anyone paying attention should

241
00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,080
Speaker 3: be asking. I know the players are asking it. I

242
00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:47,120
Speaker 3: know that we ask it. We like the WNBPA is

243
00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,000
Speaker 3: the collective bargaining right like unit for this union for

244
00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,600
Speaker 3: the players of the WNBA. That's clear, right, it's it's

245
00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,240
Speaker 3: it's just us, It's just the players on the other

246
00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,480
Speaker 3: side the structure that they have, they say that it's

247
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,120
Speaker 3: the WBA, and that is the That's who we're negotiating with.

248
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,720
Speaker 3: That's who's across the table. But as I think, you know,

249
00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,079
Speaker 3: the conversation that you had with day Very, I think

250
00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,319
Speaker 3: is very helpful for the public to understand the various

251
00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:21,480
Speaker 3: layers that at times, who is the main decision maker here?

252
00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:27,480
Speaker 3: I think that, frankly is still somewhat of an open question.

253
00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:30,240
Speaker 3: But what we know is that when we're talking to Kathy,

254
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,200
Speaker 3: We're talking to Adam too, and not just also to

255
00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,959
Speaker 3: the investors who are now part owners of this league. Right,

256
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,520
Speaker 3: that's sixteen percent. That might sound small or insignificant, it

257
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,199
Speaker 3: is not right. That is something that we take seriously

258
00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,360
Speaker 3: and that the players take seriously. And so for those

259
00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,280
Speaker 3: folks who are part of that capital raise, including former players,

260
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,400
Speaker 3: including you know, folks like Ali Bank and Google and Deloitte,

261
00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,160
Speaker 3: these folks who are beacons or put themselves out as

262
00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,600
Speaker 3: beacons of women's I think they have to also ask

263
00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,280
Speaker 3: the same questions that we ask about this system. What

264
00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,800
Speaker 3: system are you investigating, what system are you trying to

265
00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:08,600
Speaker 3: prop up? And is it one that is going to

266
00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,559
Speaker 3: continue to undervalue players labor Because at the end of

267
00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,560
Speaker 3: the day, people are coming to see the players, right,

268
00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,320
Speaker 3: and yes, that investment has helped build what we see today.

269
00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,480
Speaker 3: I don't think anyone is saying otherwise. But we're here

270
00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,600
Speaker 3: now and there are still a lot of questions that

271
00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,240
Speaker 3: need to be that have to be answered and reckoned with.

272
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,400
Speaker 3: But at the end of the day, I don't care

273
00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,360
Speaker 3: if it's just the w with they're forty two percent,

274
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,400
Speaker 3: If it's the kind of like the seventy five. If

275
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,160
Speaker 3: it's the sixteen, the bottom line is going to remain

276
00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,240
Speaker 3: the same. The players are going to demand this revenue

277
00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,080
Speaker 3: share system that is fair, that is equitable, and that

278
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:51,120
Speaker 3: is that is mature enough to chart this next course

279
00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:52,480
Speaker 3: of women's sports.

280
00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to quickly ask you because when we

281
00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,600
Speaker 1: were seeing the kind of the FISTA Colli're back and

282
00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,680
Speaker 1: forth with Kathy Engelburtens so much conversation about that. I

283
00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,000
Speaker 1: was trying to make an apples to apples comparison across

284
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,920
Speaker 1: other leagues and found it difficult because in other leagues,

285
00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,360
Speaker 1: the commissioner of that league works for the owners of

286
00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,280
Speaker 1: that league, and it's a pretty cut and dried situation.

287
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,040
Speaker 1: Roger Goodell speaks for the owners, takes the slings and

288
00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,240
Speaker 1: arrows of the media and the fans in order to

289
00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:20,160
Speaker 1: protect the ownership for whom he works. Is Kathy Roger

290
00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,000
Speaker 1: Goodell or as Adam Silver Roger Goodell?

291
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:28,000
Speaker 3: Again, I think that is a great question. I want

292
00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:32,840
Speaker 3: to be careful because in some ways I know that

293
00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:35,960
Speaker 3: the ways in which women's sports have been handstrung for

294
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:41,640
Speaker 3: a very long time in paternal systems that it's almost

295
00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:47,040
Speaker 3: kind of one can be cheeky or feel satisfied by

296
00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:51,600
Speaker 3: thinking that there's a shadow boss here and it's not

297
00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:53,480
Speaker 3: the person that we're negotiating with. And so I want

298
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,200
Speaker 3: to be very careful not to necessarily say that, but

299
00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,520
Speaker 3: to understand that this system that has gotten us to

300
00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,080
Speaker 3: this twenty twenty five negotiation has been one that has

301
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,960
Speaker 3: pulled in a lot of different pieces. And so in

302
00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,360
Speaker 3: terms of who is the ultimate decision maker, I think

303
00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,960
Speaker 3: it's the owners in the league, right. I think that

304
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,320
Speaker 3: those are the folks who we're really talking to. And

305
00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,600
Speaker 3: I think if you ask league folks, they'll say that

306
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,760
Speaker 3: they are the representative of the owners and their kind

307
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,640
Speaker 3: of perspective. If that's true, great, we need to be

308
00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:26,680
Speaker 3: talking to them more often.

309
00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,480
Speaker 1: Right Right, we'll get back to who's actually at the table.

310
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,000
Speaker 1: But Megan, I want to ask, as you're talking to

311
00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,320
Speaker 1: each other throughout this process, does it feel like some

312
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,840
Speaker 1: of the same arguments and stalemates come up across the

313
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,840
Speaker 1: women's sports space or are the negotiations significantly different between say,

314
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,400
Speaker 1: the talks you had last year and what you're hearing

315
00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:45,400
Speaker 1: out of the w this year.

316
00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,840
Speaker 2: I was just thinking to myself, I feel like I've

317
00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,560
Speaker 2: said exactly the same things Aaron saying, if not in

318
00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,480
Speaker 2: interviews at the bargaining table, to players, to anyone who

319
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,280
Speaker 2: will listen. And it struck me when the journalists who

320
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,640
Speaker 2: wrote that article in The Guardian reached out and started

321
00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,440
Speaker 2: asking questions about why is this relationship with a WNBPA

322
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,119
Speaker 2: like so important. I mean, we see lots of sports

323
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,240
Speaker 2: unions across landscape, but it seems like you guys have

324
00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,199
Speaker 2: a particularly strong relationships. You almost need to be pushing

325
00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,600
Speaker 2: back at something that I just kind of assumed to

326
00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:15,359
Speaker 2: be true, which is, well, obviously we're in the same fight.

327
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,840
Speaker 2: Obviously we're dealing with the same dynamics and issues. And

328
00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,199
Speaker 2: I appreciated the hard questions because it really got me

329
00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,119
Speaker 2: thinking that, yeah, you know, it really is something. The

330
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,080
Speaker 2: w obviously came along first, as Aaron pointed out, it's

331
00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,399
Speaker 2: a more mature business, for sure, but we've been around

332
00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,879
Speaker 2: for a hot minute too, and you know where you

333
00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,800
Speaker 2: look at, hockey and volleyball and women's baseball are coming

334
00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,840
Speaker 2: along behind us, and we're all saying the same things.

335
00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,439
Speaker 2: And it's interesting how business folks seem to suspend their

336
00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,639
Speaker 2: business judgment just because we're talking about women's sports, right,

337
00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,360
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, we're very concerned about sustainability, and

338
00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,639
Speaker 2: you know, we suddenly see professional sports as a business

339
00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,159
Speaker 2: that has to be cash flow positive on an annual basis,

340
00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,960
Speaker 2: rather than looking at the increase in valuation being the

341
00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,400
Speaker 2: major economic driver for these owners. And then to Aaron's point,

342
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,359
Speaker 2: you know, we come up with these instructors in our history.

343
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,280
Speaker 2: We had US Soccer managing the league and you know

344
00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:09,760
Speaker 2: Sarah that system of vacation, and they exited and then

345
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,320
Speaker 2: we became we had to stand on our own two

346
00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:15,280
Speaker 2: feet and do not answer to an MLS or a federation.

347
00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,520
Speaker 2: But we have that in our history, and so I

348
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,440
Speaker 2: think it's really important to Aaron's point.

349
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,360
Speaker 1: We call out the systems.

350
00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,439
Speaker 2: Let's at least call them what they're even if you

351
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,760
Speaker 2: know the folks who defend them aren't quite ready to

352
00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,800
Speaker 2: make a pivot from their ways of seeing things, Let's

353
00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:27,800
Speaker 2: at least call it what it is.

354
00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,919
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think there's a positive way to think about it,

355
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,760
Speaker 1: which is that you got support from folks for a

356
00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,760
Speaker 1: yet unproven product and it helped give you the lift

357
00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,840
Speaker 1: you needed to get started. Or the cynical way, which

358
00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,160
Speaker 1: is people wanted to hedge their bets and never fully

359
00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,199
Speaker 1: believed enough in it to just invest the way they

360
00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,680
Speaker 1: might any other startup or any other business that should

361
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,439
Speaker 1: have been proven by that point. However you look at it,

362
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,359
Speaker 1: eventually you will have to reconcile whether you want that

363
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,560
Speaker 1: to stay the system that you operate under as you

364
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:56,680
Speaker 1: continue to grow, and for a lot of women's sports

365
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,880
Speaker 1: and leagues, it has not been beneficial to be under

366
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,159
Speaker 1: the thumb of someone who is now deeply invested in

367
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:02,639
Speaker 1: the product or doesn't believe in it the way that

368
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,680
Speaker 1: many do once it has proved that it's a viable product. Torri,

369
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,880
Speaker 1: you told us last year that the league actually approached

370
00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,040
Speaker 1: you about renegotiating the CBA early ahead of the deadline.

371
00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,560
Speaker 1: They were the ones who came to you. That felt

372
00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,679
Speaker 1: like a relatively harmonious process, at least from the outside,

373
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,359
Speaker 1: unlike maybe what we're seeing publicly play out for the

374
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,879
Speaker 1: w But you were still able, despite it feeling harmonious,

375
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,639
Speaker 1: to leverage public perception to push for player rights and resources.

376
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,520
Speaker 1: How can the w NBPA do the same making sure

377
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,080
Speaker 1: that they figure out when and why to go public

378
00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:36,639
Speaker 1: with certain parts of the battle.

379
00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,680
Speaker 4: What I see already is that they're doing that. They're

380
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,800
Speaker 4: doing exactly what they need to do. I think with

381
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,800
Speaker 4: the now season coming to a close, they have to

382
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:48,520
Speaker 4: stay out there and stay present, and I think that's

383
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:49,960
Speaker 4: what we're trying to do as well.

384
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:51,440
Speaker 1: Aaron.

385
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,560
Speaker 4: We've talked about making sure that you all are still

386
00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,760
Speaker 4: in the limelight even though your season might be closed,

387
00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,879
Speaker 4: because we're still playing. That's why why you saw the

388
00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,320
Speaker 4: collaboration with the T shirts. I think hopefully we see

389
00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,040
Speaker 4: those those T shirts come out again. We'll certainly encourage that.

390
00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,800
Speaker 4: But it's really they have done. W players have done

391
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,399
Speaker 4: exactly what I think they need to do. They're standing

392
00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:17,280
Speaker 4: up for what they believe in, what they know to

393
00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,800
Speaker 4: be true at the table, and we will certainly support

394
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,520
Speaker 4: and back them through their fight. I think you talk

395
00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:29,840
Speaker 4: about it being harmonious. It's not always harmonious.

396
00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:31,600
Speaker 2: Certainly wasn't last year.

397
00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,560
Speaker 4: We It definitely took way too long for a league

398
00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,640
Speaker 4: that was coming to us voluntarily, and once they got

399
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:44,800
Speaker 4: really serious about it is when we started to put

400
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,400
Speaker 4: put more into it and we were able to get

401
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,160
Speaker 4: to an agreement. I'm hopeful that the W can get

402
00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,959
Speaker 4: really serious about what the players want and deserve.

403
00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,560
Speaker 1: You mentioned the T shirts. Pay them what you owe them,

404
00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,399
Speaker 1: pay us what you owe us. Shout out to Breaking

405
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:00,800
Speaker 1: Tea for those you can actually buy them if you

406
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,720
Speaker 1: want to support the cause. Aaron, you mentioned talking to

407
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:05,960
Speaker 1: Kathy and Adam, but I couldn't tell if you meant

408
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,600
Speaker 1: that you knew Adam was the one behind the things

409
00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,840
Speaker 1: when you spoke to Kathy, or you meant literally that

410
00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:13,240
Speaker 1: he's at the table for you. So how many people

411
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,520
Speaker 1: are at the negotiating table when you're usually having these conversations.

