UCLA DIDN’T JUST WIN…THEY DOMINATED

Summary

Welcome to the Party — Episode Summary

Episode Title: UCLA DIDN’T JUST WIN…THEY DOMINATED
Date: April 7, 2026
Hosts: Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach, Billie Jean King
Guests: Jordan Robinson (Hoops expert, “Court Queens” author)

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Episode Overview

This energetic, insightful episode is a dedicated celebration of UCLA’s dominant performance in the women’s college basketball championship and a broad survey of the evolving landscape of women’s sports. Soccer legends Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, along with trailblazer Billie Jean King, are joined by hoops expert Jordan Robinson straight from the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix. The hosts break down UCLA’s unprecedented championship win, analyze the drama between iconic coaches, dive into WNBA draft projections, and discuss the increasingly chaotic college basketball transfer portal. The show exudes passion and camaraderie, with a mission to highlight and elevate women’s sports.

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1. Opening Reactions: UCLA's Historic Championship

Theme: Unpacking UCLA's dominance, team culture, and celebration at home

• Hosts recall watching the game with family chaos and joy (Easter overlap adds a unique flavor).
• Billie Jean King: “They’re the epitome of what a team can do if you stick together. And we’re gonna win the championship. And they did.” [00:13]
• Abby praises the communal, bonding moments of women’s sports with family: “This is why I love women’s sports so much… We get to lock in.” [03:52]

Notable Segment & Moments

• [07:20] Billie Jean King: “Second championship. They waited forever.”
• [07:38] Julie Foudy: “Corey Close—so much excitement for her! South Carolina’s Dawn Staley was so classy about the loss.”

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2. The Power of Team, Coaching, and Character

Key Points:

• Focus on UCLA’s team-first culture and the leadership of head coach Corey Close.
• Gabriella Jaquez leads the way with 21 points—her Instagram presence and fun personality get a special shoutout. [08:19-08:44]
• Julie: “Six seniors on UCLA scored every point in the final—total team effort!” [09:05]
• Corey Close’s coaching philosophy highlighted: “The talent is our floor, but character will be our ceiling.” [09:23]

Memorable Quotes:

• Billie Jean King (on Corey Close): “Banners hang in gyms and rings collect dust. But who you become and who you impact, you get to keep forever.” [09:37]
• Abby Wambach: “She has figured out how to do it her way and do it authentic, like, to who she is as a person and as a coach.” [10:00]

Timestamps:

• [09:37-10:00]: Extended discussion on the value of character in sports.

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3. Around the Women's Sports Landscape

PWHL Sets Crowd Record

• Billie Jean King shares her experience witnessing 18,000+ fans at Madison Square Garden for a PWHL hockey game.
• “I have never heard it this loud in my whole life.” [14:44]
• Ongoing growth of women’s hockey: “It’s only the third year, it’s up 25%. We’re probably going to add franchises next year.” [15:24]

NWSL & USWNT Updates

• Angel City loses first game of the season but maintains strong league standing. [19:35]
• Notable player roster returns: Sophia Wilson & Tierna Davidson for the USWNT.

Breaking WNBA News

• Abby reports: “Taylor Rooks is now reporting… Angel Reese is leaving Chicago. She is headed to the Atlanta Dream.” [20:44]

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4. Final Four Review: UConn Controversy & South Carolina Fallout

Key Segment:

• Hosts and Jordan Robinson dissect the Friday UConn vs. South Carolina semifinal and Geno Auriemma’s controversial handshake drama with Dawn Staley.

Detailed Chronology:

• [28:04] Jordan gives on-the-ground perspective: “At the end of the game…Gino took that moment to express that Dawn didn’t shake his hand at the beginning of the game…It just seemed like a lost in translation moment.”
• “Geno issued an apology a day later, but it didn’t address Dawn specifically…when they played a montage before the championship game and Geno’s face showed up… everyone booed.” [30:13-31:21]

Critical Analysis:

• Billie Jean King: “He needs attention, and he’s pissed they lost. It’s real simple. When you lose, you have to suck it up and be nice…” [32:07]
• The group agrees Geno’s behavior overshadowed basketball, affected team dynamics, and was inappropriate, especially given the context.

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5. The Championship Game: UCLA vs. South Carolina

Game Breakdown:

• Jordan Robinson: “It didn’t look like the same South Carolina team that we just saw beat UConn… UCLA looked prepared. Every play, every cut was crisp… it was a complete different team.” [36:17]
• UCLA’s senior class scored all their points in both Final Four games.

Memorable Corey Close Quote:

• “I wanted to recruit uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result. And today we did it.” [38:45]

Emotional Reflection:

• Abby: “For Corey to stay for all of these years…for these seniors to choose to stay, to not enter into the transfer portal and to stay and recommit after last year’s Final Four loss…that is something very, very uncommon…and transformational, I think.” [39:32–40:47]

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6. WNBA Draft & Transfer Portal Mayhem

Upcoming WNBA Draft:

• [44:12] Jordan: “A week from today, we will all be in New York dressed to the nines, getting drafted. And then training camp starts the 19th.”
• The #1 pick is unusually unclear (Dallas Wings have options between Az Fudd, Spanish phenom Awa Fam, or other bigs).
• UCLA could have five seniors drafted in the first round—a rare feat. [47:28]

Transfer Portal Chaos:

• Nearly 600 women’s players entering the portal, with potential for 1500 (as last year).
• “Full teams just being completely dismantled…you have a team like Tennessee…pretty much everyone is leaving.” [49:20]
• Jordan details multiple reasons: money (NIL deals), playing time, exposure, program uncertainty, and coaching changes.

Hosts’ Perspective:

• Julie Foudy: “I think you give them one chance to do that. One transfer, okay? …There needs to be some continuity so that we can actually cheer on these teams and have a sense of, like, this is my team.” [53:59]

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7. Women Supporting Women: Dawn Staley’s Grace

Contrast of Coaching Character:

• [56:03–56:41] Julie, Abby, and Billie Jean contrast Geno’s actions with Dawn’s:
• Julie: “Dawn Staley is so classy. In a moment where she has just lost…her choice of action…is to recognize someone else’s success…let’s cheer on this kind of coach in Corey Close.”

Dawn Staley Press Conference (Clip Played):

• Dawn Staley: “Although we didn’t win, I could swallow it because we lost to a really good human being and a good team that represents women’s basketball well.” [57:12]
• Billie Jean King: “Now, she handled losing correctly compared to Gino. That’s the difference…she’s really an exceptional human being.” [57:25]

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8. Fun & Light Moments

• Stories of family championship watch parties, Julie’s “April Madness” Ping Pong & Cornhole tournaments [04:24]
• Billie Jean’s admiration of Corey Close’s “lucky leather pants” and sideline energy [60:45]
• A thread of genuine warmth, humor, and appreciation across generations of athletes and coaches.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It’s not about the winning and losing. It’s like how you go about doing it.” —Abby Wambach [21:00]
• “Banners hang in gyms and rings collect dust. But who you become and who you impact, you get to keep forever.” —Billie Jean King, quoting Corey Close [09:37]
• “I wanted to recruit uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result. And today we did it.” —Corey Close (as recounted by Julie) [38:45]
• “Although we didn’t win, I could swallow it because we lost to a really good human being and a good team that represent women’s basketball well.” —Dawn Staley [57:12]
• “Six seniors on UCLA scored every point in the final—total team effort!” —Julie Foudy [09:05]
• “You could tell early, though, because usually she stands when they’re winning and when she knows not their day. She was sitting the whole game.” —Billie Jean King (on Dawn Staley) [60:02]

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Final Thoughts

The episode is an exuberant celebration of women’s basketball, delivered with depth and heart. From the tactical on-court brilliance of UCLA to the powerful lessons in sportsmanship and leadership embodied by coaches like Corey Close and Dawn Staley, the podcast connects on-court heroics to larger values of character, commitment, and community. The hosts’ chemistry—equal parts sharp analysis and infectious fun—cements this as a must-listen for everyone dedicated to the power and progress of women’s sports.

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For more:

• Follow Jordan Robinson on IG [@jordanligons] and TikTok [@heyjordanrobinson]
• Subscribe to "Welcome to the Party" on your favorite podcast platform!
• Catch upcoming episodes, including a USWNT coach Emma Hayes interview.

Transcript

[Billie Jean King]

Ucla. And wasn't that our pick?

[Julie Foudy]

Yes, it was, Gayger.

[Jordan Robinson]

I did not have UCLA winning by this large of a margin. Everybody was stunned.

[Billie Jean King]

They're the epitome of what a team can do if you stick together. And we're gonna win the championship. And they did.

[Abby Wambach]

It's not about the winning and losing. It's like how you go about doing it.

[Jordan Robinson]

I'm so glad you guys are all hoop heads. Now my plan has worked.

[Abby Wambach]

Hoop heads.

[Billie Jean King]

Total hoopins. Attention.

[Abby Wambach]

The party is about to commence.

[Julie Foudy]

Welcome to the party. What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[Abby Wambach]

I'm Abby Wambach.

[Billie Jean King]

And I'm Billy Jean King.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay, Kinger, We've got Emma Hayes coming on the show. US Women's national team head coach this Thursday. Can't wait to talk to her. But first, coming up is this show. And we've got just a little bit of hoops to talk. Of course. So we're going to bring our resident hoops expert, Jordan Robinson, to help break down all the action for from the Final Four on Sunday's March Madness final. And what happened to UConn. Plus, with so much happening in women's basketball, we will chat the WNBA projected top draft picks and dig into transfer portal craziness. Already there's been more than 600 athletes saying they are headed to the portal.

[Abby Wambach]

What?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. But first, before we get to any of that, I need to check in with everyone. How was everyone's Easter weekend? And where were you all watching the championship game from? I need to know. I know, I know. Abby was pacing. Kinger. Where were you?

[Billie Jean King]

I was home texting you. I watched every game. Every game was amazing.

[Julie Foudy]

I know.

[Billie Jean King]

It's just ucla. And wasn't that our pick?

[Julie Foudy]

Yes, it was.

[Billie Jean King]

Ginger, we're gonna start in California.

[Julie Foudy]

Update.

[Abby Wambach]

Jules, how was your weekend watching it? Being that it was also Easter.

[Julie Foudy]

I know. Can we just. Can we start a petition not to have the Final Four final game on Easter?

[Billie Jean King]

Because don't you know that's women's. We're lucky to be on. You know how that goes. It's so irritating. I cannot believe it.

[Julie Foudy]

It's so irritating because I. Our house is already chaotic and then I always am hosting on Easter and Christmas and so all the Rowdy Fowdies, all siblings were in town. We forgot to take a picture. I'm so sad. Dang it. All the Rowdy Fowdies were in town. My parents, all the siblings. And they all. And I pushed them back because it was a 12:30 Pacific time tip. And I was like, y' all can't come till like, three, please. 2:30.

[Billie Jean King]

So.

[Julie Foudy]

But they started shuffling in in the second half, and I was like, out, out. Stay out for a little bit longer. I need to watch this. So, yeah, it was. It was fun. It was fun to watch. I watched from home through the rowdy, fatty craziness prism. What about you, Abs? I saw some pacing happening.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, Home pacing. And actually, it was a wonderful timed game for me and my family. We just do, like, an Easter brunch, and then we just watch the game. It was, like, perfectly timed. I was like, this is perfect.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Billie Jean King]

And I was. I'm lucky because Ilana's Jewish, so it's great. It was pesa that we had Easter. I'm like, okay, whatever. Happy, happy, everyone. Happy Passover. Happy Easter. Whatever.

[Julie Foudy]

Right? Yeah, exactly.

[Abby Wambach]

This is why I love women's sports so much, is because as soon as we sit down, it is my time where, like, we get to lock in. And we're. We're all doing something together for the most part. And we're talking. We're. We're. We're just, like, having a good time, you know? And so after the tournament, Glennon turns to me and she said, I love the women's March Madness tournament. I cannot wait for next year. And I was like, yes.

[Billie Jean King]

Way to go, girl.

[Julie Foudy]

She's all in. Tell her I will share my basketball hat with her for next year if she wants it. I can just see her sitting on the couch with that bad boy on. We got so into March Madness that we didn't want it to stop. And so, in typical rowdy fowdy fashion, we did a April Madness. We continued it. April Madness Cornhole Bracket challenge party. And then we did a ping pong April Madness ping pong challenge. I'm happy to report I won the ping pong tournament and I lost in the final to Cornhole. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

Ping pong, Top two table tennis.

[Billie Jean King]

Come on, give us some.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, yeah, Altitude here.

[Billie Jean King]

I'm kidding.

[Julie Foudy]

It gets very.

[Billie Jean King]

It is ping pong here.

[Julie Foudy]

And we. We. We wrote out the brackets. We even got my dad and my mom to play some cornhole, which is what I love about cornhole. Cuz all gens can play.

[Abby Wambach]

So love how much you guys get into it. I like, love how much you get into things like you are to something fun. And it's like, fun and competing. It's so cool.

[Julie Foudy]

I was like, who's taking team Julie and Tina? And it was, like, silent. I was like, what?

[Billie Jean King]

What do you Mean.

[Julie Foudy]

And then I was like, okay, who's taking Team Grant and Mike, my brother. And they're like, yeah. I was like, okay, okay. I don't like my family anymore. None of them.

[Abby Wambach]

I mean, sincerely, you should do stand up.

[Billie Jean King]

Sorry, Abby.

[Abby Wambach]

No, it's okay. She should. But, like, my family is the opposite game of this. Like, if I were to write out two brackets and have some sort of competition going and stand up and yell, who is taking my team? Yeah. Glennon would have me committed. Like, she would be like, something is wrong with you. Why would you do this? Like, that means what you're saying is somebody's gonna lose. Yeah. And I'm like, exactly. Somebody is gonna lose, and they're losers.

[Julie Foudy]

The only thing she sounds like I failed on. I know. Glennon. Glennon doesn't like that competition.

[Billie Jean King]

No, she sounds like 1950.

[Julie Foudy]

I know.

[Billie Jean King]

Tell her. Get in the now, baby. Get in.

[Abby Wambach]

Halfway through. I mean, let's bring it back to the women's basketball final. Halfway through the game, and UCLA is winning, like, the whole first half. She's like, oh, my God. Oh, God, what is happening?

[Jordan Robinson]

Oh, God.

