Welcome to the Party

What’s harder than winning a World Cup? According to Ali Krieger,competing on The Amazing Race.

Ali and longtime friend and former teammate Joanna Lohman join Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to go behind the scenes of their reality TV adventure—from airport chaos and sleepless nights to sprinting through Madrid carrying a leg of ham. They reveal how their soccer careers prepared them for the pressure, why Ali needed a reminder to make friends, and what it means to represent women’s sports and the queer community on a whole new stage. Plus, the unexpected joy of giving up their phones—and which sports legends they’d pick as their dream race partners.

Also joining the party: 79-year-old golfer Donna Warner, who just won her 35th club championship, more than 50 years after her first. She shares what keeps her competitive, why she still walks the course, and the ultimate perk of winning: a reserved parking spot.

New challenges, same competitive fire. These women are nowhere near done.

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Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman are racing around the world, and yes, we are fully invested. Catch up on Season 39 of The Amazing Race on Paramount+ and follow along as Ali and Jo take on the race: https://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/

If you missed our conversation with Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole, go back and listen. Jesse talks about building Banana Ball around joy, community, belonging and putting the fan first: https://www.youtube.com/@WelcomeToThePartyShow

USWNT gets another shot at Spain. The U.S. faces the reigning World Cup champions again Tuesday, October 13 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT: https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/uswnt

Meet Donna Warner, the 79-year-old golf legend the internet just discovered. She has won 35 club championships at Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club, with her first title coming more than 50 years ago. Here’s the post that sent golf fans down the Donna Warner rabbit hole: https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/1vpigkt/was_visiting_my_familys_new_club_but_discovered/

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In Part 1, we invited you to slow down, ask questions and listen longer. In Part 2 of this special three-part series, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King continue that conversation with Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, authors of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, taking a closer look at what fairness means—and how policies meant to define it affect real people.

Together, they explore the distinctions between transgender and intersex athletes, the scrutiny placed on women’s bodies and the consequences of exclusion at every level of sport. Abby gets candid about her own evolving perspective, including a moment on the sidelines of her daughter’s cross-country team that prompted questions about fairness, friendship and belonging.

From elite competition and sex testing to the joy of simply playing alongside your teammates, this conversation builds on Part 1 with a question at its heart: How do we protect opportunity in women’s sports while honoring the humanity of everyone who wants to play?

Wherever you’re coming from, there’s room to keep listening, keep learning and stay in the conversation.

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If you want to learn more or go deeper on some of the things we discussed today, here are a few resources we recommend:

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Coach Jackie came for the party and immediately put Abby and Julie’s vibes under review in a classic “Are They Gay or Are They Just Podcast Hosts”. The women’s sports creator joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to talk about turning fandom into a career, using humor to tackle serious issues, and why standing up for trans inclusion meant sending a very scary text to her childhood hero: Abby.

Plus, Jackie shares the story behind her new podcast, Is She Game?, working with the Obamas’ Higher Ground, and landing Billie Jean King as her first guest. Naturally, there’s also a WNBA-meets-Love Island detour.

Before Jackie joins, Abby and Julie check their WNBA playoff brackets, break down the NWSL playoff scramble, preview the USWNT’s showdown with Spain, and ask why college athletes are logging so many miles just to play.

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What happens when you build a sports business around the fans instead of the bottom line?

Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to break down how a struggling baseball team became Banana Ball — a phenomenon selling out major stadiums while refusing to play by the traditional rules of sports business.

Jesse shares why he’s committed to keeping tickets affordable, how a “Fans First” philosophy shapes everything from player contracts to the upper deck experience, and why he believes long-term trust matters more than short-term profit. He also takes Abby and Julie inside the evolution of Banana Ball, the upcoming first-ever Banana Bowl, and the joy, accessibility, and community he believes sports can never afford to lose.

Plus, the three explore what women’s sports can learn from the Bananas as the industry grows: how to scale without losing the culture that made people fall in love with it in the first place.

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Our October charity is Thriving Pink. A portion of proceeds from Welcome to the Party merch this month will support Thriving Pink and its work providing financial assistance, support groups, wellness programs and resources for people navigating breast cancer: https://www.thrivingpink.org/ and https://welcometotheparty.voila.store/

Women’s sports are booming, but the full pipeline tells a more complicated story. The new WSF Sport Report 2026 looks at girls and women in sports from youth participation through college and the pros, including access, belonging and the future of Title IX. Julie promised we’d link the full study: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wsf-sport-report/

Okay, so how exactly does Banana Ball work? Two-hour games, no walks, fans catching foul balls for outs and a whole different scoring system. Get all 11 rules here: https://help.bananaball.com/article-categories/banana-ball-rules

Want to actually get to a Banana Ball game? Jesse explained why they use a ticket lottery and built their own Fans First Marketplace to keep resale tickets at face value and away from scalpers: https://help.bananaball.com/knowledge-base/how-to-get-tickets-the-lottery-interest-list/

Thank you to our sponsors:

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The party hits the tread! Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy join Peloton instructor Kirsten Ferguson, aka Queen K, for a 20-minute walk/run and their most heated Minute to Win It yet. Between intervals, Kirsten shares how she went from hating running to training for a marathon, why community keeps her moving, and how to tell when it’s time to push or recover.

First, Glennon Doyle joins the WNBA playoff bracket battle, where the last-place finisher has to wear the dreaded party-pooper hat. Then it’s back to the question Julie’s been chasing: can she finally beat Abby?

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Party People, come run with Queen K. Kirsten Ferguson put Julie and Abby through a 20-minute Walk + Run at Peloton Studios, complete with another Minute to Win It showdown. Find Kirsten’s Peloton classes here. https://www.onepeloton.com/instructors/Peloton_KF?

From A to Z: This Is Me! Kirsten wrote her new children’s book with her daughters, Eden and Emery, using affirmations to help girls build confidence and see themselves reflected on the page: https://www.pelobuddy.com/kirsten-ferguson-book/

September may be ending, but Zoe’s Goal keeps going. You can continue supporting Zoe Suder and the fight for more childhood cancer research funding anytime. https://zoesgoal.org/

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Olivia Babcock has won just about every individual honor in college volleyball. The one thing missing? A national championship.

After three straight Final Four heartbreaks for Pitt, the two-time AVCA National Player of the Year joins Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King to talk about what it takes to turn individual greatness into a team title. Olivia opens up about those losses, Pitt’s “want to” culture, how she builds her teammates’ confidence, and the “positive stress” of deciding what comes next.

Plus, Glennon Doyle calls in to fact-check Julie on Abby’s snoring, and Abby and Julie share the new home of their San Francisco Love volleyball team: the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

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Is Olivia Babcock the greatest athlete in Pitt history? That’s the question, and the case is pretty compelling: https://bandwagoners-guide-to-pitt-volleyball.ghost.io/is-olivia-babcock-the-greatest-athlete-in-pitt-history-guest-post/

Want to follow Olivia and Pitt’s chase for that national championship? Check out the Panthers’ full 2026 schedule and results: https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule

Keep up with Olivia off the court too. Follow her on Instagram at @oliviiaabab. 

San Francisco Signal has a home. The new pro volleyball team will play its inaugural season at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium: https://www.lovb.com/news/san-francisco-signal-inaugural-venue-bill-graham-civic-auditorium?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

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Basketball legend Rebecca Lobo joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to break down a landmark moment for the WNBA and explain why the league has officially arrived.

The Hall of Famer reacts to the WNBA’s historic new CBA, sizes up a wide-open playoff race and reveals which team she believes will win the championship. She also weighs in on Olivia Miles’ record-breaking rookie season, the crowded MVP conversation and who could lead the league following Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s departure.

Then, Rebecca takes us inside Apple TV’s The Dynasty: UConn Huskies. She shares why she chose UConn before it became a powerhouse, what it was really like to play for Geno Auriemma and how his relentless coaching helped turn her Olympic and championship dreams into reality.

Plus, Rebecca opens up about coaching her own kids, building a broadcasting career devoted entirely to women’s basketball and why she never needed to cover the men’s game to validate her work.

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What happens when a very fast cyclist decides men on Strava are taking themselves a little too seriously? Enter Laini Bones.

Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach sit down with the viral cyclist who went from a few hundred followers to more than 160K by stealing men’s King of the Mountain crowns, talking an outrageous amount of trash, and creating one of the funniest alter egos in sports. Lainey breaks down what it means to “get boned,” why some men absolutely do not get the joke, the difference between Lainey and her WWE-style “Bones” persona, and how she balances internet chaos with being a legitimately elite endurance athlete — and the CFO of a growing company.

She also opens up about her ambitions to race professionally, the realities of breaking into elite cycling, and why she wants more women to discover just how powerful they can be on a bike.

Plus, Abby and Julie answer Party People questions about parents coaching from the sidelines, teaching young athletes to respect referees, and how coaches can set the standard for both kids and parents. And in “Know Your History,” they go back to the 1890s to uncover why the bicycle became a surprising symbol of women’s freedom and independence.

Come for the Strava crowns. Stay for Abby seriously considering a new career in spandex.

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https://carbsfuel.com/blogs/news/how-to-unlock-cycling-for-more-women

https://zoesgoal.org/

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Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy are back with a packed Party Starter and first, a very proud-parent moment as Amma Melton scores her first collegiate goal for Santa Clara! Then, they break down the Ballon d’Or’s glaring lack of American representation, Team Europe reclaiming the Solheim Cup, Team USA storming back against France to win its fifth straight FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, and Elena Rybakina dethroning Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first US Open title and the world No. 1 ranking.

Then, from the Power of Women’s Sports Summit in New York, Abby and Julie sit down with Billie Jean King and Deloitte US Chair Lara Abrash to ask the question that matters now: Women’s sports are booming, so what do we build next? They discuss how sports create leaders, why $3 billion is only the beginning, what sustainable growth will require, and Deloitte’s new collaboration with Billie Jean King to strengthen the infrastructure and leadership pipeline behind women’s sports.

Plus: Kinger’s iconic signature shoes, nachos as a leadership test, and one clear message for anyone waiting to enter the space go build it.

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Billie Jean King + Deloitte are teaming up to help build what’s next in women’s sports. The new collaboration will focus on leadership pathways, better infrastructure and building the business of women’s sports for the future:

https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/deloitte-teams-with-billie-Jean-king-to-help-grow-the-next-generation-of-leaders-through-womens-sports.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

**Run, don’t walk to watch Give Me The Ball! ** Julie and Abby finally got an early look at Kinger’s new documentary and, yes, they have FEELINGS. The film premieres November 22 on ESPN:

https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/espn-films-award-winning-documentary-give-me-the-ball-to-premiere-november-22-on-espn/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Who’s in the running for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or? Check out the full list of nominees ahead of the October 26 ceremony in London:

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a9-218b019cbca5-cb4b9be51c4b-1000--2026-ballon-dor-awards-nominees-revealed/

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In 1995, sailing’s most prestigious competition had existed for nearly 150 years without an all-women’s team. Then came Mighty Mary. Dismissed as a publicity stunt, the groundbreaking crew took on the best sailors in the world, defeated four-time America’s Cup winner Dennis Conner—and nearly disappeared from sports history.

Abby and Julie sit down with Mighty Mary director and Olympian Mary Mazzio, team captain Dawn Riley, sailor Merritt Carey, and executive producer and narrator Elizabeth Banks to unpack the team’s incredible rise, the leadership failures and shady backroom decisions that changed everything, and why women must be in the rooms where decisions are made.

Plus, Abby and Julie reflect on the moments they didn’t realize were history while living them, debate the 1999 USWNT vs. today’s team, and reveal Abby’s hilarious “logical consequence” for her kids: watching all 184 of her goals.

Mighty Mary opens in select theaters September 11. Visit MightyMaryFilm.com to find a screening near you.

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