WEBVTT - Calling a Spade a Spade with Andraya Carter 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:03.239 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're reviving 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:06.840 Sabrini an Escu with a champagne drip and chess compressions. 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:10.760 On today's show, the WIBA Finals celebration continues. We'll chat 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:14.120 with the ESPNS Andrea Carter about the sensational series between 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:16.280 the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Links, and we'll 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:19.200 reflect on the legacies of the matchup stars. Plus an 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:22.639 NWSL scoring sweep and Orlando streak of a different kind 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:26.400 and biased dresses. That's right, it's all coming up right 0:00:26.440 --> 0:00:37.879 after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:43.319 know today. After the New York Liberties thrilling WNBA Finals win, 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.920 Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, blasted the officiating. 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:47.760 Take a listen. 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:51.000 I know all the headlines will be Reeve christ foul. 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:55.440 Bring it on, right, Bring it on, because this shit 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:56.480 was stolen from us. 0:00:56.920 --> 0:00:57.400 Bring it on. 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.080 Reeve also took a jab at New York for the 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.200 team's five one hundred thousand dollars fine for illicit use 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:05.760 of charter flights in twenty twenty one, and a little 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:08.160 side jab at the Las Vegas ass for that franchise 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:10.319 is rule violation regarding player benefits. 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:11.120 Here's some more. 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:13.319 You know what, we gave hope to those teams that 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:17.920 aren't willing to circumvent the cap or you know, fly 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:20.360 illegally or all this stuff that's happened over the last 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:24.240 five years, right, and so I mean, do it the 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:26.520 right way. It gives hope for those other teams that 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:27.840 you can build a team just like ours. 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:29.679 You don't have to have a super team, right, you 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:31.399 don't have to have that. There's a different way to 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:33.360 do it. So I'm incredibly proud of them. 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:37.000 Meantime, Liberty coach Sandy Broundella was asked about Reef's comments 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:39.520 on officiating during her own postgame press conference. 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:40.959 Here's what Brondelo had to say. 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:47.280 I thought that, yeah, pretty fair. I mean, last game, 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:49.440 you know, I mean, that's what you're gonna give and take. 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:52.680 Like again, number one, we should have won that game, 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:56.040 you know, close it out. But look, I have so 0:01:56.160 --> 0:01:58.440 much respect for Cheryl and I have so much respect 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:02.520 for that Minnesota League because, ma'am, I mean, that was ugly, 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:04.280 but we found a way to win. 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:05.840 At the end of the day. 0:02:05.960 --> 0:02:09.320 Both Brondelo and Reeve had called out bad officiating earlier 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:11.720 in the series, with a lack of consistency at the 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.680 center of their concerns. Always tough to have a major 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:18.240 championship a great series like that leave you with so 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.880 many questions about officiating, but certainly something for the league 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.840 to look into after complaints about officiating pretty much throughout 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.000 the season and postseason. Now in happier post title news, 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:29.400 The Liberty sat down with Robin Roberts on GMA on 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:31.440 Monday morning, and it was great to see the whole 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:34.280 team up on stage talking about the franchise's first win. 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:35.840 We got to do a little diggy to find out 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.560 why Sabrina Escu almost didn't make it. I think it 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:40.760 might be back to that Champagne trip we saw her 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:42.840 getting on Sunday when she was cramping up. 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:44.440 Try to take pictures with the trophy. 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:49.400 More WNBA news, the WNBA Players Association announced that they're 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:53.120 opting out of their collective bargaining agreement. According to Cheneogumkay, 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.160 who broke the news on ESPN, the union's Executive Committee 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:58.840 and the Board of Player Representatives voted on Monday to 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:01.800 get out of their current CBA two years early. The 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:04.320 current agreement, which was initially set to expire in twenty 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:07.040 twenty seven, will still be in effect through next season. 