Podcast Summary

Podcast: BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Episode: Haley Rosen on Founding Just Women’s Sports, How Ali “Saved” the Account & New Era of Women's Sports
Date: November 10, 2025
Hosts: Sydney Leroux, Ali Riley
Guest: Haley Rosen (Founder & CEO, Just Women’s Sports)

Episode Overview

This episode brings together Ali Riley, fresh into her retirement from professional soccer, co-host Sydney Leroux, and special guest Haley Rosen, founder and CEO of Just Women’s Sports. The conversation is a lively, heartfelt exploration of the meteoric rise of women’s sports, the authentic journey behind Just Women’s Sports, and personal candid stories—from navigating accounts being wiped off social media to the evolving ways the media can (and should) cover female athletes. The episode balances laughs, nostalgia, and real talk about the current and future landscape for women in sport.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Updates and Warm Welcome (04:53–07:10)

• Ali shares excitement about her recent retirement and reflects on her career's last moments, Angel City fandom, and upcoming life changes, including plans to start a family.
• Haley opens up about balancing her role as CEO and mom to Mason, describing her home life as “chaos all the time, but it's, like, the best” (07:10).

  “Family is the most important thing to me… I've never been, like, more like, this is amazing. And, like, oh, my God, this is so hard.” – Haley (07:10)

2. Honest Talk: IVF, Starting a Family, and Parenthood (08:04–09:56)

• Ali discusses her IVF journey, hesitation, and hope.
• Both reflect on control and acceptance when building a family, especially as athletes used to managing every detail of their lives.

  “Starting a family is really one of those things, like, you can't control. Like, you have to just hope for the best and put yourselves in positions… but, like, you can't control it.” – Haley (09:17)

3. History of Just Women’s Sports & the “Saved Account” Story (14:17–22:15)

• Haley shares the origin: frustration at the lack of coverage for women's sports led her to start Just Women’s Sports as an Instagram account.
• Haley details how their only Instagram account was taken down after a copyright complaint from Chelsea FC—right after receiving their first small investment—and how Ali Riley helped resolve the situation by connecting with the Chelsea media team.

  “You saved Just Women’s Sports. Like, I still think I was always, like, cautiously optimistic we were gonna, like, figure it out. But, like, you’re the one who figured it out. This is what I’m talking about… Yes, random girl who... went to the same school. I'll take your call. And yes, I'll help you out. And like, yeah, you saved JWS.” – Haley (19:30/20:32)

• The name “Just Women’s Sports” came about simply, but Haley became fiercely attached to it, despite early criticism.

4. Community and the Power of Authentic Support (22:19–25:02)

• Ali and Haley highlight the importance of women supporting each other in sports and the unique bond between fans, athletes, and advocates in women's sports.

  “You did that. You connected all of us, and now you’re seeing through all of our voices how when basketball needs to push, when the NWSL needs to push, that we are connected, and you can’t silence us...” – Ali (22:19)

5. The “New Era” of Women’s Sports (25:02–28:01)

• Haley sees a major inflection point: for years, it felt like “banging on the door,” but now the door is open, and women’s sports have genuine mainstream momentum.

  “Women’s sports has hit an inflection point... You know, they say it’s like slow, slow, all at once. That’s how I feel about women’s sports… We are not on the one–we are not like one yard away from finishing this. We are on the one yard line. We are just starting this journey...” – Haley (25:02)

6. The Need for Authentic, Candid Coverage—Not Just Cheerleading (31:18–37:39)

• The hosts and Haley discuss how women’s sports media often hesitated to be critical, but authentic coverage requires real sports talk—including honest analysis and critique, not just feel-good stories:

  “If we are unwilling to be critical of female athletes, we are unwilling to be real and authentic. …We have to cover women’s sports like sports. That’s what people get excited about.” – Haley (31:18/33:22)

• Ali shares, as an athlete, she never wanted sugar-coating—nuanced, honest critique is not “toxic,” it’s part of real sports culture.

7. Handling Internet Backlash & Growing Pains (39:33–42:28)

• Haley candidly addresses backlash: they’ve made mistakes and had to own them, but the company stands by its values—factual, positive, but honest storytelling.

  “We have really clear principles… We want to make it really easy to be a women's sports fan. We want to deliver stuff in a very factual way....And if we go over the line, then we have to own it and apologize… This industry is evolving and we haven’t gotten everything right.” – Haley (40:13)

• The conversation touches on the importance of infrastructure: as women’s sports get more attention, so must athlete support (e.g., media training and mental health resources).

8. Rapid Fire: Growth, Opportunities, and Personal Favorites (42:28–48:19)

• The most exciting development? Sponsors entering the space, unlocking resources for growth and bridging the gap between massive audiences and underinvestment.

  “Sponsors are coming. Some are here, but a lot are coming… This feels like this is our chance to build this into the industry we know it can and should be.” – Haley (42:47)

• Biggest female athletes right now: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and WNBA stars in general.
• The event she’d most like to cover: The U.S. Open.
• Haley’s most memorable women’s sports moment: Watching Marta play for the LA Sol as a child—“It was like my mind exploded... That was the whole thing. And that's where for me, it starts on the field.” (46:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Family is the most important thing to me. …I've never been… this is amazing. And, like, oh, my God, this is so hard.” – Haley Rosen (07:10)
• “You saved Just Women's Sports… This is what I'm talking about. Of people who are just like, yes, random girl who... went to the same school. I'll take your call. And yes, I'll help you out..." – Haley Rosen (19:30/20:32)
• “We have to treat women’s sports like sports. And, like, let’s have fun with it... it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. And if we're not willing to say that, the audience can feel that.” – Haley Rosen (37:39)
• “We are not like one yard away from finishing this. We are on the one yard line. We are just starting this journey and it has started with people being excited, but we have to build...” – Haley Rosen (25:02)
• “Sponsors are coming… this is going to be build time. ... If the dollars are really coming, this is our chance to build this into the industry we know it can and should be.” – Haley Rosen (42:47)
• “Watching women be ballers on the field, like, just got me amped about women's sports and women's soccer and made me want to do it.” – Haley Rosen (46:51)
• “You can’t silence us and you can’t hide what’s going on. And that’s what’s been one of the amazing things about Just Women’s Sports.” – Ali Riley (22:19)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:53 – Haley Rosen welcomed; “How are you doing it all?” (parenthood and business)
• 08:04 – Ali Riley discusses IVF, family planning, and feelings about it
• 14:17 – How Ali Riley “saved” Just Women’s Sports’ Instagram account
• 15:01–17:41 – Haley describes the founding and growth of JWS, challenges, and the name’s origins
• 22:19 – The importance of community and collective advocacy in women’s sports
• 25:02–28:01 – Women's sports at an inflection point: the “slow, slow, all at once” phenomenon
• 31:18–37:39 – Real talk: criticism, authenticity, and evolving coverage of women’s sports
• 39:33–42:28 – Haley on dealing with backlash and the importance of standing by core editorial values
• 42:47–45:09 – Sponsor investment and financial future of women’s sports
• 46:08–48:19 – Personal favorite women’s sports moments; nostalgia and legacy

Takeaways

• Women’s sports are in a true growth spurt, but this is just the beginning—now is the time for sustained collective action, investment, and support.
• Honest, nuanced media coverage is essential for elevating women's sports—from celebrating stars to critiquing coaching decisions—and supports both athletes and the fan community.
• Women’s sports successes are driven by a powerful coalition of athletes, advocates, and media, all passionate about the game and each other.

This episode is a joyful, honest look at the real stories, big goals, and community efforts building a new era for women's sports—told by some of its most influential leaders and champions.