We take a look back at a huge through line of the Courtside show: how important it is to pay attention to how we're developing health infrastructure around all athletes. You can make the business case for it; the human case is obvious. With the influx of attention, money, and partners pouring into women's sports, we highlight the people who know what to do with it.

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Yael Averbach West grew up the lone girl on a boys' soccer team in Montclair, New Jersey, went on to wear the UNC kit and earn USWNT caps, and now runs one of the NWSL's most decorated clubs as two-time champion GM of NJ/NY Gotham FC. She joins Laura for a Jersey-girl conversation about the grit it took to get here — and the vision it takes to stay on top. They dig into how the women's professional game has transformed from survival mode to sold-out stadiums, why winning isn't enough if no one knows your players exist, what Gotham actually needs from commercial partners, and what it means to build a club culture that reflects the community that raised you.

00:00 Welcome Back to Courtside

01:00 Growing Up Soccer in Jersey: The Boys Team Decision

04:45 UNC and Finding Her People

07:30 From the WPS to the NWSL: Surviving to Thriving

11:00 What's Actually Changed for Players (and What Hasn't)

15:30 Building the Gotham Standard: Infrastructure, Facilities, and Player Care

21:00 ACL Injuries, Data, and Making Insights Actionable

23:30 Connecting the On-Field Product to Commercial Growth

28:30 How the GM Role Has Evolved

31:00 What Gotham Actually Needs from Partners

33:00 The Season Ahead and Citi Field Announcement

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Laura joins the Possible NOW Podcast with Christian Muche to discuss why women’s sports isn’t charity—it’s business. Drawing on her career identifying white space and turning it into opportunity, Laura unpacks the myths keeping advertisers on the sidelines, how athletes are redefining ownership through their own media platforms, and why the next billion-dollar growth story in sports will be led by women.

02:08 Laura's Early Love for Sports
04:17 The Transferable Skills from Sports to Leadership
08:34 The Business Case for Women's Sports
17:08 The Impact of Media and Athlete Platforms
25:11 Innovative Sponsorship Models
31:35 Future Visions and Partnerships
37:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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