Welcome to the Party

Treat Media

What’s up, Party People! Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King welcome you to the women’s sports party. Whether you’ve been here all along or are looking to get in the game, you're invited. Twice a week, soccer legends and forever teammates Abby and Julie will be hanging with the change-makers and shot-takers in women’s sports while giving their perspectives on big issues and hot topics. Plus, there will be regular appearances by the LEGEND of legends Billie Jean King. This show is on a mission to build a community that celebrates and elevates women’s sports. So bring it in, Party People, because Welcome to the Party is for YOU and the first Party Rule is: have a sh*t ton of fun. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

  1. 1d ago

    The Most Dominant Team in Sports History Is Facing a Reality Check

    Has the balance of power in women’s soccer officially shifted? After the USWNT’s 2-0 loss and dramatic 2-2 comeback draw against reigning World Cup champions Spain, Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach are breaking down the good, the bad, and the big questions facing Emma Hayes’ squad ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. From defensive struggles and goalkeeping concerns to physicality, leadership, and the return of Mallory Swanson and Ashley Sanchez, Abby and Julie get candid about what the US needs to fix, why Spain has set a new standard, and which players need to step up when it matters most. Is there reason to panic, or could these tough lessons be exactly what the USWNT needs? Plus, the WNBA Finals are heating up, the NWSL playoff race is coming down to the wire, and Steph Curry shows some love to Valkyries star Veronica Burton. Abby and Julie also revisit some hilariously iconic women’s soccer commercials from the ‘90s, and answer Party People questions about dreaming big and which athletes from other sports they’d recruit to the USWNT.   Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Before they were legends… Three absolute gems from the archives:  Abby nails an innocent bystander: https://www.instagram.com/p/Deh69NIMdyH/  Julie in her Starsky & Hutch era: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dej3b8rkSH2/?img_index=3  and the iconic Nike “I will have two Filling” ad campaign: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dej3b8rkSH2/?img_index=4  Steph Curry in a Veronica Burton jersey? We love to see it. Steph warmed up in Burton’s No. 22 Valkyries jersey, which sent us straight down the rabbit hole on the family history behind that number:https://x.com/NBCSWarriors/status/2111259600569909471   Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    The Most Dominant Team in Sports History Is Facing a Reality Check
  2. 6d ago

    She Ran Into a Collapsing Building to Save a Child (Then Lost Her Legs)

    What makes a hero? In this special episode, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King celebrate two extraordinary women who stepped up when it mattered most. Rose Veldman was just 10 years old when she risked her life to save a three-year-old girl during Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. After losing both legs when the building collapsed, Rose went on to become a champion adaptive golfer. Then, UC Davis water polo player Lillie Vehling shares how she instinctively jumped into Lake Washington to rescue three drowning girls. Through these remarkable stories, the hosts reflect on everyday heroes, the power of service and what it means to be the person who steps in to help. Because making a difference doesn’t require fame or recognition—just the courage to act. Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Who’s your shero, Party People? We want to keep this parade of sheroes going. Tell us about the woman who showed up for you, believed in you, pulled you up or changed your life. Email us at partypeoplequestions@gmail.com.  Meet Rose Veldman. Rose survived the 2010 Haiti earthquake after running back into a collapsing building to save a three-year-old girl, losing both of her legs in the aftermath. Today, she’s one of the top adaptive golfers in the country and a three-time winner of the women’s Multiple Limb Amputee category at the U.S. Adaptive Open. Learn more about US Adaptive Golf: https://www.usaga.org/ Lillie Vehling didn’t just save three girls from drowning. She’s working to prevent the next one. Lillie and UC Davis teammate Sadie Henry co-founded SWAG, Swim AGs, which provides free water-safety and swim instruction for adults in the UC Davis community:https://swagswimags.org/ Be a scooper, not a pointer. Julie brought up The Dog Poop Initiative, Kirk Weisler’s very real children’s book about the difference between pointing out a problem and actually stepping up to fix it. Very on brand for our sheroes: https://kirkweisler.com/product/the-dog-poop-initiative Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    She Ran Into a Collapsing Building to Save a Child (Then Lost Her Legs)
  3. Oct 13

    Ali Krieger & Joanna Lohman Reveal The Crazy Reality of The Amazing Race

    What’s harder than winning a World Cup? According to Ali Krieger,competing on The Amazing Race. Ali and longtime friend and former teammate Joanna Lohman join Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to go behind the scenes of their reality TV adventure—from airport chaos and sleepless nights to sprinting through Madrid carrying a leg of ham. They reveal how their soccer careers prepared them for the pressure, why Ali needed a reminder to make friends, and what it means to represent women’s sports and the queer community on a whole new stage. Plus, the unexpected joy of giving up their phones—and which sports legends they’d pick as their dream race partners. Also joining the party: 79-year-old golfer Donna Warner, who just won her 35th club championship, more than 50 years after her first. She shares what keeps her competitive, why she still walks the course, and the ultimate perk of winning: a reserved parking spot. New challenges, same competitive fire. These women are nowhere near done.   Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman are racing around the world, and yes, we are fully invested. Catch up on Season 39 of The Amazing Race on Paramount+ and follow along as Ali and Jo take on the race: https://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/ If you missed our conversation with Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole, go back and listen. Jesse talks about building Banana Ball around joy, community, belonging and putting the fan first: https://www.youtube.com/@WelcomeToThePartyShow USWNT gets another shot at Spain. The U.S. faces the reigning World Cup champions again Tuesday, October 13 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT: https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/uswnt Meet Donna Warner, the 79-year-old golf legend the internet just discovered. She has won 35 club championships at Wanumetonomy Golf & Country Club, with her first title coming more than 50 years ago. Here’s the post that sent golf fans down the Donna Warner rabbit hole: https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/1vpigkt/was_visiting_my_familys_new_club_but_discovered/ Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    Ali Krieger & Joanna Lohman Reveal The Crazy Reality of The Amazing Race
  4. Oct 8

    First Trans Supreme Court Lawyer Exposes the Truth About Women’s Sports

    In Part 1, we invited you to slow down, ask questions and listen longer. In Part 2 of this special three-part series, Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King continue that conversation with Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, authors of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, taking a closer look at what fairness means—and how policies meant to define it affect real people. Together, they explore the distinctions between transgender and intersex athletes, the scrutiny placed on women’s bodies and the consequences of exclusion at every level of sport. Abby gets candid about her own evolving perspective, including a moment on the sidelines of her daughter’s cross-country team that prompted questions about fairness, friendship and belonging. From elite competition and sex testing to the joy of simply playing alongside your teammates, this conversation builds on Part 1 with a question at its heart: How do we protect opportunity in women’s sports while honoring the humanity of everyone who wants to play? Wherever you’re coming from, there’s room to keep listening, keep learning and stay in the conversation. Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: If you want to learn more or go deeper on some of the things we discussed today, here are a few resources we recommend: Missed Part One of our transgender athletes series? Start there. Julie, Abby and Kinger sit down with Dr. Anna Baeth and Ellie Roscher, authors of Fair Game: Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports, to dig into the science, fairness questions, policy and lived experiences behind the debate.What Everyone Gets Wrong About Trans Athletes Read Nancy Armour’s USA TODAY reporting on the IOC bringing SRY gene testing back for female athletes ahead of LA28, nearly three decades after abandoning a similar testing policy: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2026/06/10/ioc-gene-testing-female-athletes-2028-olympics/89824319007/ Want to see the legislation for yourself? The Trans Legislation Tracker follows bills affecting transgender people across the country, including the more than 1,000 bills it tracked in 2025: https://translegislation.com/bills/2025 Go deeper on the Supreme Court case Chase discussed. The ACLU’s Little v. Hecox case page includes the history, court decisions and legal filings surrounding Idaho’s transgender student-athlete law:https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little Want to follow more of Chase Strangio’s work? Chase is Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project and works on litigation and advocacy around transgender rights across the country: https://www.aclu.org/bios/chase-strangio Chris Mosier's website is the place to go for action steps and the most up to date policy information: https://www.transathlete.com/ Fair Game by Ellie Roscher and Anna Baeth: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fair-game-trans-athletes-and-the-future-of-sports/ Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

  5. Oct 1

    How The Savannah Bananas Built A Sports Empire

    What happens when you build a sports business around the fans instead of the bottom line? Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole joins Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy to break down how a struggling baseball team became Banana Ball — a phenomenon selling out major stadiums while refusing to play by the traditional rules of sports business. Jesse shares why he’s committed to keeping tickets affordable, how a “Fans First” philosophy shapes everything from player contracts to the upper deck experience, and why he believes long-term trust matters more than short-term profit. He also takes Abby and Julie inside the evolution of Banana Ball, the upcoming first-ever Banana Bowl, and the joy, accessibility, and community he believes sports can never afford to lose. Plus, the three explore what women’s sports can learn from the Bananas as the industry grows: how to scale without losing the culture that made people fall in love with it in the first place. Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Our October charity is Thriving Pink. A portion of proceeds from Welcome to the Party merch this month will support Thriving Pink and its work providing financial assistance, support groups, wellness programs and resources for people navigating breast cancer: https://www.thrivingpink.org/ and https://welcometotheparty.voila.store/ Women’s sports are booming, but the full pipeline tells a more complicated story. The new WSF Sport Report 2026 looks at girls and women in sports from youth participation through college and the pros, including access, belonging and the future of Title IX. Julie promised we’d link the full study: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wsf-sport-report/ Okay, so how exactly does Banana Ball work? Two-hour games, no walks, fans catching foul balls for outs and a whole different scoring system. Get all 11 rules here: https://help.bananaball.com/article-categories/banana-ball-rules Want to actually get to a Banana Ball game? Jesse explained why they use a ticket lottery and built their own Fans First Marketplace to keep resale tickets at face value and away from scalpers: https://help.bananaball.com/knowledge-base/how-to-get-tickets-the-lottery-interest-list/ Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    How The Savannah Bananas Built A Sports Empire
  6. Sep 29

    Welcome to the Peloton Party

    The party hits the tread! Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy join Peloton instructor Kirsten Ferguson, aka Queen K, for a 20-minute walk/run and their most heated Minute to Win It yet. Between intervals, Kirsten shares how she went from hating running to training for a marathon, why community keeps her moving, and how to tell when it’s time to push or recover. First, Glennon Doyle joins the WNBA playoff bracket battle, where the last-place finisher has to wear the dreaded party-pooper hat. Then it’s back to the question Julie’s been chasing: can she finally beat Abby?   Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Party People, come run with Queen K. Kirsten Ferguson put Julie and Abby through a 20-minute Walk + Run at Peloton Studios, complete with another Minute to Win It showdown. Find Kirsten’s Peloton classes here. https://www.onepeloton.com/instructors/Peloton_KF? From A to Z: This Is Me! Kirsten wrote her new children’s book with her daughters, Eden and Emery, using affirmations to help girls build confidence and see themselves reflected on the page: https://www.pelobuddy.com/kirsten-ferguson-book/ September may be ending, but Zoe’s Goal keeps going. You can continue supporting Zoe Suder and the fight for more childhood cancer research funding anytime. https://zoesgoal.org/   Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    Welcome to the Peloton Party
  7. Sep 24

    The Greatest Athlete In Pitt History

    Olivia Babcock has won just about every individual honor in college volleyball. The one thing missing? A national championship. After three straight Final Four heartbreaks for Pitt, the two-time AVCA National Player of the Year joins Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King to talk about what it takes to turn individual greatness into a team title. Olivia opens up about those losses, Pitt’s “want to” culture, how she builds her teammates’ confidence, and the “positive stress” of deciding what comes next. Plus, Glennon Doyle calls in to fact-check Julie on Abby’s snoring, and Abby and Julie share the new home of their San Francisco Love volleyball team: the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.   Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — @welcometothepartyshow Instagram — @welcometothepartyshow TikTok — @welcometothepartyshow Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com Substack - https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store    Keep the Party Going: Is Olivia Babcock the greatest athlete in Pitt history? That’s the question, and the case is pretty compelling: https://bandwagoners-guide-to-pitt-volleyball.ghost.io/is-olivia-babcock-the-greatest-athlete-in-pitt-history-guest-post/ Want to follow Olivia and Pitt’s chase for that national championship? Check out the Panthers’ full 2026 schedule and results: https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule Keep up with Olivia off the court too. Follow her on Instagram at @oliviiaabab.  San Francisco Signal has a home. The new pro volleyball team will play its inaugural season at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium: https://www.lovb.com/news/san-francisco-signal-inaugural-venue-bill-graham-civic-auditorium?utm_source=chatgpt.com    Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

    The Greatest Athlete In Pitt History
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About

What’s up, Party People! Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King welcome you to the women’s sports party. Whether you’ve been here all along or are looking to get in the game, you're invited. Twice a week, soccer legends and forever teammates Abby and Julie will be hanging with the change-makers and shot-takers in women’s sports while giving their perspectives on big issues and hot topics. Plus, there will be regular appearances by the LEGEND of legends Billie Jean King. This show is on a mission to build a community that celebrates and elevates women’s sports. So bring it in, Party People, because Welcome to the Party is for YOU and the first Party Rule is: have a sh*t ton of fun. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

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