Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
In this week's Sports Are Fun!, soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL star Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes all things women's sports.
In true Sports Are Fun! style, the crew dives right in. First up: WNBA legend Diana Taurasi's recent retirement announcement.
"I was introduced to Diana Taurasi at age 10 when she started her career at UConn," recalls Mathias. "At that time, I was very much like, 'I'm going to UNC, I'm going to play on the national team.' To see her at UConn — the UNC equivalent for women's basketball — and just the swag she had, the way she carried herself... For me, she transcended the sport."
"Thinking about her legacy — over 20 seasons, six gold medals, all-time leading scorer," says Diaz. "But a lot of people throughout her career, even now, don't know that she's Latina. I feel like that's a huge part of her legacy."
"To see a Latina dominate the sport as one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest, that's super special," she adds.
The co-hosts additionally tackle the SheBelieves Cup results, the SEC coin flip, the 2025 NWSL jerseys, and so much more.
Co-host Mathias urges new USWNT generation to carry the torch
After that, Sports Are Fun! weighs in on coach Emma Hayes's youthful USWNT. That's when Mathias asks if this generation will keep speaking out on cultural and political issues.
"I hope that this iteration of the USWNT starts to find their collective voice," the three-time NWSL champion asserts. "As they head into the 2027 World Cup, this is the first time this generation of players is being confronted with the weight and responsibility of [wearing] that crest."
"It's the truest reflection of America that we've seen from the USWNT, the most diverse," she continues. "It's also going to play under an administration [where] what makes everything great about this women's national team — diversity, equality, inclusion — is being attacked."
"I love that America looks like this because I love our women's national team," agrees O'Hara. "I think that is a great point."
"Will this generation look at the Megan Rapinoes, the Christen Presses, the Alex Morgans, the Becky Sauerbrunns, the Kelley O'Haras, and say, 'We, like you, will continue to push,'" Mathias asks, shouting out her Sports Are Fun! co-host.
"'We are going to uphold the narrative that marginalized groups matter. Because every single one of them is represented on our USWNT.'"
"That's powerful," O'Hara responds.
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.
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
In an all-new episode of Sports Are Fun!, soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes all things women's sports. And this week, a special guest host — writer, comedian, television host, actor, and internet personality The Kid Mero of 7PM in Brooklyn and Victory Light fame — gets in on the fun.
Of course, the crew doesn't hold back. Starting with a deep dive into UConn superstar Paige Bueckers's ongoing quest for an NCAA championship title.
"I don't know Paige well at all, but I assume getting this record — cool," O'Hara says, referencing Bueckers recently passing Huskies legend Diana Taurasi to become UConn's ninth all-time leading scorer. "But if I'm her, I want a championship."
"If I'm P Buckets, I'm like, 'Yo, listen, I've done everything, I've eclipsed DT in the record books,'" echoed Mero. "Y'all know the history of UConn women's basketball, it's crazy — it's like the Yankees of women's basketball. So to have your name as a championship winner, to have all these records, that's the complete package."
Over an action-packed 65 minutes, Sports Are Fun! also tackles how the USWNT has been performing at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, trash talk in the women's game, Connecticut denying Marina Mabrey's trade request, the NCAA cashing in on Women's March Madness, and so much more.
'Sports Are Fun!' hosts O'Hara, Diaz, and The Kid Mero embrace trash talk
Before getting into the Paige Bueckers of it all, Sports Are Fun! weighs in on Rose BC's Angel Reese trash talking Phantom BC's Sabrina Ionescu on the Unrivaled bench. And to no surprise, they're here for it.
"Another storyline is trash talking," O'Hara introduces. "Angel Reese was picked up on camera during a timeout [saying] 'Sabrina can't fucking guard.'"
"And Sabrina basically said trash talking is part of the sport — you see it in the NFL, you see in the NBA. But for some reason when it gets to the to women's sports, it's like people don't want to talk about it," continued the two-time World Cup champ. "In my opinion, I love trash talking — it's a game within the game. And I'm all for it because I think it makes it interesting."
"[Trash talk] makes it fun," Mero agreed. "Listen, gambling has has invaded every aspect of sports. You know why? Because it makes it fun. I don't give a shit who's playing in the Frito-Totito Bowl, like San Diego Tech State versus like Grady Academy of Culinary Arts. I don't care who's playing, but I know the spread is 35.5... Let's roll the dice."
"What makes sports fun?" Mero adds. "Competing."
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.
The USWNT hit the ground running on Thursday, taking down Colombia 2-0 to kick off the 2025 SheBelieves Cup with a bang.
Catarina Macario opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with her first international goal in almost three years, before 21-year-old Ally Sentnor put the game out of reach at the 60-minute mark with her first-ever international tally.
"Everybody is super happy, super proud, and I'm sure everybody back at Chelsea is too," US head coach Emma Hayes said of Macario’s strike, as the forward continues her long return from injury.
USWNT rookies show out
Hayes’s decision to feature less experienced players in the match paid off, with the winning side bolstered by numerous first caps, starts, and a screamer of a goal for the world No. 1 team.
In just her third cap and first start for the senior national team, Sentnor's efforts earned her praise from Hayes, who called the young attacker's performance "tenacious on both sides of the wall."
Also excelling in her first USWNT start was 17-year-old Lily Yohannes, who lofted the ball forward in pursuit of Macario’s opening goal and stood out as the most creative passer within a US midfield that completed over 500 passes.
"She's really switched on and someone who understands the importance of doing everything for the team and for that I really admire her," Hayes said after the match.
Hayes also continued her efforts to mint new USWNT players with a trio of first caps in Thursday's match. While forward Michelle Cooper and defender Gisele Thompson snagged their first USWNT minutes as late substitutes, center-back Tara McKeown grabbed a starting spot, then capitalized on the opportunity by registering an assist to set up Sentnor's jaw-dropping goal.
Hayes has emphasized the need for the USWNT to develop its future, but Thursday’s performance showed that the future might be closer than originally expected — especially considering the big names missing from this window’s USWNT roster.
Sonnett celebrates 100th USWNT cap
Alongside all the noteworthy firsts, the USWNT also had the chance to celebrate its veteran leadership on Thursday.
Prior to the match, the team honored Emily Sonnett for her 100th cap before the versatile defender captained the squad as a starting center-back on the night.
Notably, Sonnett's USWNT tenure includes competing in all 10 iterations of the SheBelieves Cup — more than any other player.
USWNT to face Australia in second SheBelieves match
Now sitting in second in the SheBelieves Cup standings, the USWNT trails only Japan due to goal differential after the Nadeshiko toppled Australia 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.
The struggling Matildas, who failed to register a single shot on goal against Japan, must now face the seven-time SheBelieves champion USWNT in Arizona on Sunday — a team Australia has only defeated once in the pair's 35 all-time meetings.
The last time the teams met, the US defeated the Matildas 2-1 in the final group stage match of the 2024 Olympics to advance to the quarterfinals.
This time out, expect heavy roster rotation from Hayes's squad as players look to stay healthy for their club seasons, with some still ramping up to full fitness before the 2025 NWSL season.
How to watch the USWNT vs. Australia in the SheBelieves Cup
The USWNT kicks off against Australia in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup at 5 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on TBS, Max, and Peacock.
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
A new episode of Sports Are Fun! dropped today, with soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL great Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ professing their hottest takes all things women's sports — joined this week by current WNBA star and former UConn legend Stefanie Dolson.
But first, the lineup takes a good look at USWNT coach Emma Hayes's 2025 SheBelieves Cup roster.
"I think this is an interesting point in time for this team and Emma as a coach," says O'Hara. "She is now having to make decisions and choose to leave people off that she's had consistently since she's been there for the purpose of trying younger talent, newer talent, uncapped talent."
"My only pushback to you is that in the past, when younger talent has been brought in the expectation is that you don't see significant minutes or opportunity within games," answers Mathais. "I think that's a massive shift, like performing or having runs within the NWSL does now get you an opportunity to see if your ability and your talent transfers to a level that is higher."
"And if you are going to start having this conversation and see what depth you have, what pipeline you have, whether you like it or you don't like it, this roster seems to be very aligned within this runway you have leading up to the World Cup," she adds.
In addition to chatting with Dolson about all things basketball, the Sports Are Fun! squad also tackles iconic walk-out songs, the week's wild NCAA upsets, how to avoid tanking your checking account, and so much more.
Stef Dolson invites 'Sports Are Fun!' into UConn's playbook
Later, guest star Stefanie Dolson joins the part to talk about college basketball, the WNBA, and Unrivaled — starting with a look at her alma mater UConn and their up-and-down NCAA season so far.
Diaz kicks the interview off with a question: "As a former multi-champion, do you think this UConn team with Azzi [Fudd], with Paige Bueckers, and their supporting cast, do you think they have what it takes to win it all?"
"They needed a big win," Dolson says of UConn's upset victory over top contenders South Carolina on Sunday. "I think a game like this was really important for them to kind of build that confidence. And I know that they've had a lot of tough games — when they played USC, that was a huge game for them although they didn't come out on top, it just showed how tough they are."
"I'm always gonna put my money on UConn. If you're a Husky, you're a Husky for life," Dolson continues. "I would never count them out, but there are a lot of really, really good teams — UCLA, USC, Texas — a lot of really, really great teams so I think it's going to be a fun tournament.
Dolson then looks back on her time at UConn, sharing an insider's perspective on how legendary head coach Geno Auriemma ran things.
"We had a lot of different rules in terms of teams and how we wanted to play," she remembers with a laugh. "And even if we won by 40, if we didn't play well, Geno was making us run."
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.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes dropped her 23-player roster for February's 2025 SheBelieves Cup on Tuesday, showcasing a lineup that centers both the team's immediate future and Hayes's long-term strategy.
For their upcoming matches against No. 8 Japan, No. 15 Australia, and No. 21 Colombia in the 10th edition of the annual US-hosted tournament, the world No. 1 USWNT will be without several superstar veterans.
Absences include midfielder Rose Lavelle, who is still recovering from an offseason ankle surgery, and center-back stalwart Naomi Girma, who is working back from a calf injury.
The team will also miss the 'Triple Espresso' frontline trio of Sophia Wilson (née Smith), Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman. Rodman has yet to return to international play since earning gold at the Paris Olympics.
Roster allows young USWNT players to level up
The roster represents Hayes's first group for friendly competition since early December, as the US begins the long journey of preparing for their next major tournament: the 2027 World Cup.
For Hayes, the aforementioned injuries and absences offer an opportunity to bolster the team's depth by giving young players experience against top international teams.
"There's no point in me sitting in two and a half years time and saying actually, if there was an injury to key players, have I prepared the entire playing pool adequately?" Hayes said on Tuesday.
"We are facing three excellent teams with three very different styles and the tournament will be a great test to see who can perform against world-class players, but to see that, we need to give them opportunities," she explained in the US Soccer press release.
Fresh faces to join USWNT vets at 2025 SheBelieves Cup
To that end, the upcoming camp includes 10 players with fewer than five senior team appearances. Four of those players are uncapped, including midfielder Claire Hutton, forward Michelle Cooper, and defenders Gisele Thompson and Tara McKeown. All four impressed Hayes during her January camps and all have experience in youth level World Cups.
"I want to see what they look like within the WNT setup to determine, do they have the necessary qualities right now to be in the WNT, or do they go back to the Futures [camp] come April," said Hayes.
On the other hand, the 2025 SheBelieves Cup roster does include 12 members of the 2024 Olympic squad, including captain Lindsey Heaps (née Horan), Crystal Dunn, and Emily Sonnett — the only players on Hayes's February lineup with more than 100 caps.
Also notably back in USWNT action is midfielder Catarina Macario, who has returned to form with her club, Chelsea FC, after an ongoing knee injury forced her to withdraw from last summer's Olympic roster.
Ultimately, the US is in the experimental stage of the long preparation for the 2027 World Cup, complete with the risks and rewards that accompany long-term roster development.
The USWNT's February roster
- Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)
- Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City)
- Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyonnais), Claire Hutton (KC Current), Jaedyn Shaw (NC Courage), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)
- Forwards: Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign), Michelle Cooper (KC Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City)
How to watch the USWNT at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup
The No. 1 USWNT will first face No. 21 Colombia at 8 PM ET on Thursday, February 20th, before battling No. 15 Australia at 5 PM ET on Sunday, February 23rd.
They will complete their 2025 SheBelieves Cup play against No. 8 Japan at 10:30 PM ET on Wednesday, February 26th.
All of the tournament's USWNT matches will air live on TBS.
The USWNT will open up its 2024 SheBelieves Cup against Japan, the team announced on Friday.
This year’s SheBelieves is an amended format, with the USWNT playing just one preliminary match before the final. The USWNT’s match against Japan will take place on April 6 at 12:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
A game between Brazil and Canada will take place later that day at 3:30 p.m. ET.
On April 9, a third-place and championship match will take place. The first match will kick off at 4 p.m. ET while the USWNT will play at 7 p.m. ET on TBS. The opponents for each are to be determined upon the results of the Brazil vs. Canada match.
All four of the teams are ranked in the top 11 in the world, and competed in last year’s SheBelieves Cup. The USWNT took first in that tournament, followed by Japan in second. Brazil was third, while Canada took fourth place.
“This is a tournament that features three teams already in the Olympics and Japan has a great chance to qualify, so coming off the Gold Cup, these are the exact kinds of games we need to evaluate players and continue to push our team as we prepare for France,” said U.S. interim head coach Twila Kilgore.
“One great thing about the SheBelieves Cup is that it goes a long way in replicating the group stage at the Olympics, both in the short amount of rest you get between games while also facing teams with different styles of play during a group stage. The games will be great tests for all the teams and fun for the fans ahead of the Olympics.”
Atlanta will play host to the first slate of games while the teams will travel to Columbus, Ohio for the finale matches.