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Speaker 1: Not everybody approaches defense with that same intensity. So how

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Speaker 1: do you approach your matchups each game with that intensity

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Speaker 1: like I'm going to go out there and get some

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Speaker 1: damn stops, like every possession. What is that like?

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Speaker 2: Well, now I've embraced it. I've always been someone that

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Speaker 2: kind of like defense, but I think now being one

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Speaker 2: of the best defensive players on my team, that's how

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Speaker 2: I get going offensively is with my defense and just

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Speaker 2: having that mindset that I know that I'm always going

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Speaker 2: to guard the best guards or the best player.

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Speaker 3: I have to come in with.

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Speaker 2: The mentality that I have got to put somebody on lock,

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Speaker 2: like there's no other option.

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Speaker 3: I have to make someone else score.

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Speaker 2: And that's just kind of the mentality that I've always

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Speaker 2: had wanting to compete, and I think that's what I

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Speaker 2: love about defense, is that you get to compete at

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Speaker 2: the highest level when it comes to defense and then

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Speaker 2: just wanting to get stops.

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Speaker 3: That's just the mindset that I have.

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Speaker 2: And then when that happens and I'm locked in defensively,

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Speaker 2: that helped to my offensive game as well. So I

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Speaker 2: kind of understand that I am the defensive spark for

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Speaker 2: my team and I always have to bring it because

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Speaker 2: everyone will.

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Speaker 3: Follow suit if I do. But also knowing that in.

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Speaker 2: Order for meeting and going officially, I got to start

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Speaker 2: on the defensive end.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Sometimes. I hope today we've got one

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Speaker 1: of LA's finests on the pod. She's a two time

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Speaker 1: WNBA champ, UCLA's all time assists leader, defensive menace in

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Speaker 1: the league, hometown hero for the LA Sparks none other

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Speaker 1: than Jordan Canada. Thanks for hopping on the pod.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for allowing me to be on the pod.

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Speaker 2: Like I'm excited for this, so thank you.

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, so excited to have you on. Had to

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Speaker 1: have you. The landscape of the league that's happening right now.

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Speaker 1: Things are getting kind of spicy in terms of the

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Speaker 1: playoff run. What teams are you keeping an eye on

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Speaker 1: as we get closer into the playoffs?

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Speaker 2: I mean, y'all, obviously we're looking at y'all, Chicago, even

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Speaker 2: Minnesota even though they got the lead over us the series.

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Speaker 2: But those are like the teams that we've even like

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Speaker 2: looking out after making sure that you know, we're doing

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Speaker 2: with everything that we need to do to plead our

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Speaker 2: case to hopefully get into playoffs.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, we're definitely looking at y'all for sure.

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Speaker 1: I feel like all the teams you just listed, we're

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Speaker 1: all within like one to three games.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, like one the three games and we haven't

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Speaker 2: even finished our series against you guys or Chicago, which

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Speaker 2: is gonna be really huge. So I mean, I mean,

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Speaker 2: I'll feel obviously I want to get the dub against y'all,

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Speaker 2: but y'all really competitive, so I don't know, but yeah,

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Speaker 2: like it's coming down to these last ten games, which

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Speaker 2: is so crazy.

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Speaker 3: Season that's gone by so fast.

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Speaker 2: I can only imagine how you feel being a rookie

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Speaker 2: going and navigating through all this. But yeah, it's just

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Speaker 2: it's been a fun ride, very up and down, but

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Speaker 2: you know, we're still right there.

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Speaker 3: So just trying to make that last minute push for.

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Speaker 1: The season to be forty games. It seems so long

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Speaker 1: at the beginning, and I'm like, how is my body

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Speaker 1: going to make it? Like I'm exhausted.

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Speaker 3: First half a season, I was like, oh my god,

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Speaker 3: can this hurry up?

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Speaker 2: It was so long, and as soon as All Star break,

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Speaker 2: it it was like games were just like coming left

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Speaker 2: and right, And I said to my teammates all the time,

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Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my god, I can't believe we're playing again.

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Speaker 3: Like the off days go by.

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Speaker 2: So fast, and the next thing you know, you're playing again,

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Speaker 2: and it's one game after another, and it's like, before

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Speaker 2: you know it, we're.

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Speaker 3: Down to ten games already.

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Speaker 2: So it's just kind of crazy how things just happened

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Speaker 2: after the second half of you know, since.

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Speaker 3: All Star Break.

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Speaker 1: All Star Break happened, and now it just seems like

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Speaker 1: it's downhill quick. Everybody's qushing to make offs, and I

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Speaker 1: feel like just the focus and intensity of the games

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Speaker 1: has gotten to a different level because, like we said earlier,

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Speaker 1: like everybody's right there. So how do you feel like

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Speaker 1: with you guys at the Sparks, how has that mindset

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Speaker 1: shift kind of happened as we moved into this last

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Speaker 1: quarter of the season.

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Speaker 2: I think, honestly, we're starting to find our flow more

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Speaker 2: than anything, you know, I mean, everybody knows we've dealt

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Speaker 2: with so much adversity the first half, and with injuries,

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Speaker 2: people being sick in and out of the lineup, we

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Speaker 2: could really find our flow and I think now we're

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Speaker 2: starting to find a chemistry between each other. We're still

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Speaker 2: learning each other, but we're pushing each other. We're competitive,

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Speaker 2: we have that energy and that effort, and I think

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Speaker 2: all that is starting to come together, which is why

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Speaker 2: we're able to get this three game winning streak that

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Speaker 2: we have right now, and obviously understanding that, you know,

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Speaker 2: we're right there to make playoffs, so everybody's kind of

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Speaker 2: like just shifted their mindset to lock in and focus

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Speaker 2: because we know every game at this point matters and

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Speaker 2: we're going to have to end the season with a

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Speaker 2: lot of wins in order for us to get into

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Speaker 2: that eighth spot or even higher.

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Speaker 3: So I think all of that is.

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Speaker 2: Just coming together, and you know, it's just been really

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Speaker 2: exciting these last couple of games, just being able to

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Speaker 2: just everybody be on the same page and you know,

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Speaker 2: get some wins finally.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. I mean this is the time when

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Speaker 1: you want it to come together. It's kind of like

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Speaker 1: the beginning of the season, you're like, Okay, you're figuring

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Speaker 1: things out, and then you don't want that figuring out

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Speaker 1: stage to grown too long. But it hasn't. You guys

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Speaker 1: are starting to figure it out at the time when

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Speaker 1: you need to. And even with the injuries that you've had,

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Speaker 1: the sicknesses, all that stuff, You've stayed very consistent, averaging

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Speaker 1: thirteen and a half points per game, and you mentioned

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Speaker 1: the three game winning straight, But what is kind of

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Speaker 1: that locker room vibe been like? Right, Like, you're kind

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Speaker 1: of leading the way with Mekka, who's an amazing vet

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Speaker 1: to have, and so I feel like this year you

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Speaker 1: may have stepped into more so of a leadership role,

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Speaker 1: someone who's a constant, stable person that you guys are

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Speaker 1: going to rely on. So what has that been like

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Speaker 1: this season kind of changing that role of yours.

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Speaker 2: It's been an amazing experience, honestly, and I credit my teammates,

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Speaker 2: my coaches because they really have given me the freedom

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Speaker 2: and the confidence to be one of the leaders on

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Speaker 2: this team.

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Speaker 3: I Knownka talked about it.

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Speaker 2: She's talked about it countless of times with me and

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Speaker 2: just the team in general, about her not always being

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Speaker 2: the voice.

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Speaker 3: You know, she's the foundation of the Sparks, and I.

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Speaker 2: Think a lot of times we have relied on her

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Speaker 2: to to make this fancy speech or to have a

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Speaker 2: Kumbaya session in the locker room. And I think for

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Speaker 2: me that was really important coming back this year, knowing

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Speaker 2: that I had to use my voice more. I had

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Speaker 2: to talk more. I had to be a leader and

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Speaker 2: I couldn't just lead by example. And someone else that

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Speaker 2: also helped me with that is Jazz and Thomas. I mean,

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Speaker 2: she's been a vest she's been in this game for

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Speaker 2: thirteen years, and so just having her in my ear

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Speaker 2: as well has been super helpful for me just being

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Speaker 2: free to do that, and then obviously having the coaches

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Speaker 2: give me the confidence to speak my mind, to say

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Speaker 2: whatever I need to say in order to get our

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Speaker 2: team going or to get myself going. So I really

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Speaker 2: just credit my teammates and my coaches for giving me

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Speaker 2: that confidence to step into this leadership role with using

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Speaker 2: my voice.

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Speaker 1: And that's so special to be in an environment where

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Speaker 1: people are literally empowering you to take that next step,

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Speaker 1: because it's not only you know, for yourself at this

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Speaker 1: point to be that leader and find that with yourself,

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Speaker 1: but like for the team, they need that they feed

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Speaker 1: that can always have being at Kuba, y'all, there Iel

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Speaker 1: there's one on every team that you look to to

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Speaker 1: like bring that in this and that. But I've had

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Speaker 1: to be that person. It's tiring, like you, so I think,

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Speaker 1: you know, it's really special that the Sparks have empowered

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Speaker 1: you to kind of find that for this season, so

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Speaker 1: kind of more into this landscape. Have there been teams

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Speaker 1: that have surprised you this year with how well they're doing.

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Speaker 2: I think Chicago Chicago, I don't want to say surprising, like,

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Speaker 2: oh my god, I thought they were going to be bad,

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Speaker 2: but they're playing really well together, especially with the new

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Speaker 2: pieces that they have as well, and then obviously with

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Speaker 2: way leaving. They've just been really consistent in their play

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Speaker 2: and I really enjoy watching them even playing against them,

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Speaker 2: just how they compete and they all they have so

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Speaker 2: many different personalities, but I feel like all of them

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Speaker 2: meshed well together and you can see it on the

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Speaker 2: court when they play so well. That's one of the

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Speaker 2: teams that surprised me. What's another team. I don't want

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Speaker 2: to say Minnesota, because I feel like Minnesota last year,

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Speaker 2: like they always kind of start off slow and then

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Speaker 2: all of a sudden they just start winning games.

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Speaker 3: And they come out of nowhere. But yeah, you guys too, Atlanta.

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Speaker 2: There's been a lot of teams you guys have have

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Speaker 2: been a surprise as well, just from last year to

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Speaker 2: this year, just the team chemistry and how competitive you

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Speaker 2: guys are you guys push the pace? I think you

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Speaker 2: guys are like.

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Speaker 3: Number one in the league in pace, so make sure

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Speaker 3: we push in the face.

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Speaker 1: On it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you guys be on it. And I think that's

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Speaker 2: like the difference between last year and this year. And

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Speaker 2: you guys are also diverse too, Like you got a

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Speaker 2: lot of versatility on that team. You guys are really

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Speaker 2: hard to play against. You guys give it a day

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Speaker 2: in and day out.

