Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are talking to Nafisa Collier and Chelsea Gray about their incredible runs during Unrivaled, what they're excited about for the upcoming W season, and of course, we subject them to a little bench start cut. Check out this latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Hey, everybody. Megan Rapinoe here. It's been a big week for UConn women's basketball and college basketball in general. This week on A Touch More, we're bringing you our live show from the Final Four in Tampa with UConn legend and WNBA champion Diana Taurasi.

We'll talk about UConn's legacy, our favorite Coach Oriyama stories, and play a very special game involving never-before-seen photos of Diana. Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

I was doing a pre-nut clarity. And it worked. And it worked. I won the World Cup and I was the best player and scored the most goals and took Trump down. Oh. Boom. That's, I'm just, equal pay. And equal pay. Okay.

I think there is something to the stress relief, like I've even heard, especially with women, like during their menstrual cycle, masturbating can be like a pain reliever. I think it does regulate you and put you more in touch with your sort of like own body or whatever. It's kind of like can be grounding.

In terms of like is it going to give you sort of clarity or not, I never really— I've never heard of that. I've never heard of that. Yeah, like I've, you know, had sex four games, haven't had sex four games, masturbated, not. Like I just feel like it's like whatever. Yeah, I've never heard of that.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are talking to Nafisa Collier and Chelsea Gray about their incredible runs during Unrivaled, what they're excited about for the upcoming W season, and of course, we subject them to a little bench start cut. Check out this latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Anyone who went to Action Park understood you could get really messed up going there. Not only did we know that, it was a huge part of the appeal.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

For Daniel and I, our priority in life is God and family. Everything else comes second.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

New research out of the University of New Mexico finds alarmingly high levels of that plastic in human brains at much higher concentrations compared to the liver and kidney.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Yeah, this was fun.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Interesting.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Do you see these headlights? Ten times brighter than the sun.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we open up the mailbag and answer your burning questions. And we have a great conversation with two-time Olympic medalist Lauren Holliday about the business of women's sports and how to support and grow the next generation of female athletes. Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

I know society is better off when women are in positions of power.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are live from New York for the Liberty's home opener with an extra special guest, Brianna Stewart. We talk about the Liberty's newest additions, the best lessons Stewie ever got from Sue, and what it was like to be at the Met Gala this year. And of course, we couldn't let her go without asking her about that 2024 foul call.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

Scalpel.

Suction.

Explained.

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Megan Rapinoe here. This week on A Touch More, we are launching our much-anticipated book club, and we're doing it with Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle, who will introduce their upcoming book, We Can Do Hard Things, Answers to Life's 20 Questions. Plus, we've got some fun and important updates from The W and the NWSL, and of course, we've got a new Are You a Megan or Are You a Sue?

Check out the latest episode of A Touch More wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.

It's a much more like enjoyable, relaxed. You're not grinding. Environment where we're like, you have one hour a day of family time. Yeah. You're like, okay. Yeah. It's like, okay. Like visitation. Yeah. Everyone being miserable. That's going to help us our performance on the field. You guys just have more. But it's weird. It's like they're not on contract like we are.

So I had been going to, yeah, I had been going to a couple of games. Obviously we all, it's like we didn't know each other, but like we're in the exact same world in life. We know the same people, like the agents, all the sort of things.

Oh yeah.

So obviously the summer of 16, it was like from a social justice like perspective. I mean, we just come off like 14 Ferguson, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, like, you know, going into 50. I feel like I was like educate myself more. The WNBA obviously is always the, the leader and in the forefront of social justice work and protests and all of that. So it's,

Summer of 16, the players from Minnesota had refused to speak to the media, worn the black shirts, etc. And kind of going into the Olympics, I slid into Sue's DMs. I do love the DMs. She does. Not in, I just, it's like the blue truck gets you far.

Yeah, like the guy who's doing our apartment right now.

Designing in New York. Like I just slide into everyone's DMs and I'm like, hi. Like you didn't ask for me, but here I am. Anyway, so I had hit her like, hey, just amazing. About social justice. Yeah, like what, you know, you guys are doing, if there's any way for our teams to partner or whatever. This was pre-kneeling. That happened sort of after we got back from the Olympics.

Just kind of, is there any way to connect or help like amplify that?

It certainly should be. Yes.

Yeah, definitely. Because I think that they were the first ones doing anything publicly protesting as an athlete kind of during that time. Like they were talking before Colin was talking. They had already done the protest in that summer and in their season. And it wasn't just with the Minnesota team. It then kind of went league wide.

You guys wore black t-shirts and refused to speak to the media about it. I mean, if you remember that summer, it was like, there was like five really high profile murders of black men. And there was the shooting of the police officers. I think it was in Dallas. It was a very violent and tragic summer sort of leading into Colin's kneeling, which was like September or something.

So I think I was already kind of like opening my eyes to what was happening and, you know, going through, like I said, like Trayvon Martin and then the protests in Ferguson and Michael Brown and that obviously extended really far, the formation of black lives matter. Like I was just like learning about it.

I didn't really, I mean, I don't think I was really thinking about it all that much before then. And then you guys, you know, and it was just much more is like, I feel like that summer, every time he turned around, like articles or in the Atlantic or the New York times or sports illustrate, it was all just kind of like in the sort of zeitgeist of the moment. So I Yeah.

Like you guys were the first ones to really speak out. And I think even it's like, even in my sort of like implicit bias, I think back then I would say Colin was probably a bigger influence. Cause obviously when he spoke out, he got so much more media attention.

It's the NFL, but like really they were saying the exact same, they were doing the exact same things, you know, in, in the best way that they could or in the most impactful way that they could sort of prior to Colin even kneeling for the first time.

Yeah. You guys were really the, like the sort of like the, the, the snap or the whatever firecracker, obviously, you know, shout out Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight and the activists on the ground. I mean, we had, they were setting the like groundwork, but it did, it did feel like, the moment where it became more of a national thing or more thing that the casual person was thinking about.

And then you guys saved the Republic by getting us two more senators, at least, even though we haven't really done enough with the advantage that we don't have. Anyways, we don't need to get into that.

Well, and I mean, really just very bluntly, in our country, that is... white supremacist-founded, heteronormative, cisgendered, patriarchal, the straight-assumed, generally white, cisgendered women, of course, it's like we're cute and white. Right. We talk about this all the time.

It's like we're cute and white and more palatable, and we get to represent America, you know, with the playing for the U.S. as our primary thing. I mean, I just... It's like, I just can't get to any other conclusion other than the WNBA is like tall and black and everyone thinks everyone's gay. And think about the society that we live in. And...

They're always compared to the counterparts, which is the NBA. And I think for, I think people in America have a much better knowledge of basketball than soccer traditionally. And so, I mean, even when people say like, oh, you guys are so much better than the men. I'm like, yeah, it's really not like the goal, first of all.

And also that's just like, it's just leaves out so much nuance where I think like, you know, every LA fitness, YMCA basketball guy is, like thinks that he could be the best player in the WNBA and he just can't. So I think it's really simple. I think that's why. Yep. I think so too.

I think the one part that's always just a little, like I was with someone. So I never want to like disrespect that person. And you know, we have the same scenario. So yeah, it's like there was emotional overlap, which is overlap. And that's, you know, what it is and not, not, I wish it didn't happen that way, but it did. So that's right.

It was like, you know, me and Sarah at the time. And then I think like Jess and Mary were around, like we didn't really know anyone. So we were just kind of like posted up at this, like, you know, tall table, just kind of standing and chilling and listening.

Just just being like, I don't know what we're doing here, but we're here. And we got on the boat and it took us three days because you had to give your passport. And it was like a whole scene.

You two know each other.

No, you weren't, like, prowling. You just legitimately, like, kept coming over to the table.

Looking back. I think that Dee was also trying to bring this to Sue's attention on a more conscious level because Dee wanted it to happen for you. Is that your take? Yeah. I think so. But also it's like this funny thing where like, it was like, we all know each other because of course I know who Diana Taurasi is. Of course I know who Sue Bird is.

Like we all sort of like know each other, but we don't really... No, I feel like women's sports is getting better at that or like women in, in sports or even just like entertainment or whatever. Like, I feel like we get a little more self-conscious where it's the guys are out there like, yo, what's up? Like, of course I know who you are.

And like, I feel like it was a little, D's kind of funny and the same. She's like, I don't want any new friends, but like that one seems that I could do a one new friend.

No, no, I'm just kidding.

No, not at all. Wanted you to find someone who, she recognized how amazing you are and was like, this is such a, I've kind of walked myself into that, but yeah, basically.

It's just, I couldn't be more- Do you want to share the fighting story? I couldn't be more hypocritical about the way that I operate. on Zoom for myself. And then like the way that I operate when Sue's on Zoom. It's just, I'm like death eyeing her if she makes one noise. If I like literally put the mug down on the thing. Meanwhile, I'm like opening boxes and stuff.

Yeah, I did have a little Zoom.

I did have a Zoom incident. I am loud off Zoom. I don't know why. We were in our place in New York. We had just bought a place in New York.

Anytime. So it's really empty. So it's very echoey already. Things are loud.

Cause you know, they have the number one podcast in the world.

It was our accountant.

Financial advisor.

I didn't mean it. I did not mean it. This bee just farted. I'm almost impossible to embarrass. I actually was like a little embarrassed.

actually, you know what, Abby, I never thought that they thought it was me. So I feel like that's kind of hitting me hard right now. It didn't sound, it was further away. I was, I was 15 feet away. Minimum. I was in the hall. It was really funny. So we fight about the zoom stuff. That was really funny. And how do you all fight? Yeah.

Yeah, like fighting. I'm definitely not a big fighter like that.

The thing is, like, I'm not doing this as a way of manipulation.

I had to get to a place... Because you thought it was just passive-aggressive, right?

And I'm like, I actually... What you just said really hit the nail on the head, and that's not cool of me. And... I am apologizing. The problem is that some of these things are like character traits where I would love to say that I'm going to remember about the light bulbs. I'm probably not ever in my life going to remember all the time about the light bulbs.

Like new friends?

You also, I mean, to steal something from your guys's podcast with the, with the ticker, I think Amanda was talking about it of like the daily tasks. And like, Sue also lives in 3,022 for everything. And like, I would love to say that my, it's called efficiency, super efficient, super smart. Like, like way ahead on things.

Like she's already, it's already shown up at the door and I'm like, wow, we should probably think about getting paper towels. And she's like, I have it on subscription, like to the exact amount that we need. No, you're not psycho at all. It's actually amazing. But you carry a lot of the, like the household daily ticker tasks. And so of course that gets old.

I think you like doing it, but also like it gets old. And you want your partner to like, yeah. And so then when I say sorry about stuff, knowing, you know, we both kind of know full well at this point, like, is it going to change a lot?

So then it feels sorry about I'm saying sorry and then not changing my behavior. So that's what we talk about. I think that's something that we fight about probably with both of us.

Because I feel like we're both very self-aware. We're both like, you know, looking in. We're both understanding. We both have that. But then it's like, sometimes I just feel like you have to accept shit about your partner because it's not changing. They are who they are. And it's like, we can always be better, but you're not going to change the core of who your partner is.

I very much believe that. And when we spend so much time together, like, you know, the same themes keep coming up and up and up. And I feel like the more we can just accept that some of these things your partner is going to drive you nuts about all the time. And I have found that some things that I've let go of, it's just better for me because like ultimately it's not going to change.

So I'm either mad about it all the time or I'm just like, that's her.

Ever.

That's the thing. Ever. No. Like it's just not going. Now we can become better at things, more aware. We can do this. We can do that. But like the volume of Abby's voice is the volume of Abby's voice. Right. That's like a natural. That's like asking, you know, her to change who she is on the inside. It's just like hard.

Yeah, you guys gave me a real word about that. I had to look in the mirror about that because I think it was Amanda who said like when her husband comes in and he's like, how can I help? That further proves you have no idea what is going on in our life. And I would ask Sue, how can I help like an idiot?

I was like, oh, my God. I'm doing this like awful thing that just, then I say, oh, how can I help? Which further proves how much I'm totally out of the loop. So I was like, you know what? Figure it out. Figure out a way that I can help. Figure it out, Megan. I don't know.

So thank you guys for that.

Yes. Whipped is my favorite. I want to whip up for like five hours in a row. Meanwhile, we get to the five hours we haven't accomplished anything.

So I feel like that's a boundary that's like...

Yeah, we're in Seattle. We're in Seattle. We're both kind of... Abby, I feel like you know this stress and anxiety and life questioning feeling as well as we do. We're in our January sort of like... It's just every year it comes. The anxiety comes. All of the questions about my life come. And it's like, I know what's happening. Still just happens. But we're working out and doing the things and...

Does it look like I'm ready for a solution? I'm in the middle of my bullshit.

Yeah. And you are very solution-oriented.

And I'm more like, not emotional because you are emotional, but I'm more like, get in the mix and like, you're an organizer and I'm like a fuck shit up in front of the microphone sort of thing. And like, we have to, which we both get so much from each other, but it's like a balance of where... Those are the boundaries. Where we need to sort of do that.

I am not generally a jealous person. I don't get like too whipped up about that, but also it hasn't really happened with you. And I feel like I could be.

I'm not.

Godspeed. And then sometimes I feel like it's like, Sometimes it's like, I know that people like you or, you know, whatever. And sometimes I just like, don't feel threatened. And I'm like, well, they want to, you do understand what's happening right now. Like they like you, but it's, it's fine because I don't feel threatened by it. But it's, Don't ever give me anything to feel threatened by.

Listen, OK, you go first and then I'll give mine.

I don't know. Did I? I don't know. Also, I think that there is something about my insecurity. Like, you are so smart, and especially when we start playing games. Sue has the ability to hold... 25 different fully gamed out situations in her head at one time. And every single day I leave for my workout, I forget something. Like I just can't hold it all in my head. I don't know.

It's somewhere, but like, so I think there's a little bit of that. So you're like, and you grew up playing games. I didn't really like grow up playing games and stuff. I think that I just, the only thing I enjoy doing is,

really outside of now I say that like outside of my sport, which is a lot and outside of like what I consider my work, which is the, you know, activism and however we want to say, I don't even know if activist is the right word. I just only really care about going to dinner and,

with friends and like having fun and seeing other people and like, you know, just that like community and whatever and having conversation like is, is talking like a hobby? We love, we love it. We love to like play out scenarios or do debates or talk about issues. I mean, we, especially with our closest friends, like we flush a lot out of like,

what's our stance how do we talk about it what does this mean blah blah blah and of course I love shopping we can't really do a lot of that now but I it's like I think fashion everything is like a form of self-expression for me and now like for you yeah and it's like outside of that like I'm not hiking I'm not doing other sports I'm not doing other physical activities I don't

I've started to get into cooking a little bit. We'll see how long that lasts, but like, I'm also tired. Like our lives are busy and we have a lot and I just want to go to dinner, eat great food and like, but do you have good wine?

I'm not as good as like keeping in touch. I feel like I have a lot of friends. They're just all over the place.

And you've done a better job of keeping in touch. And you have like a core friends in New York.

It's just like the feeling of, you know, you can't wait to get to your vacation at the end of your season. It's all you think about all year long. You can't wait. Of course, you take your, you know, seven days off, like your really long break, seven days. And then you have to get going again.

But no, we don't have a lot of new friends. No, no, no. It's kind of like we have such little time as it is. Making new friends is like hard and a lot. And then it's going to like take away like it's hard to even schedule a dinner with the friends that the existing friends that we have. So it's like I think where do you meet new friends?

Oh, there can be absolutely no bullshit. No, no, I don't know. It's like no games, no bullshit, no dishonesty. No, we don't have time for this. And like I said, it's already difficult enough to find time. And I feel like we have to deal with bullshit in all other ways. It's like, I don't want that. that like friction, it just feels like a waste of time.

Like, why am I spending time with this person? If they're even making me like question anything and sort of that, that trust, like I feel like our friend group in New York and even friends that I have kind of scattered, there's just this trust that like, if I don't talk to you for three months, it's fine.

We'll just pick up at dinner or like, we're always there to kind of support each other and like have each other's back. It has to be like, that sort of easy feeling. Otherwise I would just rather like, not in a mean way, I would just like rather not hang out. It's totally fine. Like we clearly don't vibe or something, but like if it's not a hundred, it's kind of not worth it.

Like we'd rather just chill with, you know, with ourselves or like with other friends that we have the kind of like forced, uh,

situation I'm just like and I don't know if it comes from being in sports so long like I can get along with anyone who's put me at any dinner table in the entire world it's like fine I know the conversation I can like have conversation whatever but it's like I've been forced to spend so much time with so many people that I would never choose not in a bad way they wouldn't choose me either but I've had so much of that I want zero of that that's right like that's moving forward

Somehow in seven days, you forgot how to do everything and everything hurts and everything's like 20,000 times harder than it ever was. was before. And you're like, should I, should we just hang it up? Should I be done? Should, why is it so hard? Is everyone else doing it this hard? No, it looks easy for that. It's just so dumb to like, get ready for us, you know, The sports.

I mean, being gay is the best thing ever for like every reason under the sun.

Yeah. I mean the, yeah, the aging athlete is, is tough. Cause I can't, you know, my life has never been totally wrapped up in soccer. I've always felt my identity firmly in other places. Um, which sometimes is like worse. Cause I'm like, do you want to do this? Like, do you want to keep doing it? And a lot of other things are wrapped up in it. So that's, um, a little bit.

And then I think trying to live in a, like trying to create a world that takes me fully into account. Sure. You guys feel this way. I think you feel this way being in women's sports. Like, Every day I'm like, this is insane. Like the world that we live in is completely insane. It doesn't take our full selves into account and so many other full selves into account.

And so how do you, because it's not like we can just go to another planet on a more- you know, evolved place. Like this is where we are, but how do I like live outside of that while breaking that down, but like not getting bogged, bogged down by that, like almost like trying to live in the future and setting things up and doing things differently.

I think is always like a challenge because I just, it's like, we can't do things the same way that other, whether it's successful, you know, male athletes or successful, you know, media people, whatever, like we can't do it the way that it was done. And it's a really difficult trap to not fall into because it's,

it like makes you think that you can, they're like, just do this and just do this and just do this and say this and blah, blah, blah. And then you get to the end where you've done everything and they're like, yeah, it's still not, you're still not in.

Yeah, I think that's actually the thing that is the hardest thing all the time and particularly for me since 2019 is like the balance between doing my job, which is playing soccer, at least it's one of my jobs, but it's kind of like the cornerstone job, even though it's like the one where I get treated the worst, paid the worst and all the conditions are the worst.

Everything else kind of is, you know, not relying on it, but, you know, sort of predicated, whatever. Yeah. And so what's the balance between like doing my job and then like securing my financial future? Because especially being older,

post-2019, I'm not an idiot and I'm not going to be like, no, I'm going to focus 100% on soccer so I can be the best player that I can be and totally forego my financial security in the future, nor should I have to. But every minute that you go this way, it takes away from soccer. And then just constantly feeling like you're at odds with yourself and with your career and

and all of that and how difficult it is to actually just be a women's professional player in any sort of league with coupling that with this weird, you know, world that's exploded for us kind of off the field. So it's just, it's constantly trying not to hate everyone all the time.

It's like, I hate to say this and it's probably going to get like, you know, clipped by Washington examiner, but sometimes I'm just like, I hate everyone. Yeah. For everything that you do to all of us. It's so frustrating.

And like fighting the powers that be to break things down. But I would really love to just, quite frankly, never deal with U.S. soccer ever again.

That would be my that would be my goal. That's going to be the clip. I know that's going to be the clip. And honestly, I've to say that right to the board because it's just, they're just, have they given us a platform? Yes. Like, have we been one of the best supported teams in the world? Better than awful doesn't mean good, but okay. Yes. Like I understand that they're, is good with it.

But like to feel like in so many other parts of my life, I'm like moving on and being more, you know, open-minded and progressive and working with people that are not just like-minded in the sense of like a feedback loop, but actually view me the way that I view myself. And I want myself to be viewed as a whole human. And I view them that way. And like, we view each other that way.

And then sometimes we get stuck back in these...

And I'm like, OK, well, I'm sorry I couldn't fit the lower half of my body through that tiny opening at the top. Like, it's like people want to acknowledge for female athletes now or women who play, you know, female sports. Like, we know it's not what it needs to be. But also, like, don't talk about that too much. And don't push too much.

And also, we'll be the ones that will continue to, you know, set the benchmarks or make the rules or whatever when actually we do have all the answers. I firmly believe that. I feel it. Me and Jessica Clarendon, the woman that I work with full time now, Leija Clarendon is her wife. So obviously, you know, we have like this whole, you know, fuck it up brain trust going on. At least we try to.

We always talk about living in the future. And like, just telling people like, it's going to be okay. You guys aren't going to die. Come with us. It's like, everything is going to be okay. But we do kind of know how to live in the future.

And like, I feel like if you gave us the keys, I'm sure you guys feel this way, like to whatever institution, whether it's sports or media or this, like I could do a good job. I just know that.

And, but it's like, how many other people think that, you know, is it just us thinking that and, you know, having to try to convince everyone else, like we know what's going on, but yeah.

Um, I am feeling good. Yeah. I had a little longer break actually this time than I normally do. I obviously didn't go to the camp in Australia. So I feel like I was really able to kind of phase out like, okay, you're doing a little bit of rehab in the beginning and now we're doing strength. And now I'm kind of back on the field getting ready for preseason.

I love your take on sports.

Your Twitter feed. I feel closer to you in the way that I feel about sports than anything else that I've ever read or whatever. I always say the sports. I'm like, go sports. It's just a wild space. It is a wild space. And I'm like, this is so weird. Go sports.

So anytime you chime in, it's just the best thing ever. I'm like, what she said.

So I actually feel pretty good, like knock on wood. And I've been able to kind of slow roll it, which has been nice. And I haven't felt a ton of pressure. There's always like a little bit of like, I'm not going into this camp or whatever, but it's actually been nice to not have that pressure. And I just get to like roll into my club preseason, which will be really nice.

Yeah, but it's like your body's going to remind you and knock you down nine pegs every time you start to get comfortable. It's not like, I feel like at this stage in both of our careers, it's like if all things were equal physically, it's like we'd be busting these kids' asses. It's like I know what to do and exactly how to do it and where my advantages are and all that.

It's just about bringing this body along to get it to the point where it can halfway do what my mind is asking for.

Becky, I think, is like a month older.

I'll be at the bottom of the stairs writing.

Oh, gosh. The quick sort of version is, Abby, you know the, like, Olympic NBC media day? Uh-huh. It's usually in LA. The all day. The all day. You go from, like, uniform to this outfit. Casual Saturday.

Yeah, it's like entertainment tonight, the sports, some news, like go into the social thing, like all of these different like stakeholders, media stakeholders are in the same thing. So this was 2000, what, 16? Yeah, 16. So- Dan Levy, obviously my agent. You know Dan and Glenn very well. Yeah. So it was like sort of in passing. I also was not single at the time. I was actually engaged at the time.

So this was just kind of like a funny interaction. Dan basically like introduced me. And it's like we had been in Seattle before. for whatever, a number of years. Like I obviously knew who she was, but like, you know, I'd gone to a couple WNBA games, but didn't like know each other. So Dan was like, oh my gosh, you guys should like, you know, sort of know each other.

And it was, when I was saying she had her uniform on, but then she had like the hair down and I'm sure like more makeup than you wanted. Tragic. Yeah. And I just like, you know, because I'm so cool and so smooth with everything, I was just made some dumb joke that I immediately walked past her and rolled my eyes. And I was like, I can't, I can't believe you just did that.

But I like walked, we kind of got introduced and it was one of those things, you know, when it's like quick and like, it's just one of these, like, it's just a weird thing. And I was like, oh, like you're ready for your game. And just like, I was like, yeah. Okay. So there's that. So we can't even be friends now because she's like, she's a loser. She's dead to me. Yeah. Like, obviously we can't.

I was like, oh, I heard she was cool.

Like everything that you've heard is a total lie.

Anyway. So that was kind of like our first.

A little interaction. Yeah. And then, um, what was the next basically at the Olympics, we famously, you know, bonked out in a massive way. I was coming back from my ACL. So it was just the whole Olympics for us was really kind of terrible, but we got out so early and we never actually even made it to Rio. So I was like, Oh, I'm going to Rio. There was like five or six of us.

We went to a few games. We ended up, you guys had, you were staying on a cruise ship. So it was like. Different Olympic experiences.