Good Game with Sarah Spain

Look on the bright side, y’all! On this episode, Sarah joins Simone Boyce on Hello Sunshine’s “The Bright Side” podcast, and talks about why being pushed out of your “dream job” isn’t the end, what it means to be a woman who contains multitudes in a world that wants you to shrink, chasing big dreams, creating lasting change in women's sports and the power...

Jacie deHoop and Ellen Hyslop, co-founders of the popular sports media company The GIST, join Sarah to discuss their company’s origin story, reaching one million subscribers, and how they’ve handled managing an ever-expanding brand in a changing industry. Plus, a court in a 'port, a friend of the show goes way up, and team Good Game goes on summer vacation! Subscribe to The GIST here&n...

Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford, co-authors of “Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball,” join Sarah to talk about trying to fit the history of women’s basketball into one book, the interesting way they became friends and co-authors, and their recent trip to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Plus, a high profile breakup, Number 13 is...

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge joins Sarah for a deeply personal conversation about the power of resilience and reinvention. Melissa talks about how a women's soccer team helped her get discovered, why she had to re-record her very first album, and how her cancer battle transformed her approach to life and advocacy. Beyond the diagnosis, she...

On this suuuuuper gay episode, Big Citrus celebrates Pride with a PowerPoint Party! Each member of Big Citrus does a presentation on the intersection of women’s sports and LGBTQ issues. Plus, a high school grad in a different league than her peers, the night when hockey dreams come true, and a story that reminds us - once again - that sports are political. See the adorable Paige Bueckers and...

Lindsay Gibbs, creator of the women’s sports newsletter Power Plays, joins Sarah to discuss why she launched the newsletter, the importance of history and context in understanding the current moment in women’s sports, and why even dream jobs come with challenges. Plus, Title IX is 53, a friend of the show bids farewell to the beautiful game, and a soft hard launch that made our Pride m...

Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey – partners on Team Canada, the Montreal Victoire, and in life – join Sarah to discuss their goal of bringing the Walter Cup to Montreal, the memorable moment sparks first flew for them and the decision to be more public with their relationship. Plus the joy of being dog owners, their reaction to Boston leaving Hilary Knight unprotected, and&nbs...

Keeper Notes creator and official NWSL historian Jen Cooper and Her Hoop Stats contributor Richard Cohen join Sarah to discuss how they each discovered their passion for record keeping, why it's so important for leagues like the WNBA and NWSL – and women’s sports as a whole – to have advanced statistics, building relationships in order to source information that fans need, and wh...

Sports Illustrated women’s sports staff writer Emma Baccellieri joins Sarah to talk about her SI cover story on the Indiana Fever and their accelerated timeline in search of a title, why she’d love to write a long form profile of Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, the women’s basketball book she’s working on with friend of the show Jordan Robinson, and her soda Substack sid...

Thirsty? Take a swig of some Big Citrus! The gang gathers to give you the juice on Mish’s weekend trip to Portland for the Athlete Ally summit, Alex’s answer to a slice’s question about WNBA contracts and payments, and Sarah’s take on Angel City’s “Immigrant City Football Club” shirts. Plus, PWHL free agency is in full swing, Angel Reese turns trolling int...

Actors James Roday Rodriguez and Tom Everett Scott join Sarah to discuss the WNBA fantasy league that brought them together, the W players surprising them most this year, and how two degenerate fantasy football players brought their sickness to a WNBA league in the first place. Plus, an explanation rooted in tongue waggling, seeing double while breaking records, and a strong message of support fro...

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Newsletter and The Next Women's Basketball Newsroom, joins Sarah to talk about his book Becoming Caitlin Clark , putting Clark’s meteoric rise in context, his experience covering women’s sports, and his role guiding young writers in the evolving women’s sports media landscape. Snag your copy of Becoming Caitlin Clark here Check out The...

Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports joins Sarah to talk WNBA, Napheesa Collier’s MVP campaign, making the move from the Chicago Sun-Times to her new gig, and a little softball, including NiJaree Canady’s impact on Texas Tech softball and the way her 7-figure NIL contracts could affect salaries at the professional level. Plus, PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver have rounded out their ro...

In the first episode of our special six-part series "Life Beyond: Living Beyond Labels," World Cup champion and activist Ashlyn Harris joins Sarah to talk about finding identity and strength beyond the goalie box. Now retired from pro soccer, Ashlyn reflects on motherhood, advocacy, mental health, facing criticism and the work required to heal from the pressure of constant performance. Check out A...

Social media influencer Coach Jackie J and multi-hyphenate entertainer and improv teacher Shannon O’Neill join Sarah to talk about creating content, the intersections between women in comedy and women in sports, and how Jackie came up with her famous social media series “Are you gay or do you just coach women’s basketball?” Plus, an awesome new initiativ...

A Big Citrus meeting is called to order to talk about the Texas Longhorns' first softball national championship, the Boston Legacy’s newly unveiled logo, and Coco Gauff’s French Open win. Plus, saloon doors and invisible guns--Sarah shares her favorite moments from AUSL’s big opening day. The PWHL expansion draft is tonight at 8:30pm ET! You can watch it  here  and keep...

National Softball Hall of Famer and Athletes Unlimited Softball League advisor Jennie Finch joins Sarah to discuss the inaugural AUSL season starting on Saturday, the beauty of softball stakeholders all working toward the same goal, and Major League Baseball’s groundbreaking investment in the AUSL. Plus, the PWHL is moving and shaking, the Seattle Storm is under the microscope again, and a s...

Meg Linehan and Tamerra Griffin, co-hosts of The Athletic podcast "Full Time with Meg Linehan," join Sarah for a mid-season NWSL check-in. They discuss the current standings, Gotham FC’s CONCACAF W Champions Cup win, the Alex Cooper-led Unwell FC league supporters group, and commissioner Jessica Berman’s vision for league expansion. Plus, the Women's College World Series heat...

Kansas City Current defender Izzy Rodriguez joins Sarah to discuss the Current’s success this NWSL season, what it’s like training against Temwa Chawinga, and keeping her cool when celebrity fans show up at games. Plus, the Sports Bra’s Jenny Nguyen returns to break some news about the first four Sports Bra franchises. Follow Izzy on Instagram here Follow the Sports Bra on Instag...

This is a very special episode, slices. Sarah is joined by Raiders running backs coach Deland McCullough, the co-author and subject of her new book, Runs in the Family: An Incredible True Story of Football, Fatherhood, and Belonging. They discuss the writing process, the sometimes uncomfortable act of excavating your past, reactions from Deland’s friends and family, his emotions ah...

Former LPGA pro turned analyst and podcast host Mel Reid joins Sarah to talk about her Irish goodbye to pro golf, how her young son helped her let go of the game, coming out because a company pissed her off, and her hopes for an LPGA evolution. Plus, a controversial call in the Women's College World Series, French Open fairness discourse heats up, and the Scripps Spelling Bee winner also...

Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey joins Sarah to discuss finding her focus and purpose in Connecticut after being denied a trade, developing a reputation as a Grade A trash-talker, the WNBA’s top dawgs, the life lessons she’s helping impart to younger teammates, and the state of her spice cabinet. Plus, the USWNT gets friendly during the NWSL break, the WNBA rolls on, and a What The...

ESPN softball analyst and two-time Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza joins Sarah to talk through the stars she’s got her eyes on in this year’s Women's College World Series, squads she thinks could upset perennial powerhouse Oklahoma, how the pace and passion of softball differs from baseball, and her LA 2028 hot take. She also helps us tease a one-of-a-kind partnership that will change...

LPGA player Mariah Stackhouse joins Sarah ahead of this weekend’s U.S. Open to discuss growing up as a golf prodigy, the high cost of being on tour, the injury keeping her out of competition right now and her dream women’s sports collabs. Plus, the Minnesota dynasty has begun, Caitlin Clark is sidelined for the first time in a long time, and college lacrosse hands out a trophy in front...

Beach volleyball legend and three-time Olympic medalist April Ross joins Sarah to discuss her decision to retire at the end of last season, the success of NCAA beach volleyball, and her new role with USA Volleyball ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics. Plus, a R-E-M-I-N-D-E-R that anything can be sports.  Follow April on Instagram here Watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee! The broadcast schedule...