Welcome to the Party

By Treat MediaSports

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Welcome to the Party episodes

November 03Ashley Sanchez’s Heartbreak on NWSL Decision Day
Glennon Doyle is back at the party—and taking a victory lap! She joins Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King to celebrate her winning WNBA bracket and the Golden State Valkyries’ championship run. From Gabby Williams’ Game 7 takeover to Glennon’s very physical experience of watching basketball, the crew breaks down what happens when investment, love, and team culture come together.

Then it’s NWSL Decision Day drama: Gotham’s Shield, Jess Fishlock’s emotional send-off, Angel City’s playoff path, and the big question of what’s next for Marta. Plus, the women who helped change the New York City Marathon, why joy deserves a spot on your calendar, and Glennon’s story about the unexpected matchmaker behind her relationship with Abby.

In honor of Abby’s brother Peter and National Epilepsy Awareness Month, a portion of November WTTP merch proceeds will support JoshProvides and families living with epilepsy.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
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Email — [email protected]
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Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
Come party with us in D.C.! We’re taking Welcome to the Party live to Ally House for NWSL Championship Weekend. If you’re in town, come hang with us, talk soccer and be part of the show. RSVP to save your spot: https://www.ally.com/ally-house?CP=TPM-NWSLCHAMP-RECAP-ALLYHOUSE

THIS ONE IS CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS. November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and a portion of WTTP merch proceeds this month will support JoshProvides, helping individuals and families living with epilepsy access medical care, seizure detection devices and other resources.Learn more: https://joshprovides.org/ WTTP merch: https://welcometotheparty.voila.store/

THE NWSL PLAYOFFS ARE HERE. Eight teams. One trophy. Plenty of chaos coming. Check out the full playoff schedule, bracket and where to watch: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/playoffs

COLLEGE HOOPS IS BACK, BABY. Keep up with the full women’s college basketball schedule and scores here: https://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/basketball-women/d1

THE BEST EIGHT IN THE WORLD. Follow the WTA Finals schedule and results here: https://www.wtatennis.com/tournaments/wta-finals/match-schedule

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
56 min
October 28Andraya Carter on the WNBA Finals: Why Is Game 6 at Lunchtime?!
Andraya Carter is at the party, and she has thoughts! The ESPN analyst joins Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach to break down the WNBA Finals: what Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream need to force a Game 7, why the Golden State Valkyries are so tough to beat, and how a potential championship-clinching game ended up with a lunchtime tip. Yes, Abby has some words about that.

Plus, Dre previews JuJu Watkins’ return, shares what she’s seeing from her Tennessee Lady Vols, and makes her pick to win the college national championship. Then, she gets real about finding confidence on camera, whose feedback actually matters, and her “post and ghost” approach to social media. Come for the hoops. Stay for the Halloween costumes and a surprisingly persuasive case for cuddling a python.

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Email — [email protected]
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Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
Follow Andraya Carter: @andraya_carter on Instagram and @Andraya_Carter on X. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andraya_carter/X: https://x.com/Andraya_Carter

Want to understand why Angel Reese is such a ridiculous rebounder? Abby’s rabbit hole started with Katie Barnes’ ESPN feature breaking down the instincts, positioning, strength and anticipation behind Reese’s rebounding.https://abc7chicago.com/post/secrets-behind-angel-reeses-legendary-rebounding/19682352/

And yes, someone actually studied the “mebounds.” Data scientist Chester Ismay analyzed how often Reese rebounds her own misses compared with the rest of the league.https://ismayc.github.io/mebounds/

Missed our Sheroes episode? Go back and meet the women who inspired Julie and Abby to ask Party People to send in their own sheroes.She Ran Into a Collapsing Building to Save a Child (Then Lost Her Legs)

Who’s your shero, Party People? Keep them [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
1 hr 11 min
October 27How Cori Close Will Rebuild UCLA's Championship Team
What does it take to build a championship team and who do you become along the way? UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close joins Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King to reflect on a historic title run and why her definition of success goes far beyond the trophy.

From lessons learned in John Wooden’s den to the voice memo from Abby she’ll keep forever, Cori shares the power of having people who believe in you before you believe in yourself. She also gets candid about rebuilding trust with Lauren Betts, owning her mistakes and helping a new roster write its own story. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability and proving that kindness and competitive greatness can coexist—with a little evidence of Abby’s completely unhinged UCLA fandom.

Plus, the Party Starter dives into the WNBA Finals, the NWSL’s Decision Day drama and Catherine Breed’s extraordinary swim along the California coastline.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
Cori Close was recently honored with UCLA Anderson’s John Wooden Global Leadership Award, which feels especially fitting after hearing how much Wooden shaped the way she leads.https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/news-and-events/signature-events/john-wooden-global-leadership-awards

The book Cori referenced: Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf, all about falling in love with the process instead of obsessing over the outcome.
https://books.google.com/books/about/Chop_Wood_Carry_Water.html?id=RPPdnAAACAAJ

Want to go down the Catherine Breed rabbit hole with us? Catherine just completed her 900-mile swim of the California coast, and her nonprofit Sea Dreamers is focused on getting more women and girls into the ocean while protecting the coastline.
https://www.swimcalifornia.com/https://www.seadreamers.org/

Kinger’s documentary is coming. Give Me The Ball! premieres November 22 on ESPN and looks at Billie Jean King’s life, career and impact far beyond tennis.
https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/espn-films-award-winning-documentary-give-me-the-ball-to-premiere-november-22-on-espn/

Follow UCLA Women’s Basketball: @UCLAWBBInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/uclawbb/X: https://x.com/UCLAWBBWebsite: https://www.uclawbb.com/

Follow Coach Cori Close: @coachcoricloseInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachcoriclose/X: https://x.com/coachcoriclose

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
1 hr 11 min
October 23How Sports Betting Can Be An Addiction
Behind every betting app, ad and winning parlay are real people and sometimes, a cost no one else can see.

In Part 2 of our series on sports gambling, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy move from the business of betting to the personal toll, welcoming Saul Malek to share how a love of sports and fantasy baseball spiraled into a gambling addiction that consumed his college years.

Saul opens up about chasing bets, hiding debt, the strain on his family and the support that helped him find recovery. Drawing on her own sobriety, Abby joins him for an honest conversation about shame, secrecy and why getting help is rarely a straight line.

Together, they explore the warning signs parents can miss, the pull of betting culture for young people, and why prevention needs to start long before someone hits a crisis. It’s a conversation about what gambling can take and what it means to build a life beyond it.

Missed Part 1? Start with our conversation with sports historian Dr. Victoria Jackson about how we got here and what’s at stake for women’s sports.

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of gambling addiction and suicidal thoughts.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
If gambling is becoming a problem for you or someone you love, there are places to start.
National Problem Gambling HelplineCall or text 1-800-MY-RESET
https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/about-the-national-problem-gambling-helpline/

Gamblers Anonymous Find in-person, virtual and telephone meetings.https://gamblersanonymous.org/find-a-meeting/

Gam-Anon Support for family members and loved ones affected by someone else’s gambling.https://gam-anon.org/

Follow Saul Malek’s work on gambling harm, prevention and recovery.
https://saulmalek.com/ https://www.instagram.com/saulmalekspeaking/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/saulmalek/

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. https://988lifeline.org/

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
55 min
October 22The Rise of Sports Gambling
Women’s sports are growing and the gambling industry wants in. But what’s the real cost of all that new money?

In Part 1 of this two-part series, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy welcome sports historian Dr. Victoria Jackson to unpack how sports betting went from something leagues opposed to something they actively promote. From betting apps and prediction markets to broadcasters with a financial stake in the action, they explore how gambling is reshaping the way we watch, cover and experience sports.

Together, they dig into the consequences for young fans, the harassment athletes face, and the responsibility leagues have to protect the people who make their businesses possible. As women’s sports enter a new era of investment and opportunity, can they chart a different path?

Plus, a look ahead to Part 2, when Saul Malek joins Abby and Julie to share his personal experience with gambling addiction. That will be this Friday 10/22.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
The article Julie referenced of longtime ESPN investigative producer Nicole Noren explains why the network’s embrace of sports betting ultimately led her to leave after 24 years.
READ: “I’m Not Going to Have Blood on My Hands”
https://www.cjr.org/the-interview/nicole-noren-espn-producer-quit-protest-sports-betting-gambling-addiction-draftkings-im-not-going-to-have-blood-on-my-hands.php

The athlete harassment is real, and women are taking a disproportionate amount of it. The NCAA’s online-abuse study found that 12% of verified abuse was directly tied to sports betting, and women’s basketball players received roughly three times more threats than men’s basketball players:https://www.ncaa.org/news/media-center-ncaa-calls-on-fans-social-media-platforms-to-curb-abuse-as-it-releases-first-online-harassment-study/

“This is our normal after every game.” We played Natasha Cloud talking about the abuse WNBA players receive from angry bettors and her call for leagues to do more to protect players.
MORE ON NATASHA CLOUD + BETTING HARASSMENT: https://frontofficesports.com/article/natasha-cloud-calls-engelbert-silver-address-sports-betting-threats/

Who actually wins on prediction markets? Julie referenced The Wall Street Journal’s investigation into prediction markets, which found profits heavily concentrated among a tiny fraction of sophisticated traders while most users lost money.
READ THE WALL STREET JOURNAL INVESTIGATION
https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/polymarket-kalshi-betting-profits-prediction-markets-eb23ac11

And the leagues are starting to react. The NBA announced tighter restrictions around certain types of sports betting, while the WNBA was ultimately added to the leagues’ effort pushing for tougher action against bettors who threaten or harass athletes.
NBA BETTING RESTRICTIONS https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nba/2026/10/16/nba-sports-betting/3f77053e-c97b-11f1-aefb-abe4112d087e_story.html

WNBA + ATHLETE HARASSMENT EFFORT https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-players-unions-amend-betting-200106272.html
If gambling is becoming a problem for you or someone you love, there are places to start.
National Problem Gambling Helpline Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET
https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/about-the-national-problem-gambling-helpline/

Gamblers Anonymous Find in-person, virtual and telephone meetings.https://gamblersanonymous.org/find-a-meeting/

Gam-Anon Support for family members and loved ones affected by someone else’s gambling.https://gam-anon.org/

Follow Saul Malek’s work on gambling harm, prevention and recovery. https://saulmalek.com/ https://www.instagram.com/saulmalekspeaking/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/saulmalek/

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988. https://988lifeline.org/
1 hr 4 min
October 20The Most Dominant Team in Sports History Is Facing a Reality Check
Has the balance of power in women’s soccer officially shifted? After the USWNT’s 2-0 loss and dramatic 2-2 comeback draw against reigning World Cup champions Spain, Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach are breaking down the good, the bad, and the big questions facing Emma Hayes’ squad ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

From defensive struggles and goalkeeping concerns to physicality, leadership, and the return of Mallory Swanson and Ashley Sanchez, Abby and Julie get candid about what the US needs to fix, why Spain has set a new standard, and which players need to step up when it matters most. Is there reason to panic, or could these tough lessons be exactly what the USWNT needs?

Plus, the WNBA Finals are heating up, the NWSL playoff race is coming down to the wire, and Steph Curry shows some love to Valkyries star Veronica Burton. Abby and Julie also revisit some hilariously iconic women’s soccer commercials from the ‘90s, and answer Party People questions about dreaming big and which athletes from other sports they’d recruit to the USWNT.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
Before they were legends… Three absolute gems from the archives:
Abby nails an innocent bystander: https://www.instagram.com/p/Deh69NIMdyH/

Julie in her Starsky & Hutch era: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dej3b8rkSH2/?img_index=3

and the iconic Nike “I will have two Filling” ad campaign: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dej3b8rkSH2/?img_index=4

Steph Curry in a Veronica Burton jersey? We love to see it. Steph warmed up in Burton’s No. 22 Valkyries jersey, which sent us straight down the rabbit hole on the family history behind that number:https://x.com/NBCSWarriors/status/2111259600569909471

