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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're begging

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Speaker 1: Fireball to wake up and sponsor the entire Lavelle family.

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Speaker 1: It's Monday, November twenty fourth, and on today's show, we'll

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Speaker 1: take you onto the pitch at PayPal Park, where you'll

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Speaker 1: hear Rose Lavell, midg Per, Sue Bird and more on

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Speaker 1: Gotham's NWSL championship win, and producer Alex and I will

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Speaker 1: spill the tea on the weekends parties and events. Then

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Speaker 1: it's my conversation with NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. I sat

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Speaker 1: down with her ahead of the championship game to ask

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Speaker 1: about Trinity Rodman and the league salary cap, whether or

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Speaker 1: not the NWSL needs a gender policy, lessons learned from

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Speaker 1: this season, league expansion, and more. Plus the Cardiac Cats

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Speaker 1: strike again, the Luck of the Irish returns, and Wilma's Mom,

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Speaker 1: Channel's Old Blue Eyes. It's all coming up right after

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Speaker 1: this Welcome back Slices, Happy Monday.

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Speaker 2: Here's what you need to know today.

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Speaker 1: Let's start with the NWSL and Saturday Night at PayPal

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Speaker 1: Park in San Jose. When eight Seed got them, f

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Speaker 1: Seed took one more step toward dynasty status, winning their

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Speaker 1: second NWSL championship in three seasons, a one nil defeat

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Speaker 1: of the two seed Washington Spirit. A Rose Leavell left

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Speaker 1: footed strike in the eightieth minute was the difference, earning

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Speaker 1: Leavell Title Game MVP honors and giving her her first

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Speaker 1: ever NWSL title. Some gorgeous footwork from Brunina on the

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Speaker 1: left side kept defenders guessing before she slipped a pass

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Speaker 1: across the box to Lavell, who stepped into the feed

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Speaker 1: and finished. Now in both of their title runs, the

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Speaker 1: Batties of Gotham fought from the final playoff spot to

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Speaker 1: win it all, proving Jaden Shaw's rally and cry true

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Speaker 1: underdog mass first a quarter final upside of the top

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Speaker 1: seed Casey Current, then a semi final upset of last

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Speaker 1: year's champs, the Orlando Pride, and finally handing the Washington

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Speaker 1: Spirit their second straight defeat in the title game. Speaking

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Speaker 1: of the Spirit, questions await them this offseason as Trinity

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Speaker 1: rodmanfields offers from teams abroad and competing leagues at home.

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Speaker 1: Was this Rodman's final game in a Spirit jersey? She

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Speaker 1: told us Thursday at media Day she couldn't let herself

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Speaker 1: think about that ahead of the title game, but now

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Speaker 1: with a long off season stretching out before her, those

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Speaker 1: questions will soon need answers. Speaking of off seasons, you

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Speaker 1: remember last off season, Gotham saw nearly a dozen departures,

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Speaker 1: including lynd Biandolo, Crystal Dunn, and Yasmine Ryan, prompting a

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Speaker 1: letter from GM yiel Averbush West to the team's fans

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Speaker 1: assuring them that the Mission was still to be one

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Speaker 1: of the best clubs in the world. I guess Mission

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Speaker 1: accomplished plenty. More on Gotham's win and the weekend's activities

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Speaker 1: from Me and Alex later in the show. Gotham not

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Speaker 1: the only champions crowned this weekend. Let's head to NCAA

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Speaker 1: Field Hockey. In Friday semi final games, Princeton bested Harvard

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Speaker 1: two OHO to earn their spot in the title game,

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Speaker 1: and on the other side of the bracket, Friend of

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Speaker 1: the Show had coach Tracy Fuchs and her defending champion

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Speaker 1: Northwestern Wildcats came back from down three to one in

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Speaker 1: the third quarter to def feat Friend of the Show

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Speaker 1: Aaron Matson and UNC four to three in overtime, and

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Speaker 1: on Sunday, the Wildcats needed extra time again, but the

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Speaker 1: Cardiac Cats came through once more, defeating Princeton two to

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Speaker 1: one in double overtime to earn their second straight NCAA

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Speaker 1: championship and third title in five seasons.

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Speaker 2: Princeton was the only team to.

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Speaker 1: Defeat the Wildcats this regular season, but Northwestern one when

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Speaker 1: it counted most, and like Gotham, the Wildcats had something

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Speaker 1: to prove after they went twenty two to one winning

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Speaker 1: the Big Ten Conference, yet still being denied one of

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Speaker 1: the four to one seeds in the tournament.

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Speaker 2: What's that again?

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Speaker 1: Jayden underdog mass t Encublea hoops and a couple fantastic

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Speaker 1: contests over the weekend. On Thursday, number nineteen Iowa upset

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Speaker 1: number seven Baylor fifty seven to fifty two despite a

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Speaker 1: thirty two point effort from the Bears to lea Scott.

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Speaker 1: On Friday, a redemption game for Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame,

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Speaker 1: as the junior star hit the game winning jumper with

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Speaker 1: one point nine seconds left to lead her team past

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Speaker 1: eleventh ranked USC sixty one fifty nine. Hidalgo had twenty

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Speaker 1: two points, seven rebounds, and five steals to help the

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Speaker 1: twenty fourth ranked Irish bounce back from that ugly loss

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Speaker 1: to Michigan. Also Friday, a game that looked like a

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Speaker 1: runaway for top seeded Yukon got real interesting. Late. Sixth

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Speaker 1: ranked Michigan came back from down by as many as

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Speaker 1: seventeen points, but they couldn't upset the Huskies, who walked

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Speaker 1: away with a seventy two to sixty nine win in

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Speaker 1: the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase. Easy Fudd

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Speaker 1: had thirty one points in the win, including thirteen in

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Speaker 1: the fourth quarter and three straight three pointers in a

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Speaker 1: personal nine to zero run as Michigan was threatening. Late

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Speaker 1: Michigan sophomore Silas Swords put up twenty nine points and

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Speaker 1: sunk three three pointers in the last minute of the game,

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Speaker 1: but her Wolverines came up just short. All right, selicis

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Speaker 1: plenty more news from college soccer, women's pro baseball, WNBACBA

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Speaker 1: negotiations and more all come in your way tomorrow. But

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Speaker 1: there is so much more to share from our big

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Speaker 1: weekend in San Jose. Let's go back to the pitch

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Speaker 1: at PayPal Park where Alex and I chatted moments after

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Speaker 1: GOTHAMFC hoisted the NWSL trophy. We're standing on the field

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Speaker 1: post Gotham wins, surrounded by confetti, families hugging, lots of

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Speaker 1: photo taking. I only saw one family doing fireball together.

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Speaker 1: That of course rose La Bell's family. What's the biggest

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Speaker 1: takeaway for you from this big weekend of NWSL festivities

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Speaker 1: and the championship game.

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Speaker 3: Well, I just want to say that just because we

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Speaker 3: didn't see the families doing fireball together doesn't mean that

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Speaker 3: it wasn't happy to hear you.

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Speaker 2: Know, big field.

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Speaker 3: My biggest takeaway is that Gotham from the jump, that

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Speaker 3: just felt like Gotham was all over it from the beginning.

