Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where all eyes are down under for the Happy Slam.
Get your minds out of the gutter, folks, we're talking tennis.
It's Monday, January thirteenth, and on today's show will reveal the winners of the twenty twenty four Slicy Awards and share some of your wise, wild and very wacky write in votes. Plus satu is taking flight, a missed opportunity for a sponsor, and why all the small things just doesn't apply to PWHL crowds. It's all coming up right after this. Welcome Back Slices, Happy Monday. Here's what you need to know today.
To soccer.
According to multiple reports, Jaden Shaw is headed to the North Carolina Courage from the San Diego Wave. The NWSL's new collective bargaining agreement, which takes full effect on Wednesday, requires player consent for all trades and per the equalizers. Jeff cassoof Shaw requested out in twenty twenty four, and the Wave work to find a willing trade partner. Shaw turned pro at age seventeen, joining the Wave in twenty
twenty two. She had a strong twenty twenty three season recording six goals and three assists, helping the Wave win the NWSL Shield. The team had a much rockier twenty twenty four, though, including the mid season firing of coach Casey Stoney, two interim coaches, and a lawsuit filed against the club by former employees. More NWSL goalkeeper Carly Nelson posted on social media that during her time with the Utah Royals in twenty twenty four, she endured both emotional
and psychological abuse. She wrote, quote, taking mental health leave back in May wasn't optional for me. It was the only way to survive the relentless toxicity I was subjected to.
End quote.
Nelson, who joined the Royals via a trade in late twenty twenty three, went on to say that she dealt with quote public retaliation from the coaches responsible end quote. While she didn't name any specific coaches, she noted that quote some responsible were eventually.
Removed end quote.
Utah, which made its official return to NWSL last season following a three year hiatus, did undergo multiple coaching.
And front office changes midseason.
In June, with Utah ranked last in the standings, the club fired head coach Amy Rodriguez and goalkeeping coach Maurice bard Martel, while team president Michelle Hinsik was reassigned to a new role. Utah issued a statement in response to Nelson's allegations, saying, quote, Utah Royals FC prides itself in creating a positive and supportive experience for our players and staff. We take any allegations counter to this with the utmost seriousness and urgency. We were saddened to learn of a
former player's experience. Everyone deserves safe and supportive environments on and off the field of play. Our goal is to enable our athletes, our staff, and employees to enjoy a nurturing, healthy and respectful workplace for all. End.
Quote to Pro Hoops, Satu Sabili is moving on from the Dallas Wings.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Unrivaled tip off, the six four forward says she's quote already played my last game in Dallas. End quote still sably hasn't quite been cleared for takeoff. She says she's working with the team to find a new home, which hints at the idea that Dallas will probably core Sobbily and then trader to a new team in return for another top player. To college hoops,
we've got an upset alert. Unranked Louisville knocked off thirteenth ranked Georgia Tech sixty nine to sixty at home on Sunday afternoon, securing the cardinals first top twenty five wins since February of twenty twenty three. Everyone who suited up scored, and freshman guard Taj Roberts posted a team high sixteen points.
More college Hoops.
The number two ranks South Carolina game Cocks put the smack down on number five Texas on Sunday, cruising to a sixty seven to fifty win in front of a sold out home crowd eighteen thousand strong at Colonial Life Arena.
Senior Tahina Pawpow and junior Chloe.
Kits led the way for Don Staley's bunch, both posting eleven points. Junior Kayla Oldacre anchored the Longhorns with eleven points and sixteen rebounds off the bench. Sc is still undefeated in SEC conference play, with a Thursday matchup coming up against number eighteen Alabama that they'll prepare for this week.
Elsewhere in college, we got to shout out the pit women's basketball team for completing the largest regulation comeback so not overtime in NCAA women's basketball history against SMU on Sunday. The Panthers were down thirty two points in the second quarter, then used a twenty eight to nothing third quarter to take control of the contest. Sophomore guard Mikayla Johnson paced pit with twenty two points and six boards off the bench, and her squad ended up winning it seventy two to
fifty nine. Hey, SMU, quick question a zero point third quarter to tennis. It feels like just yesterday we were in Spain for the Billy Jean Kingcup, the annual conclusion of the tennis season. But the players don't break for long because the first grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, got underway this weekend. Arena Sabelenka is aiming to become the first woman to win three straight Australian Open titles since nineteen ninety nine. Sablenka opened the so
called Happy Slam by sweeping American Sloan Stevens on Sunday. Meanwhile, Coco Goff enters the tourney with momentum on her side one the WTA finals in November. She's undefeated to start twenty twenty five and earned the number three seed to Alpine skiing, where Lindsay Vaughn's comeback continues. She finished fourth in a World Cup Super G in Saint Anton, Austria on Sunday, her best result yet since ending her five
year retirement. With the result, the forty year old don becomes the oldest woman to finish in the top thirty of a World Cup race. Heading into Sunday's race, Vaughn held the record for the youngest American to win a World Cup speed race that includes the Super G and the downhill disciplines. She set that record back in two thousand and seven, but on Sunday it was broken by a teammate who wasn't alive when Vaughn made her Olympic
debut back in the day at age twenty two. Lauren Masuga recorded the first World Cup victory of her career in Saint Anton, finishing one point twenty four seconds ahead of Vaughn. Masuga also made a little bit of a statement with her attire. She raced wearing a question mark on the front of her helmet, the spot where a sponsor's dame usually goes. So let's help that spot doesn't stay empty long, though, I think the price to replace
that question mark just went up. Finally, our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles, including the many athletes affected. That includes Angel City FC defender and friend of the show Ali Riley, who lost her childhood home in the Palisades fire. She wrote on Instagram, quote, our entire neighborhood is gone. We are all safe, holding onto that with my whole heart while we figure out what to do next.
End quote. What to do next for Ali included getting married.
Riley officially tied the knot on Saturday, marrying former Swedish footballer Lucas war Or Nilsen, a moment of joy for them in a very tough time. We'll link to a few organizations in the show notes where you can donate to help those impacted by the fires.
We got to take a quick break.
When we come back, we finally reveal the winners of the twenty twenty four Slicy Awards. Come on back, Welcome back, Slices. It's the moment you've been waiting for. With bated breath, I'm sure it is finally time to reveal the winners of the twenty twenty four Slicy Awards.
Did you vote? Did you vote? Because if you didn't, it's too late.
The results are in and we got some good write in votes too, which we're gonna chat about.
All right, let's go through them.
Get in here, big Citrus, let's talk about this, okay. So the first award to give out the Brandy Chastains Sports Bras Scene around the World sports Moment of the Year, taking forty eight point seven percent, the winner of the US women's national team winning gold in soccer at the Paris Olympics. In second, the New York Liberty winning the first ever franchise WNBA title, and in third the pwtl's
launch an inaugural season. We got some fun right ends too, a bunch of them for the US women's rugby team winning bronze at the Olympics, Spiffs Cedric's incredible match tying run and her kick to win the game. And we got one write in for a US women's rugby gold medal win, which, uh is a wonderful way to remember that, though not accurate.
I love the revisionist history.
Yeah, you know, when you're not expecting anything, sometimes the bronze does feel as good as gold.
I like it.
Sifon Hassan tripling at the Paras Olympics and getting three medals with the last one gold after that sprint finish victory in the marathon got a write in and her, of course, Brandy Chastain moment, specifically wearing her hit job on the podium during the closing ceremony in France, where there had been a lot of conversation about hit jobs. US women's basketball winning gold again, LSU Gymnastics winning the program's first NCAA title.
Nelly Corda got a great.
Chat out for winning five tournaments in a row in the LPGA, and I actually had forgotten Camilla Cardoso's buzzer beater to keep South Carolina's undefeated season intact.
Like that was wild. How could you forget?
There's just so much stuff, and it feels like, especially when like the WNBA season starts and you start to think of them as professionals, you kind of forget that that college season was in the same year.
It's like, the reason why OSCAR nominated movies come out in November in December is because people have short term memories.
Yeah, immediacly biased.
If you want women's college basketball moments. Gotta change the season to end in November December.
Yeah, but shout out to the people who remembered some of the earlier ones, like Arique's All Star performance.
There were some good write ins in that one.
I would also like to say, because I was the person who nominated the New York Liberty.
When you do it the first time, it should win the award.
Okay, we're not gonna make cranky pants every time our thing doesn't win me.
But I'm just saying the US women's national team has given us gold before.
Right, Well, that's your vote. Other people made their votes.
You know, Niche, if you wanted to win, you should have stuff the ballot box.
Coome on Chicago style all right. The Billy Goat Athlete of the Year. Love this name invented by Alex for Billy, Jean King and other goats. The winner with forty seven point one percent of the votes. Simone Biles coming in second, closely behind Asia Wilson after the incredible w NBA season and Sydney McLaughlin Lavroni in third. Also a lot of writings for Kaitlin Clark totally makes sense. She got four write ends five if you count the person who spelled her name c Ai t l y n, which we don't.
But since Alex works here a good game with Sarah Spain, we would never just toss aside a vote, we would start researching it. So Alex tell us about Caitlin with the y Clark.
Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that no voter who has a valid vote is disenfranchised, and so I looked up Caitlin Clark. Caitlin with the y Clark. Thank you her hoops stats for making this so much easier than it should be. And she played four seasons at Washington College and was twice named tam MVP. But unfortunately she last played for them in twenty twenty. I don't think she suited up since, and so as a result, she was not eligible this year.
No not eligible name me Germa got two votes, Christine Saint Clair, Katie Ldeci and it's not even close.
Was someone's editorial write in.
Lots of very deserving folks for that one, the very unserious Sidney Coulson Award for Excellence in Social Media trolling running away with that unsurprisingly, Sidney Coulson for posting a photo wearing the Kathy Engelbert New York City Skyline dress unbelievable, coming in second, the Parisians that were behind the ice shit in the send viral campaign, and in third Djona and Melissa in their little Are They or Aren't They?
Social media back and forth.
Of course, by the end of the season they very much were, and they very much made it clear that they were, but still a fun thing to watch all season long. Somebody wrote in Marie Philip Pulan, she's gay Marcus. Now we're not certain that she ever actually said that, but we are certain that the Twitter commenter who definitely did say that would be willing to let Marie take the credit for it, so we're okay with that.
I was thinking back on this. I don't think she ever said it, but I believe she did wear it on a sweat Sure, so she has endorsed.
The She has endorsed she's gay Marcus, And if you still don't know what that is, please google it. Very fun, Sid LaRue at everyone, very true, like Sid Laru and Sid Colson together would be a dynamic duo.
That would be censored in almost every country.
I need, I need the podcast, I need the episode. Matter of fact, we need the I would do it. Let's pitch it. Let's pitch it immediately.
We need and then we could have Sidney McLaughlin LAVRONI be like the voice of reason.
Alex Way to bring the fun down. We don't want a voice of reason. That's literally the point of having those too long. Somebody said, Alonamar and her winning against trolls who don't understand what athletes are.
Love that.
Somebody wrote every mina times clapback. Yes, yes, that is one of our clapback queens, So love those. The next award the Justine Brown Everybody Watches Women's Sports Marketing Moment of the Year. Big winner at over fifty five percent, was the emergence of Ellie the Elephant, Yes, ma'am coming.
In second the WNBA's Welcome to the W.
Commercials, and in third Flaje Johnson's twenty twenty four music promo slash performance run.
She was everywhere.
Somebody wrote in that they did vote for the Welcome to the W commercial, but specifically when they say basketball's fun at the end, people said. Ratings for women's college volleyball, the Caitlin Clark State Farm commercials PWHL breaking records a lot of good.
Writings for that one, all right.
The next award the Caitlin Clark Award for Kaitlin clarking aka the Breakout Star of the Year.
Now, we'll let you know that we did not put Kitlin.
Clark in the running for this because we considered her big breakout the year before, but not everyone agreed, so she got a couple of writings, but our winners and y'all agreed with over seventy percent of the vote alone, Omar the winner for the Breakout Star of the Year, coming in second Barbara Banda and WSL Superstar, and in third Kristin Faulkner, the Breakout Olympic Cycling Star, Kate Martin got a and Kate Martin with Hearts for Eyes, gotta
write in Kendall Quin Scofield, which like, sure, but she's been at it.
Kene Quin Scofield has been like a superstar a while. But I get it if you're just.
Getting into hockey because of the PVHL and that's cool, Welcome, Kendall is a superstar. Temuchewinga also getting a vote, which is totally deserved.
Okay.
The next award, the Sam Kerr tackling the pitch Invader video we can't stop watching. Award the winner with forty narrowly getting the win. Was Angel Reese and Melissa Smith's free throw chatter telling the ref to get out of their business.
They're fine.
Right behind them, John Quell Jones and Sandy Brundello colliding during a playoff game, taking each other out.
And then in.
Third place the cat offering support on the balance beam during the Olympics. All very good videos, lots of wright Ends of course, for the video we can't stop watching Ygun, of course, lots of the lots of ray Gun, Alona mar winning TikTok Kamila Cardoso's three point shot makes another appearance.
So I don't actually remember this, but now I want to look it up.
So I guess Emma Navarro and jen Kin Weng had a beef at the Olympics, and Navarro said, I just told her I didn't respect her as a competitor, and then Jang responded, I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match.
Yes, is that?
Is that also a bulletin board material?
That's right there, just eating good good.
I don't consider it an attack. Is like the most.
Yes, Yeah, she's firing blanks because she lost.
Is so trash talk after an L does not?
Yeah, your respect means nothing, you lost, is what she's saying.
This is a great one that we forgot.
