Show Me Something – Women’s Final Four With Holly Rowe and Allison Feaster

Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Sophie Cunningham, West Wilson
Guests: Holly Rowe (longtime ESPN sportscaster), Allison Feaster (Harvard legend/former WNBA player, Boston Celtics executive)
Location: Phoenix, live at the Women’s Final Four

Episode Overview

This special episode of Show Me Something takes place in Phoenix during the NCAA Women’s Final Four. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham and co-host West Wilson are joined by broadcasting legend Holly Rowe and trailblazing WNBA/NBA exec Allison Feaster to talk women’s basketball, sports travel, locker room stories, fandom, and their personal and professional journeys. The episode is powered by Marriott Bonvoy and highlights how travel and community shape the women’s basketball experience.

Key Discussion Points

1. Vibe at the Women’s Final Four in Phoenix

• Energy & Setting: The hosts open with observations of Phoenix’s electric vibe and the growth of women's basketball fandom.
  • Sophie: “The city is popping full of great energy for the Women’s Final Four here.” (04:32)
  • Discussion of the La Morena mural celebrating women’s hoops and Phoenix culture.
• All One Seeds: Discussion of the elite level this year, with UConn, South Carolina, Texas, and UCLA making up the Final Four.
  • “I do think this year you do have the very best top four teams in the nation. Sometimes you get a little Cinderella story or an underdog. I think these are the best, the best ones.” – Sophie (06:17)

2. Coaching Rivalries & Predictions

• Spotlight on the iconic rivalry between Geno Auriemma (UConn) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina):
  • “That’s like those are two very iconic women’s basketball coaches who I feel like see each other in March frequently... It gives me like Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy vibes in the 2000s.” – Host (06:39)
• Sophie’s Picks: She’s torn but leans Texas, citing personal ties and their current momentum:
  • “A big portion of me is thinking Texas is peaking at the right time.” (07:40)
  • On UConn vs. SC: “That matchup, I can’t even predict.” (08:08)

3. Holly Rowe Joins: The State & Growth of Women’s Hoops (09:05)

• Memorable Broadcasting Moments: Holly recounts legendary games, including Mizzou/KU men’s basketball and the loss of the old Mizzou–KU rivalry:
  • “I remember stories. Like, I might not remember the score, but I will remember the situation or something that happened or a story I told.” – Holly (09:39)
• The Rise of Women’s Basketball:
  • “I think it’s the best it’s ever been, and I think I’m an expert... We’ve known forever that this is a really good product. And I feel like the general public is just now catching up.” – Holly (11:17)
• Fandom’s Economic Impact:
  • On Indiana: “The excitement behind the Indiana Fever has completely changed that city... We are really changing the face of Indianapolis right now with the WNBA. It is palpable... millions and millions of dollars of economic impact.” (12:23)

4. WNBA History, Broadcasting, and Representation

• The loss of the Utah Stars and franchise history:
  • “We had a really good team... Then the team went to San Antonio, and it is now the Las Vegas Aces. So that is our franchise.” (13:30)
• The need for former players in officiating:
  • “One of the ways I think we could improve refereeing is to get more former players who maybe didn’t make it as a pro. They know how to officiate it a little differently.” (16:34)

5. Defining Moments and Progress

• On pivotal moments for women’s basketball:
  • “The best WNBA game I’ve ever worked in my life was 2016, game five, the LA Sparks at Minnesota Lynx... there were like, I want to say, seven Hall of Fame players in that series... To me, that was the moment we really started to rise.” – Holly (14:48)
• On Caitlin Clark’s impact:
  • “She did take it to a new level, but we were rising before that, too.” (15:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Storytelling and Resilience:
  • “Raven Johnson is one of the greatest stories in all of college basketball... all she’s done is stay true, be resilient, and show up for her team.” – Holly (18:22)
• The Joy Journal:
  • “During that time I was like, I can’t control what’s happening to me, but I can control if I’m joyful every single day. So I still keep my joy journal.” – Holly (29:24)
• Holly’s Famous Interview:
  • Recalls Mizzou’s buzzer-beater vs. KU and the rush of authentic sports moments.
• Travel, Marriott Bonvoy, and Giving Back:
  • Holly leverages her travel points for family and cancer patients through the “Joyous Foundation,” using sports and travel to spark hope for others. (28:23)

6. Fashion, “Fits” Culture, and Personal Branding (26:11)

• Holly on introducing the “tunnel fits” coverage to TV:
  • “I was the first one that got tunnel fits on TV in the bubble... I take a teeny bit of pride in that.” (26:26)
• On fashion’s role in personalizing athletes and fandom:
  • “I think it personalizes players and it really showcases whatever your vibe is. It elevates fandom.” (27:10)

Travel and Its Role in the Sports Community

• Everyone shares dream “road trips” across the US:
  • Holly’s: SEC softball in Kentucky, WNBA game in Indiana, Women’s College World Series (OKC), AUSL pro softball in Utah, vacation in Italy. (35:32)
• The sense of community built through travel for games, family, fandom, and recovery.

