OF AN EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST AUSTRALIA, GETTING TO THE TOP IS ONE THING. STAYING ON TOP IS ANOTHER. AND FOR TEAM USA WOMEN’S WATER POLO, THAT MEANS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE. THE REALITY IS THERE’S JUST ALWAYS A DIFFERENT ENERGY AND A DIFFERENT INTENSITY, AND YOU KNOW, FOCUS AND EVEN DISTRACTION THAT COMES ALONG WITH WITH GAMES. SO WE HAVE 12 GAMES, YOU KNOW, LEADING UP TO THE OLYMPICS AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE IS PRECIOUS FOR US. THIS IS A SOLD OUT EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST AUSTRALIA AT THE WOMEN’S HOME POOL AT LONG BEACH CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. U.S. CAPTAIN MAGGIE STEFFENS MAKES LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE GOALS. EVERY OPPORTUNITY WE GET TO PLAY AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION. I WAS ONCE THAT LITTLE GIRL ON A POOL DECK, LOOKING UP AND SEEING ROLE MODELS AND SAYING, THAT’S SOMETHING I WANT TO DO. IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO THAT SOME OF MAGGIE’S NEWER TEAMMATES, LIKE JULE ROMER, WERE IN THESE STANDS, IDOLIZING HER AND DREAMING OF MAKING THE NATIONAL TEAM IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS REALLY WEIRD, BUT, UM, THEY’RE ALL SUPER GREAT PEOPLE, FIRST OF ALL, AND THEN SECOND OF ALL, GREAT TEAMMATES, UM, REALLY WELCOMING AND WANT US ALL TO BE OUR BEST AND LEARN. ONE OF THE THINGS I’VE REALLY ENJOYED ABOUT THIS GROUP IS, IS NOT JUST THAT LEADERSHIP FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, BUT THE WILLINGNESS FROM THE BOTTOM TO TO LISTEN IN TO THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE. THOSE ATHLETES HAVE WON THE LAST THREE OLYMPIC GOLDS. THEY’D MAKE HISTORY FOR ANY TEAM, MEN’S OR WOMEN’S, BY WINNING A FOURTH STRAIGHT GOLD IN PARIS. IT’S DEFINITELY A BIG DEAL, BUT IT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT. ONE THING THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT AS A TEAM IS EACH QUAD IS ITS OWN INDEPENDENT JOURNEY. OBVIOUSLY THERE’S PRESSURE WITH IT, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE’RE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST AS A TEAM. UM, THIS TEAM, WE’RE NOT THE PAST TEAMS. THIS TEAM ON THIS NIGHT CAME AWAY WITH A WIN. I WANT EVERY ONE STEP CLOSER TO PARIS AND PERHAPS HISTORY, WHILE