Maybe the Aces bus leaving Kate Martin and then doming from on the bus while she's jogging trying to catch up the Aces players in game cock fits at the exhibition game at the start of the season.
Alex Morgan taken on Columbia.
In the she believes game was a great one, and someone wrote full contact in the PWHL. I assume is that every time someone got more aggressive than is legally allowed or is there a specific moment, Alex?
Do you know?
I imagine that they're probably just rewatching really hard checks.
Yeah, the boards, There we go, there we go, All good, All good.
The next award the Serena Williams Catsuit Fit of the Year Award, running away with it at fifty five plus percent. Kelsey Plum's leather Assassin fit that if you recall she wore on Ring Night right after we found out that her ex husband fumbled the bag on that one, so it was perfect in all ways coming up behind that Asia Wilson's white teeth fit. There was less about fashion and more about function. She was needed to get some w's and she was not concerned with the fit at that point.
She was concerned with her game.
And then finally Courtney Williams black leather shaft fit. I don't know who Ali Battenhorst is.
Can you remind me? Someone remind me who that is?
Oh? I was hoping you knew.
I was hoping y'all knew.
Oh, she looks like she's a Oh she's a usc outside hitter slash internet personality. So apparently she has good fits. We need to check it out. So all right, follow obtained. I'm gonna go follow her and see what those outfits are. Angel Reese at the draft, Dina Tarassi and all black Kelsey Mitchell Pang homage to her late dad on nine point fifteen, Raki at Jackson's draft outfit, Naomi Osaka's bow kit at the US Open. I remember that one, and
then Sid Colson in the open jacket fits. She wore a lot of those, and yeah, that is like also an architectural feat with this double sided tape.
I couldn't do that.
I have to give a shout out to Sid's girlfriend Amatei Brooks Amadi. I got to meet the two of them at All Star this past summer, and Amadi is her stylist. She puts everything together, heads to toe. She styles a bunch of other w players. If you love what's it Closen wears, it's because of Amatei Brooks, So get love too. We'll put that in the notes.
Do they wear the same size too, because that's what I'm always jealous about in the lesbian if they both have the same style and basically the same size, because then you have like double the closet.
I don't know, they're not exactly the same size, but I imagine there's.
Definitely still a lot of crossover.
Yeah, some crossover.
Yeah.
The Minnesota Links Black T Shirt Award for Social Justice forty four percent going to breakdancer Manisha Talash, member of the refuge Olympic team who was disqualified for wearing the Free Afghan Women cape right before her performance. Coming in right after that, WNBA player Natasha Cloud advocating for a ceasefire in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and in third place, runner Niki Hilts using their platform and success to advocate for LGBTQ plus causes.
And doing it with trans joy.
No right ins for that one, so y'all agreed with our suggestions. The Megan Rapino I fucking needed my achilles in my final game award for the most unbelievable injury.
I thankfully we did not get a lot of right ins because I was happy not to remember, although people did remind us of a lot of ACL tears in women's football that happened, all of which we're upsetting an untimely The winner for this one fifty seven percent Aubrey Plasa tearing or ACL during the WNBA All Star weekend, And of course we have been thinking about Aubrey Plaza for the last couple of weeks and just sending all
of our love and energy her way. We do not know her, but I think you can still send your love and energy to someone when they're going through a hard time, so we're thinking of her. Coming In second was Cory Bethune's maniscus tear throwing out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game, and then in third, Anna de Beer's ankle injury during Louisville's College Vib's semi final win. Yeah, that one, thankfully we can move on from because remembering injuries is.
Like I already hated it enough the first time.
Finally, the Bobby Riggs Biggest Jackass of the Year Award. This was a hotly contested one for a bunch of bassholes, coming in in first forty one percent transphobes, ruining boxer Aman Khalif's moment in the Olympics, followed closely by the shitty discourse about Caitlin Clark and the WNBA in general that occurred this year, and then in third place, Riley Gaines, also a transphobe. The best write in, and there were many, was all of the above, which.
We very much more needed through that should have been an option.
A couple rite ins for Christine Brennan, the Mountain West volleyball, transphobia, everything steven A, the refusal of ESPN to allocate more time and narrative during all of their broadcasts, especially Sports Center, to the women's leagues that are deserving of the same treatment and discussion and attention. Yeah, there were a couple other rite ins, but I think we'll leave it at that. We don't need to belabor the jackasses an asshole. So though there are plenty. Someone also tried to sneak in
a men's sports reference to dog My Bears. And you know what, we won our final game of the season. Okay, so we're undefeated in twenty twenty five.
Suck on that.
And to the slice that wrote that, And please know, the only thing you accomplished was confusing me, because I was like, is this men's sports? I don't know what this is referring to right now?
Thank you to everyone except for that person for voting. We got to take another break when we come back. A record crowd for the PWHL Takeover Tour inspires a good game, good game fact you.
It's coming up next.
Welcome back, Slices. It's time for a little good game, good game fact you. Did you know that the PWHL has broken the record for all time attendance at women's hockey games multiple times already in its short history, including a game in the top three all time last week and a new American record yesterday.
That's right.
Last Wednesday, nineteen thousand and thirty eight, fans packed Rogers Arena, home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, for the second stop of the PWHL's Takeover tour of neutral site games that was good for the third largest crowd.
In women's hockey history.
By now, you've no doubt seen the highlight of Canadian legend Marie Philip Pulen's superwoman's style goal, one of two that she scored for the Montreal Victoire and a four to victory of the Toronto Scepters in that game. If you haven't seen it yet, google it please.
The takeover tour.
Continued yesterday in Denver. It was a battle of the league's best at Ball Arena, which is home of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. The Victoire entered the game and first, hoping to stay ahead of second place Minnesota Frost, but it was ultimately the Frost who emerged victorious best in Montreal for to two behind goals from Britta Curl, Sophie Jacques, Maggie Flaherty and MICHAELA.
Cova.
Now the fourteeny eighteen in attendance for that one broke the all time record for a women's hockey game in the United States, and one user on the PWHL Reddit page saw it coming.
Before the game.
They posted a shot of the crowds entering the ball arena with the headline Denver crowd bigger than concerts, and then Rode I've been to Blink one eighty two here and this line is longer. I very much love the random Blink one eighty two measuring scale of crowd sizes. Let's just hope no one in line had the urge to take off their pants and jacket.
If you know, you know.
After Sunday's games, Minnesota is now back on top of the league standings with nineteen points to second place Montreal seventeen points. Autowa charge In New York Sirens are in third and fourth with fourteen points apiece, and the Boston Fleet are in fifth with twelve points, while the Toronto Scepters are sitting in last with eight points on the year. So interestingly, New York Sirens may be middle of the pack as a team, but they've got some standout individuals.
So Sirens forward Alex Carpenter ended Sunday tied for the league lead in both points with ten and goals with five, and the Sirens goalie Korean Schroeder leads or is tied for the lead in wins with five. Save percentage at nine thirty five and goals against average at one point eight six.
Couple PWHL games this week, so check their website for the schedule.
We love that your listening, but we want you to get in the game every day too, so here's our good game play of the day. Check out a few of the other shows on Iheartwomen's Sports. If you're a vib's head and you haven't yell listened to Serving Pancakes, hosted by Tiffany Oshinski, give it a shot. They cover all things love volleyball, which kicked off last week, and
there are two new shows too. So if motorsports are your jam, pro race car driver Catherine Leggs got you covered with Throttle Therapy, a new podcast where she dishes her inside perspective on competing in some of the world's toughest racing events and talks with legends and new faces in the sport.
And finally, for.
Golf lovers, there's Welcome to the Party, launching on the fifteenth and hosted by influencer, former pro golfer and trick shot maker Tisha Allen, covering the world of women's golf, giving you expert tips to improve your game and more. We'll link to those shows in our show notes. We always love to hear from you, so hit us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy, and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
It's easy.
Take it from Slice beth Olhasseo, who wrote us this quote finally getting to answer the good gameplay of the day from the fight Master episode you asked for references to women's sports on shows. I've got a book, A Little Blood in Dancing by Tyler Parker, page three to oh eight.
Quote.
She went to the front window to watch the horse get moved and caught her reflection. She wanted to look strong. She overcompensated, flexed her abs, said Diana Tarassi.
It didn't help end quote.
While it didn't help this character, I think it needs no explanation as to why channeling your inner DT is a great tactic to create strength when you're just depleted. My girlfriend and I have taken this idea from the book, and whenever we're needing strength or to psych ourselves up, we flex our muscles and.
Shout Diana tourossee.
When you picture yourself with the strength to punch a hole in a door, you get transported to a whole different level. Ten out of ten would recommend give it a try. End quote I'm in Beth, I am one thousand percent in so to recap psyching yourself up by flexing and shouting Diana Tarassi, rating ten out of ten. Meet me in the lobbies. Review already feeling more badass? Now it's your turn. Rate and review.
Thanks for listening. Slices, See you tomorrow.
Good Game, Ali Riley, Good Game, Lindsy Vaughn and I Masuga You wildfires and climate change deniers. 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 Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett,
Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell.
Production assistant from Lucy Jones and I'm your Host Sarah Spain.