March Madness is here, and before locking in their brackets, Julie and Abby bring in one of the best minds in women’s basketball: legendary former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. After 40 years on the sidelines and 18 NCAA tournament appearances, Bluder joins the party from vacation in Cancun to break down the women’s bracket, share her thoughts on the biggest matchups, talk Cinderella teams, and reveal who she thinks will win it all. The conversation goes deeper than picks. Bluder reflects on coaching Caitlin Clark, how Iowa landed her, what made her different, and how culture, leadership, and trust helped shape one of the most iconic players in the game. She also opens up about retirement, the evolution of women’s basketball, and why this era of the sport feels bigger than ever. Plus, Julie and Abby open the show by showing support for the Iranian women’s national team, highlight the inequities women’s sports have faced even in branding, and get fired up for their podcast bracket challenge. Follow @welcometothepartyshow on: YouTube — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠ Instagram — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠ TikTok — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠ Email — [email protected] Keep the Party Going: Join our Welcome to the March Madness Party Bracket Competition: Follow and Hype up our Welcome to the March Madness Party Bracket Competitors: The RE-CAP show and social: https://www.instagram.com/re__inc/ The Women’s Game and social: https://www.instagram.com/womensgamemib/ Good Game with Sarah Spain Time Wasting and social: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVjV3A7j3Ll/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Coach Jackie: https://www.instagram.com/jcubedhax/ and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jcubedhax Coach Bluder recommended books: Wolfpack by Abby Wambach Pressure is a Privilege by Billy Jean King Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Update: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-womens-soccer-team-arrive-back-iran-after-some-withdrew-asylum-claim-2026-03-18/ NYU Women’s Hoops: https://www.instagram.com/nyuwomenshoops/ Thank you to our sponsors: -Ally’s got you covered. Ally Bank, Member FDIC -Join us and CARE this International Women’s Day and Women’s History month to help level the playing field for women. Sign the pledge at ⁠https://www.care.org/pledge/ -Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ at onepeloton.com https://www.onepeloton.com/ -You can also request a Cologuard prescription today at http://cologuard.com/podcast -This episode of Welcome To The Party is brought to you by McDonald’s Big Arch Burger! -Visit https://www.wayfair.com/ to get your go to items for game day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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