Welcome to good Game with Sarah Spain, where we can't stop looking at photos and videos of Wilma Jean Wrinkles celebrating Rose levels one hundred caps at the US women's national team game on Wednesday. On today's show, we'll be battling whatever the hell evil virus is inhabbiting my body while talking all things college volleyball with Emily Emont, former Northwestern libero and current broadcaster, reporter and producer. Plus some first time goals, injuries that provide context, and tons of
puppy love. It's all coming up right after this Welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today. In soccer, the US women's national team wrapped up the international window against Argentina on Wednesday night. Center Back Naomi Germa scored her first international goal and then her second in the three nail win, with Argentina also contributing an own goal.
The US women's national team debuted a time totally new lineup, with only three regulars starting the game, and goalkeeper Mandy HoTT and defenders Eva Gatino and Alyssa Milanson starting and earning their first caps at the same time and of the game, Rose level was honored for her one hundredth cap, which she achieved back in June, and she made sure her English bulldog, will Ma Jean Wrinkles got her shine too.
Wilma showed up in Louisville wearing noise canceling headphones and roses number sixteen Jersey Even head coach Emma Hayes shouted out the pup, saying she was delighted that Rose got to be honored quote in front of her family, most importantly in front of Wilma. In NWSL news, it's officially the last weekend of the regular season and teams are still fighting for position in the playoffs. The top eight teams advance, and right now there's a battle at the
bottom of the table. The number seven, eight and number nine teams Portland Thorns, BFC and Racing Louisville are fighting for the final two playoff spots. Portland and BAFC control their destinies. Both teams secure a spot with a win or a draw, regardless of what else happens. If either team loses, well, that's where things get interesting and the door opens for Racing Louisville to nab that last spot. If Bay loses and Louisville wins. Louisville is in full stop.
Portland's currently beating Racing Louisville by three in goal differential, so if Portland loses and Louisville wins, Racing also needs to defend well and score some goals to close that gap in advance. Wait, there's still more. The Washington Spirit, GOTHAMFC, and Kansas City Current have all clinched spots, but they could finish second, third, or fourth depending on how the weekend goes. And the Chicago Red Stars. That club sits at number six right now, but could finish as low
as the eighth spot. It's a lot, we know, which is why we're going to link to our fave data viz wiz Alison Gale's playoff scenario breakdowns in our show notes. All the action starts tonight with GOTHAMFC paying a visit to the Utah Royals at nine to thirty pm Eastern on NWSL Plus and Portland hosting Angel City at ten pm Eastern on Prime V. On Saturday, we got three games.
We'll be paying special attention to BAFC at the Houston Dash on Ion at nine thirty pm Eastern and Finally, on Sunday, two games, including a potentially pivotal matchup between Racing Louisville and the San Diego Wave at five thirty pm Eastern on ESPN and ESPN plus some WNBA news. ESPN's Alexa Philippoo reported that New York Liberty stars Sabrina and Escu sustained a hand injury during Game four of
the WNBA Finals. Per Philipoo, it was a high grade ulner collateral ligament tear on her right hand aka her shooting hand. Unescu went on to shoot one for nineteen in the decisive Game five, with New York still managing to pull out the win. Since lifting the trophy, Unescu has been spotted with her hand wrapped and a splint on her thumb. We'll link to the full ESPN story in our show notes. In volleyball News, we got a huge matchup on deck tonight between number two Nebraska and
number seven Wisconsin. The Badgers host their Big Ten rivals at nine pm Eastern on Big Ten Network. We'll talk more about the history between those teams, and we'll preview that game with Emily Emon in just a few minutes. In the meantime, a pretty cool moment for the Wisconsin squad. Ahead of that game, Vice President Kamala Harris spent some time with the Badger's team while stopping in Madison for
one of her final rallies before election day. So awesome and a great time to remind you once again to make your voting plan. Election day is Tuesday, November fifth. We got to pay the bills when we come back. We talked college volleyball with Emily Emon. She's a former Northwestern volleyball player, a sports broadcaster for ESPN and Big Ten Network, and reporter and producer for Volleyball mag dot com.
She's a diehard Hoosiers fan, a Southern barbecue plate, hates this see year coming, and she's determined to run, hike, canoe, bike, skifish and whitewater raft her way through life. It's Emily Emon. What's up, Emily? I good.
I'm excited to be here. That was heck of an intro. Let's go.
Yeah. I saw those pictures of those barbecue plates and some proof of the skiing, canoeing, hiking, biking triathlon. And you're very active. You played volleyball at Northwestern quite recently actually, but things have already changed so much in the college and pro space in the sport since you graduated. What stands out to you about the growth of volleyball lately? The growth of volleyball has been exponential. It's crazy thinking
back to when I played. I mean, I graduated in twenty twenty, and.
The growth that this sport has seen is astronomical. From a viewership standpoint, we've seen the most viewed matches ever happen every single year. The networks are getting more viewers every year, the matches are getting more eyeballs on them. And then from an attendance standpoint, I mean, we're breaking records left and right. You know, most people saw last season Nebraska volleyball packed ninety two thousand people into a football stadium. But it's not even just that big event.
It's been happening at every single school. It feels like every week we've seen attendance records all So, thinking back to when I played, it's been crazy to see the growth of the sport in really growth of coverage in the sport, to see more resources thrown in. The NCAA tournament has become a bigger deal with more coverage every single year, So those have just been a few things that have been crazy night and day from even four years ago, and I played, Yeah.
I mean it's the benefit of streaming more spaces for things to air, but also just investment and coverage and care for people to learn the stories and learn about the players and teams and then want to come back and watch more. And it's really been noticeable in attendance and ratings and all those numbers. I want to set the stage for this season of college volleyball, tell us which teams are this year's standouts.
Oh, it's been so exciting. What's been really fun about this year is there has been since the beginning of the season more upsets than we've ever seen. But there's also been a lot of dominance. So, for example, They've been the number one team for essentially it feels like the entire year for now. They went almost I think seven weeks without losing a single set. So this is a program that has been on the rise for a few years. They're the number one team and they look
like it. And then there's Nebraska, who has won five national championships. They are always a perennial powerhouse and in contention for an NCAA title. They're definitely up there. Penn State has been doing a phenomenal job, which has been so exciting for that program. Of the dominance that we saw about ten years ago continue to get better and better under a new head coach and Katie Schumacher Colli, who took over for the legendary Russ Rose. Louisville's been fantastic.
Stanford's been great. It's been really fun to see Creighton really come up. This is a team that has a really veteran core and their coach, Kirshenberg Galbooth, is one of the best in the country, and it's been fun to see that program now get their highest ranking in program history. They've held onto that sixth spot for a while now and then kind of a I don't want to say dark horse because they're always in contention, but Wisconsin has been doing a really good job as of late.
They dropped their first three matches of the season, lost their first conference match to Minnesota, and since then have been absolutely rolling. So those are kind of the top ones right now that we're looking at that I would say, I mean there's about six seven teams right now that I think could contend for a national title, which in years past hasn't always been the case.
Yeah, it's really fun to see a bit more parody in a sport that's had the kind of front runners for a couple years or for decades in the case of some of the programs. When you talk about some of the programs that are newer to the top, how does that happen in college volleyball? Is it one superstar that helps change the fortunes of a team and then it allows them to recruit better players in the years after that. Is it a coach, is an investment from
the school? Is there a through line that you can find to how teams sort of turn things over from middle of the pack to joining those teams at the top.
Yeah, to be honest, a lot of it does come down to coaching, and not even just their coaching, but really those ability and that ability to get better recruits. You know, you have one good year and all of a sudden, maybe you're flipping a few of those recruits that are freshman sophomores in high school that are going to come up through the program later. So a lot of that does start at the coaching level, and it helps when you get you know, some superstar into your program,
that's definitely going to turn a few heads. But for example, for a program like Pitt, you know, that was a team that was always in contention for an ACC title. They've won it so many years now, but now we've seen them make three final fours in the past, and that really started with their head coach, Dan Fisher coming in and just changing the way that his program thought
about success. You know, it's really difficult to come into a culture, not that this was the case with Pitt, but really any culture that isn't used to winning and flip that switch with the athletes of Okay, we're walking into these matches that maybe we're playing a top team in the country. In the past, we might have just
handed them the win and come out flat. But it really comes from the coach instilling that mindset in their athletes of we can not only hang with the top teams, but we have the ability to beat them and we're not losing from the time we start the match at the time we walk in the door.
Yeah, for sure, that kind of approach is hard to do, but a coach that can do it, that will completely change the fortunes of a team going forward. Are there any unexpected teams, maybe some true dark horses making waves this season that we should keep an eye maybe not to win at all, but just it feels like the start of a program making a move. Yeah, you know.
I feel like Creighton is a perfect example of that. This is a program that in years past hasn't necessarily had the massive names that you might think of. Of course, they're not playing in a power conference, so it's obviously a little bit different there, but they have some absolute ballers on their team. They're not a top five team right now, but they absolutely look like they could be.
They're coached again by one of who I think is one of the best coaches in the country, cares in birth All Booth, and they have a stud of a setter. I mean, she can just fling the ball around. She's pretty undersized, but honestly probably one of the most athletic setters in the entire country that we've seen in a
really fun outside to watch in. Nora assists that when you have one of those X factor players that can completely take over and go off for twenty five even thirty kills in a match, it changes the way that your program's thought about, because you have a player that can just absolutely go off, and it's not even norrisis. They have a lot of other pieces to that team
that can take over in different ways. And I would say Creighton is a team that probably won't earn a top four seed for the NCAA Tournament, meaning they're not going to host a regional. But they're not a team that you want to see in the regional semis or the regional finals because they could absolutely steal one from you.
Let's talk Big Ten. We're halfway through conference playing. Nebraska and Penn State are tied for first at ten, and oh, how will their upcoming schedules play a role in who might take and hold a lead?
I mean, it's crazy when you look at the Big Ten title race right now you have Nebraska and Penn State ten and oh you have Wisconsin right behind them at nine to one. But the schedules are drastically different when you put them on paper. So Nebraska's schedule is heating up and Penn States gets a little bit lighter. During Nebraska's first ten matches of Big Ten played, they only saw two ranked opponents, and they had both of them at home, and Nebraska has probably the best home
court advantage in all of NCAA volleyball. They sell out nine thousand every single night, So when you're not playing these ranked teams on the road, it's a massive difference for the Nebraska program. So when you look at their upcoming schedule, they have five ranked teams left and three of those are on the road, so they have an
insanely tough schedule. Penn State, on the other hand, they only have three more ranked opponents and two of them are at home, and that's another environment that does really make a difference, especially later on in the season when there's a lot on the line. So you have two teams ten and zero, Penn State has much easier road to get there. And then you have a Wisconsin team that is heating up at the right time. They lost their first match of conference play, but they've really found
their rhythm. Every single statistical category you look at, I mean, they're just exponentially better, leading or second in the conference and pretty much everything. They still have five more ranked opponents left and three or home, two or away, So Wisconsin Nebraska much more difficult schedules than you see from this Penn State team that you know it's been about seven or eight years since they've won a Big Ten title because it's gone to either Wisconsin or Nebraska for
the past few seasons. So the Nitney Lions feel like they're in a good spot potentially to take it this year.
Yeah. One of those tests coming up for both Nebraska and Wisconsin is when they face each other this weekend, a huge matchup. What are the stakes and what are the biggest storylines in this one?
