Podcast Summary: "Women’s Sports Are BLOWING UP: NWSL Records, PWHL Sellouts, NCAA Final Four + UCLA’s Cori Close!"

Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Date: December 2, 2025
Hosts: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Billie Jean King (occasional appearances)
Special Guest: Corey Close (Head Coach, UCLA Women’s Basketball)

Overview

This episode celebrates the massive surge in women’s sports—highlighting record-breaking viewership, historic attendance, and the meteoric rise of athletes, teams, and coaches across soccer, hockey, and collegiate sports. Soccer legends Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy, in their signature irreverent, heartfelt style, dissect these developments before welcoming Corey Close, head coach of UCLA women’s basketball and noted leadership and mindset mentor, for an in-depth interview on transformational coaching, setbacks, and the future of college athletics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Record-Breaking Moments Across Women’s Sports (07:23–15:00, highlights reel)

• NWSL Final Smashes Viewing Records

  • Gotham FC’s championship win becomes the most-viewed match in league history:

    "The Gotham Spirit championship match pulled in 1.18 million viewers... peaking at 1.55 million during the second half."
    —Julie Foudy (07:28)

  • A 22% increase over last year and a 45% jump since 2023.
  • 114,000 playoff attendees; 18,000 in a packed final stadium.

• Women’s NCAA Cross Country & Coaching Milestone

  • Alabama’s Doris Lemongole repeats as national champion, first to do so in 14 years.
  • NC State secures its fourth national team title in five years, all top teams led by women coaches.

    "Let them coach... there needs to be joy in everything you’re doing."
    —Julie Foudy (10:22)

• PWHL Hockey Attendance Record

  • Seattle Torrent sets a U.S. pro women’s hockey attendance record (16,014 fans).

    "There is something about Seattle that is so special. A dream come true."
    —Abby Wambach quoting Hilary Knight (12:05)

• NCAA Women’s Soccer Final Four & US Deaf Women’s Soccer

  • Notable upsets; TCU’s breakthrough to their first College Cup.
  • U.S. Deaf Women’s Soccer wins its fifth straight Deaflympics gold.

• WNBA and CBA Extension

  • League and union extend CBA negotiations 40 more days.

2. Feature Interview: Corey Close, UCLA Head Coach (23:17–70:37)

Coaching Philosophy & Transformational Leadership

• Close believes in "coaching hearts, not just jump shots," aiming to shape who her players become rather than just focusing on on-court performance.

  "Coach Wooden used to say, 'Corey, you’re not coaching people’s jump shots. You’re coaching people’s hearts.'"
  —Corey Close (42:46, repeated homage)

• Influence of John Wooden (UCLA legendary coach) as mentor:

  • Close attended sessions at his home every other Tuesday for 15 years.
  • Wooden emphasized life skills and character over championships:

    "If you coach their hearts pretty well, their jump shots end up pretty good, too."
    —John Wooden (43:14, via Corey Close)

• Story about former Wooden player John Valle:

  “He survived the death of his 12-year-old daughter... because of the way Coach Wooden loved me… It always paled in comparison to the man he became.”
  —Corey Close (45:57)

Handling Adversity, Setbacks & Team Mindset

• Reflects on recent losses (to Texas) and the necessity of hitting “the edge”—the place where talent ends and discipline takes over:

  "I was pissed that another team was tougher than us. I cannot give you confidence. You have got to go grab it.”
  —Corey Close (29:07, also echoed at 00:00)

• Practice of daily mindset training and reset rituals:

  • Each player develops a personalized 'reset routine'—physical, auditory, and visualization components.

  “Are we neutral? Let’s get to neutral... Everybody has their own refocus routine.”
  —Corey Close (39:49)

  • Touches matter:

    “It’s been very traceable in the NBA — the team with the most touches is usually in the NBA Finals... spiritual as well as physiological connection.”
    —Corey Close (39:09)

• Abby relates U.S. Women’s National Team “ice” codeword for emotional resets:

  “We would scream at each other, 'ice', because like, I’m getting pissed… I need you to be you, I don’t need you to be in your fear.”
  —Abby Wambach (35:49)

Coaching in the Era of NIL, Transfers, and Transactions

• Close wrestles with maintaining a transformational culture amid increasing “transactional” pressures:

  “I gotta figure out how to get that right. I cannot give that up, and so I’m gonna fight tooth and nail... People really have to know their why.”
  —Corey Close (54:04)

• Discusses the emotional toll as six players transferred even after a historic season.

  • Emphasizes the need for organizational leadership, better boundaries, and understanding that “these are kids.”

Notable Quotes

• On legacy:

  “The only two things that will stay with you for the rest of your life from these four years is who you become and who you impact.”
  —Joshua Medcalf (via Corey Close, 44:38)

• On embracing discomfort:

  “The good stuff doesn’t happen there, the deep stuff doesn’t happen there. The real growth doesn’t happen there.”
  —Corey Close (52:26)

3. Memorable Moments & Lighter Touches

• Megan Grant’s Dance Celebration:

  • Multi-sport athlete Megan Grant’s joyful scoring and dance.

    “She competes fiercely, but the way I say it, she competes fiercely with joy in her heart... I have gained way more than she has gained by having her be a part of our team.”
    —Corey Close (65:00)

• Rolling Eyes and Player Buy-In:

  • Players tease Close’s mantras, but she values their engagement:

    “I don’t care how you’re speaking it. If you’re doing it to tease me, if you’re doing it to challenge me, that means you’re engaging.”
    —Corey Close (49:46, also at 00:17)

• Party Poppers (Rapid Fire) Highlights (66:26–70:19):

  • “Coaching at UCLA feels like pressure and a privilege at the same time.”
    —Corey Close (67:41)
  • “If Coach Wooden was coaching today, he’d say: keep coaching their hearts, no matter what.”
    —Corey Close (69:18)

Important Timestamps

• 07:23 – NWSL viewership records and party starters
• 12:05 – PWHL attendance record, Seattle Torrent
• 23:17 – Corey Close introduction
• 27:04 – Close on hard stretches, adversity, Texas loss
• 29:07 – “Pissed” at not being tough enough, lesson from loss
• 42:46 – John Wooden’s legacy, “coach their hearts”
• 49:46 – Player buy-in; rolling eyes, teases
• 54:04 – Navigating transactional era, transfer portal realities
• 65:00 – Megan Grant’s story and team celebration
• 66:26 – Party poppers (rapid fire Q&A)

Summary Table: Notable Quotes

| Time | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 07:28 | Julie Foudy | “The Gotham Spirit championship match pulled in 1.18 million viewers...” | | 29:07 | Corey Close | “I was pissed that another team was tougher than us. I cannot give you confidence...” | | 42:46 | Corey Close | “Coach Wooden used to say, ‘You’re not coaching people’s jump shots. You’re coaching hearts.’” | | 44:38 | Corey Close | “Who you become and who you impact.” | | 49:46 | Corey Close | “Every day they roll their eyes. If you’re doing it to tease me ... you’re engaging.” | | 54:04 | Corey Close | “I gotta figure out how to get that right. I cannot give that up, and so I’m gonna fight tooth and nail...” | | 65:00 | Corey Close | “She competes fiercely with joy in her heart... I have gained more by having her [Megan Grant].” | | 67:41 | Corey Close | “Coaching at UCLA feels like pressure and a privilege at the same time.” | | 69:18 | Corey Close | “If Coach Wooden was coaching today, he’d say: keep coaching their hearts, no matter what.” | | 70:03 | Corey Close | “These are kids... 18 to 22-year-old women who have real feelings and hearts.” |

Tone & Takeaway

The episode vibrates with energy, honesty, and generosity. The hosts blend lightness (holiday recaps, friendly ribbing, Thanksgiving food debates) and reverence, as they champion not just women’s sports’ explosive growth but their power to foster human connection. Corey Close’s interview is the heart, revealing the complexity and rewards of transformational coaching—especially in a shifting, transactional college environment.

Listeners walk away inspired by the massive momentum in women’s sports and the enduring wisdom of coaching (and living) with heart, resilience, and community.

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