Podcast Summary: Welcome to the Party – "We Draft Our Dream Women’s Sports Thanksgiving Table"
Release: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Abby Wambach (A), Julie Foudy (B)
Special Guest Mentioned: Billie Jean King (not present in this episode but often referenced)

Overview

In this special Thanksgiving episode, soccer icons Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy celebrate women’s sports and friendship by imagining their ultimate Thanksgiving dinner table—with a twist. Each drafts an all-star women’s sports guest list consisting of a current athlete, a legend, a coach, an executive/owner, and a wild card. Brimming with laughter, deep respect, and gratitude, the episode highlights the evolving world of women’s sports, the importance of community, and the joy of tradition (and competition).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Thanksgiving Traditions & Reflections

• Family Rituals:
  • Julie’s family is all-in on active holiday traditions: turkey trots, beach volleyball, pickleball, and runs, prompting amusement (and mock horror) from her British husband, Ian ([02:10]).
  • Abby enjoys the togetherness but finds holiday prep stressful. She acknowledges the complex history of Thanksgiving and notes a conscious attempt in her family to honor indigenous peoples ([03:05]).
• Favorite Traditions:
  • Abby loves brunch after a long walk, watches the parade and dog show ([04:14]).
  • Julie appreciates that Thanksgiving doesn’t involve gift-giving, focusing on presence over presents ([03:02]).
• Cooking vs. Ordering:
  • Abby orders but still spends a lot of time heating, timing, and organizing food, reflecting on the universal chaos of holiday kitchens ([01:27], [05:00]):
    • "Timing is the hardest part of cooking, folks. I swear." – Abby ([05:19])
• Stats & Humor:
  • Julie brings surprising stats:
    • 46 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving; 4.96 billion pounds of turkey consumed ([07:00]-[08:31]).
    • Americans buy 80 million pounds of cranberries—but neither host actually eats much cranberry sauce ([07:24]).
    • 45% of Americans choose pumpkin pie, 19% apple pie—a stat both mock: “It’s both, obviously!” ([09:04]-[09:14]).

Thanksgiving Games & Family Fun

• Active Families & Games:
  • Julie’s family is hyperactive on holidays, provoking laughter about “born fit” relatives ([10:17]).
  • Favorite games include Left-Right-Center (now played with higher stakes by the grown kids) and Pictionary-like drawing games ([11:19]-[12:08]).
• Tradition Crowd-Sourcing:
  • Julie invites listeners to share their own Thanksgiving traditions, especially games, noting: “I don’t need to be doing any more sports, but what fun things should we add?” ([10:39]).

The Women's Sports Thanksgiving Draft (Main Segment)

Format: Each host drafts a table with:

1. Current Athlete
2. Legend
3. Coach
4. Executive/Owner
5. Wild Card

1. Current Athlete

• Abby: Caitlin Clark
  • Represents “the present and future of sports… a conduit between athlete and consumer” ([23:53]).
  • “Caitlin Clark, will you come and sit at my table? I would love to feed you a Thanksgiving Day dinner.” – Abby ([25:18])
• Julie: A'ja Wilson
  • 4-time WNBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year.
  • “Asia has a vibe to her I love… she carries a lot of joy, she’s a great leader.” – Julie ([26:18])

2. Legend

• Julie: Wilma Rudolph
  • Three Olympic gold medals, overcame polio.
  • Quote: “My doctors told me I’d never walk again. My mom told me I would. I believed my mom.” – Wilma Rudolph via Julie ([29:06])
• Abby: Billie Jean King
  • “She is the root system of the entire tree of women’s sports.” ([30:34])
  • Hosting BJK would ensure everyone comes, Abby says ([30:10]).

3. Coach

• Julie: Emma Hayes (Current US Women’s National Team Coach)
  • Noted for intelligence, humor, and transforming US women’s soccer with a holistic, female-focused approach ([32:05]-[34:53]).
• Abby: Pia Sundhage
  • Former US national team coach, pivotal for letting athletes "be themselves… all our individual parts will make the collective better." ([37:18])

4. Executive/Owner

• Abby: Michelle Kang
  • Major investor in women’s sports, dedicated to “resources for women’s teams—trusting and investing in women athletes.” ([37:51]-[39:22])
• Julie: Mellody Hobson
  • Co-CEO of Ariel Investments; describes women’s sports as “an undervalued asset class with massive upside” ([41:45])
  • “She’s a baller… come sit at my table. Thank you. Come on the pod.” – Julie ([41:28])

5. Wild Card

• Abby: Rachel Maddow
  • “I want to know more about what she thinks about the true nature of women’s sports and how inherently political they are." ([42:35])
• Julie: Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
  • Picked for his humor, support of women’s sports, and upcoming season of Ted Lasso featuring a women’s team ([43:44])
  • “He’d be so much fun.” – Julie ([44:20])

Community, Gratitude, and Reflections

• Listener Thankfulness:
  • Short clips from party people, expressing gratitude for community, authenticity, and the ongoing growth of women’s sports ([47:15]-[49:09]):
    • “I’m thankful for all the women in women’s sports who live their authentic selves.” ([47:41])
    • “Women’s sports made us stronger… the community, the togetherness, everyone uplifting.” ([48:10])
• Abby & Julie’s Gratitude:
  • Abby: Feels inspired by the collective progress and camaraderie in women’s sports, especially the collaborative spirit among former athletes now working in media and business ([49:45]-[51:40]).
  • Julie: Grateful to be part of this unique moment; emphasizes the ongoing need for investment and “pushing for progress,” referencing Billie Jean King’s advice to always build for the next generation ([51:40]-[53:44]).
  • Abby: Thanks Julie for reviving her joy in women’s sports: “Thanks for bringing me back to the joy of sports. It’s been awesome.” ([53:48])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “God help me if I marry into a turkey trot family.” – Abby ([00:01])
• “The world teaches girls to be quiet and small… And women standing up and speaking up. Let’s go!” – Abby and Julie ([00:21]-[00:25])
• “Timing is the hardest part of cooking, folks. I swear.” – Abby ([05:19])
• “She is the root system of the entire tree of women’s sports.” – Abby on Billie Jean King ([30:34])
• “I want to know more about what [Rachel Maddow] thinks about the true nature of women’s sports and how inherently political they are.” – Abby ([42:35])
• “My doctors told me I’d never walk again. My mom told me I would. I believed my mom.” – Wilma Rudolph via Julie ([29:06])
• “Women’s sports… an undervalued asset class with massive upside.” – Mellody Hobson via Julie ([41:28])
• “We disrupted on the field… and now we’re trying to disrupt off the field in our retirements in the media world.” – Abby ([50:30])

Key Timestamps

• 00:40-03:30 — Thanksgiving traditions and humor
• 05:00-07:00 — Cooking challenges, family rituals
• 07:06-09:34 — Thanksgiving stats with comic commentary
• 10:17-12:08 — Family games, traditions, listener call for submissions
• 21:26-45:10 — Thanksgiving Table Draft: Picks, explanations, banter
• 47:15-49:09 — Listener gratitude for women’s sports (montage)
• 49:45-53:48 — Abby & Julie’s closing reflections on community and gratitude

Tone & Vibe

Lively, funny, heartfelt, and deeply supportive—this is a podcast that expertly balances irreverent fun with thoughtful conversation, always maintaining optimism and a collaborative, empowering spirit.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect entry point—spotlighting the senses of humor, depth, and camaraderie that define Abby and Julie’s show. It’s an open invitation to join the evolving party that is women’s sports today, to feel gratitude for the journey so far, and to dream about who you’d want at your own table.

Note: This summary omits advertisements and promotional segments, focusing strictly on the episode’s substance and discussion.