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:09.520 Opting out just means that the union and the league 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:11.880 now have a year to negotiate a new deal, or 0:03:11.960 --> 0:03:13.799 else there will be a work stoppage. Heading into the 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.640 twenty twenty sixth season, the union is likely to focus 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.520 on getting players bigger salaries and more financial incentives, especially 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.400 following the league's recent historic media rights deal valued at 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:26.840 two hundred million dollars per year. In a statement, WNBA 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.600 Commissioner kat the Engelbert said, quote, with the historic twenty 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:32.320 twenty four WNBA season now in the books, we look 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:35.240 forward to working together with the players and the WNBPA 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:37.720 on a new CBA that is fair for all and 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.400 lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come. 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:41.320 End quote. 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.880 Elsewhere in the w We've got yet another new coaching vacancy, 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:47.400 as the Dallas Wings fired head coach Letricia Trammel on 0:03:47.480 --> 0:03:50.800 Friday after just two seasons. Trammell's been a fan favorite 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.640 because of her charisma and her raw, unfiltered emotion, and 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:55.880 just last season, she helped the Wings to the franchise's 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:58.760 best record since eight, but this season injuries through a 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:02.240 wrench in Dallas's plan. Star forward Satusably missed twenty five 0:04:02.280 --> 0:04:04.720 out of forty games with a shoulder injury, and two 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:07.160 time All Star Natasha Howard sat with a broken foot 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:09.040 that she suffered during the first game of the season. 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:12.080 There were more injuries to including promising young player Maddy 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:14.000 Segresse breaking her left index. 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:14.720 Finger and missing time. 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:16.840 And to be honest, the rest of the league just 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:20.000 got better while the Wings didn't. They wrapped twenty twenty 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:21.800 four next to last in the league with a nine 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:24.200 to thirty one record. Trammell is the fourth head coach 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:26.760 to be fired since the twenty twenty four regular season ended, 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:31.800 joining Kurt Miller, Teresa Witherspoon, entity Schwreight to the NWSL. 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.800 Just days after breaking the NWSL single season goal record, 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:38.680 Kansas City's Tenwchiwenga became the first player in NWSL history 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:41.839 to score on every team in a single season. She 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:44.279 accomplished the feat by scoring her twentieth goal of the 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:46.120 season in a four to one victory over the San 0:04:46.120 --> 0:04:50.000 Diego Wave. Also in the NWSL, the Orlando Pride lost 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:52.400 for a second time in as many games, falling to 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:53.280 Gotham three to one. 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:54.240 It's the first time. 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:56.960 Orlando has conceded three goals in one game this season. 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.479 A lot of tears and hugs this weekend as several 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:04.200 NWSL players were celebrated. Gotham and former national team star 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:06.920 Kelly O'Hara got a big retirement sendoff in New York. 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:10.280 NWSL legend and current Angel City player Merret Matthias was 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.640 honored in LA as she ends her career, and at 0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.320 that same Angel City game, Kristin Press was recognized for 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:19.520 her one hundred caps in the NWSL. More NWSL news, 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:23.560 the playoffs are nearly set over the weekend. Utah, Angel City, 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:27.000 and San Diego were all eliminated from contention. That leaves 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:30.320 three teams in contention for the final two spots, Portland, 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:33.240 BAFC and Louisville. They'll have to wait a while to 0:05:33.240 --> 0:05:35.400 see who makes the cut, as the NWSL is pausing 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:37.800 the regular season for a week for the NWSL Times 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:41.599 League Mxfeminial Summer Cup Championship game, taking place between Kansas 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:43.919 City and Gotham this Friday night. The final week of 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:47.159 regular season action will be the weekend of November first, 0:05:48.279 --> 0:05:51.000 Also in soccer news, more than one hundred players are 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:54.800 protesting FIFA's sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian oil giant ORAMCO. 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:59.000 One hundred and six international athletes, including former US national 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.920 team captain and current Thorns player Becky Souerbrun, signed a 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:05.400 letter calling out Saudi Arabia's human rights violations against women 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:08.560 and members of the Lgbtqia plus community, as well as 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:13.440 Saudi Aramco's environmental impact. The four year FIFA Aramco partnership 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:16.640 includes sponsorship rights for the twenty twenty seven Women's World 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.159 Cup in Brazil. The letter calls the deal a quote 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:22.120 middle finger to women's soccer end quote, and cites a 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:24.040 list of women in Saudi Arabia who have been punished 0:06:24.080 --> 0:06:26.719 after speaking up for women's rights. FIFA seems to be 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.960 unphased and unwilling to budge. In a statement to multiple 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:33.000 news outlets, the soccer Federation said it quote values its 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:36.159 partnership with Aramco and its many other commercial and rights 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:41.560 partners end quote. We got to take a quick break 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:43.920 when we come back. It's the mother of nothing. 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:45.200 Andrea Carter. 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:55.159 Joining us now. She's a host, analyst and reporter for ESPN. 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:58.840 Covering the WNBA, the MNBA, and Women's and men's college hoops. 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:01.360 She graduated from Universe See of Tennessee with her bachelor's 0:07:01.360 --> 0:07:04.600 degree in communications and her master's degree in kinesiology. Was 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.880 part of the last hoops class to sign under the 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:10.000 Late Pat Summit, and before injury sidelined her, she made 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:12.960 ball handlers fear for their lives. She's a part of 0:07:13.120 --> 0:07:15.840 ESPN's Big Three alongside Al Duncan in Cheneogum Makay a 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.120 Georgia native, and she loves the crap out of her 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.080 snake child named Nothing. 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:22.679 It's Andrea Carter. What's up? Andrea? 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.040 What's up? You said that nothing? He's just in his 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.120 little tank over here, just keeping me company. 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:30.040 I was going to request that he be a part 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:31.760 of the interview, but I do want you to focus 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:35.440 on important things. Maybe at the end we'll we'll put 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:37.040 nothing in your arms, because we got to start with 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:39.760 the snake, actually, because I didn't believe that that was 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:41.880 yours when I first saw your photos a couple years ago. 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:43.520 I remember I slid into your DMS and I'm like, 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:46.480 what is happening? So can we get the brief story 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:48.960 on nothing? And just snakes in general. 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:51.960 Yeah, so I had snakes growing up, Like as a child, 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:53.840 my biological dad had a snake. 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:55.080 That's where it all started. 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.520 And then my mom, when it was just her and I, 0:07:57.640 --> 0:08:00.840 she got me a pet snake. Take me to the zoo, 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.440 and I would always want to see the snakes. I 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:06.640 have art like from elementary school where I drew snakes, 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:08.160 and when I. 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:09.960 Grow up, I will have a pet snake. Like it 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:10.880 was just always a thing. 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:15.680 And my stepdad, who raised me most of my whole life, 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.880 came in when I was pretty young and he's like, 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:20.160 no snakes. And so as I got older, I was like, 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:22.160 when I go to college, I'm getting a snake. And 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:25.520 literally freshman year, a group of my friends I had 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.040 shoulder surgery that year started at the very beginning of 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:31.200 the season, was sidelined with an injury, had shoulder surgery, 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:36.240 and after getting through that rehab, which was brutal, I 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:39.240 do all my other surgeries before I did my shoulder again, 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:44.199 they got me a snake and I've had him since then. 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:45.640 And that was twenty thirteen. 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:47.320 So how long do snakes live? 0:08:47.840 --> 0:08:50.360 He could live like twenty to thirty years just here 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:53.160 in the wild. I think it decreases a little bit. Yeah, 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:55.800 but he's fed regularly and kept. 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:58.160 Saying do you need a snake watcher? Or can he 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:00.600 be alone while you're gone on your trips and be alone? 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:02.959 I'll have someone to come. I have a few good friends. 0:09:03.000 --> 0:09:06.040 One of my college teammates, Bashara, actually, so he was 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:09.120 raised with hers in Atlanta, So she'll come by and 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.000 just like change his water, take him out, kind of 0:09:12.000 --> 0:09:12.920 play with him a little bit. 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:15.680 But I've left him for a week at a time. Yeah, 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:17.040 someone comes to changes water. 