412
00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, so no, I didn't mean either one of those things.

413
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,760
Speaker 3: And I fact want to be very careful and not

414
00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:26,800
Speaker 3: too and so I appreciate the follow up to insinuate that, right.

415
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,480
Speaker 3: I think my point was that they can all be

416
00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,479
Speaker 3: at the table. One of them can be at the table.

417
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,720
Speaker 3: At the end of the day, our goal remains the same.

418
00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,360
Speaker 3: It doesn't really matter who we're talking to about it.

419
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,320
Speaker 3: The message is clear. The players are demanding a more

420
00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,359
Speaker 3: mature economic model that pays them from the revenue that

421
00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:52,160
Speaker 3: they generate. And right now, so the folks across the table,

422
00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,000
Speaker 3: it's the Labor Relationship Committee and that's a part of

423
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,880
Speaker 3: the owners, like the representatives from the Board of Governors.

424
00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:03,679
Speaker 3: I think it's seven of thirteen and the WNBA is

425
00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,199
Speaker 3: there right so Kathy at her staff or on the

426
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,000
Speaker 3: other side of the table. But Adam is a part

427
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:12,720
Speaker 3: of that. He has made himself a part of this

428
00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:17,560
Speaker 3: with his recent comments about the negotiation. And I think

429
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,359
Speaker 3: we as a union and the players because again, like

430
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,639
Speaker 3: we work for them, they are the folks who are

431
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:28,600
Speaker 3: leading this like the more the merrier, frankly, because as

432
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,080
Speaker 3: I said, the message is going to stay the same

433
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 3: regardless of who we're talking to.

434
00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,600
Speaker 1: You know, Mike, dit both leagues have new and old

435
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:39,199
Speaker 1: school owners, often with vastly different financial situations. How do

436
00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,320
Speaker 1: you reconcile so far what major shifts in your CBA

437
00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,200
Speaker 1: might mean for the less wealthy ownership groups. And then

438
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,040
Speaker 1: I have a follow up about some of those changes

439
00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,680
Speaker 1: to the CBA. But so far, how has it been

440
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,919
Speaker 1: trying to figure out the billionaire NFL owner types that

441
00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:55,520
Speaker 1: are in the league versus maybe the original and WSL

442
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:56,880
Speaker 1: owners that can't keep up.

443
00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,240
Speaker 2: Well. You know, it's an interesting question because I think

444
00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,680
Speaker 2: we're still seeing some of the limitations of our current structure,

445
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,080
Speaker 2: where some of the clubs that are ready to spend

446
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,680
Speaker 2: and be competitive with the likes of Chelsea are held

447
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,200
Speaker 2: back from doing that. So what I would say here

448
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,240
Speaker 2: relative to the you know, ongoing labor negotiations, not only

449
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,880
Speaker 2: that you're seeing in the W but also Major League

450
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,600
Speaker 2: Baseball's coming up. You know, we're going to see some

451
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,200
Speaker 2: interesting labor negotiations over the next several years. I would

452
00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,240
Speaker 2: describe CBA negotiations as more almost like a tripart tide negotiation.

453
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,159
Speaker 2: You know, oftentimes the league just sends their representatives and

454
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,760
Speaker 2: the union sends their representatives, but the teams are actually

455
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,080
Speaker 2: who the players work for, interact with every day.

456
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:38,960
Speaker 1: They've got skin in the game.

457
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,720
Speaker 2: Arguably even more than the league does. And so you

458
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:43,440
Speaker 2: know our position, I don't want to insert myself in

459
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,680
Speaker 2: the w's negotiations, that's theirs. But in our history, we've

460
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,320
Speaker 2: always found it really important to have team representatives there

461
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,920
Speaker 2: who are the ones that are actually going to operationalize

462
00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,640
Speaker 2: and execute on whatever we agree to. And so sometimes

463
00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,119
Speaker 2: that's a missing ingredient. And to your point, I think

464
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:01,920
Speaker 2: in the end of you see there are some legacy

465
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,400
Speaker 2: clubs that are not investing in evolving to keep up.

466
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,720
Speaker 2: I think competition is awesome. I don't know about you.

467
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,479
Speaker 2: That's why I love pro sports, is it not? I

468
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,480
Speaker 2: like winners, so we want to see teams invest and

469
00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 2: compete and try to level up.

470
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,600
Speaker 1: Our game toward. Do you think that the investors coming

471
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,320
Speaker 1: into these women's spaces, now that the financial situation is different,

472
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,280
Speaker 1: are even interested in uplifting women? And if they are,

473
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,159
Speaker 1: do you think they're working to make sure that happens

474
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,360
Speaker 1: or do you have to worry now about who's involved

475
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,760
Speaker 1: in the space as opposed to just how much money

476
00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:32,840
Speaker 1: they're bringing into the space.

477
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,320
Speaker 4: I think everyone is looking at women's sports as a

478
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 4: profitable business now, so you're going to have to worry

479
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,600
Speaker 4: about people getting into this for the wrong reasons.

480
00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:42,960
Speaker 1: I think.

481
00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,600
Speaker 4: What we have seen thus far, and to your question

482
00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 4: about owners that have been around for a long time,

483
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:56,000
Speaker 4: who aren't those billionaires, I think maybe there's still this

484
00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:00,359
Speaker 4: philosophy out there that any investment should be played should

485
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,920
Speaker 4: be grateful for, and I think we need to move

486
00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:07,000
Speaker 4: away from that. I think gratitude cannot be coerced. First,

487
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,600
Speaker 4: We've talked about it at great lengths in our conversations

488
00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 4: with our players, and it's just not where women's sports

489
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:20,159
Speaker 4: exists anymore. So I think vetting the investment that comes

490
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 4: into our game, into basketball, that is really important. New

491
00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:29,600
Speaker 4: ownership groups making sure that they are top notch humans.

492
00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,040
Speaker 4: I think that is certainly something that we look out for.

493
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,000
Speaker 1: Aaron, I want to get to this investor's thing because

494
00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 1: on the women's side, just a constant conversation. By the way,

495
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,600
Speaker 1: we keep talking about the sixteen percent because of the

496
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,280
Speaker 1: ownership makeup. And I was invited into them because I

497
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,000
Speaker 1: had such a terrible NWSL investment experience. I turned it

498
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:49,880
Speaker 1: down and that turned out to be a really bad

499
00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,440
Speaker 1: idea because that sixteen percent got a real good deal

500
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:59,200
Speaker 1: on a rocket ship. Anyway, this isn't about me, these

501
00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,720
Speaker 1: investors that are pouring money and Adam Silver is using

502
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,080
Speaker 1: the literal world's rocket trajectory, right, So we're hearing about

503
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,120
Speaker 1: rocket ship growth while they're still saying they can't play

504
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,399
Speaker 1: the players. The same people still have the power. The

505
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,240
Speaker 1: women actually driving the growth aren't seeing the same rocket

506
00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 1: trajectory that everybody else is. So when folks are investing,

507
00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 1: are they actually investing in women or just around them?

508
00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:25,080
Speaker 3: Yeah? And I think one sorry Sarah for for what

509
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 3: happened with your potential investment. I you know, wow, let's

510
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:36,960
Speaker 3: not linger, but yeah, exactly. Look, I want to answer

511
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,880
Speaker 3: this question kind of head on and then kind of

512
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:41,200
Speaker 3: take a step back and unwind it a little bit.

513
00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,680
Speaker 3: If they are investing but they don't know kind of

514
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,200
Speaker 3: like whether this money is actually going to athletes, they

515
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,280
Speaker 3: need to be asking me some questions. I think for

516
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,240
Speaker 3: all of the folks that I named earlier, for the

517
00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,560
Speaker 3: folks who are involved in that capital raise, for the

518
00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,480
Speaker 3: change makers at them, for the debt, for all of

519
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:07,520
Speaker 3: these investors, they are very loud about their investments. We

520
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,919
Speaker 3: see the commercials, which are great, the good commercials you know,

521
00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 3: about the future, about opportunity, about girls and about women,

522
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,520
Speaker 3: and that sound great, but it's just optics if you're

523
00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,919
Speaker 3: not pushing for that money to get to players. And

524
00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,080
Speaker 3: so you know, again for the ally banks, for the

525
00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,920
Speaker 3: at and Ts, the Googles, the State's truths, like the

526
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,480
Speaker 3: Bumbles and the Deloittes, you have to ask yourself, where

527
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,800
Speaker 3: is my investment going. If you just want it to

528
00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,600
Speaker 3: go to the business, that's one thing. If you just

529
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,880
Speaker 3: want to build infrastructure, that's one thing. If you think

530
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,959
Speaker 3: that it is going to players, well, right, let's take

531
00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:49,800
Speaker 3: a set back let's kind of stay with that first scenario, right,

532
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,000
Speaker 3: Let's accept for a second that that needed to happen, right, Like,

533
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,280
Speaker 3: I think we can all say that what the capital

534
00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:01,840
Speaker 3: raise was at this point looks undervalued. Will say, we'll

535
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,199
Speaker 3: just leave it there, Yes, just like the media rized tale. Right,

536
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,240
Speaker 3: It's like, but you know, don't want to have a

537
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,400
Speaker 3: confirmation bias or something like that. So let's just leave

538
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,879
Speaker 3: that there, and let's accept that that money had to

539
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,160
Speaker 3: be raised to get us to this point. Even if

540
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,680
Speaker 3: we think that it was too low.

541
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,280
Speaker 1: It worked. It worked.

542
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:25,359
Speaker 3: We are here, and so the players have been keeping

543
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,800
Speaker 3: up with their side of the bargain for almost three decades,

544
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:32,520
Speaker 3: for almost thirty years, been putting I'm elite basketball, elite

545
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:37,000
Speaker 3: talent on a stage for people to enjoy, for people

546
00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 3: to consume, for people to be inspired by. If that

547
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 3: setting that they were playing and didn't match, there was

548
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,800
Speaker 3: a need for investment. But now we have a setting

549
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,080
Speaker 3: that is a bit more appropriate for the world's best

550
00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,160
Speaker 3: talent in basketball. Right, Like, we just saw the finals

551
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 3: and it's like we were watching some of the best

552
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,360
Speaker 3: players to ever play this game, and who might be

553
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,840
Speaker 3: the best for decades and centuries to come. You can't

554
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,680
Speaker 3: clip them in a rec center. That's not going to

555
00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:13,440
Speaker 3: imbue inspiration to anyone who's paying attention for dollars or

556
00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,920
Speaker 3: anything else. Right, So I'm not saying that we didn't

557
00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,880
Speaker 3: need that infrastructure, but it's here, and for women's sports,

558
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,560
Speaker 3: I think there has been a need for that kind

559
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,920
Speaker 3: of literal infrastructure, like the buildings of playing the practice facilities,

560
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,440
Speaker 3: the professionalization of the spaces, but there's also been a

561
00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:34,239
Speaker 3: need for the societal and cultural kind of infrastructure. I

562
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:35,719
Speaker 3: think we can spend a lot of time in this

563
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,720
Speaker 3: conversation talking about how we got to the need to

564
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,520
Speaker 3: rebuild that because actions happened a long time ago that

565
00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:48,880
Speaker 3: prevented that natural potential kind of interest to take hold

566
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,640
Speaker 3: and grow naturally. Back to that conversation where we're just

567
00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:58,000
Speaker 3: having about competition and allowing that to grow. But now

568
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,200
Speaker 3: we're here and so our are you expecting the same

569
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:05,240
Speaker 3: system to take hold that you invested in five years

570
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:09,280
Speaker 3: ago potentially ten years ago that's been sustainable and so.

571
00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,560
Speaker 1: Well, what would it take for the money to finally

572
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 1: reach the athletes? Like does it have to be a

573
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,640
Speaker 1: literal system like in college where they say click the

574
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,480
Speaker 1: box where you want your money to go. I only

575
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,680
Speaker 1: wanted to go to the track team, or I only

576
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,840
Speaker 1: wanted to go to the library. Like, how do we

577
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,560
Speaker 1: actually ensure that future investors who do want to prop

578
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,920
Speaker 1: up the athletes in addition to the full product get

579
00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:29,480
Speaker 1: their wish.

580
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, thankfully they don't have to do it alone because

581
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,040
Speaker 3: we like the players have a union, right, and that's

582
00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,600
Speaker 3: exactly what we're fighting for. Sometimes these systems need help.

583
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 3: And this is kind of like the biggest kind of

584
00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,440
Speaker 3: reason to have labor unions. It's an order to push,

585
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,840
Speaker 3: it's an order to be able to negotiate in that room.

586
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,960
Speaker 3: How the players are going to be kind of able

587
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,320
Speaker 3: to recoup in this business, it's not just on the investors.

588
00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:56,640
Speaker 3: Y'all do your part, and the players are going to

589
00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:58,720
Speaker 3: do theirs, and the union is going to do theirs.

590
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,600
Speaker 3: The league also has to do theirs and understand that

591
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:05,600
Speaker 3: we are not in the infancy stage anymore. A evolution

592
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,719
Speaker 3: is necessary. But if you don't do it, that can

593
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,240
Speaker 3: so kind of equal death. It's not just one direction

594
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,360
Speaker 3: or the other. You have to do both. And it's

595
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 3: that simple. So no, there's no need to check a box.

596
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:19,240
Speaker 3: I think you might need to make a phone call right.

597
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:22,640
Speaker 3: I encourage these folks to call Kathy. I encourage these

598
00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,760
Speaker 3: folks to call Adam and ask the hard questions because

599
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,560
Speaker 3: we cannot be the only ones asking them. The players

600
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,600
Speaker 3: cannot be the only ones who are beating this trump. Thankfully,

601
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,440
Speaker 3: in today's kind of world, they aren't right because we

602
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,320
Speaker 3: have sisters in the I'm in soccer asking them, we

603
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,240
Speaker 3: have the public asking them. But these investors, these sponsors,

604
00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:42,720
Speaker 3: they also have a role to play.

605
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,600
Speaker 1: And they've got the weight to put the pressure on

606
00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,240
Speaker 1: those folks real quick. I wanted to ask you because

607
00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:50,600
Speaker 1: you've got with you Megan and Tory who helped push

608
00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,360
Speaker 1: for some really big changes on the NWSL side. Abolishing

609
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,760
Speaker 1: of the college draft, expansion draft, and trades without player

610
00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,480
Speaker 1: consent all gone. These are three things that were very

611
00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,600
Speaker 1: important to players in soccer, assisting their ability to compete

612
00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:04,560
Speaker 1: in the global games. As far as we've heard, those

613
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,760
Speaker 1: things don't seem to be as important to w players,

614
00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,120
Speaker 1: in part because of their desire to make this the

615
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,560
Speaker 1: preferred league and maybe to stop having to go globally

616
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,600
Speaker 1: to make their money in the off season. But does

617
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 1: the WNBPA have any interest in seeing any of those

618
00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,480
Speaker 1: same changes made in basketball. Are there things that they're

619
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:24,640
Speaker 1: fighting for that we're not talking about because we're only

620
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:25,720
Speaker 1: focused on revenue share?

621
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,160
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, that's the main thing, right, Like, let's

622
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:29,800
Speaker 3: keep the main thing the main thing. But you know,

623
00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:34,200
Speaker 3: I've talked about facilities, talking about I'm kind of working

624
00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,360
Speaker 3: on conditions, and the players are talking a lot about

625
00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 3: their legacy and the future and understanding that basketball at

626
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,600
Speaker 3: this level might be a short part of their lives.

627
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,200
Speaker 3: But what about the next generation, what about the next

628
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:46,960
Speaker 3: ten years of their lives after they stopped playing. But

629
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,600
Speaker 3: I will say what's so inspiring about what kind of

630
00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:53,280
Speaker 3: Meghan and Tory and their executive leadership has been able

631
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:58,680
Speaker 3: to accomplish is to have proposals and to get proposals

632
00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:02,680
Speaker 3: that were response to their players' needs and their wants

633
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,520
Speaker 3: to be able to have the lives as athletes that

634
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,240
Speaker 3: they wanted to have, which for them included not having

635
00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,680
Speaker 3: a draft, which for them included having to consent to

636
00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:17,640
Speaker 3: trades right, which for them included having this destination be

637
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,800
Speaker 3: competitive on the world stage. Because soccer is a global game,

638
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,320
Speaker 3: you can't act like it's just a sport that is

639
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,000
Speaker 3: played within this nation. I think for us, there are

640
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,760
Speaker 3: things that players also want to be able to lit

641
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,280
Speaker 3: out their vision for the future of basketball. That has

642
00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:33,840
Speaker 3: a lot to do with choice and opportunity and not

643
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:38,480
Speaker 3: being hamstrung for by any one team or any one

644
00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:42,120
Speaker 3: league when there's money left on the table. Again, competition

645
00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,000
Speaker 3: is the name of the game, right We want people

646
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:49,320
Speaker 3: to have to compete, not to be grandfathered in, particularly

647
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,360
Speaker 3: when the treatment frankly is not worth it.

648
00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think maybe not abolishing the draft

649
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,440
Speaker 1: or requiring trade consent, but we've certainly seen things like

650
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 1: needing those rookie type contracts where you're not able to

651
00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,080
Speaker 1: move out of the team if you're not having a

652
00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:04,080
Speaker 1: good experience change Because for such a long time, the

653
00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:07,040
Speaker 1: best players in the league had almost their entire career

654
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 1: halfway done before they had an opportunity to choose where

655
00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,000
Speaker 1: they wanted to play. So we are seeing you fight

656
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,480
Speaker 1: for things like that. Officiating that's obviously a big When

657
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,719
Speaker 1: are there ways that you're making sure that the new

658
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,440
Speaker 1: CBA addresses officiating concerns?

659
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:20,040
Speaker 3: I think we are looking at every aspect of this

660
00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 3: game right truly, and I'm not yeah, like I'm not

661
00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,640
Speaker 3: going to get too specific, but I think a second ago,

662
00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:28,840
Speaker 3: like you brought up the rookie contract, it's like people

663
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,399
Speaker 3: forget that this isn't soccer, This isn't that, this isn't

664
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,240
Speaker 3: men's basketball where people are coming in at the ages

665
00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:39,480
Speaker 3: of you know, thirteen fourteen, I'm an eighteen nineteen, right.

666
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,680
Speaker 3: The majority of the players who are coming into the

667
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,080
Speaker 3: w are in their twenties, right, and for an athlete

668
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:50,399
Speaker 3: have been four years on a rookie contract. As you said,

669
00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,600
Speaker 3: that could be your entire career. And that's that's you know,

670
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,400
Speaker 3: pretty long for a team to just automatically have your

671
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,959
Speaker 3: rights because they happened not to make the playoffs last

672
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,240
Speaker 3: season and happen to get a good draft lottery pick.

673
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,040
Speaker 1: Right, especially since we know that some of the teams

674
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,200
Speaker 1: keep getting those high picks, aren't making significant changes in

675
00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,880
Speaker 1: investments and continue to be the teams drafting high and

676
00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:11,840
Speaker 1: not giving the players to play for them an opportunity

677
00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,879
Speaker 1: to sniff the postseason, so that ability to make sense

678
00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:19,480
Speaker 1: it becomes really important. I said it. We're running out

679
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:20,640
Speaker 1: of time here, so I want to get a thought

680
00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,799
Speaker 1: from each of you about like Megan and Tory from

681
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,719
Speaker 1: your dvantage point, how you think this is going to

682
00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,719
Speaker 1: go in the next month or two, and what you

683
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,520
Speaker 1: think people should know about this from the outside based

684
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,880
Speaker 1: on your experience. Whichever one of you wants to start, I'll.

685
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,200
Speaker 2: Be happy to toy take a stab first, and you're

686
00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:42,719
Speaker 2: welcome to come in and correct everything that I say,

687
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,120
Speaker 2: because I'm sure you've got some wisdom to throw it

688
00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:46,799
Speaker 2: on here on this one. You know, one of the

689
00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,360
Speaker 2: things that I've observed from the outside looking and watching

690
00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:52,600
Speaker 2: these negotiations of the w is how similar the dynamics are.

691
00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,040
Speaker 2: And it's just it comes back to the arrogance of power.

692
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 2: I am struck by what I perceive what I perceived

693
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,200
Speaker 2: to be going on. And this is not of course,

694
00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:02,640
Speaker 2: for you know, I'm not in the room, I'm not

695
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,560
Speaker 2: at the table. But it's just amazing how much leverage

696
00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,880
Speaker 2: players have right now. And I think it's because, like

697
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 2: the players are the game. And I've said this before

698
00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 2: and the people have heard it, know what it's coming from.

699
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,320
Speaker 5: Like, ain't nobody buying tickets to watch executives make phone calls.

700
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:22,120
Speaker 5: They're buying tickets to watch, you know, the incredible athletes

701
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,000
Speaker 5: on the court or on the field compete and perform.

702
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,959
Speaker 5: They they are they they are the most important piece

703
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,120
Speaker 5: of this whole equation, and I think leagues and teams

704
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:36,440
Speaker 5: can forget that sometimes. Who's actually the core of this

705
00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:38,920
Speaker 5: business and creating the product that people want to consume,

706
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,279
Speaker 5: whether it's on the TV or in person, or merchandise

707
00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:42,279
Speaker 5: or whatever it might be.

708
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,120
Speaker 2: Who is the key to unlocking all this potential and

709
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:49,280
Speaker 2: who's actually generating the revenue that's being created by basketball

710
00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:49,840
Speaker 2: or soccer.

711
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:50,680
Speaker 1: It's the players.

712
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:52,560
Speaker 2: It all comes back to the players, and for me,

713
00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,440
Speaker 2: I think until the league and the teams realize that

714
00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,319
Speaker 2: and understand the leverage they have in this moment, not

715
00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,480
Speaker 2: just at the bargaining table, but in the public eye

716
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,839
Speaker 2: with fans, with brands, with anyone who's paying attention, this

717
00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,759
Speaker 2: is going to be a difficult conversation in a difficult fight.

718
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,319
Speaker 2: Because the players know they're worth and from what I

719
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,520
Speaker 2: can tell from the outside looking in, they're a lot

720
00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,000
Speaker 2: like the people we represent, which is they're not going

721
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:17,920
Speaker 2: to back down. They know they're worth, and they know

722
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,840
Speaker 2: where the line is, and they're going to hold firm.

723
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,320
Speaker 1: And they know the leverage that they have in this moment.

724
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:26,279
Speaker 4: Tory I love to just say ditto because none of

725
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:31,640
Speaker 4: that needs to be corrected. But as Megan speaks and

726
00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,320
Speaker 4: speaks to it very well, the players are the foundation

727
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:39,399
Speaker 4: of the league and until everyone realize, fans realize that

728
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,880
Speaker 4: they're not buying tickets to see any sponsor on a

729
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:47,399
Speaker 4: signboard like we or executives making phone calls, the same thing.

730
00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:52,759
Speaker 4: It is about the game. And I think when players

731
00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:55,279
Speaker 4: are starting to play this game, when they are at

732
00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,759
Speaker 4: age four, they will do whatever they can to make

733
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:01,120
Speaker 4: sure that their careers are as long as they can be.

734
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,719
Speaker 4: And also, I think the players of the w the

735
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,920
Speaker 4: players in the NWSL know what their worth is and

736
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,120
Speaker 4: will be the ones that are going to have to

737
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:13,680
Speaker 4: stand up and fight for it, and I think they're

738
00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:16,239
Speaker 4: just asking everyone else to fully support that.

739
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's easy in the abstract to value

740
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,120
Speaker 1: the players, but to understand how the decisions that you

741
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:25,680
Speaker 1: make every day actually impact the length of their careers,

742
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,160
Speaker 1: the safety of their careers, the desire they have to

743
00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:30,880
Speaker 1: continue playing, all that other stuff. I mean. The NWSL,

744
00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:32,640
Speaker 1: for instance, attendance is down this year. There are a

745
00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:34,120
Speaker 1: lot of factors in that, but a lot of that

746
00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,440
Speaker 1: is a lot of stars are out due to injury

747
00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:40,960
Speaker 1: due to pregnancy and other reasons. But you can actually

748
00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,000
Speaker 1: see what it means when the players that people want

749
00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,919
Speaker 1: to see aren't playing, and when you make decisions, whether

750
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:51,600
Speaker 1: that's in investments in training facilities or physical therapy or otherwise,

751
00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:54,120
Speaker 1: that don't continue to see the players as the product

752
00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,040
Speaker 1: and the most important thing. You're ultimately potentially cutting short

753
00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:58,960
Speaker 1: their careers and the interest that people have in them

754
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,239
Speaker 1: because you're not making sure that they're going to be

755
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,560
Speaker 1: out there on the court. Aaron, how confident are you

756
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:06,440
Speaker 1: that a deal is going to be done by the

757
00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:08,480
Speaker 1: October thirty one deadline?

758
00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,839
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, I'm not confident, and I'll be honest with you.

759
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,760
Speaker 3: The players opted out in October twenty first of twenty

760
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,320
Speaker 3: twenty four, so we've had a year and it hasn't

761
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,600
Speaker 3: gotten done, and it could have. It could have, but

762
00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,080
Speaker 3: we are going to continue. You know, the fight doesn't

763
00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:28,359
Speaker 3: end after October thirty one. I think there's a lot

764
00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 3: out there that has not done the reader the best

765
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:36,799
Speaker 3: job of explaining what happens when an agreement expires. We

766
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,920
Speaker 3: will still be negotiating, and we will negotiate until the

767
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:42,240
Speaker 3: players get what they are owed and what they deserve

768
00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:44,960
Speaker 3: and what they know is actually going to sustain this business,

769
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,799
Speaker 3: not only for themselves and their legacy, but also for

770
00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,520
Speaker 3: all of the investment that has been made, because all

771
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,360
Speaker 3: of that is at stake. But the players are resolute

772
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,799
Speaker 3: and they do understand the power that they hold and

773
00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:01,640
Speaker 3: that they are not acting in isolation, you know, which

774
00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:03,120
Speaker 3: is why it was such a pleasure to do this

775
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,040
Speaker 3: with you know, Ori and Megan, because this is not

776
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 3: an isolated event, and that's also why people are engaged

777
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,440
Speaker 3: with it. Are are their imaginations are galvanized with it

778
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:17,440
Speaker 3: because this isn't just about these players. It's not just

779
00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:22,040
Speaker 3: about basketball. It's about the value of women's work. And frankly,

780
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,920
Speaker 3: I think is a is an incredible moment for unions

781
00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 3: at a time when kind of history and education is

782
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:33,480
Speaker 3: failing us to have a real, live example of what

783
00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:37,560
Speaker 3: happens when you stand in community and fight collectively for

784
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:40,680
Speaker 3: something that you know is correct, not only business wise,

785
00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:43,520
Speaker 3: but in every other way as well.

786
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:49,000
Speaker 1: That's a word out for us, though, because to your point,

787
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:50,440
Speaker 1: a lot of us sort of say, well, then the

788
00:40:50,480 --> 00:40:52,759
Speaker 1: deadline and then what happens is there an extension? When

789
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,359
Speaker 1: do they do the expansion drafts. Is there a drop

790
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,560
Speaker 1: dead date when teams need to know, you know, who

791
00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,320
Speaker 1: the who's on their roster and when players need to

792
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,120
Speaker 1: know where they're playing, Like spell it out for us.

793
00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,120
Speaker 1: The agreement expires, then what.

794
00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:09,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, the agreement expires and then potentially nothing right, the

795
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,399
Speaker 3: world of options changes. That's the biggest thing for after

796
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,160
Speaker 3: October thirty first. So right now in our CBA, there's

797
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,759
Speaker 3: a no straight clause, there's a no lockout clause, so

798
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,040
Speaker 3: that you know, in the broad category for that is

799
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,840
Speaker 3: work stoppage. That just means that those things can happen.

800
00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:27,960
Speaker 3: It doesn't mean that they're going to happen. It just

801
00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:31,120
Speaker 3: means that they are not prevented from happening by a

802
00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:37,640
Speaker 3: very important legal document called collective margaining agreement. If neither

803
00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,400
Speaker 3: of those things happen, and it's a kind of a

804
00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,280
Speaker 3: very specific kind of legal process to get those things

805
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,680
Speaker 3: to happen, As you said, extensions or another thing that

806
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,080
Speaker 3: could happen, that's what happened in twenty twenty.

807
00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:50,799
Speaker 1: Right.

808
00:41:51,239 --> 00:41:54,279
Speaker 3: If that doesn't happen, you're still in this period of

809
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:59,800
Speaker 3: status quo where you're negotiating and things essentially haven't changed.

810
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,040
Speaker 3: I think it's a strategic calculation of what to do when,

811
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:05,440
Speaker 3: and again I take my orders, I take my marching

812
00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:09,359
Speaker 3: orders from the players, and so that's where we're at.

813
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:14,200
Speaker 3: So that that is what happens after October thirty one. Obviously,

814
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,759
Speaker 3: I'm sure there will be and I hope people stay

815
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:18,680
Speaker 3: engaged on this because we're not going anywhere.

816
00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:20,240
Speaker 1: We're not going anywhere.

817
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,480
Speaker 3: In terms of next season, right free agency. As you

818
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:28,440
Speaker 3: mentioned earlier, almost the entire league is in free agency,

819
00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,319
Speaker 3: and so it is. In a non CBA year, it

820
00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:35,279
Speaker 3: would have been a very busy off season and all

821
00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:39,880
Speaker 3: of that work still needs to get done. But you know,

822
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,480
Speaker 3: there's there's a couple of things standing in front of that,

823
00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:47,960
Speaker 3: and obviously a CBA that is more appropriate for twenty

824
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:49,080
Speaker 3: twenty six and beyond.

825
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:53,480
Speaker 1: Top on that list, it being October thirty first is

826
00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: a little on the nose. You know, the Spooky Season,

827
00:42:56,600 --> 00:43:02,680
Speaker 1: the Witching Hour, all Hallowsy, the start, Yeah yeah, oh,

828
00:43:02,719 --> 00:43:03,960
Speaker 1: Scorpio season, throw.

829
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,600
Speaker 3: That in there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

830
00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:10,960
Speaker 1: I'm starting to remember the NBA Emoji gate where there

831
00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:13,880
Speaker 1: were all the free agents trapped and people were blocking

832
00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,239
Speaker 1: doors with chairs to keep guys from leaving and having

833
00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,560
Speaker 1: conversations with like it's going to be an absolute free

834
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:23,319
Speaker 1: for all when fingers crossed, the deal gets done and

835
00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:25,600
Speaker 1: everyone starts to figure out the musical chairs of the

836
00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,040
Speaker 1: league and where they're going to find their spot. And

837
00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,439
Speaker 1: I'm excited for that, and I'm hopeful for that, which

838
00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:32,319
Speaker 1: would mean that we did get a deal done, the

839
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:35,040
Speaker 1: players did get what they've earned and deserve, and we

840
00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:37,839
Speaker 1: can get back to being excited about the basketball. Y'all

841
00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:42,120
Speaker 1: are too smart for me and too impressive to keep

842
00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,520
Speaker 1: you any longer. Thank you so much for giving me

843
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,440
Speaker 1: this time. Thank you so much for this great conversation.

844
00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:48,439
Speaker 1: I hope people got a lot out of it, because

845
00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:48,719
Speaker 1: I did.

846
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:49,600
Speaker 2: Thank you, Sarah.

847
00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:50,200
Speaker 1: Thank you, Sarah.

848
00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:51,360
Speaker 2: I appreciate you having us on.

849
00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:55,919
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Meg and Tory and Aaron for taking

850
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:57,919
Speaker 1: the time and hanging out with us. So much good

851
00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:00,960
Speaker 1: info in there. By the way, Megan mentioned the story

852
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:02,879
Speaker 1: from The Guardian. This was just a couple of days ago.

853
00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:04,360
Speaker 1: If you want to check it out, it's called the

854
00:44:04,440 --> 00:44:08,120
Speaker 1: US's biggest pro women's sports unions have Found Strength Together.

855
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,640
Speaker 1: It's by Abigail Siegel, and we'll link to that in

856
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:12,239
Speaker 1: the show notes if you want to read it. We

857
00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:15,240
Speaker 1: got to take another break when we come back. No comment.

858
00:44:15,719 --> 00:44:22,520
Speaker 1: Apparently there's no such thing welcome back slices. We love

859
00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:23,960
Speaker 1: that you're listening, but we want you to get in

860
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:26,040
Speaker 1: the game every day too, So here's our good game

861
00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:29,680
Speaker 1: play of the day. Follow both the NWSL and WNBA

862
00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:33,400
Speaker 1: players associations on social media. We'll link to their accounts

863
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:36,720
Speaker 1: in the show notes, and follow Kristin Press on social

864
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:39,000
Speaker 1: and maybe give a listen to the recap show her

865
00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,719
Speaker 1: podcast with her wife Tobin Heath. We'll link to both

866
00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:44,239
Speaker 1: in the show notes. We always love to hear from you,

867
00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:46,040
Speaker 1: so feel free to hit us up on email. Good

868
00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,040
Speaker 1: game at wondermedianetwork dot com and we'd love to hear

869
00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:51,319
Speaker 1: your voice, so leave us a voicemail at eight seven

870
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,360
Speaker 1: two two o four fifty seventy, and don't forget to

871
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,319
Speaker 1: subscribe a rate and review, y'all. It's easy. Watch the

872
00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:03,759
Speaker 1: comment section under Spotify podcast episodes rating infinity out of

873
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:08,759
Speaker 1: infinity places for feedback. Review producer Alex just noticed that

874
00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,920
Speaker 1: you can comment under podcast episodes on the Spotify app,

875
00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:16,120
Speaker 1: revealing a treasure trove of heretofore unseen and unread responses

876
00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,160
Speaker 1: from listeners. Oh joy, another place to be criticized on

877
00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:24,680
Speaker 1: the Internet. But wait, some of these are helpful, Amy

878
00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,520
Speaker 1: writes in response to our Pucks and gayshit marriage roundup

879
00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,760
Speaker 1: Love the Pod. I think Taylor Heisei and her BF

880
00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:35,200
Speaker 1: fellow Gopher athlete Parker Fox are recently engaged, not married.

881
00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:39,040
Speaker 1: Spot on correction, Amy, the wedding is actually next August

882
00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:41,160
Speaker 1: cute wedding website too, if you want to buy them

883
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,120
Speaker 1: a blender or something. But damn now I'm seeing right

884
00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:48,880
Speaker 1: above Amy our underscore bat I swoops in with the

885
00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:53,239
Speaker 1: pain quote. Sarah's coverage of Caitlin is insane. She is

886
00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:56,360
Speaker 1: always pushing the most negative things about Caitlin herself and

887
00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:59,239
Speaker 1: holding no other players anywhere close to the same standards.

888
00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:04,200
Speaker 1: SI hold on, though there are some more good ones,

889
00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:07,680
Speaker 1: seeing some nice messages to Mesh for their last show.

890
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:12,680
Speaker 1: So many kind comments from super Slice. Sarah Cazzelli MC's

891
00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:15,480
Speaker 1: Soca Links says quote, I just want to say thank

892
00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:17,919
Speaker 1: you for all your work, all three of you. Thanks

893
00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,480
Speaker 1: for finding such a beautiful balance of not too serious

894
00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:24,239
Speaker 1: but journalistic, playful but respectful, informative but never ever dull.

895
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:27,120
Speaker 1: This pod and Big Citrus is a huge source of

896
00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:32,040
Speaker 1: my podcast joy ah oh, and I'm seeing a comment

897
00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:35,840
Speaker 1: from Amanda Spaceman, who logged on to write, quote, you

898
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:40,839
Speaker 1: had me at lesbians. We're back baby. Now it's your turn.

899
00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:44,240
Speaker 1: Y'all rate and review. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow

900
00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:46,840
Speaker 1: when we get into all the NWSL end of season

901
00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:51,000
Speaker 1: scenarios with Lori, Lindsey, Good Game, Megan and Tory. Good Game,

902
00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:55,000
Speaker 1: Aaron you realizing there are even more places on the

903
00:46:55,000 --> 00:47:00,760
Speaker 1: Internet where people hate me. Good Game with Sarah Spain

904
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:03,520
Speaker 1: is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep

905
00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:06,080
Speaker 1: Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the

906
00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:09,400
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

907
00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:13,040
Speaker 1: Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azzie

908
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:17,040
Speaker 1: Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers

909
00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:20,440
Speaker 1: are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutterer.

910
00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:24,120
Speaker 1: Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.

911
00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:28,000
Speaker 1: Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm your Host Sarah

912
00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:28,360
Speaker 1: Spain