A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

Flau’jae Johnson, LSU’s star shooting guard and recording artist extraordinaire, joins us to talk about how her last year in college is preparing her for the WNBA; her approach to managing NIL money; and why she is pouring just as much discipline and determination into her music career.

Megan and Sue take a closer look at the surprising decline in participation in girls’ basketball, and offer a few thoughts on how the system, parents, and schools might be contributing to it. 

And in honor of Valentine’s Day this weekend, Megan and Sue rank their favorite Valentine’s gifts and The Greatest Sportsmances of all time. Plus, they give a little behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like to date a pro athlete. . 

A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR.

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Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle joins us fresh off the FIFA’s inaugural Women’s Champions Cup to talk about her whirlwind of a year: from injury, to NWSL Championship, to being crowned U.S. Soccer's Female Player of the Year for 2025. She describes what it’s like to have your childhood dream come true (at eight years old, she wrote a book report on Mia Hamm and dressed up as her for the occasion); and what she thinks about Gotham’s underwhelming regular season. Megan and Sue also remember some of the best and most embarrassing pranks Rose has played on them over the years.

Also on the show: Megan breaks down why nobody was happy with when the Women’s Champions Cup was scheduled, and compares the latest news on the CBA negotiations to her experience negotiating for equal pay. And Sue has a touch more time for Reggie Miller comparing Caitlin Clark to Peyton Pritchard.

A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR.

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Megan and Sue remember Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who was killed by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, and share their thoughts on how to fight feeling overwhelmed with despair. One place to start is to call your Senators, who are voting this week on whether to continue funding ICE through September. As Sue explains on the show, Sharon McMahon makes this very easy through her website, check it out here.

For the rest of the show, Megan and Sue take a look at Trinity Rodman’s record-breaking salary with the Washington Spirit, and the brewing rivalry between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark – and why rivalries are a good thing for the league. Plus, UConn is now the last college women’s basketball team standing undefeated. Does it matter?

And Mexico’s flag football star Diana Flores joins us to talk about her new book, Flag Football for Dummies, and what it means for the sport to make its Olympic debut in 2028.

Finally, Sue and Megan send their flowers to Marina Mabrey and her “crashout jar” with a montage of their favorite moments of Marina crashing out. And Sue reveals one of her first encounters with Marina during the bubble year.

A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR.
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Figure skating legend Tara Lipinski joins us to talk about the upcoming Winter Olympics and the US women’s figure skating’s chances for ending their medal drought; and what she learned about herself after appearing on the reality show The Traitors. She also tells us how she prepares and packs for the games as NBC’s lead figure skating analyst, and who she’s most looking forward to watching perform.

In keeping with the Winter Olympics theme, Megan and Sue take a look at the roster shakeup for the USA women’s ice hockey team, prompting them to consider what is the best vet-to-newcomer ratio on a national team. 

Plus, Megan and Sue catch you up on the latest with the NWSL’s High Impact Player Rule (aka the Trinity Rodman rule) and why the players’ union is against it. 

A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR.

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WNBA legend, Basketball Hall of Famer, and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo joins us to talk about her favorite college basketball players right now and which teams are the top contenders for the Final Four. Lobo also weighs in on how the NIL is changing things for the younger generation of athletes, why she is happy she played professional sports when she did, and how she works out issues with her husband on their podcast.

Also, Sue and Meg break down the latest on the WNBA’s CBA negotiations and share their highlights from the first two weeks in Unrivaled. Plus: they have been watching every minute of Heated Rivalry and want to tell you about their favorite parts.

A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices