We're back! Women’s sports are growing at an incredible pace. But actually following them? That can still be harder than it should be.

This week, we’re joined by Dana Lerner, creator of SheScores, a new platform bringing scores, schedules, stats, standings, broadcast information, and more from women’s sports leagues around the world into one place.

Dana tells us how her own frustration trying to follow the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) turned into a much bigger idea: What if fans had one place to discover and follow all of women’s sports?

From the NWSL, Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and PWHL to women’s baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, rugby, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and leagues around the world, we talk about the enormous amount of women’s sports already happening—and why so many fans still don’t know where to find it.

But this conversation goes beyond scores. We dig into how data tell stories, why context matters more than increasingly ridiculous “first player to do X on a Tuesday” statistics, and how better information can make sports more approachable for new fans. Dana also shares what she’s learned as a nontechnical solo founder, how user feedback is shaping SheScores, and what she hopes to build next.

Because growing women’s sports isn’t just about putting games on the field. It’s about making them easier to find, follow, understand, and fall in love with. You can be part of this growth by visiting SheScoresSports.app and sharing your feedback with Dana at hi@shescoressports.app

🎧 From the fans, for the game—this is Laces Out Loud.

📸 Instagram: @lacesoutloud
📧 lacesoutloudpod@gmail.com

The NWSL table is moving, the contenders are getting tested, and apparently no lead is safe.

This week on Laces Out Loud, we break down a wild weekend across the league: Seattle finishes the job with a huge 2–0 win over San Diego, Sam Kerr reminds everyone exactly why she’s Sam Kerr, and the Washington Spirit survive a seriously impressive Denver Summit side to take over the top spot in the standings.

We dig into what Seattle’s resurgence says about the second half of their season, why Denver looks every bit like a legitimate contender, Sofia Cantore’s latest big moment at Audi Field, and whether Kansas City’s continued struggles without Temwa Chawinga have officially become a thing. We also celebrate Racing Louisville finally getting back in the win column and rookie Maya Lardner making her mark.

There’s also difficult news out of Gotham, as we talk through Emily Sonnett’s injury and what her absence could mean for both club and country, while sending our best to Esther González following her departure from the club for family reasons.

And before we take a brief break from our usual week-to-week match reactions, we preview what’s coming next on the pod: a deeper look at the fascinating—and sometimes infuriating—history of women’s soccer, plus our upcoming discussion of Copa 71 and the forgotten women’s World Cup.

The table may have a new leader, but if this weekend taught us anything, nobody should get comfortable.

What will it take for the United States to develop the next generation of great soccer players? We are officially going down the academy-system rabbit hole—and this is only the beginning.

In the first installment of an ongoing Laces Out Loud series, Alli takes us inside the player-development systems used in England and helps us compare the long-established Premier League model with the much newer academy structure in the Women’s Super League. We talk about why talented young players still struggle to break into first teams, whether college remains the best pathway to the professional game, and what American soccer could learn from countries that take a more coordinated approach to youth development.

Several NWSL clubs already have academies of their own, but without a league-wide framework, are we really building a complete development system? We explore how the NWSL, U.S. Soccer, professional clubs, and youth coaches could work together to create clearer pathways—and better support players who may have outgrown traditional youth soccer but are not quite ready for the professional level.

There is a lot more to unpack, so we will keep coming back to this conversation in future episodes. We want to understand what is working around the world, what is already happening here in the United States, and how the American system can become more connected, accessible, and effective for the players coming next.

Before we get there, we have plenty of NWSL action to discuss. Gotham FC breaks hearts again, Rose Lavelle continues to be unfairly brilliant, Seattle lets a two-goal lead slip away, and the Washington Spirit take on Gotham in the heavily promoted Queen’s Classic.

We also ask a more serious question: should that match have been played at all? With extreme heat, wildfire smoke, repeated hydration breaks, and growing concerns about player and fan safety, we talk about why caring for the people on the field should always come before the spectacle around it.

Come for the NWSL chaos, stay for the academy deep dive, and join us as we start figuring out how American soccer can build something better.

The World Cup may be winding down, but its impact on American soccer could be just beginning. This week, we ask what the tournament’s cultural momentum could mean for the NWSL and the women’s game—from converting casual viewers into lasting fans to expanding access beyond America’s expensive pay-to-play system.

We also discuss Gotham FC’s move from New Jersey to its future home at Etihad Park in Queens, the challenge of growing a club without abandoning its longtime supporters, and why the NWSL’s return provides the perfect next step for newly converted soccer fans.

Plus, we dig into the staggering disparity between the men’s and women’s World Cup prize pools, how the USWNT benefits from its shared agreement with the USMNT, the need for greater investment in women-specific sports research and equipment, and whether the men’s World Cup can help fund women’s soccer around the globe.

Along the way: Ashley Sanchez loyalty dilemmas, Marta’s apparent immortality, Norwegian anime heroes, and the accidental founding of Botland (Boston and Scotland).

Welcome to Laces Out Loud, an NWSL and women’s soccer podcast for fans who love the game, fans who are just finding their way in, and anyone who believes the women’s game deserves to be discussed with the passion and thoughtfulness it has earned.

Hosted by Alli, Pamitha, and Gurushabd, we break down the matches, celebrate the players, spotlight the stories behind the sport, and ask what it will take for the women’s game to grow with the care, investment, and energy it deserves.

Whether you’re here for the goals, the culture, the chaos, or the bigger questions shaping the game, pull up a seat and join us.

The pitch is set. The nets have been checked. Now let’s raise the game.

This week on Laces Out Loud, we’re sweating through a brutal heat wave, watching cars spontaneously combust outside Audi Field, and asking what extreme summer conditions mean for players, fans, and the future NWSL calendar.

Then we dive into one of the most exciting World Cups in recent memory — late goals, wild VAR moments, Cabo Verde magic, and the growing realization that expanding the tournament field has made the global game better, not weaker. We talk about how international soccer is reshaping American fandom, why diaspora players matter, and how this momentum could carry into the women’s game.

Back in the NWSL, San Diego makes a statement against Gotham, the Spirit stay in the mix, Emma Sears trade rumors raise big questions for Racing Louisville, and free agency storylines start to heat up with Lacey Santos, Rose Lavelle, Midge Purce, AKB, and Marta all part of the conversation.

Plus: fireworks at Angel City, Lily Yohannes sightings, Sam Kerr expectations, and why no one should ever diminish Marta by comparing her to LeBron James.

Laces Out Loud is officially expanding! In Episode 31, we celebrate the podcast’s move to Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, and more before diving into a packed soccer week.

Gotham adds another trophy with a Challenge Cup win over Kansas City, while the NWSL’s new cleat-branding rules spark a bigger conversation about player compensation, endorsement deals, and whether women athletes are finally getting paid for the visibility they provide. We also dig into women-specific footwear design, sneaker culture, and why “shrink it and pink it” should have been left behind a long time ago.

Then it’s on to World Cup drama, FIFA’s science and technology exhibit in Vancouver, goal-line tech, player tracking, VAR experiments, and the NWSL’s return from break — including heat policy questions, Spirit survival plans, San Diego vs. Gotham, Denver vs. Kansas City, and possible debuts to watch.

Find us on Instagram @lacesoutloud or email us at lacesoutloudpod@gmail.com.

The World Cup break continues, but the NWSL news cycle is refusing to rest. This week, Pamitha, Gurushabd, and Alli dig into Angel City’s chaotic week, the Ally Sentnor trade, Kansas City’s next move, and Gotham somehow getting even more Gotham with Sam Kerr’s return to the NWSL.

Then the crew takes on the bigger soccer culture questions: why American chants need an upgrade, how women’s soccer fans can lead the way, and whether World Cup “hydration breaks” are becoming commercial breaks in disguise. Plus: Atlanta’s 2028 NWSL rollout, underdog World Cup bandwagons, the Rocky statue curse, and a passionate rant against the "James Cordenification" of soccer coverage.

From roster chaos to chant culture, this one is peak World Cup break energy.

Follow us on Instagram @lacesoutloud and send us your thoughts at lacesoutloudpod@gmail.com