Raising the Game: A Women’s Sports Podcast

The WNBA's officiating controversy hit a new level this week, and Alex and Caitlin dig into why the Alyssa Thomas–Caitlin Clark incident is really about years of inconsistent officiating, not one bad night. A viral still frame of Alyssa Thomas's hand landing on Caitlin Clark's neck during a loose-ball scramble turned into a media firestorm, complete with a flagrant-two review, a one-ga...

This is The Door Part 2, part of our Trailblazers series — the women's sports history special that picks up where Episode 13 left off, moving into the modern era with six athletes who each forced a renegotiation of the terms the sports world handed them. Timely on two fronts: Venus and Serena Williams are playing Wimbledon doubles together as this drops, and the WNBA is celebrating its 30th annive...

Serena Williams is back in Grand Slam singles for the first time since 2022, and she's doing it at Wimbledon, on the grass, with a wild card and no ranking. At 44, she's entering the draw at its most unpredictable entry point while also teaming up with Venus (who just turned 46) for doubles, where the two have won six Wimbledon titles together. The Queens Club already showed what her prese...

The Men's World Cup is in the U.S., and the NWSL isn't sitting it out — they're turning 1.42 billion soccer fans into a fan acquisition opportunity. With their "Summer of Soccer" initiative, the NWSL is making one of the most intentional marketing plays in women's sports history. Caitlin and Alex dig into the research on who the women's sports fan actually is — the fl...

Hilary Knight's PWHL expansion saga ended with the wildest move of the process: Vegas signed her via an expansion franchise offer and immediately traded her to Detroit for a first-round pick. It was completely legal, it was a long time coming, and it tells you everything about how expansion teams are already thinking about winning before the draft even happens. Episode 23 breaks down both phas...

After a 16-point blowout loss to the Portland Fire, the rest of the WNBA is circling something on the whiteboard: Caitlin Clark's defensive game is a weakness teams are now actively targeting. Alex and Caitlin break down the Fever's recent skid — a viral bench huddle moment, Clark skipping a postgame press conference after the Golden State loss, and Portland's suffocating defensive gam...

Caitlin Clark missed a game this week with a reported back injury, and the Fever's "strategic management" framing — announced less than two hours before tip — raised more questions than it answered. We dig into what it means for her, for the league, and for fans who bought tickets expecting to see her play. Also this week: Montreal Victoire made PWHL history, becoming the first Canad...

The Ottawa Charge pulled off a stunning late comeback to stay alive in the Walter Cup Finals, and the WNBA's new foul-calling emphasis is already reshaping games just days into the season. Episode 20 has a lot going on. Caitlin and Alex recorded this one right after Game 3 wrapped, so the energy is real. They walk through Ottawa's dramatic third-period rally against the Montreal Victoire,...

The PWHL playoffs have been an absolute mess in the best possible way, and the path to the Walter Cup Final is still wide open heading into a postponed Game 5. Ottawa pulled off one of the bigger upsets in PWHL postseason history, eliminating the Boston Fleet in four games despite being outshot 142 to 94 for the series. Meanwhile, the Minnesota-Montreal semifinal has been everything: a triple-over...

The PWHL playoffs are delivering drama on both sides of the bracket, the WNBA's 30th season is officially here, and women's sports infrastructure is growing faster than ever, a lot to unpack this week. Ottawa stole a road win in Boston to even their series 1-1, then headed to a sold-out Canadian Tire Center with a freshly repainted PWHL logo under the ice. Minnesota took game one against t...

The PWHL playoffs are here, and Montreal made a pick that has Frost fans cautiously optimistic. The PWHL wrapped its regular season with Kelly Pannek setting a new single-season points record (33 in 30 games), the league surpassing one million fans for the first time, and Montreal selecting Minnesota as their first-round opponent instead of the weaker Ottawa Charge. We break down why that may have...

The WNBA is officially back, and Episode 16 is your full preview of the 2026 season — from A'ja Wilson's record-breaking supermax to the teams you need to watch on opening weekend. The Las Vegas Aces re-signed their entire core four (A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd), and Wilson's three-year, $5 million deal is the largest contract in women's professiona...

The 2026 WNBA Draft just happened live as we recorded, and women's sports is officially a $3 billion industry. There's a lot to unpack. Azzi Fudd went No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings, reuniting with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers and picking up a historic $500,000 rookie salary under the new CBA. The draft class was stacked, UCLA made history with six players selected, and free age...

UCLA just won the national championship, and they did it convincingly. Episode 14 covers the Bruins' blowout over South Carolina, the Geno-Dawn Staley postgame controversy, and what Cori Close's transformational coaching style says about the future of the program. From there, the WNBA news is wall-to-wall this week. The Connecticut Sun are officially moving to Houston as the Houston Comets...

The pioneers who broke down the doors in women's sports didn't just play the game. They rewrote the rules, fought segregation, and built the infrastructure that every female athlete walks through today. This is Part 1 of "The Door," the first installment in a new series called "What's the Story" from Raising the Game. For Women's History Month, we trace the orig...

The WNBA just agreed to a transformational new CBA — and the numbers are staggering. Salary caps jumped from $1.5 million to $7 million, super maxes hit $1.4 million, and minimum salaries now exceed last year's super max. This changes everything. After months of tense negotiations and over 100 hours of face-to-face bargaining in New York City, the WNBA and WNBPA reached a landmark seven-year d...

It's a big week for women's sports — and we happened to record on the night the WNBA CBA was supposed to get done. This week: The WNBA CBA hits its deadline with the league and union still apart on revenue sharing — 70% of net vs. ~25% of gross — and we get into why that distinction matters, why the league dragged its feet for months, and why the players are absolutely right to hold the li...

The NWSL season is officially here, and we spent most of this episode getting you ready for it. This week: ​She Believes Cup is a wrap: USWNT takes their 8th title, but real questions remain at left back, the nine position, and playing without a true six. ​Complete NWSL history, current season teams & players to watch: From the WUSA's $100M collapse to a $2.5 billion league today, we dig into the...

Get an idea of the women's sports topics we talk about with this trailer.

It's March and women's sports is absolutely delivering. This week: - The PWHL is back and riding a massive Olympic wave. We dig into the attendance records, injury news (Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne-Schofield), and expansion chatter. - The WNBA CBA hits a March 10th deadline with players divided and Kelsey Plum suggesting a strike might not be the move. - We break down the U.S. Women's National Te...

This week we go through a comprehensive breakdown of Team USA's historic Winter Olympic performance—where women won 61% of all American medals. Emma Hayes' strategic roster selections for the upcoming She Believes Cup. And a critical look at the WNBA's stalled collective bargaining agreement and ownership's refusal to open their books to the players union. Instagram/Threads/YouTube...

This week, we dive into the overwhelming dominance of the U.S. Women's Olympic Ice Hockey team, outscoring opponents 26-1 as they head toward a showdown with Canada. We also analyze the stalled WNBA CBA negotiations and the potential impact on the upcoming season, including expansion drafts and free agency. Finally, we discuss Angel Reese's return to the court in Unrivaled and major roster...

The 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina have begun with a record 47% female participation rate . We analyze the massive viewership shift toward women's events before diving deep into the historic roster of Black female athletes representing Team USA, including Laila Edwards and Erin Jackson . Finally, we address the polarizing reaction to Lindsey Vonn’s downhill crash and why the criticism regardi...

Caitlin and Alex are back to break down one of the biggest story in women's sports: the WNBA CBA negotiations. We crunch the numbers on the revenue sharing dispute and discuss the possibility of a work stoppage or strike. We also cover different women's collegiate sports story lines. Plus, get your full preview of the 2026 Winter Olympics, including schedules for Team USA Hockey, figure sk...

Caitlin and Alex deep dive into the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), explaining the "Jailbreak" rule, special league rules, and the league's expansion plans. They analyze Trinity Rodman's record-breaking contract with the Washington Spirit and recap the USWNT's first match of 2026. Plus: Unrivaled's first in-game dunk, and Australian Open quarterfinalists. I...