First Episode Features In-Depth Interview with Basketball Legend Lisa Leslie
January 10, 2022 — WNBA icon, Olympian and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has joined the podcast lineup for Just Women’s Sports (JWS), the leading multimedia platform exclusively dedicated to women’s sports, with the launch of NETLIFE, presented by Flame Bearers. The 12-episode audio offering is available every Wednesday through the NCAA basketball season, and will feature discussion on hoops, leadership, politics, and pop culture in addition to in-depth interviews with sports luminaries and trailblazers. WNBA legend Lisa Leslie joins Staley for the debut episode.
“We’re really excited to kick off 2022 with the launch of Dawn Staley’s NETLIFE podcast,” said Haley Rosen, Founder and CEO of Just Women’s Sports. “Dawn is an icon in and outside of sports, and we’re excited to work with her to share her voice and perspective.”
“I’m thrilled to be launching NETLIFE with Just Women’s Sports,” said Staley. “This team is incredibly talented and I’m looking forward to working with them to deliver meaningful interviews with individuals who have influenced my life, in hopes of inspiring listeners.”
In NETLIFE’s first episode, Staley and Leslie recount their early days playing basketball together for Team USA. They also discuss Leslie’s experience playing in the inaugural WNBA season, having children as a professional athlete, and how she’s used her platform to impact change
Alexys Feaster serves as Executive Producer of NETLIFE and Ambre Moton is Technical Producer.
JWS Audio Network Expansion
NETLIFE is the fourth offering in a JWS audio lineup focused on discussion and opinion on topics in and around the game. In 2021, JWS posted a +106% increase in composite downloads of its four podcasts dedicated to women’s sports. The industry-leading audio network includes the Just Women’s Sports podcast hosted by USWNT star Kelley O’Hara, which launched at #1 in Sports on Apple podcasts, Snacks, a podcast co-hosted by USWNT stars Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams, which debuted at #5 in Sports on Apple, and is home to Tea with A & Phee, the popular podcast hosted by 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier.
MEDIA CONTACT
Rachel Zuckerman, 610-724-5078, zuck@justwsports.com
About Just Women’s Sports Inc.
Established in 2020, Just Women’s Sports Inc. is the leading multimedia platform exclusively dedicated to women’s sports. Through daily content including podcasts, newsletters, online content and social media, Just Women’s Sports brings you everything you need to see and know in the world of women’s sports. Find Just Women’s Sports online, subscribe to the newsletter, and follow on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
About Dawn Staley
As a player, Staley brought home three Olympic gold medals and returned from Tokyo this past summer with her fourth as she coached Team USA to its seventh consecutive win. Staley’s storied career began in North Philadelphia, where she grew up, before playing collegiately at the University of Virginia and then professionally in both the ABL and the WNBA. In the WNBA, Staley played for the Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets, making five All Star appearances. In 2015, she was recognized by the WNBA in their ‘Top 15’ list of most influential players in the league’s history.
Her coaching career began at Temple in 2000, while she was still playing in the WNBA. In 2008, she was named the head coach at South Carolina, and in 2017, she led the Gamecocks to the program’s first-ever national championship. Staley’s many accolades include being the first player to earn both the Naismith Player of the Year award and the Naismith Coach of the Year award. As a coach, she has twice been named the National Coach of the Year, in 2014 and 2020. Staley was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
About Flame Bearers
Flame Bearers celebrates the journeys of unsung female Olympians & Paralympians on their paths to the Games. Flame Bearers spotlights the people, sharing athletes’ often unheard stories and provides a microphone for women who are true masters of resiliency. Through storytelling, Flame Bearers uses sport as a vehicle to discuss issues such as racial justice, disability bias, and pay equity. This podcast addresses hope and the belief that we are not alone by sharing inspiring stories of athletes who have overcome countless obstacles to reach their goals. Listen to Flame Bearers wherever you get your podcasts.