The stakes are great because these two teams for the past five seasons have won the Big Ten title. Wisconsin won it four of the last five and then Nebraska came in last season and kind of took it to Wisconsin early on. So that's what's on the line. It's a Big Ten title, and what a Big Ten title normally means too, is you're earning one of those top four seeds to host through the NCAA tournament. That's something
that selection committee. You know, they're not saying they're specifically looking at, but it does make a difference if they're winning titles in what is the best conference in college volleyball, So you not only have the Big Ten title on the line, hosting rights on the line, also these two programs just hate each other in a great way. You know, it's become this really fun rivalry in college volleyball. Of
they play against each other. In the twenty twenty one NCAA Tournament, it was one of the most epic battles that we've ever seen. Wisconsin ended up taking down Nebraska in five sets. So you have that on the line. We saw last year what was dubbed, you know, the greatest college regular season game ever when Nebraska and Wisconsin met. It was number one versus number two, undefeated. It was a bloodbath, came down to literally the last play. So it feels like every time these two teams meet, it's
a bloodbath. They want to get absolutely after it, and it's always created one of the most fun environments in college volleyball because also in Madison at the field House, I mean, they're rock in that student section. They get into it.
Yeah, you mentioned that you love covering this particular matchup. Take us behind the scenes, tell us what makes it so special?
That's fun. I think it's one of those rivalries that it really feels like fans get into just as much as the players. You know, on Twitter, you see constant chatters throughout the year, like when Nebraska loses Wisconsin, fans are jumping on them and vice versa, which makes it is so much fun. The atmosphere of this match, it feels like a national championship in a way because it also has the level of play and the feel of
a national championship. So I mean, behind the scenes, you know, you're talking to the coaches, you're talking to the players. They have a different focus coming into this match than at least what I've seen in the past from them coming into different matchups. This one means just a little bit more because the stakes are so high and because the level of play is so high on both sides.
I love when you talk to athletes, they'll often be like, we just take it one game at a time. They all matter, and it's like, you're live. Have you circled us on the calendar When the season starts, you get up for this and it's so fun to watch. We're going to make sure we put in the show notes where people can watch that, and now that they've got the storylines, it'll be all the more fun to catch that on television and watch those teams go at it.
What do you think the best college volleyball atmosphere in the game is is it still in Nebraska?
Oh? Best atmosphere? Yeah, it's Nebraska. You know, they have the greatest home court advantage in NCUBA volleyball. There are nine thousand fans consecutively sold out for the past I think they're nearing it on three hundred and fifty sellouts, which is the longest streak in Division one athletics, not even just women's volleyball, Division one women's athletics. So that's been so fun to see for this program and the support that they get. And there might be environments that
are maybe a little bit louder. For example, if you're at Texas, that's one of the craziest environments. If you're playing in a really top team Perdue, they only pack twenty five hundred people into Holloway Gym, But that's one of the loudest environments that I've ever been a part of. But there's something special about Nebraska and just the love that those fans have for the sport because they're there to watch of course Nebraska, but they also just love volleyball.
They are really intelligent about the sport. They understand what high level volleyball is and so to me that makes it the greatest in ncublea volleyball.
Is there a surprising place that's kind of taking big leaps or becoming a big draw.
Yeah, it's been really fun to see over the last I would say two or three years, because we're seeing that those kind of situations pop up around the country where maybe it wasn't a place that had a big volleyball job before but now it is, or they're just getting more fans there. I mean to be honest, every week it feels like we're seeing records broken again. I would say a place that you maybe wouldn't think of as having a great volleyball atmosphere is Purdue and West Offia.
I mean, again, it's not the most daunting crowd, it's only twenty five hundred, but for the big matches they always sell out. And I think they have the best student section. Yeah, best dodent section in the country. I mean they know everything about you, you know, they know your mom's cousins, dogs, whatever's name, and they're yelling stuff
like it's so much fun. They do their homework just as much as feels like the players in the court do so that's a place, you know, if you're in the Midwest in the area, touch a volleyball match there because it's a load of fun.
Another big storyline this season in college volleyball has been San Jose State University. Five teams have now forfeited matches against the program. They haven't explicitly said why, but reportedly the presence of a transgender athlete on the San Jose step team is believed to be behind the decisions. San Jose has said that every athlete is eligible to play based on the rules established by the NCAA and the
Mountain West Conference. Are you hearing people in college volleyball talk about this and how are they reacting to this story and the forfeits.
Yeah, you know, it's obviously a massive story in CAA volleyball right now. I think it's definitely being talked about, But I don't know if it's necessarily being talked about in the way of you know, x'es and o's volleyball. It's more of a political discussion and where people fall on that. And obviously everyone has their everyone has their beliefs, and both are very valid and I completely understand, but I think when it comes down to x's and o's.
