Women’s Sports House at Cannes Lions: Cari Champion, Ashlyn Harris, Logan Eggleston & Rennae Stubbs

okay guys so my name is Carrie Champion I will be your moderator for this panel passing the Olympic torch uh I'm a broadcast journalist I prefer to call myself a bit of a disruptor because we speak truth to power here and that's what we're going to do today I have some awesome women next to me two of which I've been able to to roommate with for the last couple of days um so we yeah exactly it has been a party in this house and so what we have been able to establish has been special without further Ado I am going to let you guys know we are next to uh two Olympians uh one soon to be we're looking ahead for 2028 uh I'm going to have them that's right I'm going to have them introduce themselves but I mean they really don't need an introduction everybody's a badass on this panel um Ashlin you first my love hello everyone my name is Ashlin Harris I um I'm an Olympian and two-time Women's World Cup champion I am now a newly retired athlete and and a a creative consultant and producer and hot that doesn't matter I need to take car everywhere with me that doesn't matter though she's there there's beauty and brains in there uh Logan Hi everybody my name is Logan Egleston I played volleyball at the University of Texas and just finished my second professional season in Turkey in Istanbul yes great place and I'm excited to be coming back to America to be the founding athlete in Love Austin which is a new professional volleyball league so really exciting good times good times happy to be here yeah and without further Ado uh with the shades on the coolest of the crew that's cuz I'm old tell us Renee okay hi everyone my name's Rene stubs I was a professional tennis player for over two decades won a few grand slams a few um six former number one in the world in doubles but um over the last over a decade I've been in television working for ESPN uh NBC Amazon lots of different uh events covering tennis and women's sports and that is my passion Not Just Tennis I love women's sports I've actually interviewed both Ash and Logan on my show and a car and I used to work together a long time ago not even that long ago well old Tennis Channel yeah yeah yeah long time ago uh well you were thinking last year yes but um but we're all in the business of creating and elevating women's sports and that's why we're here and that's why you're all here today and so it's a pleasure also let me add Logan wants to run for president one day so do you give me I'm not joking about that Logan know that talk about is is Laura is Laura KY around at all she's over there somewhere somewhere in the corner I just wanted to give her a round of applause for what she has created you guys this is special just the moment in which we are taking over to really just focus on women and women's sports and The Business of women's sports is something that's really special and with that being being said I want you to keep that in mind as that's our our backdrop of of this particular panel uh passing the Olympic torch I I love Ashlin I'll start with her first because she's very honest about all experiences I am a believer in honesty and I think that only helps us get to where we need to be it it it it levels the playing field if you will talk to me about your Olympic experience as we set up what the Olympics will be we all know everyone will be in Paris not not not just down the road from here um and and for many years women's sports were the other or considered the other in the Olympics uh and I felt as if that was the only time we were able to see gymnasts shine right tennis players basketball players um volleyball players um I feel like soccer players always shine I just do I felt like you guys always had a beautiful space but talk to me about your experience at the Olympics so my first Olympics um I went to the Rio Olympics and uh based on clearly I played soccer so um there's very tight turnaround and there's a lot of teams and there's very few stadiums so what people actually don't know is we start the tournament early um and we don't get to stay in the village so we had this beautiful convers ation that was very organic and honest and I was like a little disappointed of my Olympic experience we didn't get to do you know the the walk out and hold the American flag and get dressed in all this beautiful raler in and you know cheesy but amazing clothes um but we yeah we traveled every two days we had different locations and we didn't get to enjoy the experience of being being around all the athletes and eating at the cafeteria and really just being it's not that great well you know what it really is because to be able to the the best part about the Olympics for me cuz I won two World Cups and it is so high pre like it there's so much pressure if you guys didn't give it up for two World Cups I'm disappointed okay she like let's okay go ahead there's this it's different because when you go to the Olympics you have the opportunity to really support other sports and it's very rare you can do that and not be so centered on yourself and what you your job and what you have to do and who's playing are you scouting I love what I love so much about the Olympics is I could watch Tennis I could watch gymnastics I could watch swimming and to be able to celebrate and cheer on your you know fellow American athletes that don't play your sport really takes a lot of pressure off of you it does because you have so much to do and so little time to think which is what that was the best part of it for me unfortunately I just didn't get it get to experience it with all the athletes which I felt like I left it was like a bummer for me because I felt like that was such a unique experience everyone talks about but every two days we were flying all over the place do do you feel as if with if we just take um a picture of what we're dealing with now the explosion everyone watches women's sports do you feel that it would be different this time around in terms of how the women's sports are being treated more specifically soccer well I always had this you know I talk about women's soccer often and I advocate and I was a plaintiff for Equal Pay suing US soccer so closing the you know the pay Gap and the gender gap that's always been an important thing for me I talk about this all the time the only time US soccer we were only relevant every four years and we had incredible numbers building up to World Cup and Olympics and if we won right after but then everything else just fell short every like it just the buzz kind of went away after a few years and what I'm seeing now is that doesn't exist and that's the biggest change and that's a powerful change that if you look at women's sports right now in terms of attendance and everything going on in across the entire spe all women sports we are crushing numbers at a crazy rate which I my goal and I continue to make this my goal is it's not relevant right before the Olympics or right after but consistently relevant consistent relevant let's give it up for that y'all um I I like a little interaction so mind you I will talk to you throughout this entire you all here in the audience throughout this entire um session I am not going to skip over you Logan but I am going to talk to Renee about her Olympic experience because it was different from ashlin's yeah I mean I loved every second of my experiences I went to four Olympics um and I had the great pleasure of having one Olympic experience in my hometown of Sydney which uh I remember vividly being in Melbourne actually and there's a it's a bit bit of a competition between Melbourne and Sydney like what's the best city in Australia Sydney and I was in Melbourne when the announcement was made by um the ioc president back then and he said then the window is a Sydney and I was like I couldn't believe I had an opportunity to actually play in Olympics in Sydney and obviously tennis we we get we're very lucky that we have four majors every year US Open Wimbledon French Open Australian open and so those are incredibly important to a tennis player there's no doubt winning a grand slam is the Pinnacle of Pinnacles in tennis but you know when they announced that tennis was back into the Olympics in 1988 that was sort of like it was such a an experience for a tennis player to go oh my God I get to actually go to an Olympic game something that all kids no matter what sport you do dream about being in the Olympics and for a tennis player that wasn't a part of our our for thinking is that oh one day I could be an Olympian so when that opportunity came I was I was just like and then to get to actually be in Sydney it's the most nervous I've ever been playing tennis really oh my a first round I was shaking was it because it was home yes okay and it was packed and I I've never been so nervous I stopped being nervous one game away from winning and we were killing our opponents but it didn't matter it meant so much to me and so I was very successful in my career I won 60 tournaments I won six grand slams and I never won a medal at the ypics and it still irks me to this day um and so it was it's an incredibly important part of U a tennis player now is and some people don't see it as as important for me it was very important I mean walking onto the stadium and Sydney walking on the stadium in Athens in Atlanta um and Beijing were just the most memorable moments of my life and being part of a team is something we don't experience a lot as a tennis player um so for us and watching and then and my when people ask me what's the most amazing sporting event you've ever seen which is a very loaded question because we get to watch some pretty amazing sporting events without question two at the Sydney Olympics was Kathy Freeman winning the gold medal for Australia I've I think about it right now and I I could cry it's to hear the entire 100,000 Stadium cheering Kathy around that 400 meters and then when we won the 4X 100 meter men's uh freestyle in Sydney and we beat sorry the Americans for the first time in like 20 years and there's a documentary out about it right now going into the Olympics um in Paris um it was the most electric moment I've ever experienced as a sports person um and so for me being a part of the Olympic story and the part of the Olympic history is something that I just treasure so much I have a follow uh two World Cups six grand slams 60 tournaments won why was the Olympics most important is it is it the the ideal the idea that you are playing for your country that is the most important for you yeah because we don't get to represent our country it's different for volleyball it's different for soccer in a lot of waysc football sorry um because you are a part of a team whereas we're not we're so independent so individual and so when we get to play Billy Jean King cup or Davis Cup in the men's and then going to the Olympics and having the flag I mean for me I'm Australian so I had the green and gold on and it made I was so proud of being able to represent my country and be able to maybe win a medal was it meant so much um to those tennis players that go and so we see Roger feder on the ground crying when he won a gold medal in doubles you know I mean Rafel Nadal like all these guys crying Novak jovic the most upset I've ever seen him as leaving the court in Rio crying um and so it means more because your country is involved no question special um Logan let me let me introduce you all to the to she's up next and she has next um Logan is an indoor volleyball player who uh won at the Collegiate level who I think represents so much of what we want women's sports to be I I'm really I know that you're not going to the Olympics this year but 2028 in my hometown of Los Angeles you will be there speak it into existence it's there it's done we're speaking it into existance talk to me about indoor volleyball I I watch it during the Olympics as I'm sure you all have um and it feels very special and it feels like a moment for us to just finally finally see the women as she just talked about every four years but there's a new league um and I want you to talk about it it's the next major league indoor volleyball so we need people here as we talk about uh women's sports to support starting in January 2025 yes yes so indoor volleyball is the next next big sport up I think anyone who engages with the sport and watches the sport instantly falls in love it's just so fast-paced and so team centered that it's hard not to be obsessed when you watch it um and for years yeah there's been it's it's the biggest youth sport right now in America so many young girls are playing but when you get to the professional level there's nothing in America it's all going overseas so again like I said I was in Turkey um some of my friends were in Italy France Germany Japan so we're playing at the highest level but just not in front of our crowds and that's why this new le league is so exciting uh right when it was introduced to me I was like it's a no-brainer I'm going home I get to play in front of my family I get to introduce this highlevel game that we play at the college level but not anywhere close to the international level so we get to introduce the international game to the American fans and the American Youth that are playing the game so they have something new to strive for and it's exciting to be a part of it and just excited to see where it goes in the next few years it's called love like I love so you guys can't would it be at the end right love love okay love so I will say this very similar to the WNBA we all know that the women in the WNBA have to go overseas and play you all didn't have an opportunity to even play here at home corre so you guys are starting with from my understanding how many teams and where six teams to start um well I'll be in Austin Texas we'll have five other teams in Houston Texas Madison Wisconsin Salt Lake City Utah uh Omaha Nebraska and Atlanta Georgia so big volleyball hubs um lots of great talent coming back to America lots of international talent coming to America um it's going to be the real deal and I think the American fans have been waiting for it and they're going to embrace it and it's going to be like you said the next new thing and it's time for people to invest and to get behind it time to invest and you all have a you they have which I think is special you have a um a plan in place for the league to grow each year um I think that it's good to to to watch what other female leagues have done the WNBA for instance and then build from that but the goal for you like everyone else is the Olympics why is that why is that so important for you I mean just hearing the two of you guys speak about your experiences I know very different but um it gives me chills cuz it's everyone's dream like you said no matter the sport to be an Olympian and I think especially in volleyball because the Olympics is that that big medal that big competition that everyone strives to be a part of and it kind of sets the tone um for every athlete and so we kind of we base our season it's it's quad so after this quad hopefully my time is up my my my turn is here um but yeah it's like it's the end of a quad it's where you you want to Peak you want to be your best at the end of the Quad so you can make that Olympic roster and so it's it's what every volleyball player strives to do and strives to be a part of and we we play the game we go overseas so we can be at the level to compete in our national team national team gym each summer so um the Olympics is where I'm hoping to be I know pretty much every other volleyball player that I talked to is hoping to be there one day um across the world like it's it's what we want to do and so this league is really going to help us do that I think as well just increasing the level of play in in America we're going to be able to compete at a higher level um internationally in national team tournaments and just yeah kind of kind of get our fans behind us and show that the game is here can I just add Carrie yeah yeah I don't know if you've all seen Indo indoor volleyball everyone here has so fun to watch like fun to play too it is crazy what you guys do it's so fun to watch so I think like you said and this is a moment for women sports right is actually getting it on T TV so people can it is on TV it's going to be on ESPN they have a deal with ESPN am I am I allowed to say that okay deal we can say this we can off say thiso late too late they they have a deal with ESPN so you'll be able to watch it on ESPN Adidas is one of the SP is the sponsor right or the big bagger being announced today you heard it first year breaking news first and no that's what we do I I wonder do you have any questions for Ashlin uh goodness I'm curious because put me on the spot Hot Spot literally sweating lit you need to change yeah yeah Rene you start thinking of your question about you man let me think cuz she was been she's she's been to look she's a champion at the highest level as is Renee I was going to ask you do you have any questions for these Champions sitting on either side of you because that's that's what your life is going to be that's what's next for you I hope so I love speaking into existence I would say just I don't know like how how how do I help grow the game like you guys have done such a great job in your resp great question Under Pressure yeah shout out to Brandon Marshall just walked in Hi friend but seriously like I think you guys have both been like Pioneers in your sports just you know continuing to grow the to grow the game throughout your career so what advice do you have for younger players um how do we kind of f in your guys' lead I'm I'm going to you can go next cuz she's long-winded I will tell you this I'll tell you this really sit down and figure out like what's your why like what do you want to leave with this world for me it was never about soccer there was so much more to me than soccer and I think so many people and athletes are so scared to step into that lane because it's foreign it's unknown it's scary people always say just shut up and play your sport shut up and dribble but everything I did around who I was really didn't involve soccer like I advocate for the queer Community I I focus on mental health because it matters I do the things that other people aren't willing to do outside of sport because they're so scared of cancel culture and all these it opens your life up to to a lot of opinions that sometimes hurt but having a stance in what you believe you'll never go wrong and throughout my whole journey I've always stayed true to who I am I that is one thing I won't compromise I am a coachable goalkeeper but when it comes to who I am my character how I want to show up for the world that is me and no one can take that away from me so I if I could say anything to you or any anyone here like if you want to change the world do it I love it love it seriously you want to run for president do it oh she's going to I'm going to make her yeah and like there's so many people who always will support you and love you and so like do do whatever it takes to make sure you shine and if there are people in your group who don't do that it's time to start cutting them out unfortunately so great stuff wow so for me to pity back onto that um absolutely surround yourself with the right people that is utmost importance and the ones that don't believe in you to actually do the things that you want and you moonshot for Move Along um but I think I am a big proponent in saying yes I just I really believe in it I think when you especially when you're in the middle of your career um you're still so young is to say yes to everything until it doesn't feel right then you say no but I think that while you're still you know so relevant in your sport while you're still doing the things that you're doing and that's anything is say yes to it and then you figure out the things that you want to do you figure out the things that are passionate for you I have a tattoo on my arm that says passion because I really believe that if you don't have passion for what you do you won't be successful at it so say yes to it if you find a passion in it that's your that's your that's your Lane right so stick with that and I I just really believe in that and being authentic is so incredibly important to advertisers to Brands to a company whatever it is and you know FL listening to her this morning I was like oh damn she's so authentic and that's what makes her special and I think Ashlin is saying the same thing she's authentic to who she is don't change that you have spoken about wanting to be president like legit that is being authentic like I believe in myself I'm smart all of the things always say yes and you're you're going to go a long way and I'm going to be there when she's president I got you front row you'll be there yes I'll be waving too I'll be old but yeah I can be security feel like that everyone here is going to be there yeah I I well she she mentioned uh being president a few times it takes an incredible amount of courage to say that out loud yes you have to re it it really does I we kind of and people say it flippantly you mean it why is that a goal of yours um I think it's what both of you guys have said it's I mean I mean it is authentic to who I am I want to make a difference and I think you have to be bold to make a difference and to to make change to get people to hear you and so yeah I think that's kind of what it was is like I want to make a change so I'm going to I'm going to reach the highest goal possible like you know try to get to the top of the highest mountain and that's kind of where it is for us we'll see what happens I have a few few more years before I'm even eligible for that role um but yeah I just I want to make a difference and anything I do it's something I'm passionate about and that oh I'm canvasing For You Go seem like the way do I'll have a wheelchair but I'll do it we're going to have a great team I love it but yeah it's exciting I love that for you I as we get ready to wrap this panel I'll ask each of you ladies individually and this is is it's relative to your your individual sport Ashley I'll start with you we are at such an incredible um intersection in women's sports right now uh and there are so many people willing to invest and believe and pay attention and it's always been here the product has always been here always always always been here and now that the world is watching for whatever reasons we don't have to get into that they're watching what would you like to see the future be for women's sports specifically was yours this is very like equality on every aspect outside of the game pay Equity venues everything has to be equal and we have to keep fighting for it I say this often I was one of the most decorated athletes of my time college national team in WSL championships I had to find a job weeks after I retired and I don't think people realize what that looks like I dedicated my whole life for my craft and at 37 I had to start over and I am in the process of starting over men who have competed and have done half the I have are probably on those Yachts behind me hanging out enjoying retirement as I have to worry about Cobra Insurance I have two young kids that I adopted I have to keep food on the table and I don't have time to sit back and say hm this feels nice I'm going to relax as I've dedicate since 13 years old I've played with the US soccer Federation I didn't take a second off and that's the realistic part of what we as female athletes deal with and we have to be able to tell those stories and make that change because Caitlyn Clark coming into the women's basketball league making 7s something th000 I said this on my last panel Babe Ruth made $80,000 in $930 what are we talking about it can't happen anymore and we have to start making changes we have to pay these women what they're worth and until we do that I'm not sleeping I'll tell you that right now I'm not sleeping I'm going to pass around a plate that was church guys if you could donate I'm going to pass the plate do you hear my girl 37 and Cobra all right Logan yeah aim into that seriously I mean I think that's what we all want in women's sports as female athletes is to see equality across and respect across and I think that's you know what I want in volleyball specifically is to gain the respect um for a league like League one volleyball for love to succeed and to be around for generations to come um so in the future I want it to be a league where girls out of college are continuing to play and going into the professional League instead of retiring because they don't want to go overseas they don't want to leave their families um so that's what I'm wanting to see is a sustainable league in America where girls can play the game at the highest level in front of their families in front of their fans and just live comfortable lives you know we're on the right path and I want you know the fans to engage with them TV deals to continue to rise and more Brands to get behind it because it's the future and so that's what I want to see I mean I'm very lucky that I played a sport that was quite equal for a long time so I'm looking at different you know Sports saying yeah it's about time they started treating you guys with a little bit more equality we've had it equal prize money at Grand Slams for quite a while now but that take took a fight that took a fight from the likes of Venus Williams of course Billy Jean King and so many of our previous uh players on the WTA tour but also I would like to see the WTA tour do a little bit better job rather than sell part of uh you know our most established things to the Saudis so I would like people in this room and Brands and advertisers to understand that women's tennis is still the biggest Global sport in the world for women um and you know if you look at the top 10 Forbes earners uh in women's sports six or seven of them are tennis players so we're very lucky on in that respect but at the same time I would like us to grasp the idea that we shouldn't be selling too much to the saes at this point and there are sponsorships there are companies that could be doing the same thing in the United States or in Europe or in England to invest in women's tennis and not sell our souls uh it's too much um and so you know I'm a little bit pissed off that we did that in a lot of ways I understand the money was huge but I would like companies in uh countries that don't squash women's dreams and their Futures uh to be giving money to us so I'm a little bit jaded on that uh I understand the importance of money but that's what i' would like to see I would like to see the WTA sort of answer the question of that one um so there you go that was amazing Renee thank you for that that really is special and I'm sure every woman in here can relate right we want equal pay in every aspect um I really thank you all for being here I want to give it up for these amazing women what you heard is is very honest um conversations about what you feel and I thank you Ashlin Logan and Renee for being as honest as you are um that allows Brands to understand how they can help the need that is there uh but more importantly it it really does come down to tennis is equal pay or you know in in in a lot of cases but it does come down to knowing your value and your worth um as everyone in this room is worth something invaluable you want to be paid for that I I mean all of us I think we all think we're underpaid in some capacity so I appreciate you for being so honest good luck with the new league Renee thank you for always being a beautiful Ambassador we appreciate you all for being here um passing the Olympic torch this is our panel and we are done we're going to take a quick break and our our fearless leader Laura kinti will come back in about 15 to 20 minutes yes you Carrie Champion thank you Carrie she's unbelievable