Ewa Mataya Laurance - Part 4 (The Win That Mattered Most—and the Life She Chose After Greatness)
In the final chapter of our four-part life story with WPBA Hall of Famer Ewa Mataya Laurance, we land where legends are forged: on the road, under the lights, and in the moments that reveal what matters most.
Ewa takes us inside a whirlwind era when she was traveling 260 days a year—tournaments, exhibitions, corporate events, and the kind of surreal TV appearances that can pull an athlete away from the very craft that made them famous. It’s a candid look at success: how it arrives fast, demands yes, and quietly reshapes priorities.
From there, Ewa opens the curtain on the business battle behind women’s professional pool—her time leading the WPBA, fighting for excellence over image, and pushing back against the idea that the sport should be marketed as entertainment first. She recalls pivotal negotiations with ESPN, the strategy that helped create meaningful airtime for a true tour, and the tug-of-war moments that defined an entire generation of women’s pool.
And then… the match.
Ewa relives the victory she treasures most—not a world title by name, but a win that felt like the ultimate statement: defeating the incomparable Allison Fisher in the finals of the 2012 Soaring Eagle Masters, in what she calls the last great ESPN era before the shift to ESPN3. From switching cues days before the event to reading the smallest signs of pressure across the arena, she brings us shot-by-shot into the mindset of a champion who still knew how to summon greatness.
We close with our signature three questions—Ewa’s moving reflections on forgiveness, the one “mulligan” she’d take back, and how she hopes to be remembered: hard-working, honest, stubborn, fair… and a very good grandma.
This is Ewa’s finish—full of fire, heart, and truth.
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Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”
Pool Professional
Ewa is the current International and World Cup Trick Shot Champion, the holder of multiple World and U.S. Open 9-Ball titles and has also won the Swedish, European and U.S. National Championships in her incredible career. In 2012, she won the prestigious ESPN Masters Championship, a major on the Classic Tour. A former # 1 ranked player in the world, Ewa has received Player of the Year honors, been named WPBA Sportsperson of the Year, in 2004 was inducted into the prestigious Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, and is also a member of the Women’s Professional Billiards Hall of Fame.
This dynamic champion made a historic appearance on the cover of The New York Times magazine and has been featured in numerous national publications including People magazine, Sports Illustrated, Forbes and Glamour magazine. Ewa is also a frequent guest on television shows such as Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, LIVE with Kelly and Michael, Entertainment Tonight and The Best Damned Sports Show, Period.
When not competing, Ewa serves as the ESPN Color Commentator, and she also co-hosted GSN’s popular game show “Ball Breakers.” She is the author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Pool & Billiards” and writes a monthly column for Pool & Billiard magazine. In addition to performing trick shot shows around the world, Ewa also operates the APA Leagues in Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and Brunswick County in South Carolina. On tour, Ewa is sponsored by Brunswick Billiards.