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:19.680 It's a little different from a dog sitter to be like, 0:09:19.720 --> 0:09:21.360 will you come hang out with my snake? 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:24.520 I love less work he eats does a month? 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:26.760 Does nothing have? Does nothing have? 0:09:27.000 --> 0:09:29.360 I did not intend on asking this many snake questions, 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.400 but now I'm in. Does nothing have the kind of 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:34.800 scales that are super like buttery feeling like super soft? 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:36.480 Yeah, yes, like he is. 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.240 I've handled several snakes and some of them are like, truly, 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:42.440 I hate to say it feels like a beautiful bag, 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.640 because you know that's insulting to the snake population. But 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:47.840 some of them are a little scalier and gross. But 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:50.840 then the buttery ones, like I'm in I'm in. 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.960 And he's iridescent. When he sheds like he gets super irridesent. 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:55.959 Take him outside and he's the best. 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:58.880 He's okay, Well nothing, I'm sorry for even invoking the 0:09:58.920 --> 0:09:59.600 idea of pursus. 0:09:59.760 --> 0:10:04.199 I am anti snakes purse. Okay, important stuff. 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:08.720 WNBA Finals and the game five overtime win for the 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:13.320 Liberty on Sunday or was it a loss? Drea give 0:10:13.320 --> 0:10:15.400 it to a straight Did the Liberty win or did 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:16.080 many lose? 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:16.880 Ugh? 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:21.240 I Ah, that's so tough because obviously two things are true. 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:25.680 But for me, I'm just like Minnesota lost it, or 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:29.040 like or it was like was it taken from Minnesota? 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:31.160 And this is the hard part, right because obviously there's 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.319 so much nuance, and it's never black and white. 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:35.720 There's always a gray area. 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:38.320 So there are going to be people that said that 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.320 was not a foul on Atlanta Smith. There are also 0:10:41.400 --> 0:10:44.240 which I was so mad at myself when watching the replay, 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:47.559 I was so focused on the foul and where Alanta 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:50.920 Smith was sliding and watching that I didn't notice the 0:10:51.040 --> 0:10:54.760 travel that could have been called on Briennasto caught the ball. 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:57.320 So there are so many things where people could be 0:10:57.360 --> 0:11:01.319 like if if that call went the other way, or 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:04.280 if that call wasn't called at all, what would have happened, Like, 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:06.240 who knows what that would what would have happened. Would 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.480 Minnesota have gotten the ball or if they overturned the 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:11.840 foul call, then maybe would they have done a jump 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:13.720 ball and then would Minnesota have gotten that or would 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:15.120 they been able to set their defense? And then on 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.440 the other side, for the Liberty side, it's also like, yeah, 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:19.960 but there was still five seconds left, so who knows 0:11:19.960 --> 0:11:21.800 what would have happened. We still could have tied it. 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:25.080 And then there's also the main group of people I 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.600 think that are like, you know, but there was still 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:30.520 five minutes left in overtime to go win it, and 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:33.120 so there's so many that's that's the beautiful thing. 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:34.880 About the game and the frustrating thing about the game 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:36.960 is there's all this gray area. 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:41.200 Obviously, hats off to the New York Liberty for winning, 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:43.120 because they went like, at the end of the day, 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:44.920 they can't what was what was. 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:45.719 New York supposed to do? 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:47.720 It be like, oh, actually she didn't foul me and 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:50.640 I traveled, so we're not gonna like you play the 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:54.080 game that the refs call and so you can't be like, oh, 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:59.880 New York shouldn't have to do done, and they dominated overtimes, 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:03.640 so I'd say New York won it in Minnesota lost. 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:06.120 And there we go. Yeah, we get you muted on 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:06.719 around the horn. 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.360 I want you to know that, but in this show 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:11.320 will allow you to have the nuance of both being true. 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.680 Thank you, Thank you, ronwall Jones. What does this mean 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:18.600 for her? The finals MVP? Adding that to her legacy. 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.320 It's huge. And you know, John Quall is the player. 0:12:21.559 --> 0:12:25.160 She's so kind like, she is such a kind like. 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:27.800 She's someone that you just actively root for, and she's 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:30.280 someone that's also experienced heartache. 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:31.640 At Connecticut, she had. 0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:35.280 Opportunities to win a championship with really good teams and 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:39.000 the makeup of those teams was obviously something that she 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:41.800 felt like she had to step away from and couldn't 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:44.959 find success there, and then has this opportunity with New 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:47.040 York and there's so much attention on them last year, 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:50.080 and last year seemed difficult from the outside looking in 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:53.640 like and figuring out where she now fits with the Liberty, 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:56.719 and then this year for her to almost come into 0:12:56.800 --> 0:13:00.320 her own again and know her role and just be 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:03.480 so consistent all season long and then so consistent in 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:07.840 the finals and have her moment where she is so celebrated. 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:09.839 It's wonderful. You know, this is a. 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.880 Player for me with John Cuell, I don't think she's 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.880 celebrated enough and that we could do a better job 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:16.840 of that in the media. 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.160 She wasn't celebrated when she won the MVP Award. She 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:20.920 wasn't celebrated. 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.480 If there's a beautiful article written about it after the fact, 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.880 but that was almost written about how she wasn't celebrated enough. Yeah, 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:29.959 and so you know, she is a player that deserves it. 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.640 She's a center that can score. 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:33.440 From all three levels. 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.480 She shot fifty percent from the field, forty from three 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.520 to ninety percent from the free throw line. That Minnesota 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.040 really had no answer for John Quell and she was 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:44.520 the key to their victory. So I think just as 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:48.400 far as being a matchup nightmare and being a consistent 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:52.320 presence to win a championship, that is now added to 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:53.760 her resume, and I think it's great. 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:54.480 She deserves it. 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:57.240 Yeah, you mentioned that she's sort of the intersection of 0:13:57.280 --> 0:13:59.120 so many things that we talk about in this league 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:04.040 that are off underappreciated, woman of color, queer woman, masculine 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:08.760 presenting big right. We love our guards, we love our 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:11.920 you know, flashy, and she just gets the job done. 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:14.840 From six Women of the Year to season MVP, now. 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:18.520 Finals, MVP Champion, plenty of All Defense, plenty of All 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:19.440 Star appearances. 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:22.440 Where does her career fit into the best all time? 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:22.680 For you? 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:23.520 Oh? 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:24.040 Wow? 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:27.280 Yeah, I mean I would definitely say John CLO's up there. 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:30.160 I mean, how many players in the league have an 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:34.400 MVP and a championship like that alone? Puts her in 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:37.520 a group or in a tier that is above a 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.840 lot of players, and she could she still hopefully has 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:43.040 a lot of time left and her game actually still 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:44.640 has room to grow. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:46.280 And depending on whether she. 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.600 Stays with New York or where she goes next, you know, 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:52.440 she's absolutely a player who could win another MVP if 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:55.240 she wanted to win another championship if she wanted to. 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:58.080 So I think that there are obviously the players that 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:02.200 won multiple championships multiple they're in the tier of their own. 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:06.400 But John Quell's almost in that middle space, you know, 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:10.280 where she's like above the majority of the players, and 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:13.080 she's reaching for that top tier. And I think it's 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.640 special and it's also a testament to you know, John 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:18.000 Quell is a player that left her family and her 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:22.720 the Bahamas and to come here and play basketball. So 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:26.760 her story and her testament to almost betting on herself 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:30.400 when she went to New York, it's really cool. But yeah, 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:34.080 she's she's she's moving into the top tier, but she is. 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:36.320 She's well above the majority, well. 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:38.560 And so consistent across this series, which was what the 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:43.320 Liberty needed because you look at Stewie and Sabrina big missus, 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:46.840 big makes, but big misses, lots of misses. It felt 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:49.840 like roller coaster esque for both of them throughout this 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:51.160 five games. 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.120 Where does Stewie fit into the goat conversation now? 0:15:54.200 --> 0:15:57.280 Because it's odd that she ends up winning this title 0:15:57.440 --> 0:15:59.120 and is a part of this team and adds that 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.040 to a resume that is almost unmatched. But also throughout 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:04.640 this series, I saw a lot of conversation about how 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.600 Nafisa Collier was the one who would now slid into 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.920 right behind Asia Wilson as opposed to Brianna Stewart. Yeah, 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:13.440 I mean what a season that fee had, right, Like, 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:15.920 Nefisa was absolutely amazing. 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:16.760 What have for sure? 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:20.200 One MVP if the Minnesota Links would have won like 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:24.080 the Pole playoffs and her final series was just phenomenal. 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:27.560 The defense that she played against Brianna Stewart. When you 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:31.120 talk about this season, Nafisa is one hundred percent like 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:32.600 right behind Asia Wilson. 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:32.920 It was. 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:34.080 It was clear as day. 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:38.720 When you get into the larger conversation of where people 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:42.920 stand in this league, Stewie has created separation. 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.720 With the MVPs and with the championships, But. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.960 When you get into who's catching up as just as 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.640 far as individual presence an individual, as far as being 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.440 effective goes as an individual, Fees up there. 0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:56.680 Fee's right there. 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:59.600 When you watch those two go one on one, it 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:03.040 was phenomenal and Fee often won those matchups, but they 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:07.040 the way that they battled and for me, fees on 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:10.680 her way, Like, I absolutely think Nafisa will win an MVP. 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:14.240 Nefisa Callier will win a championship. It might be multiple 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:16.199 her games. She's so tough to guard and like she 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:19.880 is a player that has perfected. 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:21.840 The fate the faded way. Like think about how many 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:25.520 players in the league, in the w and in the NBA. 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.040 That have almost perfected that shot to the point where 0:17:27.040 --> 0:17:29.640 it's unguardable. She already has that in her bag. She's 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:31.359 not even having to add that. Now she's going to 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:35.120 add everything else. So for me, v is catching up. 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:38.199 You know, she had a couple of tough seasons just 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:42.880 with Minnesota in general, but Fee as a player individually 0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:45.680 is coming into her own and I think she'll move 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:50.680 into again. Like we're witnessing players that will be marked 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.199 as some of the greatest we've ever seen, which is 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:53.680 so cool. 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:56.080 Do you think Minnesota could have the firepower to make 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:58.560 another run next season if the roster doesn't get changed 0:17:58.560 --> 0:17:58.960 too much? 0:17:59.400 --> 0:17:59.960 Yeah, I think. 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.639 I actually think Minnesota could be a team that makes 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.920 a move similar to the New York Liberty because coming 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:10.800 into this season right New York added Leoni Foebish and 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:13.840 then they trusted that Niaresabeli would kind of come into 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:15.520 your own, which she did to perfection. 0:18:15.640 --> 0:18:18.480 Shout out to her, because what a performance. I could 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:19.399 see Minnesota. 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:21.600 They could definitely go and try to get a big name, 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.920 which would also totally work, but I could also see 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:27.359 them doing something where I'm as an analyst at the 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:28.880 beginning of the season being like, wait, that's. 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.720 It said, and you were like and she shut me up. 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:33.879 Yeah, and she did, And I love that. 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:35.880 Like, the one thing I will do is coll as 0:18:35.920 --> 0:18:38.520 beta Spade when it happens, and then collas beta. 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:41.320