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Speaker 3: I think they need to continue to finish last in

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Speaker 3: the playoff bracket in order to continue their their dynasty

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Speaker 3: that they've started to establish.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think next year, if they're successful throughout, we're

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Speaker 1: going to know it's not their year. Also, you said

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Speaker 1: something interesting earlier tonight that I hadn't thought about it

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Speaker 1: in a while, which was all the turmoil around this team.

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Speaker 1: As players were leaving, there was some conversation like.

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Speaker 2: What's going on with Crystal done?

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Speaker 1: Why are players electing, you know, not to stick around?

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Speaker 1: And what we saw was the folks that did stick

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Speaker 1: around created quite a tight knit group that was able

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Speaker 1: to look at their struggles mid season. They're inconsistency, they're

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Speaker 1: eight seed, and at no point really seemed to doubt

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Speaker 1: that they could get it done. And of course it

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Speaker 1: helps that they came out of the last spot in

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Speaker 1: the playoffs the last time they won. But still a

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Speaker 1: really impressive showing from a team full of veterans that

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Speaker 1: it never really got to them. It's very Las Vegas

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Speaker 1: aces coded. It never really got to them when people

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Speaker 1: were like, this team is way too talented to be

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Speaker 1: playing the way they are, and they were.

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Speaker 2: Like, yeah, we are.

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Speaker 1: We know, don't worry, We'll show up when it matters,

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Speaker 1: and they did.

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Speaker 3: People have to remember, like got them issued a letter

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Speaker 3: to their fans to be like, hey, guys, like trust us,

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Speaker 3: Like we're figuring it out, like we have a specific

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Speaker 3: player mindset that we have in mind.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I mean, all that really matters is who's the one

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Speaker 1: celebrating at the end, and only one.

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Speaker 2: Team gets to and it's Gotham.

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Speaker 1: And speaking of celebrating, we need to get out of

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Speaker 1: here and find out what Jaden Shaw's first legal drink is.

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Speaker 2: Because Old Girl turned.

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Speaker 1: Twenty one on Thursday, presumably got a good night's sleep

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Speaker 1: Friday night, Thursday night, and now Saturday night. She is

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Speaker 1: a champion and legally able to I don't know, fireball

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Speaker 1: with Rose and her family or whatever the hell she wants.

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Speaker 1: I'm interested to find out what it's gonna be. All right,

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Speaker 1: so we're gonna go find the parties, Alex. I know

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Speaker 1: you're taking the day Aftermorrow, presumably to recover from the parties. Yes,

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Speaker 1: or potentially because you have to take like eleven flights

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Speaker 1: to get back to wherever the heck you live in

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Speaker 1: New Hampshire. Either way, Yes, either way, don't worry. I'll

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Speaker 1: handle Monday show and we'll get you back on during

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Speaker 1: the week to talk about all the other things from

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Speaker 1: this amazing weekend. Now, before we went out in search

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Speaker 1: of Jadenshaw's drink of choice, we did chat with a

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Speaker 1: few folks celebrating with friends and family on the field. First,

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Speaker 1: the MVP herself, Rose Lavelle, who shared the she was

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Speaker 1: feeling in the moments after the win exciting.

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Speaker 2: I'm really happy. I love this team.

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Speaker 5: It's been a fun journey and this is again just

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Speaker 5: I see on the cake.

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Speaker 2: How does it feel to win something you haven't won before.

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Speaker 2: It's so surreal.

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Speaker 5: I think I keep saying, it's like anytime you get

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Speaker 5: the chance to compete for a trophy, it's really special.

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Speaker 5: But this is definitely one that I have been wanting

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Speaker 5: to cross off. And hopefully it's not the first.

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Speaker 2: Do we have an actual list where we're crossing it off? Yeah? Okay,

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Speaker 2: and if not, we need to make one. Yeah, what

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Speaker 2: else is on that list?

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Speaker 1: Read?

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Speaker 5: Drink coffee, pet Wilma win an NBA championship.

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Speaker 2: We love a balanced winner.

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Speaker 1: Speaking of winners, Roses family the big winners because they

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Speaker 1: had yet another reason to celebrate.

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Speaker 2: And winning is fun. It is, winning is fun. You

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Speaker 2: picked a good daughter.

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Speaker 1: If you like winning, winning is so much fun. Next

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Speaker 1: up Lily Reel, who capped off one hell of a

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Speaker 1: rook key season.

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Speaker 2: Okay, Rookie of the Year championship in your first season.

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Speaker 2: What do you have to look forward to? Is everything

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Speaker 2: downhill from now?

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Speaker 4: No?

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Speaker 6: I think I think you know, obviously they've set up

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Speaker 6: pretty good standard here at our team, so like, I know,

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Speaker 6: nothing else going into the playoffs, fortunately, but I think

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Speaker 6: it's something to strive for. It's gonna be difficult, but

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Speaker 6: I'm yeah, looking forward to the next couple of years.

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Speaker 2: Here, Okay, tell us about the after party. What's the plan?

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Speaker 2: Don't know.

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Speaker 6: Honestly, I don't think there is much of a plan yet,

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Speaker 6: but I can definitely trust my teammates to have some fun,

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Speaker 6: So I'm excited.

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Speaker 2: There's gotta be a plan for Jade and Shaw.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, of course, twenty first birthday soleration.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and we found Lily's cutie patuity grandfather, who we

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Speaker 1: last saw watching proudly as his granddaughter one Rookie of

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Speaker 1: the Year at the NWSL Awards on Thursday.

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Speaker 4: What a nice deal this quest, I know. Oh my god,

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Speaker 4: it was scary the last few minutes.

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Speaker 1: Well, holy Mackwell I assume you heard that you were

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Speaker 1: the star of the internet after that.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I know.

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Speaker 2: I very lucky and very special.

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Speaker 4: Oh I am. Oh my goodness, gracious. I love my granddaughter.

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Speaker 4: She's so beautiful. We've had a good relationship all over

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Speaker 4: the years, in school and everything. She's been terrific.

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Speaker 1: Next up Gotham investor Sue Byrd, who's still getting used

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Speaker 1: to winning a title as a contributor off the field

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Speaker 1: or court.

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Speaker 7: What is the old adage, right like you're you did

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Speaker 7: shit in the group project, but you get the a. Listen,

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Speaker 7: I'm two for three. I'm two for three as an owner.

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Speaker 7: It might technically be two for four, but who's counting. No,

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Speaker 7: this is so fun. You can see how happy everybody is.

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Speaker 7: And honestly, Rose Lavell, y'all, she's been knocking on the

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Speaker 7: door of this for a long time. Hit a banger

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Speaker 7: to seal the deal, and I'm just so happy for her.

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Speaker 7: I'm had for the whole team, the whole franchise, but

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Speaker 7: really happy for Rose. It's a great a great story,

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Speaker 7: a great tale of very similar you know, I'm gonna

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Speaker 7: bring it back to basketball, very similar to Laces, right,

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Speaker 7: even though they finished second at the end, but you

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Speaker 7: get the point and.

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Speaker 2: Through the season at some point they're probably easy.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, never count out like champions and veterans. And I

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Speaker 7: think you saw that tonight.