[Abby Wambach]

She's, like, clutching her pearls, nervous, like, so funny. And then in the fourth quarter, she was like, I feel so bad for South Carolina. I just feel so badly. It's hurting them. And I'm like, yeah, I know, but, like, let's not focus on that. Let's focus on how awesome this is for ucla.

[Billie Jean King]

No kidding. Second championship. They waited forever. They waited forever.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. And first one for Corey Close. How much I loved all the excitement people had for her. I mean, we'll talk about even Dawn Jordan, but, yeah, the dawn that was just so classy. Dawn Staley saying, yes, that hurts to lose, but when you lose to someone like a Corey Close, you just have to celebrate her. I mean, that says everything about Corey. I think just a little recap on. On the score. We're going to get into this more with. With. With Jordan Robinson, but Bruins won, of course, 79 to 51. So Glennon didn't get too stressed, I hope, in that second half because they were so far up. And as we. As we mentioned, it's UCLA's first national championship in the modern era. BJK, you mentioned last one, 1978. Gabriella Jacquez led the way for the Bruins with 21 points. Points. And, oh, my goodness, she was everywhere.

[Abby Wambach]

Okay, can I just give everybody listening just a tip? Just go to Gabriella Haquez's Instagram. Just do yourself that favor. Just do it. Go down the rabbit hole. She was doing all of these incredible. She. Not only is she an incredible athlete, she is so fun and funny and is. I spent an hour yesterday just looking through all of her stuff. I was just like, I love this girl. She's great.

[Julie Foudy]

She was one of the. They say, they always been saying, like, she is the heart and soul of this team. She bleeds blue and gold Bruin colors. And she was one of six seniors on that UCLA Bruin team. And I don't know if you know this, Kinger, the six seniors accounted for every point scored in the final four. So in the semi.

[Billie Jean King]

Final.

[Julie Foudy]

In the final. Isn't that crazy?

[Billie Jean King]

They're the epitome of what a team can do if you stick together. And we're going to win the championship. And they did.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Corey Close was with Holly Row, of course, after the game.

[Jordan Robinson]

How cute was that?

[Julie Foudy]

And. And she had her mom over as well. But at one point she said, all year we have been saying, the talent is our floor, but character will be our ceiling.

[Billie Jean King]

She's amazing. She has grace. Banners hang in. Gems and rings collect dust. But who you become and who you impact, you get to keep forever. I mean, that's. That's another quote from her. I mean, her quotes are magical. We should just write them all down. I said, God, I'd love to play for her. Wouldn't you just go through the wall for her?

[Abby Wambach]

I love to play for Grace.

[Billie Jean King]

She's amazing.

[Abby Wambach]

And it sounds. Nowadays in the modern game, it sounds like that way of coaching feels almost foreign, right? Because the transfer portal and nil and competition and winning is the only thing that matters, like philosophy, that our culture has taken on as, like, like what is par for the course. So to me, the way that Corey has, like, stepped outside of what's expected and what is the norm and has figured out how to do it her way and do it authentic, like, to who she is as a. As a person and as a coach. And then the way that these players talk about each other makes me know that she. This is not just lip service, right? That this is what she practices day in and day out as a coach. And that bleeds into your. Into the character of the people you're trying to lead. And it just was so evident to me all. All year. Like, I just feel so happy. It makes me kind of emotional because it feels like we're. We're touching on some old, ancient part of us that we sometimes forget because we get into this modern day and age of. Of. Of life and it's like, oh, my gosh. No. The reason why we do this and the reason why we play sport is because it. This is an opportunity for us to show and the value of our character and what it can do. And she just is. I don't know. I just feel so pumped.

[Julie Foudy]

She always keeps that front and center. That's to the core. That's who she is. Yep. I love that. That's such a great point.

[Billie Jean King]

It just shows you about relationships, though, when you even see them get in the huddle and you see them, I mean, the way they connect with their eyes, with each other and the way they connect, the way they touch, the way they do everything. They're totally together, totally great. And Cory's got him that. I mean, Corey make a great psychology. Well, she is great. Coaches are psychologists and they. And it's. It's about teaching. They're great teachers. Coach. Really great coaches are great teachers.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay, bracket final results from our bracket pod challenge. Oh, my gosh. And we've got this incredible prize that's being made right now for the winner. And it is. And this is. Drumroll, please.

[Abby Wambach]

The women's game.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Billie Jean King]

They weren't even close, were they?

[Julie Foudy]

I know. No. 1540 points. They came from behind. Oh, welcome to the party. In close second with 1500 points. So Sam Mewis, Lynn Bindolo, Becky Sauerbun, Christy Mewis. Congratulations. And now Lindsay Heaps is in group as well. In third. Yo, Glennon. With 1490 points. We can do hard sports. A good game. Who was in the lead the whole time? She was the lead dog. Sarah Spade.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh, talking a lot of talk.

[Julie Foudy]

Yukon. She dropped down. The slices are suffering. She took fourth. A touch more Subird and Megan Rapinoe finished with 1220 points. They're in fifth place. Time wasting in six. Recap in seventh. And coach Jackie really bringing up the rear with 920 points. Our listener winner is coach April. 1800 points.

[Abby Wambach]

Coach April.

[Billie Jean King]

Excellent.

[Julie Foudy]

Had UCLA defeating South Carolina in the championship, which is impressive because obviously a lot of people had UConn. She only had 7 total incorrect picks throughout the entire tournament.

[Billie Jean King]

Really?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Coach April. Geez. Okay, more March Madness ahead with Jordan Robinson. And we will get into UCLA's total dominance. And also talk about what the heck Gino was doing after their loss to South Carolina. But for now, let's get to our party starter. The highlights, shake ups and headlines. You'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. Our party starter is brought to you by Ally the Bank that is your Ally Kinger Topic number one. You know where we're going. PWHL largest crowd for a women's hockey game ever. 18,000 plus at Madison Square Garden. New York sirens beat the Seattle torrent two to one. You were there.

[Billie Jean King]

You dropped the P2 to one in OT, baby. They were going crazy. Okay, I played at Madison Square Garden. I have been there. I've been to the Knicks games. I've been to everything. And I'm telling you, I have never heard it this loud in my whole life. And you have to remember, these hockey players have never played there. They were so excited. Just the fact they got to play. And then this is the puck that Ilana and I got to drop to start the game. Unbelievable. You know, Robin Roberts was there. Flage Johnson came with us out on the. You know, I told her to come. She wasn't supposed to, but I said, come with us.

[Julie Foudy]

Come drop the puck. So did she drop the puck with you?

[Billie Jean King]

She didn't drop it, but she was right next to us and right behind us. And I said, no, you come because it's important. She's the future. Man, all these kids. So anyway, it was just. It was just. I can't tell you. And it was just a full crowd. It was dreams, you know, you have to understand, when I grew up, I was in the 60s, 50s. These are the dreams of my generation and even your generation to see. And it's happening. It's only in the third year, it's up 25%. I mean, I can't tell you. It's just going crazy. We're probably going to add franchises next year. It's just. It's. It's crazy.

[Abby Wambach]

I just want to say this. If. If the franchising might happen and they're looking for any owners to be involved or any extra money.

[Billie Jean King]

Don't worry. You two are first on my list.

[Julie Foudy]

You know what? I'm so happy, too, for Kinger, that you're getting to see the fruits of all your labor.

