Welcome to the Party

Welcome to the Party is officially 100 episodes strong! 🎉 Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy and Billie Jean King celebrate the milestone by looking back at the conversations, guests and completely unhinged moments that made the first 100 parties unforgettable.

They revisit how the show began with a chance conversation at an Angel City FC game, share the episodes and moments they still can’t stop thinking about, from Malala Yousafzai and Cynt Marshall to an unforgettable ultramarathon story and reveal their dream future guests, including Michelle and Barack Obama, Amy Poehler and Taylor Swift. Plus, the crew relives some of the show’s funniest moments, celebrates the incredible team behind the scenes and reflects on why creating more space for women’s sports stories matters now more than ever.

One hundred episodes, 31 sports, seven decades of women’s sports history and a whole lot of laughter later, the party is only getting started. Thank you, Party People. 💯🥳



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:

Check out our giant list of 100+ women’s sports podcasts and shows worth adding to your rotation: https://welcometothepartyshow.substack.com/p/party-people-its-our-100th-episode

GO BACK TO: Rachel Entrekin’s incredible Cocodona 250 conversation and the question we still can’t stop thinking about: Do you like the person you become when things get hard? It's Hard Not To Like The Person You Become

Malala Yousafzai joined the party to talk about women’s sports, changing what the next generation sees and so much more: Malala Took a Bullet. Now She’s Building Women’s Sports

GO BACK TO: Our conversation with Swin Cash and Danette Leighton about the future of Title IX and college sports:Why 90% of New College Sports Revenue is Planned for Male Athletes

GO BACK TO: Cynt Marshall joins the party: https://youtu.be/R9YMKtF2bCQ?si=QIq-LTSeY4my02VX



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist and Good Game host Sarah Spain finally joins the party! Sarah gets into why she’s betting big on women’s sports, literally, what she learned from becoming a team investor, and why leaving the daily grind of men’s sports coverage has brought more joy and purpose to her work. She also opens up about navigating sexism throughout her career, the growing tension between journalism and rage-bait, and why trustworthy, thoughtful coverage will be essential as women’s sports continue to explode.

Then, Sarah introduces Abby and Julie to the idea of “collective effervescence”, the shared energy we feel when we experience something together and perfectly explains why women’s sports can feel like so much more than sports.

Plus: Kelsie Whitmore’s post-WTTP home run tear, a legendary weekend for women’s basketball, an unforgettable WAFCON run, the Maryland Charm make history, Sarah flexes her improv skills, and the Party tries the impossible: stumping Sarah Spain.



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:

Get your daily women’s sports fix; listen to The Good Game with Sarah Spain: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-game-with-sarah-spain/id1752100672

More Spainer in your feed? Yes please. Follow: https://www.instagram.com/spain2323/

Want to go deeper on “collective effervescence”? Read Jia Tolentino’s: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/27/losing-religion-and-finding-ecstasy-in-houston

Gio Canali’s possible goal of the year: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db9poIHtl_O/

The Welcome to the Party effect is real! Here’s where it all started with Kelsie Whitmore: youtube.com/watch?si=EO3coHz3Wc-MxVAt&v=0rcw12-cvwc&feature=youtu.be

Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

Welcome to the Party is launching its first-ever Book Club with Billie Jean King’s new book, See It to Be It, co-written with Liz Robbins and featuring 11 athletes who are changing what the next generation can imagine. Then, one of those athletes joins the party: history-making baseball player Kelsie Whitmore. The Savannah Bananas star and first overall pick in the new Women’s Pro Baseball League opens up about growing up as the only girl on the field, the isolation and pressure that came with competing in male-dominated spaces, and the emotional moment she finally stepped onto a field surrounded by women who understood that experience. Kelsie also shares what it meant to receive the torch from baseball pioneer Maybelle Blair, why she never gave up on the game she loved, and her message to the next generation: dream big, believe in yourself, and never let anyone else define the version of you that belongs.

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:

Billie Jean King’s new book, See It to Be It: https://a.co/d/0axjnoVJ

Books By Billie Jean King: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/74527.Billie_Jean_King

WPBL Baseball Schedule: https://www.womensprobaseballleague.com/schedule/

Follow Kelsie Whitmore:https://www.instagram.com/kelsie_whitmore/?hl=en

Maybelle Blair throwing out the first pitch:https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbl60zFGVeI/

At 95, Maybelle Blair came out to the world, her incredible Story:https://www.mlb.com/news/maybelle-blair-on-coming-out-at-95-and-a-new-league-of-their-own



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

What deserves our attention in women’s sports and what are we choosing to amplify? Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King dig into the noise surrounding the WNBA, from Caitlin Clark and the league’s growing pains to the stories of joy, excellence and record-breaking performances they’d rather see dominating the conversation. Plus, they break down new research from the Women’s Sports Foundation on movement and body appreciation, react to the Cleveland Sirens’ vision for building a WNBA franchise around women’s sports fans, and somehow find their way to “Boob Gate” at the Tour de France Femmes.

Then, record-breaking ocean rower Kelsey Pfendler joins the party fresh off spending 43 days, 17 hours and 55 minutes alone at sea, rowing more than 2,400 miles from California to Hawaii. Kelsey takes us inside the storms, extreme sleep deprivation, meticulous preparation and very real fear that came with becoming the fastest person, man or woman, to complete the solo crossing. She shares why bravery can’t exist without fear, how endurance is as much emotional as it is physical, and why getting older might actually make us better at doing really hard things.



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:

Women’s Sports Foundation Built to Move Study: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Built-to-Move.pdf

Our episode with the Authors of Fair Game where we take a deep dive into Transgender athletes: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Trans Athletes

Follow Kelsey Pfendler:https://www.instagram.com/kelseypfendler/?hl=en

Part of our proceeds from our merch this month will go to the Whale Foundation, the organization that helped Kelsey through some of her toughest times:https://www.whalefoundation.org/



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC

U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone joins Welcome to the Party for a candid conversation about leading American soccer through one of the most transformative eras in its history. From negotiating equal pay and rebuilding trust within U.S. Soccer to opening the new Arthur M. Blank National Training Center and preparing for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and a historic 2031 tournament on home soil, Cindy shares what it really takes to lead through uncertainty.

Abby, Julie, Billie Jean and Cindy also break down FIFA’s abandoned private investment proposal, why the men’s World Cup changed the conversation around soccer in America, Mauricio Pochettino’s contract extension, Emma Hayes’ lasting impact, and the work still ahead to make youth soccer more affordable, accessible and fun. It’s an inspiring conversation about leadership, teamwork, and why the future of American soccer has never looked brighter.



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:

Learn more about the Whale Foundation: https://www.whalefoundation.org/

U.S. Soccer Forward Foundation: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/06/us-soccer-launches-soccer-forward-foundation



Thank you to our sponsors:

-Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC