WEBVTT - You Get What You Accept with Cheryl Reeve 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:02.920 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're still 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.680 crying at the speech Asia Wilson gave after learning she 0:00:05.760 --> 0:00:09.400 won MVP, and we're still hydrated after a busy weekend 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.760 as the world's best wedding officiant. 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:13.480 Congrats Hannah and Jenny. 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:16.159 On today's show, we'll be chatting with Minnesota Links and 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:19.040 USA basketball head coach Cheryl Reef about our team's focus 0:00:19.040 --> 0:00:21.599 in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs, managing the 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.520 USA roster route to gold in Paris, and dealing with 0:00:24.560 --> 0:00:28.680 criticism surrounding roster selection and player minutes. Plus, it's our 0:00:28.760 --> 0:00:32.920 fiftieth episode. The traditional gift for fifty is gold. Do 0:00:33.040 --> 0:00:35.639 with that information what you will. It's all coming up 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:47.080 right after this. Welcome back, my Orange slices. Hope you 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:48.920 had a great weekend. Here's what you need to know 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:53.840 today in the w the first round series are underway. 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:54.080 Now. 0:00:54.080 --> 0:00:55.480 I had to hop on a flight home from the 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.080 aforementioned nuptials. The things we do for love. 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.360 So we're going to update you on the Phoenix Mercury 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:02.880 versus the Minnesota Links and the Las Vegas Aces versus 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:06.080 the Seattle Storm tomorrow. But here's the status report on 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:08.480 the first two games. The New York Liberty took care 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:10.600 of business on home court against Atlanta down in the 0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:13.720 Dream eighty three sixty nine. Leoni Phoebich had the best 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.319 scoring game of her career in the first playoff game 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:18.920 of her career, leading New York with twenty one points. 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:21.800 Along the way, Courtney Vandersloute passed suberd to become the 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:25.600 w's all time playoff assists leader. She's got three hundred 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:28.800 and sixty five and counting Tina Charles, the newly minted 0:01:28.920 --> 0:01:32.000 WNBA all time leader in rebounds and double doubles. She 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:34.679 broke both those records in the final regular season game. 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.480 She had twelve points and seven rebounds for Atlanta. Some 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.319 hometown fun in the Indiana Fever Connecticut Sun game as 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.479 the Mohegan Sun, video operators highlighted a bunch of Fever 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:46.959 fans in attendance on a quote unquote bandwagon cam with 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.960 the caption diehard Fever fan since twenty twenty four. They 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.040 got jokes and the Sun got the win. The game 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:57.600 started out tight and pretty ugly, with both team's lacking 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:01.080 rhythm and some equipment malfunctions that had Caitlin Clark given 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:03.800 her best bill O'Reilly stare at the scorer's desk. We'll 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.880 do it live if you know, you know, But it 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:08.960 wasn't their fault and it got cleared up and the 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.560 sun eventually clicked, pulling away to get an easy ninety 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:14.200 three to sixty nine win. Marina Maybrey led the way 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.360 for Connecticut with twenty seven points. That's the most points 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:20.359 ever off the bench in a WNBA playoff game, while 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:23.600 Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with twenty one points. And 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:25.720 we'd be remiss if we didn't give you the hoops 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.760 and gay shit update, seeing as this game had two 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:32.720 count them two engaged couples. First, the Sons Alyssa Thomas 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:36.440 and Duanna Bonner, who combined for thirty four points, sixteen rebounds, 0:02:36.480 --> 0:02:40.359 and eighteen assists in their team's win, and the sons 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:44.480 djn A Carrington and the Fevers Melissa Smith engaged. I said, 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:48.040 sure did they're stoken some serious rumors after showing up 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:50.680 to the last game of their respective regular seasons in 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:55.240 matching outfits and Djona wearing a big old diamond ring 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:59.040 on her left ring finger. We stand real bad and 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:01.240 now we're wondering if there are new rules for staying 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:04.280 at your opponent's place when it's the postseason. We really 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:06.600 need to get a WNBA reporter to ask if Melissa 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:08.280 is staying at Djona's place tonight. 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:13.200 I just I can't imagine it. I really can't. Okay, 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:14.320 more w news. 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:18.240 On Sunday morning, the WNBA officially announced that Asia Wilson 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:21.079 is the unanimous MVP of the twenty twenty four season. 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:24.440 It's only the second unanimous vote ever. The first with 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:27.600 no opposition was Cynthia Cooper back in the inaugural ninety 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:31.520 seven season. This is Asia's third MVP award, making her 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:33.880 the fourth player in w history to win three of them, 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.720 joining Cheryl Swoops, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson. That is 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:40.920 great company. The announcement head at eight thirty am Eastern, 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.360 and the Aces followed it up with a video that's 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.320 definitely going to get your eyes a little misty. 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:46.880 We'll link to it in our episode notes. 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:51.360 But eight thirty am Eastern is five thirty am in Vegas, 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:53.600 so some folks on the West Coast woke up beyond 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.160 a little late to the party, and same for those 0:03:56.160 --> 0:03:58.000 of us who slept in real late on the East Coast. 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.520 Also interesting, there were sixty eight voters, but only sixty 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:05.080 seven ballots were cast for Wilson as MVP. Maybe someone 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:08.480 overslept and didn't submit in time. Maybe someone refused to answer. 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:11.520 Someone tells me we're not going to find out. In 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:15.520 any event, this year's crown is Asia's Take a bow girl. 0:04:16.080 --> 0:04:18.240 Oh and you didn't think this announcement would pass without 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:21.480 a mention from Asia's secret boot. But it was actually 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:23.479 his team that got in on the game this time. 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:27.440 The MNBA Miami Heat joined the social media shenanigans between 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:31.240 Wilson and Bam Autobio, tweeting, quote our random photo of 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:35.880 Bam on this lovely Sunday. Of course that's a apostrophe random. 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:36.960 We love this. 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:39.880 The rest of the w's end of season awards will 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:42.240 be released throughout the postseason, and will update y'all on 0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:44.080 those as they come in. For what it's worth, though, 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:47.760 the Associated Press's fifteen member media panel did release all 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:49.800 of their picks for the awards. We'll link to the 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:51.760 full list in our show notes, but it's worth noting 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:54.320 that the AP voters did select a Fisa Collier for 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.440 Defensive Player of the Year over Asia Wilson. Now, in 0:04:57.440 --> 0:04:59.880 case you missed it, last week, Becky Hammond, coach of 0:04:59.920 --> 0:05:03.560 the Las Vegas Asis, called out ESPN in particular during 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:07.600 a postgame press conference after several ESPN writers announced they 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:10.240 had selected ANFISA as Defensive Player of the Year. 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:11.360 Here's a clip of. 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.279 That ESPN and we worked with ESPN, Eve and I 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.680 worked with ESPN, And I'm just going to say this, 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:22.360 Asia Wilson got the. 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:26.400 MVP stuff right, the Defensive Player of the Year. 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:31.239 If you have to, as a journalist or a reporter, 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.200 have to go down a rabbit hole to find somebody 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:38.359 else to be in the conversation, you already have the 0:05:38.480 --> 0:05:41.320 answer to all your questions. 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:43.240 And that's all I'm going to say on it. 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:46.880 We asked aphesis coach Cheryl Reeve for her thoughts on 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:50.719 him and sentiments, so stay tuned for that more. WNBA 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.720 News La Sparks guard and twelve year WNBA vet Leisha 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:56.920 Clarendon announced their retirement over the weekend. The thirty three 0:05:56.960 --> 0:06:00.200 year old, who uses he she they pronouns, is the 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.680 league's first openly transgender and non binary player and the 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:06.760 first ever VP of the players Association. He was a 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:10.120 driving force behind the league's historic twenty twenty collective bargaining agreement, 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.440 which increased salaries, improved travel conditions. 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:15.120 And offered more support for parents in the league. 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:18.919 She also advocated for LGBTQIA plus inclusive policies across the 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.279 w and it was their idea to dedicate the twenty 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:24.520 twenty season to the Say Her Name Campaign, a social 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.880 movement which calls attention to the stories of black women 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.800 and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence. 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.440 Clarendon has dealt with their share of injuries in recent 0:06:32.560 --> 0:06:35.479 years and hasn't played a full season since twenty twenty one. 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.279 In a post on Instagram, they wrote, in part, quote, 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:41.200 while the grief is heavy, the joy remains. I am 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.359 so looking forward to being celebrated and love done. I 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.120 respectfully ask you not to say you're going to be 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:49.680 great in whatever you choose next. I want to stay 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.400 in the sweetness of this moment where my heart is 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:55.440 broken and there's tears rolling down my eyes, and I 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:59.279 can also smile, look up and say, damn, I really 0:06:59.279 --> 0:06:59.920 did all of that. 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:04.360 End quote, Yes, Ley, you did. Thank you for it all. 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:07.760 In the NWSL We've got a positive update on Washington's 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:10.440 Spirit striker Trinity Rodman. She was taken off the pitch 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:12.880 in a wheelchair after a collision in the seventy fifth 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.559 minute of Washington's Friday night match against the Case Current. 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:18.280 After the match, the Spirit's head coach said Rodman felt 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:21.960 quote something in her back end quote. Rodman's agent confirmed 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.920 this Saturday, telling the Washington Posts Ella Brockway that Trinity 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.480 had in fact suffered an intense backspasm and is in 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:30.920 a lot of pain. That her team is hopeful she 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:35.240 avoided anything serious. Speaking of injury, we got some sad 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:38.040 news on Saturday in New York, New Jersey. GOTHAMFC announced 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.920 that defender Kelly O'Hara is done for the season due 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:42.280 to chronic need degeneration. 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:43.920 O'Hara, who was a. 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.320 Staple on the back line of the US women's national team, 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.440 announced in May that she would be retiring at the 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.760 end of the twenty twenty fourth season. According to a 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:52.800 Gotham press release, she'll continue to be in the team's 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:55.880 environment for the remainder of the season in a leadership role, 0:07:56.120 --> 0:08:00.000 and GOTHAMFC will also celebrate O'Hara's legendary career on October twentieth, 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:02.840 during the team's final regular season home match against the 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.800 Orlando Pride. That's a five pm Eastern start at Red 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:09.320 Bull Arena. Also, it was a little poetic that Kelly 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:12.320 and Alex Morgan ended up playing their final games on 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.440 the exact same day. Those two are sort of inextricably linked, 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:17.240 and as sad as we are to see both of 0:08:17.280 --> 0:08:19.560 them be done, it does feel a little bit right 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:21.760 that they both played their last game on the exact 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:25.400 same day. Also, something got them can celebrate. They clinched 0:08:25.400 --> 0:08:27.800 a spot in the playoffs. The team's one nil victory 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:30.560 over the Utah Royals on Sunday made it official. The 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:32.840 defending champs are third overall in the league as it 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:36.040 stands now, trailing the unbeaten Orlando Pride and the Washington 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:40.360 Spirit to Hockey. The college hockey season is officially underway. 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:42.559 The Ohio State Buckeys are on a mission to defend 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:45.280 their twenty twenty four title and capture a third chip 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:48.640 in four years. Last season, they defeated Wisconsin won nothing 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.960 in the Frozen four final. But Ohio State's roster looks 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:54.880 pretty different these days. After eight members of last year's 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.240 championship roster were picked up in the twenty twenty four 0:08:57.400 --> 0:09:01.280 PWHL draft. Minnesota Duluth humbled the buck Guys in the 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:03.800 season opener, beating the defending champs two to one on 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:05.560 Saturday and then pulling out a. 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:09.600 Four to three win on Sunday. Finally, some style. 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.720 And fashion news, Ellie the Elephant, the uber popular New 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:14.959 York Liberty mascot, teamed up with Nike to create a 0:09:15.000 --> 0:09:17.520 new Sabrina two colorway. We'll link to the site in 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:19.760 our show notes, and we'll also link to the video 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:24.480 of Ellie's design process at Nike headquarters Pure Entertainment. The 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:27.360 Liberty also announced a multi year partnership with fashion company 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:29.880 off White over the weekend. The brand is now the 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:33.080 official style and culture curator of the team, marking off 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:36.320 White's first US sports team partnership. The first item born 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:39.240 from the collaboration is a custom varsity jacket, which was 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.200 unveiled ahead of the Liberty's opening playoff game. We are 0:09:42.240 --> 0:09:45.320 super excited to see an insanely cool and cheep brand 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:47.600 like off White work with the Liberty, but we are 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:50.240 also wondering how we are ever going to be able 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:54.320 to afford the merch We're going to take a quick 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:56.360 break when we come back. We caught up with Minnesota 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:58.840 Link's head coach Cheryl Reeve on Friday ahead of the 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:01.640 first round of the playoffs. You'll hear that conversation coming 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:08.840 up next. She's the head coach and president of basketball 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.520 operations for the Minnesota Links of the WNBA A team 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:14.080 she's led to four championship wins, and she's a two 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:17.199 time WNBA champion. As an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock, 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:19.440 she was head coach of the USA basketball team that 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:21.960 just won gold in Paris, and as a player, she's 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:25.600 still top ten in single season assists at LaSalle University, 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:27.200 where she was inducted into the Hall. 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:29.720 Of Athletes in twenty seventeen. I once talked shit to 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:32.160 her sitting courtside in Toronto while she was coaching against 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:36.400 my Sky and it's her birthday today. It's Cheryl reed 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:37.320 what's up, coach? 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.880 What's up? What's up? I do remember that in Toronto. 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:42.640 I haven't forgotten that. I haven't forgot. 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:45.880 Listen only gets my squad. I'm gonna talk some shit. 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:48.120 That's just the way I oper I hear you I 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:49.280 do appreciate that about you. 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:53.480 So big birthday plans besides our show. 0:10:54.480 --> 0:10:57.439 Yeah, I'm gonna be spending it a team is so sweet. 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:00.719 Gonna have dinner with the team tonight. It's actually our 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:03.920 playoff dinner. They invited me to that, so I'll be Yeah, 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:07.240 so spending my birthday with the team. So actually, they've 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:13.160 been so therapeutic for me. So it actually is fitting life. 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:14.600 Of a coach, pretty standard. 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.680 Before we even get into your incredible Minnesota links and 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:22.160 the postseason coming up, their incredible post Olympic run, I 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:23.800 want to take a moment for that run to the 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:29.200 Olympic gold. Congratulations. Also, thank you. That was a close one. 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:32.400 What was the toughest part of that job for you 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:34.200 being the head coach of Tmosa basketball? 0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:38.880 Uh, you know, I would say without question it's probably 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:41.520 one A and one B, which we talk about all 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:43.560 the time, is just that we don't get enough time 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:47.600 together and so it has to be like this instant 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:50.720 where you get a group of players together. The final roster, 0:11:51.120 --> 0:11:54.520 you know, wasn't what I had for since twenty twenty two, right, 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.920 It changed each time we had a competition. So that's 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:02.679 that's a challenge. You know, I'm thankful that the leaders 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.600 of our team sort of understood that we didn't have 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:10.320 time for skepticism or anything like that. We had to 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.280 kind of all be in it right away and buy in. 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:16.120 And that allowed us, you know, obviously to have a 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:18.120 you know, a level of success that you know, I 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:21.120 appreciated what they were giving. And then the second part, 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.360 every coach that I talked to, you know, I worked 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:27.319 for uh Gino for two quads. I worked for Dawn 0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:30.920 for a quad. Uh and both of them said unequivocally 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:36.080 the roster management at the playing time for players would 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.120 be the hardest thing, UH, because you have I mean, 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.800 there's no wrong choices. But what I did learn is 0:12:40.840 --> 0:12:42.480 you have to make choices, and I've learned that a 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:45.000 long time ago. It's a mistake that a lot of 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:47.920 young coaches make. You have to be willing to make 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.480 the hard decisions, and you know, you try to inform 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.320 your decisions collectively as a staff. We certainly did that, 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:56.960 but there's no question that was that was those two 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:58.080 things with the hardest. 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:01.560 You mentioned coaching under geno Ori Emma and Don Staley. 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:04.520 Give me one big thing you learned or took away 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:06.440 from each of them, Well. 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:13.080 Both very very different Gino. Gino had d and Sue 0:13:14.480 --> 0:13:17.560 kind of you know, it was comical, uh the way 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.160 that they treated him. Uh, it was was fun to 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:24.559 be around. But I think Gino, you know, a little 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:30.280 more offensive oriented. I would say at that time, you know, Don, 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:34.080 you just learned I learned from Don in terms of 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:39.480 uh player relations. It's about the players and and trying 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:42.920 to kind of have that balance. Uh. So they both 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:46.800 were really good. Uh, two very different teams uh that 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.319 they coached, and so I learned different things. Uh, I 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.640 knew My biggest takeaway was that I wanted to utilize 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.400 our depth on our team. I wanted that to be 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:59.160 sort of a hallmark because that is a separator in 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:02.559 the US. And we saw with France that they were 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:07.120 able to to have depth. They had athleticism, two things 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:09.840 that that we have, which is why you saw what 0:14:09.880 --> 0:14:11.520 you saw in that gold medal game. France was a 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.080 team you know, we were worried about for more than 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.280 a year as we saw them come together. So we 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:19.480 are not surprised with how that played out. 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:23.960 Yeah, if there were a player that played for each 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:26.480 of the three of you, what do you think they 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:30.200 would say? Was distinctly different about playing for you and 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:32.479 your style, your way of doing things. 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:36.440 Oh wow, that's a tough one. I really don't know. 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:39.080 I really don't know. I'd love to be a fly 0:14:39.160 --> 0:14:41.520 on the wall to hear it. I wouldn't be surprised, 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.720 you know. I think I think typically what would be 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:48.880 described about me, I can't say what they would say 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:53.000 about Donn or Geno. I certainly have like I put 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:56.280 my own mark on things. I like to collect information. 0:14:57.120 --> 0:14:59.200 But I learned long ago that being yourself is the 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:00.360 most important thing can do. 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:01.280 Uh. 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.640 And that can be both, especially in a short short 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:08.000 time where you know, when most of the players aren't 0:15:08.000 --> 0:15:10.680 my players and they don't get me. Uh. And so 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.920 I think I can be prickly, you know, I'm demanding. 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:18.200 I think, you know, like I want the details. Uh 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:20.080 And so I think in camp, you know, we we 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.480 wanted what we wanted and we worked hard for it, 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.320 whether it was you know, we wanted to be a 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:26.360 defensive oriented team. We were going to do it. We 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:29.120 were going to do it a certain way. So I 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.080 don't I don't know. I mean, you know, I wanted 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:32.560 to have fun at the same time, I'm not sure 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:34.720 if we accomplished all that. I don't know it was 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:40.440 I I was gonna say, I mean our job. We 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.240 had one job, you know, and Dawn told me that repeatedly. Cheryl, 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.840 you have one job, one job, and you don't make 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.560 many friends in the job, but you have one job. 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:53.080 Yep, you get a lot of friends afterwards when you 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:54.320 hand them all their gold medals. 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:57.680 That's right, that's exactly right. It's exactly what you said. 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.200 You mentioned that it's hard to try to please everyone, 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:04.120 and that could be in playing Diana Tarassi more minutes, 0:16:04.120 --> 0:16:05.800 because you know it's a final Olympics. 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.360 It could even be roster making. 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:10.720 Even though the roster was made by a USA Basketball 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:13.920 selection committee, you still end up facing questions, in particular 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.280 about Caitlin Clark's omission. Sure did how did you handle 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:22.240 that situation? And what didn't people get about it? 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.120 I think what people don't get about it? And it's okay, 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:29.120 you know, like it's you know, you can't change what 0:16:29.160 --> 0:16:33.920 people think. But the coach of the national team truly 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:37.560 has no power in the selection of the team. And 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:40.680 my example that I give is we were at a 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.200 camp in Las Vegas getting ready to go to Sydney, 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:46.160 Australia for the World Cup. One of my players was there, 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:50.000 Kayla McBride from the Minnesota Lynx. I thought k mack 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.880 had a tremendous camp and it should have gone with 0:16:53.960 --> 0:17:00.240 us to Sydney, and had no indication that anyone felt that, 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:02.480 especially from our staff and some of the committee was 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.920 in our meetings. It felt as if we all felt 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:07.959 the same that came back, had a great camp, and 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:09.640 not that you'd make the final rouster because you still 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:11.439 had to go to Sydney and make that final cut. 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:16.440 And I learned at the eleventh hour that they cut 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:20.119 my player, and so I said that came back. If 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.080 there's ever a time for people to understand that the 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:24.320 coach has no say in it, this is one of 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.560 those times. And so but I get, I get you 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:27.879 got to you know, in this day and age, you 0:17:27.920 --> 0:17:30.600 got to assign blame somewhere that took a lot of 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:33.600 bullets for USA basketball. Uh, you know, this is a 0:17:33.720 --> 0:17:36.240 unique time. I took a lot of bullets and and 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:38.399 you know, but you can't. You know, it is what 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:40.080 it is when you sign up for the position, it 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:42.560 is what it is. I mean, certainly, Gino, you know 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:45.720 went through his time, and you know omissions of players, Dawn, 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:48.400 you can't escape that when you're in this position. Somebody's 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:51.280 upset and you mentioned Caitlin, but there's other Erique. I 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.959 thought Arique really had improved and did some great things, 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:58.000 and you can make a case for you know, Ryan Howard. 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.000 You know these are all players that you hope that 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:03.239 they stick with it. It may not have been their 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.760 time right now, but their time could be coming. And 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:08.920 not to give up on that, because I think all 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.000 those players were worthy of the consideration that they got 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:12.439 all right. 0:18:12.520 --> 0:18:14.920 Last Olympic question, how do you balance wanting to win 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:18.080 and having as much success as possible without giving away 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.119 links secrets like you're going to need those later to 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:22.040 win the title? 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:23.000 How do you do that? 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:27.679 You know what's cool about the group? The players were 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:29.400 a little more guarded. I think at times when I'd 0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:32.439 ask questions like I'm truly was like trying to install 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:34.280 an off and say an Asian what block do you like? 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:37.280 Chelsea and Asian Jack, y'all look at each other like 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:39.960 we really gonna tell her, you know, like which blood 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:42.760 you know? And then when push comes to shelve, we're 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.720 trying to win, so it comes out. But you know, honestly, 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.680 I was unguarded. You know, I like, if you learn 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:52.800 some things about the Minnesota Links, Okay, you still got 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:54.879 to play against us, you still got to stop it whatever. 0:18:56.240 --> 0:18:58.920 You know, really just that's why you play the game. 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:01.399 And it really is just a shell of what the 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:03.600 larger picture is for the Lynx because you don't have 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:05.719 a lot of time to really drill down. So they 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:08.720 learned some maybe some components to it, but I suspect 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:10.080 that they won't remember very much. 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:13.080 We'll find out in the postseason. 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.320 Okay, so you go straight from Olympic gold right back 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:19.160 to the Lynx and you go on an incredible thirteen 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.280 and one run to close the season after Paris. No 0:19:22.440 --> 0:19:27.120 post Olympic fatigue, no post Olympic goldrums like you're crushing 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:30.000 take us inside the locker room in those practices, like 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:31.200 you were already a strong team. 0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:33.720 But there's a flip the switch moment that happened. What 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:34.280 is that? 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:37.720 You know? I wish I could tell you. It's a 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:41.560 special group. We had three Olympians that were away that 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:44.080 were you know, three of our starters, and you know 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:47.720 McBride was was back in Minneapolis and Courtney Williams, and 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:51.280 you know, I think I think they just really enjoy 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.199 playing with each other. I know Fee was excited to 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:57.359 get back, you know, with her with her group and 0:19:57.440 --> 0:20:00.000 get to, you know, play the position she naturally played, 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:02.359