WEBVTT - Good Game Spotlight: Full Circle 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:03.160 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're all 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:04.280 Hoopers and Hotties. 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:04.680 Today. 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:07.520 It's Wednesday, April thirtieth, and on today's show, we're going 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:09.920 to continue introducing you to some of the other fantastic 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:13.560 podcasts on the iHeart Women's Sports Network. Today's new frontier 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:16.880 is Full Circle with Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose. We 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:19.119 mentioned their pod back in January as they got ready 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:21.440 to launch. You heard my live show with Lexi at 0:00:21.440 --> 0:00:24.239 south By Southwest on our March eleventh episode, and she 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:26.000 and I got to hang out again at the Final four. 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:28.240 But we wanted to celebrate their show this week by 0:00:28.240 --> 0:00:30.360 bringing you a full episode here in our feed. 0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:31.400 Lexi is a. 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:34.559 WNBA champ and hooper for the league Seattle Storm, and 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:37.959 Mariah is the sports media personality behind Hoops for Hotties, 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.200 aimed at teaching the girls, gays days, and substraight guys 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:44.280 too about sports. To get you prepped, Mariah was kind 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:46.279 enough to send us a brief rundown of what their 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:47.160 show is all about. 0:00:47.320 --> 0:00:47.920 Take a listen. 0:00:48.720 --> 0:00:52.080 Tired of men dominating the conversation around women's sports, Well 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:55.520 so are we. That's why I'm Mariah Rose, Sports Media 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:59.040 personality and WNBA star Lexi Brown have teamed up for 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:02.680 Full Circle, a show dedicated to all things women's basketball. 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:05.680 After growing up surrounded by men talking about women's hoops, 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.000 me and Lexi are flipping the script. We're here to 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:10.759 deliver the latest news, bold takes, and behind the scenes 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.200 buzz from the women's basketball world, no filter, all facts. 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:18.240 Today you'll hear Full Circles April twenty third episode, and 0:01:18.400 --> 0:01:20.959 Lexi gave us a little preview of what to expect. 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:22.480 In this week's episode. 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:25.959 We are talking about my first impressions of being in Seattle, 0:01:26.200 --> 0:01:29.200 talking about the shift of coaching culture in the WNBA, 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:33.360 and we're going to give y'all a very analytical, stat 0:01:33.480 --> 0:01:36.760 based preview of what we'd consider the Eastern Conference in 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:39.840 the WNBA. We hope that you guys enjoy this episode, 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:42.960 like and subscribe and tune into Full Circle podcast. 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:44.520 All right, slices. 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:47.080 We're stoked to shine some light on Full Circle, and 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.720 we hope you're excited to listen that episode. But Lexi 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:51.440 and Mariah is coming up right after this. 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:00.320 Full Circle is an iheartwoman's sports production and partner with 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.480 Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:06.200 the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:12.359 Hi, everybody from Seattle. 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:16.200 I'm in Seattle, guys, welcome to another episode of Bee 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:19.000 Full Circle Podcast. I'm Lexi Brown. I'm here with my girl, 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.160 Mariah Rose. How are you doing. 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:23.840 I'm so good, Lexi? How are you? 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:25.120 I'm good. 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.680 The vibes are just very immaculate right now. I feel 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.639 it through the screen. What's going on? 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:31.800 How is your weekend? 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:32.200 Like? What? 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:32.519 What? 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:33.600 What is it? 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:35.239 I think I'm just I think I'm just happy that 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:37.280 I had a weekend at home because I have been 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.639 traveling so much that I try in la the apartment. 0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:42.799 Well, yes, but for a day. 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.080 I got home on Friday, so technically I was in 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:46.120 Atlanta for the weekend. 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:48.560 Okay, and it was the last time you spent a 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:49.520 whole weekend in Atlanta. 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:50.400 Girl, I don't even know. 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.480 But but I'm happy because I feel like I got 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.640 to I'm cleaning my apartment, I'm getting my life together. 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.720 I'm a person again. How are you settling in in Seattle? 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:03.160 Well, I just got here last night, and so far, 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:03.840 so good. 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:10.120 It's energy here is amazing, Like it's actually probably the 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:13.400 best first twenty four hours I've had in any city 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:18.320 I've played in. Honestly, like the communication is on point. 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:20.760 They've picked me up at the airport. They didn't have 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:24.000 me waiting. All my stuff in my apartment was just 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.400 all set up and ready got They had a rental 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:27.320 cart waiting for me. 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.600 Today. I get to go to the facility tomorrow, so. 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:33.320 I actually might go tonight and go just take it 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:36.320 all in before everyone else is there, So I might 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:40.520 go go get some shots up tonight on the shooting machine, 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:42.840 which like the fact that I can do that now, 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:45.960 like I literally can't believe. 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.120 It, Like, isn't that horrible? 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.680 Though, Like this is year eight, and I'm excited to 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.119 have a shooting machine. 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:54.040 That I can to be able to go to the 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:56.160 gym at night, like. 0:03:56.680 --> 0:03:59.200 And you think about it, and it's just like we 0:03:59.240 --> 0:04:01.720 should all have a gym to be able to go 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.160 to that night time. And yeah, now it's becoming like 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:06.440 a joke or whatever, like the players are like, oh, 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:08.680 we deserve better, and then they just ship you away. 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:12.440 Because I posted a TikTok yesterday. Actually I was gonna 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:17.440 bring that up, but you know what's funny, Sato commented 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:19.200 on it. And I went on her page and she 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.640 like literally posted like the same exact video like a 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:23.960 few weeks ago when she was in the hot tib At, 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:26.680 I think at her new facilities. I saw that one too, 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:29.200 but I didn't see that, so I went on there 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.160 and I commented last night, I said, God, don't even 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:33.720 see that you posted this. That's so funny that like 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:38.719 collectively were all feeling the same way about demanding more 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:40.839 and if your team just can't provide it for you, 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:42.800 yor just send you to a team that will. So 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:46.040 thank you La Sparks for sending me somewhere that will 0:04:46.080 --> 0:04:48.080 take care of me. But it should be the norm 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:50.880 across the board that everybody should have facilities. And I 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:54.520 think we're getting there, slowly but surely, but we're getting there. 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:56.960 Speaking of TikTok, have you been reading any of the 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:59.680 comments of the last video I posted of us talking 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:01.760 about the international players? 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:02.440 No? 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:04.800 Okay, well I. 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:06.719 Would like to know what they're saying about us, Lexi. 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:08.160 It's not even bad about us. 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:12.400 I just feel like, first thing about social media since 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:16.279 I've been off X, like everything has just been rainbows, 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:19.919 butterflies and sunshines. I've been so much happier and my 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:21.080 mind is clearer, so. 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:21.720 We'll start there. 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.560 So when I bring these conversations to TikTok and I'm 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:26.720 just reading through the comments and people argue with each other, 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.040 I want everyone to collectively take a deep breath and 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:35.320 stop arguing so much under other people's posts. It's getting 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:38.640 out of control, especially when I can tell that neither 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.960 one of the parties involved are really understanding what's being said, 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:45.600 and then the plot gets lost. And so I do 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.000 want to clear up something that I think is like 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:53.040 being misconstrued. That conversation we had about the international players 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:55.960 and the rule change, the age change, So one of 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:59.400 the weirdest comments I saw was that the WNBA is 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:02.720 trying to bring European players because they want the league 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.120 to be more whitewashed. And I was like, do y'all 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:09.400 know there are not only white people that play and 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:12.800 live in Europe. We just drafted o European player that 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:14.560 is very much a black person. 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:17.359 So that comment came. 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.640 Up a few times, which I thought was odd because 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:23.680 I was like, this has nothing to do with race whatsoever, 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:26.320 nothing at all. And then it was a back and 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.480 forth about you know how we're always just like oh, 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:30.400 everyone needs to stay in school. But then everyone's like, no, 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:32.320 they need to lower the age, and then it's like 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.599 people can't really pick a side. But I'm like, just 0:06:34.600 --> 0:06:36.919 because the rule gets changed doesn't mean people have to 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:38.440 like leave. 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:40.680 We were just saying that the option should be there. 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.680 Yeah, if anybody does want to leave, because that's it. 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:46.359 But I just like, I was reading the comments and 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.560 I'm like, are you guys even understanding what we're trying 0:06:48.600 --> 0:06:50.159 to say. And then they're like, well, they put a 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:53.400 cap on Americans in Europe, so we should put a 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:54.880 cap on Europeans here. 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:55.400 No. 0:06:55.839 --> 0:07:00.160 I don't think that's the solution either, but it's it's 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:04.440 just like I'm always shocked at the lack of comprehension. 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:05.840 Online. 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.240 Yeah, I'm seeing them. 