Raising the Game: Covering WNBA, NWSL, PWHL & More

Raising the Game Women's Sports Network | WNBA, NWSL, PWHL
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Women’s Sports Podcast covering the WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, and NCAA. We explore the business, growth, and future of women's athletics. Hosted by Caitlin and Alex—a husband-and-wife team raising two young daughters. Each week, we highlight the economic impacts, key headlines, and rising stars in women's professional sports and collegiate athletics. We analyze these stories not just as fans, but as parents looking at how today's sports ecosystem is creating real career opportunities for the next generation Connect with us: Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  1. 6d ago

    Ep. 33 | The WNBA's Discourse Problem Needs a Fix, Cameroon Wins WAFCON, KMAC's Record Night

    The WNBA is in its 30th season, records are falling almost nightly, and the conversation around the league keeps getting uglier. We spend a chunk of this episode on why that is and what could actually fix it. We're back from vacation with two weeks of catching up to do. Caitlin lays out the pattern: the Stephanie White press conference walkout, the Sophie Cunningham and DiJonai Carrington flagrant, a Dallas reporter and his family threatened online over Azzi Fudd coverage, fans removed from Gainbridge. Then she names three causes and four possible fixes, and we argue about a couple of them. We also got to our first live NWSL game in Denver, and we left the stadium at exactly the wrong moment. This week we dig into: - The WNBA discourse problem: why criticism of play keeps turning into name-calling, the correlation between the new-fan influx and online vitriol, the case for new league leadership before Cathy Engelbert's contract is up in December, an NWSL-style digital code of conduct the WNBA could copy, and Caitlin's argument that active players shouldn't be running podcasts about their own league in season - WAFCON: Cameroon beat debutants Malawi 3-0 in the final for their first ever title, 22-year-old goalkeeper Michaely Bihina's absurd tournament including nine saves against Nigeria and four penalty saves against Morocco, Nigeria missing a World Cup for the first time in ten tries, and Malawi qualifying for 2027 ranked 153rd in the world - Standout WNBA performances: Kayla McBride's WNBA-record 10 three-pointers and 43 points at 34 years old while leading the league's toughest defensive assignments, Rae Burrell's 20 points in a 40-point Sparks fourth quarter, Kelsey Mitchell's 18 straight 20-point games, Shakira Austin's post-All-Star run in Washington, and the case for Nia Coffey as Sixth Woman of the Year - NWSL playoff race: Gotham pulling away on 43 points, Denver trending up at the right time with home games left, Chicago firing Martin Sjögren with nine goals all season, Olivia Moultrie's season-ending ACL as the 18th knee injury in the league this year, and three players chasing 10 goals and 10 assists - Our first live NWSL game: Denver Summit vs Utah Royals, kickoff moved to 8 p.m. for wildfire smoke and 98-degree heat, a genuinely temporary stadium, two kids under eight, and walking to the car in the 90th minute right before Janine Sonis' free kick winner in stoppage time We also get to Diana Taurasi's jersey retirement in Phoenix, Alyssa Thomas making the second three-pointer of her career, Iga Świątek's first title of 2026 in Toronto, the Williams sisters back in doubles at the Cincinnati Open, Mark Walter selling the Lakers and what it might mean for the PWHL, Kaleigh Kurtz's 132-match ironwoman streak, and the weekend What to Watch. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Website: rtgpod.com Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  2. Aug 12

    Ep. 32 | Women's Pro Baseball Ends a 70-Year Blackout, NWSL Playoff Race, WNBA Last Two In Predictions

    Women's professional baseball is back after more than 70 years, and the new WPBL is playing its entire first season in Springfield, Illinois. We wanted to know how we got here. This is a history episode with a purpose. Caitlin walks through 160 years of women trying to get on a baseball field, from college teams in the 1860s to a league that finally stuck in 2026, and then we get into how the Women's Pro Baseball League is actually built, funded, and staffed. After that, playoff math: who grabs the last two spots in the NWSL and the WNBA. This week we dig into: - The long history: Vassar's Resolutes fielding a team in 1866, the first known paid women's game in Springfield in 1875, the barnstorming era of the Bloomer Girls and the Dolly Vardens, and Jackie Mitchell striking out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in a 1931 exhibition before commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis voided her contract for being "too strenuous" for women - The AAGPBL and everything "A League of Their Own" skipped: the charm school and skirts, 910,000 fans at the 1948 peak, the Negro Leagues players like Toni Stone, Mamie "Peanut" Johnson and Connie Morgan who were shut out of it, and Maria Pepe's Little League fight that opened youth baseball to girls in 1974 - Inside the WPBL: co-founders Justine Siegal and Keith Stein, four teams named for women pioneers (Boston Hunters, New York Heights, Los Angeles Queens, San Francisco Firebells), a 30-game season at Robin Roberts Stadium, seven innings and aluminum bats, draft names like Kelsie Whitmore, Ayami Sato and Mo'ne Davis, and why MLB's total silence is getting noticed by fans - NWSL playoff race: North Carolina's brutal closing slate, Angel City's streakiness, why Seattle Reign are suddenly live with Jess Fishlock back and Lumen Field theirs again, and Orlando's Barbra Banda dependency problem - WNBA playoff picture: New York hanging on by Breanna Stewart's health, a surging Washington Mystics team leaning on very young players, Chicago's inability to close one-score games, Kelsey Plum's move to Phoenix, and why Indiana is the top-six team we think is most likely to slide We also get into the 17-day FIBA World Cup break and what it does to momentum, the WAFCON semifinals and World Cup qualifying stakes, and the weekend What to Watch, including the first WPBL games we've put on the list. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Website: rtgpod.com Substack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcast Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  3. Aug 5

    Ep. 31 | FIFA's $20 Billion Plan Collapses in 72 Hours, Lynx Win 10 Straight, WPBL Debuts

    FIFA tried to sell a piece of the World Cup and world football said no. Gianni Infantino's $20 billion plan died in about three days, and the women's game was squarely in the blast radius. Episode 31 walks through the whole timeline: the FIFA Forward Enterprises pitch, UEFA's 55 member associations voting unanimously to boycott, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation following, and the resignations inside FIFA that made it look less like strategy and more like one person's project. We also get into what almost got canceled, including the U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland and 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying. Then it's WAFCON, a tightening NWSL playoff race, the WNBA trade deadline, and a Lynx-Fever game we watched from the Target Center stands. This week we dig into: - FIFA's $20 billion collapse: the FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal, UEFA's unanimous boycott vote, 143 of 211 member nations lined up against it, and the two women, UEFA vice president Laura McAllister and Norway's Lise Klaveness, who moved fastest - WAFCON in Morocco and the coverage problem: Malawi's Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga taking down record champions Nigeria, Barbra Banda's four-goal game in Zambia's 6-0 win over Egypt, and a tournament almost nobody in the U.S. can legally watch or even get live scores for - WNBA trade deadline and playoff math: Kelsey Plum from the Sparks to the Mercury, Aneesah Morrow to the Toronto Tempo, a five-game gap between the top eight and bottom seven, and why Minnesota has the toughest remaining strength of schedule - Lynx 108-100 over the Fever at Target Center: Kelsey Mitchell's 37 points, Olivia Miles' "welcome to the W" moment, Napheesa Collier at 4-0 since returning, and Cheryl Reeve handling the off-court noise the way you'd want a coach to - NWSL playoff race: seventh through tenth separated by a single point, Jess Fishlock scoring seconds into her return for the Reign, Sam Kerr on the board for Gotham, and Utah putting five past Portland Also in this one: the Women's Pro Baseball League's sold-out opening weekend, the Los Angeles Queens beating the New York Heights 10-8 and the San Francisco Firebells beating the Boston Hunters 11-3, the WNBA hitting 73 million unique viewers with a third of the season still to play, Netflix paying a reported $200 million for 2027 Women's World Cup rights, the NWSL terminating its Victory+ streaming deal, Athletes Unlimited pausing pro basketball and volleyball for 2027, Marina Mabrey's three-point contest raising $6,500 for the Black Women's Institute for Health, girls high school flag football drawing 1.12 million viewers, and Alex Eala becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour title by beating Jessica Pegula at the DC Open. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Website: rtgpod.com Substack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcast Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  4. Jul 29

    Ep. 30 | WNBA All-Star Breaks Records and Gets Messy, Title IX Under Attack, World Cup Qualifiers

    The WNBA All-Star Game just made history: 19,783 fans at Chicago's United Center, the biggest All-Star crowd ever and the first to outdraw the NBA's All-Star Game. Episode 30 covers a packed week in women's sports. All-Star weekend delivered record attendance, a rookie shooting star, and some genuinely messy moments, from invite confusion to a game where nobody wanted to play defense. We also take a hard look at the coordinated attacks on Title IX and trans athletes, and reboot your guide to 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying. Content note: our Title IX segment includes discussion of anti-trans legislation, abuse in sports, and youth suicide statistics. If you or someone you love is struggling, call or text 988, or reach The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386. This week we dig into: - WNBA All-Star weekend: the record crowd, Azzi Fudd becoming the first rookie to win the 3-point contest, Jonquel Jones completing her MVP collection (regular season, Finals, Commissioner's Cup, and now All-Star), plus the invite miscommunication with Sabrina Ionescu and Kayla McBride - Title IX under attack: inside the Heritage Foundation report, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, and what the actual numbers say about trans athletes in high school and college sports. Our question: protect young girls from who? - WAFCON is underway in Morocco: Nigeria defending their title, World Cup spots on the line, and the NWSL stars playing for their nations, including Temwa Chawinga, Barbra Banda, and Rosemonde Kouassi - 2027 Women's World Cup qualifying explained: who's already in, England and Sweden still waiting on UEFA playoffs, and how the 10-team inter-confederation playoff works - NWSL check-in: a brutal week of ACL injuries (Jordyn Huitema, Trinity Armstrong), Denver Summit's stadium delay, and a playoff race where the top five sit within five points Plus: Napheesa Collier returns for the Lynx with 24 points and 10 rebounds, the WNBA announces a centralized replay center for 2027, NWSL viewership jumps 41.7% on YouTube, Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós takes paternity leave, Brazil announces discounted World Cup tickets, and the Minnesota Vixen bring home a football championship. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Website: rtgpod.com Substack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcast Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  5. Jul 22

    Ep. 29 | Does the WNBA Need New Leadership?, All-Star Draft Preview, Kelsey Mitchell Is On Fire

    The WNBA is having a leadership crisis, and All-Star Weekend is about to put it under a spotlight. This week we dig into whether Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is the right person to lead the league through its current moment. The reporting is not flattering: Sports Business Journal says Engelbert wasn't going to suspend Alyssa Thomas until NBA commissioner Adam Silver stepped in and pushed her to act. Meanwhile players are fielding online harassment and death threats, and the players association had to request the meeting with the commissioner rather than the league leading from the front. We lay out why a business-first commissioner may not be built for a player-safety moment. Then we flip to the fun stuff: the 30th-anniversary All-Star draft, a stacked three-point contest field, and some of the best individual runs we've seen all season. This week we get into: The WNBA commissioner question: the Alyssa Thomas suspension and Adam Silver's involvement, online harassment and player safety, and why Engelbert's consulting-era, revenue-first approach may not fit the league's new fan baseWNBA All-Star Weekend preview: Cynthia Cooper's Team Coop vs. Teresa Weatherspoon's Team Spoon, Becky Hammon and Cheryl Reeve on the benches, and our full three-point contest and skills contest breakdownKelsey Mitchell's historic tear: 25-plus points in six straight games (never done by a guard), plus Kayla McBride's climb up the Lynx record books and a Jordan Canada appreciation segmentThe Queen's Classic: Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit drawing 42,175 to Citi Field, the largest women's sports crowd in New York City history, and what Gotham's 2028 move to Queens could unlockNWSL parity watch: the top five separated by three points, Trinity Rodman's four-goals-in-four-games run, and the returns of Sam Kerr and Lindsey HeapsWe also cover the NBA/WNBA TikTok partnership, the 2027 NCAA tournament expanding to 76 teams and ditching conference protection, the European Broadcasting Union's new guidance to stop filming female athletes through an objectifying lens, Michele Kang's plan to own a women's soccer club on every continent, and the women's sports merchandising gap. Plenty to chew on before the All-Star break. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_podWebsite: rtgpod.comSubstack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcastEmail: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  6. Jul 15

    Ep. 28 | Is Pay-to-Play Capping USWNT Dominance?, NWSL's Parity Surge, Paige Bueckers & Wings Spotlight

    Is it still fair to assume the U.S. Women's National Team just wins? This week we dig into how six countries develop their women's soccer talent, and why the American pay-to-play system might be quietly capping the USWNT's ceiling heading into the 2027 World Cup. With men's World Cup fever in the air, we run a full comparison of the development pipelines in the U.S., Spain, Japan, England, Brazil, and Colombia, from cost and coaching philosophy to participation numbers, and ask whether the rest of the world is finally closing the gap. We also cover a wide-open NWSL race, an Orlando Pride statement win, and a Dallas Wings team that suddenly looks dangerous. This week we dig into: - The pay-to-play problem: why elite U.S. youth clubs can run $5,000 to $20,000 a year, how Title IX and college soccer became America's de facto academy system, and whether that ceiling is letting Spain and England catch up - How the top programs build players: Spain's subsidized club academies, England's federation-funded emerging talent centers, Japan's school-based dual-track model, and Brazil and Colombia growing from a much thinner foundation - NWSL parity check: bottom-table teams knocking off contenders, Barbara Banda and Marta powering Orlando Pride past Kansas City, and a playoff picture nobody can call - WNBA roundup: Paige Bueckers making the case as the best guard in the league, Azzi Fudd's two-way rookie surge for the Dallas Wings, and expansion teams Portland and Toronto refusing to be punching bags - Momentum and setbacks: Marina Mabrey's scorching stretch for the Toronto Tempo, the negativity clouding the WNBA's 30th season, and Utah's worrying skid We also hit the week's headlines, from the USWNT's $6.4 million equal-pay World Cup payout and 11 members of Congress writing the WNBA over Caitlin Clark's safety, to Gotham FC's move to Queens, ESPN's "Life in the W" docuseries, PWHL roster-format changes, and the launch of the Women's Pro Baseball League. Plus our full What to Watch slate across the WNBA, NWSL, and Women's Elite Rugby. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Website: rtgpod.com Substack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcast Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  7. Jul 8

    Episode 27 | WNBA's Officiating Crisis Boils Over, All-Star Snubs, NWSL's Record Return

    The WNBA's officiating controversy hit a new level this week, and Alex and Caitlin dig into why the Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark incident is really about years of inconsistent officiating, not one bad night. A viral still frame of Alyssa Thomas's hand landing on Caitlin Clark's neck during a loose-ball scramble turned into a media firestorm, complete with a flagrant-two review, a one-game suspension, and a wave of racist threats directed at Thomas and her partner DeWanna Bonner. Alex and Caitlin unpack what actually happened on the floor, why the missed call in real time is the real story, and what it says about the WNBA's ongoing struggle to get officiating right heading into the All-Star break. This week we dig into: The Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark officiating controversy: the flagrant-two review, the suspension, the online abuse that followed, and why "we're playing a game" doesn't excuse any of itWNBA All-Star starter breakdown: the fan-vote-heavy formula that put three Indiana Fever players in the starting lineup, and why Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young missed out on starter spots despite elite numbersWNBA standings check-in: Minnesota's hot start, Golden State's four-game win streak under Natalie Nakase, and Atlanta's five-game slide right before the breakNWSL's return from the World Cup window: Gotham FC's Challenge Cup win, a sold-out 30,000-ticket Queens Classic, and new rules including a 10-second substitution clock and a fan code of conduct with real consequencesNWSL results: San Diego stays on top and Utah Royals' 10-match unbeaten streak finally snapsWe also cover Wimbledon's wild week (Naomi Osaka's upset of Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff's curfew-beating comeback), Michele Kang becoming Lyon's sole majority owner, Alexia Putellas signing with London City Lionesses, and Marie-Philippe Poulin's upcoming knee surgery. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage. Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_podWebsite: rtgpod.comSubstack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcastEmail: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

  8. Jul 1

    Episode 26 | The Door - Part 2: Ann Meyers Said Yes When the World Laughed, Lisa Leslie's WNBA Legacy, Venus changes Wimbledon

    This is The Door Part 2, part of our Trailblazers series — the women's sports history special that picks up where Episode 13 left off, moving into the modern era with six athletes who each forced a renegotiation of the terms the sports world handed them. Timely on two fronts: Venus and Serena Williams are playing Wimbledon doubles together as this drops, and the WNBA is celebrating its 30th anniversary. From a 1979 NBA training camp in Indiana to Simone Biles on the floor in Paris, this episode traces what "opening the door" actually cost — and what it made possible. This week we cover: Ann Meyers Drysdale and the 1979 Indiana Pacers tryout: The Pacers signed a woman to a $50,000 free agent contract and invited her to training camp. She didn't make the team — but the tryout reframed what was considered possible. She went on to pioneer women's sports broadcasting in men's leagues and front office leadership for an NBA franchise, all at a time when neither was supposed to exist.Lisa Leslie and the founding of the WNBA: When Leslie signed with the Los Angeles Sparks in 1997, she passed on better-paying overseas contracts to help build the league from scratch. Twelve seasons, two championships, three MVPs, and the first dunk in WNBA history. She understood personal brand before the term existed, and Caitlin Clark's arrival in 2024 traces directly back to what Leslie chose to build and stay for.Venus Williams and equal pay at Wimbledon: Venus published an op-ed in the Times of London in 2006 — with data — and Wimbledon equalized prize money in 2007. She and Serena, back on the doubles court this week, have been among the most dominant forces in the sport for 30 years running.Megan Rapinoe and the USWNT equal pay lawsuit: Filed in March 2019, three months before the World Cup. Settled for $24 million in February 2022. The legal blueprint the team created is now being referenced by federations around the world.Simone Biles and the right to say no: Her withdrawal at the Tokyo 2021 team final — citing the twisties — was polarizing at the time. Her Paris 2024 comeback, three gold medals, reframed the conversation entirely around athlete mental health and what it looks like to set a boundary on the world's biggest stage.The episode also covers Caitlin Clark's impact on WNBA attendance (up nearly 50% year-over-year in 2024) and the hosts' honest take on the complicated narrative forming around her heading into the 2025 season. Follow Raising the Game for weekly women's sports coverage.Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_podWebsite: rtgpod.comSubstack: substack.com/@raisingthegamepodcastEmail: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

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Women’s Sports Podcast covering the WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, and NCAA. We explore the business, growth, and future of women's athletics. Hosted by Caitlin and Alex—a husband-and-wife team raising two young daughters. Each week, we highlight the economic impacts, key headlines, and rising stars in women's professional sports and collegiate athletics. We analyze these stories not just as fans, but as parents looking at how today's sports ecosystem is creating real career opportunities for the next generation Connect with us: Instagram/Threads/YouTube: @rtg_pod Email: raisingthegamepod@gmail.com

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