What I think is also important to realize about this is, you know, San Jose State isn't necessarily a top team, so they're not getting talked about other than this. You know, it's not like they're rolling through the conference and that's a big, big deal. So I don't know, I think it comes down to, at least from my perspective, give what your political belief system is and where you fall
on that line in terms of actual volleyball. No, that team and what's happening isn't necessarily being talked about.
Yeah, it does feel like it's very much being centered so that people can use it to argue what has become sort of like a political cudgel. It's really unfortunate for all the players on that team that aren't able to play, and unfortunately because, like you said, that team is not dominating in a way that stands out from the rest of the volleyball in college and that player has been on the team for multiple years without it
being an issue. So it does feel like it's being manipulated for political gain in a way that's really just harming the players, not only on that team, but the ones that forfeit that don't end up playing matches. You only get so much time as an athlete in college. You and I both know that as former college athletes, and so missing out on those opportunities to compete is a real bummer in service of something that frankly, players
and teams shouldn't be used to argue. We just had Cassie Lickman and Molly mckage from AU Volleyball on our show, and I know you've worked with AU Volleyball. How are you seeing college players be affected by the existence of pro leagues like AU and PVF and the upcoming Love Pro Volleyball League them seeing that those multiple opportunities exist beyond the college game.
Sarah, It's so cool because when I was in college, no one even really thought about playing pro unless you are maybe the best on your team. And even so you might not even know that pro volleyball exists outside the USAGEM. You know, before five years ago, even four, three years ago, if you wanted to play, you get shifted off to Europe and then you maybe play for two or three years, realize it kind of sucks, and you're, you know, kind of on an island out there. And
you come back. The coolest thing ever has been talking to these athletes now, and there are so many players that say they want to play professionally, they want to play for a league in the US, and they now know this is an opportunity that either growing up or
even in high school, those opportunities didn't exist. And now there's a clear trajectory of if you want to stay in the sport, you know you can play for so many years after college and stay in the US, which is such a benefit to these players and kind of I think it makes them more excited to play at the college level because they're getting that exposure to these leagues and saying, Okay, I want to play really well.
Of course for my teams, you know, to win a title nationally like whatever it is, but also because you know, I'm putting game film out now for these coaches and scouts and people that are actually going to see it. Whereas you know, if you want to go play in Europe or Asia or another league overseas, it was really hard to get connected right away, and you're probably unless you're a top top player, which is normally not the case coming out of college. You're playing on a team
that is probably pretty average. Maybe a handful of them speak English. You might not be able to communicate with your teammates, you might be halfway across the world the time change that's in. It's not the most ideal situations.
A lot of college players have better resources than a lot of professional players do, so just the conversations have been really cool in eye opening to see these college athletes now seeing that there's a path for them, and watching it on TV and seeing it all over Twitter and Instagram and all of these platforms. It has been so so cool, even just in the last two seasons, to see that as an option for these players.
Yeah, and you know, NIL allows for the promotion of players starting at the collegiate level. We get to hear about them and see them, which then helps them try to hopefully carry that brand over into the pros. It also helps professionalized college players, so young athletes get to see players at the college and professional level in advertisements on television, in social media. How do you see or do you see I guess youth players training differently. We
were just talking about this at the espnW Summit. High school college or basketball players learning how to dunk and trying to train to see the things that they're seeing at the higher levels that didn't really exist the same way in the past because it wasn't visible at the highest levels. Is the volleyball actual game changing as a result of you being able to see more of the upper level players.
