Becky Sauerbrunn isn’t the sort of person you’d expect to be tardy. Well, at least we ought to believe this by recalling the well-timed defensive tackles and crucial interceptions the USWNT veteran made back in her playing days. Having transitioned into the role of a soccer broadcaster on TNT Sports now, you’d expect the former defender to showcase a similar grit. But one fine morning, she was eventually forced to drag her feet to work, texting one of her colleagues, “Hey, I’m gonna be late. We’ve got an issue.”

Why? What kind of issue? Well, she got stuck in the hotel elevator. Quite an average Joe’s excuse one gives to their boss when they’re late but the difference is that it actually happened! It came the day she was about to make her second broadcasting debut to cover the opening clash of the recently concluded USWNT vs Brazil. Even though now, the incident is water under a bridge. One didn’t hear the complete details, until now, as the latest episode of The Women’s Game podcast finally saw Becky do the honors.

Of course, the former Portland Thorns star wasn’t stuck alone in the broken elevator; she had the company of US stars, Alana Cook and Avery Patterson, and another couple. Otherwise, being stuck with someone she didn’t know would have been “awkward” as she herself admitted. Given how they were stuck for 45 to 50 minutes, it’s natural they’d get bored. Hence, when asked if she played some games with Alana, Avery, and the couple, Sauerbrunn denied.

Instead, she chatted with both American stars, denying that anyone panicked. “It was not that stressful because Alana, she’s just very chill and composed. Avery was very chill; the couple was great,” insisted Sauerbrunn, revealing that aside from discussing home ownership with Cook, she was able to connect with Patterson on a personal level. After all, it was the right-back’s first-ever call-up to the national team, and she was expected to make her debut in just a few hours.

“We weren’t having fun I would say, but we were not stressing, until the very end when we were exiting head first through a two-foot opening,” admitted the 2x World Cup winner. Yep, that’s right. By the time help arrived, all the occupants in the elevator had forcefully tried to open the door, but it proved useless, as it wouldn’t open more than a couple of inches. The situation only saw the arrival of not one, but two fire trucks, with a team of over eight to ten firefighters.

The rescuers asked Becky and the others to try reaching inside the elevator to activate the release valve. However, the man who was with them gave it his all, only to shout back at the firefighters, “The release valve is not working, it’s not releasing.” This led the rescuers to approach the situation from a “different perspective,” which took more time than expected. While the firefighters managed to open the doors, the elevator was stuck between the second and third floors, leaving only a two-foot opening for the occupants to escape.

This was the moment when Becky, Alana, Avery, and the couple were asked to exit the elevator head-first. As Alana safely deployed her suitcase, it made Sauerbrunn wonder, “Okay, this is a good test.” However, it was Avery who seemed more concerned, asking a lot of questions about her safety and the best way to get out. This only prompted the 39-year-old to think, “Great questions,” before adding, “These are really, really good questions if you’ve seen Speed, Final Destination — all those movies with terrible elevator scenes.”

Eventually, the 22-year-old defender managed to make a swift exit from the elevator, which also gave a sigh of relief to Becky. Finally, then came Sauerbrunn’s turn, who, without even removing her neatly pressed blazer, laid on her front and crawled towards the firefighters who seamlessly rescued her.

When co-host Sam Mewis asked on the podcast if her broadcasting gear was fine, the former Utah Royals star said, “Blazer was great. There were no smudges or anything, because I was literally like, “Okay firefighters. I’m ready take me.” I was only on the ground for maybe 5 seconds.”

Well, if you think the story ends here; there’s more. In fact, who would have thought that this incident was no less than content for Sauerbrunn’s employers?

Becky Sauerbrunn shares the truth behind viral video

You must have come across the viral video of Becky Sauerbrunn and Avery Patterson escaping the elevator. Well, guess what? It was actually filmed by the couple who were stuck with them—and they played a small, yet significant, role in making Sauerbrunn and the USWNT stars go viral across social networks. Of course, credit also goes to the former center-back’s employers!

“This other couple met us in the lobby, came over, and asked, ‘Hey, we filmed this would you like it?’ And I was with some of the TNT producers and they were like ‘Absolutely, send us this video right now! We’re going to put it on the pre-show.’ They were loving the content,” revealed Becky.

Rest is history as after finally making it on time for her broadcast gig before the USWNT vs Brazil kick-off, the moment was shared by TNT Sports for the rest of the viewers to watch as well. Then again, Sauerbrunn herself later shared this post on her Instagram with a hilarious caption saying, “Just a couple of USWNT players (past and present) escaping from an elevator on game day. I maybe should’ve taken the blazer off before exiting, but🤷🏼‍♀️.”

Overall, it must have been quite an experience for Becky Sauerbrunn, along with Alana Cook and Avery Patterson. Not to forget the stranger couple, who surely must have felt a little bit happy after realizing who they were stuck with!