[Billie Jean King]

Yes, thank you. Because that's Lana and I talk about it, right?

[Julie Foudy]

Like you are in the middle of it. You're dropping the puck. You're sitting in the stands. They're recognizing. You are also, with the work you've put in. You helped build this league. You helped not just build this league. You have helped build women's sports to the point we're at today. And you're getting to see it in every different sport. It's every different week. We're talking about a different attendance record that's been, you know, set or this record's been set, and this record's been set. It's because of what you've done.

[Billie Jean King]

Yeah. It takes so many people to do it, but I am so happy to be alive. To your point. I mean, and I do care. I put my life into it. But it's fun. It's great. It's sports. If you can get a girl in sports, it changes her life forever.

[Abby Wambach]

And what does Billie do? She is there to drop the crack with Alana. She grabs flaujay. And that is indicative of why we are here. Not. Look at me. This women. It's just about me. It's like she's still trying to push the game forward and bringing. You know, it just is so freaking cool. I cannot believe we get to do this podcast with you, Billy. It's.

[Julie Foudy]

It.

[Abby Wambach]

Like I'm having kind of one of those weird moments right now. Like, Julie, what are we doing?

[Julie Foudy]

I'll just put a bow on this by saying, I. I hope. I sincerely hope. Not me. We, Abby. And I sincerely hope that you understand the impact and that you are the thread that runs through all of this. And I just. Please tell me that sometimes you go, this is cool. And I called it. I called it 50 years ago.

[Billie Jean King]

Yeah, I did. I do say that sometimes. I did myself.

[Julie Foudy]

I physically called it.

[Billie Jean King]

And then I say to Alana, do you know how lucky I am to still be alive to see all this? And this is just the beginning, but at least I've been able to see the beginnings. That's. Oh, it's great.

[Abby Wambach]

I know.

[Billie Jean King]

But you guys will have to keep carrying the torch after I'm out of here.

[Abby Wambach]

But so many people, Billy.

[Billie Jean King]

And you are told the podcast, like,

[Abby Wambach]

all through your life, how crazy you sounded, like you probably were told you're insane. You have no business being in sports. Women will never get to. And now you get to say. Told you also. Look at what's happening.

[Billie Jean King]

Gosh, I tend not to. It's so.

[Abby Wambach]

I know. But you could. And you're. You're nicer.

[Billie Jean King]

I guess I could. Well, take care of me.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. We'll do it for you.

[Abby Wambach]

We'll do it.

[Billie Jean King]

You'll do it. But.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay.

[Billie Jean King]

It's just unreal.

[Julie Foudy]

NWSL weekend in action. We're gonna keep this tight. We're just gonna give the Angel City update. Sorry. Rest of the teams out there, it's our show.

[Abby Wambach]

We get to do what we want. Total ownership.

[Julie Foudy]

Wait. We also will say that Sophia, the roster dropped for us. Women's national team. So Sophia Wilson is officially back. We have a double shot of espresso. She's played in all five of Portland's games. Started in Tierna. Davidson is also back. So this amazing center back from. She's an Olympic gold medalist from the 2024 Olympics. Tore her ACL in March of 2025. So she's back for the first time, which is great news as well for the. For the.

[Jordan Robinson]

You.

[Julie Foudy]

For the US Team. And we will be getting, of course, into that on Thursday's show with head coach Emma Hayes. On the show, Angel City, I'm sad to report, lost its first game. They had won three straight. Lost 2 to 1 versus Orlando in Orlando, first loss of the season. All three goals were scored in the 85th minute or later. So Orlando scores in the 84th. Giselle Thompson, that was McCutchen, scored that. Giselle Thompson scored a banger to equalize in the 92nd. And then McCutcheon again on a corner kick. Yeah. Heartbreaker in the 98th minute. But still we're game in hand and sitting very well. We're in fourth place, so. And we have a game in hand, so if we win this next one, we'll be back.

[Billie Jean King]

We're not in last place. We usually are near the bottom. And I'm like, are you kidding me? Second largest market in the country.

[Julie Foudy]

We are. We are climbing Kinger. Let's go.

[Abby Wambach]

All right, you guys, we got some breaking news. You want me to break it here?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

All right. The journalist, Taylor Rooks is now reporting on Twitter as well as various other sources that Angel Reese is leaving Chicago. She is headed to the Atlanta dream.

[Julie Foudy]

Wow.

[Abby Wambach]

Can you believe that?

[Billie Jean King]

Anything?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Look at them apples. Well done. Atlanta was. Atlanta was good last year, too. That is gonna.

[Billie Jean King]

She's gonna make them better.

[Jordan Robinson]

All right.

[Abby Wambach]

And that's a wrap now on your party starter. And thanks to Ally for sponsoring this segment. Ally is more than a bank, and their do it right approach helps customers unlock their economic potential and guide their efforts as a leading sponsor in women's sports. Just like us, Ally believes that when women in sport win, we all have a reason to party. ALLY BANK MEMBER.

[Billie Jean King]

And they're right.

[Abby Wambach]

I see.

[Julie Foudy]

They are right. And coming up, we all are just a bunch of hoop heads now, so. Which is really good because there's so much basketball to talk about. Don't go anywhere.

[Abby Wambach]

So, Jules.

[Julie Foudy]

Yes.

[Abby Wambach]

When was the last time your shopping delivery service really delivered? Because, you know, nothing says chaos like opening the door, expecting oat milk, and somehow ending up with almond.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

It's annoying. It might just be an ingredient. But getting the items that you need to operate and live well during the week is really important. Right?

[Julie Foudy]

Details, details matter.

[Abby Wambach]

And that is how I realized shoppers with shipped are no ordinary shoppers because they know that no order is ordinary. I, I can actually feel the care jewels that they put behind what's in my cart. Not only will they never confuse parsley for cilantro, but that's a big one.

[Julie Foudy]

And that's not easy, by the way.

[Abby Wambach]

I know it matters.

[Julie Foudy]

That is an easy thing.

[Abby Wambach]

This matters because I don't like cilantro and it is important that I get parsley. But really, they actually check in with you? They actually check in with me multiple times before they check out to see if I need anything else. The last minute. Did I forget paper towels? Need one more thing for dinner. They've got me. And I just think it's like, it feels so thoughtful and personal, like someone is literally shopping. Like a friend of mine is shopping that I would be texting with.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, it's kind of like my husband. He does the same thing. He'd be like, okay, I've got, I'm leaving, I'm about to check out. I love that they're like, what do you need?

[Abby Wambach]

Exactly? Plus shoppers with Shipt Shop your favorite stores, including your local grocery store, Petsmart and Lowe's. So whatever kind of day you're having, they can meet you in it. Try SHIPT free for 14 days. Download the app or visit SHIPT.com that's S-H-IPT.com terms apply.

[Julie Foudy]

Abigail, let's be clear. I have a lot of hair and I've talked a lot about my hair journey. I know you know this. For the longest time I thought that the more I washed my hair, the cleaner and healthier it would be. Well, it turns out, and especially with this hair, I had it completely wrong. So most traditional shampoos use really harsh detergents that strip your scalp of its natural oils. And when that happens, your scalp kind of goes into this overdrive of trying to fix it so it produces more oil. Produces it faster. And when you end up washing more, you're. You're suddenly stuck in this constant cycle. And that's what led me to Hair Stories. New Wash. And literally, I'm not exaggerating when I say it completely changed my relationship with my hair. New Wash isn't a shampoo. It's a detergent free cleansing cream. And as I, as you're using it, you're like, whoa, this is weird. Cause usually, like, you know, you get really sudsy and. And it doesn't feel like that. But what happens is it cleans your hair without stripping it, and that's why. So your scalp can actually rebalance itself. So my hair feels healthier. It feels softer. I'm going way longer, thank goodness, between washes, which I never thought would happen for me. And the simplicity is a huge win. It replaces both shampoo and conditioner. So it's just one step less time, less effort. And honestly, honestly, it just feels better. I've also been using their pre wash, which is a prebiotic scalp rinse. I don't know if you've used this, this yet, abs, but it helps you break down, build up, and kind of reset your scalp, especially if you're switching over from traditional shampoos. And I noticed that transition felt a lot smoother because of it. If you're tired of that wash, grease, repeat cycle like I was, I really recommend giving this a try. Go to hairstory.com welcome to the party and use code party. 15 for 15 off your first order. Okay, party people. She's not only the host of the women's hoops show, she also co wrote the book Court Queens, which follows women's basketball from the 1890s all the way to today. And we are getting her straight from her trip to the NCAA finals in Phoenix. I don't know how you're still standing. Geor. Jordan. Jordan Robinson, welcome back to the party.

[Abby Wambach]

Let's go. Have you slept? Have you slept is the question.

[Jordan Robinson]

No. And I am still in Phoenix. I am still in my hotel room. We are still here, leaving today. So we are. We're hanging on. But what. It's been so fun. It's been so many activities, so many things around the basketball world, and it's always fun to be here and just, like, see the excitement and feel will never get old being at the Final Four.

[Julie Foudy]

So, so excited. Oh, I bet you're gonna take a long nap after this one, though.

[Jordan Robinson]

Yeah. That's why I am a passenger. Princess. And I will be sleeping because we drove. We have our puppy with us, so I'll be sleeping the whole ride home.

[Julie Foudy]

Oh, sweet. Oh, your puppy. Okay. I intentionally did not address this at the top of the show. I've been saving it for Jordan as well, but I have to get everyone, you know, where I'm going. Jordan, we got to get that out of the way. Gino, let's vent. It must be addressed. And Jordan, if you can give a little Context, because you were there for the party people who may have not seen that semifinal game of UConn versus South Carolina that was on Friday evening. And. And what you saw, or if you saw the. The little interaction, not little big interaction between Gino and. And Don Staley, who, as my friend said, oh, she went all Philly on him. Right away. I was like, yeah, well, they're both

[Jordan Robinson]

from Philly, So that's just the. The other part about it. But it was wild, you guys, to not only be there, but, you know, when you're in there and you're in the arena, you're not watching the broadcast, so you don't have a lot of context of what's going on. So everyone just immediately turned on their phones, and we were all just like, wait, what's going on? What happened? I never experienced something like that where everyone was just actively on social media, scrolling, trying to listen to the broadcast, to seize. To get some context. And then I was just piecing it together. My husband was sitting somewhere else in the arena, so he had a different view. I was from another part, and we were texting each other. So it was like I was solving a mystery. And this is what I found. So at the end of the game, of course, everybody knows UConn undefeated season, they lose, South Carolina outplays them, they outwork them. And it was just flat out a loss for UConn. No one saw it coming. I don't think Gino saw it coming. And all. Everything was high, tensions were high, emotions were high. At the end of the game, as we all know in sports, the coaches shake hands, they say, good game. They go on about their business. But Gino took that moment to express that Don didn't shake his hand at the beginning of the game. So he said at the end of the game, as they're shaking hands, why didn't you shake my hand at the beginning of the game? And Don, rightfully so, had a reaction of, what are you talking about? Like, we did shake hands. Then the footage shows people shot video of them shaking hands. He was talking about a moment after that that they were going to shake hands again and that he waited. And there's also footage of him waiting. But Don was like, we already shook hands. Why would I shake your hands again? So it just seemed like a lost in translation moment. But Geno took that moment instead of, congrats on the win. Good scout, good game. Appreciate it. Good luck in the championship game. He took that moment to bring up something that dawn did at the beginning of the game. So dawn heated hot. Then she gets asked about it in the post game press conference. She completely says, that's a Gino question. Ask him. I am a woman of integrity. If I slighted him in any way, I did not mean to. It was not on purpose. We know that Geno issued an apology a day later, but it did not dress don specifically. It just said that he acted essentially out of character, which it was wild. Everybody, UConn fans, South Carolina fans, everyone in the arena was against him. And let me just say, when they played a montage before the championship game and Geno's face showed up on the jumbo cron on the national championship game, everyone booed. So that's the vibe now that we are surrounding because of this situation. And it overpowered the basketball, which I

[Julie Foudy]

think that was the record.

[Jordan Robinson]

I think he did it on purpose. I think that was purposeful. Because we're not talking about AZ FUDs bad shooting night. We're not talking about the. The worst game offensively, UConn has ever had. We're not. We're talking about Gino. And he does that every year. He does a rant. He does something that takes the pressure off of the players to the extent I get it, but not at the slight of disrespecting another coach. And that's where the line is very firm.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jordan Robinson]

I'm getting really roused.

[Julie Foudy]

I know. What was your. All your. Abby and I were texting Fiercely and Kinger as well. I was like, oh, my God. What is he thinking?

[Billie Jean King]

He needs attention, and he's pissed they lost. It's real simple. When you lose, you have to suck it up and be nice and be cordial and say, well done. And then you can go in the locker room and throw everything, do whatever you want. You cannot. When you lose, you just have to give it up, unfortunately. And he doesn't want to. He still wants to be the center of attention. He wants his team to be the center of attention. He can't do that.

[Julie Foudy]

He was really bad protocol by that all game, too, with Holly Row. He was on edge. And I was like, well. And that is probably why your team played on edge as well. Hello.

[Billie Jean King]

That's exactly. They pick up on those vibes, man.

[Abby Wambach]

I actually think that. That, like, when you look back and you think. Because it was a different Yukon team than we've seen, like, we've seen them struggle in parts of games, and we've seen them not, you know, lose momentum, but there was just some. There was like the. The Gas wasn't inside of them. Like, they didn't. There was no air. And if you are a coach that can't handle the moment or can't handle a potential disrespect, let's just say. Let's just. Let's just say that dawn, this is a high hypothetical that Don, on purpose, did not go to shake his hand, to play some sort of mind game with him. Let's just. Let's just hypothetically say that she did it on purpose, which I think that that would be brilliant of her.

[Jordan Robinson]

Playing chess, truly. Yeah.

[Abby Wambach]

But this is a chess match. And how, as a coach who's been here so many times, and I like Gino, I like. I like the fact that he's been at this program and stayed there for all these years, but how could you not have the fullness and the understanding and the experience to know that this moment just does not matter? It just doesn't in the grand scheme of what's going on in the game. And so I have to believe that there has to be ulterior motives. Like this was part of his plan to take some pressure off of his players, but to do it at the expense of Dawn Staley, a black woman, no less. You know, we're talking about, like, white men, fragility, like all of these dynamics are at play. And then you're not even talking about the bigness and the extraordinary performance of the South Carolina team. I think personally this affected them in the championship game. I think the drama.

[Julie Foudy]

I said. I said that, too. I. I agree with you on that. That dawn had to deal with the questions in the team over and over again. And it's like she tried to deflect, rightfully so, and say, look, I'm just focused on this game. I'm not talking about that anymore. But I do think that that was a bit of a distraction, for sure. And unfortunate for South Carolina because, I mean, they had such a huge win on Friday night. And then you have the Sunday game where was a completely different team and their performance there. Going back to the presser and the postgame for UConn, Geno didn't want to apologize yet. He didn't apologize till the next day. Clearly he was still fired up. But can we just talk about Az Fudd really quick? Because she had been fighting back from all those different injuries and she was fighting back tears in that post game presser. I felt terrible for her. I obviously know Az and her mom, but I just want to give her a shout out because she handled that so well, and she has so much to be proud of with her career and what she's come back. Back from. And as we know, her future is so damn bright, so. But the. The second game, UCLA had the dominance over Texas and that second semifinal, obviously, then we go to the final on Easter Sunday, and it's UCLA versus South Carolina. So what are your thoughts on that game, Jordan, on the final?

[Jordan Robinson]

I mean, you guys talked about it just. It didn't look like the same South Carolina team that we just saw beat UConn with an incredible scout. And the whole thing of why South Carolina beat UConn was the defense. They held UConn to 48 points, 44 points, something that is unheard of to do. And then on the opposite side, just a couple days later, you give up, you know, almost 80 points to a team that doesn't typically do that. So it was very opposite on a defensive scheme. I did not have UCLA winning by this large of a margin. I think everybody was stunned in the crowd. You know, there was a lot of UCLA fans in Phoenix, but a lot of South Carolina fans also made that trip. So it was just quiet from half of the arena. I think everybody was really hyped up around the situation between Don and Geno to support South Carolina and, like, push them over the edge. But off the court and on the court is very different. So once they stepped on the court, it was a repeat. It was a little bit of deja vu because South Carolina was just in this situation against UConn in the championship game last year where they lost by more than 20 points. And we were all stunned then. So have that happen back to back years is something to pay attention to. But I don't want to take anything away from ucla. All of the points scored by all of their seniors, their six seniors for the past two games, I think that just speaks to that determination. They could not be denied. And you saw that. You felt that every play, every cut was crisp, every pass was intentional, every shot like they looked prepared. And a very. Even though a lot of the similar players from this team in the Final Four last year look like a complete different team. And I'm so happy, I couldn't help but just stand up and clap. And especially with the history, them being this being their first championship in team history is just incredible. So I. I had so much fun cheering for them, and they deserved it. They played their tails off.

[Julie Foudy]

That's right. That was so fun to watch. Corey said after the game, this is the quote we were talking about earlier, but we didn't say it. She was getting emotional after the game, and she said, I wanted to recruit uncommon, courageous women that were willing to make uncommon choices that maybe possibly could yield an uncommon result. And today we did it.

[Billie Jean King]

Oh.

[Jordan Robinson]

I mean, how do you not love Corey? Clothes. Come on. Come on. She deserves this interview with her mom being there. She's just fighting back tears the whole time. Like, 15 years. 15 years to get your first championship as a coach. But in program history, it was just incredible. It's so fun to cheer for.

[Abby Wambach]

It's just indicative of, you know, in our culture, like, we want the newness. We want the novelty of something. Like, it's. It's. We're all now wired to want new and different. For Corey to stay for all of these years, and then also for. For these seniors to choose to stay, to not enter into the transfer portal and to stay and to recommit after last year's Final Four loss, that is something that is very different and very, very uncommon in this day and age. And for them to get rewarded for it, it just is like. I don't know, there's just something kind of spiritual in a way about it. There's something kind of otherworldly that I think that we need to keep kind of focusing attention on that, because I think that that is what. It's not about the winning and losing. It's, like, how you go about doing it and how Corey and how this team has gone about winning is so uncommon. And so they are not only going to get an uncommon result, but the way that it's going to land in their lives will also be uncommon and transformational, I think.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. And here's what's totally crazy, is a lot of these players will barely get to enjoy it. Right. Like, the WNBA draft is Monday, April 13th. So we're talking about. Yeah. This historic class out of UCLA, with multiple Bruins expected to go in the top 20 and several Gamecocks as well. And stay with us party people. Jordan is sticking around. She doesn't have a choice, of course, as we have so much more hoops to get into.

[Abby Wambach]

For me, skin care is one of those things, Jules, that's always been a little, I would say, all over the place. You know, my skin changes constantly. Travel, weather, stress, and the fact that I've been basically living outdoors for three, 30 years of my life, it's also.

[Julie Foudy]

I know that.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, exactly. Like, one week it's dry, the next it's breaking out, the next it's somehow both. And so, like, so many of These routines that I do take up a lot of my energy. I buy all the things and then I'm on it for a few days and then I just forget about it. That's why One Skin is a whole new ball game for me. Jules. My go to is their essential moisturizer and it's just, it fits really well and really easily into my day. It feels lightweight, it absorbs fast and hydrates my skin in a big way. One Skin is a science backed skin care line that works at the cellular level. Jules. Their team developed a proprietary peptide called OS1 that targets damage senescent cells. Okay. Jules. You know, the damaged cells that sun damage does. This product, this product is here.

[Julie Foudy]

I'm using it. Let me tell you, it's going to

[Abby Wambach]

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[Julie Foudy]

Welcome back. Before we get into the draft stuff, Kinger.

[Billie Jean King]

Yeah. I was just thinking. You talk about, you know, the coach, the players of this, but don't forget UCLA also kept Corey for 15 years. And I, you know how schools are changed coaches all the time. So I want to, I want to thank them too for believing in her and sticking with her. Because sometimes they get rid of coaches and I'm like, what? Give them a chance to develop. So hats off to UCLA as well.

[Julie Foudy]

Great point. Okay, WNBA draft is as I just said, Monday, April 13th. So they get this quick moment to take a breath, barely a breath, and then wham. Jordan, what are some of the projected picks?

[Jordan Robinson]

So yeah, let me just hammer home that for a second. Just that we, I'm still in Phoenix. I'm sure there's probably some players still in Phoenix on Monday, April 6. And then a week from today, we will all be in New York dressed to the nines, getting drafted. And then training camp starts the 19th. So they are flying to their cities wherever they get drafted and they are starting to play basketball all within the same month. Like I, that is a abnormal timeline that I just really have to hammer home because it's very unique to the WNBA system. But some projected picks we have. This is from CBS and these mock drafts are really guesses, you know, no one knows for sure. This is one of the rare years where the number one pick is kind of a mystery. Like I think we are all going to be surprised on what Dallas goes with on draft night. We know last year Paige Beckers, of course she was the number one pick. The year before that, Caitlin Clark, of course we knew she was the number one pick. But this year. Could it be Az Fudd at UConn? Could it be a player Aua Fam who is in Spain? She's only 19 years old, one of those young phenoms that could come into the league and just be a wrecking ball. So could Dallas Wings go that way? Could they go with kind of the for sure thing?

[Billie Jean King]

What do they need? What do you think their team needs?

