Epicenter of Women’s Sports with Karina LeBlanc

Reilyn Turner has wanted to play professional soccer since she was two years old. In January, the dream came true: a first USWNT cap and a goal to open the scoring, with family in the stands in Southern California. The road to that moment runs through Portland. In this episode, Karina and Reilyn look back on what brought her to the Portland Thorns: a rookie year in Louisville, a contract extension...

Lauren Cheney Holiday and Jrue Holiday are college sweethearts who became two of the most decorated athletes of their generation — she as an NWSL founding player, World Cup scorer, and two-time Olympic gold medalist; he as a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Long before women's sports was a proven investment, Jrue was freezing in the stands at Harvard Stadium watching Laure...

KeyBank Market President Josh Lyons has a north star for his eight-year-old daughter: whether she ends up in a boardroom, at a gala in a ballroom, or chasing a pro contract on the pitch, she should never doubt she earned her way there. That's the thinking behind KeyBank's new five-year deal with the Portland Thorns, a tripling of their previous commitment and the single largest investment in women...

For Epicenter's first-ever live taping, recorded on the concourse at Moda Center before a Portland Fire home game, Karina sits down with four of the women who built the original Portland Fire. The night's theme was Legacy Reignited. Twenty-three years after the original Fire played its last game, Jackie Stiles, Sophia Witherspoon, Sylvia Crawley, and head coach Linda Hargrove came back to talk abo...

The conversation continues. After sitting down with Reilyn Turner, Megan Gustafson and Karlie Samuelson for a Mother's Day special, host Karina LeBlanc returns with the second half of the conversation — this time about who they are as athletes, the journeys that brought them here, and what it means to play in the epicenter of women's sports. The trio reflects on what they're learning and unlearnin...

What shapes the women behind the athletes? In this special Mother's Day episode, host Karina LeBlanc sits down with three of Portland's professional athletes — Portland Thorns forward Reilyn Turner and Portland Fire's Karlie Samuelson and Megan Gustafson — for a  conversation about the moms and mother figures who raised them, the belief they instilled, and the values that carried them to the highe...

Diana Taurasi rarely does podcasts. Widely considered the greatest of all time, she’s the only basketball player ever to win six Olympic gold medals, three WNBA championships, and two Finals MVPs. In this episode, she joins Karina in Portland for a rare, reflective conversation as she steps back from the game and discusses what's next.  They get into what made her great, the uncomfortable moments...

In this episode, WNBA legends come together for a conversation that goes beyond the game and into what it actually takes to build, lead, and evolve it. From defining moments, to life after sport, this conversation explores the realities behind sustained success. The discipline, the mindset, and the leadership required not just to reach the highest level, but to continue growing beyond it. It also...

Award-winning journalist Sarah Spain joins Karina LeBlanc for a conversation on the evolution of women’s sports and the systems that have shaped it. From covering the Olympics to helping redefine how women’s sports stories are told, Sarah shares why the industry is at an inflection point. Investment is rising. Fan demand is accelerating. And the narratives that once held women’s sports back are st...

Less than 24 hours after landing in Portland, new Portland Thorns head coach Robert Vilahamn sits down with Karina LeBlanc for his first in-depth conversation about leading one of the most iconic clubs in women’s soccer. Following the Thorns’ win in his first match on the NWSL sideline, Robert shares the philosophy that will shape this next chapter for the club. In this episode, Robert talks about...

In this Season 1 finale, few people have shaped the culture of women’s sports more powerfully than Jenny Nguyen, founder and CEO of The Sports Bra, the Portland bar that became a worldwide sensation and helped redefine how women’s sports are watched and valued. Her story has reached millions, and her work has helped cement Portland’s role in the global rise of women’s sports. In this conversation...

Few people understand the intersection of data, fandom, and leadership like Elizabeth Lindsey, Global President of Brands and Properties at Wasserman. In this conversation with Karina LeBlanc, Elizabeth unpacks what the numbers truly show about the growth of women’s sports—challenging outdated definitions of success and revealing what brands, leagues, and fans are getting right (and wrong). She di...

What does it take to go from great to extraordinary, and stay there for more than two decades? In this deeply personal episode, host Karina LeBlanc sits down with her former teammate and friend Christine Sinclair for an honest conversation that goes far beyond the game. After 16 years—through four World Cups, Olympic medals, and countless milestones—Karina offers a rare inside look at the person b...

What happens when two former players step into the front office to shape the next era of women’s sports in Portland? In this conversation, host Karina LeBlanc sits down with Vanja Černivec, General Manager of the Portland Fire and Jeff Agoos, General Manager of the Portland Thorns, to talk about building trust, leading through change, and creating a culture where athletes and staff can thrive. Tog...

What does it truly mean to put the athlete first?   In this episode, host Karina LeBlanc sits down with three legends: Olympic track and field icon Carl Lewis, World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist Shannon Boxx, and basketball Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles.   Recorded live at The Epicenter: Women’s Global Sports Summit at Nike World Headquarters, the conversation explores resilience, redefini...

What does it take to change the game before most players even graduate high school? At just 13, Olivia Moultrie challenged the system to follow her dream. At 14, Deyna Castellanos inspired a generation of girls in Latin America. Now teammates on the Portland Thorns, they join host Karina LeBlanc for a raw, real conversation about courage, sacrifice, and purpose. From Olivia’s fight to create new o...

Clare Hamill, Interim President of the Portland Fire, spent four decades helping to shape women’s sports, athletes, and brands around the world at Nike. Just when she thought she was retired, the opportunity to build something historic pulled her back in: the return of Portland’s WNBA franchise, the Portland Fire. In this episode, Clare joins Karina to share why she came out of retirement for this...

In their first-ever podcast appearance, Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal—co-owners of RAJ Sports and the driving force behind the Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire—share their story and their vision for the future of women’s sports. From defining family and business moments to their career paths that led to becoming the only ownership group in the U.S. with two professional women’s...

Welcome to The Epicenter of Women’s Sports, a new podcast hosted by Olympic medalist and global sports executive Karina LeBlanc. This short intro episode sets the stage for what’s to come - raw, real conversations at the intersection of women’s sports, leadership, and business. Karina brings you inside access to the fastest-growing space in sports—featuring industry executives, cultural changemake...