Baby Horse and Ellie the Elephant

retirement from professional soccer yesterday. Her final game will be this Sunday, when the San Diego Wave hosts the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium. The club also plans to celebrate her career during its final home match of the season on Sunday, November three. Why not play the rest of the season? Why finish playing on Sunday?

In March of twenty twenty one, she helped organize over two hundred and forty NWSL players to demand that the league create an anti harassment policy and implement other specific player safety guidelines that ultimately helped spark the NWSL's reckoning and led to the removal of multiple abusive coaches. Morgan also helped lead the US team's fight for equal pay.

In twenty sixteen, she was one of five players whose name was included on an equal employment opportunity complaint against US Soccer, which sparked the eventual lawsuit in twenty nineteen over unequal pay. Morgan has been one of the big faces of soccer in this country and a massive part of the push for relevance, for excitement from fans, for attendance, for viewership, and she will be dearly missed. More footy news.

On Wednesday, France Football magazine announced the footballers nominated for the twenty twenty four Women's Balon d'Or, an annual award presented to the world's best player. It's also the most hilariously mispronounced award in all of soccer, with even the greats like Meghan Rappino constantly calling it the Balon Dior get your head out of the fashion world pinot door, as in of gold Ball of gold Ballon d'Or anyway. Five members of the gold medal winning US women's national

team are nominated for the Award. Captain and midfielder Lindsay Horan, goalkeeper Lissenair, and forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson all well deserved, But there is one notable emission that's getting a lot of buzz. Naomi Germa. US women's national team coach Emma Hayes said Germa is the best defender she's ever seen. Longtime US women's national team captain Becky Souerbrun came on this very show and said, quote, when I think of Nay, I think of dominance end quote.

The newly nicknamed Secretary of Defense not making the cut feels like latant defensive player disrespect and it's not uncommon for the ballandor off to cues of prioritizing European players and offensive players. Of the thirty twenty twenty four nominees, only seven play for clubs outside of Europe, and only four defenders plus keeper Nayer made the cut. England's Lucy Brons is the only defender to make the top three in the award's five year history. Also, can we get

some new photos for the ladies. We'll put a link in the show notes, but if you haven't seen them. You got to see the absolutely inexplicable shots used for their nomination announcements. Mal looks like she smelled bad cheese, Trinity looks like she's about to fight somebody. And Brazil's Gabby Portillo is winning a white Man's overbyte dance off. And if you don't get that reference, go watch when Harry met Sally. All right, we continue with the soccer news,

and we have some unfortunate news. Washington Spirit midfielder Croy Bethune, who just yesterday was announced NWSL Rookie of the Month for August, will miss the remainder of the season with a meniscus tear, and the manner in which she got hurt is especially tough to swallow. The twenty three year old sustained the injury throat going out the ceremonial first pitch as the Washington Nationals honored the Spirits four Olympians upon their return to DC. A total freak injury and

such a bummer. We're wishing Croy a speedy, thorough recovery. She has such a bright future ahead of her and she's still the front runner for NWSL Rookie of the Year, even though she won't play the full season. She's been the Rookie of the Month for every month this season except for July, the majority of which she spent with the national team. Tonight, we got just one NWSL game

on deck Angel CITYFC in the Seattle Rain. Every game an important one for ACFC from here on out because the club's still sitting just outside of playoff contention in the ninth spot. We got seven games on the NWSL slate this weekend, and we'll link to that schedule in our show notes. Also in soccer, a quick thought on an NWSL announcement made by ESPN, The Worldwide Leader announced on Thursday that they'd be introducing NWSL game recaps yay

using generative AI technology. Oh listen, I've seen AI written sports stories pop up all over the place lately, and they're bad, really bad. Do you remember when gedet media stopped using lead AI generated articles for high school sports stories after the term close encounter of the athletic kind became ubiquitous in the AI generated articles about close games. That was last year, Like every close game, it said the two teams had a close encounter of the athletic kind.

