WEBVTT - Tiffany Crowns and Terrible Execs 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:02.480 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're wondering 0:00:02.480 --> 0:00:06.160 where the big money DJ powered party paddock track meets 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:09.080 were when we still had wheels and two functioning Achilles. 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:12.840 On today's show, we'll be unpacking the WNBA Playoffs, looking 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.319 ahead to a finals rematch in the Semis, and calling 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:16.720 in a favor from a friend. 0:00:16.440 --> 0:00:16.880 Of the show. 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:20.120 Plus what the fact that will make your blood boil? 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:28.200 It's all coming up right after this. Welcome back, everybody. 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:32.480 Here's what you need to know today. Two more first 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:34.280 round series in the books, and that makes it a 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:36.400 clean sweep for all four top seeds. In the first 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.800 round of the WNBA Playoffs, Connecticut Sun eliminated the Indiana 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:41.839 Fever with an eighty seven to eighty one victory in 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:44.159 the early game, and the Minnesota Links finished off the 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:46.239 Phoenix Mercury with a one oh one eighty eight win 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.520 in the late game. The Fever Sun game had everything 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.000 a fan that Caitlin Clark had to get security to 0:00:52.000 --> 0:00:54.600 put in time out. Clark and Dwana Bonner get into 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:57.400 a couple of feisty exchanges, a scary moment where Erica 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.320 Wheeler flew into a cameraman, but did return to play 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.480 a Marina the Dog Maybury Dagger three at the end 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.399 and some more insane stat lines from who else but 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:11.360 Alyssa Thomas. Thomas had nineteen points, thirteen assists, and five rebounds. 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:14.440 She now has just the second game in WNBA playoff 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.199 history with fifteen plus points, thirteen plus assists, and five 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:20.360 plus rebounds. She also had the first one last year, 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:24.040 and per ESPN stats at Info, Thomas's twenty six assists 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:26.560 in the series ty with Sueberd in twenty twenty for 0:01:26.640 --> 0:01:29.200 the most assists over a two game span within a 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:32.800 postseason all time. On the other side, a much better 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:34.560 game from Caitlin Clark in the loss. She put up 0:01:34.600 --> 0:01:37.920 twenty five points, nine assists, and six boards. Via ESPN 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:40.240 Stats and Info, Clark became just the second rookie in 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.800 WNBA postseason history with at least twenty points, five rebounds 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.760 and five assists, joining her hero Maya Moore, who did 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:49.960 it in twenty eleven. Clark's team, Adaliah Boston had sixteen 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:52.640 points and nineteen boards, becoming the second youngest player in 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.279 WNBA playoffs history with fifteen plus points and fifteen plus 0:01:56.280 --> 0:02:00.120 rebounds in a postseason game. Trailing only Candice Parker. I'm 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:02.200 sure sad to see the Fever season end, but an 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.960 incredible year for last year's last place team. I see 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.720 a whole lot of success in their future, especially with 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.040 arrested Kitlin Clark. And according to Wednesday night's ESPN broadcast, 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.120 she's going to take some time to rest this offseason, 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:17.880 which means likely no Overseas league and no Unrivaled. We 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:19.320 were actually wondering if we were going to see that 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:22.480 announcement drop anytime soon about her joining Unrivaled, and it 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:24.880 turns out Indiana Fever gm Lyn Dunn revealed on one 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:26.960 oh seven five the Fans Wake Up Call show a 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:29.440 few months ago that Kaitlyn was invited to Unrivaled, but 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:31.120 she said at the time she thought Caitlyn preferred to 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.960 get more five on five reps. So could we see 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:37.640 her join AU basketball That's just a four week season, 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:41.000 could still get some reps in Caitlin and Nashville would 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:43.880 be very fun. We'll keep you updated on that. One 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.160 more thing about this series I think is worth noting. 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:48.960 In the postgame presser, Alisa Thomas was asked about her 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.880 son team staying professional in the face of racism and 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:55.640 threats from social media users and alleged fans during the series. 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:57.360 Here's some of what Thomas had to say. 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.960 Honestly, it's been a lot of nonsense. I think in 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:04.520 my eleven year career, I've I've never experienced the the 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:08.520 racial comments from the India and the Fever fan base. 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:13.600 It's unacceptable, honestly, And yeah, there there's no place for it. 0:03:13.639 --> 0:03:16.720 And we've been professional throughout the whole entire thing. But 0:03:17.320 --> 0:03:19.480 I I've I've never been called the things that I've 0:03:19.520 --> 0:03:22.040 been called on on social media and and and there's 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:24.720 no place for it. And and you know, basketball is 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:28.720 headed in in in a great direction, but we we don't. 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:30.799 We don't want fans that are are gonna degrade us 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:33.919 and call us racial names. I mean, we already see 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:35.960 what what's happening in the world and and what we 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:36.800 have to deal with. 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:37.400 In that aspect. 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:39.600 And you know, we come to play basketball for our 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.240 job and it's fun, but we don't wanna go to 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.280 work every day and and and have social media blown 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.440 up over over things like that. It's it's it's uncalled 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:51.760 for and something needs to be done, whether it's you know, 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:55.080 them checking their fans or this league checking it. 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:56.880 There's there's no time for it anymore. 0:03:58.000 --> 0:03:59.960 And I think it's necessary to give you an example 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:02.880 of just how graphic and horrific these messages have been, 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:06.160 especially in the direction of djn A Carrington, who accidentally 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:07.960 caught Kitlin Clark in the ie in game one of 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:11.119 the series. Before the game, Carrington shared to her Instagram 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.080 an email she received, and I'm warning you about the 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.640 language here, but I think it's necessary to share the 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:19.239 email read quote worthless N word bitch. I hope someone 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.120 rapes you and cuts your head off. All over social 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:25.440 media there are things like that and just awful things 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:29.160 being said, in particular to the Sun, A team opposing 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:31.799 Kaitlyn Clark's fever. Now, Kaitlin Clark is not to blame 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:34.520 for this, but it is something that the league finally 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:37.760 felt they should address. After this game, the WNBA put 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.640 out a statement that read, the WNBA is a competitive 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:43.000 league with some of the most elite athletes in the world. 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:45.760 While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:49.919 not tolerate racist, derogatory or threatening comments made about players, teams, 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.680 and anyone affiliated with the league. League security is actively 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:56.880 monitoring threat related activity and will work directly with teams 0:04:56.920 --> 0:05:00.280 and arenas to take appropriate measures to include involved law 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:03.680 enforcement as necessary. Now it feels like that statement is 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:06.680 a few days, if not weeks too late, but better 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:10.120 late than never. After the game, Fever coach Christie Sides 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:12.760 also made a statement about how there is absolutely no 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:15.360 place for these players who are going to work and 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:17.799 doing their best to be receiving this kind of treatment. 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.640 To the late game where the Minnesota Links managed to 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:23.400 finish off the Phoenix Mercury one oh one eighty eight 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:26.440 behind a fist at Collier. Picking up where she left 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.679 off in Game one, she put up twenty three points 0:05:28.760 --> 0:05:31.599 in the first half and finished with forty two in 0:05:31.640 --> 0:05:35.159 the game, tying a WNBA playoff record some truly ipop 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:37.960 and stats for Fee thanks to across the timeline first 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:39.960 player with back to back thirty five point games in 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:43.520 WNBA playoffs history. First player was seventy three plus points 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.839 in a two game span in a WNBA postseason. Fee 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:50.280 was cash money all night long. On the other side, 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:52.680 Britney Grinder was all but unstoppable and they got it 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:54.760 tour in the paint and she put up twenty four 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:57.160 in the game, but the Mercury simply couldn't get enough 0:05:57.160 --> 0:06:00.719 stops on defense. Points off, turnovers were a hiller for them, 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:02.839 and they had no answer for the Links half court 0:06:02.880 --> 0:06:05.599 offense either. Twenty eight team assists for the Links in 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:08.880 the game, a truly well oiled machine. This from across 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:11.400 the timeline again. In the two game series, the Links 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.400 had fifty eight assists on sixty eight field goals made. 