Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL great Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.
This week, Just Women’s Sports brought Sports Are Fun! to Tampa for a live recording ahead of the NCCA Final Four.
Taped in front of a live audience, O’Hara and the crew were joined by some extra special guests. Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, WNBA stars Aaliyah Edwards and Kelsey Mitchell, and UCLA standout Gabriela Jaquez all showed up to talk through the biggest weekend in college basketball.
'Sports Are Fun!' guests give their takes on the NCAA Final Four
Lisa Leslie on why UConn star Paige Bueckers doesn’t need a championship to secure her legacy
- “There's a whole career beyond college… She’s about to be the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA. Now, if she gets there and she doesn't have a stellar career in the W, then maybe we don't talk about her anymore. But I don't really see that happening.”
Aaliyah Edwards on what UConn needs to do to stop UCLA in the Final Four
- “The first thing is, we just need to set the tone, play our game, focus on us. Because we've been doing great things. Second thing would be to limit the touches inside… And the third thing, which is like a UConn motto, is just play hard, play smart, and have fun.”
- “Obviously respect to UCLA, but I think we got it in the bag.”
Kelsey Mitchell on NIL pressure and Olivia Miles entering the NCAA transfer portal
- “I grew to respect people like Caitlin [Clark] because she handled it so gracefully… With Olivia, I'm sure whatever she decides to do, I'm going to say it was for her and what she needed for her career. But I hope consciously that they make decisions based on what they need for themselves.”
- “Not all money is good money. Hopefully whatever she decides to do is for her and she goes where she’s loved and where she’s celebrated, not tolerated.”
Gabriela Jaquez on how UCLA is preparing for their Final Four matchup against UConn
- “We're feeling great. We're feeling very confident, excited. I think coming here in the Final Four, it's such an extravagant experience, and I'm so thankful for it and these opportunities. But yeah, we all are here to play basketball and win games, and we're excited and we're really confident.”
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.
Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
For as long as WNBA superstar Angel Reese can remember, the McDonald's brand has been synonymous with basketball.
And she's not alone. From TV commercials starring NBA legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James to the brand’s involvement in youth basketball, working with McDonald’s has given a generation of athletes a new Wheaties box moment to strive towards.
"My biggest dream was to always be a McDonald's All-American," Reese told Just Women's Sports last week. And while Reese might have missed out on the All-American game as a high schooler due to pandemic-related shutdowns, her first professional alignment with McDonald's might end up being even more significant.
Next month, Reese will become the first-ever women's basketball player to lend her name to a signature McDonald's meal deal, the Angel Reese Special. Inspired by "Angel's boldly original style and swag," the combo — a Bold BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese plus fries and a drink — this drive-thrus across the country on February 10th.
Of course, McDonald's partnerships aren't limited to the world of sports. Musical artists and pop culture moguls like Saweetie, Cardi B, Travis Scott, and more have collaborated with the fast food giant in recent years. So it makes perfect sense that Reese, known for balancing a burgeoning pro career with influential projects off the court, is the first women's basketball player to make the leap.
"Obviously I'm a basketball player, but one day the ball will stop, and I always wanted to be more than that," she said. "That's why I try to tap into other things — my podcast, fashion, and everything else. To know I'm listed with some of the [McDonald's] greats obviously is a great feeling."
"It's amazing," she added. "It's bigger than basketball."
Learning from WNBA legends
"Bigger than basketball" has long been Reese's driving ethos. She takes her image very seriously, aiming to show little girls they too can make strides in the business of basketball. But she also wants global audiences to know that women's basketball has always been cutting edge.
"Lisa Leslie, she's been a face, putting on her gloss and makeup for games," Reese said. "Skylar [Diggins-Smith]'s been into fashion, They were wearing Skylar's jerseys — Drake, Wayne. You've got to realize this has been going on."
Entering her second year in the WNBA, the Chicago Sky rookie cherished the opportunity to personally give her role models their flowers.
"You guys helped me get to this point. You guys walked so I can run," she said, referencing the messages she's been able to give icons like Leslie and Diggins-Smith. "I'm doing these things because you guys did it."
Reese is currently starring for Rose BC, one of the six teams making up Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball's inaugural season. In Miami, she has a front-row seat to how established WNBA stars handle their personal brands, both on and off the court.
"It's like a summer camp — I'm learning everything from the vets," she said. "These are like my big sisters here, and I'm just enjoying everything."
Don't knock the hustle
Reese has been grinding non-stop since her senior year at LSU. Her longest break, she noted, only came after she suffered a season-ending wrist fracture playing for Chicago in early September. But the moment she was cleared to play, she moved to Miami and got to work.
Reflecting on her jam-packed 2024, Reese credits the professionals around her for helping her internalize many of the things rookies have to learn on the fly. These growing pains include reshaping ideas about how to eat, recovery, skill work, and avoiding burnout by taking time for yourself.
"There's no better time than now," she said emphatically. "I'm getting better because I'm around pros literally every single day."
"I think people forget that sometimes, that basketball has gotten me to being this superstar, and that's my main focus," she continues.
The 22-year-old has been in frequent contact with incoming Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh throughout the offseason. She's eager for the Sky to compete in the free agency market, putting together a core that can carry the team for years to come — some of which came early in reports of the signing of veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot.
The ultimate goal is making the 2025 playoffs, before launching a deep postseason run.
McDonald's deal is just the beginning for Reese
Between sponsorship opportunities, Unrivaled, and the WNBA, Reese's life is a juggling act. But she trusts that by continuing to grow on the court, everything else will fall into place. Like her McDonald's deal, she's always thinking about the bigger picture.
"I want somebody to be able to go to McDonald's and get a cup with Angel Reese's face on it. Like, who doesn't want to do that?" she said with a laugh. "Even with some of my other things I have going on — going in the store and getting my cereal box, small things like that — it should always be accessible."
"Women should be accessible," she emphasized. "We should be easy to see. We can turn on TNT every single night here and watch Unrivaled — this is what we deserve."
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
Fast Friends brought the party to Kansas City on Thursday, as co-hosts Lisa Leslie and Kelley O'Hara, plus a roster of superstar guests, kicked off the 2024 NWSL Championship Weekend in style.
Retirement, goal cellies, NWSL title predictions, and more dominated conversation as league heavy-hitters Ali Riley, Merritt Mathias, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Kate del Fava — plus reps from each of the two championship contenders, Orlando's Carson Pickett and Washington's Croix Bethune and Ashley Hatch — took to the stage in front of a live audience.
The intrepid hosts also recapped the NWSL semifinals, including a mixup that saw Leslie texting O'Hara at exactly the wrong moment.
"I didn't really understand that they were going to add more time to the clock," Leslie explained, referencing her confusion over Washington's stoppage-time equalizer against O'Hara's Gotham FC.
"I got a text that was like, 'LETS GO!,'" laughed O'Hara. "And I'm like, 'Is she cheering for the Spirit?'"
About Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts kick things off by chatting through last weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, with the top four teams proving their dominance in four heated battles. O'Hara then shouts out the two center backs who notched their first goals of the year this postseason: Washington's Tara McKeown and Gotham's Tierna Davidson.
Later turning to the NWSL semifinals, Leslie zeroes in on this weekend's bout between No. 1 Orlando and No. 4 Kansas City — a game that pits leading goalscorers Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda against one another. "Is the matchup that we've been waiting for?" she asks.
O'Hara agrees with her co-host. While she dubs the semifinal between No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Gotham more of a "chess match," O'Hara predicts the Current and Pride's clash to be "end line to end line soccer."
"Orlando was able to stay top of the table [while] Kansas City is fourth, so in reality you would think Orlando should walk into this game feeling very confident and know what you need to do to be successful," says O'Hara. "But it's playoffs, so anything can happen."
"I'm just gonna be sat on the couch, locked in," she adds. "Get the popcorn out, get ready."
Fast Friends discusses NWSL awards
Before moving on from the pitch, Leslie and O'Hara discuss the NWSL's end-of-season awards frontrunners. The hosts gamble that Chawinga will take MVP honors while Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune will walk away as the 2024 Rookie of the Year — despite only playing 17 matches before a post-Olympics knee injury limited her to the sidelines.
Then, the legendary athletes turn to the tennis courts to celebrate Coco Gauff's recent WTA Finals win before chatting through the top teams and players headlining NCAA basketball's early season action.
And last but not least, O'Hara and Leslie reveal a few of the special guests joining them onstage at their upcoming NWSL Championship Weekend Live Show.
About Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
O'Hara and Leslie kick off today's episode discussing the NYC marathon, with O'Hara sharing that her secret way to cheer on runners is to lap them on her bike.
When it comes to running marathons, however, Leslie cited her three-mile max, saying "This body's not made for that type of distance, you know?"
Defense wins NWSL championships
Our hosts then preview the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, questioning whether or not Shield-winners Orlando can complete their "beat everybody season" before exploring 2024 expansion team Bay FC's dark horse status. They later wind down the NWSL chat by diving into the elite defensive qualities that former defender NWSL and USWNT O'Hara says could propel either the Pride or defending champs Gotham FC all the way to the title.
"I really do think, when it comes to playoffs, defense wins championships," O'Hara says on Fast Friends. "I think you can have a potent offense, but the reality is, if you don't let the other team score, you got a chance of winning."
Fast Friends tackles college basketball's season-openers
Afterwards, the duo pivot to the hardcourt where they dig into the beginning of the NCAA basketball season, starting with Leslie's alma mater: No. 3-ranked USC. Behind All-American sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins's 27 point performance, the Trojans narrowly beat No. 20 Ole Miss in their season opener in Paris — despite committing 26 turnovers.
The key to unlock USC's title-winning potential? Building trust and chemistry, Leslie says.
"JuJu's gonna have to trust her teammates more, her teammates are gonna have to trust her," explains the eight-time WNBA All Star. "You've gotta make other players around you better, and let them hit some shots, and it'll open it back up more for her."
Speaking of chemistry, that's something Leslie says defending NCAA champions No. 1 South Carolina have in spades thanks to head coach Dawn Staley.
"[Staley] makes people want to be better and brings the best out of others," Leslie says of former teammate. "The will that she brings is making each individual want to be at their best, and you feel like you let her down when you're not giving your all... That's the sign of a great leader."
About Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie
O'Hara and Leslie wrap things up with a visit to the WNBA, where former Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White is returning to her Indiana roots to lead the Fever. According to White, she joins the team as they enter their "championship or bust" era. The Fast Friends hosts also hit on how the coaching carousel and the WNBA's CBA negotiations could impact free agency moves this offseason.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
On today's special Halloween episode, our hosts show up to set dressed as the fastest of friends: race care drivers.
O'Hara and Leslie then dive into the USWNT's October friendlies, discussing the young talent on display as well as the way the team holds consistent focus even when falling behind on the score sheet.
"I think [that's] a testament to Emma's influence already on this team," O'Hara says, praising head coach Emma Hayes's ability to keep her players from getting rattled. "I get the sense that she has already [said], 'Shit's gonna happen. We stick to the game plan, we stick to what we're good at, and the goals will come.'"
"Soccer's about riding the wave, its ebbs and flows," O'Hara adds. "Sometimes you gotta weather the storm, but if you are confident and all on the same game plan, you're gonna be able to execute."
Then, the duo pivot to discuss all things WNBA. Leslie looks into the reasons why the WNBPA is opting out of their CBA from both the players' and league's perspective, before digging into a recent flood of head coach exits that have left seven of the league's 12 current teams without a leader.
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
In the latest episode of 1v1 With Kelley O'Hara presented by RBC Wealth Management, WNBA superstar and Fast Friends co-host Lisa Leslie lets O'Hara in on her own retirement journey.
In the intimate conversation, Leslie opens up about deciding to start a family as a pro athlete, preparing for life off the court, launching her broadcast career, and what she's learned about herself throughout the retirement process.
The two-time WNBA champion and LA Sparks legend also discusses the importance of building generational wealth, financial literacy, and keeping a diverse portfolio.
"I have a great portfolio, which makes me confident," the eight-time WNBA All-Star explains. "I’m really the first generation that can pass something on to their children, and my husband and I have worked hard to plan for that."
"I really enjoy helping other athletes and entertainers," Leslie continues. "Being in the African-American community, I realize that most of us are the first millionaires in our families — how would you have financial literacy if you've never had finances to be literate about?"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts recap the 2024 WNBA Finals, including the officiating controversy. Lisa also breaks down a similar situation from her playing days.
"You feel like it was stolen from you," Leslie explained. "It felt like the exact same thing, that they could be really physical with us. We go down and just touch and it was a foul. It felt like they were just taking this game from us, so I get it. I understand it. But what do you have to do? Suck it up, buttercup."
"One of the things I know is that the officials do they best job that they can do," she added. "It is a thankless job."
Then, Kelley and Lisa chat about Kelley's Gotham FC retirement celebration before diving into who can grab the final two NWSL playoff spots. Plus, Lisa learns all about soccer's nonstop schedule, and much more!
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Just Women's Sports announced today that women's sports superstars Kelley O’Hara and Lisa Leslie will be recording the season finale of their hit studio show Fast Friends live in Kansas City during NWSL Championship weekend.
Fast Friends is a rebrand of Leslie and O’Hara’s Olympic show, The Gold Standard, which ran throughout the Paris Olympics and concluded with Leslie and O’Hara taking a spontaneous trip to Paris to see the gold medal games in person.
'Fast Friends' live show tickets now available
The show features O’Hara and Leslie giving their takes on the biggest headlines in women's sports, from the WNBA Finals to the NWSL MVP race. Scheduled for Thursday, November 21st, the Fast Friends live show will look back at the year in women's sports before previewing the weekend's NWSL Championship match.
The show will feature surprise guests from the biggest names in soccer as well as special segments sponsored by Ally and EA SPORTS FC.
Tickets run $20 per person, with a limited number available for purchase via Eventbrite starting today. The taped show will be distributed across JWS channels in the lead-up to the Championship game.
'Fast Friends' headlines slate of Championship Weekend events
In addition to attending the live Fast Friends taping, fans can also catch Just Women's Sports at NWSL Fan Fest on the day of the Championship game, where they can show off their gameday fits and snap some photos at JWS' interactive photo-op.
Just Women’s Sports is also sending one lucky fan and their plus one to Kansas City for an unforgettable NWSL Championship weekend. The grand prize includes tickets to the game, seats at the live show, hotel accommodations, flight vouchers, and rideshare credits. Fans can try their luck by entering the giveaway now.
In addition to making a splash on the ground in Kansas City, JWS will make sure NWSL fans everywhere feel included in the fun by posting industry-leading social coverage throughout the weekend's festivities.
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts chat through the all-tied-up WNBA Finals, including the Liberty's Game 1 collapse, Game 2's response, and what the Lynx can do to snag a win at home.
Calling Game 1 "silk slipping through the fingers," Leslie said much of New York's implosion came because "the Liberty have some really silly turnovers."
Then, Kelley and Lisa talk all things NWSL, from the Portland Thorns getting back on track to Temwa Chawinga's record-setting goal to Bay FC's playoff chances and much more!
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.