Hilarious and terrifying and terrible, and in the case of women's sports stories in particular, I often see incorrect gender when referring to athletes because AI is ultimately trained by sports coverage that already exists, much of which makes men

the default. I reach out to someone at ESPN who said humans will be checking the output and that it's ultimately a positive move because game recaps that wouldn't otherwise exist will be produced, and that's true, like NWSL recaps, just game recaps, not long form, not opinion have not been available on ESPN, So I'm excited about that and tentatively hopeful that they will be better than the ones we've seen so far. My real hope is that this is just a baby step that ultimately leads to staffers

being hired to write those stories. I haven't seen AI get it right yet, and we always want to see more human people hired to work in women's sports. In Paralympic headlines, Oksana Masters, who had the distinct honor of carrying the Paralympic flame at the opening ceremony, won gold and the H five cycling road race yesterday. This is her seventh Paralympics, and Masters, who hails from Louisville, Kentucky, has picked up two new gold medals. She also won

the paracycling H four to five individual time trial. She's now an eight time gold medalist and an eighteen time medalists across four sports. In an interview after the road race, Masters was all smiles and made sure to shout out her support system, saying quote, the ultimate gold medal is hugging my mom because without her, I would not be crossing this finish line. Meantime, legends Jessica Long and Tatiana mc fat and have also added to their career metal halls.

Long one gold in the S eight four hundred meter freestyle on Wednesday, a full twenty years after she won gold in that same event as a twelve year old at the two thousand and four Athens Paralympics. Long's Paralympic medal count is now up to an incredible thirty thirty medals. Wow, is that a record, you ask? Surprisingly, not even close. US Paralympic swimmer Trisha Zorn, who competed in seven Paralympics from nineteen eighty to two thousand and four, won an

incredible fifty five medals, including forty one golds. She is still the pardon the pun gold standard. Meanwhile, Tatiana McFadden became the winningest American track and field athlete when she won silver in the T fifty four one hundred meter on Wednesday. It's McFadden's twenty first career Paralympic medal and twentieth in track and field, tying her with Bart Dodson for most medals by a US athlete in that sport. McFadden has one more opportunity in pairs to add to

her hall. She scheduled to race in the marathon on Sunday, mor bling for American paralympians. In her Paralympics debut, Tmusa shot putterer Noel Malkamaki won gold in the F forty six field event. And get this, she surpassed her own world record not once, not twice, but three times en route to victory in the field event. That's just nuts. I mean, shot putters get six attempts to make some magic happen, and she had a world record worthy throw

on half of those attempts. And she's from Illinois too. Shout out Noel. In wheelchair basketball, the US competes in the semi finals today against China. Team USA looking to make it back to the Paralympic gold medal game for the first time since twenty sixteen, and in sitting volleyball, the US is onto the gold medal game after defeating Brazil three sets to one in the semi finals. Speaking of volleyball, in college volleyball, we told you to watch

that great E sixty on the Nebraska volleyball team. So we assume you did right because you listened to us always right. So you were as shocked as we were that the unranked Southern Methodist University Mustangs pulled off a stunning upset against the number two corn Huskers on Tuesday night. They swept them twenty five, twenty three, twenty five, twenty one, twenty five to eighteen in front of a record breaking crowd at Moody Coliseum, smutalid seven aces to Nebraska's one,

and the Huskers committed eleven errors. The victory mark Nebraska's first loss of the season and their first defeat against an unranked team since twenty seventeen. Will continue to keep an eye on the top teams in the country, including the Huskers, who bounced back with the win against the Citadel on Thursday. In Hoops, Caitlin Clark continues adding accolades to a terrific rookie season. Clark was named both the KIA Rookie of the Month and the Eastern Conference Player

of the Month of August. Clark leads the league in assists per game and leads all rookies in points, assists, and steals per game, as well as efficiency. Her Indiana Fever team is a lock for the playoffs now, so we'll to see how much more momentum the young star can build before the postseason hits. If you ask me, those are Rookie of the Year stats. Off the court,

some fun happenings. Las Vegas Aces leader Asia Wilson took a trip down to South Beach to support her still unconfirmed bo bam audubaio On Wednesday, you remember the Aposto Bam out of Bio of the mnba's Miami Heat and USA Men's Olympic Basketball was honored with keys to Miami Dade County, and there was a little fun back and forth between the two on social after video emerged of

Asia attending the ceremony. Also fun, Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Kava blowing up Asia's spot at the event, first calling her Adja Wilson before correcting herself and saying, quote, she won Golden Women's basketball. I guess that has something to do with Bam in the Heat. Huh. Those who are not going to be able to keep quiet about this love and basketball story for much longer. By the way, that was just the latest and a long line of

