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Jrue Holiday on women’s sports: ‘That’s the way the game should be played’

Lauren and Jrue Holiday are what many would call a power couple.

Lauren won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup trophy as a former star midfielder with the United States women’s national team. Jrue is an NBA champion, having won the 2021 title with the Milwaukee Bucks, and an Olympic gold medalist after his run with Team USA in Tokyo.

With two of the best in their respective sports living under one roof, sometimes things get competitive.

Jrue and Lauren Holiday stopped by the latest episode of the Tea with A & Phee podcast to talk about what it’s like to be in a relationship with another professional athlete.

“I’m, like, the most competitive person ever,” Lauren says.

Jrue and Lauren recall a game of “Family Feud” that got particularly competitive. “I guess I did name-call,” Lauren says, with Jrue adding: “We’ve had to be on the same team, and on ‘Family Feud’ we weren’t on the same team.”

The two have also been known to give each other feedback after getting off the court or the field.

“It always something,” Jrue says of Lauren’s input after his basketball games. “You’re a winner, I understand.”

“She is encouraging,” he eventually concedes. “It’s not like she is just talking trash all the time.”

While Lauren is more blunt in her assessment of Jrue’s game, the NBA star approaches Lauren’s career a bit differently. “She’s brutally honest and I just use different words,” he says.

What it might come down to, Jrue says, is that women leave it all out on the field.

“Females play … I just feel like they play the game better, like they play it harder all the time,” he says. “The way that you all play, the way that you all train its always, like, 100 percent all the time. And I would say for men, it’s not always like that. So going to watch her play or even watching y’all play, it’s fun to watch because I feel like that’s the way the game should be played.”

Jrue admits there were times he told Lauren she wasn’t playing like herself, but that only occurred “twice out of ten years of playing,” he says.

Something the Holidays have agreed upon is their commitment to doing good. The couple joined forces in 2020 to start the JLH Social Impact Fund, helping those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial and social injustices.

“How it started was before the bubble. I didn’t really want to go back to the bubble, and it wasn’t because of basketball or anything — it was just I felt like there were things in life that were more important than basketball,” Jrue says. “People were fighting for their lives, their jobs, their families.”

The idea to pledge the remaining $5 million of Jrue’s 2020 salary first came from Lauren.

“People are incredible, and if we give them a chance and you invest in people, the things they can do is just mind-blowing,” she says.

Listen to the full conversation with Lauren and Jrue Holiday here.

New York Liberty Fans Protest Surging WNBA Season Ticket Prices

New York Liberty fans cheer during a 2025 WNBA game.
WNBA season ticket holders are seeing steep price increases ahead of the 2026 season. (John Taggart for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore T-shirts in protest of the increase.

Donning orange shirts emblazoned with the phrase "We've been priced out," New York fans came together to express their frustrations at a recent game.

The WNBA fans' custom shirts referred to season ticket price jumps of more than 250%, saying the Liberty is asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.

Some New York season ticket holders noted that their 2026 renewal more than triples the cost they paid for the team's 2024 championship-winning campaign.

The exponential increase isn't just occurring in the New York market, however — it points to an overall rise in ticket prices across the WNBA.

The WNBA's recent ticket surge has seen seats across the league jumping by an average cost increase of 43% in the last year alone.

"In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle…that's the reality," Engelbert said on Thursday's episode of In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams. "That's our responsibility as a league and team owners."

Calling the price hikes a result of "simple economics" and "high demand," Engelbert acknowledged the effect on fans, though did not address potential solutions.

"I realize there's some concern out there, certainly that we don't price out our kind of core fan base," she noted.

Chelsea Teases Sam Kerr, Alyssa Thompson Season Debuts Against Aston Villa

USWNT star and new Chelsea FC signee Alyssa Thompson walks out to the pitch to be introduced to WSL fans before a 2025 match.
USWNT star Alyssa Thompson could make her WSL debut with Chelsea on Sunday. (Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Chelsea FC is playing it close to the chest, with big-name new signing Alyssa Thompson and previously injured superstar Sam Kerr waiting in the wings as manager Sonia Bompastor teases a 2025/26 WSL season debut for the pair.

Kerr joined the 18-player game-day roster for Chelsea FC's opening-day victory over Manchester City last Friday, but saw her season debut delayed as the Australian remained an unused sub while Thompson greeted fans from the stands.

This Sunday's matchup against Aston Villa provides another chance for the standouts to take the pitch, as the six-time reigning WSL champs hunt another result.

"With Alyssa, we are looking for her to be able to play. We don't have the confirmation yet, but we are hoping for her to be able to play in this game," Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said earlier today. "I think she has already shown some good things this week in training, and we can see what she can bring to the team."

Bompastor went on to call last week's decision to keep Kerr on the bench "my choice," saying "She's doing everything she can to be available for the squad and available to start…. The next step for her is to be involved in a short game in the league, and maybe we'll see that on Sunday."

USWNT fans will not get a glimpse of defender Naomi Girma, however, as the January 2025 Chelsea addition sat out last Friday's clash with a calf injury and remains unavailable.

How to watch Aston Villa vs. Chelsea FC this weekend

With the possibility of Thompson and Kerr taking the WSL pitch, Chelsea will visit Aston Villa at 7 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage of the match streaming on ESPN+.

Gotham FC Newcomer Jaedyn Shaw Returns to 1st NWSL Home in Clash at San Diego Wave

San Diego Wave attacker Jaedyn Shaw raises her hands to the crowd during the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup against Gotham FC.
Recent Gotham addition Jaedyn Shaw could face her original NWSL club, the San Diego Wave, on Friday night. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Splashy new Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw is returning West, as the No. 6 NY/NJ club preps for a Friday night clash against the No. 3 San Diego Wave — Shaw's original NWSL team — days after signing the USWNT prospect from the No. 11 North Carolina Courage.

"I'm so excited to be a part of this incredible club and community," the 20-year-old said after her NWSL-record $1.25 million transfer to Gotham. "I'm looking forward to playing alongside world class players and giving my all to help the team win another championship."

After finding immediate success with the Wave in 2023, Shaw requested a trade to the Courage in January 2025, initiating what turned out to be a short stint in Cary, NC.

"I've grown so much just over the past few months, being at the Courage," Shaw told ESPN on Thursday. "I feel like I've matured a lot. I've had to experience things that I haven't necessarily experienced in my career and having to deal with those things."

Gotham and Shaw are currently "working toward an updated and extended contract," per a team release on Thursday, with the young attacker looking to boost Gotham's offense while adding to her 16-goal and five-assist NWSL career tally.

How to watch the San Diego Wave vs. Gotham on Friday

Shaw could take the pitch for No. 6 Gotham in her new club's Friday night visit to the No. 3 San Diego Wave.

The match kicks off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage airing on Prime.

Kansas City Current Battle Washington Spirit as NWSL Shield Looms

Kansas City Current midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta prepares to take a penalty kick during a 2025 NWSL match.
The NWSL-leading Kansas City Current can widen their lead over the No. 2 Washington Spirit with a win this weekend. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The No. 1 Kansas City Current are closing in on the 2025 NWSL Shield, gearing up for a Saturday night showdown against the No. 2 Washington Spirit that could inject insurmountable distance between the Current and the rest of the league.

With a 14-point lead at the top of the NWSL standings, Kansas City has already clinched a postseason berth, and the Current only need only a few more results to secure a franchise-first league trophy.

Even more, KC enters Saturday's match on an 11-game unbeaten streak, with the Current hosting the Spirit at their home CPKC Stadium — a pitch where Kansas City has yet to drop a match this year.

Despite that dominance, it may not be smooth sailing for the Current, as Washington's future is beginning to take shape behind recently returned star Trinity Rodman, whose brace lifted the Spirit over the No. 7 Seattle Reign last Sunday.

"She's not back, because she's a different player," Washington head coach Adrián González told reporters about Rodman's level of play. "After her injury, she's more prepared mentally. She's having enough time to get the minutes, the training, and the exposures that she needs with no pressure."

How to watch the Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, with the top-tier match kicking off live at 7:30 PM ET on ION.

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