Natasha Cloud on WNBA CBA Negotiations, Cathy Engelbert & Activism

The WNBA season is over, but on A Touch More we’re still playing games: we’re checking out the tug of war between the players and the league as the CBA is about to expire, while five teams play a round of musical chairs to fill their empty head coaching slots.  We’re also talking to Golden State Valkyries’ head coach Natalie Nakase about her epic first season, the biggest risks she took during this year, and what it’s like to play in Ballhalla. On a more serious note: Millions of Americans are losing their SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown and the Trump Administration’s refusal to tap emergency funds to keep the program going. We want to encourage our listeners to consider helping by contributing to your local food back: check out Feeding America to find one in your community. For those in the New York City or Seattle, here are a few organizations we recommend: NYC: Food Bank for NYC - https://www.foodbanknyc.org/ West Side Campaign Against Hunger - https://www.wscah.org/ Seattle: Rainier Valley Food Bank - https://www.rvfb.org/ North Helpline - https://northhelpline.org/ Northwest Harvest - https://www.northwestharvest.org/ A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are wrapping up the WNBA season with the Aces’ championship parade in Las Vegas and looking ahead to the NWSL playoffs with a very special guest – the goalkeepers’ goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher.  Alyssa talks about her decision to retire from the international game, what it’s like to lead a team as a goalkeeper, and why this year is being called her “soft era.” We also tell you everything you need to know heading into the NWSL playoffs and the big picture on viewership stats.  And we share our favorite moments from the Aces’ championship parade (Becky dancing with Crime Mob?!), and Megan blind ranks the Aces players’ t-shirts. Special Announcements! A Touch More Live, presented by Delta, Google Pixel, and Volkswagen will be at the NWSL Championship game in San Jose, California, on November 21st. Get tickets here. And we are planning another Q+A episode and we want your questions! What do you want to know about us? Call: 1-8-3-3-A-Touch-8. Or leave us your questions in the YouTube comments. Get your questions in by next week!   A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are covering all things WNBA Championships with the champion herself, Jackie Young. How do you celebrate a THIRD championship? What does it feel like to go on a shooting spree? And how did the Aces turn their season around to go on one of the longest winning streaks in WNBA history? Plus: find out which celebrity was sitting bench-side during her epic Game 2 of the finals.  And because the season is over, it’s time for the most prestigious awards of the season: The Meggies! We are awarding everything from best dressed to the gayest moment of the season.  Plus, major league baseball makes its ATM debut and we have a new Bicker – it’s Megan’s turn to object to how Sue behaves in the self-checkout aisle.  A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are live from Tech Futures with NY Liberty point guard Natasha Cloud, diving into all things WNBA on and off the court. Sue and Megan break down what the Las Vegas Aces did right in the first two games of the WNBA Finals, and what the Phoenix Mercury need to do for a W on home court. And we catch up with the developments off the court since Napheesa Collier’s scorched-earth press conference criticizing the league’s leadership. Natasha Cloud tells us what she wants to get out of the next CBA negotiations, how she’s enjoying living in New York City, and her non-negotiables during free agency. Plus she gets back at Stewie in her bench/start/cut. A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are talking about what everyone else is talking about: the WNBA semi-finals, and how the refereeing has impacted the games.  We weigh in on Cheryl Reeve’s explosive press conference and allegations of unfair refereeing, and whether or not the WNBA is too physical. We also discuss how the Phoenix Mercury overcame the number one seed, the Minnesota Lynx, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Then we talk to US Women’s National Team Coach Emma Hayes about how she’s reshaping the team for the next Olympics and what it means to coach through the “Female Lens.” PLUS: A Touch More has been nominated for TWO Signal Listener's Choice Awards! Your vote can help us win — voting is open until October 9th, so click on the links below! 1️⃣ Best Video Podcast Co-Host Team 2️⃣ Athletes Shaping Culture A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve got you covered with all the WNBA analysis you need going into the semi-finals this week  Plus, we have some thoughts on A’ja Wilson’s historic fourth MVP and sharing the Defensive Player of the Year with Minnesota's Alanna Smith. In Olympic news, Sue discusses how she selected Kara Lawson as head coach of the 2028 USA Basketball Women’s National Team. We conclude our anti-Bicker of the Week over whether you should drink your morning coffee before or after brushing your teeth. We’ve tallied the results, and there is a clear winner. A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN sports anchor and podcaster Elle Duncan joins us to discuss the WNBA playoffs and answers some of the season’s most burning questions. She reveals her picks for league MVP and the other end-of-season awards; the key differentiator between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark; and why major media outlets are struggling to keep up with the explosion of the league. Plus, Megan and Sue are back from Japan and want to tell you about their favorite culinary delights, and how Naomi Osaka roped them into making an epic TikTok.   A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three-time WNBA champion and Sue’s UConn roommate Swin Cash joins ATM this week to give Sue some sage advice heading into her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Swin also tells us her top three criteria for the MVP race, what she was afraid to ask Michael Jordan when she met him, and how she thinks Paige Bueckers is transitioning to the pros.  And in honor of Sue’s Naismith induction, she and Megan play some games. Megan asks Sue a lightning round of her all-time favorites, and Sue puts Megan to the test with Two Truths and A Lie about her career.  A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The WNBA playoffs are kicking off later this month and there’s a lot up in the air. We discuss the key games we’re keeping an eye on, which teams might not make the cut, and who has it all on the line before the games begin.   Plus, we have some thoughts on where the love is for Paige Bueckers. Hint: it’s everywhere. But the media needs to do better.` And Chelsea is once again coming for an NWSL star, this time Angel City FC’s Alyssa Thompson. We discuss what this says about the NWSL’s strategy for growth and how the league needs to get better at keeping its homegrown talent.  And we’ve got a new Bicker of the Week that arose on Megan and Sue’s flight back to New York City. They both say why they’re mad this week! A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sue and Megan are joined by Angel City FC forward and youngest NWSL draft pick ever, Alyssa Thompson. We ask her our most burning questions, like how she comes up with her celebrations on the field? Does she ever get into fights with her sister on the field? And how is the team’s new coach making them better? And we throw her some merciless Bench/Start/Cut’s.  The WNBA’s MVP race is heating up, and we breakdown who it’s coming down to and why. Do game absences matter? Plus: the WNBA and NWSL are setting new attendance records, and we have a new Workout of the Week, involving stairs and swimming. A Touch More: The Podcast is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA and TOGETHXR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices