March Madness is here—and so is a major shift in the WNBA.

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, we break down the chaos of the NCAA Tournament, including how bracket seeding works and why your picks probably won’t survive the first weekend.

Plus, big news from the WNBA: a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to transform the league, with massive salary increases, revenue sharing, and long-overdue improvements to player benefits.

But first, a more personal note.

After a month away, I’m back behind the mic following the loss of my dad. This episode begins with a reflection on grief, stepping away from the game, and how basketball has a way of bringing us back when we’re ready.

And of course, this week’s awards:

• 🏀 Buzzer Beater: UCLA dominates and earns a No. 1 seed
• 💨 Airball: Stanford misses the tournament again
• 🚨 Flagrant Foul: A senior night decision that missed the moment

Whether you’re filling out your March Madness bracket, following the future of the WNBA, or just finding your way back to the game—this episode is for you.

📩 Got a question for the show?

Email: host@hergamehervoice.com

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⏱️ Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Intro + Season 2 Kickoff

00:25 – A Personal Loss

01:47 – The Driveway Hoop Story

03:08 – Returning to the Game

03:30 – March Madness Preview

04:20 – WNBA CBA Update (Big News)

05:02 – Salary Increases Explained

05:33 – Revenue Sharing

05:53 – Quality of Life Improvements

06:17 – Compressed Offseason Chaos

07:21 – Why This Deal Is Transformational

08:09 – Listener Question: How Seeding Works

10:13 – Why Your Bracket Gets Busted

10:51 – Buzzer Beater Award (UCLA)

11:55 – Airball Award (Stanford)

13:26 – Flagrant Foul Award (Tennessee)

14:26 – Outro + Where to Follow

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In the first Her Game Her Voice episode of the new year, Kaari kicks things off with a clear-eyed update on the latest WNBA CBA negotiations, including what the newly announced moratorium actually means, why the offseason is on pause, and how it could compress everything from free agency to the draft—without putting the 2026 season in danger (hopefully).

Next, a listener question breaks down one of basketball’s most underrated pieces of tech: those little black boxes referees wear on their belts. This segment explains how precision timing works and more.

Then it’s Part 3 of Kaari’s conversation with Dan Rosensweig, investor in the Unrivaled League and tech executive. This installment shifts from why Unrivaled exists to how it was built—exploring its player-driven structure, fan-first design, and what happens when athletes create a league with purpose instead of tradition.

And the episode wraps with the awards:

• Buzzer Beater Award - Dearica Hamby, for making Unrivaled history with the league’s first-ever 40-point game—scored in just 18 minutes of three-on-three chaos.
• Airball Award - Unrivaled’s marketing team, for teasing the mystique of “22” and fueling expectations around Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson—only to deliver neither.
• Flagrant Foul - UConn Women’s Basketball, for the audacity of being dominant, undefeated, and boringly consistent at No. 1.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In the final Her Game Her Voice episode of the year, Kaari opens with a strange dream about Coach Tara Vanderveer. Then she shares a quick but critical update on the WNBA’s ongoing collective bargaining negotiations, including the latest sticking points around housing, scheduling, and revenue sharing as the January 9 deadline looms.

Next, a listener question about how the Unrivaled League actually makes money. From media rights and sponsorships to ticket sales and merchandise, this segment explains why Unrivaled’s player-first model is working.

Next it’s part two of Kaari’s conversation with Dan Rosensweig, investor in the Unrivaled women's professional basketball league and former (and now current) CEO of Chegg. Dan shares how NIL deals can give women athletes real financial leverage, why paying women athletes intentionally matters, and what changes when athletes are seen not just as players—but as entrepreneurs.

And the episode wraps with the awards:

• Buzzer Beater Award: A’ja Wilson, continuing a historic run with yet another major honor
• Airball Award: A very awkward post-game moment involving Tennessee and UCLA
• Flagrant Foul: Stanford Women’s Basketball—for surviving everything except 30 turnovers

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, Kaari Peterson kicks off the college basketball season by zooming in on the fast‑rising Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball team—after a rare down year they’re back baby! 10 experienced returners, three freshmen five‑star recruits, and one collective goal: a winning season.

Then Kaari dives into a Listener's Question about the WNBA and free‑agency: What does it mean to be a restricted versus unrestricted free agent? Why do so many players have free agent status right now? And how will this affect WNBA team rosters for 2026?

There's also an update on the latest with the WNBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The November 30th deadline looms with proposals on the table including a million-dollar max salary, and a higher salary floor. Are we getting closer to a deal?

And finally, a compelling conversation with Dan Rosensweig—tech CEO turned women’s sports investor. No spreadsheets. No old‑school ROI talk. Instead, a story of meeting Stanford athletes, recognizing gender-based disparities, and seizing an opportunity to invest not only in a league—but in real change.

Then it’s time for the awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater Award: A high‑school girls’ team in Oklahoma that chose integrity over a trophy.

❌ Airball Award: “Project B”—a new global women’s pro league launching in 2026 (hello, placeholder name?).

🚨 Flagrant Foul Award: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, for missing the point when it comes to players asking for a stake in their own league’s future.

Yep — all of this goodness is in one little episode!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

In this episode of Her Game Her Voice, Kaari goes inside the WNBA to unpack one of the sport’s most misunderstood concepts: freedom of movement. What does it actually mean, and why does it matter so much for players — especially in a league that’s becoming more physical by the game? Kaari breaks it down in plain terms.

Freedom of Movement runs right into one of the biggest headlines in the WNBA: the growing feud between Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. What started as a conversation about player treatment and transparency has turned into a public power struggle that raises big questions about leadership, player's voices, and what it means to grow the league responsibly.

Then, in this week’s Awards Segment:

• 🏆 Buzzer Beater Award: A’ja Wilson continues to set the standard — and she's just getting started.
• ❌ Airball Award: Cathy Engelbert again… this time for announcing Chicago as the 2026 WNBA All-Star host city, leaving fans scratching their heads.
• 🚨 Flagrant Foul Award: The new WNBA franchise, the Portland Fire, for hiring a head coach with zero experience in women’s or girl's basketball — ZERO.

It’s an episode about freedom, friction, and the future of the WNBA — where every whistle, headline, and hiring decision tells a deeper story about the game and the women who shape it.

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

What happens when the Golden State Valkyries take their playoff run to San Jose? Kaari shares her first-hand experience of Ballhalla at the SAP Center, the heartbreak of a last-second loss to the Minnesota Lynx, and the unforgettable moment that showed what this team is really about.

This week’s listener question (straight from Tampa, Florida!) unpacks how WNBA teams decide which uniforms they'll wear for games — spoiler: the league’s got more control than you might think.

Kaari also dives into the WNBA’s offseason, including the tough realities of players heading overseas right after playoffs, and why Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier launched the Unrivaled League.

And of course, Kaari has awards to share:

🏀 Buzzer Beater → The StudBudz (Courtney Williams & Natisha Hiedeman) bringing pink-haired chaos and authenticity to the pages of Vogue.

🏀 Airball → Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s name-butchering blunder.

🏀 Flagrant Foul → Whoever killed the lights at the very end of a playoff game in Vegas (seriously, what was that?).

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

The Golden State Valkyries just made history as the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs — and they did it in style. But while the Valkyries are soaring, injuries in the WNBA are piling up. So Kaari's digging into the whys and what’s next regarding the league’s injury crisis.

This week’s Listener Question takes us court side: how do teams decide which basket to shoot at in the first and second halves? (Spoiler: there’s more strategy to it than you’d think.)

And of course, it wouldn’t be Her Game Her Voice without the awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater: Valkyries Guard Veronica Burton earns her flowers as the WNBA's Most Improved Player.

❌ Airball: WNBA broadcast graphics and timing — because seriously — we want to see the game.

🚫 Flagrant Foul: Atlanta Dream’s shiny black court somehow manages to disappear players and confuse viewers at the same time.

Kaari's got big wins, big injuries, and big misses — all in one little episode!

“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson

The Golden State Valkyries just cracked open a surprise — literally. Outside Chase Center, a giant violet egg hatched their brand-new mascot: Violet the Raven. Host Kaari Peterson breaks down Violet's egg-cellent debut and the Norse mythology behind “Ballhalla.”

Next up, it’s tech time: The WNBA’s partnership with Second Spectrum is bringing full-court optical tracking and mind-bending analytics to the league. From sharper coaching to smarter storytelling, Kaari dives into how data is reshaping the game.

And we can't forget — this week’s awards:

🏆 Buzzer Beater: Sue Bird gets immortalized in bronze

❌ Airball: An all-male officiating crew in a WNBA game (seriously?)

🚫 Flagrant Foul: The bizarre wave of sex-toy tossing on W courts

Hit play, and let’s talk mascots, mythology and motion capture.

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“Big stories, little episodes—amplifying the voices shaping the game on and off the court." - Her Game Her Voice Podcast by Kaari Peterson