Allison Feaster Segment (43:00)

1. Trailblazing Athlete and Executive

• Only woman to lead a No. 16 seed (Harvard) past a No. 1 (Stanford) in the NCAA Tournament (1998):
  • “We were cognizant... you can see my teammates just losing it. We knew it. That it would reverberate almost 30 years later. No, because it just not. Hasn’t been done on the women’s side.” (44:18)
• Played for LA Sparks, Charlotte Sting, Indiana Fever, now Celtics exec.

2. The Parent Perspective

• On watching her daughter, All-American and AP Player of the Year Sarah Strong, for UConn:
  • “It’s zero control on the game, on the outcome... Powerless and also positively optimistic.” (50:07)
• Acknowledges the emotional and financial investment of sports parenting:
  • “Basketball’s in the back. And this past Christmas, she bought [her dad] a car as a way to say thank you. Holy cow.” (54:32)

3. Women Carving Space in Men’s Sports

• On being a high-ranking woman with the Celtics:
  • “If you’re in a space that’s male-dominated and you have some influence, you have to leverage that influence to open doors and provide exposure to the underrepresented.” (53:06)

4. International Experience and Family

• Played in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal; emphasizes learning, culture, and resilience gained through travel.
  • "That’s a skill... going to a foreign country and figuring out the language, making friends. It’s like a survival skill.” (59:49)
• Family traditions and vacationing provide perspective and togetherness.

Women’s Basketball Evolution: Then and Now

• Resources & Growth:
  • “The women today are just... they don’t have to work two jobs. Your livelihood is basketball and being a professional and honing your craft.” – Allison (57:48)
• Advice for Athletes:
  • “You have to trust that the little daily deposits that you put in over many years, like, she knows how to do it. That’s where you get your confidence from.” (58:12)
• Support from high-profile NBA players (Kobe Bryant, KD) called a “watershed” for the sport. (57:05)
• Transfers & Adversity:
  • “There’s something to be said about figuring it out... Hopefully you did the research required when you made the decision to go to a school that you have some semblance of confidence that you can work your way to a point where you need to work to.” (62:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:32 – Setting the stage: Women’s Final Four, Phoenix mural, all-one-seeds excitement
• 09:05 – Holly Rowe joins: Memories, storytelling, women’s hoops growth
• 14:48 – Pivotal moments in women’s basketball; the 2016 WNBA Finals as shift point
• 18:22 – Raven Johnson’s resilience and player stories
• 26:11 – Fashion’s role in women’s sports, tunnel fits, and culture
• 28:23 – Holly’s “Joyous Foundation” and giving back through travel
• 35:32 – Fantasy sports travel road trip plans
• 43:22 – Allison Feaster on Harvard’s iconic win, the significance of upsets
• 50:07 – Parenting an elite athlete, nerves and trust
• 53:06 – Paving the way for women executives in men’s sports
• 57:48 – The evolution of the women’s game: resources and lifestyle
• 62:39 – Advice on transfers, resilience in college sports

Tone & Takeaways

• The conversation is candid, passionate, and celebratory, with emotional moments and laughter throughout.
• The hosts and their guests are deeply invested in women’s basketball as a sport, a community, and a movement for opportunity and empowerment.
• There is optimism about the rapid growth in support, resources, and visibility for women’s sports, accompanied by reminders of how far the movement has come and how far it can still go.

Standout Quotes

• “All we have ever asked is opportunities for these little girls, for women. And so now that women are getting them, I just feel so, so proud and grateful.” – Holly Rowe (32:40)
• “I think the big time is women’s sports. I have really sacrificed... but it’s more than that. I am that little girl that I’m covering these sports for.” – Holly Rowe (33:55)
• “If you’re in a space that’s male-dominated... you have to leverage that influence to open doors and provide exposure to the underrepresented.” – Allison Feaster (53:06)
• “You have to trust that the little daily deposits that you put in over many, many years... That’s where you get your confidence from.” – Allison Feaster (58:12)

Final Thoughts

This episode captures a live, authentic celebration of women’s basketball at its pinnacle—honoring its stories, struggles, rising opportunities, and the community that keeps pushing boundaries. Holly Rowe and Allison Feaster bring experience, wisdom, and hope, inspiring all listeners—athletes, fans, parents, and future game-changers.