You Let Some Little Girl Beat You? with Ann Meyers Drysdale

Ann Meyers Drysdale is the only woman in history to sign an NBA contract — and that's just one line on a resume that includes an Olympic silver medal, a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and three decades as a broadcasting and front-office executive for the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. In this episode, Ann traces her path from a family of 11 kids where sports belonged equally to sons and daughters, to becoming the first woman to receive a full Division I athletic scholarship under Title IX, to trying out for the Indiana Pacers in 1979. She also opens up about the grief of losing her husband, Baseball Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, at 33 while raising three young children alone, and the faith and resilience that carried her through.

Key Takeaways & Highlights:

• Title IX opened the door, but family opened it first: Ann's parents treated their five daughters and six sons as equals in sports long before Title IX became law.

• I've never liked the term glass ceiling: Ann's mindset was always the sky's the limit, not a ceiling to break through.

• Being the only woman in the room takes practice: the confidence to try out for the NBA in 1979 traces back to a bruising decision she made five years earlier as a high schooler.

• Grief doesn't cancel resilience: raising three kids alone after Don Drysdale's death, Ann leaned on faith, family, and the get up and do it mindset her own mother modeled.

• The next barrier isn't the court, it's the boardroom: Ann says the real work now is getting more women into decision-making roles, writers, producers, directors, owners.

• Don't ask what if: Ann's core advice for any woman weighing a leap she's not sure she's qualified for, jump in anyway.

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You Let Some Girl Beat You by Ann Meyers Drysdale

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ABOUT KNOW WOMEN AND THE HAF PODCAST

The High Achieving Female Podcast, powered by KNOW, where women who've actually built it come to share how they did it. KNOW is a national media and network company for high-impact women in business, spotlighting the founders, CEOs, and leaders who are scaling real companies through KNOW Magazine, live events, the 50 Women to KNOW recognition program, and a curated network of 250 top-tier women entrepreneurs and executives. Every episode is a conversation with someone who's built something real, the wins, the setbacks, and the path, so the next generation of women has a roadmap, not just inspiration.

ABOUT SARAH BENKEN FOUSHEE

Sarah Benken Foushee is the Founder, Publisher, and CEO of KNOW, an invite-only national media company and network elevating multimillion-dollar women founders across the country. With roots in accounting and operations, she built her business long before she built her brand, five profitable exits and two brands scaled internationally later, she's one of the most credentialed voices in women's entrepreneurship.

Her work blends luxury and leadership: sharp business intelligence with a no-nonsense, sister-to-sister delivery. She's been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and 50+ outlets, and has the awards to match.

She believes community is a power move. And that being a founder isn't glamorous. It's strategic.