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:17.040 That's eighty five point three percent of makes assisted down 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.240 That's the best mark over a two game span in 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:23.360 WNBA Playoffs history. Like Game one, Khalia Copper was slowed 0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:25.360 down by foul trouble, she had thirteen in the lost 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:28.200 Natasha Cloud sixteen points and ten boards, and in what 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:30.320 might have been the final game of her incredible career, 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:34.039 Dina Trossi put up ten points. If she's done, she 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:37.120 leaves sitting in first place all time in points, field 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:40.640 goals made, and three pointers made, second in games played, 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:44.360 and fourth in assists. So much more to say about 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:47.680 Diana Trossi if she lets us know in the coming days, weeks, 0:06:47.760 --> 0:06:51.440 or months that this was indeed it. Seeing Diana walk 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.919 off the court to a standing ovation from the Minnesota 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:56.880 crowd in fact, you know, seeing all these teams done 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.240 for the year, I'm not ready. I'm not ready to 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:02.320 say goodbye. Fans need a chance to see their squad 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:04.679 at home in the postseason at least once. I think, 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:07.320 and I think these lower seeded teams need a chance 0:07:07.360 --> 0:07:09.600 to make some money off a home playoff game or two. 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:13.080 So I got to give to Twitter RTIs and shout 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:17.840 out on this show to this. Shay Serrano tweet, he wrote, WNBA, 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:20.920 the first round should be best of five. This best 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:24.360 of three nonsense is nonsensical. Please do something about this 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:28.880 at FBI, at the Rock, at Michelle Obama, someone, anyone. 0:07:29.320 --> 0:07:33.680 Shay is right, Michelle, we need you help us. In 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:38.000 WNBA Awards news, it's official. Connecticut Sun guard Dja Carrington 0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:41.240 is the WNBA's most improved Player. It's the terry. On 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:44.320 top of the best regular season of her career, Carrington, 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:46.240 in her fourth year in the league, average a career 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:50.160 high twelve point seven points, five rebounds, one point six assists, 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:53.120 and one point five to six deals. The Stanford alum 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:55.800 got twenty eight of the sixty seven votes for the award, 0:07:56.000 --> 0:07:59.240 with Dereka Hamby of the Sparks receiving eighteen and Bridget 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.720 Carlton of the Thanks getting fifteen to round out the 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.200 top three senior at a seat belt, one of the 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:06.440 best defensive guards in the league has been doing her 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:09.400 job in a variety of ways, which keeps the main thing, 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:13.559 the main thing, locking opponents up. That's where that seat 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:16.880 belt celebration she does got its inspiration, and now that 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:20.800 playoff NAY is activated, she's showing no signs of slowing down. 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:25.680 Congratulations to Dja Carrington. More w News. Kurt Miller is 0:08:25.760 --> 0:08:28.440 out as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. The 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:31.800 franchise announced the move on Tuesday, after Miller's second season 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:34.320 with the team. While the Sparks were twenty five and 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:37.120 fifty five during Miller's time at the Helm, the move 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:39.280 still came as a shock, seeing that Miller was brought 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:42.520 in to rebuild a struggling franchise and the player spoke 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:45.960 very highly of his leadership. The team was plagued with injury, 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:49.120 including an absolute killer to star rookie Cameron Brink, and 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.640 most assumed he'd be given more time to turn things around, 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.440 especially since Miller was the WNBA Coach of the Year 0:08:54.480 --> 0:08:57.160 in twenty seventeen with the Connecticut Sun and the league's 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:59.120 first ever executed the year when he was the GM 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.640 for the Sun as well. After the news broke, sparkstar 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.439 Deerica Hamby took to Twitter, thanking Miller for always having 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:07.640 her back. She wrote, quote, A little lost for words. Honestly, 0:09:07.880 --> 0:09:09.360 this is hard for me as a big part of 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:12.160 my transition success and support to LA has been Kurt. 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.720 I hope there is grace in this process for a proven, 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.960 amazing coach. Everything shouldn't fall on his shoulders. And there's 0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:20.679 so much more that goes into coaching besides wins and losses. 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:22.760 And then she put in parentheses that a lot of 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.960 you don't see but you speak on end quote. In 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.080 another tweet, Hanby continued, quote takes courage to come into 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.280 a situation as such and do the dirty work that 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:34.440 essentially you don't and won't get credit for. Everyone not 0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:37.400 built for that. He wanted that challenge. Some people like 0:09:37.440 --> 0:09:39.520 and only want gold hand it on a platter. 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:40.360 End quote. 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:43.680 Kurt Miller actually responded, writing thanks to Erica, you are 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:45.960 one of a kind. I do and always will have 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:49.319 your back. Congratulations again on your year. Keep leading this group, 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.600 nothing changes, build LA into a champion period. Hashtag if 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:57.240 you know you know hashtag love You Shoe News Las 0:09:57.360 --> 0:10:00.920 Vegas Aces, practical joker and self described bench warmer, Sidney 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:03.679 Colson is one step closer to being the quote face 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:06.280 of the league thanks to a new shoe deal. Colson 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.000 is the first signature shoe athlete and official brand partner 0:10:09.040 --> 0:10:11.880 of Creative Control. Per the press release that went out, 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:15.520 Quote Creative Control is rewriting the rules of athlete brand partnerships, 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:18.400 putting athletes at the center of creative decision making and 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.840 offering a fifty one percent profit share from design to production. 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.800 Athletes like Sidney Colson are given full ownership over their 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:27.760 signature shoe journey, allowing them to build a personal brand 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:29.800 that extends beyond the court. 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:30.959 And if you don't know. 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:33.800 What Face of the League refers to get yourself to 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:36.480 a TV and watch season one of the Sydney TP Show. 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:39.520 We'll link to the trailer in the show notes. Track 0:10:39.640 --> 0:10:44.360 News Athlos NYC, the women's track event organized and backed 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.680 by Alexis Ohanian and headlined by Gabby Thomas, is tonight 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:50.360 in New York City. A total of thirty six women 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:53.800 with thirty Olympic medals between them will compete under the 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:57.200 lights at Icon Stadium. DJ Nice will be spinning sets 0:10:57.200 --> 0:10:59.800 in between races, and Megan the Stallion will perform at 0:10:59.840 --> 0:11:02.760 the end of the night. Superstar participants include Thomas of 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:04.880 course in the two hundred meters plus Friend of the Show, 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:07.720 Massi Russell and the hundred meter Hurdles and fifteen hundred 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.240 meters goat Faith Kip Yagan. The winner of each event 0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:14.000 will receive sixty thousand dollars plus a crown from Tiffany 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:16.400 and Company. And by the way, to put that in perspective, 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:18.600 that's double the money that athletes get for winning in 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:21.400 the Diamond League, which is track and Field's elite circuit 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:24.880 to soccer. We mentioned earlier this week that Kelly O'Hara 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:27.640 had played her final game after the Gotham FC defender 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:29.839 was placed on the season ending injury list due to 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.880 chronic needed generation. Back in May, O'Hara had announced her 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:35.160 plans to retire from soccer at the end of this season, 0:11:35.520 --> 0:11:37.640 and we're happy to see that the US women's national 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.439 team won't let her career pass without celebrating it. US 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:43.280 Soccer announced it honor O'Hara in a retirement ceremony during 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:47.440 halftime of the team's friendly versus Iceland on October twenty seven. 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:50.040 Per the Athletic US Soccer is also planning to honor 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:52.880 Alex Morgan, who retired this month after announcing she's pregnant 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.120 with her second child, but details on the timing of 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:59.000 that celebration are still in the works. And finally, great 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.440 news for chikai Ugo Red Stars fans and fans of 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:06.240 world class goalkeeping, Alissa Naier has re signed with the team, 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:10.680 agreeing to her tenth season with Chicago world's best keeper 0:12:11.120 --> 0:12:14.360 sticking in the world's best city. But I'm not biased, 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:18.719 So the other day on Twitter, I asked y'all the 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:22.320 vote on this question, what's the ideal WNBA playoff watching 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.800 situation at the arena? At home on the couch with 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:28.280 your favorite snacks, in your own bathroom, out and about 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:30.680 running errands, are at the club on your phone, or 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:34.000 at a team sponsored watch party. And it turns out 0:12:34.080 --> 0:12:36.240 y'all like free snacks and no bathroom lines, because at 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:38.960 home one with sixty two percent of the vote. In 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.520 the arena second with twenty eight percent. At a team 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:43.800 watch party, earned seven percent of the vote, and watching 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:45.800 on your phone while running errands are at the club 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:51.280 snagged two percent. Speaking of voting, it's hard to believe, 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:54.160 but we're officially less than forty days from election day, 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:58.280 My little slices, As November fifth approaches, there are sports leagues, teams, 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.959 and groups organizing all over the place in support of 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.280 Kamala Harrison Tim Walls. Last week, more than fifty former 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:07.160 football players and coaches, including several Pro Football Hall of 0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:10.360 famers and Super Bowl MVPs, announced their endorsement of the 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:13.760 VP on National Black Voter Day. And this past Monday, 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:17.080 I joined an organizing call for Athletes for Harris. I 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.240 got to hear from co chairs Magic Johnson and Billy 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:23.199 Jean King, from current Second Gentleman Doug M. Hoff, coaches 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.880 Steve Kerr, Doc rivers, Greg Popovich and Moore. Other co 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:29.280 chairs of the group include South Carolina coach John Staley, 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:33.160 soccer legend Ali Krieger, MNBA players Draymond Green and Chris Paul, 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:36.319 and paralympian Ali Truett. Now, a few things stood out 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:37.880 from that call that I thought might be useful to 0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:41.439 you slices as we spend these weeks approaching election day. First, 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:45.320 Magic Johnson talked about not needing to know every single 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:47.600 issue in order to feel comfortable talking to friends and 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.240 family about voting. Just figure out the ones that matter 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:52.400 most to you and your loved ones and community and 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:55.680 start conversations about those issues, talk about how they would 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.880 be affected by the election of either candidate. And second, 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:02.359 Steve Kerr had an interesting angle on getting traditionally conservative 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:05.400 voters to cast a ballot for Harris Walls. He talked 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:08.320 about the need for a stable Republican party in this country, 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.520 how valuable and necessary it is for the GOP to 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.200 be a functioning party, and he talked about how removing 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.959 Donald Trump as the leader of the GOP and resetting 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.960 their idea of what would be a successful candidate can 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:22.600 help start their path back to a respected party that 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:26.360 differs in issues of policy instead of issues of decency. 0:14:27.040 --> 0:14:29.920 So if you're in a battleground state like Arizona, Georgia, 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:33.280 at Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin or near one of those states, 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:35.480 it is all the more important that you talk to 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:38.280 folks about voting and you get involved. You can actually 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:42.560 go to events dot Democrats dot org and find opportunities 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:45.560 to do things like phone banking or canvassing in places 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:47.720 all across the country. It might not be something you've 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.200 ever done before. They will walk you through every single 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.400 little detailed They'll show you how to do it and 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:54.320 you can make a difference. You could truly talk to 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:55.840 people that are on the fence or aren't sure what 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:58.000 they're going to do and help them understand what an 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:00.320 important election this is going to be for the future 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.000 of our country and in particular the future of the 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:05.960 rights for women in our country. So be sure to 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.960 share the site iwill vote dot com and tell folks 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.040 to make sure they're registered. They can learn how to 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:13.240 vote by mail and all sorts of other stuff. All Right, 0:15:13.280 --> 0:15:15.320 we got to take a quick break when we come back. 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:18.040 Who's got the edge when you run back a WNBA 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:20.960 finals matchup one year later, the team that won last 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.320 year or the team with the better record this year. 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:27.920 We'll talk about it next. 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:33.040 Welcome back, my little slices. 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:36.760 The WNBA semifinals, which are best of five, get underway 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:39.960 this Sunday. Both semifinals series start that day. But today 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:41.840 I want to dig in on the Aces Liberty series. 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:45.160 It's a rematch of last year's WNBA finals. So let's 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:48.720 set the stage. It's twenty twenty three, can you remember it? 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.600 Barbie and Oppenheimer were dueling at the box office. Billionaires 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:55.560 still had high hopes of visiting the Titanic in a submersible. 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:57.880 We were at the very beginning of what hopefully will 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:01.320 be an endless in Infinity era tour from Taylor Swift, 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:04.600 and every WNBA headline was about the battle of the 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:08.080 super teams, the Las Vegas Aces versus the New York Liberty. 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:10.600 What a time to be alive. So no one was 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.480 surprised when the Liberty and the Aces met in the finals. 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.360 But were we a little surprised when the Aces, after 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:19.880 losing Chelsea Gray and Kia Stokes to injury, made easy 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.360 work of the Liberty to win a second straight WNBA title. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:26.080 We were, We were surprised, and in their postgame celebration, 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:28.800 the Aces made it clear there was only one real 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:32.560 super team in the league. Fast forward to twenty twenty four, 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:35.200 and the Liberty have been the better all around team, 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:37.520 earning the number one seed in the playoffs. New York 0:16:37.560 --> 0:16:40.240 dominated the Aces in the regular season, beating them in 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.560 all three meetings. Ninety to eighty two on June fifteenth, 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:47.280 seventy nine to sixty seven on August seventeenth, and seventy 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:50.840 five to seventy one on September eighth. After the matchup 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:53.880 was set, Aces guard Kelsey Plumb had this to say 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:56.360 about taking on the liberty. I think, first of all, 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:57.960 New York is a lot better than they were last year, 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:02.600 just playing simple, bigger. They shove the ball at a 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:04.080 better clip if you. 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:05.919 Go down the line, like pound for pound. 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:09.160 Individually, all of them are better basketball players, So credit 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:12.760 to them. And here's ace's coach Becky Hammond talking about 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:13.800 the finals rematch. 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:16.080 Yeah, I'll just say they've been the best team all year. 0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:18.960 They played like a team pissed off with an edge, 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.760 and you know, we've worked our way there. 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:23.920 I feel like we got our edge back probably in 0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:25.720 the last three to four weeks. 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:28.040 So let's get into it. Mis Let's start with you, 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.040 how similar is this actually to last year's final matchup? 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.160 You know, Sarah, It's funny because it doesn't feel similar 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:38.880 at all to me. Frankly, the vibe feels completely opposite, 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:41.920 like the pendulum has totally swung on this head to head. 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:43.920 So some more stats to kind of back up what 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:46.600 you just told the people. First and foremost, the Aces 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:48.200 were the best team in the league. They were thirty 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:52.240 four and six this year. Obviously, they looked shaky until 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:53.720 about three quarters of the way through. 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.840 Chelsea Gray was healthy the entire year. They had beaten 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:58.800 New York twice. Already in the regular season. 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:03.359 They were scoring at one hundred and thirteen points per 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.280 one hundred possessions rate, which is good for the best 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:10.320 offensive rating in the history of the league. So that's like, 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:14.800 that's drastic compared to what we've seen this year. Oh 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:16.919 and by the way, nobody was suing the organization, so 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.120 I think there was probably a little bit less stress. 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:19.760 Involved as well. 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:22.399 And then for New York, they'd written Stewie's cold tales 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:24.840 all year. She was the MVP last season for a reason. 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:27.439 John cole Jones was dealing with a foot injury. She 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:30.159 was trying to acclimate to the team, so was Courtney 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:32.719 van der Sloute. She was new, they didn't have arguably 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:35.320 the sixth player of the year and Leoni Phoebich doing 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:38.959 her thing, So things were just completely different for both sides. 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:42.080 Yeah, I mean, it is a completely different setup in 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.240 so much of that was also kind of like momentum 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.760 and confidence. Yes, So, Alex, when we look at these 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:49.720 two teams, who has the edge in that category? You've 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:53.240 got a team coming in two time defending champs and 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:56.119 they won this matchup in the playoffs last year. But 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:58.600 on the other side, the Liberty had the better record 0:18:58.640 --> 0:19:01.399 this year, looked the best from start to finish, and 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:03.760 they won all three regular season matchups. Who should come 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:04.560 in more confident? 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:07.159 I think the Liberty do. But I want to go 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:09.719 back because you know, when we were talking about that 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:13.040 super team superteam matchup last year, I think the thing 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:16.120 that made the Aces hate that the Liberty were also 0:19:16.160 --> 0:19:18.800 being called a superteam was this idea that you can't 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:22.160 just build a super team overnight. You know, the Aces 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.320 and the Liberty on paper had the pieces, but the 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:28.919 Aces had the chemistry and the Liberty did not. Heading 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.040 into this series, right, the Liberty has the momentum. They've 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:34.520