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Speaker 1: And finally, Mitch Purse, who played Good Gooder Goodest based

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Speaker 1: on her incredible year honor show, we knew good good

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Speaker 1: or goodest, something's good, something's good or something's goodest. Okay,

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Speaker 1: so we got Sports Illustrated Swimsuit being on Broadway winning

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty five NWSL Championship okay good. Broadway Sports

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Speaker 1: illustrated Gooder Championship Goodest Good. After grabbing a little tinsel

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Speaker 1: from the field, Alex and I found some friends and

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Speaker 1: we did a little party hopping, including stops at Meghan Ensues,

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Speaker 1: a Touch More event, and got them's official victory celebration,

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Speaker 1: where the team entered to cheers from friends and family

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Speaker 1: and the DJ blasting Queen's we are the Champions.

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Speaker 2: Speaking of the DJ, I.

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Speaker 1: Hope this I got Hazard pay because backup keeper Shelby

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Speaker 1: Hogan nearly took him out dancing on the front edge

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Speaker 1: of the DJ booth to journeys don't stop believing. In fact,

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Speaker 1: I do have a video of her kicking him in

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Speaker 1: the face and almost breaking his computer. Hogan and her

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Speaker 1: fellow keeper Ryan Campbell were also spotted with Rose Level

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Speaker 1: on the pool table getting down to Sinaptras New York.

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Speaker 2: New York coach Jan Carlos Amiros and his son.

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Speaker 1: Luca hit the dance floor for Alicia Keys version of

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Speaker 1: New York, as did Midge Purse, who did not take

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Speaker 1: her goggles off all night, and while I can't confirm

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Speaker 1: the first drink, at one point, Jadenshaw was spotted cradling

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Speaker 1: a very fancy bottle of Reposada tequila like a baby.

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Speaker 1: So much fun to be at the winner's party. Of course,

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Speaker 1: no word on the vibes at Michelle Kang Spirit event,

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Speaker 1: but I can imagine that was a tough gig for

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Speaker 1: whoever DJ'ed that team's second straight second place party. Speaking

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Speaker 1: to parties, the Just Women's Sports Party on Friday featured

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Speaker 1: a surprise performance from Kesha, who did actually brush her

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Speaker 1: teeth with a bottle of jack on stage, and once

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Speaker 1: she was done, the stud button. This is the WNBA

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Speaker 1: players Courtney Williams and Natisha Heideman, who crashed the entire

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Speaker 1: NWSL weekend, of course, had to hop on stage into

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Speaker 1: arousing lip sync and dance performance to Vanessa Carlton's one

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Speaker 1: Thousand Miles, and then Commissioner Jessica Burman's husband.

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Speaker 2: Doug took the stage to get down to Soldier Boy.

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Speaker 2: It was an evening.

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Speaker 1: On Friday morning, I did a live show sponsored by

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Speaker 1: Novartis in Capitol One at the beautiful Hayes Mansion. We

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Speaker 1: had yoga brunch and interviews with the great Brandy Chastain

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Speaker 1: and BFC forward Penelope Hawking.

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Speaker 2: Those are coming your way soon.

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Speaker 1: There was also happy hours, networking events, sponsor activations and

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Speaker 1: more all weekend long, including an ally House which had

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Speaker 1: some really great live shows with all the usual big

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Speaker 1: names Sue and Megan Tobin, Heath, Kristin Press, Abby Wambach,

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Speaker 1: Julie Foudy and Moore. And speaking of Foudy, Alex and

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Speaker 1: I actually spent the second half of the title game

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Speaker 1: Saturday in her field level sweet, so thank you Foudy.

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Speaker 1: We got to meet US women's national team manager Emma

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Speaker 1: Hayes and see her meet Sophia Smith's baby Gigi for

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Speaker 1: the first time, which was so sweet. We also saw

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Speaker 1: Andy Sullivan and her baby Millie, and a bunch of

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Speaker 1: other footy stars Channon Box, Lauren Holliday, Listenaire. We just

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Speaker 1: had an absolute blast in San Jose and we actually

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Speaker 1: lived something that Emma Hayes said at a brunch Saturday morning,

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Speaker 1: when she was asked about the vibes at women's sporting events.

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Speaker 1: The US women's national team manager said, when people go

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Speaker 1: to men's sporting events, they feel cortisol. When they go

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Speaker 1: to women's sporting events, they feel dopamine, which like pause

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Speaker 1: for that, my mind is blown that is so so accurate,

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Speaker 1: and frankly, this whole weekend was a dopamine hit. So

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Speaker 1: very grateful that we got to be there, all right,

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Speaker 1: We got to take a quick break when we come back.

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Speaker 1: My conversation with Jessica Berman from Thursday's NWSL Media Day

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Speaker 1: joining us now the commissioner of the National Women's Soccer

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Speaker 1: League who just signed a multi year contract extension to

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Speaker 1: stay on as commission A Michigan undergrad and Fordham Law

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Speaker 1: School product, she spent time with the National Football League

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Speaker 1: and National Lacrosse League before joining the NWSL in twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty two. Winner of the Sports Business Ernals twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: four Exactly the Year Award and SI's twenty twenty four.

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Speaker 2: Innovator of the Year.

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Speaker 1: Mom of two still not Marley Mattlin unless it helps

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Speaker 1: her skip a line at the club.

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Speaker 2: It's Jessica Berman.

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Speaker 8: Hi, Jessica, Hi, You're so fun.

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Speaker 1: What is exciting you most about this championship weekend and

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Speaker 1: what it has to say about the league's growth?

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Speaker 9: Mostly excited about the up leveling of what this week

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Speaker 9: has become. I still remember back in twenty twenty two

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Speaker 9: when it felt small and we said every single year

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Speaker 9: We're going to expand the event and make it more

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Speaker 9: like a week long celebration, and it is now that

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Speaker 9: we kicked off all the festivities last night with the

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Speaker 9: NWSL Award Show, and it was incredible.

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Speaker 8: It was incredible to see the athletes show up.

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Speaker 9: Both teams who are competing in the championship, but also

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Speaker 9: athletes from all around the league came and it's just

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Speaker 9: like the closure you want from the season and being

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Speaker 9: able to celebrate all the things that are great about

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Speaker 9: the NWSL.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and this is the first sort of media day

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Speaker 1: Radio Row. What inspired you to add that to the

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Speaker 1: week's events.

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Speaker 9: I think you were there, Sarah, when we got the inspiration.

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Speaker 9: Both Jen Levine, who's our head of comms, and I

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Speaker 9: were at the Super Bowl this past year in New

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Speaker 9: Orleans and we walked Radio Row and I sat down

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Speaker 9: with you there for a bit and we were walking

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Speaker 9: out of the room there and we said, what if

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Speaker 9: we started doing something similar? And of course we are

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Speaker 9: starting smaller than the NFL, but everyone has their setups

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Speaker 9: and it feels like a crawl walk run of that,

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Speaker 9: and so yeah, like why not just all the content

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Speaker 9: creators together.

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Speaker 1: Like shirtless men hawking paper towels or like weird animals,

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Speaker 1: Like eventually you cross that sort of like jumping the

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Speaker 1: shark line where it's both good for content and also

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Speaker 1: just completely absurd.

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Speaker 2: You know. We look forward to that.

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Speaker 9: Our athletes should feel like the celebrities. They that's true,

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Speaker 9: and so they walk into this room and see this

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Speaker 9: setup and they're like, Yeah, people care about talking to me,

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Speaker 9: and that's how they should feel.

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Speaker 1: I love that I mentioned that you just signed a

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Speaker 1: multi year contract extension. What's the biggest goal for you

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Speaker 1: as you approach this next phase of your role as commissioner.

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Speaker 9: Yeah, I think we're focused on two things at the

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Speaker 9: same time. We're focused on future proofing the league and

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Speaker 9: making sure that we're making the decisions for the long

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Speaker 9: term that will ensure that the league is viable and

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Speaker 9: thriving for years and decades to come, but then also

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Speaker 9: laser focused on the short term and making sure that

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Speaker 9: we're leading in this incredible moment where the time is

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Speaker 9: upon us for both the sport of soccer and women's sports.

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Speaker 9: We feel like we're at the intersection of those two

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Speaker 9: things over the next few years, and we have to

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Speaker 9: get after it, and there's no time to waste, So

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Speaker 9: we're excited about all that.

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Speaker 1: I have a lot of empathy for people at the

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Speaker 1: top right now because the exponential growth of women's sports

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Speaker 1: can often mean that a deal that looks really great,

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Speaker 1: like six months later, it feels a little like it's

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Speaker 1: past its expiration already. How are you betting big and

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Speaker 1: forcing others to meet you in that future place so

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Speaker 1: that you know that when you make those deals in partnerships,

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Speaker 1: it won't feel stale by the time it gets to

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Speaker 1: its end.

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Speaker 8: Well, I think we have.

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Speaker 9: To balance what I call in business the three rs, reach, revenue,

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Speaker 9: and relevance, and we think about all of our partnerships

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Speaker 9: through those three lenses. So it isn't just about the

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Speaker 9: core commercial terms or the economics of the deal, but

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Speaker 9: what other opportunities does it unlock for us? And are

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Speaker 9: we values aligned most importantly with the brand so that

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Speaker 9: in addition to whatever they're literally paying us for in

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Speaker 9: terms of our rights and our IP, are they going

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Speaker 9: to also invest in activating Are they going to invest

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Speaker 9: in marketing and promoting our league? And that's what we're

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Speaker 9: seeing with our four media partners, that's what we're seeing

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Speaker 9: with all of the brands who have signed up to

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Speaker 9: come on board on this journey with us, and I

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Speaker 9: think that's the way that we'll be able to hold

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Speaker 9: the ecosystem accountable for the goalposts that are continuing to

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Speaker 9: move each and every day. It feels like I do

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Speaker 9: often describe this role as feeling like I'm running on

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Speaker 9: a treadmill and every time I blink someone pushes the

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Speaker 9: plus button. As a runner, it's a very scary feeling,

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Speaker 9: but I'm up for it, and luckily I still run,

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Speaker 9: So I use that imagery to sort of motivate me

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Speaker 9: to be ready for the plot sign to be pushed.

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Speaker 1: I want to talk about expansion because there's so much there,

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Speaker 1: but a couple quick check ins from this past season,

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Speaker 1: some big storylines. First, I was actually there for the

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Speaker 1: first of two very scary medical incidents. I was at

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Speaker 1: the Angel City game with sav King, the other with

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Speaker 1: Racing Louisville Savannah Demello. It was incredible to see the

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Speaker 1: medical team's honored as part of Wednesday's awards ceremony.

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Speaker 2: Unfortunate that it was.

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Speaker 1: Necessary, but the news that Savvi King is launching this

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Speaker 1: league wide initiative to help teach CPR to all sixteen

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Speaker 1: teams and expand heart screenings, make sure people are equipped

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Speaker 1: to act in those moments. Because my producer Alix and

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Speaker 1: I were just talking about, imagine five or ten years ago,

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Speaker 1: when there weren't as many medical people around every single event,

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Speaker 1: what could have happened. So such a blessing that both

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Speaker 1: of them are. Okay, what do you think was the

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Speaker 1: most important thing that the league and you learned in

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Speaker 1: the wake of those two incidents.

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Speaker 9: Well, first of all, I just I can't have you

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Speaker 9: talk about that without mentioning how incredible both Savvy and

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Speaker 9: Savannah are and Sav's initiative she emailed me once she

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Speaker 9: had gone through her procedures and was really thinking about

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Speaker 9: this as an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade. Yeah,

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Speaker 9: and for those people in the world, including me, who

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Speaker 9: have been through hard things, that's a blessing when you

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Speaker 9: have someone who can look at a set of circumstances

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Speaker 9: and say, Okay, this was horrifying, but what am I

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Speaker 9: gonna do about it? Am I gonna learn from this

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Speaker 9: and help make other people's lives better? Or am I

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Speaker 9: going to lament in my own circumstances? And she did

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Speaker 9: the former, which is incredible for a twenty year old,

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Speaker 9: and I just I think about her all the time

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Speaker 9: in both what she went through but how she's so

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Speaker 9: quickly been able to turn this around. And I am

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Speaker 9: going to be learning CPR as well through her initiatives.

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Speaker 9: So I'm just very excited to support her vision in

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Speaker 9: spreading the word about how important it is that everyone

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Speaker 9: know these incredibly important life saving measures. I think in

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Speaker 9: terms of what we learned well well first and foremost,

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Speaker 9: you know, you never imagine that those types of things

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Speaker 9: are going to happen, and we had it happened not once,

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Speaker 9: but twice in the same season, and so I was

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Speaker 9: proud from a league perspective that between the first and

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Speaker 9: the second incident that we had, that we were able

437
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,840
Speaker 9: to surface the decision that needed to be made quickly

438
00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,439
Speaker 9: and make the decision to not continue the game, to

439
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:54,359
Speaker 9: abandon the game. I've already said that in the Savvy Game,

440
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,280
Speaker 9: I wish we had not continued to play, and.

441
00:21:58,119 --> 00:21:59,320
Speaker 8: That was a learning for us.

442
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,880
Speaker 9: And so, you know, all we can do as humans

443
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,439
Speaker 9: who are in these positions is be honest and accountable

444
00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:10,920
Speaker 9: for the decisions we make and assure people that we

445
00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,720
Speaker 9: have the systems in place to review them and do

446
00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 9: better next time. And I know we did do better

447
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,520
Speaker 9: next time, and we will continue to do better.

448
00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,879
Speaker 1: The other story from this season that sort of I

449
00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,440
Speaker 1: think helped pressure test the league to figure out how

450
00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:27,720
Speaker 1: they want to act in the future was the game

451
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,840
Speaker 1: in August between the Current and the Pride set to

452
00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,600
Speaker 1: air and CBS had to be delayed three and a

453
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,400
Speaker 1: half hours due to extreme heat, and the Athletic later

454
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,520
Speaker 1: reported that you threatened to find Kansas City over a

455
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,119
Speaker 1: disagreement about the delay and the heat checks, and specifically

456
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,280
Speaker 1: the fact that the team asked for another heat check

457
00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:42,360
Speaker 1: after the league.

458
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:43,440
Speaker 2: Decided to go forward with the game.

459
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:45,159
Speaker 1: Do you have any comment in that reporting in that

460
00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,879
Speaker 1: situation and what did you learn from that, Because I

461
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,720
Speaker 1: think there's a lot of empathy for the idea of

462
00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:51,479
Speaker 1: like wanting to grow the league and have it get

463
00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,560
Speaker 1: those amazing time slots, and also understanding that centering and

464
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,080
Speaker 1: protecting the players and fans is still got to be

465
00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,639
Speaker 1: a priority, even in those moments of potential revenue lost.

466
00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,400
Speaker 8: Yeah. Yeah, I call it the both and and.

467
00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:10,760
Speaker 9: Both have to be prioritized. What I have said, sort

468
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,119
Speaker 9: of similarly to the Savvy King situation, was that I

469
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,200
Speaker 9: know we can do better, and we will do better,

470
00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 9: and the experience of the players and the technical staff

471
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,760
Speaker 9: and the fans who were in that building that day

472
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,679
Speaker 9: is below our standards, and we will do everything we

473
00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,080
Speaker 9: can to make sure that we do not have that

474
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,360
Speaker 9: situation again. We got to the right result ultimately where

475
00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 9: the game did not ultimately get played when it was scheduled,

476
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:43,240
Speaker 9: and so I think as we go forward, we in

477
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,320
Speaker 9: this off season in particular, we're reviewing all of our

478
00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:51,840
Speaker 9: protocols and our policies, particularly around game operations and communication flow,

479
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,439
Speaker 9: to make sure that we are best positioned to be

480
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,959
Speaker 9: able to surface the decisions in the right way and

481
00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:00,440
Speaker 9: ensure that we have the appropriate inputs to make those

482
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:01,560
Speaker 9: decisions in real time.

483
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,520
Speaker 1: Is it in the CBA or any sort of policy

484
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,840
Speaker 1: the right to find teams in that instance, and is

485
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:08,520
Speaker 1: that why there was a thread of that, and is

486
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,080
Speaker 1: that something that you've renegotiated or reworded.

487
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:16,520
Speaker 9: Well, our league and every professional sports league has brought

488
00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,600
Speaker 9: authority to find teams for anything that's deemed to be

489
00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,960
Speaker 9: not in the best interests of the league. I think

490
00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,680
Speaker 9: the situation we definitely learned from, and I think most

491
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,879
Speaker 9: importantly to make sure that we're getting the right information

492
00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,159
Speaker 9: passed to the league so that we can make the

493
00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,879
Speaker 9: right decision and communicate the right direction at the right times.

494
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,720
Speaker 1: We all learned a lot about the I can't remember

495
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,240
Speaker 1: the name of it, the like heat drop, wet bulb,

496
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:47,920
Speaker 1: wet bulb, thank you well, learned a lot about the.

497
00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:50,800
Speaker 8: Wet wge, wet bowlb.

498
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,399
Speaker 1: Yes, again, I have a lot of empathy for dealing

499
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,080
Speaker 1: with these situations in the moment and learning from them

500
00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 1: is the most important thing. But of course, as this

501
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,040
Speaker 1: league continues to grow and further professionalize, some of these

502
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,840
Speaker 1: potential things are hopefully the kind of thing that are

503
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,239
Speaker 1: discussed in advance so when the moment happens and in

504
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,639
Speaker 1: the moment, those decisions can be made immediately.

505
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:14,560
Speaker 2: You know, we talk a lot the last.

506
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 1: Couple days, especially about NWSL players going abroad in light

507
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,200
Speaker 1: of Trinity Rodman and conversations around the salary cap. You know,

508
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,639
Speaker 1: Naomi German, Alyssa Thompson and many others leaving, lots coming

509
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,160
Speaker 1: as well, and a lot of people are not talking

510
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,679
Speaker 1: enough about the many international players choosing to come play

511
00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,119
Speaker 1: in the NWSL. But the salary cap is of course

512
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,800
Speaker 1: part of the decision making going forward, and the league

513
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,680
Speaker 1: and the PA reached a new agreement last year to

514
00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:41,160
Speaker 1: give players more benefits and autonomy, but with the salary cap,

515
00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:44,000
Speaker 1: they just can't compete with some of the multimillion dollar

516
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,879
Speaker 1: offers coming from the European clubs. I loved what you

517
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:51,760
Speaker 1: said in the presser about how the NWSL offers more competition,

518
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,160
Speaker 1: a better level of competition across every single team than

519
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,160
Speaker 1: the other leagues. Do you think that's enough to compete

520
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,760
Speaker 1: with the massive salaries that are being offered by other places.

521
00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,120
Speaker 9: Well, first, as long as we named the players who left,

522
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,280
Speaker 9: I'll have named some of the players who came, because

523
00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,960
Speaker 9: a lot of those players are Ballandor finalists and they

524
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:15,480
Speaker 9: are some of the best players in the world.

525
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:16,480
Speaker 8: We look at Jackie.

526
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,720
Speaker 9: Ovalle from Mexico, who could have gone anywhere and she

527
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,160
Speaker 9: chose to come to Orlando. We look at Sophia Cantorri,

528
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:24,920
Speaker 9: who is the first player to come from Italy and

529
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,399
Speaker 9: also was a Ballandor nominee, and she chose to play

530
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:29,480
Speaker 9: for the Washington Spirit.

531
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,240
Speaker 8: Me official has come home. There's a lot of great stories.

532
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:40,280
Speaker 9: Aster Gonzalez, Yes, Barbara Tamwa, so many players have chosen

533
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,880
Speaker 9: to come here and stay here, and we've seen reports

534
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,960
Speaker 9: literally every day in the last week or two of

535
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,520
Speaker 9: players signing long term extensions. Olivia Moultriz just signed a

536
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,240
Speaker 9: long term extension. I believe Jalen Howell will just sound

537
00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:56,520
Speaker 9: signed a long term extension.

538
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:57,240
Speaker 8: Jaden Shaw.

539
00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,200
Speaker 9: We we have lots to sell celebrate in this league,

540
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,000
Speaker 9: and it's very easy to focus on the ones we're

541
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,119
Speaker 9: losing and not also focus on the ones who are coming.

542
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,800
Speaker 9: So I just have to say that because we are

543
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,040
Speaker 9: very proud of sort of how we've netted out in

544
00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,320
Speaker 9: the transfer market, and we do believe that the league

545
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,000
Speaker 9: is a place where top players have chosen to play

546
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,040
Speaker 9: and will continue to choose to play. Yeah, as I

547
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,159
Speaker 9: said in the press conference, but just to reiterate, we

548
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,680
Speaker 9: really do believe that players are sophisticated, and of course

549
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,359
Speaker 9: they will look at compensation as a factor, and it

550
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,560
Speaker 9: is not the only factor that they care about. And

551
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,600
Speaker 9: I know this because I spend countless days sitting in

552
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,840
Speaker 9: person with the players in our league, going market to

553
00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:43,119
Speaker 9: market and understanding why they are here, what they expect

554
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,879
Speaker 9: from us, and where we can be better, and the

555
00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,040
Speaker 9: things that I hear from them in particular from players

556
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,359
Speaker 9: who have played all around the world or who come

557
00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,280
Speaker 9: from national teams from around the world. I think of

558
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,399
Speaker 9: players like Sme Morgan or Jess Carter and Katrin Berger,

559
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,239
Speaker 9: and what they tell, what I hear from players from

560
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 9: all around the world consistently and agents, is that what

561
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,680
Speaker 9: the NWSL has to offer end to end, top to bottom,

562
00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:10,879
Speaker 9: there is no place in the world that is like

563
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,280
Speaker 9: it or can compete with it. They know that no

564
00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 9: matter what team they're playing at in the NWSL, they

565
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,920
Speaker 9: will get a professional training environment, they will get appropriate

566
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,639
Speaker 9: level staffing, that we have minimum standards in place for

567
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,560
Speaker 9: our CBA, that consistently our teams play in full buildings,

568
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,000
Speaker 9: and that that those are the component parts that make

569
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,320
Speaker 9: them the athletes that can go and compete at the

570
00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,720
Speaker 9: highest level, whether it's for club or country.

571
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:39,400
Speaker 8: And that's worth a lot.

572
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, And it does feel like the league will continue

573
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,160
Speaker 1: and has continued to raise a salary cap and continuing

574
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,040
Speaker 1: to recognize revenue coming in versus money that can be spent.

575
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,680
Speaker 2: And I imagine if the problem gets worse.

576
00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:55,280
Speaker 1: You will have to take action and that's all you

577
00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:55,600
Speaker 1: can do.

578
00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:57,360
Speaker 2: Can you clarify what you were talking about?

579
00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:58,880
Speaker 1: In the pressure when you said you're the only league

580
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:00,640
Speaker 1: that pays players for perform ormance. I think a lot

581
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,480
Speaker 1: of people don't know that in the NWSL, the league

582
00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,320
Speaker 1: pays players, not the teams. It's a unique structure. But

583
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,200
Speaker 1: is that just bonuses or something.

584
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 9: So if you look last night at all of our

585
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:14,640
Speaker 9: awards in the NWSL, which you know, again multiple people

586
00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,240
Speaker 9: said to me last night felt like the ballandor which

587
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:22,640
Speaker 9: is obviously a private awards ceremony that is not specific

588
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,440
Speaker 9: to a particular league. This is the NWSL awards, and

589
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:29,360
Speaker 9: we reward players for top performance at the league level.

590
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,920
Speaker 9: That is separate from the fact that technically, yes, you

591
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,360
Speaker 9: are correct that all of the players in the NWSL

592
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 9: are employees of the league and they are assigned or

593
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 9: actually play for their clubs. But what I meant by

594
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:48,640
Speaker 9: that is that when we have performance bonuses at the

595
00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,760
Speaker 9: league level, that's in addition to what our teams pay,

596
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,560
Speaker 9: and we look at that as part of the compensation

597
00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,240
Speaker 9: package because it is non traditional and I always say

598
00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,320
Speaker 9: that when you look at any of our teams in

599
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,000
Speaker 9: the NWSL or the nwslso collective as compared to any

600
00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,120
Speaker 9: other teams that might be competing for top talent. It's

601
00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,280
Speaker 9: like apples and cucumbers, Like these are not the same things,

602
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 9: because our structure is different, because the way that we

603
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 9: think about the collective is different, because the way our

604
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,000
Speaker 9: teams come together from a business side is different.

605
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:22,200
Speaker 8: There's just so many.

606
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,920
Speaker 9: Unique elements about the way we operate, our relationship with

607
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,440
Speaker 9: the union, and the way we think about minimum standards

608
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:32,600
Speaker 9: is different. And so for all of those reasons, we

609
00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,520
Speaker 9: really think that our unique value proposition should and does

610
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,920
Speaker 9: put us in a position to compete for top talent.

611
00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,680
Speaker 1: A couple more questions. I know you're busy, lady. A

612
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,200
Speaker 1: few weeks ago, a player on Angel City wrote an

613
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,480
Speaker 1: op ed calling for a league wide gender policy with

614
00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,240
Speaker 1: specific demands on how to determine eligibility. You said then

615
00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,040
Speaker 1: and repeated today, Our policy is our practice. I just

616
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:53,920
Speaker 1: wonder if you worry about how not having an actual

617
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,400
Speaker 1: policy leaves you open both top eds like that, but

618
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,120
Speaker 1: also potential complications if you're essentially working on a case

619
00:30:59,120 --> 00:30:59,920
Speaker 1: by case basis.

620
00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,760
Speaker 9: I think working on a case by case basis gives

621
00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,880
Speaker 9: us the flexibility to be able to understand and know

622
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,800
Speaker 9: not just the specific circumstances of any particular situation, but

623
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,360
Speaker 9: also what's going on in real time, and when you

624
00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,240
Speaker 9: have a practice, it is a reference point, just like

625
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,920
Speaker 9: a policy, but it gives us the opportunity to make

626
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,280
Speaker 9: sure that we have the ability to consult with subject

627
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:30,120
Speaker 9: matter experts and understand the very complex nuances that exist

628
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,080
Speaker 9: in any given situation, and given how quickly this landscape

629
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 9: is changing, that is what we think is in the

630
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,760
Speaker 9: best interests of the NWSL and any changes we want

631
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 9: to make to our current practice we have and will

632
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,560
Speaker 9: work with our players in the union on that.

633
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,920
Speaker 1: And it allows a little more fluidity, flexibility, and agility

634
00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,200
Speaker 1: if it isn't a policy as much as it is

635
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,760
Speaker 1: a practice, because then as things change, or science changes,

636
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,280
Speaker 1: or things get updated, you're able to react in kind.

637
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,480
Speaker 1: I wonder if there's a concern at all at putting

638
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,000
Speaker 1: it in writing, because it opens you up to attention

639
00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,400
Speaker 1: or criticism that in this current time could mean financial hits,

640
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,760
Speaker 1: bad publicity at literally the highest level of government administration,

641
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,680
Speaker 1: and other things that might drastically impact the league. Because

642
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,080
Speaker 1: I think even the most progressive people recognize that in

643
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:19,240
Speaker 1: the current time there are people looking for policy and

644
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,560
Speaker 1: black and white proof of something that they want to

645
00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,600
Speaker 1: fight against. Do you think having it in black and

646
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,000
Speaker 1: white opens you up to things that you're worried about,

647
00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,760
Speaker 1: so you'd prefer to have it be a little more amorphous.

648
00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 9: Our decision is really based on the fact that we've

649
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,040
Speaker 9: continued to analyze it, and we think that we're in

650
00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,240
Speaker 9: a very strong position to be able to continue to

651
00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:45,959
Speaker 9: operate in real time based on the players who are

652
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,240
Speaker 9: already playing in our league and the players who we

653
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,760
Speaker 9: know are trying to play in our league, and that

654
00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 9: that puts us, our players, and the league overall from

655
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,600
Speaker 9: a business perspective, in the best situation to be successful.

656
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,520
Speaker 9: I think, most importantly in the thing that I want

657
00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,400
Speaker 9: to emphasize every time we're talking about this, it's the

658
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,000
Speaker 9: reason that I always start with this is that the

659
00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:08,640
Speaker 9: players who play in our league are eligible to play

660
00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:10,720
Speaker 9: in our league, right, and that the players who play

661
00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:10,960
Speaker 9: in our.

662
00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,000
Speaker 1: Life, but there's no policy for them to meet to

663
00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:13,760
Speaker 1: be eligible.

664
00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,400
Speaker 8: Well, your practice, it's our practice.

665
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:17,680
Speaker 2: I mean, it's sort of like.

666
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:21,080
Speaker 1: Circular logic semantics, which is why I'm wondering, if you

667
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:23,840
Speaker 1: are going back to that eligibility, why wouldn't you put

668
00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,040
Speaker 1: it into writing. But that's again why I asked if

669
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,880
Speaker 1: you worry about writing either cementing a position that you

670
00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 1: feel might change in the future, or you're worried about

671
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,240
Speaker 1: people's ability to look at that policy in writing and

672
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,600
Speaker 1: attack what has been a fairly inclusive policy so far.

673
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,920
Speaker 9: We're going to continue to operate with our values at

674
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,520
Speaker 9: the center of every decision we make, and we're really

675
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,840
Speaker 9: proud of the way that we've operationalized our practice, and

676
00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:50,720
Speaker 9: we don't really feel like there is more that we

677
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:52,800
Speaker 9: need to do at this time.

678
00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,720
Speaker 1: I'll say editorially, it feels like a fairly inclusive league

679
00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,160
Speaker 1: that thus far has been very open to intersex players

680
00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,040
Speaker 1: and other players. And so if that continues to be

681
00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:04,400
Speaker 1: the values you're trying to espouse without having to name

682
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:08,040
Speaker 1: them because of all those complications that I mentioned, go

683
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:11,560
Speaker 1: forth really quickly expansion. How do you make sure it's

684
00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,480
Speaker 1: not moving faster than talent interest, investment bandwidth, and how

685
00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,319
Speaker 1: do you make sure the partners that you're partnering with

686
00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,320
Speaker 1: are connected enough to women women's sports and the culture

687
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,839
Speaker 1: of the NWSL as opposed to just the money opportunity

688
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,480
Speaker 1: that you don't roll yourselves into a return to some

689
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,400
Speaker 1: of the problems that the league faced.

690
00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:29,160
Speaker 2: In the past.

691
00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:35,080
Speaker 9: It's a great question well as it relates to ensuring

692
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,879
Speaker 9: that we are prepared for the expansion. That is when

693
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:41,040
Speaker 9: you asked me the earlier question about what we're focused on,

694
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:42,200
Speaker 9: and I talked about.

695
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:43,520
Speaker 8: Future proofing the league.

696
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,240
Speaker 9: It really is about making sure that we have strategies

697
00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,879
Speaker 9: for being able to prioritize the path to pro and

698
00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,400
Speaker 9: investing in domestic talent. We know that this country is

699
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,800
Speaker 9: sitting on a hotbed of women and girls who play

700
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,520
Speaker 9: this incredible sport, and that if if we could play

701
00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:04,680
Speaker 9: more of a role in developing and cultivating that talent,

702
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,160
Speaker 9: that there is an endless supply of top talent in

703
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,400
Speaker 9: this country, and that is something that we're going to

704
00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:15,799
Speaker 9: work on collaboratively and in partnership with US Soccer, And

705
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,160
Speaker 9: so that is happening in real time and will continue

706
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:24,759
Speaker 9: to be a priority. When we think about expansion and

707
00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:29,080
Speaker 9: the owners around our league, there is no question that

708
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:32,440
Speaker 9: that is a top priority for us and our board.

709
00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,239
Speaker 9: When we're meeting with potential owners, we talk to them

710
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:38,520
Speaker 9: about why they're there, what they care about, how they

711
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,800
Speaker 9: see this in the long term, and what their values are.

712
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,520
Speaker 9: Why are they interested in owning a professional women's soccer team,

713
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,520
Speaker 9: and it is absolutely part of the equation and the

714
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,640
Speaker 9: consideration for determining when and how we award a team.

715
00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:55,880
Speaker 1: You mentioned the advisory board was a brainchild of yours.

716
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,399
Speaker 1: What are they advising on and did every team get

717
00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:00,840
Speaker 1: an opportunity to have or upperative because not all the

718
00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:01,800
Speaker 1: teams are represented.

719
00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,200
Speaker 9: Yeah, every team has an opportunity to be represented up

720
00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:09,920
Speaker 9: to two per team, and for the teams that are

721
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,600
Speaker 9: not represented, we will work with them to determine whether

722
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,000
Speaker 9: there are opportunities to either bring in new investors who

723
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,920
Speaker 9: we think add value to the advisory board or who

724
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,640
Speaker 9: are already on their cap table. This is sort of

725
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,480
Speaker 9: who we were able to get in the sort of

726
00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,719
Speaker 9: preliminary launch of this advisory board and what they're going

727
00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,960
Speaker 9: to advise on is, at least from my perspective, the

728
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 9: growth of the league. We want to bring them under

729
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:37,200
Speaker 9: the hood and give them an opportunity to literally review

730
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,840
Speaker 9: our strategic business plan. We want to take them through

731
00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,000
Speaker 9: the things that we're doing to grow the league from

732
00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:46,799
Speaker 9: a media, marketing and promotional perspective. Many of them are

733
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,920
Speaker 9: subject matter experts in content, in social media, in entertainment,

734
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,520
Speaker 9: and we think that they're going to have great ideas

735
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:55,440
Speaker 9: to help us be better, and we want to give

736
00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,399
Speaker 9: them a seat at the table, which we know has

737
00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:01,000
Speaker 9: never been done before in professional sports. So we think

738
00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,719
Speaker 9: that relationship is going to be really important in the

739
00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,319
Speaker 9: short term and directly we're going to get feedback. But

740
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,440
Speaker 9: I think indirectly and more long term, I know and

741
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,400
Speaker 9: believe that when you bring people along on the journey,

742
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,799
Speaker 9: you create evangelists. These are people who are now going

743
00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:17,800
Speaker 9: to feel like they are part of what we are building.

744
00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,640
Speaker 9: They're going to see their fingerprints on the league because

745
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,680
Speaker 9: guess what, when they come to the table with an

746
00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:26,440
Speaker 9: idea and we work together on implementing it, they're going

747
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:30,200
Speaker 9: to become loud supporters of the NWS.

748
00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,920
Speaker 8: Especially if you use their idea yeah, and give them

749
00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:33,640
Speaker 8: credit for it.

750
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:34,960
Speaker 1: It's true though, I mean, I think for a long

751
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,880
Speaker 1: time we are fighting this battle of just not poisoning

752
00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,080
Speaker 1: the well of women's sports as it not being cool,

753
00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:42,279
Speaker 1: and now that it is shifted over to like an

754
00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,440
Speaker 1: endless number of celebrities want to be involved. You can

755
00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:46,160
Speaker 1: roll your eyes in it, or you can say, hey,

756
00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:49,040
Speaker 1: let's take advantage of the millions of followers they have

757
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,400
Speaker 1: the influence they have, the spaces that they're in, and

758
00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,879
Speaker 1: the way that they can bring the ideas that they're

759
00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:55,960
Speaker 1: talking about and their support for the league into those

760
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,680
Speaker 1: spaces and continue to make it more international, more global,

761
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,479
Speaker 1: all day other stuff which I love. Okay, last question

762
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,840
Speaker 1: for you. Next year we got Boston and Denver joining

763
00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:08,640
Speaker 1: the league. Where does Jessica Berman go first or what

764
00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,279
Speaker 1: does she eat first? In each of those places? If

765
00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:12,839
Speaker 1: you're going there for a game, what's the first place

766
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:13,400
Speaker 1: you're stopping?

767
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:18,960
Speaker 9: Ooh, well, I have to say that I love New England.

768
00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,080
Speaker 9: My husband is from the Cape, so when we go

769
00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,960
Speaker 9: to the game, we'll probably do a swing around Falmouth

770
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,319
Speaker 9: where he was born and raised, which we often do

771
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,239
Speaker 9: when we visit Boston. And I'm so excited for them

772
00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:34,440
Speaker 9: to open their season at Gillette. I know and believe

773
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,200
Speaker 9: between that and Empower Field for Denver, one or both

774
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:39,920
Speaker 9: of them are going to break the record that we

775
00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:42,200
Speaker 9: set here, So it's going to be amazing. When I

776
00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,800
Speaker 9: go to Denver, I have to say, my first stop

777
00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:52,160
Speaker 9: is this amazing boutique that has secondhand clothes that I

778
00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:54,279
Speaker 9: visit every single time I go to Denver.

779
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:55,360
Speaker 8: It's called Vintage Label.

780
00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,400
Speaker 9: And I'm obsessed with her clothes, and she hand picks

781
00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,840
Speaker 9: and curates all of these sort of like antique pieces.

782
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:04,640
Speaker 8: Yeah, and every time I go there, it is my

783
00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:05,400
Speaker 8: first stop.

784
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:08,360
Speaker 9: And I love her and she has been on the

785
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:11,960
Speaker 9: journey of the NWSL coming to Denver because I found

786
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:13,759
Speaker 9: her store when we did our first sight visit. And

787
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:15,680
Speaker 9: every time I go it is a cross the street

788
00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:20,120
Speaker 9: from Union Station. I stop by and I make sure

789
00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:23,520
Speaker 9: that I go home with some new item from her collection.

790
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,440
Speaker 1: We love a commissioner who doesn't keep those fines.

791
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:27,640
Speaker 8: We appreciate it.

792
00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:29,040
Speaker 2: Jess Thanks so much for the time.

793
00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:30,040
Speaker 8: Thank you so much.

794
00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:34,960
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Jessica for sitting down with me. I

795
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:37,000
Speaker 1: just want to add that before we spoke, Jessica held

796
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:39,279
Speaker 1: a press conference addressing the league's biggest issues, and there

797
00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:41,040
Speaker 1: are a couple of takeaways worth mentioning that I didn't

798
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,640
Speaker 1: ask her about because she had already covered it. Regarding

799
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:46,440
Speaker 1: potentially upping the salary cap to compete for top talent,

800
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,239
Speaker 1: Berman said, quote, we do not believe that the NWSL

801
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,440
Speaker 1: is a charity. We believe it is a business, and

802
00:39:51,480 --> 00:39:53,319
Speaker 1: in order to treat it like a business, it means

803
00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:55,279
Speaker 1: that the amount our teams are investing, has to have

804
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,880
Speaker 1: a rational relationship to revenue end quote. She also reminded

805
00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,279
Speaker 1: folks that the cap has quadrupled in the last four years.

806
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,080
Speaker 1: Verman also said that the MLS deciding to move their

807
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:08,360
Speaker 1: calendar to align with Europe's top leagues has the soccer

808
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,239
Speaker 1: ecosystem quote on notice, but that the NWSL has no

809
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:15,280
Speaker 1: current plans to change from their January to November season.

810
00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:17,239
Speaker 1: She said a whole bunch more so we'll link to

811
00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:18,920
Speaker 1: her full presser in the show notes if you want

812
00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:20,960
Speaker 1: to watch it all right, got to take another break

813
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,760
Speaker 1: when we come back. They did it their way.

814
00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:29,320
Speaker 2: Welcome back, slices.

815
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:30,880
Speaker 1: We love that you're listening, but we want you to

816
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,560
Speaker 1: get in the game every day too, So here's our

817
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:34,600
Speaker 1: good game play of the day. If you want to

818
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 1: see some of the fun behind the scenes from this

819
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:38,920
Speaker 1: weekend and put some visuals to all the stories I

820
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,879
Speaker 1: just told, check out my instagram Spain two three two

821
00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:45,760
Speaker 1: three and my TikTok Spain dot Sarah for fun picks

822
00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:48,240
Speaker 1: and videos from the party's end the game. We always

823
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,000
Speaker 1: love to hear from you, so hit us up on email.

824
00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,680
Speaker 1: Good game at Wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a

825
00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:55,720
Speaker 1: voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy

826
00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:57,560
Speaker 1: and don't forget to subscribe.

827
00:40:57,800 --> 00:40:59,160
Speaker 2: Rate and Review slices.

828
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,520
Speaker 1: It's really watch seeing Rose Levell and her dad singing

829
00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:05,640
Speaker 1: My Way at the Gotham after party.

830
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:07,439
Speaker 2: Rating one of one.

831
00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:12,000
Speaker 1: Wholesome family moment review, no doubt about it. Rose Levell

832
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,759
Speaker 1: and her family have their party PhDs, from the shotsky

833
00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,440
Speaker 1: Mom and popol Lavell did before the game, to the

834
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,800
Speaker 1: pocket fireball pulled out during the game to Rose dancing

835
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,120
Speaker 1: on a pool table at the victory party. They know

836
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,040
Speaker 1: how to celebrate, so it was no surprise when Rose

837
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,960
Speaker 1: and her dad ended up in the DJ booth crooning

838
00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:34,080
Speaker 1: Sinatra's My Way to adoring teammates, Gotham staff and friends

839
00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:54,880
Speaker 1: on the dance floor below. Okay, so maybe not exactly crooning.

840
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:58,000
Speaker 1: Now it's your turn, y'all, Rate and Review, thanks for listening,

841
00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:00,439
Speaker 1: See you tomorrow. Good game, GOTMFC.

842
00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:01,520
Speaker 2: Good game.

843
00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:03,640
Speaker 1: All you slices that came up and said hi over

844
00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,959
Speaker 1: the weekend, it really made my day. You the sad

845
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,840
Speaker 1: basis of the Spirit players after a second year settling

846
00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:10,520
Speaker 1: for runner up.

847
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:12,800
Speaker 2: I know that's just sports, but I Don't.

848
00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:13,160
Speaker 4: Have to Like It.

849
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:20,720
Speaker 1: Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports

850
00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:23,920
Speaker 1: production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You

851
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:26,680
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852
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Speaker 2: Wherever you get your podcasts.

853
00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,560
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854
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,680
Speaker 1: Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers

855
00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:39,080
Speaker 1: are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.

856
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,760
Speaker 1: Our editors are Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.

857
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:46,640
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858
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