Welcome to the Party

Episode: Alex Morgan on Retirement, Motherhood & What’s Next

Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Abby Wambach (B), Julie Foudy (A)
Guests: Alex Morgan (C), various cameos (D)

Overview

This special episode is a true women’s sports party, celebrating Alex Morgan’s extraordinary career, her recent retirement, and her next chapters in motherhood and business. Soccer legends Abby and Julie, along with regular show staple Billie Jean King, create a playful, high-energy atmosphere filled with personal memories, career reflections, and candid conversations about life after professional sports. The group explores themes of identity, transition, evolving ambition, and the business of women's sports, while keeping their tongues firmly in cheek.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating Women’s Sports Momentum

[05:00 – 11:18]

• The hosts highlight the surging viewership of women’s sports, especially the WNBA’s jump to 1.3 million viewers per game — 82% of NBA levels.
• Discussion of how brands investing year-round (e.g., Ally) help grow leagues and build community.
• Noteworthy stat: 66% of female sports fans feel teams aren’t connecting with them. Solutions: more women in sports leadership and authentic storytelling.
• Major cultural moment: Rugby star Ilona Maher gets a Barbie doll with actual muscles ("I think they could have made her legs stronger, to be fair." – Julie, 10:12).

2. Legendary Moments: “Run It Back”

[12:00 – 16:01]

• Abby and Julie reminisce about the legendary 2012 Olympic semifinal USA vs. Canada.
• Abby recounts Alex Morgan’s 123rd-minute goal:

  “I literally screamed in her face, I am in love with you.” (Abby, 15:31)

• Both reflect on how these championship-defining moments require equal parts joy, luck, and relentless teamwork.

3. Transitioning into Retirement & Motherhood

[26:47 – 32:58 | Main interview with Alex Morgan begins]

• Alex expresses how much she enjoys having weekends free and choosing not to work out for a week if she doesn’t want to.

  “Sometimes, like, I haven't ran in like three weeks and I don't care. Like, it's fine.” (Alex, 27:53)

• Adjusting to a slower pace was challenging after years of always rushing, but she recently walked a segment of the Camino de Santiago, forcing her to embrace being present.
• Lesson she’s carrying forward:

  “If I was walking with someone actually, like, not only, like, be half in the conversation, but all the way in was something that was really new for me because... my mind is in a million places, but it just couldn't be on the walk.” (Alex, 31:31)

4. Reflections on Pressure, Identity & the Pursuit of Greatness

[32:58 – 37:19]

• Julie wonders if the burden of being a team “face” made pro sports even tougher.
• Alex credits the mix of personal drive and team expectations:

  “…you might not just, like, want it all day, every day and do, like, the little things that kind of drive you crazy and make you look crazy and you kind of are crazy.” (Alex, 34:04)

• The show’s emotional heart: discussing how to carry ambition forward. Alex is now choosing true collaborators in business — not just teammates assigned by a coach.

5. From Selflessness on the Field to Impact in Business

[37:19 – 42:20]

• Abby applauds Alex’s willingness in big tournaments to do whatever the team needed, including relentless defense (“Alex Morgan defended so much. Just go back to the tapes, folks.” – Abby, 39:27).
• Alex admits to feeling out of place in business at times but trusts her abilities.

  “…I'm not like, in the same… way that, like, with soccer, you kind of show up and you have to be like, I. Like I'm here. … I am more open and willing to be like, yeah, I know that I don't know everything, and I. I have a lot of learning to do, but I'm also confident in my abilities…” (Alex, 41:08)

6. Building the “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” Movement

[45:05 – 47:18]

• Alex’s media company, together, sells the now-ubiquitous “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” T-shirt.

  “We were like, no, we're just going to say it as it is. Like, women's sports is a movement right now. We're going to capitalize on this, like, and we think that this is going to be a hit.” (Alex, 45:17)

• Viral merch, jersey sponsorships, and collabs — a business built from the movement she helped lead.

7. Career Full Circle: Retirement at the Stadium Where it Began

[47:18 – 49:31]

• Alex’s U.S. farewell is set at Subaru Park, where she scored her first international goal 15 years ago.
• Abby assisted that first goal; Julie called the game for TV.

  “How did you say my name? How do you f*ck up, Morgan?” (Alex, 48:43, laughing about Julie’s broadcast debut.)

8. Rapid Fire: Alex’s Top 5 Career Moments (“Party Popper”)

[51:10 – 54:03]

• Alex blindly ranks her defining moments:
  1. Achieving equal pay with the U.S. women’s team
  2. 2012 Olympic last-minute goal vs. Canada
  3. Winning first World Cup (2015)
  4. Tea-sipping goal, 2019 World Cup semi
  5. Winning second World Cup (2019)

• “I didn’t crush it, but I didn’t do terrible.” (Alex, 53:54)

9. Fun & Competition: The Peloton Challenge

[54:34 – 58:25]

• Julie and Abby face off on a 1-minute treadmill challenge — Alex must guess who wins.
• Julie’s disappointed; Abby still edges her out.

  “Why would I ever root against Abby? I should never do that ever again.” (Alex, 56:55)
  “I even called it. I was like, Alex is for sure going to choose Julie. She saw me at the end of my career. She knows I can barely move now.” (Abby, 57:14)

10. Closing: Joy, Gratitude, and a Toast to New Beginnings

[58:30 – end]

• The hosts thank Alex (“Thank you so much, Alex, for being with us. It’s so, so great to have you. And I can’t wait to celebrate you on Thursday night.” – Julie, 58:30).
• Everyone poses for a raucous “USA!” party selfie.

Notable Quotes

• On legacy and pressure:
  “You have to be, like, selfish and selfless, and you have to have the right balance of that.” – Alex Morgan [35:55]

• On retirement mindset:
  “I love having my weekends free. I love, like, planning my own, like, day. And I also love choosing not to work out for like a week if I don’t want to.” – Alex Morgan [27:10]

• On presence:
  “There just wasn’t a time limit... to be able to, like, dig into my thoughts more or if I was walking with someone actually, like, not only, like, be half in the conversation, but all the way in...” – Alex Morgan [31:31]

• On advocacy:
  “We're just going to say it as it is. Like, women's sports is a movement right now.” – Alex Morgan [45:17]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Women’s sports viewership and Ally DEI push: [05:00–11:18]
• Olympic memory—123rd minute goal, “I am in love with you”: [12:00–16:01]
• Alex Morgan on early retirement/finding new pace: [26:47–32:58]
• Pressure/face-of-the-sport reflections: [32:58–37:19]
• Building ventures after retirement: [37:19–42:20]
• Everyone Watches Women’s Sports T-shirt story: [45:05–47:18]
• Full circle—returning to Subaru Park: [47:18–49:31]
• Blind ranking: Alex’s top five moments: [51:10–54:03]
• Peloton treadmill challenge & laughs: [54:34–58:25]
• Closing: party pose & celebration: [58:30–end]

Tone & Style

The episode flows with camaraderie, nostalgia, and affection, marked by playful competitive banter (treadmill challenge!) and candid self-reflection. The tone is irreverent, supportive, and always celebratory—embodying the host’s “party people” credo. Profound lessons about legacy, identity, ambition, and community are relayed with humility and humor, offering insight for both longtime women’s sports fans and new listeners alike.