Herlights

Host Erin Foley welcomes Clelia Castro-Malaspina, a children’s and YA author, literary agent, and founder of Mossy Pines Creative. Her new book Girls with Goals: How Women’s Soccer Took Over the World explores the rise of women’s football from its humble and embattled origins to its global dominance today. Foley and Castro-Malaspina discuss how women’s soccer evolved from a banned pastime to a global powerhouse, the game’s early trailblazers, its biggest turning points, and how their fight for equality continues to shape the sport today. Follow Erin on Social!  Instagram: @erinkfoley Bluesky: @erinfoleycomic.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinfoleycomic Email the show: erin@herlights.com [erin@herlights.com] Clelia: IG: https://www.instagram.com/mossypinesclelia/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/mossypinesclelia/?hl=en]

Host Erin Foley breaks down what’s happening across women’s sports this week. The Las Vegas Aces complete a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury to capture the WNBA title. Plus, Coco Gauff wins the Wuhan Open, the NWSL playoff race heats up, Serena Williams' manifestation habit and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price gets her crown. Enjoy!  Follow Erin on Social!  Instagram: @erinkfoley Bluesky: @erinfoleycomic.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinfoleycomic Email the show: erin@herlights.com Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: https://auprosports.com/volleyball/ NWSL: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/schedule/regular-season Athlos: https://www.athlos.com/

Host Erin Foley welcomes Emily Jo Roberts, the Director of Women’s Coaches and NIL Strategy at Wasserman, one of the most influential sports agencies in the world. A former college basketball coach turned player advocate, she now helps guide the careers of top women’s coaches and student-athletes navigating the fast-evolving world of NIL and athlete branding. Foley and Roberts discuss how today’s female coaches and athletes are navigating the shifting landscape of NIL, revenue sharing, and Title IX. The conversation addresses how power, opportunity, and equity are being redefined in real time. Follow Erin on Social!  Instagram: @erinkfoley Bluesky: @erinfoleycomic.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinfoleycomic Email the show: erin@herlights.com [erin@herlights.com] Emily Jo Roberts IG: https://www.instagram.com/emilyjoroberts_/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/emilyjoroberts_/?hl=en]

Erin Foley breaks down what’s happening across women’s sports this week. Aces take a 2-0 lead against the Mercury, Dana Evans shines, Wilson-Gray-Young triangle of joy. Plus, Amanda Anisimova wins the China Open, NCAA Volleyball - Nebraska stays undefeated, Stanford falls. Buckle up, it's the last three weeks of the NWSL regular season and Athlos (track and field) takes over New York City. Enjoy!  Follow Erin on Social!  Instagram: @erinkfoley Bluesky: @erinfoleycomic.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinfoleycomic Email the show: erin@herlights.com [erin@herlights.com] NCAA Volleyball: https://www.ncaa.com/sports/volleyball-women/d1 Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: https://auprosports.com/volleyball/ [https://auprosports.com/volleyball/] NWSL: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/schedule/regular-season [https://www.nwslsoccer.com/schedule/regular-season] Athlos: https://www.athlos.com/ [https://www.athlos.com/]

Host Erin Foley welcomes softball icon Michele Smith! This episode was originally recorded in 2019 and it was an instant classic! Michele is a legendary softball pitcher and trailblazing broadcaster. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, she helped lead Team USA to victories in Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000), dominating with a combined 0.51 ERA and 60 strikeouts across 41.2 innings. Smith also captured three ISF World Championships and two Pan American Games golds. At Oklahoma State University from 1986 to 1989, she compiled an 82–20 record, earned two NFCA First-Team All-American honors, and set numerous school and conference records—all after overcoming a devastating arm injury in 1986. Since 1998, Smith has been ESPN’s lead college softball analyst, and in 2012, she broke new ground as the first woman to commentate a nationally televised MLB game. She was inducted into the USA Softball Hall of Fame in 2006. Foley and Smith discuss her fight to get the sport back in the Olympics, her playing days in Japan, career highs and lows, commentating for ESPN and how nobody should ever swing at a rise ball. Enjoy!  Follow Erin on Social!  Instagram: @erinkfoley Bluesky: @erinfoleycomic.bsky.social Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erinfoleycomic Email the show: erin@herlights.com [erin@herlights.com] Athletes Unlimited Softball League: https://theausl.com/ [https://theausl.com/]