For years, many of BYU’s women’s teams have been among the most successful in the country.
But knowing how they perform hasn’t always meant knowing who they are.
BYU Broadcasting’s podcast “Her Y” was created to start changing that, giving female athletes, coaches and women connected to BYU a platform to share their stories in their own words.
Since launching in fall 2022, it has grown into something more intentional, a place where those stories are explored more fully and more personally.
For BYU Radio senior sports producer Cleon Wall, that vision was clear from the beginning.
“When I got hired for this job as the sports producer for BYU radio, one of my goals was to have a show that just dealt with women's athletics here at BYU,” Wall said.
His idea came from a consistent gap he noticed in media coverage.
“We have so many good female athletes with so many good stories that we can tell,” Wall said. “I felt like they weren’t being told in a traditional manner.”
Even as women’s programs continue to compete at a high level, a lot of attention in sports media still leans toward men’s athletics.
“You'd get a sprinkling here and there throughout the media, but you didn't have a consistent platform that was showing, ‘Hey, these are some of the cool things that are happening in BYU women's Athletics right now,'” Wall said.
“Her Y” was built to be that consistent space. Just as importantly, it was built to be led by women.
“I was very intentional to make sure that, number one, I wasn't ever going to host the show,” Wall said. “I wanted to make sure that this was an all-women's experience hosted by women for women, and that I just oversaw it.”
That decision shaped what the podcast would become.
The right person to lead that effort was Lauren McClain, a trusted and well-respected voice within BYU Broadcasting who hosts “Her Y.”
She said one of the things she loves most about the podcast is that it focuses less on quick stats and more on the person behind the athlete.
“You’re talking to someone for 30 minutes to an hour and I love getting to know people’s unique stories because everyone has one,” McClain said.
The longer format allows conversations to go deeper than what is usually seen in traditional coverage or short sideline interviews. It gives athletes time to share parts of their experience that often go unseen.
Many of their stories, she said, might otherwise be missed.
“We don't get to know their stories very often, but this podcast gives female athletes that may be overlooked more of a voice to be able to tell their story,” McClain said.
In those conversations, a different side of these athletes starts to come through. Beyond their incredible performances, they are also resilient, confident and fearless.
“Almost all of them have been through some sort of adversity to be able to get to where they are,” McClain said.
Those moments are often what stay with her the most.
“There have been so many moments where I’ve felt, ‘Why do I get to be a part of this?’” she said. “I just feel super humbled.”
As those stories are shared, McClain said it can change how people see women’s sports and help them better appreciate these athletes.
“Women are so strong and powerful in unique ways,” she said. “They are incredible athletes in their own right and there's so much beauty in that.”
That perspective has not only shaped how listeners view these athletes, but also how those involved with the podcast see their own lives.
“I think what I have gained most from ‘Her Y’ has been how I can be more resilient and become a better person,” Wall said. “I’m a father and a husband, and I want my daughter and my wife to always feel like I’m listening to them ... and I want these women to feel the same way.”
For both McClain and Wall, that is what makes the podcast so fulfilling. It shows what these women have been through and why their stories matter.
That impact goes beyond the studio as well. During homecoming week in 2023, BYU Athletics and the Big 12 hosted a women’s empowerment event focused on connection, confidence and community, where “Her Y” was featured as part of the experience.
Many of BYU’s most recognizable women have shared their stories on the podcast, including Olympian Courtney Wayment, longtime soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood, basketball standout Lauren Gustin and former Miss America Sharlene Wells.
“A lot of these women that come in, I've known them for years," McClain said. "I've known their name, and I've followed their careers, and so I think there's a sense of pride that comes with interviewing them and hearing their story, because they represent BYU, which is something that I love."
Beyond BYU, both McClain and Wall said the importance of the show comes down to something bigger: recognizing the value of women’s experiences.
“Women's stories are so important,” Wall said. “In this world, sometimes they feel like they aren’t being heard, but in our small little world at BYU Broadcasting, we want to make sure that they have been heard.”
At its core, “Her Y” is about showing who these women are, both in their sport and in everything that has shaped who they are.