Oct 7, 2026 · 57 min
Jackie Johnston argues women’s sports need their own language
We've Got Beef with Coach Jackie Johnston
As women’s sports attract larger audiences and investment, creators and journalists face sharper questions about attribution, influence, and responsible commentary.
- 1Jackie Johnston’s career reflects how women’s sports fandom has become a viable creative and professional ecosystem.
- 2She argues women’s sports deserve distinct coverage rather than constant comparison with men’s sports or engagement-driven spectacle.
- 3The launch of Is She Game? brings women’s sports, pop culture, interviews, and games to Higher Ground’s platform.
Don't miss
Jackie Johnston announces Is She Game? and recounts meeting Barack and Michelle Obama through Higher Ground’s support for the project.
The brief
Jackie Johnston traces her path from devoted women’s sports fan to influential creator, as a growing audience makes her once-niche passion a sustainable career.
Her philosophy is clear: women’s sports should be treated as its own world, not merely measured against men’s sports or reduced to viral moments.
That principle shapes her approach to influence, from declining to amplify an embarrassing viral incident to crediting journalists and recognizing the labor behind reporting.
Johnston introduces Is She Game?, a Higher Ground video podcast mixing women’s sports, pop culture, interviews, and games, including Brittany Griner trivia.
The episode closes with a mock feud after producer Misha moves from Good Game to Johnston’s show, turning a staffing change into a comic rivalry.
Books & mentions
Is She Game?
Johnston’s new Higher Ground podcast extends the episode’s conversation into women’s sports, pop culture, interviews, and games.