Just Women's Sports

Jill Ellis, the former USWNT head coach and current president of San Diego Wave FC, joins Kelley O’Hara for the first episode of The Players’ Pod. The two World Cup champions reflect on their time together with the national team before discussing why Ellis stepped down from her role as head coach and how she eventually ended up in San Diego.

Just Women's Sports CEO and founder Haley Rosen joins Kelley O'Hara to catch up on her NWSL championship win, life, and announcing the rebrand of the Just Women's Sports Podcast into the Players' Pod.

Jamie Chadwick is one of the fastest drivers in the world. She was the youngest driver and first female to win a British GT Championship, and she went on to become the first female winner of a BRDC British Formula 3 race and the MR Challenge Championship. Two race victories and three other podium finishes saw Jamie crowned the inaugural W Series champion in 2019. She defended her title in 2021, winning the W Series again after the tour skipped over 2020.

Stefanie Dolson is riding high after having one of the most incredible years of her career. The two-time NCAA Champion added some new hardware this year as a 2021 WNBA Champion with the Chicago Sky, and to top it all off, she became an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA’s 3-on-3 squad.

Ashleigh Johnson is being heralded as one of the best water polo players in the world. She has a total of 14 gold medals, spanning across the Olympics, World Cup, Pan American, World Championships. Not only is she one of the most decorated gold medal athletes you’ll ever hear from, she is also a four-time Swimming World Female of the Year award winner.

Swimmer Erica Sullivan made a splash with an epic performance in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics where she won the silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle during its first year featured for women’s swimming. Now, the University of Texas freshman joins the Pod to talk about her love of long-distance swimming, mental health, and her future in film.

Kelley sits down with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and the WNBA’s leading scorer, Tina Charles. They break down dynasties, from back-to-back undefeated college seasons at UConn to the legacy of the US Women’s Basketball Team, as well as the importance of giving back through Tina’s Hopey’s Foundation or her films. How do you continue to level up both on and off the court? Tina Charles gives us the keys.

USWNT forward Lynn Williams joins Kelley to talk about how she went from being an underdog to becoming an Olympian. Lynn talks about growing up on a pecan farm, shares the story of how she got to Pepperdine, and how she went from being roster alternate to being an Olympic hero.

Olympic gold medalist Alix Klineman joins Kelley to talk about her journey from indoor volleyball star to beach volleyball champion. An athlete since childhood, Klineman was an All-American indoor player at Stanford and a member of Team USA before she decided to make the life-changing switch to beach. Klineman discusses the freedom that came with failing while transitioning sports and the importance of taking care of your body even when you’re young. She then takes Kelley behind the scenes of her and April Ross’ gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics, where Klineman confirms that yes, she was nervous.

Team USA volleyball legend and Olympic triple medalist Jordan Larson joins Kelley to talk about the Tokyo Olympics and winning her first Gold. Jordan discusses the importance of being coachable and how that’s helped her win at every level of competition, from college to the national team to playing abroad. Kelley even finds out how Jordan’s nickname "the governor" really came to be…

The woman who *truly* saved the day in the USWNT’s 2019 World Cup run. World Cup Champion Alyssa Naeher joins Kelley O’Hara to deep dive about her journey from USWNT sub to superstar keeper. From scoring her first pair of goalie gloves, to dealing with pressure from the media, to all of the false starts and heartbreaks she experienced while waiting for her first national team game. Now having reached the top, Kelley and Alyssa discuss the keeper’s secret to making big-time penalty saves before reflecting on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and where the USWNT goes from here.

Kelley O’Hara jumps into the guest seat as ESPN’s Katie Nolan stops by to talk all things Olympics. Kelley unpacks the USWNT’s surprising 2016 defeat in Rio, which fueled the team’s run through the 2019 World Cup, while also discussing unusual Olympics prep (thermometer pills, anyone?), what makes the Olympics harder to win than a World Cup, and how the team is feeling heading into Tokyo. Her and Katie then discuss what it would mean for the USWNT to become the first team to ever win the World Cup and Olympics back-to-back.

World champion mountain bike racer Kate Courtney joins Kelley O’Hara to discuss her incredible run to the top of her sport. Growing up at the base of Mount Tam, the birthplace of modern mountain biking, Kate almost seemed destined to become a world-class racer, but numerous obstacles were thrown in her way. Kate talks to Kelley about competing against Europes’ best racers, what she learned from not making the 2016 Olympic team, how she’s preparing to chase gold in Tokyo, and the moment she decided to go "win the ham."

Two-time World Surf League Champion Tyler Wright joins Kelley O’Hara to discuss her unbelievable journey from surf prodigy to champion to bedridden superstar. After becoming the youngest surfer in history to win a Championship Tour event at age 14, Wright almost walked away from her sport before becoming a back-to-back world champion. Then, a post-viral illness knocked her out of competition for a year and a half. She talks with Kelley about the pressure of being a prodigy, overcoming both illness and family emergencies, and what it means for her to be back on the tour today.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, 2015 World Cup Champion, and the all-time leading goalscorer in US Soccer History, Abby Wambach sits down with Kelley O’Hara to reflect on her incredible journey on and off the pitch. The USWNT legend discusses the championships and setbacks that defined her career, as well as her transition to retirement, and how she’s still working to push her sport forward as an NWSL owner.

Sasha Banks joins Kelley O'Hara to discuss how she went from WWE superfan to the first woman to ever headline a WWE pay-per-view event. From begging wrestling schools to let her join at age 13 to becoming one of the first African-American women to headline WrestleMania, Sasha Banks has broken barriers during every step of her journey. She talks with Kelley about what it took to succeed in and change a male-dominated sport, life on the road as a professional wrestler, and what she still hopes to achieve in and outside the ring.

Two-time WNBA MVP and 2019 Champion Elena Delle Donne joins Kelley to discuss her one-of-a-kind path to basketball stardom. From fleeing UConn in the middle of the night to battling Lyme disease and a series of career-threatening injuries, Elena’s path to the top of the WNBA has never been easy. She discusses the unbreakable bond with her sister that has shaped her career, what it was like to walk out of the spotlight, and the work ethic that helped her become the only WNBA player in the 50-40-90 club.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Maggie Steffens sits down with Kelley O’Hara to discuss life atop the water polo world. Maggie brings us on her journey from being a little sister tagging along at the pool to competing alongside her heroes at the London Olympics. As Maggie trains and remains hopeful for the Tokyo Olympics, she lets us in on the family motto that motivates her, the moment her father predicted her Olympic success, her historic scoring spree at the 2012 games, and so much more.

USWNT midfielder Sam Mewis joins Kelley to discuss how she went from playing backyard soccer to being named the No. 1 women’s player in the world. Sam discusses her decision to leave the east coast for UCLA, her parallel track with sister and teammate Kristie Mewis, what she learned from being an alternate at the 2016 Olympics, her NWSL titles with the North Carolina Courage, and how she’s preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.  *This conversation took place shortly before Sam announced she was returning to the North Carolina Courage from Manchester City. Presented by Heineken

Kelley O’Hara sits down with JWS Founder & CEO Haley Rosen to discuss the state of women’s sports after an eventful 2020. Then, special guests Hilary Knight, Maggie Steffens and Sam Mewis jump on to discuss their 2020s and what they’re looking forward to in the new year. Go deeper. Presented by Heineken.