You know, I'm sure it changes just the way that these players are learning about the game. For example, when I was growing up, you know, there were a handful of matches on TV. I remember watching Nebraska and Penn State play every year, or of course I was watching, you know, the national semifinals in the National Championship, but there wasn't a way to really watch the sport the same way that little boys grow up and watch NFL or you know, the MBA, or now players have access
to the Wnbabor college basketball. It's very different in volleyball because you don't have a way to learn about the sport other than playing. So if you're playing a bunch of twelve year olds, you know, you only know as much as the other twelve year old next to you, Whereas now these young players have the ability to watch the sport and you know, have analysts and studio people
break it down for them. And explain to them what's happening on the court and what they're seeing, which you know, the more you watch something, the more you're going to retain and the more you're going to learn about it. So I think just the level and that volleyball IQ that young players are having is probably exponentially better than like when I was playing and growing up, because again, I was learning from the twelve, thirteen, fourteen year olds
that I was playing next to. There wasn't anybody to watch and really break it down for me.
Yeah, and it's kind of strange, but I also feel like I'm watching women's college, professional, every level. Really, athletes of every sport have a different kind of swagger when they play, and it's not just performative and fun to watch, but I think it trickles down to the larger like your confidence in yourself, your willingness to go all out, your desire to be competitive. You're not worried about being
nice and friendly. You want to win, and being able to witness that at the highest levels across women's sport now, I think allows younger athletes to be more committed and passionate and determined than before, where we didn't used to see women that way anywhere, and we just used to only see like male athletes behaving that way. And I love watching the swagger. I love watching women athletes have the same kind of reactions to their big plays and get the crowd involved and get people to like hype
them up. Like all of that is a part of a larger, I think transformation of women's sport, beyond some of the rules or the expectations for women their behaviors in the past. Women's volleyball in the US is bigger than men's, Like there are more people watching college, there are more professional opportunities. Women is sort of the default for the US when it comes to volleyball, and yet there are still cases where we see it sort of
as a stepping stone. Last week, USA Volleyball announced that Karch Karai, who coached the US women to three state Olympic medals, is taking over as head coach of the men's national team for the twenty twenty eight LA Olympics. What was your reaction to that news, especially knowing that coach was paid more as head coach of the women's team than the previous men's national team coach was paid, so him taking this move isn't about money. So what was your reaction to see that?
Yeah, my reaction was split. I was really excited for Karch because he's such a good guy and just having formed somewhat of a relationship with him over the last few summers covering their tournaments. He's a person that is constantly striving for more and more. You know, he's won so many medals. He's one as a beach player, he's one as a beach coach, he's one now as a
women's indoor coach. I mean, this is kind of his opportunity to say, Okay, let's go get a medal in another sport because he has the ability to do it. He's one of not just the greatest volleyball coaching minds, but really one of the greatest coaching minds in general period,
in the entire sport. So I was excited for Karch of course, because I was like, Okay, it's another stepping stone, and he'll probably go in a medal because he's Carch and he could take a you know, he could take class of preschoolers and go win an Olympic medal, like he's that good of a coach. But then the other side of me is Okay, of course I'm bummed because I know with him in charge of the US women's national team, they're not a shoe in for a medal, but he's going to do their best to make sure
that they get it. So I wouldn't necessarily say I think it's different case than of course most other sports, because as you mentioned, the women's game in general, as specifically mostly in the US, is a lot bigger than the men's game that changes country to country overseas. But I was excited that he had now has his opportunity to coach the men and and to be honest, there's so many great coaches coming up, either through the NCAA game or elsewhere that are going to make a really
good coach for the women's national team. I would guess. I mean, in the US, we're breeding good coaches right now, so I think we're in a pretty good spot still.
Yeah. And the one thing that's kind of cool about that, if I step back, is we've seen in the women's say basketball, that there are really high level women coaches who have coached at the NBA level and then wanted to be able to coach fellow women athletes. But needed to wait for the game to catch up. Becky Hamon, for instance, the first million dollar coach in the WNBA.
She was coaching on the men's side, making more money, getting more status, having the kind of experience that she deserved as the Kyle Burth coach that she is, and when the w caught up and she was able to go take her skill set to the women's game, she could do that. And in some ways it's almost like that with kirch Kuri and the men's game. He obviously
is a men's player. He grew up playing, and so for him to get to let the men's game, I guess catch up enough for him to decide that he wants to go lead them and help them find some glory is actually pretty cool for him as one of the legends of the game, as someone who's been around forever and has already done so much for the women's team. So I guess it's less of a stepping stone if you're stepping backwards. It's more of a I'm going to use my influence to help raise the level of this
thing that hasn't gotten as much shine. Emily, thanks so much for educating us on this We're so excited to watch your coverage of the big game this weekend, and we're going to keep checking in with you as we get closer to the end of this season and we see some of these big name teams battle it out in a really truly, genuinely exciting season for college volleyball. Thanks for the time.