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
1 hr 4 min
October 15She Ran Into a Collapsing Building to Save a Child (Then Lost Her Legs)
What makes a hero? In this special episode, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King celebrate two extraordinary women who stepped up when it mattered most. Rose Veldman was just 10 years old when she risked her life to save a three-year-old girl during Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. After losing both legs when the building collapsed, Rose went on to become a champion adaptive golfer. Then, UC Davis water polo player Lillie Vehling shares how she instinctively jumped into Lake Washington to rescue three drowning girls. Through these remarkable stories, the hosts reflect on everyday heroes, the power of service and what it means to be the person who steps in to help. Because making a difference doesn’t require fame or recognition—just the courage to act.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
Who’s your shero, Party People? We want to keep this parade of sheroes going. Tell us about the woman who showed up for you, believed in you, pulled you up or changed your life. Email us at [email protected].

Meet Rose Veldman. Rose survived the 2010 Haiti earthquake after running back into a collapsing building to save a three-year-old girl, losing both of her legs in the aftermath. Today, she’s one of the top adaptive golfers in the country and a three-time winner of the women’s Multiple Limb Amputee category at the U.S. Adaptive Open. Learn more about US Adaptive Golf: https://www.usaga.org/

Lillie Vehling didn’t just save three girls from drowning. She’s working to prevent the next one. Lillie and UC Davis teammate Sadie Henry co-founded SWAG, Swim AGs, which provides free water-safety and swim instruction for adults in the UC Davis community:https://swagswimags.org/

Be a scooper, not a pointer. Julie brought up The Dog Poop Initiative, Kirk Weisler’s very real children’s book about the difference between pointing out a problem and actually stepping up to fix it. Very on brand for our sheroes: https://kirkweisler.com/product/the-dog-poop-initiative
Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
41 min
October 13 Ali Krieger & Joanna Lohman Reveal The Crazy Reality of The Amazing Race
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.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
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/
Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

1 hr 25 min
October 08First Trans Supreme Court Lawyer Exposes the Truth About Women’s Sports
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.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
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Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:
If you want to learn more or go deeper on some of the things we discussed today, here are a few resources we recommend:
Missed Part One of our transgender athletes series? Start there. Julie, Abby and Kinger sit down with Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, authors of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, to dig into the science, fairness questions, policy and lived experiences behind the debate.What Everyone Gets Wrong About Trans Athletes

Read Nancy Armour’s USA TODAY reporting on the IOC bringing SRY gene testing back for female athletes ahead of LA28, nearly three decades after abandoning a similar testing policy: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/06/10/ioc-gene-testing-female-athletes-2028-olympics/89824319007/

Want to see the legislation for yourself? The Trans Legislation Tracker follows bills affecting transgender people across the country, including the more than 1,000 bills it tracked in 2025: https://translegislation.com/bills/2025

Go deeper on the Supreme Court case Chase discussed. The ACLU’s Little v. Hecox case page includes the history, court decisions and legal filings surrounding Idaho’s transgender student-athlete law:https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little

Want to follow more of Chase Strangio’s work? Chase is Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project and works on litigation and advocacy around transgender rights across the country: https://www.aclu.org/bios/chase-strangio
Chris Mosier's website is the place to go for action steps and the most up to date policy information: https://www.transathlete.com/

Fair Game by Ellie Roscher and Anna Baeth: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fair-game-trans-athletes-and-the-future-of-sports/

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
1 hr 22 min
October 06 How 1.5 Million Followers Helped Coach Jackie Change Women’s Sports Media
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.

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow
Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow
TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow
Email — [email protected]
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com
Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store

Keep the Party Going:

Thank you to our sponsors:
-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC
1 hr 9 min

About Welcome to the Party

From the publisher's feed

What’s up, Party People! Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King welcome you to the women’s sports party. Whether you’ve been here all along or are looking to get in the game, you're invited. Twice a week, soccer legends and forever teammates Abby and Julie will be hanging with the change-makers and shot-takers in women’s sports while giving their perspectives on big issues and hot topics. Plus, there will be regular appearances by the LEGEND of legends Billie Jean King.