Miami miss speaks. You gotta hear this classic. Okay, this is Dwayne Wade getting introduced by Miami Dade County Commissioner Barbara Jordan after the Heat won the two thousand and six championship. He's come collecting, has a will to win because this man, of course, is waye Joe. Okay, Now go back and listen to that again and wait for the person in the background who yells who it's so good it never gets old. It's so good. Asia Wilson's Ace's last played at home on Tuesday night, and today

they face the Connecticut's Sun on the road. In case you're wondering, it's a bat a five hour NonStop flight from Vegas to Miami and a three hour flight from Miami to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, just saying. There are four WNBA games on the schedule tonight, including a crucial matchup between the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta

dream Down at Georgia. The Dreamer tied with Chicago Sky for the eighth seed and final spot in the postseason, but the Sky owned the tiebreaker and would be in if the playoffs start today. The Wings are even further from playoff contention at eleventh in the standings, but they've got an opportunity to play spoiler. There are six games this weekend, and as always, we'll link to the schedule

in our show notes. In softball news, Athletes Unlimited announced, Former US national team pitcher and Olympic gold medalist Jenny Finch is now an advisor to the AU Pro Softball League. She joins a slew of other legends like her former Team USA teammate Jessica Mendoza and Kim Eng, the first woman GM in the MLB. According to a league statement, Finch will consult with a leadership and athletes on the strategic direction of the league. That reminds me we might

need to do a little good game. Hall of Fame on back of the day when Jenny Finch was striking out all the MLB players. I'm gonna go digging into that. That was some good stuff. Finally, the summer of alone O mar continues. The Team USA rugby bronze medalist has been announced as one of the celebrity contestants for season

thirty three of Dancing with the Stars. She's one of two Olympians competing, joining US gymnastics breakout star Stephen Netterazig, you know, the pommel horse guy with the glasses who had one job and did it to perfection. Season thirty three of Dancing with the Star's premiere September seventeenth on ABC. Okay, Slicis, I had one last piece of news to give you, and I want to give you a warning here. What I'm about to discuss involves mentions of gender based violence

and death. You may have heard the horrific headlines this week about Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegay, who competed in Paris last month at the Olympics, having been set on fire by her boyfriend. On Thursday, we got the awful update that she passed away from multi organ failure as a result of the attack. Chep de Gay, who lived in Kenya, had been in critical condition after suffering burns on seventy five percent of her body following Sunday's attack

at her house. Rebecca's father, Joseph told reporters quote, I blame her death on negligence by the government because the authorities should have taken it seriously. When we first reported that this man had become problematic and he was fighting her. We reported to the police, to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, but they didn't take any action to save her life. End quote. Chep de Gay is the third elite female athlete to be killed in Kenya in the last three years,

in both confirmed and alleged acts of domestic violence. Amnesty International Kenya made a statement that Chep Degay's death quote highlights the urgent need to address femicide in the country and demanded hashtag justice for Rebecca. Rebecca Chep Degay was thirty three. Welcome back, my little Orange Slices. It's been a big week for your girl from the US open to my first trip to the Barclays Center for a

Liberty game. We're recording this Thursday night, just before I head out to the game, and I am super pumped. I got to see Ellie the Elephant at WNBA All Star Weekend, but I finally get to see her at her home court. You can count me as one of her legion of fans, and you can count Ellie as yet another way the WNBA is breaking through this season.

From attendance to ratings, to sports shows to pop culture, this has truly been an incredible season for the w and Ellie's ability to spread awareness in new spaces has been truly impressive. She's on stage with Sierra, backstage at the Childish Gambino Show, a cover girl for Timeout magazine in New York, on The tamer and Hall Show on CBS News, and the latest getting shout outs on the only network late night show hosted by a woman, Taylor Tomlin,

since After Midnight on CBS. Give me a final statement, Okay, my.

CEO of the Liberty. She has created a truly incredible fan atmosphere and buzz around this team. It's all I've heard about this week in New York. People raving about how amazing going to a Liberty game is. People asking are you going to be at the Libs game on Thursday. I know a lot of people are in town for the US Open, but it really is sort of the social event of the calendar. It's something that people are dying to get to. They're boasting a sixty four percent

attendance increase at home games this year. Between last year and this year, season ticket holders have gone up one hundred and six percent year over year. And there's this so called solbrity get it, clebrity row of famous fans and it's just the Barclay centers popping. It's really cool to see and I can't wait too experience so shouts to the limbs. We got to take another break when we come back. Well, what the fact about some balls? Stay tuned, Welcome back, my little slices. It's time for

a What the fact US Open edition? Did you know that until last year the US Open used different balls for the women, or that there are even different kinds of tennis balls? I sure didn't, But thanks to the super bad ass Justine Brown of Together, who enlightened me over honeyduces at the Open, I'm all caught up. So

here's the deal. For years, the men at the US Open use what's known as an extra duty ball, which means the felt on the outside of the ball is woven slightly more loosely than the regular duty ball that the women use, other than that they're the same size. Wait all of that. Per a twenty twenty two New York Times article, the regular duty balls the women use

play faster. Quote felt that's woven more tightly, doesn't fluff up as much and can wear away, so there's not as much friction when those balls make contact with the ground or the strings of a racket. The additional friction of a fluffy ball allows players to create maximum spin. Those who rely heavily on that spin could struggle to make a regular duty ball travel the way they wanted to, especially after a few games when the ball begins to lose whatever fluff it had right out of the can

and get smaller end quote. So I guess that difference was enough to rankle some players. In twenty twenty two, world number one Egas Fontech called the balls that the US Open horrible during a news conference questioning why the tennis major required women and men to use different balls. It was the only Grand Slam tournament not to use

the same balls for all players. Spontek pointed out that she felt unable to prepare adequately because the US Open balls weren't available at home in Europe, where she trained. She and then number four Paula Badosa spoke to women SENUS Association CEO and chairman Steve Simon in twenty twenty one and asked if they could switch to use the same balls as the men. Well, it turns out the type of ball that they use was up to the

players themselves and their Women's Tennis Association Tour leadership. US Open Tournament director Stacy Allister told The Times that sports science experts on the women's tour felt that the faster, more aerodynamic ball helped limit arm and shoulder injuries, and that the WTA always requested the regular duty balls, so they just kept it that way. But after the complaints in twenty twenty two, the players in the WTA elected to ditch the regular duty balls in favor of the

extra duty ones. So beginning last year, the men and women have been handling the same balls all week long at Flushing Meadows. Love to learn new things like that. I just had no idea there were different tennis balls. Also, one last tenis note we are thrilled to learn that ESPN Films has greenlighted a Billy Jean King thirty for

thirty cannot come soon enough. We got some Slice submissions to highlight after yesterday's Fight Me when we asked you to pick the top four pro female athletes you'd like to see play women's tackle football. First, the great Sam Rappaport of the NFL, who we talked about on the show. She came through with some good ones. Billy Jean King at quarterback, Angel Reese, Candace Parker, and Ri Kogumbawallee at wide receiver Kelly O'Hara and sid Colson at dB and

she Carrie Richardson at Rusher. This is a just tremendous O'Hara and Colson at DBE is inspired. We also heard from at J Moore eleven twenty three, who said, how can you leave Sidney McLaughlin Lavarroni off? Your team can hurdle opposing tacklers and has the endurance to last all four quarters. That is a great call. That is an excellent call. Someone also chied at us for forgetting Asia Wilson, which, to be fair, she could play every single position for sure.

We also got a great email from DP that reads, in part the tight end everybody was looking for was Candace Parker hands down Kelsey at quarterback obviously, and speaking of Diana TARRASSI, how could we leave out Alyssa Thomas on defense? Yeah, we'll probably get a load of penalties, but it might force the other team to make business decisions. Trinity Rodman has to play. I don't even care what position. Any new nawse on gum like that will make a

great football player. The Secretary of Defense aka Naomi Germa is obviously going to be the lockdown corner. Lastly, Shakerri Richardson at wide receiver because I can only imagine the celebrations if you put Kennedy Carter at running back. We may break a record for penalty yards, but we will be thoroughly entertaining while doing it. Damn D that's more than four players. But I do think we'd win a Super Bowl with that squad. So I appreciate you, and

I appreciate you writing in. We love that you're listening, but we want you to get in the game every day, just like D. So here's our good game play at the day. Let us know which four pro athletes you think would dominate women's tackle football. You can message me on Twitter at Sarah Spain Insta Spain two three two three, or email us a good game at wondermediaetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two O four fifty seventy. We got one more good gameplay

at the day too. We want your best Alex Morgan memories. If you've got a good one, send it to us. We'll keep honoring one of the US women's national team greats as the season goes on. And don't forget to subscribe, rate and revi. It's so easy watch retirements rating one out of five stars. Review necessary hence the one star, but also sad depressing, a reminder that time waits for no one. A tick tick tick talking of our own clocks, an elbow in the ribs from Father Time, who is

of course a man like bro. Enough with our faves hanging them up, take a day off, now it's your turn, Rate and review. Thanks for listening, Have a great weekend. Slices, Good Game, Alex Morgan, Good Game, Oaksanda Masters, h MLB Pitching Mounds. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,

our producers are Alex Azzi and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rutter, Brittany Martinez and Grace Lynch. Production assistants from Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain