Abby Wambach (left), Billie Jean King (center), and Julie Foudy (right)are the co-hosts of ‘Welcome to the Party’ where they create a community and conversation around women’s sports through interviews and discussions.
WELCOME TO THE PARTY
Both Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy sit in the very chairs that they record their podcast in on a weekly basis. But this time, they’re not wearing their hats as soccer players or investors of an NWSL club, they’re reunited on a Zoom call retelling the story of how they started their latest podcast, “Welcome to the Party.”
Alongside the two soccer stars, they also co-host their weekly podcast with tennis icon, Billie Jean King. The trio of hosts have not only a plethora of accolades to their name, but now, they’ve joined the media side as they created their own platform to showcase all levels of women’s sports.
Joining Forces to Start Something New
At the start of the 2025 NWSL season, Wambach told her wife, “I think I want to get back into women’s sports somehow,” as they were on their way to an Angel City FC game.
Ironically, Foudy and King already had plans to begin a podcast and when Wambach reunited with them in suite, it was a perfect fit.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Billie Jean King, former world number 1 tennis player speaks as Angel City FC founders are honored at half time during the NWSL match between Angel City FC and Seattle Reign at BMO Stadium on March 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/NWSL via Getty Images)
NWSL via Getty Images
“I had a lot to heal from and when I went to the first Angel City game this past year, there was something in my body that relaxed for the first time,” Wambach told Forbes. “I think a lot of people feel that when they go to women’s sporting events where they’re out in public and it’s a reminder that we can all come together, regardless of where we stand politically and believe in something.”
For Foudy, her friendship with King dates back to over 30 years ago as she tributes the tennis star as the catalyst of the USWNT getting equal pay. Foudy was then the captain of the team when Wambach joined in 2003, just a year before Foudy’s retirement in December 2004.
“The really cool thing is that what Billie taught me, I then passed on to Abby, Abby then passed it on to Alex, and Alex passed it on to the next generation,” said Foudy. “She [King] was the one who gave me the courage to stand up and speak up way back when and the really cool thing of course is that it’s not just tennis or soccer, Billie Jean has been this thread through all of women’s sports. She is so vibrant at 81-years-old and to be able to capture her voice and stories, historically as well, is such a gift, really.”
Everyone Is Welcome to the Party
With their podcast, the three not only discuss the NWSL and other women’s sports, but they also highlight stories that aren’t always talked about in the media.
With ‘Welcome to the Party,’ there’s nothing about women’s sports that isn’t off the table. Their guests range from Natalie Grabow, who is the oldest woman to compete in the Ironman World Championship, to Ali Truwit, who competed in the Paralympics six weeks after a shark attack, and Las Vegas Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon who won the 2025 WNBA Championship.
Along with their expertise and their insight, the trio are also three friends that love having fun. Even in their deep conversations and in their roles as podcasters, they’ve also interacted with fans by hosting watch parties at bars owned by women.
“We want it to feel like when you’re listening to us, you’re sitting down and having a coffee with your friend or you’re catching up in a coffee shop,” said Foudy. “There’s such a good vibe in the coffee shop. We want to just keep building that community and invite people in because some of these people don’t know that much about women’s sports, but that’s okay, you’re all welcome to the party as well.”
Disrupting the Market
As a player, Wambach played for the USA for 15 years and is the all-time leading goal scorer for the USWNT with 184 goals. Foudy also played for 17 years with the USWNT and is the third most capped player in U.S. Soccer history with 274 international appearances. In tennis, King holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles with 20 championships.
Outside of their athletic capabilities, the three of them have also been key indicators in breaking barriers for women to earn equitable pay in their sport.
In 1971, King was the first woman athlete to earn over $100,000 in a single year and ended the year with over $1.9 million in prize money. For years, the USWNT fought for equal pay and finally achieved it in September 2022 after years of being paid less than their male counterparts.
“I think the three of us have committed ourselves to disrupting markets,” said Wambach. “While we played, we disrupted women’s sports and tried to grow it as much as we possibly could. Now in our retirements, we are also trying to push the boundaries of what women’s sports can achieve in different areas than just on the field. I think it’s important that when we’re creating these stories that it’s being created through the lens of a woman’s eyes. A woman who has experience in the playing of sports and the way the stories get told is really important.”
Welcome to the Party is hosting their second watch party at Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach, CA on Sunday, November 16. They will also be joined by Angel City FC defender Savy King for a Q+A as they watch the NWSL Semi-Final game that features the Orlando Pride vs Gotham FC at 12pm PT/3pm ET.