[Jordan Robinson]

That is a great question, Billie Jean King, because I think they need a big but they should. There's still free agency so they still could gather players. A veteran big and free agency. Get a shooter like Az Fudd who will plug into your system alongside Paige Beckers. We know that that works because they won a national championship together at UConn. But if they don't get something in free agency or they or people don't want to come to Dallas because that is true, they were in last place last year. Then going with someone like AWA Pham is a sure bet because she is that big, she's athletic. You're taking a chance on a 19 year old who was very promising in the FIBA qualifying tournament against usa. We got to see what she could do against the top WNBA talent. So they could go either way. They could go either way. Toronto is going to have the first pick out of the expansion teams at 6. CBS has Raven Johnson going there. I also like a Tanaya Latson from South Carolina going there. A promising guard to build build around. Also South Carolina. Their fans root for GameCocks in the WNBA. So having that fan base along with an expansion draft is like a little tidbit that they would want as well. But I just want to point out UCLA having five seniors potentially be drafted in the first round is wild. Like I know Corey Close is going to be at that draft. Just beaming from ear to ear because that does not happen typically.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, you got. I see on the board we've got Lauren Betts. Obviously possibly they're projecting her and who Knows maybe she goes one. I don't know. But right now they have her projected at 4. You got Kiki Rice in the mix, obviously. Gianna Niepkins. Wow. Wait, where's Dougalich in all this? Is she. Is she in that mix? I don't see her first round 20 board.

[Jordan Robinson]

Yeah, I would say she's probably an early second rounder. I would say she's an early second rounder for sure. But I think she's going to be a really good. Probably wherever she goes. I think she could. I mean, you guys see her play. She's everywhere. Whatever you need her to do. I love that she's going to get a rebound. She's going to die for a loose ball, and she's also going to score. So I think this tournament has really helped her draft stock, but it's still, I would say, early second round for her. Okay.

[Julie Foudy]

Okay. And then Jordan, let's just quickly switch gears a little bit because we've been following all this transfer portal chatter, and

[Abby Wambach]

there's like, yeah, what in the world?

[Julie Foudy]

What is happening? I mean, we know that it's crazy, and this needs to change. I think this is my personal opinion. It's just too much when you get all these kids going in the portal year after year. And there's got to be a limit on how many times we can go in the portal, but there isn't right now, so. It's being reported that nearly 600 women's college basketball players have verbally indicated their intent to enter the NCAA transfer portal, with the official window opening on April 7th. This tracks right, because last year there was, like, double that, which is crazy, too. 1500 players who entered the 20, 24, 25 portal. What. What is your take on all this? I need to know.

[Jordan Robinson]

You know, it's just such a drastic emotion. Like, we're so excited about the championship and the Final Four, and we saw all these players compete, and maybe they just lost by, you know, a tenth of a second. Just something so close. And me as a competitor, I'm like, let's run it back. Like, let's go do it again. Let's. We were so close. What happens if we just fix a couple more things? And it just feels like we're gonna be here sitting in this exact spot next year with all different people on all different teams, and we can't have that storyline like we're talking about at ucla where it's like, wow, they stuck together and they're doing it again. You have almost full teams just being completely Dismantled. You have a team like Iowa State who had a decent year, a really solid start, and their star Audi crooks in the transfer portal. What is it? 10 players from that team gone. So it is going to be a completely different Iowa State team next year. Then you have a team like Tennessee, which we saw the rumblings of this. This is probably the least surprising part of the portal because they kind of fell apart midway through the season and they had the worst season and franchise history of a historic, a historic Tennessee program. We know that the bar is high for Tennessee women's basketball and they didn't reach that. So all their players are pretty much leaving. And then on top of that, you have a star recruit who was signed to Tennessee. She's decommitting to go to Tennessee. That is not, not good.

[Abby Wambach]

I have a question, Jordan. I have a question. So I understand losing and being like pissed. I understand not having the best situation and really wanting to get out of Dodge and leaving and entering the transfer portal. Is there a financial component to all of this that that is why so many players are shifting? Like, because I want to call it what it is. I. Because so many of us get the, the notion like, oh, they're, they're not, they don't, they don't value team. Team. Right? They, they don't. They're like jumping ship and whatever. Are these players leaving programs because they're finding more money at different places? Is this why this is happening?

[Jordan Robinson]

I think it's a part of it. I think we have to think of it as a multi pronged thing. You know, it could be for money reasons. I think of last year, Olivia Miles entering the portal, not going to the draft, which turned out to be very smart, like we talked about, because she's getting way more money because of the CBA this year. But we know TCU offered her a lot of money. Sometimes it's something that you just can't say no to. So there's that part of it. There's the part of being disgruntled, maybe not liking your playing time, maybe not getting along with the coaching staff. There's also the part of, with this conference realignment, where am I going to be seen the most? You know, when we Talk about the PAC12 imploding and all those players saying, well, I'm trying to get to the wnba. I can't stay here if you're not going to be on prime time ESPN games. I have to go to a program where I'm going to be seen so that WNBA GMs can see me and I can be in the draft. So there's that part of it. And then the other part is, you know, some things that are out of their control. I look at Virginia, the Virginia women's basketball. We talked about it. We sung their praises all tournament. They fire their coach because of an internal investigation. They're saying that she was potentially allegedly mistreating the coaching staff. And in their investigation, they fired her. Now you have players that were like, well, we were only here for her. So Kimora Johnson this morning, I'm entering the portal. So it's like, okay, that's something that is out of her control. Her coach is fired. The environment wasn't the best. Now she's going to go somewhere else. And people are saying, don Staley, get Kahmora Johnson. This is a good fit. And then that starts, right? They should go here. They should go here. Audi crooks. They're photoshopping her in a UCLA jersey. Like it's just a frenzy. We have no rest.

[Julie Foudy]

I understand there are reasons that maybe someone wants to leave. And I think you give them one chance to do that. One transfer. Okay? You take that transfer whenever you want during the course of your career, whether you didn't like the coach, you didn't like the school, you went for more money, you wanted to take a bag of money, okay, you get one transfer, and then after that, there's consequences to the transfer because there needs to be some continuity so that we can actually cheer on these teams and have a sense of like, oh, this. This is my team. This is my team. I just. I don't love it. I don't love it at all, as you can tell from my voice. Okay, so, Jordan, you've got to go make a chaos. You got to get out. You got to get out of Dodge. You got to get out of Phoenix. We're going to let you go. You need to take a nap. And everyone, party people keep on following Jordan because it doesn't end with the ncaa. She is deep into the dub, as we know. And we're going to be also watching anything and everything else happening in women's in women's hoops, because as you can tell, I'll put my hoops cap back on, but we are all in. So follow Jordan at. Jordan Liggins. L I G O N S on Instagram or on Tik tok at. Hey, Jordan Robinson. Jordan, you are a rock star, my friend. Thanks so much.

[Billie Jean King]

Thank you.

[Jordan Robinson]

Thank you. Thank you. I'm so glad you guys are all hoop heads. Now my plan has worked.

[Billie Jean King]

Total hoop heads.

[Julie Foudy]

One. We love Jordan. How great is she? And. And she had to hit the road. So we. I wanted to go into something before we close out this show that I think is just like we. We've been talking about the chaos of the transfer portal and having to switch over the WNBA to end on a really positive note is. And because it's women celebrating others. Y' all see Dawn Staley reflecting on Corey Close.

[Abby Wambach]

Her post game. Her post game.

[Julie Foudy]

Yes.

[Abby Wambach]

Yes.

[Billie Jean King]

I mean, Dawn's the greatest.

[Abby Wambach]

More of this.

[Julie Foudy]

Dawn Staley is so classy. And it's just such a perfect example of how in a moment where she has just lost. And we can contrast this with Gino, right. She has just lost. And her choice of action, even in your hardest moment of losing that final and your team did not do well at all, she had to have been so frustrated by that. Is to recognize someone else's well deserved success. And not just to recognize them, but to say let's. Let's cheer on this kind of coach in Corey Close.

[Abby Wambach]

Yep.

[Julie Foudy]

I loved it.

[Billie Jean King]

It was great. Is the best.

[Abby Wambach]

I think it's so important that we need to show it. I think that we need to.

[Julie Foudy]

Let's play that.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, let's play this for sure.

[Julie Foudy]

Look, I'm always happy for people who've

[Jordan Robinson]

worked hard, you know, in this game who are really quality people. I want good things to happen for them.

[Julie Foudy]

And Corey is one of those people who really works at making our game better. Not not just ucla, but our entire game. You know, although we didn't win, I

[Jordan Robinson]

could swallow it because we lost to a really good human being and a

[Julie Foudy]

good team that represent women's basketball well.

[Abby Wambach]

So good.

[Billie Jean King]

She's a wonderful human being, isn't she?

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah.

[Billie Jean King]

Now, she handled losing correctly compared to Gino. Okay.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Billie Jean King]

That's the difference. And she says everything starts with integrity, all these things. She's got it right. I'm telling you. I've met her a few times. We've talked a few times. She's just the best. I mean she's just. She's really an exceptional human being. And read her book Uncommon Favorite. It's. It's really great. It's a great book. It tells you exactly who she is because she wrote it.

[Julie Foudy]

I just loved it. I love. I love that about women too. Like, it's women celebrating women and saying like, gosh, this like. Because dawn gets. Took dawn how many years before? Nine years at South Carolina. I think she was 17 years into head coaching and her ninth year at South Carolina before she won her first title. And to say in that moment when it's so raw still that, like, let's celebrate her was super rad.

[Abby Wambach]

Well, and also the fact that we know Corey and we.

[Julie Foudy]

We.

[Abby Wambach]

I don't know, there was just something in the universe that was like, UCLA this year, for whatever reason, Jules, because, like, why. Why were we so, like, UCLA is going to win, you know, and it's because Corey, not only did she come on the show, not only did Lauren and Char also come on the show, so, like, we have this connection that way, but Corey, like, invited us to a game, and Corey keeps sending me merch, and I'm just like. I'm just like. And Corey and I are now text friends, and we're gonna have dinner.

[Julie Foudy]

I wanted. Wait. And I wanted. Yes.

[Billie Jean King]

Yeah, I hope you're inviting us.

[Julie Foudy]

Exactly.

[Abby Wambach]

But, like, I think that it's important to know, like, when, you know, there's a. There's a person out there in the world doing really cool shit, and they might be doing cool shit in a different way than you, but you can tell they're kind of your people. Like, I feel like Corey is our kind of people that, like, it's about the character and it's about the integrity. And yes, winning does matter in some ways to us, but it is not the most important thing. And so I think for dawn to have the humility in that moment, having just lost, having just been, you know, her. Her hopes and dreams for this team were shattered. It speaks to.

[Julie Foudy]

Super impressive.

[Abby Wambach]

It speaks to.

[Billie Jean King]

You could tell early, though, because usually she stands when they're winning and when she knows not their day. She was sitting the whole game.

[Abby Wambach]

I saw.

[Billie Jean King]

Did you guys notice that? I'm like, okay, that's good body language. I know what's going on with you.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah, I saw that, too.

[Billie Jean King]

She knew, and I think in her head, she was thinking about the future. Like, okay, what do I need to do for next year to get this team better and who we're going to keep? I just can see her little noodling, you know, just thinking about. But she was very relaxed, knew that they were getting killed, and she just had to let go. Otherwise, you drive yourself to drink. But anyway, it was very interesting to see her body language.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah. And I like that it was two women, too, in that final.

[Billie Jean King]

Me too. I liked it.

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah.

[Billie Jean King]

I want. I want women to win. I want women coaches, particularly to win.

[Julie Foudy]

And that Corey in her leather pants was able.

[Billie Jean King]

I thought that was hilarious. Does somebody can Someone explain that to me.

[Abby Wambach]

Is that a. Is that a. I want to know how we step.

[Billie Jean King]

Is that a superstition or what? What is it? What'd she say?

[Julie Foudy]

Yeah, she said that her. One of her. Her strength coaches, when she wore leather pants one time was like, leather up. Let's go. This is good luck. And so every game he'd be like, leather up. And so I became superstition of these leather pants. I was like, I don't like. Just the thought of putting on leather for a menopausal woman who's always overheating is like, oh, God, thank you. This kind of sweat, thinking about her sweaty thighs.

[Abby Wambach]

And she's probably up and down the sidelines to too. Like, I want to know how many steps she takes.

[Billie Jean King]

She's just going, how many times you think she took her glasses off to get the sweat off of her face? I was like, oh, this is so cute. No, she was just. She's just totally into. Oh, I loved it because she's totally in it.

[Julie Foudy]

She had. With every beach way going on in her hair too. Did you notice that? I'm like, oh, Cor got her hair.

[Billie Jean King]

She had her hair done.

[Julie Foudy]

Her beach way was on point.

[Billie Jean King]

Maybe she had that done at 7:30 in the morning or something. I don't know how she fit everything in.

[Julie Foudy]

I don't either. We're gonna have to get her on. We're gonna get them on. We definitely will get. We're gonna try and get on.

[Billie Jean King]

We're gonna have to do something.

[Julie Foudy]

We're gonna get all of them.

[Billie Jean King]

But you know that everyone's asking them from Saturday Night Live to all the morning shows to all the news. I mean, everyone's asking this poor team, plus, the WNBA draft coming up, plus. And they're gonna go right back out on the court. And I'm like, oh, my God, the life these kids are gonna lead the next week and a half.

[Julie Foudy]

Right? It's insane.

[Abby Wambach]

Oh, I don't know.

[Billie Jean King]

I don't know how they're gonna do. They're gonna be exhausted, though. They gotta be careful.

[Julie Foudy]

They're young. Kinger, that would be fun. I know, but people, don't forget to subscribe to the welcome to the party YouTube channel. So you can actually watch this party and click that little bell icon, if you would, so you can get updates when new episodes go live.

[Abby Wambach]

Yeah. And also, you can hear my dog in the background, and she's really asking for the same thing. If you could just take a minute, we would appreciate it. She wants you to rate Leave a comment subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get a podcast. Be sure to follow us on Instagram or YouTube or wherever your socials at. Welcome to the Party show where Billy, Julie and I will be bringing the party straight to your feed. You can also email us at party people questions gmail.com Kate Diaz we love our music still bringing in you 3 you2 we're gonna do on 3 Ready USA on 312-323 welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Initial Digital is our production partner and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at. Welcome to the Party show on Instagram and TikTok. Thanks for listening.