Sep 29, 2026 · 54 min
Washington teams turn shared fandom into women’s sports growth
Capital Queens with Kim Stone and Alycen McAuley
The episode shows how infrastructure, storytelling and cross-team programming can expand audiences while strengthening women’s sports communities.
- 1Washington Spirit and Mystics leaders argue that growing demand requires better venues, facilities and investment.
- 2The teams are building their own media platforms and athlete stories to offset limited national coverage.
- 3Capitol Queens used shared events and local history to introduce fans to another Washington women’s sports league.
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Stone and McCauley explain how Capitol Queens combined supporters, players and Washington women’s sports history in one shared week.
The brief
Sarah Spain opens with Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone and Washington Mystics chief business officer Allison McCauley, alongside headlines from the WNBA playoffs.
Stone and McCauley make the case that rising interest needs physical infrastructure: a larger Mystics home, the Spirit’s future training center and deeper investment.
The executives also describe building team-owned media and athlete storytelling to create more visibility where national coverage remains limited.
Stone’s account of Rowdy Audi shows how a loud home crowd can become a civic connector, especially in a transient city seeking community.
Capitol Queens brought Mystics and Spirit supporters together through games, panels, watch parties and a celebration of Washington women’s sports history.
The larger idea is simple: shared programming can turn curiosity about one league into lasting fandom for both.