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:11.000 I had to go look it up, and the main 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:15.560 thing I see is this conversation about it doesn't benefit 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.240 college players to come out and go to the w 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:21.480 early because of an il and blah blah blah blah, 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:24.080 And like you said, I think they're misunderstanding the whole 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:26.400 point of what we were trying to say. That is 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:28.240 just that the option should be there as far as 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:31.160 age and everything is concerned, and the amount of professionalism 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:33.400 that is occurring overseas in order for us to be 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.559 able to keep up with that on a basketball level, 0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:38.400 because I think people forget that that part still exists. 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.440 I know about an IL, and I know that that's 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:43.120 an option, and I know that it makes sense. 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:44.800 We've just had a million times it makes more sense 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:45.840 for them to stay longer. 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:49.960 But basketball wise, and I think Sedona made us talk 0:07:50.000 --> 0:07:51.680 about this age wise, Like we're talking about how like 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:54.080 if your people are younger, they're going to take people 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:55.920 who are younger with a better skill set over somebody 0:07:55.920 --> 0:07:57.400 who's older, and it. 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:00.720 Might be riskier. Like that makes perfect sense. 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:05.560 It's actually crazy how much of the conversation surrounding college 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:10.400 players now is anile based. We like very rarely hear 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:13.760 people getting into like real basketball talk when it comes 0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:17.720 to these players in college. And I think, you know, 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:22.040 during this w season, obviously we don't have NIO. We're professionals, 0:08:22.120 --> 0:08:25.080 so we'll be able to get into more like basketball 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:26.840 and analytic talk, which is what we're going to do 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:28.640 in a little bit when I introduce what we're going 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:31.560 to talk about later, but for next college season when 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:33.360 we're doing our show, Like I really want to get 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:36.320 into more like actual basketball talk. 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.640 Like speaking of nil and transferring. 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:42.600 I think Jeniah Baker just committed to Tennessee. I saw 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:46.679 that today, which again further validates our point that everybody 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:51.760 going to the SEC. I'm very nervous for the ACC 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:53.280 and the Big Ten. 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:55.560 I'm super concerned about the ACC. 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:58.280 I think the Big Ten will be okay, the Big twelve, 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:01.520 they'll have a few, but as far as the ACC, like, 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:03.800 I'm just I don't know what they're gonna do. But 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.480 like do I don't know much about like how the 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:07.120 money and all. 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:07.760 That stuff works. 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.480 But it's just like y'all got to find some money somewhere. 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:11.240 Find it. 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:15.600 I watched an interview with Coach Yo on Dejah Kelly's podcast. 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:18.720 She dropped a clip today and Coach Yo's is now 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:20.880 saying that the first thing she's asking her players is. 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.319 How much money do you want? Dang. 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.240 I can't believe this, and I know it's so it's 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:31.319 now I'm so beyond conflicted with this nil stuff now, 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:35.720 because how much money do you want? Like you average 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:39.440 three points a game, you should get twenty dollars? 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:42.040 Like what do we? 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:44.280 And I talked about it with Eric Wheeler when I 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.760 was with her, Like, it's not teaching these kids how 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:52.120 to like earn anything, battle through adversity, figure your shit out, Like, 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:55.880 unless you really are in a horrible situation at your school, 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:59.640 like you should, you should be encouraged and motivated enough 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:02.120 to try figure it out. I'm gonna die on this 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:05.200 new hill every every day. I'm building a new hill 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:07.920 to die on. Bring back that sit out rule unless 0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:11.640 your coaches change or leave. If you leave and your 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:14.319 coaching staff is the same, you need to sit out. 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:19.880 Like it's getting ridiculous at this point. And now you 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:22.400 have players moving from team to team, and we always 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:23.000 talk about. 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:24.240 The high school kids, but like, what about the kids 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:25.160 that are already on the team. 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.199 Mm hmm, Like you got a new player who obviously 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:30.800 wants to come in and is obviously probably getting money 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.360 and promises, and they gonna come in and stomp all 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:35.080 over something that you've been building yourself. 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.360 I'm not really here for that at all. 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:42.160 So again, my concern with NIL and the transfer rules 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.240 and all of this stuff. The SEC about to become 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:49.679 the most dominant conference in basketball. My concern mainly is 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:53.199 with the level of play, because again, if the basketball 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:56.280 itself isn't good. You talk about all the time. The 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:58.960 shooting isn't the same in college anymore. These players are 0:10:59.000 --> 0:11:01.120 going to be They're very young, they're not professionals yet. 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:03.040 It's going to get to a point where it's like 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:05.640 all of the talent's going to be concentrated in just 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:09.360 a couple of places. Everybody's just kind of playing around. 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:14.040 It's feeling very unserious, and like you said about I 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:15.560 want them to make their money. Like I don't even 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:17.160 want to sound like a hater. I think most people 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.480 are smart enough to comprehend that. We're not saying that 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:22.880 they don't deserve to make their money, but there needs 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.560 to be balanced there because at the end of the day, 0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:29.439 the most important thing should not be going to the 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:30.920 school where I'm going to make the most money, and 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.160 if that opportunity is there, obviously they're going to go 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:34.720 to the school that's going to make them the most money. 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:38.280 As a fan of basketball, we need to start having 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:42.360 basketball conversations again, like you said, Lexi, next season obviously 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:45.040 we'll get very much into that and through w season 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:46.720 and everything. That's the whole point of us doing this. 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:51.280 But it's just unfortunate because those conversations are dominating the 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:55.720 media and dominating the actual college basketball landscape because everything 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.040 changes every year because everybody can move, right. 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.680 So you can't even like build on anything that you 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:03.160 were talking about the year prior because that player is 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.800 not that school anymore. They're at a new school, and 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:08.360 then whoever was on that team, they had a new school. 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:12.200 So it's like, how do we even put together conversations 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:15.520 and meaningful dialogue when everyone is just bouncing around. And 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.440 that's the problem that was happening in the men's side, 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:21.600 and now it's slowly happening on the women's side, and 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:23.560 that is a little bit concerning for me for the 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:28.160 future of women's basketball because we're at this like tip 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:31.840 top of the mountain of momentum right now, and there 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:34.720 are decisions being made right now that could ruin the 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.920 momentum long term because now we're going to have the 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:40.480 same problem as the men's Nobody knows where anybody is 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.080 at school anymore. You can't grow and build with the 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.960 player because every year there at a new school, you know, 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:48.679 there's gonna be conversations that come out about this player 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:51.360 wanting money, this player is selfish and greedy, like it's 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:54.160 already happening with football, it's already happening with men's basketball. 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:56.960 So I hope that we're able to reel it in 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:59.000 a little bit for the sake of the future of 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.560 women's basketball, because because the thing that has made this 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:06.320 momentum happen is because for so many years there's been 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:10.880 like loyalty and growth and consistency, and now it's like 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:14.160 it's gone, Like all of those things are just gone now. 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.680 And that's what people love about women's sports. 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:19.439 And yes, make money, I love it whatever, but like 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.640 we still are not making that much money for us 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:26.240 to overcome the dark side of what all this is. 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:29.959 If that makes sense, I think the solution to this 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.840 issue is I think that women are victims to the 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:37.520 fact that we aren't making enough money. We I am 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.480 not a professional athlete, but y'all are made enough money 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.880 off of what you do on the court in order 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:46.400 for that other stuff not to matter so exactly. Of course, 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:49.439 and Olivia Miles might chase the situation where she's going 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:51.480 to be the girl and the main person on the 0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:55.040 team when that Hailey vanleth is gone, because imagine how 0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:56.679 much money you can make when they come to do 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:59.880 the Adidas commercial. Guess what, you're not sharing your salary 0:13:59.880 --> 0:14:01.880 with somebody else. We have to kind of make these 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:04.800 decisions because at this point, these college kids could bring 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.400 in generational type of wealth and they're not going to 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:10.680 turn that down when let's be real, the salary in 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:13.280 the W is it alone? Is it going to allow 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.319 them to do that? And on top of that, then 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.000 you have to go and do all of this extra 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:20.320 stuff in pr and commercials and social media and all 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:22.320 of these things that are taking away from the actual 0:14:22.360 --> 0:14:25.680 basketball being played, which is what we really should be prioritizing, right. 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:28.760 And it's not just basketball either, it's all women's sports 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:31.640 because most women in sports are making most of their money, 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:34.640 you know this, off the court, and so the more 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:36.960 you're putting into stuff off the court, the less you're 0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:39.560 putting into on the court stuff. And so if they 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:42.640 want that level of competition to continue the way it 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:47.440 has been, then the money for actually playing basketball needs 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:48.440 to rise or else. 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:49.600 I mean, and it is about to. 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:51.360 But the thing about it is you don't get paid 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:54.560 for your performance on the court in college. So I mean, 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.640 assuming best case scenario with our new CBA, that money 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:01.040 goes up then I feel like some of those problems 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:03.960 will be resolved. Again, I don't think that's ever going 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.040 to change about women's sports. Is doing all the extra 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:09.520 stuff off the court. I think that's just reality. But 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:11.520 like also I think women are just more marketable. It 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:14.240 might be more fun to work with. Even like when 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.400 I'm working with companies and brands, like almost everybody that 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.520 I've worked with on content and commercials and photos, it's 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:23.120 all women. Like I don't know if that's because like 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.120 I'm a woman, so they bring women in and as 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:28.960 vice versa. But it's like women are truly dominating this 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:31.040 space right now. So I don't think that's ever going 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:33.160 to change. But like you said, like you have to 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.560 still put the time in on the court, like the 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.120 main thing is the main thing, if that's what you 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.600 want to do. Yes, they're probably a good amount of 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.720 girls that probably do not want to be in the WNBA, 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:45.520 and that's fine, but like the ones that do, like 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:48.360 y'all still gotta fine time to get that extra work 0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:51.240 in because there is a whole bunch of other girls 0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.280 maybe not doing as much as you off the court, 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:55.600 but are putting that time in in the gym and 0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:57.000 when it comes to be a professional. 0:15:57.320 --> 0:15:58.840 It's about putting the ball in the basket. 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:02.760 Like, yeah, it's marketable if you have followers, dah da dah, 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:04.360 that's all great. But at the end of the day, 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:05.960 can you put the ball in the basket? Can you 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.080 help the team win? And that's what it comes down 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:10.640 to at the pro level, And I hope and I 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.480 don't want to have situations every year where you have 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:17.160 these popular players not getting an opportunity or not making 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:20.960 teams because they're not ready because they didn't put. 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:21.960 Enough time in the gym. 0:16:22.120 --> 0:16:23.840 So I just don't want that to happen because I 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.120 feel like we're finally getting like a balance of like 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:30.320 popular players with good brands, but they're also very talented 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:31.080 and ready to go. 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:33.000 So I just hope that we don't lose. 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:37.040 That because it is it is a very violent jump 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:42.240 from college to w like extremely violent, and women are 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.080 in like you're with grown as women now like fighting 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:48.440 for their livelihood and like this is our jobs. So yeah, 0:16:48.480 --> 0:17:00.000 I mean, I wish them the best. I do sometimes 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:02.640 feel bad for the coaches in college right now, and 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:07.160 like I don't know how they are doing their jobs 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:08.120 right now. 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:09.560 With all of this movie. 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:12.720 I feel bad for coaches in sports in general. Recently, 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:16.120 I feel like coaches don't at least like a high 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:18.760 school I feel like your coaches everything, they run everything, 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:20.960 they can tell you what to do, they say run, 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:22.760 you say how fast whatever. 0:17:23.240 --> 0:17:24.160 I feel like as. 0:17:23.960 --> 0:17:27.919 Of recently, the coaches are just they're change over, disposable. 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:31.600 The w fired half half of the coaches at the 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:32.880 end of last season. 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:36.840 And NBA coaches are fire of them grateful for playoffs. 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:41.680 Like what I think is starting to happen with coaching. 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.280 I personally never ever wanted to be a coach in 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:48.280 my life, but what I'm seeing based on my experiences 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:50.920 with coaches and now how the game is played now 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:52.520 and like everybody got a trainer. 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:53.720 Everybody's a trainer. 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:57.959 You have access to all these videos and analytics and stuff. 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:00.840 You can really do like almost anything. You're at this point. 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:03.560 What I'm saying now that coaching is going to transition 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:07.399 to is I think at some point the WNBA in 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:10.960 the NBA is going to be at least like eighty 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:15.280 percent former players as head coaches. And I feel that 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:20.360 way because we don't have to depend on these older 0:18:20.400 --> 0:18:23.520 people that have never played before. But because there's well, 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:25.679 we we're so knowledgeable. We've been around this, we've been 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.080 around that, Like okay, well now we all have access 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:31.840 to everything, Like there's really nothing that these older coaches 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:33.800 can teach us that we can't find on our own 0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:37.520 at this point. Also the style, the communication style, mental health, 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:38.080 all those things. 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:39.840 They don't know what to do with any of that. 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:41.840 Like all they want to do is scream at us 0:18:42.080 --> 0:18:44.639 and yell at us and not communicate with us like. 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:46.520 Adults and like as equals. 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.119 Like that's really the main thing is, like these leagues 0:18:49.160 --> 0:18:53.960 are transforming into like more player led and like player centered. 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:57.280 So I'm like slowly seeing like these older coaches like 0:18:57.320 --> 0:19:00.320 getting phased out, like one at a time, you and 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:01.960 the NBA, And. 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:03.119 It's very interesting to me. 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:05.320 I've never had a former coach, as I mean a 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.119 former player as a coach before, so this will be 0:19:08.160 --> 0:19:12.920 my first time playing for a former WNBA player. So 0:19:13.280 --> 0:19:16.800 I'm really excited about that because I'm such a nerd 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:19.320 when it comes to basketball. I love film, I love learning, 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:21.719 and I just have never had a coach that hasn't 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:23.040 been like offended by that. 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:25.920 Like, yes, I might know a little bit more than you, 0:19:26.680 --> 0:19:27.840 so you're still my coach. 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:32.040 I respect you, but respect but respect me back, and 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:34.760 don't be mad that I have a question about something 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:38.320 or I have a suggestion about something. Like It's never 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:42.320 been malicious or disrespectful, but my entire career, I've always 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:46.080 butted heads with my coaches because I want to I 0:19:46.080 --> 0:19:47.160 always want to learn, but. 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:49.439 They come, be a sponge. Be a sponge. 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:51.399 Oh I'm trying to be a sponge, and then you 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:55.199 don't want me to be one. So, from a spectator standpoint, like, 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:57.600 can you tell the difference between how coaches coach that 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:01.880 are former players versus like just coaches, Like can y'all 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:03.120 even like tell the difference? 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:08.120 I feel like there's a noticeable difference when the players 0:20:08.160 --> 0:20:11.280 are buying into the system that the coach is implementing, 0:20:11.359 --> 0:20:13.480 if that makes sense. I don't know if it's more 0:20:13.520 --> 0:20:15.840 so whether you played professionally before or not. 0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:16.359 Thing. 0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:19.520 I feel like it's a case by case basis with 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:22.600 coaches and how much they can connect with their players. 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:27.040 But it's very obvious when you have a situation where 0:20:27.080 --> 0:20:28.960 the players are not buying into the system and they're 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:30.679 kind of doing their own thing, and it's obvious that 0:20:30.680 --> 0:20:33.000 they're butting heads with what they're supposed to be doing 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:37.120 on the court and a team where everybody's buying in 0:20:37.240 --> 0:20:39.280 because it's all about culture in a locker room and 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:41.000 on the court, right. So I don't know if that 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:42.840 has to do with your star player. If your star 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:45.119 player doesn't want to listen to the coach and isn't 0:20:45.320 --> 0:20:47.960 abiding by what the coach is doing, then nobody really 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:50.840 is able to If the coach nobody really takes them seriously, 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:51.920 nobody's really going to listen. 0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:52.960 So I feel like that's a mess. 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:55.240 I was curious for you as far as a player, 0:20:55.240 --> 0:20:58.040 because for me as a fan, a lot of times 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:00.520 when I see a coach getting fired or whatever, usually 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:02.399 the first thing that comes to mind for me is 0:21:02.520 --> 0:21:04.160 the coach is kind of being scapegoaded. 0:21:05.119 --> 0:21:05.960 They're not actually the. 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:08.280 One playing once, Like, they can tell you what to 0:21:08.320 --> 0:21:10.679 do all they want, but they're not out there playing. 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:15.560 But I'm curious, from a spectator's standpoint, what role does 0:21:15.720 --> 0:21:18.480 a coach play in the team's success or lack they're are? 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:21.120 How important do you feel like the coach really is. 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:24.119 I think for me, since I've been on like so 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:26.960 many different teams with so many different dynamics. Like I'll 0:21:27.000 --> 0:21:30.479 actually like give like full blown examples. So when I 0:21:30.520 --> 0:21:33.600 was in Connecticut, you know, I kind of just wasn't 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:36.679 like involved at all with like anything that was going on. 0:21:36.720 --> 0:21:38.800 Like I just like would show up to practice and leave, 0:21:38.880 --> 0:21:40.560 Like I just I literally was like I don't know 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:42.879 what's going on here. And then you fast forward to 0:21:43.000 --> 0:21:46.320 the season before they made the coaching change. Like remember 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:49.720 in the finals or the playoffs when Kurt was in 0:21:49.720 --> 0:21:51.520 the huddle and he was like, I'm gonna lose my 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:53.880 job if you guys don't make layups, like and that 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:56.720 clip like went viral because they got it on the mic. 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:58.160 Then he was just like I'm gonna get fired because 0:21:58.200 --> 0:22:02.040 y'all can't make layups. And it's like at that moment, 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:04.879 like everybody knew like he had lost the team. Like 0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:06.879 I agree with you, like you can tell when a 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.520 team is like off the coach and like like a mutiny, 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:12.879 damn near. And that's kind of what happened in Connecticut 0:22:12.960 --> 0:22:15.280 and that's why he got fired. But like I was 0:22:15.359 --> 0:22:18.359 there at the very beginning of that, and it was 0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:21.120 just like so I wasn't necessarily surprised when that happened 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:24.000 in Connecticut, and then I'll talk about when I was 0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:24.680 in Chicago. 0:22:24.960 --> 0:22:27.880 You have a team full of Vets ready to win. 0:22:28.280 --> 0:22:30.480 You know, the season didn't really start off very well 0:22:30.480 --> 0:22:31.359 for us at that time. 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:33.719 I wasn't on the team at that rough patch. 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:37.240 But you have two players, brilliant players and Cannas Parker 0:22:37.240 --> 0:22:41.159 and Courtney vanderslout right, So their minds are always turning, 0:22:41.280 --> 0:22:44.400 They're always having conversations, they're always talking to coach, They're 0:22:44.400 --> 0:22:46.240 always talking to each other, they're always talking to us. 0:22:46.440 --> 0:22:49.119 So that there was like a power struggle there for 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:52.720 a little bit of like, okay, sloopmin with Chicago for 0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:56.240 X min years. Candace just got to Chicago. Everyone is 0:22:56.280 --> 0:22:59.080 expecting a championship, and then you have the coach balancing 0:22:59.280 --> 0:23:04.040 to the big Hall of famers, So that dynamic takes time. 0:23:04.160 --> 0:23:06.400 And then you know, we got to the playoffs and 0:23:06.920 --> 0:23:10.399 I don't want to say James like relinquished his power 0:23:10.520 --> 0:23:13.840 to us, like the team, I mean, but he kind 0:23:13.840 --> 0:23:16.240 of was like, all right, like we made it to 0:23:16.440 --> 0:23:20.240 the playoffs barely. I'm gonna let y'all rock and we 0:23:20.440 --> 0:23:23.800 gonna we're gonna roll with what y'all want. To do. Basically, 0:23:23.800 --> 0:23:25.600 we have like this meeting and it was like a 0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:28.280 great meeting, but like basically he was just like, like, 0:23:28.359 --> 0:23:30.679 we can win, but we gotta like we got to 0:23:30.680 --> 0:23:32.480 meet in the middle. But it was more like he 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:34.760 met us like the majority of the way, and then 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:36.640 we met him a little bit and then we ended 0:23:36.680 --> 0:23:40.000 up winning. So really it's like, how good of a 0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:42.960 relationship do your star players? How with your coaches and 0:23:42.960 --> 0:23:45.880 your coach's coaching staff, and that it matters like and 0:23:45.920 --> 0:23:49.480 then you're basically people say like your point guard is 0:23:49.560 --> 0:23:52.439 the extension of your coach, which yeah, that's true, but 0:23:52.440 --> 0:23:54.880 I also think like your superstar is also an extension 0:23:54.880 --> 0:23:56.600 of your coach. So you have to be able to 0:23:57.280 --> 0:23:59.840 communicate things that maybe they don't know how to communicate things, 0:24:00.080 --> 0:24:02.560 maybe they don't feel like they need to communicate. Some 0:24:02.680 --> 0:24:06.359 conversations need to be had amongst teammates privately or in 0:24:06.400 --> 0:24:09.000 front of everybody, whatever you want to do. But those 0:24:09.119 --> 0:24:13.040 conversations in that relationship I think is the biggest part 0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:16.160 of building a successful team and building a winning culture, 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:19.040 Which is why I couldn't figure my shit out in 0:24:19.160 --> 0:24:23.480 LA because every year it was a new coach that 0:24:23.520 --> 0:24:25.440 I was trying to build a relationship with, and then 0:24:25.640 --> 0:24:27.120 a whole new group of players that I was trying 0:24:27.119 --> 0:24:29.280 to build a relationship with, and that's not like the 0:24:29.359 --> 0:24:33.240 recipe to be successful. So as much as I would 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:35.520 never want to be a coach, I respect the hell 0:24:35.560 --> 0:24:36.040 out of them. 0:24:36.119 --> 0:24:38.200 I think they're necessary to win games. 0:24:38.640 --> 0:24:41.119 Sometimes you're like, oh, this team is like coaching themselves, 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.080 but like, yeah, like, but a good coach puts a 0:24:44.080 --> 0:24:45.840 team in a situation to be able to just like 0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:47.080 run on autopilot. 0:24:47.280 --> 0:24:49.160 So I do think coaches are important. 0:24:49.440 --> 0:24:51.520 I'm very excited to be coached by a former player 0:24:52.080 --> 0:24:53.280 because we just think differently. 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:55.240 And some of these coaches like, oh, yeah I played, 0:24:55.280 --> 0:24:58.399 who know, No, you did it. I don't believe you. 0:24:59.160 --> 0:25:01.720 I don't believe in it. Coaches that were like yeah 0:25:01.840 --> 0:25:04.080 when I was, you know, and I know that was 0:25:04.119 --> 0:25:07.240 like a thousand years ago. I don't want to hear it. 0:25:07.880 --> 0:25:10.400 I'd like what you said about star players and coaches 0:25:10.520 --> 0:25:13.280 because they are an extension of the coach, because they 0:25:13.320 --> 0:25:15.960 are they set the culture in the locker room when 0:25:15.960 --> 0:25:19.399 the coaches around, when the coaches around, Really, I feel like, 0:25:19.560 --> 0:25:22.639 especially younger players are looking to the star player more 0:25:22.680 --> 0:25:24.080 than they're looking at a coach. And I feel like 0:25:24.160 --> 0:25:28.880 organizations they see their star players as anchors and their franchises, 0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:32.280 and they see coaches as disposedball. Like you talked about 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:35.560 your situation in LA, I feel like, what's it like 0:25:35.800 --> 0:25:38.120 when y'all know the coaches about to get fired? 0:25:38.600 --> 0:25:38.800 Man? 0:25:39.640 --> 0:25:41.280 What's that Like's that like? 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:45.080 Listen? I will tell another story about LA. 0:25:45.680 --> 0:25:50.320 So my first year in LA, when Derek Fisher was 0:25:50.359 --> 0:25:52.879 still the coach, I forgot where we were, but we 0:25:53.000 --> 0:25:56.520 had just lost a game that we probably shouldn't have lost. 0:25:56.960 --> 0:26:00.679 And it's just not funny, because coaches getting fired is 0:26:00.720 --> 0:26:02.800 not funny, guys. But it's just like the way that 0:26:03.119 --> 0:26:07.639 professional sports just operates at times is very unserious and 0:26:07.720 --> 0:26:09.719 if any other I mean, I feel like maybe some 0:26:09.760 --> 0:26:11.960 people get like blindsided when they get fired. 0:26:11.760 --> 0:26:14.600 From their jobs or whatever. But like the way, the time, 0:26:14.680 --> 0:26:15.360 the energy. 0:26:15.160 --> 0:26:17.480 The relationships you have to build in these professional sports 0:26:17.520 --> 0:26:19.879 and the way that they're just like get out is 0:26:19.880 --> 0:26:20.840 so crazy to me. 0:26:21.440 --> 0:26:23.399 So I think we end up we lost the game. 0:26:23.440 --> 0:26:25.080 I can't remember if we were on the road or not, 0:26:25.320 --> 0:26:29.199 but we're in the locker room dead silent fish walks 0:26:29.200 --> 0:26:32.119 in doesn't say anything, just brings us in for the 0:26:32.160 --> 0:26:35.080 huddle and just like walks out of the locker room. 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:36.679 And that was it. And then I was like the 0:26:36.760 --> 0:26:37.320 last time we. 0:26:37.320 --> 0:26:42.200 Saw it, so he there was no I'm not coming back. 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:43.520 It just just break. 0:26:44.080 --> 0:26:47.080 He just walked in, he said bring it in. He 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:51.639 was like, this works, and then left and then boom fired. 0:26:51.960 --> 0:26:52.960 That's so awkward. 0:26:53.040 --> 0:26:56.360 And then after your coach is fired and they bring 0:26:56.359 --> 0:26:58.000 in an interim or whatever. 0:26:57.800 --> 0:27:00.959 So the assistant just moves up to place. And then 0:27:01.119 --> 0:27:03.719 at that point you're just kind of like that, like 0:27:03.880 --> 0:27:07.640 no one ever talks about that coaching time period because 0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:11.080 you're in such an awkward situation and the team is 0:27:11.119 --> 0:27:13.600 in such an awkward situation, like someone just lost their 0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:16.640 job and now you're just like filling in for them, 0:27:16.800 --> 0:27:20.320 Like do you implement your own offense defense? Like how 0:27:20.400 --> 0:27:22.679 much time of the season is left? Like am I 0:27:23.200 --> 0:27:25.879 interviewing for the head coaching job right now? Or is 0:27:25.920 --> 0:27:27.879 this just temporary? So do I want to show all 0:27:27.920 --> 0:27:30.880 my cards just for them to not keep me anyway, 0:27:30.880 --> 0:27:32.560 which is what happened in LA. 0:27:32.760 --> 0:27:34.200 They ended up not keeping. 0:27:33.920 --> 0:27:36.919 Fred as our head coach after he actually did a 0:27:36.920 --> 0:27:39.960 pretty good job considering all the nonsense we were dealing 0:27:40.000 --> 0:27:42.960 with that season. But it's like that's like a very 0:27:43.119 --> 0:27:48.040 unspoken about process for coaching staffs and players. It's like, Okay, 0:27:48.040 --> 0:27:50.320 your head coach just got fired, but like, okay, now 0:27:50.320 --> 0:27:52.639 you got to listen to this new person, and god forbid, 0:27:52.680 --> 0:27:54.399 you don't have a good relationship. 0:27:53.920 --> 0:27:54.960 With that assistant coach. 0:27:55.200 --> 0:27:58.159 Thankfully I did, but there was some players on the 0:27:58.200 --> 0:27:59.199 team that like didn't. 0:27:59.359 --> 0:28:01.080 Then now they're in Yeah. 0:28:00.840 --> 0:28:04.679 I'm wondering that right now watching the NBA playoffs are 0:28:04.680 --> 0:28:08.560 on right now and thinking about Denver and Memphis. Your 0:28:08.560 --> 0:28:10.680 coaches just got fired and you're in the most important 0:28:10.680 --> 0:28:12.840 part of the season, Like yeah, I feel like that's 0:28:12.880 --> 0:28:13.600 really important. 0:28:13.840 --> 0:28:16.280 It's crazy, and then you just have to like go 0:28:16.400 --> 0:28:19.560 about per usual, be the professional that you are the 0:28:19.640 --> 0:28:22.840 whole time. You really still like because nobody ever comes 0:28:22.880 --> 0:28:26.000 in and sits the team down and lays out, Okay, 0:28:26.080 --> 0:28:27.800 this is what he was doing right, or this is 0:28:27.800 --> 0:28:29.679 what she was doing right, this is what she or 0:28:29.720 --> 0:28:31.560 he was doing wrong, and this is what y'all are 0:28:31.600 --> 0:28:34.399 doing right, what y'all are doing wrong. There's no conversation 0:28:34.480 --> 0:28:35.240 about anything. 0:28:35.600 --> 0:28:37.600 You just have to move on. At least not in 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:38.840 my experiences. 0:28:38.880 --> 0:28:41.480 That could be different for other players' experiences, but I 0:28:41.560 --> 0:28:44.400 just feel like it would benefit to have some type 0:28:44.400 --> 0:28:47.800 of meeting or conversation to lay out what led to 0:28:47.840 --> 0:28:50.040 this decision instead of just being like, this is the 0:28:50.040 --> 0:28:53.880 decision we made and just get over y'all selves. So 0:28:54.720 --> 0:29:00.400 it's always extremely interesting that power struggle of coaching in 0:29:00.400 --> 0:29:03.960 front offices, which is why I also think that leagues 0:29:04.000 --> 0:29:07.280 like athletes are limited and unrivaled everyone loves so much 0:29:07.280 --> 0:29:10.880 because that that dynamic is gone, Like you don't deal 0:29:10.880 --> 0:29:13.440 with that at all. Like athletes unlimited, we don't even 0:29:13.480 --> 0:29:15.760 have coaches. We don't have coaches at all. We have 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:21.000 facilitators who are like many coaches, but there's no coach's 0:29:21.080 --> 0:29:22.760 favorite coaches yelling at you. 0:29:22.840 --> 0:29:23.880 We don't got a GM. 0:29:24.360 --> 0:29:26.520 Play this person, don't play that personal were trying to 0:29:26.520 --> 0:29:28.440 trade this person? Like there's none of that going on. 0:29:28.520 --> 0:29:31.640 Athletesulimited unrivaled is a little bit different because they do 0:29:31.720 --> 0:29:33.760 have coaches, but like, you're not gonna. 0:29:33.480 --> 0:29:36.080 Get fired in the middle of the unrivaled season. 0:29:36.240 --> 0:29:39.440 There's no GM, like your team is what it is, 0:29:39.840 --> 0:29:42.520 and like the environment is just completely different. So I 0:29:42.560 --> 0:29:47.280 feel like that is also why fans and players have 0:29:47.360 --> 0:29:51.840 found like more enjoyment in the off season leagues because 0:29:51.920 --> 0:29:57.000 that whole political negative side of bowing down to the 0:29:57.040 --> 0:29:59.640 front office has been removed. And I hope like the 0:29:59.800 --> 0:30:02.360 w NBA is watching these two leagues and they're seeing 0:30:02.400 --> 0:30:04.680 like how the players are interacting with each other and 0:30:04.720 --> 0:30:07.040 how the level of play is elevated. Like I think 0:30:07.080 --> 0:30:11.200 there is a direct correlation between like happiness and playing well, 0:30:11.800 --> 0:30:13.720 like you know, like look good, play good. It's like, 0:30:14.960 --> 0:30:18.000 so I'm hoping like we're going to implement, you know, 0:30:18.480 --> 0:30:22.000 a less toxic environment in professional sports, but like I 0:30:22.040 --> 0:30:24.000 don't know, I don't know if that's possible with the 0:30:24.040 --> 0:30:26.880 people in charge unfortunately, because they don't understand what it's 0:30:27.000 --> 0:30:28.720 like to be in these situations. 0:30:29.080 --> 0:30:31.040 Why do you feel like there was so much turnaround 0:30:31.160 --> 0:30:35.240 with coaching last season in the W Yes. 0:30:36.880 --> 0:30:41.440 Well, I think that there's more eyes, which led to 0:30:41.520 --> 0:30:47.040 like more criticisms, which I remember literally telling our GM 0:30:47.360 --> 0:30:51.000 and coach last season to get off Twitter because I 0:30:51.000 --> 0:30:52.920 could tell that they was looking on it. Like I 0:30:52.960 --> 0:30:55.560 was like, y'all need to get off the internet, like enough, 0:30:55.720 --> 0:30:58.240 because I remember Kurt like got himself in trouble tweeting 0:30:58.320 --> 0:31:00.440 about some like you don't oh these. 0:31:00.320 --> 0:31:02.240 People on an explanation, You're the coach. 0:31:02.800 --> 0:31:05.440 So it was like we would wake I would wake 0:31:05.520 --> 0:31:08.600 up and obviously a tweet so look good. He tweeted, 0:31:08.800 --> 0:31:11.200 like why are you tweeting responding to what people are 0:31:11.240 --> 0:31:13.000 saying online? And like that's something that I had to 0:31:13.040 --> 0:31:15.320 learn myself, and like it was like I was like funny, 0:31:15.360 --> 0:31:17.440 ha ha, like get off Twitter, But I like Loki 0:31:17.600 --> 0:31:20.040 was dead ass serious, because why are y'all doing that, 0:31:20.200 --> 0:31:22.160 Like y'all are in the positions y'all are in because 0:31:22.200 --> 0:31:24.720 y'all are qualified and y'all earned it, and that's what 0:31:24.800 --> 0:31:26.520 y'all want to do. Like why are you looking at 0:31:26.520 --> 0:31:28.280 what anybody is saying on the internet. 0:31:28.440 --> 0:31:30.200 So I think that had a huge part of it. 0:31:30.200 --> 0:31:31.320 It's like you had more eyes. 0:31:31.400 --> 0:31:33.920 So people were like very critical of what was going on. 0:31:34.240 --> 0:31:36.320 And I think everyone is just kind of like gearing 0:31:36.400 --> 0:31:40.320 up for this new era of WNBA and you have 0:31:40.440 --> 0:31:43.000 to put the right people in the right places. You know, 0:31:43.080 --> 0:31:45.920 these teams, like I said, drafting intentionally. Free agency was 0:31:46.040 --> 0:31:48.640 very intentional. So I think they were just putting the 0:31:48.760 --> 0:31:52.160 right coaches and the right situations, and then gearing up 0:31:52.160 --> 0:31:54.800 for potential changes, like we're talking about the more European 0:31:54.840 --> 0:31:59.000 players possibly coming over a lockout. Hopefully not, but like, 0:31:59.040 --> 0:32:01.440 there's just a lot of moving pieces, and I think 0:32:01.440 --> 0:32:05.160 the best time to make like massive changes was right now. 0:32:05.600 --> 0:32:07.440 I remember being in the league eight years now. 0:32:07.600 --> 0:32:10.840 It's been like a carousel of the same coaches bouncing 0:32:10.880 --> 0:32:13.560 around from this team to this team. And this team 0:32:14.000 --> 0:32:16.200 you have a losing season, Oh, who cares, We're gonna 0:32:16.240 --> 0:32:17.000 hire you over here. 0:32:17.120 --> 0:32:18.720 Oh your whole team turned against you. 0:32:18.760 --> 0:32:20.880 Cool, we're gonna hire you and Steve, you can do 0:32:20.920 --> 0:32:22.960 something different on this team. So it's been nice to 0:32:23.000 --> 0:32:27.720 see new people being hired, especially from like the NBA side. 0:32:27.760 --> 0:32:30.760 I love that some college coaches have come up, because 0:32:30.800 --> 0:32:33.040 you know, everyone is like up in arms that Don 0:32:33.080 --> 0:32:35.760 Staley won't leave South Carolina, But I'm like, but there's 0:32:35.760 --> 0:32:38.120 other coaches that will leave their colleges to come be 0:32:38.160 --> 0:32:40.400 in the w So I'm happy that a few of 0:32:40.440 --> 0:32:43.440 those coaches have come to coach in the WNBA. So 0:32:43.800 --> 0:32:47.200 I'm actually really excited about this season because there's so 0:32:47.400 --> 0:32:51.080 much change, Like every team is different except for the 0:32:51.120 --> 0:32:52.000 Minnesota Links. 0:32:52.160 --> 0:32:54.360 Yeah, I used to go team, which makes sense. 0:32:54.560 --> 0:32:57.320 You know how I feel about going to the finals 0:32:57.440 --> 0:32:59.840 and changing your whole team up because you lost. 0:33:00.120 --> 0:33:01.520 I know, I hate that. 0:33:09.640 --> 0:33:12.560 What are you looking forward to the most? And I'm 0:33:12.600 --> 0:33:15.440 curious because I know if it were me. I know 0:33:15.480 --> 0:33:17.240 when I was in high school the last time I 0:33:17.280 --> 0:33:20.360 was an athlete, every season I had a game circle. 0:33:20.520 --> 0:33:21.560 You got any game circle? 0:33:22.200 --> 0:33:25.640 You know what game I have circled? Riah, do you 0:33:25.720 --> 0:33:26.200 already know? 0:33:26.480 --> 0:33:28.480 But what I did find out yesterday is we have 0:33:28.520 --> 0:33:31.880 a close scrimmage in La early May, so I can 0:33:31.920 --> 0:33:34.000 get all that bad you do out in private. 0:33:34.520 --> 0:33:36.280 So when we have the real game, it'll be. 0:33:36.240 --> 0:33:38.280 All just fun. 0:33:38.600 --> 0:33:40.240 Yeah, it'll be all shits and gigs. 0:33:40.360 --> 0:33:42.520 Actually, this is how I wanted to kind of break 0:33:42.560 --> 0:33:46.760 down the W season these next two episodes. This episode, 0:33:46.800 --> 0:33:49.000 I want to talk about the East Conference teams, even 0:33:49.000 --> 0:33:50.960 though we technically don't have conferences anymore, but this is 0:33:51.000 --> 0:33:52.760 the easiest way to break them up, and then next 0:33:52.800 --> 0:33:54.200 week we can get into the West. 0:33:54.640 --> 0:33:55.160 Is that cool? 0:33:55.320 --> 0:33:55.920 I'm excited? 0:33:56.080 --> 0:33:56.280 Yeah? 0:33:56.280 --> 0:33:58.880 Okay, all right, in the Eastern Conference. If you guys 0:33:58.880 --> 0:34:01.440 don't know, let's give the listeners a little history lesson. 0:34:01.640 --> 0:34:05.640 There was a time where the WNBA operated Eastern and 0:34:05.680 --> 0:34:07.680 Western Conference in playoffs. 0:34:07.760 --> 0:34:09.680 Okay, that used to be a thing. 0:34:10.080 --> 0:34:13.960 I think that the Western Conference became too dominant, I 0:34:14.000 --> 0:34:16.080 want to say, which is kind of what we're seeing 0:34:16.080 --> 0:34:19.759 in the NBA. I wonder if they'll ever pivot out 0:34:19.760 --> 0:34:22.680 of the Eastern versus Western and just go one through. 0:34:23.280 --> 0:34:25.439 They copy y'all with the Ncson Tournament too. 0:34:25.600 --> 0:34:29.320 So okay, back to the WNBA and the Eastern Conference. 0:34:29.360 --> 0:34:32.760 We have the liberty, the fever, the dream, the sun, 0:34:33.040 --> 0:34:36.279 the sky, and the mystics. Okay, So this is how 0:34:36.280 --> 0:34:38.319 we're going to have this conversation. We're going to go 0:34:38.440 --> 0:34:40.919 through if they had a coaching change or not, any 0:34:40.960 --> 0:34:44.200 of their major personnel changes, not including the rookies. Okay, 0:34:44.239 --> 0:34:46.800 I'm not really gonna we talked about the rookies last week. 0:34:46.960 --> 0:34:49.080 I don't really know enough about them all yet. 0:34:49.400 --> 0:34:52.120 So we're going to acknowledge that they got rookies, but 0:34:52.160 --> 0:34:54.920 we're going to talk more about their returners, cool potential 0:34:54.920 --> 0:34:58.319 play style changes, and then as far as my basketball 0:34:58.360 --> 0:35:01.160 nerds like me, I'm going to use three stats that 0:35:01.200 --> 0:35:04.520 I looked up on the WNBA page. Which is effective 0:35:04.560 --> 0:35:07.239 field goal percentage, which is your field goal percentage, and 0:35:07.280 --> 0:35:10.439 it calculates it a little differently because it includes three 0:35:10.480 --> 0:35:12.920 point percentages, and it like weighs it a little bit 0:35:12.960 --> 0:35:16.319 higher because they're worth more points. Their pace, which is 0:35:16.320 --> 0:35:19.080 how fast you play, and then their net rating, which 0:35:19.200 --> 0:35:23.560 is your offensive rating minus your defensive rating, which is 0:35:23.600 --> 0:35:25.879 like you basically will be like your point differential. 0:35:25.920 --> 0:35:27.640 Okay, all right, everybody keep up. 0:35:27.719 --> 0:35:28.520 I'm so excited. 0:35:28.680 --> 0:35:31.319 First team we'll talk about is Indiana Fever. They were 0:35:32.120 --> 0:35:35.759 first in effective field goal percentage, second in pace, and 0:35:35.880 --> 0:35:39.719 sixth in net rating. New coach Stephanie White, who came 0:35:39.719 --> 0:35:43.520 from the Connecticut Sun, and some notable personal changes is 0:35:43.520 --> 0:35:48.360 the additions of Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, Breonna Turner, Dawanna Bonner, 0:35:48.480 --> 0:35:49.280 and Sidney Coulson. 0:35:49.600 --> 0:35:53.720 Thoughts, Mariah, Well, we've talked in length about the Indiana 0:35:53.719 --> 0:35:56.120 Fever and what they did in the offseason, but I 0:35:56.160 --> 0:36:00.040 think they obviously are taking winning and capitalizing all of 0:36:00.320 --> 0:36:01.920 this Caitlin Clark moment. 0:36:01.960 --> 0:36:03.840 They have going very. 0:36:03.680 --> 0:36:06.120 Seriously and I feel like this is exactly how you 0:36:06.160 --> 0:36:09.040 are You're supposed to react to having a star like her, 0:36:09.480 --> 0:36:11.360 and they made the playoffs. She was rookie of the 0:36:11.400 --> 0:36:14.120 year she had a great year, Like this all makes sense. 0:36:14.520 --> 0:36:16.880 I'm excited for them. The coaching change, I think is 0:36:16.920 --> 0:36:19.719 going to be really big. Poor Connecticut. 0:36:19.160 --> 0:36:21.160 There in the East, we'll get there in the Sea, 0:36:21.239 --> 0:36:24.319 We'll get to them. Yes, but I think that it's 0:36:24.320 --> 0:36:25.200 going to be really exciting. 0:36:25.200 --> 0:36:28.120 I don't I'm not going to call them championship contenders 0:36:28.200 --> 0:36:28.920 or anything. 0:36:28.600 --> 0:36:30.000 Like that, but I think that it's going to be. 0:36:30.160 --> 0:36:30.800 You think that they're. 0:36:30.680 --> 0:36:32.839 Contenders, Yes, I do. I'll tell you why. 0:36:32.920 --> 0:36:35.279 Wait wait, wait, wait, let's talk about this for a second. 0:36:35.400 --> 0:36:38.839 When I say championship contender, I mean I would bet 0:36:38.960 --> 0:36:41.680 my own personal funds that they are going to win 0:36:41.680 --> 0:36:44.960 a championship. I guess contending means they could. But like 0:36:45.160 --> 0:36:47.680 I call, I think a contender is like, I will 0:36:47.760 --> 0:36:49.840 put you in there right now today, I think you 0:36:49.840 --> 0:36:50.239 will win. 0:36:50.360 --> 0:36:52.920 I guess my contenter means get to the finals. 0:36:53.200 --> 0:36:55.040 Yeah, yeah, yeah, get to the finals. Gets to the 0:36:55.080 --> 0:36:55.680 finals is a ya. 0:36:56.239 --> 0:36:57.000 And I'll tell you why. 0:36:57.120 --> 0:37:01.440 I think that there was a lot of misconception about 0:37:01.600 --> 0:37:05.040 Kaitlyn Clark's overall game. I think that people got so 0:37:05.160 --> 0:37:07.799 caught up in her scoring that they didn't realize how 0:37:07.840 --> 0:37:12.160 good of a point guards she was in college, so 0:37:12.520 --> 0:37:13.399 I think that. 0:37:13.760 --> 0:37:16.400 Well, not to interrupt to but she didn't get the 0:37:16.440 --> 0:37:19.520 opportunity to show that as much in college because that's 0:37:19.600 --> 0:37:20.320 much exactly. 0:37:20.520 --> 0:37:24.160 But the plays that she was making still despite all that, 0:37:24.560 --> 0:37:28.400 was like insane. But like people were so caught up 0:37:28.440 --> 0:37:31.880 in the logo threes and the twenty three point attempts 0:37:31.880 --> 0:37:34.400 per game, which absolutely I understand that, Like it was 0:37:34.440 --> 0:37:38.560 so much fun to watch. But I always said she 0:37:38.719 --> 0:37:41.560 could potentially be one of the best point guards to 0:37:41.600 --> 0:37:44.920 ever play in the WNBA, and everyone was like, shut up, Lexi, 0:37:45.000 --> 0:37:46.960 and I was like, all right, led the league and 0:37:47.000 --> 0:37:50.920 assists last year as a rookie, which is incredible. So 0:37:51.200 --> 0:37:54.719 I think after you know, they take the inventory of 0:37:54.760 --> 0:37:57.800 this season, you look at what you have, they said, 0:37:57.920 --> 0:38:01.880 we need to give her a more elite supporting cast 0:38:02.080 --> 0:38:04.600 and potentially not as many players that need to be 0:38:04.719 --> 0:38:06.080 spoon fed buckets. 0:38:06.280 --> 0:38:08.799 So that's no disrespect to anybody that was on her 0:38:08.800 --> 0:38:09.600 team last year. 0:38:09.680 --> 0:38:12.240 Like obviously they made the playoffs, they'd had a great season, 0:38:12.520 --> 0:38:16.160 but you have a Natasha Howard and a Dewana Bonner 0:38:16.280 --> 0:38:18.600 that can just straight up go get their own bucket, 0:38:18.880 --> 0:38:22.520 and they're huge Okay, these are tall people. Okay, guys, 0:38:22.640 --> 0:38:25.839 I think they're both like six three and sixty four, right, 0:38:26.000 --> 0:38:29.680 so matchup nightmare. Sophie Cunningham has been playing out of 0:38:29.719 --> 0:38:32.720 position in Phoenix for like three years, so she probably 0:38:32.719 --> 0:38:34.800 will get to go play the three again. She's a 0:38:34.920 --> 0:38:39.000 very underrated defender, and now you have very elite rimt 0:38:39.040 --> 0:38:42.120 protection and breed turner. So now you go keep a 0:38:42.200 --> 0:38:44.439 Leah Boston out of foul trouble, which means she's gonna 0:38:44.440 --> 0:38:45.279 be at to stale on the court. 0:38:45.480 --> 0:38:48.399 So do I think that they are contender? Yes? I do. 0:38:48.920 --> 0:38:52.400 Then you throw in Sid Coulson, who is a very 0:38:52.640 --> 0:38:56.680 very very very solid backup point guard and she plays defense, 0:38:57.280 --> 0:38:58.240 so you can even. 0:38:58.040 --> 0:38:59.320 Throw her out there with Caitln. 0:39:00.160 --> 0:39:02.400 Kayln can chill on defense for the most part, because 0:39:02.400 --> 0:39:03.880 defending the one is not easy. 0:39:04.040 --> 0:39:04.560 And it's not. 0:39:04.560 --> 0:39:06.359 Because you can't stay in front of people. It's because 0:39:06.400 --> 0:39:09.239 all they do is get freaking high ball screens constantly 0:39:09.440 --> 0:39:12.319 and it's hard to navigate those at times, especially when 0:39:12.800 --> 0:39:17.040 the screener is six five. So yes, I do think 0:39:17.120 --> 0:39:22.360 they're a contender because they strategically gave Caitlyn Clark a 0:39:22.719 --> 0:39:27.080 very very very well balanced team where she won't have 0:39:27.120 --> 0:39:28.719 to carry as much as the load I don't think, 0:39:28.760 --> 0:39:31.000 and she can fish. She'll probably end up facilitating even 0:39:31.040 --> 0:39:33.160 more than last season. And then I didn't even talk 0:39:33.160 --> 0:39:35.680 about I didn't even mention Kelsey Mitchell. I can't believe 0:39:35.719 --> 0:39:37.640 I forgot to mention Kelsey Mitton. All I do is 0:39:37.680 --> 0:39:40.200 talk about her constantly. I have my notes right here. 0:39:40.239 --> 0:39:42.360 I didn't even put Kelsey Miss's name on there, Like, 0:39:42.440 --> 0:39:43.560 I'm so sorry, Kelsey. 0:39:43.920 --> 0:39:45.640 She might be the most important returner. 0:39:45.880 --> 0:39:49.759 I also, you make a really good point about defense 0:39:50.160 --> 0:39:53.040 and Caitlin being able to preserve herself on that side 0:39:53.040 --> 0:39:55.880 of the court, because that is really really dangerous because 0:39:55.920 --> 0:39:58.640 one I don't think she's ever had that ever, and 0:39:59.120 --> 0:40:01.520 two they also have to protect her as far as 0:40:01.560 --> 0:40:02.200 staying healthy. 0:40:02.600 --> 0:40:03.239 You know what I mean? 0:40:03.480 --> 0:40:05.920 Exactly? Have I convinced you you. 0:40:05.920 --> 0:40:08.680 Make great points, really make great points. But we shall go. 0:40:08.880 --> 0:40:09.920 We shall continue on. 0:40:10.360 --> 0:40:13.200 Okay, Well, speaking of contenders, we're gonna talk about the 0:40:13.320 --> 0:40:14.800 current WNBA. 0:40:14.520 --> 0:40:15.560 Champs, the Liberty. 0:40:15.840 --> 0:40:19.880 They were third in effective field goal percentage, seventh in pace, 0:40:20.120 --> 0:40:22.000 and first in net rating. 0:40:22.320 --> 0:40:23.800 And don't let. 0:40:23.600 --> 0:40:26.440 That confuse you, because every time we played the Liberty, 0:40:26.600 --> 0:40:28.000 Like we were like they don't really like. 0:40:28.000 --> 0:40:29.960 Playing defense like that, which they don't. 0:40:30.040 --> 0:40:33.400 They just scored way more points than everybody, so yes, 0:40:33.520 --> 0:40:35.640 they have the number one net rating, but like, let's 0:40:35.640 --> 0:40:37.560 not get it confused, like they're not locking up. 0:40:37.600 --> 0:40:39.560 They wasn't locking up on defense. 0:40:39.600 --> 0:40:42.960 Which with that being said, the additions that they have 0:40:43.160 --> 0:40:48.719 added might have them us. Yes, so they didn't make 0:40:48.719 --> 0:40:53.640 a coaching change. They added Natasha Cloud, Isabelle Harrison, and 0:40:53.960 --> 0:40:57.040 Marine Johannes decided to come and play, which is so 0:40:57.280 --> 0:40:59.480 fun for all of us to chase that girl around. 0:40:59.680 --> 0:41:00.840 And and someone that. 0:41:00.760 --> 0:41:03.839 Probably everyone has forgotten about is Rebecca Gardner. She's been 0:41:03.840 --> 0:41:06.919 out with injury. She was on the Chicago Sky now 0:41:06.920 --> 0:41:09.920 she's on the Liberty. She, if everybody remembers, was the 0:41:09.960 --> 0:41:13.120 oldest rookie ever. Everyone just reminded us constantly how old 0:41:13.160 --> 0:41:14.360 she was a rookie. 0:41:14.440 --> 0:41:17.200 So love that for her. We played together in Israel. 0:41:17.360 --> 0:41:20.520 She's a very smooth player, she's a great defender, she's 0:41:20.640 --> 0:41:25.279 super athletic, very underrated. So them adding Rebecca as well 0:41:25.440 --> 0:41:27.440 is huge for them, especially defensively. 0:41:27.840 --> 0:41:30.920 But I'm interested to see how Tash. 0:41:30.440 --> 0:41:33.680 Intermingles with this group. We watched Tash and Sabrina play 0:41:33.760 --> 0:41:36.720 pretty well together and unrivaled, because I remember we mentioned 0:41:36.719 --> 0:41:39.239 that a lot while ago that tashould probably try to 0:41:39.239 --> 0:41:41.120 get on the Liberty because her and Sabrina got a 0:41:41.120 --> 0:41:42.160 good little thing going on. 0:41:42.360 --> 0:41:45.920 I can't believe, like we call that that literally and 0:41:46.760 --> 0:41:48.280 it took a minute for it to happen. 0:41:48.520 --> 0:41:50.320 But I'm happy for her. 0:41:50.400 --> 0:41:52.920 So am I and I know that, Like remember we 0:41:52.920 --> 0:41:56.080 would always talk about like the Liberty, like as good 0:41:56.120 --> 0:41:59.440 as they were, they kind of like lacked like a 0:41:59.480 --> 0:42:03.560 real personsonality And that's why they made Ellie like the 0:42:03.560 --> 0:42:08.239 face of the Liberty. Ellie is their mascot, guys, by 0:42:08.280 --> 0:42:11.720 the way, which she is amazing and has been actually 0:42:11.840 --> 0:42:13.880 so great for the Liberty and the WNBA. 0:42:14.239 --> 0:42:15.760 But I don't like that. 0:42:15.640 --> 0:42:19.160 Their forward facing thing is their mascot and not one 0:42:19.200 --> 0:42:22.360 of their players. I've always thought that was interesting to me. 0:42:22.640 --> 0:42:25.560 I kind of love that for them, especially being in 0:42:25.640 --> 0:42:29.280 a franchise like New York and it's so forward facing 0:42:29.360 --> 0:42:31.360 and it could be so marquee and this that and 0:42:31.360 --> 0:42:32.480 the third they. 0:42:32.400 --> 0:42:33.880 Just want to hoop like they're not. 0:42:34.200 --> 0:42:36.960 I see that they're not stressing all that other stuff. 0:42:37.000 --> 0:42:39.080 They really just get to chill and play basketball. 0:42:39.239 --> 0:42:42.800 Right, They're like, let let Ellie go do the press 0:42:42.880 --> 0:42:45.200 tour and go. 0:42:46.560 --> 0:42:48.759 I never thought about it that way, like the fact 0:42:48.880 --> 0:42:51.440 Ellie like, yeah, I used to think it was weird, 0:42:51.480 --> 0:42:53.720 But I'm like maybe they liked, like maybe they asked 0:42:53.760 --> 0:42:55.960 for it to be like that, Like that wouldn't actually 0:42:55.960 --> 0:42:59.040 surprise me considering who's on the team, Like they are 0:42:59.080 --> 0:43:00.759 a very marketable. 0:43:00.200 --> 0:43:02.280 Group Stewie signature shoe. 0:43:02.680 --> 0:43:07.560 Yeah, they already are doing their thing, They're making their 0:43:07.600 --> 0:43:09.680 money on and off the court, and they still get 0:43:09.680 --> 0:43:12.600 to just hoop and kind of stay out of having 0:43:12.600 --> 0:43:15.319 to do all that face the franchise extronists and just 0:43:15.600 --> 0:43:16.840 and go win the championship. 0:43:17.440 --> 0:43:18.680 I would have preferred that. 0:43:18.680 --> 0:43:21.040 That's actually a great point, especially in New York. 0:43:21.239 --> 0:43:23.840 Okay, all right, Mariah, you you have turned me because 0:43:23.840 --> 0:43:25.680 I used to kind of have an attitude because I 0:43:25.719 --> 0:43:27.440 was like, why do we see the elephant one of 0:43:27.480 --> 0:43:31.040 the players. But that makes sense and that's why they 0:43:31.160 --> 0:43:32.120 probably freaking we. 0:43:32.160 --> 0:43:35.800 Still the players just enough at the parade. 0:43:35.760 --> 0:43:39.680 Facts with their championships and everything. I think that Tash 0:43:39.800 --> 0:43:41.880 is going to be a great addition. She's going to bring, 0:43:42.200 --> 0:43:46.600 you know, a different type of personality, a toughness, and 0:43:46.680 --> 0:43:50.120 I think that I always said Sabrina plays well with 0:43:50.160 --> 0:43:52.839 an elite point guard. So going from one elite point 0:43:52.840 --> 0:43:56.239 guard to the next, and from Cody Matter, salute to 0:43:56.320 --> 0:44:00.200 Natasha Cloud. So I'm excited about the Liberty. I'm very 0:44:00.400 --> 0:44:03.400 excited for Natasha and let's see if they can defend 0:44:03.400 --> 0:44:08.839 that title. Next we have the dream At Yeah, oh yeah, 0:44:08.880 --> 0:44:12.319 this is your team. Well technically mine too, but they 0:44:12.360 --> 0:44:16.960 were last in effective field goal percentage, eleventh in pace, 0:44:17.360 --> 0:44:21.160 and seventh in net rating. I we lost to the Dreams. 0:44:21.480 --> 0:44:25.399 I think every time we played them, which I was like, how, like, well, 0:44:25.400 --> 0:44:27.680 I don't know, like they had our number for some reason, 0:44:27.800 --> 0:44:31.359 like it was crazy. New coach coach Smessko. I want 0:44:31.360 --> 0:44:34.080 to say, his last name is Believe. He's from Florida 0:44:34.080 --> 0:44:37.120 Golf Coast and if I remember watching any type of 0:44:37.160 --> 0:44:40.479 Florida Golf Coast, they like to run running gun, which 0:44:40.520 --> 0:44:45.000 will fix their pace problem. Their major additions were Bree Jones, 0:44:45.239 --> 0:44:49.440 Tory Walker, kimbro and Brittan Grinder. So my only question 0:44:49.719 --> 0:44:52.880 is what type of play style are they going to run? 0:44:53.040 --> 0:44:57.240 Because you have two very dynamic scores and Ryan Howard 0:44:57.320 --> 0:44:59.839 and Alisha Gray. You have a point guard that wants 0:44:59.880 --> 0:45:02.640 to push pace in Jordan Canada, and now you add 0:45:02.719 --> 0:45:07.840 these ginormous players that are pretty limited, not in like 0:45:07.960 --> 0:45:11.680 skill set obviously, but like traditionally, they're very limited. They 0:45:11.800 --> 0:45:14.560 neither one of them really shoot threes. They don't handle 0:45:14.560 --> 0:45:18.000 the ball, which is basically what those positions are transforming to, 0:45:18.160 --> 0:45:19.120 slowly but surely. 0:45:19.360 --> 0:45:22.000 So I'm very interested to see where they. 0:45:21.960 --> 0:45:24.239 Land, what the identity is gonna be. 0:45:24.640 --> 0:45:28.720 Yeah, because we watched and we'll talk about Dallas next week, 0:45:28.840 --> 0:45:33.719 we watched that double big experiment in Dallas fail miserably. 0:45:33.960 --> 0:45:36.200 So I don't know if they're going to do the 0:45:36.520 --> 0:45:39.480 double big thing in Atlanta or if they're going to 0:45:39.800 --> 0:45:42.359 play them one at a time. I'm talking about Big 0:45:42.840 --> 0:45:45.879 and bri Those are two players that typically have been 0:45:45.920 --> 0:45:48.480 one of the focal points of an offense, and I 0:45:48.520 --> 0:45:51.080 can see them being like the third or fourth option 0:45:51.280 --> 0:45:54.160 on this team. So Bigi's used to playing with the 0:45:54.239 --> 0:45:57.720 dynamic score and Diana Tarassi as far as like outside shooting, 0:45:58.120 --> 0:46:01.080 Bree not so much. That's always what Connecticut's Achilles Hill 0:46:01.160 --> 0:46:04.839 was their lack of perimeter consistent three point shooting. 0:46:04.600 --> 0:46:06.760 So maybe it will benefit Bree having. 0:46:06.520 --> 0:46:10.160 A completely change of scenery as far as personnel and 0:46:10.200 --> 0:46:12.440 play style. I mean, I think Beg's going to be fine, 0:46:12.600 --> 0:46:16.480 like she's BG. But they surprised me last year. I 0:46:16.520 --> 0:46:19.040 thought they were going to be better than they were. 0:46:19.200 --> 0:46:21.960 I think they were right there at the playoffs. They 0:46:22.000 --> 0:46:23.120 almost made playoffs. 0:46:23.200 --> 0:46:26.400 I will say, as we spoke about earlier, we saw 0:46:26.400 --> 0:46:30.040 this in the MMBA with the Pistons. A coaching change 0:46:30.480 --> 0:46:33.200 at the right time to build a new culture. 0:46:33.719 --> 0:46:35.359 You know what I'm saying might be. 0:46:35.320 --> 0:46:36.480 The move I believe. 0:46:36.600 --> 0:46:39.320 I mean, I believe in them, and I love playing 0:46:39.320 --> 0:46:41.319 in Atlanta even though they're like we have the most 0:46:41.320 --> 0:46:43.520 sold out games in the league. Well yeah, because your 0:46:43.560 --> 0:46:47.959 arena holds twelve people. So like their games are lit 0:46:48.000 --> 0:46:50.560 because I remember growing up they played in the big 0:46:50.600 --> 0:46:52.680 arena where the Hawks played, and those games were. 0:46:52.520 --> 0:46:54.240 Lit, and they had. 0:46:54.080 --> 0:46:57.359 Like a down time where the games were in that 0:46:57.400 --> 0:47:00.960 smaller arena and nobody was in there. And now it's 0:47:01.000 --> 0:47:03.319 packed out every night, which I think is amazing, and 0:47:03.360 --> 0:47:06.800 the energy is very Atlanta, like it's Atlanta down in there, Like. 0:47:07.000 --> 0:47:07.920 It's so funny. 0:47:07.960 --> 0:47:10.120 You know, it sucks and this is it. I'm not 0:47:10.160 --> 0:47:11.439 even come for the Dream. I see. 0:47:11.440 --> 0:47:13.279 I see beautiful things for them this season. But I 0:47:13.320 --> 0:47:15.000 was going to respond to all those things you said, 0:47:15.200 --> 0:47:18.560 was I feel like this mystery of there's all these 0:47:18.600 --> 0:47:21.280 options of what they could do and who the focal 0:47:21.280 --> 0:47:24.040 point could be and what could possibly happen, just means 0:47:24.040 --> 0:47:25.400 that we'll have options Lexi. 0:47:25.480 --> 0:47:26.920 Yeah, lots and lots of pop shots. 0:47:28.040 --> 0:47:31.439 It is really unfortunate in Atlanta as far as being 0:47:31.440 --> 0:47:34.239 a sports city that we have every professional sport. We 0:47:34.320 --> 0:47:37.120 have so many sports teams and we have the fan 0:47:37.200 --> 0:47:39.880 base here and we just don't have winning. 0:47:40.600 --> 0:47:41.640 So I'm gonna need the Dream. 0:47:41.800 --> 0:47:44.239 I'm gonna be dedicating myself this season full time. When 0:47:44.280 --> 0:47:46.759 I'm not being a dedicated Lexi fan, when I'm there, 0:47:47.239 --> 0:47:49.000 when I'm there when you play the Dream, I'll be 0:47:49.000 --> 0:47:53.400 supporting you, of course, but I feel like I've dedicated 0:47:53.440 --> 0:47:55.960 myself to hopefully the Dream being that kind of like 0:47:56.080 --> 0:47:59.640 Vegas brought Vegas their first professional sports championship. 0:48:00.080 --> 0:48:02.040 We need that with the Dream. So it's time. 0:48:02.280 --> 0:48:05.200 I mean, I have I'm very positive about what they 0:48:05.280 --> 0:48:08.120 got going on there, like even the addition of Chator. 0:48:08.200 --> 0:48:10.480 I didn't talk about her much like she is a 0:48:10.520 --> 0:48:14.799 consistent scoring option. She plays defense, and she's like a 0:48:14.840 --> 0:48:17.160 great teammate because I played with her at Maryland, so 0:48:17.840 --> 0:48:20.520 I know her personally and she's great and I'm glad that, 0:48:20.600 --> 0:48:22.640 like she also is getting a change of scenery. But 0:48:22.680 --> 0:48:25.640 it's gonna be interesting, what like if they're gonna just 0:48:25.800 --> 0:48:29.319 completely change their offense, because it's different when you bring 0:48:29.360 --> 0:48:31.200 a new player. You bring in not even new players, 0:48:31.200 --> 0:48:33.920 you bring in stars. These are two all stars you're 0:48:33.920 --> 0:48:37.319 bringing in, and then someone who knows how to win, 0:48:37.680 --> 0:48:39.000 like Stories won championship. 0:48:39.040 --> 0:48:41.520 She won championships in college, Like, she's a winner. 0:48:41.719 --> 0:48:45.080 So you bring in three players like that, you're obviously. 0:48:44.640 --> 0:48:46.880 Trying to make a culture change. 0:48:47.080 --> 0:48:51.000 So what is that dream team gonna look like this season? 0:48:51.360 --> 0:48:54.640 Because they had such a disappointing year last year. So 0:48:54.840 --> 0:48:57.480 shout out to the dream I'm excited for them. One 0:48:57.520 --> 0:48:59.920 of my favorite cities to play in and they have 0:49:00.000 --> 0:49:04.560 I have my favorite jerseys. Looky, playoffs, We playoffs, all right, 0:49:04.880 --> 0:49:05.719 we stamp it. 0:49:13.680 --> 0:49:16.919 All right, next stuff, we have the Connecticut son. 0:49:17.719 --> 0:49:19.399 I'm going to read off these stats, but like they 0:49:19.400 --> 0:49:22.439 really don't matter because nobody is nobody on the team. 0:49:22.480 --> 0:49:23.520 Last year is even on the team. 0:49:23.520 --> 0:49:25.359 But I'm still gonna read the stats anyway because we're 0:49:25.360 --> 0:49:29.360 going to keep it consistent. Eighth and affective field goal percentage, 0:49:29.760 --> 0:49:34.160 last in pace and second in net rating. So new coach, 0:49:34.200 --> 0:49:38.960 the European coach came over Key Editions, Diamond Deshields, Marina Maybury, 0:49:39.200 --> 0:49:45.080 J C. Sheldon, Yvonne Anderson, Lindsay Allen. Tina Charles was 0:49:45.239 --> 0:49:49.040 the biggest surprise signing for me because I'm not going 0:49:49.120 --> 0:49:52.400 to be an agist. I'm not because I'm creeping up 0:49:52.400 --> 0:49:53.880 there as well. I don't want people to do this 0:49:53.920 --> 0:49:56.680 to me. But I'm like very surprised at like she's 0:49:56.680 --> 0:49:59.480 still playing like and I think it's like I think 0:49:59.520 --> 0:50:02.280 she just won to win like she I can't imagine 0:50:02.280 --> 0:50:03.480 going that is she. 0:50:03.560 --> 0:50:04.600 Doing in Connecticut. 0:50:04.960 --> 0:50:07.719 Well, I feel like nobody else wanted to give her 0:50:07.719 --> 0:50:13.000 a chance to win, like And I don't know Tina 0:50:13.080 --> 0:50:16.640 Charles personally. I'm pretty sure she was overseas playing like 0:50:16.680 --> 0:50:19.600 the She doesn't get enough credit in my opinion for 0:50:19.640 --> 0:50:23.800 her longevity. She might be right behind DT and scoring. Yeah, 0:50:24.040 --> 0:50:29.200 she's the second leading scorer behind Diana Tarassi. Yes, she's 0:50:29.239 --> 0:50:34.000 over two thousand points. Behind Diana Tarassi, but she's still second, 0:50:34.400 --> 0:50:38.239 and because she hasn't one, people put her in this 0:50:38.480 --> 0:50:43.200 like box, which unfortunately, that's the reality of sports as 0:50:43.200 --> 0:50:45.720 a certain point winning if you're a good enough player 0:50:45.760 --> 0:50:48.760 winning there is an expectation to win, and she just hasn't. 0:50:49.440 --> 0:50:52.880 But she's also the all time leading rebounder. 0:50:53.080 --> 0:50:54.320 Here's the thing I see. 0:50:54.480 --> 0:50:56.560 I'm not trying to be I'm not trying to be 0:50:56.840 --> 0:51:00.400 that person. I think that they should just they should 0:51:00.400 --> 0:51:02.400 just go out there and have fun and try their best. 0:51:03.040 --> 0:51:03.759 That's what I see. 0:51:03.760 --> 0:51:07.120 But remember when Diamond was on here, she said she's like, 0:51:07.200 --> 0:51:10.120 y'all are sleep on us, and I believe her. It 0:51:10.160 --> 0:51:13.480 doesn't help that one of your star players demanded a trade, 0:51:13.560 --> 0:51:16.880 but two of them said. One actually got it and 0:51:16.920 --> 0:51:19.400 the other one did not get it. So that's probably 0:51:19.440 --> 0:51:21.920 not the greatest I would say. Brina does not want 0:51:21.920 --> 0:51:24.520 to be there. Yeah, that's probably not the best energy 0:51:24.680 --> 0:51:29.080 to have starting a season. But I'm hoping that the 0:51:29.120 --> 0:51:32.680 rest of the team can like override that and make 0:51:32.719 --> 0:51:35.879 her feel comfortable and make her feel like she can 0:51:35.920 --> 0:51:36.960 help them win games. 0:51:37.000 --> 0:51:39.680 And she needs to stay there because she's not getting traded. Yeah, 0:51:39.800 --> 0:51:40.920 be serious. She's not. 0:51:41.360 --> 0:51:43.880 You demanded the trade last year, it's not going to happen, 0:51:43.960 --> 0:51:45.080 and then they traded. 0:51:44.760 --> 0:51:46.680 Tash, so I think they were like, Okay, we'll get 0:51:46.760 --> 0:51:49.680 rid of one of y'all. So I mean, I want 0:51:50.160 --> 0:51:51.160 them to have. 0:51:51.719 --> 0:51:53.520 As good of a seat, Like I don't know what 0:51:53.560 --> 0:51:55.759 they're ceiling is, but I want them to get there. 0:51:55.960 --> 0:51:57.920 I would like to see them get there because Diamond 0:51:58.000 --> 0:51:58.919 is my best friend. 0:51:59.040 --> 0:52:00.640 I want her to be successful. 0:52:00.680 --> 0:52:03.680 So yes, this is a very biased opinion on the 0:52:03.719 --> 0:52:06.319 success I want for Connecticut because I want her to 0:52:06.440 --> 0:52:08.520 feel success for herself. 0:52:08.680 --> 0:52:11.160 They have some rookies coming. I know we were going 0:52:11.200 --> 0:52:12.520 to talk about the rookies. 0:52:12.239 --> 0:52:14.880 But it's like you're starting from scratch. Like for me, 0:52:14.960 --> 0:52:16.040 I'm like, this is fun. 0:52:16.719 --> 0:52:17.239 Like I know you're in. 0:52:17.239 --> 0:52:20.399 Connecticut and like, no, that's not fun, but like that's 0:52:20.440 --> 0:52:24.200 beside the point, Like you are starting completely over, Like 0:52:24.280 --> 0:52:25.719 for me, I would love that. 0:52:26.520 --> 0:52:29.880 Don't send me there, but I'm I'm having given. 0:52:29.719 --> 0:52:34.320 By unbiased synopsis. Okay, for those who don't know, correct 0:52:34.360 --> 0:52:36.839 me if I'm wrong. LEXI not a starter from last season. 0:52:36.880 --> 0:52:37.480 It's still there. 0:52:37.719 --> 0:52:39.359 No, they all love every single one. 0:52:39.400 --> 0:52:42.799 Okay, your entire starting vibe is gone. I knew that, 0:52:42.840 --> 0:52:44.120 but I just wanted to hear you say it. 0:52:44.160 --> 0:52:44.399 You don't. 0:52:44.480 --> 0:52:45.520 Yeah. Yeah. 0:52:45.640 --> 0:52:48.160 The point is I feel like when you're in a 0:52:48.200 --> 0:52:51.960 situation like that, where really your whole culture, like we 0:52:52.000 --> 0:52:54.600 talked about with the coaches, star players, everything, Your coach 0:52:54.680 --> 0:52:59.440 is gone, your star player's gone. You're starting completely from scratch. 0:52:59.560 --> 0:53:02.600 My pow for Diamond, I will say, is being in 0:53:02.600 --> 0:53:04.879 that kind of situation is very low pressure and gives 0:53:04.920 --> 0:53:05.959 you an opportunity to shine. 0:53:06.000 --> 0:53:07.880 And I hope she finds that success for herself. 0:53:08.239 --> 0:53:12.120 But that organization needs to figure it out low key 0:53:12.600 --> 0:53:14.400 because there's some crazy stat. 0:53:14.200 --> 0:53:16.080 About they've been to the playoffs the most times. 0:53:16.120 --> 0:53:19.719 Yeah, most playoff wins, most playoff wins a championship. 0:53:19.200 --> 0:53:22.319 Okay, thank you, most playoff wins that championship. That don't 0:53:22.320 --> 0:53:24.920 make no sense. And to have that and then to 0:53:25.040 --> 0:53:27.960 get rid of everybody is like. But I will say, 0:53:28.000 --> 0:53:30.680 I will say that it is important for organizations to 0:53:30.760 --> 0:53:33.120 know what they're ceiling is and know, Okay, we're not 0:53:33.160 --> 0:53:34.759 going to get that far with this group. So maybe 0:53:34.760 --> 0:53:36.839 that is a positive for them that they realized they 0:53:36.840 --> 0:53:39.320 weren't going to get to the mountaintop with that group 0:53:39.400 --> 0:53:41.959 and they got well they did not technically bad choice, 0:53:41.960 --> 0:53:43.360 but that group is gone, so maybe this is an 0:53:43.400 --> 0:53:46.880 opportunity for some new fresh blood. But if I'm categorizing these. 0:53:46.719 --> 0:53:48.560 Teams as you go along, this is probably what I 0:53:48.560 --> 0:53:48.840 will do. 0:53:49.440 --> 0:53:52.920 Between contenders and pretenders, they're pretenders, they're they're not. 0:53:53.280 --> 0:53:53.840 That's fair. 0:53:53.960 --> 0:53:56.600 I would say the only two real contenders so far 0:53:56.840 --> 0:53:57.919 Indiana and New York. 0:53:58.000 --> 0:53:59.200 Indiana and New York for sure. 0:53:59.280 --> 0:54:02.680 Yeah, next week you have the Sky eleventh in effective 0:54:02.680 --> 0:54:06.760 field goal percentage, ninth in pace, and tenth in net rating. 0:54:07.120 --> 0:54:12.120 So yeah, not very good. New coach coach marsh from 0:54:12.239 --> 0:54:14.120 the Aces, which I thought was a great hire. 0:54:14.400 --> 0:54:20.920 Key additions Cordy Vandor Slut and Ariel Atkins, so I'm interested. 0:54:21.160 --> 0:54:22.960 This group is going to be interesting. 0:54:23.200 --> 0:54:26.400 I'm interested that Slute decided to go back to Chicago 0:54:26.840 --> 0:54:28.400 after winning a championship. 0:54:28.840 --> 0:54:30.319 That was an interesting move to me. 0:54:30.719 --> 0:54:34.880 And I was surprised to see Ariel leave the Mystics. 0:54:34.960 --> 0:54:36.680 I don't know why she left the mistake. I don't 0:54:36.680 --> 0:54:38.440 know what they got going on over there, either, But 0:54:38.760 --> 0:54:40.600 some players don't want to be part of a rebuild, 0:54:40.600 --> 0:54:42.800 and that's completely valid and fair. 0:54:42.960 --> 0:54:45.160 Like I wouldn't. You're not for always my primeier is 0:54:45.200 --> 0:54:45.840 on a rebuild. 0:54:46.320 --> 0:54:49.200 I would love that as a rookie though, Yeah, for sure, 0:54:49.440 --> 0:54:51.080 I would love that as a rookie being able to 0:54:51.080 --> 0:54:53.359 play it not a high stakes environment, but you're still 0:54:53.360 --> 0:54:55.720 playing professionally against the best of the best and learning 0:54:55.719 --> 0:54:58.040 and getting your foot in without somebody being like, Okay, 0:54:58.040 --> 0:54:59.600 we're going to trade you if this don't work out. 0:55:00.000 --> 0:55:03.120 So, I mean, but Chicago kind of like kind of 0:55:03.160 --> 0:55:08.320 rebuilding right now too. Yeah, their core players will probably 0:55:08.320 --> 0:55:14.439 be Angel Camilla and Haley, so babies, babies, right. I'm 0:55:14.520 --> 0:55:17.200 very interested to see what type of offense is implemented 0:55:17.960 --> 0:55:22.359 because they brought in some scoring, some outside scoring which 0:55:22.400 --> 0:55:27.000 they were severely lacking last year, and new coaching, new culture, 0:55:27.239 --> 0:55:31.280 coming from a championship culture at that so I don't 0:55:31.320 --> 0:55:34.680 foresee them trying to do that high low stuff again, 0:55:34.719 --> 0:55:37.160 the double big thing. Like, I'm very interested to see 0:55:37.200 --> 0:55:41.160 what teams that have that personnel actually try to do 0:55:41.200 --> 0:55:43.560 that double big thing. Because the thing about when you 0:55:43.640 --> 0:55:45.759 do double big lineups. 0:55:45.520 --> 0:55:47.320 At least one of them has to be versatile. 0:55:47.360 --> 0:55:48.680 They have to be able to bring the ball up, 0:55:48.719 --> 0:55:50.239 they got to be able to pass and they got 0:55:50.239 --> 0:55:50.960 to be able to shoot. 0:55:51.520 --> 0:55:52.560 So you don't have. 0:55:52.520 --> 0:55:55.040 That in any of the bigs in Chicago, respectfully, Like 0:55:55.080 --> 0:55:57.880 that's not a knock on them, it's just true. Camilla, 0:55:58.040 --> 0:56:02.160 Angel and Elizabeth are very interior post players, which is 0:56:02.280 --> 0:56:04.880 very important, but very hard to play a certain style 0:56:04.960 --> 0:56:06.760 with both of them on the court at the same time. 0:56:06.960 --> 0:56:14.680 Lexi, for our other basketball nerds listening, I'm curious because Angel, Camilla, Haley, 0:56:14.920 --> 0:56:17.880 those are going to be big ticket names as we 0:56:17.960 --> 0:56:20.160 go through the season and as they go through their careers. 0:56:20.239 --> 0:56:23.439 But as far as on the court, they're actual fit. 0:56:23.880 --> 0:56:28.479 What you see coming out of that little trio. How 0:56:28.560 --> 0:56:30.759 is that going to look on the basketball court? 0:56:31.040 --> 0:56:34.000 I honestly think whoever plays best with Haley is going 0:56:34.040 --> 0:56:36.799 to play more. Haley said in her press she does 0:56:36.840 --> 0:56:38.480 like I love playing with big players. 0:56:38.719 --> 0:56:41.479 Well, do you think that Angel has an advantage because 0:56:41.480 --> 0:56:43.400 they played with Obviously it was only one year, and 0:56:43.520 --> 0:56:46.120 that year, I mean, everybody points to it and says 0:56:46.160 --> 0:56:48.359 that you're terribly it didn't really work out, but they 0:56:48.360 --> 0:56:49.839 still they still. 0:56:49.520 --> 0:56:51.879 Did, They still want Yeah. 0:56:51.560 --> 0:56:54.239 So do you feel like Angel has an advantage in 0:56:54.280 --> 0:56:56.680 that way because she has played with Haley before? 0:56:56.840 --> 0:57:01.480 Or I feel like people didn't even bring that up. 0:57:02.040 --> 0:57:05.560 It's a completely different environment. It's a completely different situation, 0:57:06.480 --> 0:57:09.440 and they're both very different players than they were. 0:57:09.440 --> 0:57:10.799 Two years was it two years ago? 0:57:10.880 --> 0:57:11.520 Two years ago? 0:57:11.840 --> 0:57:14.560 You know, Hayley got her confidence back, Angel got her 0:57:14.600 --> 0:57:16.920 swag in the w Like, it's going to be a 0:57:16.960 --> 0:57:21.760 completely new experience for them playing and now you're playing 0:57:22.040 --> 0:57:24.640 for something different like this is the pros now like 0:57:24.680 --> 0:57:26.920 this in college like these aren't you not playing against 0:57:26.920 --> 0:57:27.560 little girls? No? 0:57:27.640 --> 0:57:29.360 More like you're playing against grown women. 0:57:29.760 --> 0:57:33.960 But again, Tyler, he's he's used to this very fast paced, 0:57:34.360 --> 0:57:39.040 running gun elite offense and style of play. So them 0:57:39.080 --> 0:57:42.800 being able to implement that with that group, like would 0:57:42.840 --> 0:57:45.840 be really cool to see because I do feel like 0:57:45.880 --> 0:57:47.640 a lot of people think that like that group is 0:57:47.680 --> 0:57:49.440 going to be very limited, and I feel like if 0:57:49.440 --> 0:57:52.440 they're open to learning and developing, that that group can 0:57:52.480 --> 0:57:54.440 be very special on both ends of the floor. I 0:57:54.480 --> 0:57:56.280 mean we didn't even get to the defensive side. I 0:57:56.320 --> 0:57:59.680 think defensively they could be a nightmare to play against. 0:58:00.040 --> 0:58:01.760 But you know, you got to score the ball to win, 0:58:02.120 --> 0:58:04.240 So it's gonna be like who's who's gonna have to ball? 0:58:04.280 --> 0:58:05.840 The most is gonna be the real question. 0:58:05.880 --> 0:58:09.240 Obviously, Ariel and Salute together like that's gonna be a 0:58:09.320 --> 0:58:12.480 one to two punch that I'm very looking forward to see, 0:58:12.520 --> 0:58:15.280 because playing with anybody that plays with Slute automatically is 0:58:15.320 --> 0:58:17.880 gonna be in a better situation on the floor at 0:58:17.880 --> 0:58:20.240 all positions because she's such a great point guard and 0:58:20.280 --> 0:58:22.240 she has such a feel for the game. And I 0:58:22.320 --> 0:58:24.960 think that's something that Chicago lacked last year, is they 0:58:24.960 --> 0:58:27.800 didn't have somebody that could just like control the game, 0:58:27.920 --> 0:58:29.600 like if it was getting a little out of control. 0:58:29.600 --> 0:58:31.040 They didn't have someone to be like, all right, let's 0:58:31.080 --> 0:58:33.080 chill out for a second, or we need this type 0:58:33.120 --> 0:58:35.280 of bucket, let's get this bucket, let's do this, let's 0:58:35.320 --> 0:58:38.760 do this. And I think Slut will bring that calmness 0:58:38.920 --> 0:58:40.560 to the to the group, which will be good because 0:58:40.560 --> 0:58:42.840 they're so young, and then Ariel can like she can 0:58:42.920 --> 0:58:43.640 give you thirty. 0:58:43.440 --> 0:58:45.919 At any given night. So I mean, I think they're 0:58:45.960 --> 0:58:48.000 gonna be better than they were last year. I think so. 0:58:48.320 --> 0:58:52.680 A lot of the discourse surrounding Angel specifically was double 0:58:52.720 --> 0:58:58.840 double queen, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, rebounds, and obviously, as 0:58:58.880 --> 0:59:00.680 a fan of angel that wants to be great and 0:59:00.760 --> 0:59:03.080 don't want anybody to talk about her. I will say 0:59:03.560 --> 0:59:06.800 I want to see her finishing more as far as 0:59:06.920 --> 0:59:09.080 looking at her off season, and obviously y'all are only 0:59:09.120 --> 0:59:10.600 going to post the best parts of your workouts. But 0:59:10.640 --> 0:59:12.800 it seems like that's something that she's been really working on, 0:59:13.360 --> 0:59:15.160 so hopefully that improves. 0:59:15.200 --> 0:59:17.600 But that's something that I would like to a little 0:59:17.680 --> 0:59:19.200 nugget I would like to give this guy. I would 0:59:19.240 --> 0:59:19.760 like to see that. 0:59:19.960 --> 0:59:22.320 Oh yeah, I mean they were second to last and 0:59:22.400 --> 0:59:26.160 field goal percentage, Like that's not like that's a stat 0:59:26.440 --> 0:59:29.400 that is literally a statistic on the internet. They were 0:59:29.440 --> 0:59:31.760 second to last and affective field goal percentage, which is 0:59:31.760 --> 0:59:34.680 a combination of twos and threes, so they barely shot 0:59:34.720 --> 0:59:37.960 any threes. So that means you were very poor shooting twos. 0:59:38.360 --> 0:59:38.880 That's not good. 0:59:38.920 --> 0:59:41.160 You're not gonna win very many games being poor at both. 0:59:41.400 --> 0:59:45.120 So I think that her rebounding is still something that 0:59:45.280 --> 0:59:48.320 is like next level, very elite, like not a lot 0:59:48.360 --> 0:59:51.080 of people can do that. But will her rebounds potentially 0:59:51.160 --> 0:59:53.880 go down if she finishes a little bit better, maybe 0:59:53.920 --> 0:59:56.080 they might, but that's not going to be like she's 0:59:56.120 --> 0:59:57.720 not going to be like, I just hope the conversation 0:59:57.760 --> 0:59:59.720 doesn't heard. Oh look, she's not Like, I just hope 1:00:00.080 --> 1:00:01.720 it doesn't have to be a negative thing. If you 1:00:01.760 --> 1:00:04.480 see improvement in her game, you see improvement in her game. 1:00:04.520 --> 1:00:06.160 But we don't know what that is going to look 1:00:06.280 --> 1:00:09.000 like necessarily, but there is going to have to be 1:00:09.040 --> 1:00:11.240 an improvement as far as like finishing around. 1:00:11.000 --> 1:00:12.040 The basket exactly. 1:00:12.120 --> 1:00:14.880 And I feel like one thing that you always say 1:00:15.240 --> 1:00:18.840 is obviously the double double stuff, and her rebounding is 1:00:18.840 --> 1:00:21.080 super early, and that's great, but if you're not putting 1:00:21.080 --> 1:00:22.160 the ball in the hoop, you're not going. 1:00:22.040 --> 1:00:23.200 On games exactly. 1:00:23.360 --> 1:00:26.080 So I mean, I'm really looking forward to to this guy. 1:00:26.360 --> 1:00:28.520 You know, they're another team that kind of like cleaned 1:00:28.560 --> 1:00:31.840 house with it. Their whole team basically gone. So I'm 1:00:31.880 --> 1:00:33.920 really excited for them too. I'm always excited for a 1:00:33.920 --> 1:00:36.080 new coach, especially if new black coach. 1:00:36.320 --> 1:00:38.640 I know, that's right, always excited for that. 1:00:39.040 --> 1:00:41.400 Angel was hurt about their coaching change though, and so 1:00:41.480 --> 1:00:43.200 I feel like they had to bring somebody in. 1:00:43.480 --> 1:00:46.480 Yeah that could at least give them like confidence that 1:00:46.680 --> 1:00:49.480 like okay, like we're still we still got Fai, but 1:00:49.560 --> 1:00:53.040 he has you know, an incredible background and one championships 1:00:53.080 --> 1:00:56.320 and has a really good reputation, so I think they're 1:00:56.320 --> 1:00:56.919 going to be better. 1:00:57.080 --> 1:01:00.480 One thing I want to clarify though, for those listening 1:01:00.840 --> 1:01:05.160 is we have said very similar things about you're gonna 1:01:05.200 --> 1:01:07.880 hate me about Connecticut in Chicago as far. 1:01:07.800 --> 1:01:10.440 As they cleaned house and blah blah blah. 1:01:10.520 --> 1:01:12.680 But Connecticut they're not as young. 1:01:13.040 --> 1:01:14.120 No, they're not as young. 1:01:14.000 --> 1:01:16.760 So it's not the same thing. This is a true rebuild. 1:01:17.000 --> 1:01:20.520 Well, yeah, Connecticut is like out with the old day 1:01:20.520 --> 1:01:24.040 with the new like rip the band aid off. Chicago 1:01:24.400 --> 1:01:27.000 was like, I mean, it's hard to believe that we 1:01:27.040 --> 1:01:29.560 won a championship like three years ago. That is that 1:01:29.640 --> 1:01:33.080 is insane, Like it's like it happened, and then everyone's 1:01:33.120 --> 1:01:34.120 like whatever, who cares. 1:01:34.160 --> 1:01:36.120 But as you mentioned, the culture there when you want 1:01:36.160 --> 1:01:39.720 a championship was very It was vets trying to win literally, 1:01:39.720 --> 1:01:41.480 so it was kind of like, Okay, you got yours, 1:01:41.560 --> 1:01:44.880 and now we're planting this new seed and watering it 1:01:44.960 --> 1:01:46.360 so that we can have another. 1:01:46.080 --> 1:01:48.840 Group of vets that want to win, that are ready 1:01:48.880 --> 1:01:49.120 for that. 1:01:49.320 --> 1:01:51.760 It's like basically what it was, and that's kind of 1:01:51.800 --> 1:01:54.200 basically what all the teams are doing right now is 1:01:54.240 --> 1:01:56.920 similar to what Chicago did that one year, was like, 1:01:56.960 --> 1:01:59.440 we're finna win now and then we can figure everything 1:01:59.440 --> 1:02:03.080 else out. Okay, so Sky, I foresee them having a 1:02:03.120 --> 1:02:04.720 much better season than they did last year. 1:02:04.880 --> 1:02:09.320 But they're still in my pretender's bucket. Sorry Chicago, That's okay, 1:02:09.400 --> 1:02:09.840 all right. 1:02:10.000 --> 1:02:12.600 Last, but not least, we have the Mystics fifth in 1:02:12.720 --> 1:02:17.160 affective field goal percentage, ninth in pace, tenth in net rating. 1:02:17.440 --> 1:02:20.360 New coach knew a lot of things. I think. 1:02:20.520 --> 1:02:23.920 I don't think they signed anybody in free agency, and 1:02:23.960 --> 1:02:26.440 then they have the seven million rookies that they drafted. 1:02:26.560 --> 1:02:28.640 Let say shout out to my girl, Kei Ky you 1:02:28.880 --> 1:02:33.160 ate that dress up eight down that you're in the house, honey. 1:02:33.200 --> 1:02:37.480 So honestly, I think the key returners I guess we 1:02:37.480 --> 1:02:41.400 could just talk about step Dawson, Brittany Sykes, Shakira Austin 1:02:41.720 --> 1:02:45.920 which Shakira Sykes. They both have been dealing with like 1:02:46.040 --> 1:02:49.120 injuries a lot the last like one or two seasons, 1:02:49.200 --> 1:02:51.480 so I'm excited to see both of them healthy. They 1:02:51.480 --> 1:02:54.960 both played and unrivaled, Both looked really good and unrivaled. Oh, 1:02:55.000 --> 1:02:57.520 Steph played in Unrivaled too, So yeah, they've all been 1:02:57.560 --> 1:03:01.000 playing in the off season. I think they are ready 1:03:01.040 --> 1:03:04.720 to win again. You know, the Mystics used to run 1:03:04.760 --> 1:03:07.400 the table for a little bit. Finally they can let 1:03:07.440 --> 1:03:11.600 Elena deladn go because she officially announced her retirement, because 1:03:11.640 --> 1:03:13.680 I know that there was a part of their organization 1:03:13.920 --> 1:03:14.680 like she. 1:03:14.680 --> 1:03:16.520 Might come back, she might come back. 1:03:16.600 --> 1:03:19.520 So now they can officially like just move on, which 1:03:19.520 --> 1:03:21.320 I think is good, especially with this new group of 1:03:21.400 --> 1:03:24.160 rookies coming in, Like they might be the most rebuilding 1:03:24.200 --> 1:03:26.560 rebuild team right now. 1:03:26.440 --> 1:03:28.720 For sure, like by a long sure. Sure. 1:03:28.920 --> 1:03:31.520 And I interviewed Kicky and she talked about that they're 1:03:31.560 --> 1:03:34.720 not they're expecting to be in a rebuilding kind of situation. 1:03:34.880 --> 1:03:37.880 It's not yeah, win now mode, because even their vets 1:03:37.920 --> 1:03:40.120 are pretty young, like I mean, I would say Steph 1:03:40.400 --> 1:03:43.760 isn't considered super young, but like her psych Shakira, like 1:03:44.080 --> 1:03:45.720 they still like are. 1:03:45.760 --> 1:03:47.880 On the young vet side, I feel like. 1:03:48.240 --> 1:03:51.520 So I just also want to note that it's interesting 1:03:51.560 --> 1:03:53.440 that we started off this conversation by talking about the 1:03:53.640 --> 1:03:57.880 East West Conferences elimination in the W because if that 1:03:58.040 --> 1:04:01.920 were the case, if it was East West, I mean, damn, 1:04:02.280 --> 1:04:05.760 like the West is significantly stronger. 1:04:05.920 --> 1:04:08.480 Yeah, which is weird because like, how does that keep happening. 1:04:08.560 --> 1:04:11.160 It's happened in the NBA and the w significantly stronger. 1:04:11.200 --> 1:04:14.200 And if that were the case, I would consider Indiana 1:04:14.280 --> 1:04:17.560 a real contender if it were East West, because they 1:04:17.560 --> 1:04:19.000 wouldn't really they'll. 1:04:18.760 --> 1:04:20.400 Be able to kind of clean the East up. 1:04:20.760 --> 1:04:22.920 I feel like I feel like I might agree with 1:04:22.960 --> 1:04:26.240 you there, but I think that DC is kind of 1:04:26.240 --> 1:04:29.640 in a similar situation as Connecticut, Like y'all have opportunity 1:04:29.680 --> 1:04:33.880 to build a new culture, new era, new style, new everything, 1:04:34.160 --> 1:04:36.520 and they do have some key vets that have played 1:04:36.600 --> 1:04:39.120 a few seasons together to like hold everything down. 1:04:39.240 --> 1:04:40.840 So it'll be awesome for the rookies. 1:04:41.080 --> 1:04:43.680 Yeah, And again, like I'm excited for the like this 1:04:43.760 --> 1:04:46.320 rookie group, like they can like grow together. 1:04:46.400 --> 1:04:47.320 Like we just don't. 1:04:47.080 --> 1:04:49.960 See that in the WNBA, Like we don't see like two, three, 1:04:50.160 --> 1:04:53.840 four rookies coming in together and figuring it out together 1:04:54.040 --> 1:04:57.120 and whether it's successful or not. Like it's always nice 1:04:57.160 --> 1:05:00.520 to see a group of players like grow and together, 1:05:00.560 --> 1:05:04.160 which is again, white people love college so much. And now, yeah, 1:05:04.200 --> 1:05:06.240 you're kind of seeing it more in the NBA now, 1:05:06.440 --> 1:05:08.800 especially now that these teams are younger than some of 1:05:08.840 --> 1:05:11.680 the college teams playing Like we're looking at Houston, Okay, 1:05:11.800 --> 1:05:13.400 see who else is young? 1:05:13.520 --> 1:05:14.040 Detroit? 1:05:14.320 --> 1:05:18.560 Detroit, Like people are really invested in them because they've 1:05:18.560 --> 1:05:21.600 we've watched them like grow and learn together. Like are 1:05:21.640 --> 1:05:25.800 they gonna win championship? No, probably not, but the journey 1:05:25.880 --> 1:05:28.080 not this year, not this year, but they run at 1:05:28.080 --> 1:05:30.120 the time is ticking. And that's the thing about the 1:05:30.280 --> 1:05:33.640 W as well, is like everybody moves around so much, 1:05:33.800 --> 1:05:35.320 like and then when it comes to the time to 1:05:35.360 --> 1:05:39.960 make real decisions about salaries and contracts and salary cap like. 1:05:39.880 --> 1:05:41.840 It's all just like very random. 1:05:42.240 --> 1:05:44.880 Because by the thirty year, second or third year, you 1:05:44.920 --> 1:05:48.320 already have moved you rookie to a new team because 1:05:48.480 --> 1:05:50.280 she even give her a chance to develop or she 1:05:50.400 --> 1:05:52.720 wasn't able to keep up. But like, that's not what 1:05:52.920 --> 1:05:55.800 your pro career is about. It's about development and growing 1:05:55.840 --> 1:05:59.439 and learning. Unless something just horrible happens during the season, 1:05:59.600 --> 1:06:02.600 she must go that's different. But that's usually not the case. 1:06:02.720 --> 1:06:05.880 But I want to before we go, ask you as 1:06:05.920 --> 1:06:09.200 far as I know, in the NBA, the MNBA, I 1:06:09.240 --> 1:06:10.560 should say, they. 1:06:10.640 --> 1:06:12.880 Don't get us kissing Mariah saying that shit. 1:06:13.840 --> 1:06:16.520 Sorry, Lexi, Lexi does not I. 1:06:16.480 --> 1:06:19.520 Do not say m NBA guys, I know probably all 1:06:19.520 --> 1:06:23.240 would like me to. I'm very much an NBA fan. 1:06:23.520 --> 1:06:27.000 I love NBA. So Mariah Maria said it. 1:06:27.640 --> 1:06:30.080 I think everybody knows that I am an NBA fan. 1:06:30.280 --> 1:06:32.720 The point is, I feel like in the NBA we 1:06:32.880 --> 1:06:37.040 have seen ever since the Warriors dynasty, the formula for 1:06:37.120 --> 1:06:43.360 winning a championship became smaller. The game got more outside outside, outside, outside, 1:06:43.680 --> 1:06:44.919 and some fancying it's boring. 1:06:45.040 --> 1:06:47.840 I absolutely love it. That's my favorite. That's my favorite album. 1:06:47.880 --> 1:06:49.280 Asked wall to watch, but that's. 1:06:49.080 --> 1:06:51.920 Either here nor there in the W you mentioned double 1:06:51.960 --> 1:06:56.040 biggs in Atlanta and Chicago, that kind of situation. What 1:06:56.040 --> 1:06:58.800 do you think that the recipe for success, whether it's 1:06:58.840 --> 1:07:00.320 going to work or not, But like, what do you 1:07:00.360 --> 1:07:03.520 think that these coaches and these organizations are seeing as Okay, 1:07:03.600 --> 1:07:05.160 this is this is the style on the W that 1:07:05.200 --> 1:07:06.320 everybody's kind of implementing. 1:07:06.480 --> 1:07:09.440 I do think that more outside shooting is coming, which 1:07:09.480 --> 1:07:11.720 makes me excited and very happy because at the end 1:07:11.720 --> 1:07:13.840 of the day, threes are worth more than twos. Like 1:07:13.880 --> 1:07:16.600 what like that is what it is? From the last 1:07:16.760 --> 1:07:20.280 three or four championships, the best player. 1:07:20.360 --> 1:07:23.080 Of the team has been that four So. 1:07:23.320 --> 1:07:26.360 I think the key right now in the W is 1:07:26.400 --> 1:07:29.920 having a really versatile foreman. 1:07:30.280 --> 1:07:32.200 And versutile can mean a lot of things. That's why 1:07:32.240 --> 1:07:32.840 it's versatile. 1:07:32.880 --> 1:07:35.360 Like maybe they can shoot really well, Okay, maybe not. 1:07:35.360 --> 1:07:37.680 Maybe they can pass very well, maybe they can bring 1:07:37.680 --> 1:07:41.560 the ball up, they can initiate offense like what you 1:07:41.600 --> 1:07:45.000 would consider like a glue player, but they're like super 1:07:45.040 --> 1:07:49.240 glue because they are also scoring the ball. So I 1:07:49.280 --> 1:07:51.560 feel like, you know, you have the best players in 1:07:51.560 --> 1:07:54.800 the league right now. And if he's the Collier Ajia Wilson, 1:07:55.080 --> 1:07:58.920 Breonna Stewart, Neka Gloo McKay, I mean Natasha Howard could 1:07:58.960 --> 1:08:02.280 reinsert herself in that conversation on this Indiana team, John 1:08:02.280 --> 1:08:06.200 cul Jones like, these are what you consider like the top. 1:08:06.000 --> 1:08:07.480 Players in the league right now. 1:08:07.840 --> 1:08:10.880 And then directly under those players, I think are the 1:08:10.960 --> 1:08:14.120 perimeter players that can hit outside shots. So the Ariquees, 1:08:14.320 --> 1:08:18.880 Jewel Lloyd, Kelsey Plumb, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young me. 1:08:19.160 --> 1:08:21.519 I was gonna say Lexi Brown hello. 1:08:23.400 --> 1:08:26.800 So first I'll thank Arik because she was probably one 1:08:26.840 --> 1:08:29.519 of the first players to come out and shoot autumn 1:08:30.040 --> 1:08:33.320 damn threes off the bounce, off the like all the 1:08:33.360 --> 1:08:36.960 crazy shots. Jewel Lloyd I think has been more of 1:08:37.080 --> 1:08:39.519 like a surgical score, you know, coming off of pin 1:08:39.640 --> 1:08:43.240 Down's curls, like not as random as Arique's buckets. 1:08:43.320 --> 1:08:44.000 And then you bring in. 1:08:44.000 --> 1:08:47.920 A Kaitlyn Clark who's doing all the logo shooting off 1:08:47.960 --> 1:08:52.080 the bounce, coming off screens, pull up transition threes, like 1:08:53.040 --> 1:08:56.760 now everybody's like, okay, like this is what we can do, 1:08:56.960 --> 1:08:58.840 Like this is the style of play that's gonna win 1:08:58.880 --> 1:08:59.960 you games. 1:08:59.640 --> 1:09:02.960 But also facilitating, because it's like you're drawing so much 1:09:03.000 --> 1:09:06.600 attention to yourself that it confuses defenses, and if you 1:09:06.600 --> 1:09:09.960 can facilitate and make plays, then you're dangerous. 1:09:10.360 --> 1:09:10.960 Yeah. 1:09:11.240 --> 1:09:13.559 So I mean, yes, you look at the Golden Golden 1:09:13.600 --> 1:09:17.040 State Warriors has been the formula. You have elite scores 1:09:17.080 --> 1:09:19.040 from the perimeter, and then you have your glue man. 1:09:19.200 --> 1:09:21.720 So the Draymonds of the world. 1:09:21.920 --> 1:09:24.760 But I feel like that position in the w is 1:09:25.080 --> 1:09:29.080 more offensively gifted than the Draymond what you would call 1:09:29.120 --> 1:09:32.080 the Draymonds of the NBA, which because there's so much 1:09:32.080 --> 1:09:36.920 perimeter scoring now, like that person doesn't necessarily have to score. Also, 1:09:37.000 --> 1:09:39.280 they have more time, Like there's just so many different 1:09:39.280 --> 1:09:41.559 things in the NBA that are different from the WNBA, 1:09:41.760 --> 1:09:44.040 Like we have more time to play, more people. 1:09:43.760 --> 1:09:44.479 Would be scoring. 1:09:44.640 --> 1:09:48.600 But because that position right now is so versatile and 1:09:48.760 --> 1:09:52.360 so good gifted offensively, and then just a matchup nightmare. 1:09:52.439 --> 1:09:54.400 Like they're just like kind of the key piece. So 1:09:54.640 --> 1:09:56.680 the fore man has been the key. 1:09:56.840 --> 1:09:58.639 To WNBA's success. 1:09:59.000 --> 1:10:02.080 Now there's some shoot around them. Very hard to. 1:10:02.040 --> 1:10:04.200 Guard, very hard to guard. Shout out to the. 1:10:04.160 --> 1:10:06.400 Force, Shout out to the four. 1:10:06.640 --> 1:10:09.479 Well, Lexi, I'm really excited for next week because I'm 1:10:09.479 --> 1:10:11.960 about to come with stuff to say about these lest teams. 1:10:12.760 --> 1:10:15.840 Yeah, but I'll have a nice little update for our 1:10:15.840 --> 1:10:18.559 first day of training camp because it'll be the day 1:10:18.600 --> 1:10:19.400 after our camp. 1:10:19.680 --> 1:10:22.040 When are we going to have ours our a Lexi's 1:10:22.120 --> 1:10:24.680 goals show right before the season starts, like at the 1:10:24.720 --> 1:10:25.320 beginning of Bay. 1:10:25.560 --> 1:10:29.080 Yeah, right before our first actual game, not our preseason games, 1:10:29.080 --> 1:10:31.759 our first actual games, so I can actually put together 1:10:31.960 --> 1:10:35.120 a realistic list, you know, okay, because I want us 1:10:35.160 --> 1:10:37.880 to be able to check these goals off. I don't 1:10:37.880 --> 1:10:41.120 want to end the season and nothing is checked because 1:10:41.120 --> 1:10:43.360 I've made goals that didn't make any sense. 1:10:44.000 --> 1:10:44.920 I will say. 1:10:45.160 --> 1:10:46.960 When I was working for the Atlanta Hawks, I was 1:10:47.000 --> 1:10:49.800 on the social team and we did this thing where 1:10:49.800 --> 1:10:51.599 the players would write down their goals for the season 1:10:51.640 --> 1:10:53.640 on the little poolaroid to be cute to put them 1:10:53.680 --> 1:10:56.800 on our Instagram, and the whole starting five did it, 1:10:57.080 --> 1:11:00.679 and so obviously everybody put win a championship as their goal, 1:11:01.360 --> 1:11:05.240 except for Capella, who put go to the conference titles 1:11:06.600 --> 1:11:07.959 and everybody. 1:11:08.000 --> 1:11:09.839 They tore us up in the comments. 1:11:09.920 --> 1:11:13.320 Tore us he was so mad about at the social 1:11:13.360 --> 1:11:14.320 team for posting that. 1:11:14.400 --> 1:11:15.559 He was so mad, But. 1:11:15.520 --> 1:11:18.880 I was like, you say, right, I mean, and he 1:11:19.000 --> 1:11:20.919 was probably be the most realistic out of everybody. 1:11:21.240 --> 1:11:25.120 But yeah, like what y'all want them to lie about 1:11:25.120 --> 1:11:27.120 the goals just so y'all can make fun of them 1:11:27.160 --> 1:11:29.880 if they don't get the championship because they all knew 1:11:29.880 --> 1:11:31.040 they wasn't gonna get going. 1:11:31.240 --> 1:11:33.520 So so funny. That's really funny. 1:11:33.880 --> 1:11:37.280 Okay, Well, I hope y'all enjoyed our little breakdown of 1:11:37.479 --> 1:11:41.160 the Eastern Conference and the WNBA. We're really excited for 1:11:41.280 --> 1:11:43.519 next week to get into the West and this season 1:11:43.600 --> 1:11:45.640 is going to be really fun. But thank y'all for 1:11:45.680 --> 1:11:48.080 tuning in again. I hope you guys enjoyed it. 1:11:48.160 --> 1:11:50.680 We will see y'all next week on the Full Circle Podcast. 1:11:51.800 --> 1:11:54.000 Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next 1:11:54.000 --> 1:11:57.040 week with more basketball for the Girls by the Girls. 1:11:57.360 --> 1:11:59.400 We want to hear from you. Leave us a review 1:11:59.439 --> 1:12:01.680 on Apple par podcast and tell us what you want 1:12:01.760 --> 1:12:04.160 us to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi 1:12:04.200 --> 1:12:07.599 Brown and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. 1:12:07.760 --> 1:12:11.799 Our supervising producer is Grace Fuz. Our producer is Zoe Danklab. 1:12:12.760 --> 1:12:15.759 Listen to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, 1:12:15.880 --> 1:12:19.000 iHeart open your free iHeart app and search full Circle 1:12:19.040 --> 1:12:21.320 with Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening