Welcome to the Party

In Part 1 of this special three-part series, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King take on one of the most complex and emotionally charged conversations in sports today: transgender athletes and the future of women's sports.

Joined by Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports authors Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, they explore the facts, science, history and policy behind a debate that has become deeply politicized. Together, they examine questions of fairness, inclusion and opportunity while challenging common misconceptions with data, expert research and the lived experiences of transgender athletes.

From the role of Title IX and the realities of elite competition to youth sports, body autonomy and what fairness in sports truly means, this conversation invites listeners to slow down, ask questions and engage with empathy. Even when the answers aren't simple.

Whether you're uncertain, curious or firmly opinionated, this episode offers space to listen, learn and better understand one of the defining issues in sports today.

*Since this episode was recorded, the WTA announced that all players will be required to undergo one-time SRY gene testing to compete on the women’s tour, bringing tennis into compliance with the IOC’s eligibility requirements ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.*

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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:

1. Chris Mosier's website is the place to go for action steps and the most up to date policy information: https://www.transathlete.com/

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

3. There are free resources to pair with the book-- a book discussion guide for folks who want to read FAIR GAME in groups and go deeper and writing prompts for cis folks to explore their cis identity: https://ellieroscher.com/books/fair-game

4. Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography by Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis:

5. Fair Play by Katie Barnes: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fair-play-how-sports-shape-the-gender-debates_katie-barnes/

Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Billie Jean King joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy for a powerful conversation about equality, leadership, and the confidence sports can build in girls.

Recorded in partnership with Dove, the episode explores how sports, representation, and positive role models can help girls develop body confidence, find their voices, and recognize their own potential.Billie Jean reflects on the “Battle of the Sexes,” the sacrifices that transformed women’s sports, and the advice she gave that helped inspire the U.S. Women’s National Team’s pursuit of equal pay. Together, they discuss the importance of asking for what you deserve, the responsibility each generation has to move the game forward, and how one person’s courage can create lasting change.

Plus, plenty of laughs—and a reminder that helping the next generation of girls feel confident in who they are can change far more than the game.

This special episode of Welcome to the Party is presented by Dove.

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Keep the Party Going:

From now until December 31st, your Dove purchase keeps girls in sports! Go to http://dove.com/purchasetodonate to learn more.



Thank you to our sponsors:

Dove

Olympic gold medalists, three-time national champions and lifelong best friends K.K. Harvey and Laila Edwards are joining the party—along with tennis icon Billie Jean King.

For more than a decade, K.K. and Laila have trained, lived and won together. Now, after being selected by different PWHL expansion teams, they're preparing to face off as professional rivals. They take us behind their unforgettable Olympic gold-medal run, winning another NCAA championship with Wisconsin just weeks later, and the friendship that gave them the confidence to believe they belonged on the world's biggest stage.

Laila reflects on making history as the first Black woman to win Olympic hockey gold for Team USA and what it means to inspire the next generation of young athletes. K.K. shares why she always knew Laila would make the national team—even before Laila believed it herself.

Plus, they reveal the truth behind their hilariously short-lived attempt at raising a bunny, put their TikTok skills to the test with Julie, Abby and Billie Jean, and answer who is most likely to lose an Olympic medal, miss the team bus or own the dance floor.

In the Party Starter, we celebrate the record-breaking rise of women's rugby, professional women's hockey, and adaptive and para sports.

Come for the Olympic champions. Stay for the bunny drama. Welcome to the Party!



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Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com

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Keep the Party Going:

Follow KK on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kkharvey/ and TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@kkharvey4/

Follow Laila on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/laila_edwards/ and TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@ledwards21

Women’s Elite Rugby Schedule:https://www.womenseliterugby.us/2026-schedule



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

It’s the ultimate World Cup reunion as Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy bring together generations of U.S. Women’s National Team legends, including Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Brandi Chastain, Briana Scurry, Kristine Lilly, Becky Sauerbrunn, Julie Ertz and more.

The group reflects on the joy, energy and community surrounding this World Cup, breaks down the U.S. men’s heartbreaking exit and gets candid about what was missing when the pressure was highest. Then, the ’99ers and 2015 champions share emotional, hilarious and rarely heard stories from their own World Cup runs, from the moment they realized an entire country was behind them to the goals, saves, locker-room memories and lifelong sisterhood that changed women’s soccer forever.

It’s a celebration of the players who built the game, the generations who carried it forward and the unforgettable feeling of representing your country on the world’s biggest stage.

Follow the 99er’s movie and celebrate all things 99ers: https://www.instagram.com/the99ersteam/

Becky Sauerbrunn - Catch Teaming Up With Becky Sauerbrunn weekly podcast (part of Sam Mewis’s The Women’s Game podcast). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtNimwVrgGBLKQYK-7MgDDmZFIywBhKrx And follow Becky on social @reeba04 https://www.instagram.com/reeba04/

Julie Ertz - Listen to Julie’s amazing new podcast Style of Play, co-hosted with Kealia Watt - https://styleofplayshow.com/ - And follow Julie on social @julieertz - https://www.instagram.com/julieertz/

Michelle Akers - Co-founder of Storied Sports, a storytelling and athlete IP company - https://www.storiedsports.com/team-2 - And follow Michelle on social at @officialmichelleakers - https://www.instagram.com/officialmichelleakers/

Briana Scurry - Follow Briana at https://briscurry.com/ - And follow Briana on social, @briscurry - https://www.instagram.com/briscurry/

Mia Hamm - Co-founder of the Mia Hamm Foundation and part-owner of Angel City FC - https://www.miafoundation.org/ - And follow Mia on social, @miahamm - https://www.instagram.com/miahamm/

Kristine Lilly - Runs the Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy, Author of POWERHOUSE, and member of the NWSL team Boston Legacy’s Athlete Advisory Board. - https://kristinelilly13.com/book/ and https://kristinelilly13.com/klsa-camp/ - And follow Kristine on social, @kristinelilly - https://www.instagram.com/kristinelilly/

Brandi Chastain - Co-founder of NWSL team, Bay FC. - https://bayfc.com/ - And follow Brandi on social, @bchastain6 - https://www.instagram.com/bchastain6/

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:

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Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com

Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com

Thank you to our sponsors:

Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Flavor Flav is in the house! The legendary Public Enemy co-founder and self-proclaimed “world’s greatest hype man” joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to share how being a girl dad inspired his passionate support of women’s sports and why he’s calling on more celebrities and brands to step up.

Flav takes us inside his sponsorship of Team USA women’s water polo and bobsled and skeleton, reveals the Olympic sport he hopes to compete in himself and previews SHE Weekend, his massive Las Vegas celebration bringing together nearly 200 Olympic, Paralympic, professional and collegiate women athletes.

Plus, Olympic water polo legend Maggie Steffens and Elana Meyers Taylor surprise Flav to thank him for the genuine love, investment and energy he continues to bring to women athletes everywhere. Yeah, boy!

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:
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Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com
Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com

Keep the Party Going:
Listen to the Remix; She Got Game:https://www.instagram.com/p/DUZEmXOkqV7/
Follow Flavor Flav:https://www.flavorflavofficial.com/
Catch all the SheWeekend Festivities:https://www.sheweekend.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/FlavorFlavsShe


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