Yeah, thanks for having me. I was going to say, And if anyone's listening and hasn't watched college volleyball, it hooks you in right away. It's a difficult sport to turn off based on how fast pace is and how fun it is, so definitely turn it on this Friday. It's a big one. It'll be fun.
Yeah, once you get into it, it's it's kind of hard not to love it. Yeah, and you're helping us do that. So thank you, no, thanks for having me.
This is awesome.
Thanks so much to Emily for joining us. We got to take another quick break when we come back. Prepare the red carpet, hang the balloons. It's time for another induction ceremony. Stick around welcome back slices in honor of yesterday's incredible guest, Merrett Matthias and her retirement and the end of the NWSL regular season this weekend, we have a new entry into the Good Game Hall of Fame.
That's right, the Good Game Hall of Fame, where we honor great moments and women's sports lore, the kind of memorable performances and legendary stories you should know, just like you know that MLB player Doc Ellis once through a no hitter while on LSD, or that Michael Jordan scored thirty eight points in the infamous Flu Game. Today we induct Merret Matthias's tweets after she tore her ACL in twenty nineteen, tweets that will forever live on in NWSL lore.
While playing for the North Carolina Courage, Matthias and Houston dashboard Rachel Daily made contact. Matthias was initially whistled for a foul on the play, but when it all shook out, Daily was awarded a yellow card and Matthias had the sub out of the game limping with a knee injury. It turned out to be a torn ACL, which led to this pair of tweets, along with a video of Daily causing the injury. Matthias wrote, I did not tear my ACL. My ACL was torn for me. I did
not misstep. My foot did not get stuck. It was not a freak accident. My plant leg was intentionally kicked. I was awarded a foul and Houston awarded a free kick. It is due to a lack of respect that I will not be finishing my season with the North Carolina Courage. I will be getting surgery while my team takes on playoffs. It is because of your lack of respect that I can respectfully say fuck you. The tweets went instantly viral and even inspired one dedicated nwslfan to do an interpretive
dance to a reading of Merit's words. We'll link to the original tweets and to that dance in the show notes. In her recent interview with the Athletics Meglenahan, Matthiah said of posting the tweets, quote, listen, it was very much an unhealed version of me. There's pre therapy merit and post therapy merit. End quote. But she also said she thinks players should get to show their personalities and not
always be nice and sweet. Quote. You get to choose your favorite player is based on a full picture of this person, not this very curated look. Some people might love me for that tweet and some people might hate me, but people are still talking about it, you know what I mean, And that's okay. End quote. That's very okay. Welcome to the Good Game Hall of Fame, merit. We love that you're listening slices, but we want you to get in the game every day too, So here's our
good game play of the day. Watch all the NWSL soccer this weekend. I feel it in my bone, y'all. There's going to be some fireworks. And if you haven't already, go ahead and pick a team or a coach or players to live for for the next three weeks of the playoffs. If you're nervous, good The agony and uncertainty is the best part of fandom. If you don't feel like throwing up a little during stoppage time, you're probably
doing it wrong. 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 o four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe. Rate and review It's easy. Watch Room Temperature Water rating five out of five well hydrated stars. Review don't get me wrong. A glass of ice cold water after a strenuous workout, or a dip in a hot tub or
a walk through the desert amazing. But there's something about pouring a glass and just letting it sit for a bit, letting the glass sweat, finally taking a swig once it said. It's chaotic, neutral temp, and it's different. It's also a little easier on the digestive system. So true, unsung hero in the hydration Game. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, slices, Have a great weekend and see
you next week. Good Game, Emily, Good Game, Wilma. Few to folks manipulating and punishing college athletes in service of political statements and false narratives around trans participation. 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 Rutterer, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain