“She Won’t Be the Same Player” | Can Mallory Swanson Still Be an ELITE Player Post Pregnancy

“She Won’t Be the Same Player” | Can Mallory Swanson Still Be an ELITE Player Post Pregnancy

From The Late Sub with Claire Watkins by Just Women’s Sports

May 21, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

Claire Watkins discusses the impact of pregnancy on Mallory Swanson's performance and her chances for the USWNT roster.

This week Claire takes a deep dive into the return of Chicago’s Mallory Swanson. The evolution of her game, how much does being on a struggling Chicago team impact her chances for the USWNT roster, and what’s Chicago’s SMART PLAY for getting her back to full form? This episode is presented by Ally Bank, member FDIC Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:46 Returning from Pregnancy 04:29 The Evolution of Mal Swanson 06:43 Differences Between Mal & Sophia 08:26 USWNT Players on BAD Teams 11:26 Will Chicago Hurt Mal’s USWNT Chances 17:37 Chicago’s SMART PLAY 20:14 Will Swanson Get Called Up for June Friendlies? Just Women’s Sports is the leading digital media platform dedicated exclusively to women’s sports. In a world where women’s sports have been historically underfunded and under-promoted, Just Women’s Sports exists to shine a light on all the stories, athletes and moments that define and fuel the space. Through original podcasts, premium video programming, social media, editorial content, a newsletter, and exclusive merchandise and live events, Just Women’s Sports is committed to making it both easy and fun to be a women’s sports fan. Add us on: Instagram…

People in this episode

Host: Claire Watkins

Topics covered

  • Mallory Swanson
  • return from pregnancy
  • USWNT roster
  • Chicago team performance
  • soccer analysis

Keywords

  • Mallory Swanson
  • USWNT
  • pregnancy
  • soccer
  • Chicago
  • elite player
  • sports analysis

Sponsors

Ally Bank

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chicago, USWNT, Just Women’s Sports

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