In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, Kaari Peterson kicks off the college basketball season by zooming in on the fast‑rising Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball team—after a rare down year they’re back baby! 10 experienced returners, three freshmen five‑star recruits, and one collective goal:  a winning season.

Then Kaari dives into a Listener's Question about the WNBA and free‑agency: What does it mean to be a restricted versus unrestricted free agent? Why do so many players have free agent status right now? And how will this affect WNBA team rosters for 2026?

There's also an update on the latest with the WNBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The November 30th deadline looms with proposals on the table including a million-dollar max salary, and a higher salary floor. Are we getting closer to a deal?

And finally, a compelling conversation with Dan Rosensweig—tech CEO turned women’s sports investor. No spreadsheets. No old‑school ROI talk. Instead, a story of meeting Stanford athletes, recognizing gender-based disparities, and seizing an opportunity to invest not only in a league—but in real change.

Then it’s time for the awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater Award: A high‑school girls’ team in Oklahoma that chose integrity over a trophy.

❌ Airball Award: “Project B”—a new global women’s pro league launching in 2026 (hello, placeholder name?).

🚨 Flagrant Foul Award: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, for missing the point when it comes to players asking for a stake in their own league’s future.

Yep — all of this goodness is in one little episode!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, Kaari goes inside the WNBA to unpack one of the sport’s most misunderstood concepts: freedom of movement. What does it actually mean, and why does it matter so much for players — especially in a league that’s becoming more physical by the game? Kaari breaks it down in plain terms.

Freedom of Movement runs right into one of the biggest headlines in the WNBA: the growing feud between Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. What started as a conversation about player treatment and transparency has turned into a public power struggle that raises big questions about leadership, player's voices, and what it means to grow the league responsibly.

Then, in this week’s Awards Segment:

• 🏆 Buzzer Beater Award: A’ja Wilson continues to set the standard — and she's just getting started. 
• ❌ Airball Award: Cathy Engelbert again… this time for announcing Chicago as the 2026 WNBA All-Star host city, leaving fans scratching their heads.
• 🚨 Flagrant Foul Award: The new WNBA franchise, the Portland Fire, for hiring a head coach with zero experience in women’s or girl's basketball — ZERO.

It’s an episode about freedom, friction, and the future of the WNBA — where every whistle, headline, and hiring decision tells a deeper story about the game and the women who shape it.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

What happens when the Golden State Valkyries take their playoff run to San Jose? Kaari shares her first-hand experience of Ballhalla at the SAP Center, the heartbreak of a last-second loss to the Minnesota Lynx, and the unforgettable moment that showed what this team is really about.

This week’s listener question (straight from Tampa, Florida!) unpacks how WNBA teams decide which uniforms they'll wear for games — spoiler: the league’s got more control than you might think.

Kaari also dives into the WNBA’s offseason, including the tough realities of players heading overseas right after playoffs, and why Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier launched the Unrivaled League.

And of course, Kaari has awards to share:

🏀 Buzzer Beater → The StudBudz (Courtney Williams & Natisha Hiedeman) bringing pink-haired chaos and authenticity to the pages of Vogue.

🏀 Airball → Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s name-butchering blunder.

🏀 Flagrant Foul → Whoever killed the lights at the very end of a playoff game in Vegas (seriously, what was that?).

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

The Golden State Valkyries just made history as the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs — and they did it in style. But while the Valkyries are soaring,  injuries in the WNBA are piling up. So Kaari's digging into the whys and what’s next regarding the league’s injury crisis.

This week’s Listener Question takes us court side: how do teams decide which basket to shoot at in the first and second halves? (Spoiler: there’s more strategy to it than you’d think.)

And of course, it wouldn’t be Her Game Her Voice without the awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater: Valkyries Guard Veronica Burton earns her flowers as the WNBA's Most Improved Player.

❌ Airball: WNBA broadcast graphics and timing — because seriously — we want to see the game.

🚫 Flagrant Foul: Atlanta Dream’s shiny black court somehow manages to disappear players and confuse viewers at the same time.

Kaari's got big wins, big injuries, and big misses — all in one little episode!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

The Golden State Valkyries just cracked open a surprise — literally. Outside Chase Center, a giant violet egg hatched their brand-new mascot:  Violet the Raven. Host Kaari Peterson breaks down Violet's egg-cellent debut and the Norse mythology behind “Ballhalla.”

Next up, it’s tech time: The WNBA’s partnership with Second Spectrum is bringing full-court optical tracking and mind-bending analytics to the league. From sharper coaching to smarter storytelling, Kaari dives into how data is reshaping the game.

And we can't forget — this week’s awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater: Sue Bird gets immortalized in bronze

❌ Airball: An all-male officiating crew in a WNBA game (seriously?)

🚫 Flagrant Foul: The bizarre wave of sex-toy tossing on W courts

Hit play, and let’s talk mascots, mythology and motion capture.

—

🔗 Follow me on IG: @hergamehervoice

💌 Send a question for a future episode: [email protected]

🎧 Rate & review to help more fans find the show!

#WNBA #HerGameHerVoice #GSValkyries #WomensBasketball #Ballhalla

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

From buzzer beaters to busted myths, this episode of Her Game Her Voice brings the heat. Host Kaari Peterson kicks things off with a Golden State Valkyries update — including key injuries, road trip fatigue, and what’s ahead for the WNBA’s newest franchise.

Then it’s time to mythbust: What does revenue sharing actually look like in the W? Why does revenue sharing matter? Kaari separates fact from fiction, and dives into some of the most persistent misconceptions about the WNBA.

And finally — this week’s award winners:

🏀 Buzzer Beater: Paige Bueckers’ custom Gatorade flavor, inspired by her favorite drink — the Shirley Temple

🏀 Airball: The NCAA March Madness Committee (yes, still)

🏀 Flagrant Foul: WNBA leadership and ownership for dragging their feet on league-wide charter flights

Hit play, and let’s get hoopin'!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

Hey Hoop Heads — I’m back with a fully loaded All-Star edition of Her Game Her Voice and I’ve got a lot to share including:

🏀 A break down the highs, lows, and the "meh" of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis

📣 A fantastic listener question about the WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (spoiler: it’s a BIG DEAL)

👕 Thoughts about the players’ bold “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts

💬 And of course, the Awards are back including:

• An Airball for ESPN Analyst Elle Duncan’s Cancun comment… it was wild
• A Flagrant Foul for All-Star Kelsey Plum’s “not to tattletale” press conference statement

Plus, shoutout to the STUDBUDZ for giving us the best All-Star weekend content (Napheesa Collier agrees with me on this.) 🐶✨

—

🔗 Follow me on IG: @hergamehervoice

💌 Send a question for a future episode: [email protected]

🎧 Rate & review to help more fans find the show!

#WNBA #AllStar2025 #HerGameHerVoice #WNBPA #CBA #WomensBasketball

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

Guess what? The Indiana Fever came to Ballhalla… and left with an L.

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, host Kaari Peterson breaks down the Golden State Valkyries’ electric win over the Fever, the escalating physicality in the WNBA (hello, Fever vs. Sun skirmish), and what the Commissioner’s Cup prize money really looks like for players. Spoiler: crypto’s involved.

Plus, we head back to the classroom with Coach Tara VanDerveer for a masterclass in officiating from legendary ref Violet Palmer — and Kaari tries to make a charge/block call in real time (it does not go well).

Stick around for the buzzer beater, airball, and flagrant foul awards:

Who’s the most valuable WNBA franchise now?

Who needs a serious lesson about merch and branding?

Who's in foul trouble? Again...

It’s big stories, little episodes, and a whole lot of love for women’s hoops.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

This week on Her Game Her Voice, host Kaari Peterson brings the heat with the latest from the Golden State Valkyries, including a dominant win over the Aces and the signing of MSU Spartan alum Aerial Powers. Listener Pillar from Michigan asks: “What is a WNBA hardship contract?” — and Kaari breaks it down.

Also in this episode: a hard look at the WNBA’s shocking pay gap, with insights from Nobel Prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin. Plus, the HGHV Awards return with Rookie of the Month Kiki Iriafen’s monster debut and a Flagrant Foul for Brittney Griner’s sideline outburst that sparked a viral controversy.

As always, it’s fast-paced, unfiltered, and all about the women who shape the game.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, we’re diving into:

🏀 How the Golden State Valkyries’ rookies are settling in

📍 Where Princeton’s Kaitlyn Chen is now (hint: she’s not done dazzling us)

🎤 Tara VanDerveer’s thoughts on building a pipeline for women coaches

💡 A listener question on the WNBA 3-point line (and what it says about the women’s game)

🎖 Plus, the Awards return with this week’s:

• Buzzer Beater: A coaching win that deserves a mic drop
• Airball: Lopsided local coverage (aka no love for the Valkyries)
• Flagrant Foul: The refs are getting side-eyed

It’s hoops, history, and a little humor—because women’s basketball deserves all three!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson