Nothing Short of Amazing with Charlotte North

0:00Welcome to Good Game of Sarah Spain, where we're requesting permission to become one with our couches this weekend. So many sports to watch! It's Friday, March 6th, and on today's show we'll be chatting with the Cross Superstar Charlotte North, ahead of the Conclusion of the Women's Lacrosse League Championship Series this weekend. We discuss how the post-graded Lax Landscape has changed in recent years. Her team's bid to repeat as Championship Series winners this weekend and the future of the WLL beyond this weekend. A future that includes a full schedule of games across the country this summer. Plus, our Take It Back segment returns for Women's History Month. Another record-breaking PWHL game is on the horizon, and give it up for the champs. It's bubbly baths and chauys for the mysties. It's all coming up right after this. This is an iHeart Podcast, Guaranteed Human. This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Venture X Card, founding partner

1:03of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that two new expansion teams will begin play this year in the National Women's Soccer League? The 2026 season will see the league expand from 14 to 16 teams, with Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC kicking off their inaugural seasons in March. With Venture X, enjoy easy-to-use premium benefits like a $300 annual Capital One Travel Credit. Plus, you can earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, Terms Supply, C Capital One dot com for details. Brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let me tell you why Vital Farms' pasture-raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens. They're live in the good life, fresh air, sunshine, and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittatus. And you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into Vital Farms dot com slash farm, and boom, you're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more. Vital Farms, good eggs, no shortcuts. Eczema. Isn't always obvious. But it's real. And so is the relief. From Ebglis.

2:04After an initial dosing phase, about 4 and 10 people taking Ebglis, a cheap itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. Ebglis, Libri Kizumap, LBKZ. A 250mg for 2mL injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older, who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40kg with moderate to severe eczema. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin, or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Ebglis, allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglis. Before starting Ebglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about Ebglis and visit ebglis.lyli.com or call 1-800-LiliRx or 1-800-545-5979. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need.

3:05From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise, so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Welcome back slices. Happy Friday. Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with Unrivaled, where there's a new champion town. Number two, Mist beat number one, Phantom 80-74 Wednesday night to win Unrivaled, sophomore season. Captain and Unrivaled co-founder, Brianna Stewart, led the Mist victory with 32 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks, two steals, and a controversial game-winning free throw. Earning her finals MVP honors. Arike Agunbole put up 19 points to help, Alanna Smith added 11 and Ali Shagre had 12. Phantom put up a fight despite injuries with Captain Kelsey Plum scoring a heroic 40 points.

4:09But it wasn't quite enough. As I mentioned, the game ended with an offensive foul call on Stewart getting reviewed and overturned to a block, sending her to the free throw line for the winning points. But a wins-a-win, and Ms. B.C. definitely celebrated accordingly. Alanna Smith, for instance, went with a questionable but traditional Australian celebration called Ashui, where you pour a beer into your shoe and drink it. Yuck. But if I'm being honest, it's absolutely something I would do. The celebrating move to Miami Night Club 11 for the official after-party, same spot the US men's hockey team celebrated their Olympic win, though I don't think Pat McAfee picked up the tab this time. The Misty's may not have felt great waking up Friday morning after that party, but they got to feel good about waking up with an extra $100,000 in their pockets each. And Ali Shagre has taken home even more. She also added a cool 50k for coming in second in the League's 1v1 championship, plus another 50k for winning Unrivaled second half free throw challenge. So I guess what I'm saying is drinks on Alicia to lacrosse the women's lacrosse league aka the WLL concludes its 2026 championship series this weekend just outside Washington DC.

5:20Quick refresher WLL launched last year as an offshoot of the men's Premier lacrosse league and consisted of just one short tournament in February and an all-star game in Kansas City in July. But we're getting a full season this year, more on that later in the show. In the meantime, all four WLL women's teams are currently competing in this year's championship series, which began last Friday. The round robin portion of the tourney concludes tonight with the last ranked Boston Guard taking on the Maryland charm. Once the round robin's standings are final, the top ranked team gets a buy to Sunday's championship game while the second and third place teams will compete in a semi-final on Saturday. We'll have plenty more on the WLL championship series and the state of pro lacrosse in general later in the show with Charlotte. And we'll link to this weekend's WLL schedule in the show notes to soccer and the she believes cup. The US defeated Canada 1-0 Wednesday night with friend of the show, Ali Centnor scoring the lone goal of the game in the 55th minute. The 22-year-old Centnor now has three goals in four games to start 2026. With a 2-0 record in the tournament, the US national team will look to clinch this year's she believes trophy when they take on Colombia on Saturday and Harris in New Jersey.

6:27That game begins at 3-30 PM Eastern following an earlier 12-30 PM Eastern matchup between Canada and Argentina. More soccer, the Portland Thorns announced that the club has hired Swedish native Robert Villa-Ham as the club's new coach. The hiring process took Portland nearly the entire NWSL offseason. And Paris-Pierre's Jeff Kassouf, Villa-Ham, didn't become a candidate until later in the search period. He most recently served as head coach of the Tottenham Hotspur women in England's WSL from 2023 to 25 and led them to their first FA Cup final in 23-24. But he was fired last June after the team finished the 24-25 season 11th in the league. The appointment, which is contingent on Villa-Ham receiving a P1 visa, comes just one week ahead of the start of the 2026 NWSL regular season. So, TBD, whether he'll be there on the sidelines for the team's season opener with the Washington Spirit on March 13th. To college hoops, where teams across the country are in the thick of conference championships right now. And as of this recording, the early rounds are happening. But if you want to keep an eye out for some of your top favorite squads,

7:28UCLA plays today at New N Eastern, same with South Carolina. While Vanderbilt takes the court tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern and Texas tips off tonight at 8.30 Eastern. Top ranked UConn will start their campaign tomorrow at New N Eastern. Speaking of UConn, sophomore forward Sarah Strong was named Big East Player and Defensive Player of the year on Thursday. This is just the third time a player has earned both honors in the same season and the first time since 2001. To call it hockey, where it's also conference tournament season. Every women's D1 conference will crowd a champion on Saturday. And those winners will all receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. Mercyhurst and Penn State will battle for the AHA title. UConn and Northeastern play for hockey East glory. And the NEWHA title comes down to St. Ansem and Franklin Pierce. As for the WCHA, we're recording this episode ahead of that conference as semi-finals Thursday night. And the ECAC has its semi-finals this afternoon. So we'll link to the full slate of results and games in the show notes. As for the conference losers, many of them will still be hoping to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

8:30Those six spots will be handed out on Sunday morning and revealed during a selection show at 11.30 a.m. Eastern on ESPNU. To the Paralympics, the Milan Cortina Games officially get underway today with opening ceremony, where the U.S. flag will be carried by Alpine skier Lori Stevens and sled hockey player Josh Pauls. Bianca told you a bit about Stevens in yesterday's show. She's a seven-time Paralympic medalist who will be making her sixth Winter Paralympic appearance in Italy. On Saturday, it's time to start awarding medals and handing out Milos. Alpine skiing gets underway with the women's downhill and its three main event categories, sitting, standing, and visually impaired. Also on Saturday, Parabuy Athalon will award its first medals in the women's sprint, which means we'll be on Oaxana Masters and Kendall Gretz podium watch. Looking ahead to Sunday, medals and snowboarding are on the line in the snowboard cross-competition, where Brenna Huckabee should be a factor. And that's just a slice of what's happening, not to mention all the curling. Truly so much curling. We'll link to the full Paralympics schedule in the show notes.

9:32Speaking of curling, the Associated Press reported earlier this week that two stones set to be used at the Paralympics were stolen from the competition venue ahead of the start of the games. The stolen stones were replaced by spares, so the heist didn't delay the competition, though you will recall from our Olympic curling episode that athletes do keep notes on each specific stone, as each one behaves slightly differently. So if they were warming up or practicing ahead of the games with those stones, they better update their rock journal. Also, those puppies are pricey. Olympic certified stones cost over $900 a piece. To the PWHL, where the league announced on Thursday that next month's game at Madison Square Garden between the New York sirens and Seattle torrent is already sold out. With a capacity of just over $18,000 for Hockey, the game is expected to break the US Women's Hockey attendance record, which was just broken again last week at Climate Pledge Arena. I think this would be the fourth time this year. And that's not all. The PWHL also announced that April's Game at Boston's TD Garden is sold out.

10:34That venue has a capacity of just over $17,800. Women's Hockey Rod and a Sky High Olympic Bump. We love to see it. In the meantime, there are two PWHL games this weekend, both on Sunday with the Toronto Scepter hosting the Minnesota Frost and the New York sirens hosting the Ottawa Charge. Back to hoops ahead of next week's Feebo Women's World Cup qualifying tournament in San Juan Puerto Rico, USA basketball has announced a few changes to its roster. The program announced that Sonya Citron and Alia Boston are no longer available to compete at the tournament, both sustained injuries while playing and unrivaled. They'll be replaced on the roster by Monique Billings and Ray Burrell. The qualifying tourney gets underway next Wednesday, March 11th, and continues through the 17th. The US team is already qualified for the Feebo World Cup, which will be held in Germany in September. To love Pro volleyball, where the 2026 regular season is just over halfway complete. As of this recording, Love Salt Lake currently leads the standings, followed closely by Love Houston. And there are a bunch of matches on the calendar this weekend,

11:35beginning tonight with a Texas showdown between Houston and Austin. We'll link to the full schedule in the show notes. All right, we got to take a break. When we come back, it's lacrosse superstar Charlotte North. I got up with her on Wednesday ahead of tonight's must-win game between her Boston Guard and the Maryland Charm. Stick around. This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that two new expansion teams will begin play this year in the National Women's Soccer League? The 2026 season will see the league expand from 14 to 16 teams, with Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC kicking off their inaugural seasons in March. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply, see capitalone.com slash bank for details. Capital One, NA member FDIC. Whenever I'm headed out to a workout first thing in the morning or getting ready to jab ball sports with the girls, I'm drinking Gatorade lower sugar.

12:36Whether I'm tired, out of breath, or dehydrated after a hot yoga class, Gatorade lower sugar helps keep me hydrated. I've always been a Gatorade girlie. I grew up getting it at the gas station with my brother, but I don't always need more sugar in my life, so Gatorade lower sugar is perfect. It has 75% less sugar than regular Gatorade and all the electrolytes. Gatorade is the first drink I always want to grab from the fridge. Nothing hits better than ice cold Gatorade. After a workout. It hydrates better than water and has no artificial flavor sweeteners for colors. Try Gatorade lower sugar today, available on gatorade.com and in stores nationwide. Exama isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Ebglis. After an initial dosing phase, about four and 10 people taking Ebglis, achieved its relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

13:36Ebglis, LibriKizumap, LBKZ. A 250mg for 2mL injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older, who weigh at least 88 lbs or 40kg with moderate to severe eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin, or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglis. Before starting Ebglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Searching for a real relief? Ask your doctor about Ebglis and visit ebglis.lyli.com or call 1-800-lyliorex or 1-800-545-5979. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts.

14:36Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Joining us now, she's a lacrosse player for the Boston Guard of the Women's Lacrosse League. She played her college lacs at Duke, then Boston College, and was a two-time two-hour-ton award winner as the NCAA's most outstanding player. She held the Division I record for Women's Lacrosse schools when she graduated and went straight to play for Team USA and athletes unlimited lacrosse before joining the WLL when it launched last year. Lacks experts call her the best player on the planet. It's Charlotte Nora. Hi, Charlotte. Hi, how are you guys? Thank you for having me. There's no one better for me to ask. Did I say two-hour-ton award right? It's hard. It's hard. It's two-hour-ton. It's a really, really special honor in our sport. It's the equivalent of the Heisman and football. A lot of history behind the award. It's really special. Okay, well, I'll remember that because you've won two-hour-ton of them.

15:40Exactly. Perfect. Well, thanks for joining us. We're so excited to learn more about the WLL and its future and the WLL championship series that's closing out this weekend that folks can watch on the ESPN app and on the WLL streaming hub. But before we get to all that, I kind of want to go back and talk about when you were graduating college, what the post-collegiate landscape looked like. You graduated in 2022. What did it look like if you wanted to play pro or play for the national team? What were your options? Yes. We had a professional league known as Athens Unlimited when I graduated from college. And then it's been a lifelong dream of mine to have an opportunity to try out for for Team USA and to be able to represent our country on the world stage. So I was very fortunate, while I was in college, I received an invitation to try out during my college career. And I was so nervous, so intimidated. As you can imagine, I just, all the players that I've looked up to for as long as I can remember, being a part of that player pool and that trial process.

16:40And it is some of the most intense meeting rooms and spaces and fields you'll ever see in the game. But I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to try out for that team. And then I played with athletes Unlimited for a few years post-college. Yeah, and before that, there were a couple leagues United Women's Lacrosse League from 2016 to 2018. Women's professional lacrosse league from 2018 to 2020. And it felt like there was a bit of a group with athletes Unlimited in part because it's part of this larger company that owns a number of different sports. You led the league in goals, two point goals, and points in each season. But that league ends up shutting down in 2025. It became clear that national team requirements for players leading up to the Olympics were going to make things really tough. A lot of players are coaching in college as well. So those schedules were interrupting things. And then the WLL might have played a little bit of a part in that. So were you surprised to see that AU Lacrosse ended? Or did it feel like WLL kind of came in and was one or the other? Well, the year this past summer, the schedule internationally, like you mentioned, was a bit,

17:43a bit crazy because we have different disciplines of our sport that are played. And the one that will be represented in Los Angeles in 2028 is sixes lacrosse. And so we had a sixes T-USA lacrosse team participating in the world games in Chengdu, China. And then we also had our continental qualifier for the field team. What lacrosse fans are used to seeing before sixes became about. And that's the traditional 10v10 full field format. So we had a number of different international events on the calendar for the summer. So it made it a little bit hard to have that season. And ultimately they decided to shut it down. But we were so excited about building and seeing all of the behind-the-scenes work of the WLL and the excitement that was building to the inaugural championship series a year ago. And to see how excited fans were, how excited the pros were. The best players in the world were ready to suit up for these four teams and represent these four cities and just go compete. And it just been nothing short of amazing. And it's just the beginning for us.

18:44A little bit later I want to talk about how sixes is different and which one you like more. But you mentioned the WLL. This feels different than athletes unlimited in part because it's the traditional team format as opposed to athletes unlimited where individuals win. It's also tied to immensely the professional lacrosse league, which gives it a little bit of heft in terms of adopting and building off of an audience that's been created for that league. But we had a lot of questions when it started because they launched like a league with teams in cities that they didn't play in or for and it ended up being just this one WLL championship series, a one-week tournament in Virginia, in February of last year, using that sixes format. So what were you told when WLL started? And did you think for 2025 at least it would just be that one week of competition? So we knew that a lot of players had anticipated playing that summer, whether it be with their national team or whether it be with athletes unlimited and that pivoted quickly as you mentioned. So we weren't sure what the schedule would look like. But what we did know is that we were going to play in the inaugural championship series and how excited

19:48everybody was, you know, from every player that has aspired to play this sport that we love for a living, you know, to every fan and every young player that aspires to one day play professionally. I mean, everybody was so excited. And so leaving into that championship series we all, you know, learned what teams we were a part of. We met our coaching staffs and we were just so excited to be able to be on a team in a locker room, having team meetings, you know, scouting our opponents, representing a city, and to move forward in that way. And so we also had an awesome all-star event in the summer that we were able to fit in in between all the international events that I mentioned. And that was, I'm believe, WLL we played in Kansas City, Missouri, which is, you know, not a traditional hotbed for the sport of lacrosse, but to see the way that they were excited for us to bring the highest level of our sport to them, to their backyard to play in a beautiful NWSL venue. It was just so inspiring and motivating for the players because we got to feel a taste of what is to come this summer when we have our first full season. And we will be traveling

20:51around and we will be representing these cities and getting to bring these, you know, amazing teams and staffs who have worked tirelessly around the clock, getting to bring them to the fans, you know, the fans have been amazing here at the championship series right outside of DC. And we've felt their presence whether, you know, they love a certain team or player, whoever it is. They've showed out, we've had sold out crowds, they're watching on ESPN. But for us to be able to bring our best and our product to them directly in a city like Boston, the team I play for, that's something that, you know, we are over the top about excited and we're honored to represent these four locations, but more importantly, we can't wait to connect with the fans. Oh my gosh, I have so many questions about what's coming later this summer, but we'll get to that in a little bit because I do want to ask you, you know, in some women's sports, there's a real point of pride in not having to operate alongside a men's league. And in others like LaCrosse, where the men's sport hasn't really broken through at the same level as some other professional sports, it's probably a great benefit, maybe even necessary to build along with each other.

21:53Does it feel to you that being in a part with the PLL will benefit the growth of your sport? I think certainly, I think you think you look at the way that, you know, Paul, Ravel, Mike Ravel, Rachel DeCecho, and a number of other people at the league have built the PLL and have built these incredible, you know, markets for all these teams that they haven't for these professional players who now get to do this for a living and call it their full-time job. Like that is, that's the dream and they're doing it in such an inspiring way. And I think the right way, and so we're lucky to be under that fold. And sort of to also, you know, pave our own way and create our own individual team cultures and what our organizations look like. And, you know, the sports, when you look at them from, you know, a bird's eye view, men's and women's lacrosse are a little bit different. You know, we wear different equipment. The style of the game is a little bit different. The type of athlete is a little bit different, but each game is exciting in its own right. And it feels really positive to be rowing in the same direction as these male athletes who want the same as us. And, you know,

22:58again, I referenced L.A. 28 a little bit ago, but the men have been included in the Olympics before quite some time ago. This is actually the first time the women will be included on the lacrosse front. And so we're just ready to show the world how exciting our sport is. We know how exciting it is. It's fast. It's non-stop action. If you turn on the TV this weekend and you watch Championship series, we are, you know, fighting like crazy to make plays on the field. It's physical. It's just non-stop action and it's the best athletes in the world. I think, you know, across any sport because of what the sport requires of you in terms of athleticism and skill. But it is very special to be rowing in the same direction to be able to represent, you know, the Boston Guard and have, you know, the Boston cannons on the men's side, which, you know, gets the city equally as excited. So it's been, it's been special to see what they've been building on the PLL side and we're excited to pave our own way as well on the WLL side. You mentioned the speed and that's especially so in lacrosse sixes, which is what's going to be featured in the Olympics. Can you give us a very brief explainer of the biggest differences between sixes and regular lacrosse? Yeah. So it's a little bit like rugby. So you have, you know,

24:03your full-field rugby and you have rugby sevens or basketball. You have, you know, five on five and then there's three on three basketball. So it's, it's a shorter field. It's less people on the field at once. It's five on five plus a goalie and it's equal possession and non-stop action. So in the field game, you have the full football size field. You've got a little bit more position-specific type of players. You've got players that take the face off or the draw. You've got attackers, defenders, midfielders, kind of like in soccer. But in sixes lacrosse, it's more of the pace of hockey where you are just shifting on and off. You are going both ways. You have to be supreme, supreme shape and have elite endurance and athleticism. And you have to be able to do everything. Otherwise, you get exposed. So it is, it is so much fun to be out there on the field and to be in that condensed environment. But to be going back and forth non-stop action to scores that you will see in a sixes game are much higher than they would be in the field game just because it is non-stop action. And as soon as you score a goal, the goalie is picking it up out of the back

25:07and then they're going the other way. And there's a shot clock. And there is a shot clock. And there is a shot clock. And there is a course as you into action. You can't stick around with it. You've got to make a move. And yeah, I heard someone describe it as like kind of like five on five basketball, but with a goalie. You've got pick and rolls and screenplays. It's a little bit more accessible version of the game for people who maybe are not as like familiar with lacrosse. What is this two-point line that's new to the WLL this season? And will that be in the Olympics? Yeah, it will not be in the Olympics. I don't think, but it is new to the WLL this season. The men have been using it in both the 6th format and the outdoor 10 on 10 format. But we've been excited to have it implemented into our game. It just makes for more exciting plays, different schemes, different coaches are working on to either defend the two-point shot or drop a two-point play. And it can also provide a lot of excitement and games can change on a dime because you can score a goal that's worth two or vice versa get scored on. And it's just such a game of runs. And I think that's what's so exciting, especially in 6th is you're never out of it and you're never knowly to safe in 6th is either. So you just have to be able to keep going put your foot on

26:11the gas and play both sides of the ball. I think it's the best format for any youth player who is just starting the game. I think it is the perfect way to get acclimated to the skills and athleticism that the field game requires. And like you mentioned, you know, less resources are required, less people are required on a team. And you can really you can grab five buddies and go to the part of the play against the team and it doesn't require a whole lot. So it's really fun to get to play at the highest level and then to get to see all these youth programs and everybody who's excited about the discipline. Yeah, so the two-point is just what it sounds like except it's two points instead of three, but it's like the three-point line of basketball. It's just a way to score more points. So you can get your Caitlin Clark, Sabrina, and Esku on in the middle of a game if you got that branch. So the squad that you capped in the Boston Guard won the inaugural LL championship series last year. You bested the three other teams, the California Palms, the Maryland Charm, and the New York Charging. So you do anticipate more competitions after this championship series that concludes this weekend. What is on the schedule for the women's across

27:13league? So after the championship series concludes, we will be garing up for our first ever full summer season. So this will be our first full-go at it. All summer will be traveling around, will be playing in the 10v10 format, which is actually what we played in the All-Star game in Kansas City that I mentioned. So we got a little pace of that and it was unbelievably exciting. It was so close, even though it was an All-Star game. Now we're going to be with our teams representing our cities and continuing on what we've built from the championship series on and adapting and adjusting because it's a different format. But one people are very familiar with and we just can't wait to get out there and be traveling around and play on the weekends of the summer, play on TV and be able to, again, bring our product and the best players in the world to these markets where they are so excited to have professional lacrosse for the first time, some of them. You know, for so long, the college game was the most talked about version of the game, the most viewed version of the game, the most attended version of the game. And now you're seeing

28:13the tides kind of shift a little bit. You're seeing all these college players come into the professional game and have a place to play and do it for a living and get to play all summer long and compete for a championship that we will soon find out who will take home this September. So starts in May, it looks like, and then ends in August in Philadelphia maybe. So it's just the four original teams to start out with, right? Yes, yep. But I'm also seeing some neutral market games. So kind of like the PWHL's takeover tour where they'll send teams to a city that doesn't have a team yet. One of which is my city of Chicago. So I'll have to keep an eye out for when y'all are coming to see me. Is it all four teams that are going to go to those each of those cities or just two at a time? Each team has a different schedule. So there'll be certain teams on certain weekends. But Chicago, it's a budding lacrosse town. They have Northwestern, which is a premier women's program. The final four will actually be hosted by them for the women in college on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. And then to see the way that they have embraced pro lacrosse, they don't have a team yet. Hopefully

29:19one day that will be the case. But they have embraced the pro game. They show up. They are excited for us to come there. And hopefully we can have you after the game. I love this. So this is just coming out because just a couple of weeks ago when I was looking for more information about the WLL season, it wasn't out yet. But now you've got this full season. So folks can go to the WLL.com slash schedule and see this schedule for the first 2026 season that includes that Chicago date, San Diego, a couple other places that'll be fun for folks to check it out. Before we get to that season, we do have to conclude this championship series last week. The series got underway and it will conclude this weekend. Your guard fell to the charging in a rematch of last year's championship final, which means your next game, which is Friday against Maryland six eastern, basically a must win to make the semi finals, right? Right. It is a must win situation for us, but we couldn't be more excited for the opportunity. You learn so much every time you go out there and compete, especially in this discipline that we're all getting more familiar with. And

30:21our team is just so excited to be able to go out there on Friday night. We have a special group of really strong group of individuals, you know, both talented, but also just, you know, the leadership that they display, the care, the passion for the game and for the want and desire to win. So we just can't wait to have a chance on Friday to do something special. So what do we expect out of that matchup with Maryland? What are their strengths and weaknesses? That's a good question. So they had one of the biggest pickups in the off season. They brought in Allie Kennedy. They had the number one pick coming into the year based off of last year's championship series results. And I think Allie Kennedy is one of the best midfielders in the world. She can run for days. This discipline of sixes is something she really excels at because she is a two-way player. She can play defense. She can score goals. And she can run forever. Her motor is endless. So she's one of the best middies. I feel fortunate that I get to be her teammate on Team USA. So I feel pretty familiar with her game. And then they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world as well. Our team USA goalie, Kaylee Waters. So it's no easy task going against

31:24any of these teams to be honest. All these rosters, they're small rosters and there's four teams. So you can imagine the talent and the competitiveness that exists to make one of these teams. Every team is stacked. So you got a game plan a little bit differently for each one, but we can't wait for Friday night. And then last question for you, the US team. You've got the 2026 World the Cross Women's Championship. That's July through August in Tokyo. How is that going to jive with the WLL schedule? Is there a pause during WLL to allow you to go to that and come back? Yes, there is a pause for the World Cup. And we're just so excited. We're going to have a couple of WLL games leading up to that and then some afterwards. But to be able to have an opportunity to represent the United States and to do it alongside these incredible women and coaches. Kasia Walker is the head coach of the US national team. She was my college coach. And I just, I can't believe I get to go to another World Cup. I was lucky enough to be on the team in 2022. Four years ago, we won gold. We beat Canada in that gold medal game.

32:25And to have a chance to do it again, and to get to go to somewhere like Tokyo is once in a lifetime. So can't wait for that. Who should we keep an eye on outside of US and Canada for best in the world heading into 2028? These teams are developing rapidly. The resources are being poured in. You're seeing Australia really develop. Japan is another really strong team. There are so many great Britain teams that we've really familiarized ourselves with over all this international competition, whether it be qualifiers, whether it be exhibitions, whatever it be, we have really seen so much growth in development. And the Haudenosaunee team as well, the Iroquois team is one of the strongest competitors as well. So I mean, it's no easy task. We really pride ourselves on the amount of training that we put in as a US team and the amount of training camps that we have and how much we beat up on each other to hopefully be prepared for the World Cup. But at the end of the day, these countries are putting out their best rosters. So it is not an easy task to go over

33:29there and make it to the gold medal game and hopefully win. Awesome. Well, I feel like I learned so much from this. You're such a great spokesperson for your sport. And we look forward to watching you this weekend. And then later on this summer and hopefully here in Chicago. Thanks so much, Charlotte. Yeah. Thank you so much. Hope to see you in at a game in Chicago soon. Thanks again to Charlotte for sitting down with us and answering all of our burning WLL questions. We got to take another break when we return deer skin balls filled with fur. Stick around. This sport spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that the first ever US women's national soccer team was formed in 1985? A group of 17 women trained just one week before traveling to compete in the prestigious Mundialito tournament in Italy, marking the first time a US team participated in international play. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital one.com slash bank for details.

34:34Capital One and a member FDIC. Whenever I'm headed out to a workout first thing in the morning or getting ready to have about sports with the girls, I'm drinking Gatorade lower sugar. Whether I'm tired out of breath or dehydrated after a hot yoga class, Gatorade lower sugar helps keep me hydrated. I've always been a Gatorade girly. I grew up getting it at the gas station with my brother, but I don't always need more sugar in my life, so Gatorade lower sugar is perfect. It has 75% less sugar than regular Gatorade and all the electrolytes. Gatorade is the first drink I always want to grab from the fridge. Nothing hits better than ice cold Gatorade after a workout. It hydrates better than water and has no artificial flavor sweeteners for colors. Try Gatorade lower sugar today available on Gatorade.com and in stores nationwide.

35:47A 250mg per 2mL injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 lbs or 40kg with moderate to severe eczema. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglus can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Ebglus. allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Ebglus. Before starting Ebglus, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask a doctor about Ebglus and visit Ebglus.lily.com or call 1-800-LilyRX or 1-105-4-5-5-9-7-9. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the

36:51app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Welcome back, Slices. In honor of Women's History Month, every Friday this month, we're going to do a special edition of Take It Back, our segment that looks back at legendary games, athletes, leagues, or origin stories. In honor of Charlotte and the WLL, let's take a look at the origins of LaCrosse, most of this courtesy of the World LaCrosse website. And when I say Take It Back, I mean Back, all the way to the 12th century, when Indigenous peoples of North America invented the game of stickball, playing it for ritual, for war training, recreation, even medicinal and religious reasons. Now some estimates have early games taking place across several days with goals anywhere from 500 yards to literal miles apart, sometimes with hundreds of players. Various tribes and communities learned and adapted the game over the years, developing their own rules and playing styles, and evolving from a wooden ball to a deer skin ball filled with fur to the rubber of today. In the 17th century, European settlers

37:55observed the game and started to play. French Jesuit missionaries were the first to give it the name LaCrosse. And in 1856, the Montreal LaCrosse Club was founded in Canada by a Canadian dentist, Dr. William George Beers, who later drew up rules that included reducing the number of players, introducing a rubber ball, and a redesigned stick. The game spread to schools across North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and men's LaCrosse was played in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canadian teams won both times. What's believed to be the first organized women's game at a school took place in Scotland in 1890, after they had mistress had seen a game in Canada and brought it back across the pond. A reporter in the student magazine said of the match, quote, after our crosses having undergone a severe inspection, our referee said it was time to begin, but owing to the absence of the ball, it was rather difficult for the order to be carried out. However, the ball was duly found, and after a one, two, three play had been called a vigorous game began, end quote. The Ladies LaCrosse Association was founded in England in 1912, Scottish

38:59Ladies LaCrosse Association in 1920, Wales in Ireland joined up in 1930, and finally in 1931, the US Women's LaCrosse Association was formed. After an alumnus from that very first Scottish school came to the States and started a girls high school team at Brynmar School in Baltimore in 1926, making the sport popular in the area. In 1972, the same year title 9 was passed, the International Federation of Women's LaCrosse Association was formed, followed by the International LaCrosse Federation for men two years later. The two merged in 2008 to form the Federation of International LaCrosse later rebranded as World LaCrosse. And in 2018, World LaCrosse created the game of sixes, the format that's going to be used in the Olympics. In 2021, the IOC gave World LaCrosse full recognition, allowing for the sports return to the Olympics in 2028. Okay, you're all caught up. But one more thing, you heard Charlotte mention the Haudenosaunee. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the originators of the sport of LaCrosse, are striving to compete as

39:59the first North American indigenous nation to play under its own flag at the Olympics. Now, on Indoggination.com has a long story up about their fight, sharing that the IOC thus far has said per eligibility rules, countries can only participate if they have a National Olympic Committee, NOC, which requires recognition by both the international community and acceptance by the IOC. Now, without a National Olympic Committee, the IOC said it's up to the American and Canadian Olympic committees to allow Haudenosaunee players to participate on their teams, depending on which country the player has a passport from. But not only do many of the players say they don't want to join those teams, the Haudenosaunee are actually a Confederacy made up of multiple nations in upstate New York and Ontario, Canada. And they have their own passports and contend that they're a sovereign nation because they have treaties with the U.S., Great Britain, and France. They aren't recognized as such by all nations, though. But there is a precedent for similar independent states who aren't recognized by all UN member states, places like Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, or Taiwan, who competes as Chinese Taipei. For example, at the 2024 Paris Olympics,

41:03the women's basketball tournament included teams representing both the U.S. and Puerto Rico. While it's ultimately up to the IOC to rule on National Olympic Committee status, the Haudenosaunee's goal of competing independently has been supported by both the U.S. and Canada. In early December of 2023, President Biden addressed hundreds of indigenous leaders at the White House tribal nation summit and said that the Haudenosaunee should be able to compete under their flag. And then four days before leaving office in January last year, the Biden administration in a joint statement with Canada urged the IOC to, quote, take advantage of this historic opportunity. The Haudenosaunee requested a meeting with new IOC head Kirstie Coventry, but there haven't been any updates on the IOC's stance or that meeting in recent months. We'll keep you updated if that changes, and we'll share a link to last year's on Indoggination Story and a New York Times Story as well. We love that you're listening, but we watch it to get in the game every day too, so here's our good game play of the day. Watch some of the WLL championship series this weekend. We'll link to the full schedule and broadcast details in the show notes. And, you know,

42:05watch some Paralympics in college hoops and college hockey and she believes cup N-P-W-H-L. Oh, and there's tennis too, Indian Wells. Just watch it all. That's not too much to ask, right? We always love to hear from you, so hit us up on email. Good game at wondermedianetwork.com, or leave us a voice mail at 8-7-2-204-5070. And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review. It's easy. Watch. Wearing your older sister's signature shoe for your first MNBA start rating. 100% chance you're going to tear up hearing this story. Review. WNBA superstar, Angel Reese's younger brother, Julian, just signed a two-way contract with the MNBA's Washington Wizards. Those contracts allow players with four or fewer years of experience to split time between an MNBA team and its G-League affiliate. While on Tuesday night, in just his second MNBA game, Julian got his first start, and he rocked his sister's Diamond Dust Reebok Angel won sneakers. Angel was court side for the game, wearing her brother's jersey.

43:06Love it. Now it's your turn. Rate and review. Thanks for listening slices. See you next week. Good game, Charlotte. Good game, MrBC. F*** you, daylight savings on Sunday. I don't care if we're falling back or springing forward. I am just now getting used to this time zone again. Good game with Sarah Spain is an I Heart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network. Our producers are Alex Azzi and Bianca Hillier. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder, Lucy Jones, Brittany Martinez, and Gianna Palmer. Production assistance from Avery Loftus. And I'm your host, Sarah Spain. This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that two new expansion teams will begin play this year in the National Women's Soccer League? The 2026 season will see the league expand from 14 to 16

44:10teams, with Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC kicking off their inaugural seasons in March. Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com slash bank for detail. Capital One and a member FDIC. Brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let me tell you why Vital Farms' pasture raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens. They're live in the good life. Fresh air, sunshine, and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittatas. And you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into Vital Farms.com slash farm, and boom, you're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit Vital Farms.com to learn more. Vital Farms. Good eggs. No shortcuts. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather Bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise,

45:13so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Exema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with ebglyss, a once-monthly treatment for moderate to superior eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four and ten people taking ebglyss, achieved itch relief and glare are almost glare skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more glare at one year with monthly dosing. Ebglyss, LibriKizumap, LBKZ, a 250mg per 2mL injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 lbs or 40kg with moderate to severe eczema. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin, or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglyss can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglyss, allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with ebglyss. Before starting ebglyss,

46:13tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask a doctor about ebglyss and visit ebglyss.lili.com or call 1-800-LiliRx or 1-105-4-5-9-7-9. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human