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Speaker 3: You don't care who you.

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Speaker 2: Guys are playing, and I think that's what makes your

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Speaker 2: team so special. But those are kind of like the

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Speaker 2: three team teams that I have watched and I'm like, wow,

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Speaker 2: you guys are like compared to last year, it's different.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I totally agree. Chicago is the first one

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Speaker 1: that comes to my mind, especially they had to start

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Speaker 1: the season that was like four and one, and they

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Speaker 1: were the talk of Leau Everybody's like what's going on

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Speaker 1: this and that? So I think they had a huge

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Speaker 1: start and then even with Wade leaving, the interim coaches

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Speaker 1: coming and done a great job, I think, just kind

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Speaker 1: of carrying that torch as to what it's going to

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Speaker 1: be for years to come. So I think they've done

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Speaker 1: a great job, Like you said, like they have a

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Speaker 1: lot of different talents and personalities on that team, and

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Speaker 1: some all messhes to work, and it's like when you're

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Speaker 1: doing the scout to guard them, you're like, okay, so

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Speaker 1: you got Courtney, you got bad Copper, you got Marina,

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Speaker 1: let's figure out you're gonna do each person.

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Speaker 3: He had a lot of weapons and even Courtney Williams,

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Speaker 3: Like just to see her kind of shift into this

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Speaker 3: PG position and how she is doing.

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Speaker 2: It so effortlessly, I think that's really cool too, Like

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Speaker 2: her not just being you know, everybody knows her as

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Speaker 2: the mid range of Guru the shooter and just you know,

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Speaker 2: being a knockdown shooter, but just for her to be

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Speaker 2: playing PG and like really, she's like one of the

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Speaker 2: top players in the league right now and assists and

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Speaker 2: you can see it through their play, like everything.

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Speaker 3: Goes through her. I said, they got they got a

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Speaker 3: whole bunch of weapons over there.

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Speaker 1: No, I mean, I totally agree. We played them Friday.

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Speaker 1: The scout is intense. No matter no matter what you're doing,

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Speaker 1: you gotta locking.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you gotta lock.

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Speaker 1: But so last night was the a Commissioner's Cup game

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Speaker 1: Liberty Verse Asis. What are your thoughts on how that

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Speaker 1: game went down?

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Speaker 2: Well, Obviously, the first quarter they were struggling to score.

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Speaker 3: I think that was just.

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Speaker 2: The nerves, and then once the kind of like settled in,

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Speaker 2: I thought it was a great game, to be honest,

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Speaker 2: just you know, the obviously the top two teams in

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Speaker 2: the league, just competing at a really high level. And

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Speaker 2: I know losing on your home floor is not always

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Speaker 2: the best. But they got them again tomorrow, so I

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Speaker 2: already know that it's going to be just as competitive

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Speaker 2: as it was the first game. But I loved it.

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Speaker 2: I enjoyed the back and forth in the first half

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Speaker 2: and then the second half. You know, New York talk

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Speaker 2: about having so many weapons. I mean you can pick

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Speaker 2: your poison. I mean anybody any given time can go off.

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Speaker 2: People that are starters and players that are coming off

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Speaker 2: the bench, like you got it all with them, and

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Speaker 2: it really showed yesterday just the team chemistry that they

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Speaker 2: have and how everyone can score. So yeah, I'm kind

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Speaker 2: of excited for them to play them again tomorrow and see,

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Speaker 2: you know, the result. But you know, it was very

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Speaker 2: it was it was an enjoyable game.

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Speaker 3: I liked it.

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Speaker 1: It was a bit of a slow start, I was like, okay,

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Speaker 1: like we got so many weapons on each team, everyone

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Speaker 1: just kind of canceling each other out at that point.

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Speaker 1: So I was waiting for the score to take off,

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Speaker 1: and I think once it did, there was really no

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Speaker 1: looking back but for them to play again so quick.

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Speaker 1: That's one thing that's really shocked me about the league

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Speaker 1: is like you play teams for three or four times,

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Speaker 1: like you're playing them in a week. I know, we

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Speaker 1: played Connecticut at Connecticut, came back and played them at home,

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Speaker 1: and I'm just like, this quick turnaround is crazy. In college,

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Speaker 1: you play people maybe once, maybe twice, and it's like

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Speaker 1: that's it. And so figuring out how to you know,

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Speaker 1: beat a team three times or you know you're going

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Speaker 1: back and forth in the series, it's it's so intense,

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Speaker 1: and I think it's crazy because you really get to

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Speaker 1: understand the matchups, the schemes, like everything of that sort.

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Speaker 2: And that's new this year because last year we didn't

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Speaker 2: have that, or even since I've been in the league,

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Speaker 2: we didn't have that when we were playing teams like

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Speaker 2: back to back or a couple of games in between,

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Speaker 2: and then you're playing them right again, like we didn't

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Speaker 2: have it this is the first time we're experiencing it.

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Speaker 2: And honestly, we didn't even play the whole twelve, like

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Speaker 2: all eleven teams until after All Star break. Like we

282
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Speaker 2: literally just been playing Washington and Indiana. We played Connecticut

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Speaker 2: once and then New York and then like those were

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Speaker 2: the like three teams we hadn't played yet, so we

285
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Speaker 2: were just sitting there, like we had to play Dallas

286
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Speaker 2: like four times already. Phoenix, I'm just like, okay, like

287
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Speaker 2: we want to play somebody different.

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Speaker 3: Okay, give me something new, stuff to new, please.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: But I also thing kind of like cool at the

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Speaker 2: same time, just being able to like get them right

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Speaker 2: back if you play them back to back or like

293
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Speaker 2: a game later. I think that's also pretty interesting. So

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Speaker 2: we'll see if that continues. But yeah, it definitely was different,

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Speaker 2: something that I wasn't used to.

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Speaker 1: And then I mean, as we head into end of

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Speaker 1: the season, it's kind of the end of the season

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Speaker 1: awards times coming up, so I want to get your

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Speaker 1: predictions on. We got MVP, DEFENSI, Player of the Year,

300
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Speaker 1: Rookie of the Year, six Player, and most Improved, so

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Speaker 1: I need your predictions.

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Speaker 3: Right, MVP. I think this is hard because so tough. Tough,

303
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Speaker 3: because at.

304
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,720
Speaker 2: Has been dominating all season and almost averaging a triple

305
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Speaker 2: double which has never been done before, which is insane,

306
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,880
Speaker 2: and especially doing what she's doing at her position. Yeah,

307
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,080
Speaker 2: that has to be acknowledged. I think she's definitely in

308
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Speaker 2: the ENVA P race Asrael Wilson being I don't know

309
00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,040
Speaker 2: how many Western Conference players she didn't have this whole season,

310
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Speaker 2: but she's been killing it.

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Speaker 3: And then you.

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00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,920
Speaker 2: Know, you got Stewie, Like I think the top three

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Speaker 2: in the running for MVP, I have no clue.

314
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Speaker 3: I honestly think it's gonna just come down.

315
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:23,119
Speaker 2: To like how the season ends and you know, playoffs

316
00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,600
Speaker 2: and stuff. I really think it's gonna depend on what's

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00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,200
Speaker 2: going on. I mean, obviously MVP is before that, but

318
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Speaker 2: it really just depends on how the season ends.

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Speaker 3: To be honest, six.

320
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:39,280
Speaker 2: Man of the Year, I would say, honest, she's been hooping.

321
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,560
Speaker 3: Ye she's been hooping.

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Speaker 2: She's been coming in and making an impact like every

323
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Speaker 2: single game. So I think Johanna's will be six six

324
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Speaker 2: Player of the Year most improved.

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Speaker 3: Obviously, I'm gonna put myself in there. I was gonna

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Speaker 3: say you, I was gonna say you Okay.

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Speaker 2: I don't want to be somebody that's like bragging, but

328
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Speaker 2: I really feel like this year but in a lot

329
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Speaker 2: of work in the off season, so I feel like

330
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Speaker 2: I deserve it.

331
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Speaker 3: I've been consistent in my play.

332
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Speaker 2: I've proven it day in and day out on the

333
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,400
Speaker 2: opposite end and defensive end.

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Speaker 3: So god willing, I went it.

335
00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:19,040
Speaker 2: But I also would say, besides myself, either Alisha Gray

336
00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,480
Speaker 2: or Satu Sabi. I think Alisha Grant is definitely taking

337
00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,880
Speaker 2: a jump from last year to this year, and you

338
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,920
Speaker 2: could tell she's more comfortable, she's been more constant.

339
00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,000
Speaker 3: So I would definitely give it to Alisha Gray and

340
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:32,080
Speaker 3: saw too too.

341
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Speaker 2: I mean, she hasn't been healthy, you know, since she's

342
00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,240
Speaker 2: been in the league, but I think, you know, this year,

343
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,119
Speaker 2: she's definitely proven herself to be most improved.

344
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Speaker 3: So I would give it to either one of us.

345
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Speaker 2: Okay, defensive player of the Year, I would give it

346
00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:47,560
Speaker 2: to Britney Sykes.

347
00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,080
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, she's a menace.

348
00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,680
Speaker 2: When I played against her a couple of weeks ago,

349
00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:55,640
Speaker 2: like it's just hard to get around her.

350
00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,640
Speaker 3: She's just so. And then she's she can block shots

351
00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:00,640
Speaker 3: like she's just so.

352
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,720
Speaker 2: Her bounce is insane. It's insane. So I would give

353
00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,280
Speaker 2: it to her for Play the Year, Rookie of the Year.

354
00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:08,800
Speaker 3: Yat go to leave Boston.

355
00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,320
Speaker 1: It's got Belia. It's gotta be Alia.

356
00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,120
Speaker 2: No one else really, And I mean diamond Field has

357
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:15,880
Speaker 2: been proving her case, but I just think of Lee.

358
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,480
Speaker 3: Boston has just been dominating.

359
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:17,960
Speaker 2: I'm with you.

360
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,240
Speaker 1: I'm with you with most of your picks. I think Aliah,

361
00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,840
Speaker 1: for sure, she's been dominating. She's playing like like like

362
00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,440
Speaker 1: she's an All Star, which she is, which is crazy.

363
00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,960
Speaker 3: For a couple of years now like everything, Yeah, it's

364
00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,040
Speaker 3: just easy for her. So I'm seriously happy for her

365
00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:33,880
Speaker 3: to be performing on.

366
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Speaker 2: What she is.

367
00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,000
Speaker 3: But yeah, there's unanimous on that. I don't think anyone's

368
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:38,600
Speaker 3: coming close.

369
00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,200
Speaker 1: I'm with with you you, okay. So we talked about

370
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:44,960
Speaker 1: the league a little bit in the landscape, but I

371
00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,800
Speaker 1: want to take it back to your early hoops life.

372
00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:49,720
Speaker 1: Who put the ball in your hands?

373
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:50,160
Speaker 3: What?

374
00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:52,440
Speaker 1: Why? Why did you choose basketball? Take me back to

375
00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:52,840
Speaker 1: the start.

376
00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:56,440
Speaker 2: So no one really put the ball in my hand.

377
00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,520
Speaker 2: I kind of did it myself. I don't know how

378
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,720
Speaker 2: old I was. I think I was like maybe five

379
00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,040
Speaker 2: years old. My grandmother used to have a hoop in

380
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,240
Speaker 2: her backyard. And my cousins who were much older than me,

381
00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,040
Speaker 2: they were maybe like in their teenage years, and I

382
00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,040
Speaker 2: would watch them play basketball and they would never let

383
00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,600
Speaker 2: me play because I was so young and they were

384
00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,000
Speaker 2: boys too, so they didn't want me to get hurt.

385
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:20,200
Speaker 3: And obviously I was five.

386
00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,200
Speaker 1: Years old, typical cousin behavior.

387
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:23,879
Speaker 3: Oay.

388
00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,040
Speaker 2: So one day I just went mom and I was like,

389
00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,560
Speaker 2: I want to play basketball, and she was like, are

390
00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,440
Speaker 2: you sure, because at the time I was kind of

391
00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,439
Speaker 2: debating if I wanted to run track or play basketball, and.

392
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,800
Speaker 1: So she would be what you would be a track star.

393
00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:44,200
Speaker 1: So yeah, I turned school and that's just not for me, okay, okay.

394
00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,040
Speaker 3: Not for me. But at the time, when I was younger.

395
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:48,720
Speaker 2: I was thinking about running track and so I told

396
00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,520
Speaker 2: my mom, was like, hey, I want to play basketball.

397
00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,560
Speaker 2: And luckily one of her co workers knew someone that

398
00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,320
Speaker 2: had a team called GBO Lady Rebels at this park

399
00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,040
Speaker 2: that I like lived from like ten minutes away, not

400
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,400
Speaker 2: even that far, and I went and I was terrible,

401
00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:05,119
Speaker 2: Like I was.

402
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,280
Speaker 3: So un dribble, I couldn't shoot.

403
00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:09,880
Speaker 1: It was really bad.

404
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,439
Speaker 3: But I know for some reason, I.

405
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,960
Speaker 2: Enjoyed the game, and from there I just took off.

406
00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,199
Speaker 2: I was practicing NonStop. My dad I used to take

407
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,960
Speaker 2: me to the park almost every weekend and he would

408
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,639
Speaker 2: help me with my lifts and my ball handling. And

409
00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:26,600
Speaker 2: then I kind of just like fell in love from

410
00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:28,240
Speaker 2: there and just took off.

411
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:28,800
Speaker 3: Well.

412
00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:29,280
Speaker 2: I love that.

413
00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:31,320
Speaker 1: I feel like a lot of people have this story

414
00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:33,240
Speaker 1: with the game where they're like, like, I touched it

415
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,080
Speaker 1: and I was amazing and I went on and you

416
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,320
Speaker 1: were like, I wasn't very good, but you know I

417
00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:39,159
Speaker 1: fell in love with the game. And I feel like

418
00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,879
Speaker 1: that's more similar to me where I grew up. I

419
00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,400
Speaker 1: did all these different sports and I was like, that's girls,

420
00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,160
Speaker 1: all right, Like I like doing all this other stuff,

421
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:49,480
Speaker 1: and then you know you fall in love with the

422
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,560
Speaker 1: game for different reasons and this, that and the third.

423
00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,720
Speaker 1: So that's really special. I think I can't imagine you

424
00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,560
Speaker 1: not being a natural and good though I really wasn't good.

425
00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,920
Speaker 2: Every time I got the ball, I would literally crunch

426
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,280
Speaker 2: down and like a little ball hold it and jump

427
00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:04,160
Speaker 2: balls all the time.

428
00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:04,800
Speaker 1: Oh god.

429
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,040
Speaker 2: Because I was also like a point guard too, and

430
00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,159
Speaker 2: I was learning how to do that. And so my

431
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:11,119
Speaker 2: coach will always yell at me and tell me that

432
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,920
Speaker 2: I got to get out of this phase of like

433
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,439
Speaker 2: always holding the ball every time.

434
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,080
Speaker 3: I got it. And then one day I just stopped doing.

435
00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:21,040
Speaker 1: It and took a caf just to call amazing. So

436
00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,719
Speaker 1: you're from LA. Did you grow up going to Sparks

437
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,400
Speaker 1: games at all, or you know, going to UCLA games

438
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,160
Speaker 1: we ended up going in the end? Was there any

439
00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,280
Speaker 1: type of dream to create the pipeline that you ended

440
00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:32,760
Speaker 1: up taking?

441
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,119
Speaker 2: So I did go to Sparks games when I joined

442
00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,120
Speaker 2: the team. We used to go and watch a couple

443
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,040
Speaker 2: of games throughout the summer every year, and I loved it.

444
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,640
Speaker 2: I was watching Lisa Leslie and I just loved her game.

445
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,000
Speaker 2: I didn't really think about, you know, players at the

446
00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:53,040
Speaker 2: time because I'm like five, six, seven years old, so

447
00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:55,840
Speaker 2: I'm not really thinking about it. But I know Lisa Leslie,

448
00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,439
Speaker 2: you know, she's the heart of the Sparks and at

449
00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,760
Speaker 2: the time, and I just enjoyed watching her play. And

450
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,800
Speaker 2: I told myself, I was like, I want to play

451
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,960
Speaker 2: on Staple Center court. This is at the time when

452
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:07,840
Speaker 2: Staple Center. I want to play on Staple Soner Corp.

453
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,400
Speaker 3: I want to play for Sparks and twenty some years later,

454
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,760
Speaker 3: here I am playing for LA. Here we are. But

455
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,080
Speaker 3: I'm honestly, I was never.

456
00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,119
Speaker 2: A UCLA fan. I was always an SC fan. I

457
00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,560
Speaker 2: grew up an SC fan. I wanted to go to

458
00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,720
Speaker 2: USC and obviously all that changed once I started getting recruited,

459
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,960
Speaker 2: but I was I was a Trojan at heart when

460
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:29,800
Speaker 2: I was growing up.

461
00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:32,520
Speaker 1: Wow, okay, we're going to need to dive back into

462
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:36,520
Speaker 1: that later. That'll definitely be coming back up. That's crazy.

463
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,720
Speaker 1: But so in LA. You went to Windward and played

464
00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:43,560
Speaker 1: for Vanessa and I guard And what was it like

465
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,399
Speaker 1: playing under a coach who's had so much experience at

466
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,000
Speaker 1: a lot of different levels. She played collegiately, she played

467
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,359
Speaker 1: in the league, coach USA Basketball, all these different things.

468
00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,520
Speaker 1: How much of an influence did she have on your

469
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 1: basketball career?

470
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,000
Speaker 3: She was a great influence for me.

471
00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,560
Speaker 2: She was my high school coach my junior and senior year,

472
00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,879
Speaker 2: and fun fact, the assistant coach now Steve Smith on

473
00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:05,359
Speaker 2: our team.

474
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,520
Speaker 3: He was as my high school coach my freshman and

475
00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:13,399
Speaker 3: sophomore year. So full circle, okay, full circle moment. But

476
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,920
Speaker 3: when she became the head coach there, I mean, it

477
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,440
Speaker 3: was just more of like a mentor relationship. She guided me.

478
00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,200
Speaker 2: She told me like the ins and out of college,

479
00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,159
Speaker 2: what to do, what not to do, and then just

480
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,000
Speaker 2: what it takes to get to the next level. And

481
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:28,879
Speaker 2: just the stories that she would tell me when she

482
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,400
Speaker 2: was in the league and even in college at Stanford,

483
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,879
Speaker 2: just all the memories that she had and what she

484
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,880
Speaker 2: holds on to the most. And just having that knowledge

485
00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,879
Speaker 2: and someone that I can always talk to about basketball

486
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:41,480
Speaker 2: and just helped me with that.

487
00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,120
Speaker 3: I really appreciated it a lot.

488
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,600
Speaker 2: And even with Steve Smith, you know he was at

489
00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,040
Speaker 2: the time, I think with the Sparks and also coaching

490
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,840
Speaker 2: with Connecticut too, so I just had so much knowledge

491
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,879
Speaker 2: and guidance around me that it kind of helped my

492
00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,760
Speaker 2: trajectory in my high school career to get to where

493
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,440
Speaker 2: I want to go. And understanding that there was a

494
00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,639
Speaker 2: lot of sacrifice that I had to do that I

495
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,680
Speaker 2: didn't quite understand getting into high school until talking to

496
00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,880
Speaker 2: them and helping me guide me and that and understanding

497
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,920
Speaker 2: that if I wanted to get to the pros, like,

498
00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,240
Speaker 2: there was things that I had to do extra.

499
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:17,240
Speaker 3: They pushed me super.

500
00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,119
Speaker 2: Hard on and off the cool word, So it was

501
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,359
Speaker 2: just really nice to have, you know, coaches like that

502
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,720
Speaker 2: really in my corner and helping me and supporting me.

503
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:25,680
Speaker 3: To get to the next level.

504
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:27,480
Speaker 1: I mean, for sure, it's really it's really all about

505
00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,320
Speaker 1: the people that surround you, is how far you're going

506
00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,840
Speaker 1: to get the people who keep you grounded. And I

507
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,560
Speaker 1: think for me, I also had a very influence of

508
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,320
Speaker 1: high school coach, and I played dividends in terms of

509
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,600
Speaker 1: like how I do you the college recruiting process, AU tournaments,

510
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,800
Speaker 1: all these different things, how to change your mindset as

511
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:45,960
Speaker 1: a high school to prepare to be a college athlete.

512
00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,080
Speaker 1: And I mean, you have an amazing high school career,

513
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,200
Speaker 1: you were number two point guard, top ten recruit. When

514
00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,840
Speaker 1: did you realize that you could play at the collegiate level.

515
00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:59,280
Speaker 2: Probably not tell my sophomore year. I thought freshman year

516
00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:03,679
Speaker 2: was hard to be. I was dealing with a lot

517
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,200
Speaker 2: of adversity just because it was like new for me,

518
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,000
Speaker 2: and I didn't really like it, to be honest.

519
00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,639
Speaker 3: So I didn't even know if I was like, oh

520
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,680
Speaker 3: my god, can I even go to college?

521
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:16,359
Speaker 2: And one of like in college, And then when I

522
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,440
Speaker 2: got to my sophomore year, it kind of got easier

523
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,320
Speaker 2: for me just because you know, you got adjusted to

524
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,960
Speaker 2: high school playing from middle school basketball, which is.

525
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,920
Speaker 1: Nothing big jump jump up.

526
00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,960
Speaker 2: So until I got like to my sophomore year, it

527
00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:35,680
Speaker 2: kind of started getting a little bit easier and easier,

528
00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,240
Speaker 2: and I was figuring out what worked for me, things

529
00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,280
Speaker 2: that I needed to improve on. And then that's when

530
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,960
Speaker 2: I started getting a lot of recruits recruitment from colleges,

531
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,119
Speaker 2: and at that point I was like, okay, like I

532
00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:48,200
Speaker 2: can definitely do this.

533
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,920
Speaker 3: It's just all about choosing the right school.

534
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,040
Speaker 1: For me, okay. And so moving into that, we said,

535
00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,919
Speaker 1: grew up USC Trojan at Heart and you ended up

536
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,919
Speaker 1: choosing UCLA. So how did it come down to those

537
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,400
Speaker 1: two schools or kind of how did you wean down

538
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,000
Speaker 1: from the large pool that was recruiting you into your

539
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:08,080
Speaker 1: official visit time.

540
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,359
Speaker 2: So when I first started getting recruited, I was like,

541
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,520
Speaker 2: I want to go to USC because at the time,

542
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,600
Speaker 2: Michael Cooper was the head coach and I really liked Cooper,

543
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:23,159
Speaker 2: and so I went on an unofficial visit and he

544
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,320
Speaker 2: basically was like, we're going to offer you.

545
00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:26,240
Speaker 3: Do you want to come here?

546
00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,160
Speaker 2: And I was like yes, like I want to come here,

547
00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,359
Speaker 2: And my mom had to stop me and she was like,

548
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,760
Speaker 2: hold on, this is your first college.

549
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 3: You er go down because age in like two weeks.

550
00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 2: So I'm like, no, mom, I really do want to

551
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,760
Speaker 2: go here, like I think, I this is the school

552
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,440
Speaker 2: for me, and I think maybe Like two weeks later,

553
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,760
Speaker 2: Michael Cooper got fired and I was like, oh wow,

554
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,200
Speaker 2: like that is crazy and my mom was like, see

555
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,920
Speaker 2: what happens when you just wait your patient. And UCLA

556
00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:58,679
Speaker 2: was still not on my radar. I was like, I'm

557
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,520
Speaker 2: not going to UCLA, like I'm a USC girl, Like

558
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 2: I'm not going there. And my best friend Reselle Calwell,

559
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,639
Speaker 2: she had committed to UCLA and I do at the

560
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,560
Speaker 2: time like I'm definitely not going there now because she

561
00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,360
Speaker 2: was also a point guard, and so she was like, hey,

562
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,040
Speaker 2: came to UCLA together and play like this is always

563
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,800
Speaker 2: something that we talked about. And I was like, okay,

564
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,040
Speaker 2: I'll give you cla chance. So then UCLA started recruiting me.

565
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,119
Speaker 2: I started talking to them on the phone and honestly like,

566
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,280
Speaker 2: I've just fell in love with the coaches and I

567
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,240
Speaker 2: went to an unofficial visit there and I fell in

568
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,879
Speaker 2: love with the campus. I was like wow, like I

569
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,040
Speaker 2: can't believe I was trying to block my own blessing.

570
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,919
Speaker 2: And then from there it was between Tennessee and UCLA,

571
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,440
Speaker 2: and I really love the coaching staff over there at

572
00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,680
Speaker 2: the time at Tennessee, and Tennessee was my number one choice, honestly,

573
00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:52,280
Speaker 2: I wanted to.

574
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,000
Speaker 3: Go there just all the issues that they had.

575
00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:59,920
Speaker 2: And then one day after my junior year, we lost

576
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,320
Speaker 2: in States, We lost at the state championship to Bishop

577
00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:09,280
Speaker 2: Odow and the first team to meet me up after

578
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,159
Speaker 2: that was UCLA and they asked me, how was I joined?

579
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:13,639
Speaker 3: Did I need anything?

580
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,440
Speaker 2: And this was right during like March madness, so they're

581
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,040
Speaker 2: pretty busy in the tournament.

582
00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,840
Speaker 3: And yeah, they contacted me and they asked me if

583
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:22,840
Speaker 3: you know, everything.

584
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,199
Speaker 2: Was okay, if I wanted to talk about it, they

585
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:26,879
Speaker 2: talked about the game, and then from there I was

586
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,600
Speaker 2: just like, I have to go here because they clearly

587
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,040
Speaker 2: cared about me more than just a basketball player.

588
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,560
Speaker 3: They cared about me as a person.

589
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,119
Speaker 2: And that's something that I was very intentional about in

590
00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,679
Speaker 2: my recruiting process and where I wanted to go because

591
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 2: anywhere I go, it's going to have to be my

592
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:44,600
Speaker 2: second home, and I wanted to make sure that I

593
00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 2: was well taken care of and so that was just

594
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,400
Speaker 2: one of the reasons why I decided to comitto UCLA.

595
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,639
Speaker 2: Besides playing with my best friend, just having coaching staffs

596
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 2: that truly cared about me, and then being close to

597
00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,080
Speaker 2: home my family and friends can come.

598
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:00,600
Speaker 3: It was a lot of reasons, is why I want

599
00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:01,200
Speaker 3: to go to UCLA.

600
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,480
Speaker 2: I want to keep rambling on, but that was the

601
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,720
Speaker 2: deciding factor of why I decided to choose UCLA.

602
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,680
Speaker 1: I love that so much. I know UCLA recruited me

603
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,960
Speaker 1: as well, but they're amazing people there, truly, like top

604
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,480
Speaker 1: to bottom, the entire staff. They're just good people, like

605
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 1: genuine I know, even when I didn't end up going there,

606
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,600
Speaker 1: I talked to Corey all the time, Like she just

607
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:24,920
Speaker 1: texted me, She's like, how are you like? Kwathine's going

608
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,960
Speaker 1: Like she loves to talk, she told me graduating she

609
00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 1: wants to be on the pod, so I'm sure she'll

610
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:35,120
Speaker 1: listen to this episode in her office. But UCLA is amazing,

611
00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:36,760
Speaker 1: and you really get the best of both worlds. You

612
00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,040
Speaker 1: get the academics, the people, you get basketball, all those

613
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,440
Speaker 1: different things. And so I think also a lot of

614
00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,320
Speaker 1: people don't take into account like your life outside of

615
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,040
Speaker 1: basketball when it comes into like making that decision when

616
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,480
Speaker 1: in all reality, like it's the people that you're surrounded

617
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 1: by are heavily going to impact the type of experience

618
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 1: that you're going to have at school. And so you know,

619
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,000
Speaker 1: if you don't have the best experience with your teammates,

620
00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 1: with your coaches, you're not going to enjoy your time,

621
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,119
Speaker 1: Like you're not gonna want to go to practice, spend

622
00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,680
Speaker 1: hours on end in the gym, hours in film and

623
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,440
Speaker 1: weight room, whatever. It's a lot of time that you're

624
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:13,760
Speaker 1: gonna have to smooth these people.

625
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:14,440
Speaker 3: Right exactly.

626
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,879
Speaker 2: I also thought it would be a culture shock for

627
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,760
Speaker 2: me too, Like I'm from LA City and then going

628
00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:21,360
Speaker 2: to Tennessee.

629
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,439
Speaker 3: I knew it would be a complete one eighty and.

630
00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:26,720
Speaker 1: Rocky Top is different from LA for sure.

631
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,240
Speaker 2: I'm like, I don't know if I could really handle

632
00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,800
Speaker 2: that as an eighteen year old going into living in.

633
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,240
Speaker 3: A different state for four years. I don't think I

634
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:36,159
Speaker 3: could I could do that.

635
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:38,560
Speaker 2: So that was another reason I was like, let me

636
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,640
Speaker 2: stay home where I'm comfortable and I have my friends,

637
00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:44,360
Speaker 2: my family, and if anything goes wrong or even if

638
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,800
Speaker 2: this turns out to not be a great experience at

639
00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,840
Speaker 2: least I have somewhere that I can go to and

640
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,880
Speaker 2: like decompress when there's things that are And that's exactly

641
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,720
Speaker 2: what happened to my freshman year. Just a lot of

642
00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,920
Speaker 2: ava person but I was able to get through it

643
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,840
Speaker 2: because I had people there that I could just drive

644
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 2: ten minutes, ten fifteen minutes and be at my house

645
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,480
Speaker 2: and be okay. And that wouldn't have had that if

646
00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,960
Speaker 2: I went to Tennessee or elsewhere. So that was another

647
00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:13,560
Speaker 2: reason why I wanted to stay home.

648
00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, I get that. I went to school in our

649
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,240
Speaker 1: away from my house as well. When things get tough

650
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,240
Speaker 1: like we had COVID happened, like I could just go home.

651
00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,040
Speaker 1: Whenever you need something, you can go home. But at

652
00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:24,760
Speaker 1: the same time, it's like I didn't want to go

653
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,120
Speaker 1: home every weekend. I'm in school there like mom, I know,

654
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 1: but our way relaxed. I'm fine, but like there's just

655
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 1: a balance to strike.

656
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was like that my freshman and sophomore year.

657
00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,160
Speaker 2: I was always going home, not every week, but like

658
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:39,400
Speaker 2: any chance that I could take to.

659
00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 3: Go home, I went home. And then right when I

660
00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:43,160
Speaker 3: moved off the.

661
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,360
Speaker 2: Campus and I got my own spot. My junior year,

662
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,120
Speaker 2: I was like, Mom, I'm not coming home even though

663
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,400
Speaker 2: I'm like ten fifteen minutes coming home this weekend, Like, oh,

664
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:51,600
Speaker 2: I'm not coming home.

665
00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:54,880
Speaker 3: Like I'll see you at the game. And then that

666
00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:55,240
Speaker 3: was that.

667
00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,280
Speaker 2: But yeah, my first two years in college, I was

668
00:29:58,360 --> 00:29:59,360
Speaker 2: like I need to go home.

669
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 3: I need to go home. And then when I got older,

670
00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,400
Speaker 3: I was like, yeah, I don't have to go home

671
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:04,560
Speaker 3: like I was going to stay.

672
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:09,560
Speaker 1: I'm good. But so diving into your freshman year a

673
00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:13,000
Speaker 1: little bit, you get to UCLA, your first game, you

674
00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,520
Speaker 1: had a double double, which is kind of unheard of

675
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,400
Speaker 1: honestly for a freshman in the pack, which is so tough,

676
00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,720
Speaker 1: but you know, there's definitely growing pains. We talked about

677
00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,200
Speaker 1: the middle school to high school jump, but high school

678
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,120
Speaker 1: to college is even more. You get there, everybody's like

679
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,320
Speaker 1: we Doll's All Americans, Players of the Year, this, that

680
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,880
Speaker 1: and the third and so what was that adjustment period

681
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 1: like for you going from senior in high school to

682
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,560
Speaker 1: a freshman in college. And I believe you guys had

683
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,080
Speaker 1: the top recruiting class at that time with Umo Rise, Kelly,

684
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,640
Speaker 1: all those different amazing players.

685
00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:47,880
Speaker 3: It was a mess, Hailey. We had the number one

686
00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:49,480
Speaker 3: schedule in the country.

687
00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:50,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm talking.

688
00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 2: We played Yukon North Carolina, Nebraska at the time, they

689
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,680
Speaker 2: were good. We played Texas, we were playing I don't

690
00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:00,760
Speaker 2: know if played Tennessee.

691
00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,040
Speaker 3: I'm not sure. Y'are the Crop were playing the Crop.

692
00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,880
Speaker 2: And when I tell you, it was we had lost

693
00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:13,280
Speaker 2: like so many games, even in like the preseason. I

694
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,760
Speaker 2: think we only won maybe like two games in preseason.

695
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,680
Speaker 2: And then when we got to the pack of season,

696
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,560
Speaker 2: it was even worse. I was like, Yo, this is

697
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,200
Speaker 2: not what I expected college to be.

698
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,320
Speaker 3: This is not what I had in mind.

699
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, And it was also hard.

700
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 2: Just because I came in and became the starting point guard,

701
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:37,560
Speaker 2: and I'm trying to balance learning a new system, learning

702
00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,960
Speaker 2: the flow and the pace of the game, learning.

703
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,800
Speaker 3: My teammates, trying to adjust to college life. It was

704
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:44,600
Speaker 3: the worst.

705
00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:49,040
Speaker 2: I was like a lot so close to transferring. Honestly,

706
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,800
Speaker 2: like me and coach Corey will even tell you if

707
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:52,960
Speaker 2: me and her like we.

708
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:53,840
Speaker 3: Didn't get along.

709
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,880
Speaker 2: I was head he didn't get along, but we quite

710
00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,920
Speaker 2: didn't see like eye to eye. We kind of like

711
00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:01,360
Speaker 2: butted heads a lot. And and I was just not

712
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 2: having a great experience. And like I said, we were losing.

713
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,240
Speaker 2: We didn't even even get the tournament. We wind up

714
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,320
Speaker 2: going to the wn I t But yeah, I did

715
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:09,840
Speaker 2: not like it.

716
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,760
Speaker 3: I was like so close to transfer it. It was

717
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:13,440
Speaker 3: just too hard for me at first.

718
00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:17,200
Speaker 2: And then I just my mom talked me into staying

719
00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,480
Speaker 2: and it winded up being one of the best experiences

720
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:21,120
Speaker 2: that I've had.

721
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,360
Speaker 3: But yeah, freshman year was not the greatest. I did

722
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:25,400
Speaker 3: not enjoy it at all.

723
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,040
Speaker 1: Now I feel you, Freshman year is so hard, and

724
00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,320
Speaker 1: especially like when you come into a role where you're

725
00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,280
Speaker 1: starting from the jump, that learning that new system is

726
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,160
Speaker 1: so insane. I know when I pulled up to Stanford

727
00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:41,000
Speaker 1: my freshman summer, Tar's like, okay, Hayley, by next by

728
00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,520
Speaker 1: next week, you need to know one through four woman

729
00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:45,560
Speaker 1: what like, be so.

730
00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:49,320
Speaker 3: For real right now that on campus classiest.

731
00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 1: I need to make friends, I need to do a

732
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,360
Speaker 1: lot of things. Where's the dining hall? Like, there's a

733
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,760
Speaker 1: lot of things going on. And so I think, especially

734
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,600
Speaker 1: for the situation you're in now when recruiting clas, there's

735
00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,520
Speaker 1: a lot of pressures. You're playing all the best teams imaginable,

736
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,200
Speaker 1: and you get to the packs and then there's all

737
00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,040
Speaker 1: these other amazing teams. I think it's just it's a

738
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:11,600
Speaker 1: lot to take in. You guys didn't make the tournament,

739
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,360
Speaker 1: but you won the NIT which is still big, and

740
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,160
Speaker 1: your Pack twelve freshman the year, and so I feel like,

741
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:20,400
Speaker 1: you know, your mom said today, moms are right all

742
00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,640
Speaker 1: the time, which is so annoying. I'm like, okay, whatever,

743
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:28,400
Speaker 1: we get it. And so you come back your sophomore year.

744
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:30,920
Speaker 1: You guys make it to the Sweet sixteen sophomore and

745
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:34,000
Speaker 1: junior year. So what things kind of changed for you

746
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:35,880
Speaker 1: heading into those next two seasons.

747
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,360
Speaker 2: I think the summer workouts. Honestly, that was probably the

748
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,320
Speaker 2: first summer freshman year was a lot. I wouldn't say

749
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,239
Speaker 2: it was easy, but I don't think the coach has

750
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 2: really pushed us as much as they did the next

751
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,760
Speaker 2: two years that we had. And I think that was

752
00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,880
Speaker 2: just because pretty much everyone was coming back except for

753
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,920
Speaker 2: maybe like one or two players, and so we were

754
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,840
Speaker 2: trying to build our chemistry. And I think that's why. Honestly,

755
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:04,480
Speaker 2: I'm just gonna tell you, we didn't even want to

756
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,880
Speaker 2: go to the winn I like side we lost in

757
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,960
Speaker 2: Pac twelve to you guys, actually to Stanford. We were like,

758
00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:14,080
Speaker 2: we're not going to the limun Ie, it's done, yeah,

759
00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:16,719
Speaker 2: but we were we wounded up going and winning, and

760
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,040
Speaker 2: I think being in that tournament kind of like we

761
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,320
Speaker 2: kind of saw like the potential of our team, and

762
00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,400
Speaker 2: I think going into that summer we just really was

763
00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,560
Speaker 2: like working day in and day out. If there was

764
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,439
Speaker 2: workouts that we had to do, we will always do extra,

765
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:34,200
Speaker 2: like we do just the potential.

766
00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:35,439
Speaker 3: That we had that we were going to be really good.

767
00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:39,280
Speaker 2: And then that kind of like shifted over into season,

768
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,600
Speaker 2: and even though we got to Sweet sixteen and lost,

769
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,640
Speaker 2: like we were just really proud of ourselves from making

770
00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,880
Speaker 2: that huge jump from not even being into the tournament

771
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,160
Speaker 2: to going into the Sweet sixteen, which was something that

772
00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,480
Speaker 2: hadn't been done in a minute at UCLA.

773
00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,160
Speaker 3: So it was kind of just the summer workouts that

774
00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:55,560
Speaker 3: kind of.

775
00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,600
Speaker 2: Really pushed us and we all understood the potential that

776
00:34:58,719 --> 00:34:59,959
Speaker 2: we had to be a great team.

777
00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,400
Speaker 1: The summer workouts really set the tone for the season,

778
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,000
Speaker 1: I feel like, And so if you guys are setting

779
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,880
Speaker 1: the tone like we're gonna say extra, we're gonna do

780
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:09,640
Speaker 1: this that, and third we're gonna be in that gym

781
00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,360
Speaker 1: sweating day in and day out, it really sets a

782
00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,040
Speaker 1: tone for what type of season you as are gonna have,

783
00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:16,839
Speaker 1: and then your senior year, you guys end up going

784
00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:20,000
Speaker 1: to the Elite eight. And I know I went before

785
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,640
Speaker 1: I committed Stanford. I went to the game when you

786
00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:26,160
Speaker 1: guys played at Stanford and y'all clapped them by like

787
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:32,319
Speaker 1: thirty and I was sitting in at Stanford. At Stanford, y'all,

788
00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:34,160
Speaker 1: I don't know if it was your junior or.

789
00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,359
Speaker 2: It was my junior year, because that was the only

790
00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,480
Speaker 2: time we beat Stanford as Stanford was my junior year.

791
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,279
Speaker 1: When I tell you, I was sitting in them stands like,

792
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,640
Speaker 1: oh my god. I was like, I think at that

793
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,000
Speaker 1: point in time, I had just like cut UCLA out

794
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:52,760
Speaker 1: and I'm sitting there and I'm like, I know Corey's

795
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:56,520
Speaker 1: looking to be up in these stands. Oh. I was like, oh, oh,

796
00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:58,560
Speaker 1: what have I done. I was like I was about

797
00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:00,719
Speaker 1: to text Corey and be like, so, so, you know,

798
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:06,440
Speaker 1: let's talk things through again. But you guys really put

799
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,160
Speaker 1: UCLA back on the map right going from nit to

800
00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,759
Speaker 1: Sweet sixteen to elit eate runs this and third. You

801
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:15,640
Speaker 1: ended up being second and scoring first and assists. You

802
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:19,040
Speaker 1: improved your three point shot from thirteen percent to forty percent,

803
00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:23,360
Speaker 1: which is insane. So you know, how did all of

804
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,400
Speaker 1: that prepare you moving into your WNBA career.

805
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,600
Speaker 2: Just the work ethic that I had in those those

806
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:37,120
Speaker 2: three years from after my freshman year, just understanding there

807
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,960
Speaker 2: was a potential like well, obviously we talked about getting

808
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,279
Speaker 2: to the pros and what it would look like to

809
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,399
Speaker 2: get there and the steps that I needed to take,

810
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,760
Speaker 2: and honestly, it was just my work ethic, always wanting

811
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,160
Speaker 2: to do more than everyone else. I mean I even

812
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,680
Speaker 2: remember sometimes and well we would have practices or even

813
00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,759
Speaker 2: summer workouts like I always had to run further, like

814
00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,239
Speaker 2: if you had to run a suicide or double down back.

815
00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,719
Speaker 2: I always had to run further than everyone else. And

816
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,239
Speaker 2: that was something that Coach Corey instilled to me, is

817
00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:06,880
Speaker 2: that I always had to do more. I always had

818
00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:10,279
Speaker 2: to show more because obviously it starts with me, and

819
00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,600
Speaker 2: if I can't push myself to be the best that

820
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,440
Speaker 2: I can, then no one else is going to do that.

821
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,800
Speaker 2: And so she just kind of like really instilled like

822
00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,600
Speaker 2: my work ethic and allo Jennie Hoof is now at Kentucky.

823
00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,400
Speaker 2: She was my assistant coach at UCLA and She was

824
00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,400
Speaker 2: another key piece to helping me develop my game and

825
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,880
Speaker 2: constantly being in the gym with her and watching film

826
00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:36,560
Speaker 2: and looking at Synergy clips. She those two were like

827
00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,759
Speaker 2: always on me about wanting to do more and if

828
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:41,640
Speaker 2: I want to get to the next level.

829
00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:42,600
Speaker 3: That this was what it would take.

830
00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:46,440
Speaker 2: So just having coaches like that again, people in my

831
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,239
Speaker 2: corner that always want me to be successful, and then

832
00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:53,320
Speaker 2: understanding that I had to have a work ethic that

833
00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:57,160
Speaker 2: was top tier and then I had to push if

834
00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:57,840
Speaker 2: I wanted.

835
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:00,360
Speaker 3: To get to the next level. So it was just

836
00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:02,920
Speaker 3: that work ethic that I had and always wanted to

837
00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:03,520
Speaker 3: be my best.

838
00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:06,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that's something special to have. Not everybody

839
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,480
Speaker 1: has that, And I think as you get into the

840
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:11,359
Speaker 1: college level, people who are amazing in high school kind

841
00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:14,239
Speaker 1: of some people wean out right because they don't keep

842
00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,320
Speaker 1: that same work ethic that you have to have. And

843
00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:18,640
Speaker 1: so even as now you get to the pros, right,

844
00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:21,560
Speaker 1: it's like so many people from your draft class, my

845
00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,080
Speaker 1: draft class are no longer in the league already, and

846
00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,640
Speaker 1: it's crazy because you just have to have that level

847
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,520
Speaker 1: of work ethic and so to have coaches that are

848
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,320
Speaker 1: going to be on you every day I'm sure in

849
00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:35,279
Speaker 1: the moment, like from my experience, it's like, ugh, this

850
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,120
Speaker 1: is horrible, Like if you have to run longer, it

851
00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:40,960
Speaker 1: sprints and you're watching film and some film questionis be brutal,

852
00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,880
Speaker 1: Like I'm just like, am I watching myself? Because what

853
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,520
Speaker 1: are you doing out there? Haley? Like? There's definitely a

854
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:53,440
Speaker 1: lot of times like that, your fifth overall pick to Seattle?

855
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:58,200
Speaker 1: What was that draft process like heading into you know

856
00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,160
Speaker 1: where am I going to go? I know there's had

857
00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,800
Speaker 1: a lot of nerves around it, but what was that process? Like?

858
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:04,320
Speaker 1: Did you know you're going to go to Seattle?

859
00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:06,120
Speaker 3: I didn't know. I was nervous.

860
00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,920
Speaker 2: There was talk and potential of going there, but there

861
00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:11,440
Speaker 2: was like other teams that called. I had a call

862
00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:14,560
Speaker 2: with New York and talked to them for a little bit,

863
00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:17,360
Speaker 2: and there was another team I can't remember, but I

864
00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,080
Speaker 2: had no clue where I was going. I just knew

865
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:24,160
Speaker 2: that Seattle was like the potential team that could draft me.

866
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,960
Speaker 2: And so during that whole process, I was just sitting

867
00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,640
Speaker 2: there trying not to think about it because I didn't

868
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:32,759
Speaker 2: get my hopes of to be like hey, like I'm

869
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,160
Speaker 2: going to play on Seattle. And then that doesn't happen,

870
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:36,800
Speaker 2: so I was just trying to stay and live in

871
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,359
Speaker 2: the moment. When they came out there and announced my name,

872
00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:42,759
Speaker 2: like my heart drop, I was like, wow, I really

873
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:44,880
Speaker 2: am going to Seattle. And at the time, you know,

874
00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:49,239
Speaker 2: superb Geuleloyd, Breonna Stewart and just playing you know with them.

875
00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:51,040
Speaker 3: At the time, I was like, oh my god, I'm

876
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,440
Speaker 3: going to have a great chance to be.

877
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,960
Speaker 2: Surrounded by great phenomenal players and just being able to

878
00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,600
Speaker 2: learn from them and also my other team. That was

879
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 2: a special moment for me. And then having my family

880
00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:05,480
Speaker 2: there to celebrate it was really nice. And I'm glad

881
00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,359
Speaker 2: that it was in New York too, because my mom

882
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,440
Speaker 2: is from New York and so she had her family

883
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:14,040
Speaker 2: there as well in the background of watching me get drafted,

884
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:15,960
Speaker 2: So that was nice too, just to have, you know,

885
00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,120
Speaker 2: my Mom's sided the family there to experience it too,

886
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,200
Speaker 2: because they rarely get to see me play, so just

887
00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,719
Speaker 2: for them to be there, it was an amazing night,

888
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:28,359
Speaker 2: like a night that I will always remember when one

889
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:30,879
Speaker 2: of my top memories that I've had thus far.

890
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,160
Speaker 1: That's so special, especially have like all your family there,

891
00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,960
Speaker 1: I know, getting to share that moment with them, I

892
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:38,800
Speaker 1: think I blacked out what my name was called, but

893
00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:40,640
Speaker 1: then like I hugged my mom and I was like, oh, okay,

894
00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,920
Speaker 1: I'm here right now. Like it's it's a really surreal

895
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,560
Speaker 1: moment when you hear your name called, and the moment

896
00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,000
Speaker 1: doesn't really feel like your life is changing, and then

897
00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,919
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you're moving, You're going to training camp,

898
00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:55,120
Speaker 1: all these different things, and it's a very quick process.

899
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,520
Speaker 1: And I mean, you mentioned like you get to play

900
00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 1: with people like Soo Juel Brianna List goes on, so

901
00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:06,319
Speaker 1: how was that training camp and how we're having those

902
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,080
Speaker 1: vets helping you through that, because those are kind of

903
00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:11,720
Speaker 1: iconic people in our game. Right now, I was lost.

904
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:12,520
Speaker 3: I'm not even gonn.

905
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:17,880
Speaker 2: I was so lost just trying to again being in

906
00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,440
Speaker 2: a position where I had to learn a new system,

907
00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:22,520
Speaker 2: learn new teammates.

908
00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 3: But this time I'm in a different.

909
00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:26,759
Speaker 2: Role of being a backup point guard, which is something

910
00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:31,000
Speaker 2: I never experienced, and that was really hard for me,

911
00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:32,360
Speaker 2: honestly trying.

912
00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,360
Speaker 3: To fit into that role, but also understanding that I'm.

913
00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:39,640
Speaker 2: Playing behind one of, if not the best point guard

914
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,120
Speaker 2: in the league, and so for me to try and

915
00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:45,600
Speaker 2: navigate through that as a rookie.

916
00:41:45,719 --> 00:41:46,759
Speaker 3: It was really hard for me.

917
00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:51,520
Speaker 2: But somebody that really helped me through it was Alicia Clark,

918
00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,920
Speaker 2: and I really got to learn from her and just

919
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:57,760
Speaker 2: you know, her journey was a lot different than mine,

920
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:01,560
Speaker 2: and just to see how hard she worked. And she

921
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,799
Speaker 2: was always on me about stuff about saying extra, doing

922
00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,320
Speaker 2: more and being even in the game, locking in on

923
00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:11,680
Speaker 2: schemes because there's so you know, like there's so many

924
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:13,799
Speaker 2: different schemes with the game.

925
00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:17,200
Speaker 3: You're not like in college, you're guarding everybody.

926
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,600
Speaker 2: The same, but when you get the league, there's one

927
00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:22,560
Speaker 2: player you might be guarding different, there's another player that

928
00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:23,760
Speaker 2: you might be guarding different.

929
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,040
Speaker 3: And so I had to figure all that.

930
00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:30,160
Speaker 2: Out and learn how to come into a role, come

931
00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:32,400
Speaker 2: off the bench and be a spark. That was something

932
00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,960
Speaker 2: I struggled with. I was very inconcised in that. And

933
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,520
Speaker 2: Ac was like one of those people that just kind

934
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,759
Speaker 2: of like helped me throughout. And also Noel Quinn who's

935
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,440
Speaker 2: now the head coach. She was also like a big

936
00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:48,279
Speaker 2: mentor for me, and we had that bruin connection, so

937
00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:49,920
Speaker 2: she was always on top of me too.

938
00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:51,240
Speaker 3: And so those two.

939
00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,880
Speaker 2: Teammates of mine that I had learning from them and

940
00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:58,480
Speaker 2: watching what they do was extremely valuable to me and

941
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,760
Speaker 2: my development in this league.

942
00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:04,920
Speaker 1: It's an adjustment coming from UCLA or even myself. You know,

943
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:07,040
Speaker 1: you come from a place and it's like everything runs

944
00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,239
Speaker 1: through you, and so that's still something I'm trying to

945
00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:11,440
Speaker 1: figure out now, is how do I make an impact

946
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,600
Speaker 1: in the game, but most importantly, have that consistent impact

947
00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:18,239
Speaker 1: because it's hard and the league is so talented and

948
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:21,000
Speaker 1: you talk about the schemes. Oh my god, what how

949
00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:24,560
Speaker 1: am I doing something different on every single person? And

950
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,480
Speaker 1: you have to remember and it's like, Okay, Hayley, We'll

951
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,600
Speaker 1: start with guarding the ball because I'm thinking scheme and

952
00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:33,600
Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, I'm five feet off my

953
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,839
Speaker 1: person and I'm like, I'm just trying to I'm trying

954
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:38,359
Speaker 1: to get through the screen correctly. I mean, you touched

955
00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:41,160
Speaker 1: on it very well. It's an adjustment coming the work ethic,

956
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:43,239
Speaker 1: finding those people that are going to hold you accountable.

957
00:43:43,719 --> 00:43:45,799
Speaker 1: I think it's a big adjustment that a lot of people.

958
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,360
Speaker 1: It's hard to understand if you're not going through it.

959
00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:50,759
Speaker 1: And it's not just like the physical toll that it

960
00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,680
Speaker 1: takes on you, because God, training camp was exhausting, but

961
00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:57,200
Speaker 1: like the mental toll of having to just the exhaustion

962
00:43:57,400 --> 00:43:59,719
Speaker 1: you're pushing through, fatigue all the time, of trying to

963
00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:03,360
Speaker 1: keep up while still getting ahead and not falling behind.

964
00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,759
Speaker 1: It's a lot going on. But you know, your rookie

965
00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:10,360
Speaker 1: season us won, which is amazing. And I just had

966
00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:13,560
Speaker 1: Natasha Howard on she talks about that being her favorite

967
00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,360
Speaker 1: championship of her three rings that she has. So what

968
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,600
Speaker 1: was so special about that twenty eighteen run that you

969
00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:20,080
Speaker 1: guys had.

970
00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:22,919
Speaker 2: I came into a team that kind of already had

971
00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:27,359
Speaker 2: a flow and a chemistry about them, and so when

972
00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:29,839
Speaker 2: I came in, it was just trying to figure out

973
00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:32,439
Speaker 2: how I can fit in that role in the team

974
00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:34,000
Speaker 2: that already had this chemistry.

975
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:36,640
Speaker 3: And next thing I know, we just.

976
00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:39,120
Speaker 2: Started winning all these games and I'm like, oh my god,

977
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:42,000
Speaker 2: we are really good. And I didn't even know we

978
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:42,960
Speaker 2: were going to be that good.

979
00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,480
Speaker 3: And so we just went on this.

980
00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:48,279
Speaker 2: Winning streak of winning all these games. I'm like, wow,

981
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:51,080
Speaker 2: like there's potential for us to really win. And then

982
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:54,359
Speaker 2: once we kind of got towards the end of going

983
00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,120
Speaker 2: into playoffs, that's when I started to find my stride

984
00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:02,320
Speaker 2: and like my role and I'm comfortable doing also what

985
00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,440
Speaker 2: the team needs for me. And I think once we

986
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:08,839
Speaker 2: got to playoffs playing Phoenix, that was, I mean, by far,

987
00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:13,440
Speaker 2: one of the best, I think best playoff series in

988
00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:16,239
Speaker 2: the history of the w just because it was so

989
00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:20,839
Speaker 2: much back and forth, and obviously by with Sue going

990
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:24,839
Speaker 2: crazy and witnessing that import and I was like, that's

991
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:29,080
Speaker 2: like something I will never forget, just how she was

992
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:32,720
Speaker 2: just locked in on that moment and witnessing that crazy

993
00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:33,479
Speaker 2: and then.

994
00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:35,359
Speaker 3: After that it was kind of like, Wow, we only

995
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:38,960
Speaker 3: have one more series and then it's over. And luckily

996
00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:40,040
Speaker 3: we blew out.

997
00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:42,640
Speaker 2: Washington, who was a really great team at the time.

998
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,560
Speaker 2: But I think we were just so in tune with

999
00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:49,000
Speaker 2: each other in our chemistry and no one everyone on

1000
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,839
Speaker 2: that team knew their role, knew their job, did their job,

1001
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,000
Speaker 2: and I think that's why we were so successful that

1002
00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:55,560
Speaker 2: season to win a championship.

1003
00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:57,560
Speaker 1: When you have players that buy into their role to

1004
00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:01,239
Speaker 1: the flux extent, it's so hard to stop because you

1005
00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:03,160
Speaker 1: have an amazing starting five and then all of a sudden,

1006
00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,080
Speaker 1: you got you coming off the bench just spark and

1007
00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:08,520
Speaker 1: going crazy, and you just have all these other weapons.

1008
00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:10,600
Speaker 1: It's it's hard to guard and to have a team

1009
00:46:10,640 --> 00:46:13,480
Speaker 1: that has so much chemistry. It's like y'all know where

1010
00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:16,680
Speaker 1: each other are without even looking. You just understand where

1011
00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:19,439
Speaker 1: people like to play all these different things, which makes

1012
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:21,440
Speaker 1: it so easy. And I know I watched that series.

1013
00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:24,840
Speaker 1: That series was freaking lick, that Phoenix one. I was

1014
00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:26,759
Speaker 1: my parents, my family, and I We were sitting on

1015
00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:28,960
Speaker 1: the couch like yelling at the TV watching this dude

1016
00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:30,120
Speaker 1: go absolutely wild.

1017
00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:34,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, standing in person was like you just couldn't believe it,

1018
00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:38,880
Speaker 2: Like watching like that in person and just getting the chills.

1019
00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:40,160
Speaker 3: Like I remember just sitting on the.

1020
00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:44,360
Speaker 2: Bench like, wow, this this woman is insane. Yeah, telling

1021
00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:48,600
Speaker 2: from breaking her nose the previous game and then coming

1022
00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:52,280
Speaker 2: in and just like totally dominating.

1023
00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:53,760
Speaker 3: And it was amazing to watch.

1024
00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:57,200
Speaker 2: And even just watching DT too and her having a

1025
00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:59,400
Speaker 2: great night too and sending it to over Like it

1026
00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:01,719
Speaker 2: was just so much that was going through my mind

1027
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:03,239
Speaker 2: sitting on the bench and watching the game.

1028
00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:06,799
Speaker 3: But overall it was like an amazing It was an

1029
00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:08,920
Speaker 3: amazing atmosphere and environment to be in.

1030
00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:09,399
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1031
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:11,040
Speaker 3: So that we won that.

1032
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:12,839
Speaker 1: Game, yeah, I mean it ended up in a ring,

1033
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:18,120
Speaker 1: So yeah, that's amazing. And so after you win your

1034
00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:21,560
Speaker 1: rookie year, you play overseas in Poland and Turkey. So

1035
00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:24,319
Speaker 1: I'm sure that's quite the adjustment going from a game

1036
00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,080
Speaker 1: like Phoenix and then you win the championship and now

1037
00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:31,920
Speaker 1: here you are overseas abroad. What was that adjustment like

1038
00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:35,440
Speaker 1: playing overseas. I know there might be language barriers, all

1039
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:38,040
Speaker 1: these different things, and now you're playing a lot more minutes.

1040
00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:40,239
Speaker 1: So what was that adjustment like for you?

1041
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:44,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, So immediately like a week after the NBA season

1042
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,640
Speaker 2: was over, like I had to go straight to Poland.

1043
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:49,600
Speaker 3: That was like such a culture shock for me.

1044
00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:53,120
Speaker 2: I played in Crackout visa Compact that was the name

1045
00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:57,080
Speaker 2: of the team, and it was such a culture shots.

1046
00:47:57,080 --> 00:47:58,239
Speaker 3: Soon as I stepped off the.

1047
00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:03,120
Speaker 2: Plane, like I just felt uncomfortable and I was nervous

1048
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:06,880
Speaker 2: and I'm not gonna lie. I am a homebody, so

1049
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:09,000
Speaker 2: I like to be at home. I like to be

1050
00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:11,799
Speaker 2: comfortable where I'm at. And as soon as I got there,

1051
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:14,080
Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my god, I can't wait till this

1052
00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:14,480
Speaker 2: is over.

1053
00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,279
Speaker 3: Where am I like seven months left? I'm like, oh

1054
00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,719
Speaker 3: my god, I want to go home so bad. And

1055
00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:25,200
Speaker 3: the language barrier was really hard. I couldn't understand anything.

1056
00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:27,160
Speaker 3: That they were saying they couldn't understand me.

1057
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,480
Speaker 2: Luckily, the team that I had there was girls I

1058
00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,040
Speaker 2: was from all over There was some girls from Spain,

1059
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:37,200
Speaker 2: there was one that was from Germany, there was one

1060
00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:40,080
Speaker 2: that was from Slovenia. So there was like all types

1061
00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:43,680
Speaker 2: of players and everyone spoke English. So it was nice

1062
00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:46,720
Speaker 2: to be around a team that could, you know, speak English.

1063
00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:49,680
Speaker 2: And I have as Russell as my teammates, so we

1064
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:53,880
Speaker 2: were coming together from battle, but we lived like the

1065
00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:56,960
Speaker 2: opposite sides of each other. We were like living like

1066
00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:00,560
Speaker 2: thirty minutes away from each other on YO on our

1067
00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:03,120
Speaker 2: days off from like sorry, Sadie's like, I'm not trying

1068
00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:05,479
Speaker 2: to come drive thirty minutes to see you, like as.

1069
00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:07,560
Speaker 3: Much as yea, I'm not going to do that, and

1070
00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:10,000
Speaker 3: vice versa. So it was just really hard going in

1071
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,200
Speaker 3: to grocery stores, like no one would help me.

1072
00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,160
Speaker 2: I would try to ask for help in English, like

1073
00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:15,800
Speaker 2: no one will understand what I was saying.

1074
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,200
Speaker 1: You're one of those people like pulling out Google Translate,

1075
00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:20,280
Speaker 1: they just just awkward.

1076
00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:25,080
Speaker 2: Google Translate was not translating it correctly. They couldn't understand

1077
00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:27,840
Speaker 2: what I'm saying. It was just really hard and I

1078
00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,480
Speaker 2: didn't really have a great experience in Poland. We were

1079
00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:34,879
Speaker 2: losing too, so that also didn't help. Our coach quit

1080
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:38,120
Speaker 2: in the middle of the season. He like quit in

1081
00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:40,680
Speaker 2: the middle of the season, and so we had a

1082
00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:43,560
Speaker 2: coach at the time who only coached.

1083
00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:46,680
Speaker 3: Like fifteen you boys, so he didn't okay.

1084
00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:50,560
Speaker 2: It's in the professional field, let alone on the women's side.

1085
00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:52,920
Speaker 3: So we had to be coached by him. And it

1086
00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:53,919
Speaker 3: was just so tough.

1087
00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:56,880
Speaker 2: Like I remember the last game of the season we

1088
00:49:57,040 --> 00:49:59,239
Speaker 2: lost and I had my backs packed.

1089
00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:00,600
Speaker 3: I was like ready to go.

1090
00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:01,480
Speaker 1: I'm out.

1091
00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:03,799
Speaker 3: I'm like I'm out. I want to leave the next

1092
00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:07,120
Speaker 3: day if possible. It was just a really tough experience.

1093
00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:10,960
Speaker 2: But when I went to Turkey the following year or

1094
00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:13,760
Speaker 2: a couple of years after, I had a better experience.

1095
00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:15,800
Speaker 3: I think it really just depends on where you go.

1096
00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:18,719
Speaker 2: I mean, I didn't know that Poland was not going

1097
00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:21,680
Speaker 2: to be the best experience, but it really does.

1098
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:24,120
Speaker 3: Like going overseas for your first year really does.

1099
00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:27,520
Speaker 2: Make or break your experience overseas and whether you want

1100
00:50:27,560 --> 00:50:30,239
Speaker 2: to go or not. And I knew I was like

1101
00:50:30,320 --> 00:50:32,719
Speaker 2: I don't want to go overseas anymore. Like that was

1102
00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:34,719
Speaker 2: it that's all I wanted to do. And then I

1103
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:36,239
Speaker 2: was like, you know, let me give it another try.

1104
00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:38,200
Speaker 2: So I've been to Turkey and I've been to Hungry

1105
00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:41,880
Speaker 2: and those really good places that I enjoyed. So I

1106
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:44,200
Speaker 2: think it just depends on your experience. But my first

1107
00:50:44,280 --> 00:50:45,920
Speaker 2: year was not great at all.

1108
00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:48,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, I've heard it's just every like anywhere you go,

1109
00:50:49,239 --> 00:50:51,759
Speaker 1: you can have a completely different experience. I've heard great

1110
00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:55,440
Speaker 1: things about Turkey actually, like everybody's like, oh, Turkey is

1111
00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:57,680
Speaker 1: so fun, like a lot of people speaking English. It's

1112
00:50:57,800 --> 00:51:00,879
Speaker 1: kind of Americanized in a way. So I heard amazing things.

1113
00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:03,879
Speaker 1: But I feel like less and less people every year

1114
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:08,000
Speaker 1: decide to go overseas, and there's a lot more options

1115
00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:11,080
Speaker 1: to play here in the US now with athletes unlimited.

1116
00:51:11,160 --> 00:51:14,399
Speaker 1: And then I know Brianna Stewie and Natheista are coming

1117
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:16,399
Speaker 1: out with their own league. So what do you think

1118
00:51:16,440 --> 00:51:19,320
Speaker 1: about the different options that people are now getting to have?

1119
00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:23,120
Speaker 1: Just because looking at our off season is so long

1120
00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:25,080
Speaker 1: and how training camp went for me, I'm going need

1121
00:51:25,120 --> 00:51:26,920
Speaker 1: to find it. I find a way to stay in shape.

1122
00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:30,080
Speaker 1: So I mean, what do you think about all these

1123
00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:32,480
Speaker 1: different new options to help people continue to play? But

1124
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:34,480
Speaker 1: maybe here in the States they don't have to travel.

1125
00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:36,959
Speaker 1: I think it's a great opportunity. I played at AU

1126
00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: last year and I absolutely loved it.

1127
00:51:39,120 --> 00:51:39,600
Speaker 3: I love the.

1128
00:51:39,640 --> 00:51:43,239
Speaker 2: Balance between after season there's a timeframe where I can

1129
00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:48,640
Speaker 2: rest and recover and then train, and then the following year,

1130
00:51:48,880 --> 00:51:52,560
Speaker 2: like early January, I'm going right into a league, and

1131
00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:56,080
Speaker 2: I can about a month or two, a month and

1132
00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:58,800
Speaker 2: a half and then be ready for training camp and

1133
00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:03,360
Speaker 2: still have time in between to rest and then train again.

1134
00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:05,799
Speaker 3: And I think that's a great thing for us.

1135
00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:09,040
Speaker 2: Constantly playing year round, even in college, like you know,

1136
00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:13,280
Speaker 2: you're constantly doing something year round, there's never any time take.

1137
00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:16,240
Speaker 3: A good enough time off to just rest.

1138
00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,360
Speaker 2: And that was something that was really beneficial for me,

1139
00:52:18,760 --> 00:52:21,239
Speaker 2: was being able to take last year off and be like,

1140
00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,320
Speaker 2: you know what, let me just stay and play AU.

1141
00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:26,640
Speaker 2: I think that was really helpful for me, just to

1142
00:52:26,719 --> 00:52:28,560
Speaker 2: get the rest that I needed, to get the proper

1143
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:31,320
Speaker 2: training that I needed, the resources that I had that

1144
00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:34,680
Speaker 2: I wouldn't have overseas, and then being still being able

1145
00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:37,880
Speaker 2: to compel in a competitive league for a certain amount

1146
00:52:37,880 --> 00:52:40,759
Speaker 2: of time. I think it's great to have opportunities like

1147
00:52:40,840 --> 00:52:43,719
Speaker 2: that because a lot of people are starting not to

1148
00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:47,120
Speaker 2: want to go overseas anymore, just because it takes so

1149
00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:50,480
Speaker 2: much toll on your body. And I know I'm a

1150
00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:52,960
Speaker 2: person that you know, I want to be able to

1151
00:52:53,200 --> 00:52:56,560
Speaker 2: use as much rest as I can and train as

1152
00:52:56,640 --> 00:52:57,279
Speaker 2: much as I can.

1153
00:52:57,480 --> 00:52:59,080
Speaker 3: I can't do that if I'm overseas.

1154
00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:01,000
Speaker 2: So I think it's just great that we're having all

1155
00:53:01,040 --> 00:53:04,719
Speaker 2: these opportunities come about and we're able to make decisions

1156
00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:06,600
Speaker 2: that are helpful for ourselves.

1157
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:09,000
Speaker 1: Like you said, it's just a variety of reasons. It

1158
00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:11,960
Speaker 1: really helps people figuring out what training schedule works best

1159
00:53:11,960 --> 00:53:13,719
Speaker 1: for them. I know some people who are like I

1160
00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:16,040
Speaker 1: love playing overseas, playing year round, and others are like,

1161
00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:18,520
Speaker 1: I need a break, I'm exhausted, And so I think

1162
00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:21,239
Speaker 1: the options here allow people to find what's best for

1163
00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:23,600
Speaker 1: them to succeed at the highest level. Which it sounds

1164
00:53:23,640 --> 00:53:26,920
Speaker 1: like you figured out what works best. You get dressed, trained,

1165
00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,440
Speaker 1: still play, a little bit more rest this and that.

1166
00:53:29,719 --> 00:53:32,600
Speaker 1: So I think it just gives people more options.

1167
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:35,920
Speaker 2: Going to Turkey, I took the first half of season

1168
00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:40,360
Speaker 2: off and like stayed and rested and recovered and trained,

1169
00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:42,920
Speaker 2: and then the beginning of day I had left to

1170
00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:46,440
Speaker 2: go to Turkey, which I thought also kind of helpful

1171
00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:48,879
Speaker 2: for me too, just to have that break right after

1172
00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:52,760
Speaker 2: WNBA season and then playing for like four or five months,

1173
00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:55,000
Speaker 2: but then going right into training camp.

1174
00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:57,160
Speaker 3: So I was like, I got to figure out a balance.

1175
00:53:57,680 --> 00:53:57,879
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1176
00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:01,680
Speaker 3: I think, like we talked about having the opportunities.

1177
00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:05,480
Speaker 2: Of AU and the it's unrivaled, right the league that

1178
00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:08,640
Speaker 2: they're I think that's a great opportunity as well, just

1179
00:54:08,719 --> 00:54:10,080
Speaker 2: to have that balance.

1180
00:54:10,400 --> 00:54:13,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. And I mean so moving back into

1181
00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:15,560
Speaker 1: WNBA a little bit. So you win your rookie season,

1182
00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:17,520
Speaker 1: that's how you watch your rookie season to go. You win,

1183
00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,800
Speaker 1: and then twenty nineteen you come back. Sue had to

1184
00:54:20,840 --> 00:54:24,560
Speaker 1: get surgery, So now you're the starting PG. Stewie's also out.

1185
00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:28,960
Speaker 1: So how did the dynamic change, I mean for yourself

1186
00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:31,440
Speaker 1: personally going from back up and then back into a

1187
00:54:31,480 --> 00:54:34,239
Speaker 1: starting role, but just as a team losing Stuie and

1188
00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:37,880
Speaker 1: Sue core cornerstones of Seattle at that time, how did

1189
00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:41,439
Speaker 1: that training camp kind of come together for you guys

1190
00:54:41,560 --> 00:54:44,560
Speaker 1: to create the chemistry that you needed moving into that season.

1191
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:48,480
Speaker 2: Well, we knew we had lost Stewie before training camp started,

1192
00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:51,600
Speaker 2: and when training camp started, Sue was a part of

1193
00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:54,680
Speaker 2: training camp, and I think I came in with the

1194
00:54:54,719 --> 00:54:56,600
Speaker 2: same mindset of, you know, like I'm going to have

1195
00:54:56,680 --> 00:54:58,520
Speaker 2: to say, Paul as last year, We're going to have

1196
00:54:58,560 --> 00:55:01,239
Speaker 2: to come in and be as spark. And then I think,

1197
00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:03,640
Speaker 2: like I don't know if it was kind of towards

1198
00:55:03,680 --> 00:55:07,360
Speaker 2: the beginning of summer training camp or like the midway

1199
00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:10,800
Speaker 2: that we found out that Sue wasn't going to be

1200
00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:13,320
Speaker 2: she was going to be getting surgery and that you know,

1201
00:55:13,480 --> 00:55:15,480
Speaker 2: she would be out for a certain amount of time,

1202
00:55:16,320 --> 00:55:18,520
Speaker 2: and so kind of then I had to shift my

1203
00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,360
Speaker 2: mind back into all right, now I have to be

1204
00:55:22,239 --> 00:55:24,800
Speaker 2: one of the leaders for this team, because you know,

1205
00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:27,680
Speaker 2: now the starting role and this is going to be

1206
00:55:27,719 --> 00:55:30,640
Speaker 2: completely different than what I've experienced in my last season.

1207
00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:34,359
Speaker 2: But I think going overseas kind of helped me get

1208
00:55:34,800 --> 00:55:38,959
Speaker 2: back into that starting point guard and leadership role because

1209
00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:41,680
Speaker 2: when I obviously when I went to Poland the play

1210
00:55:41,840 --> 00:55:43,880
Speaker 2: I was put back into a starting role and I

1211
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:45,040
Speaker 2: had to play a lot of minutes.

1212
00:55:45,080 --> 00:55:45,879
Speaker 3: I had to be a leader.

1213
00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:48,800
Speaker 2: So that kind of like helped me into my second

1214
00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:51,279
Speaker 2: season of just getting back to what I was used

1215
00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:52,160
Speaker 2: to at UCLA.

1216
00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:55,000
Speaker 3: And then obviously all of us together.

1217
00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:58,000
Speaker 2: We came together and knew that a lot of people

1218
00:55:58,080 --> 00:56:00,719
Speaker 2: were going to count us out automatically because do whats do?

1219
00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:03,320
Speaker 2: We were out, So we kind of just had that

1220
00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:06,360
Speaker 2: mentality of we're still gonna play hard, We're still gonna

1221
00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:09,359
Speaker 2: be a team that can compete, and that's what we did.

1222
00:56:10,080 --> 00:56:11,799
Speaker 3: And a lot of people counted us out.

1223
00:56:11,920 --> 00:56:14,080
Speaker 2: Everybody thought we weren't going to be playoffs, and we

1224
00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:15,400
Speaker 2: winded up making playoffs.

1225
00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:17,399
Speaker 3: And I just had a really great year that year.

1226
00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:20,040
Speaker 2: It was so much fun being around my teammates and

1227
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:23,759
Speaker 2: we all vibe and chilled together. We were hanging out constantly,

1228
00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:26,719
Speaker 2: always doing stuff off the court, and I think that's

1229
00:56:26,760 --> 00:56:30,480
Speaker 2: what helped us that year, just because we had chemistry

1230
00:56:30,760 --> 00:56:33,680
Speaker 2: off on and off the court, and that just showed

1231
00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:36,520
Speaker 2: with us and our fight and how we weren't gonna

1232
00:56:36,600 --> 00:56:39,239
Speaker 2: let all these things that were surrounding us about how

1233
00:56:39,280 --> 00:56:41,759
Speaker 2: we weren't going to be good and just having that

1234
00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:45,600
Speaker 2: next man up mentality and wanting to compete with something

1235
00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:48,560
Speaker 2: that we all had in common, and that definitely helped us.

1236
00:56:49,080 --> 00:56:51,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you touched on your amazing year. You

1237
00:56:51,400 --> 00:56:55,520
Speaker 1: finished second assist person Steels touching on how chemistry on

1238
00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:57,359
Speaker 1: the court. A lot comes from that off the court

1239
00:56:57,400 --> 00:57:00,879
Speaker 1: relationship that you guys have, just that bond, that understanding,

1240
00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:03,640
Speaker 1: that trust, I think really helps moving on to the court.

1241
00:57:03,920 --> 00:57:06,560
Speaker 1: And it's so interesting to have like your reigning champs

1242
00:57:06,640 --> 00:57:09,680
Speaker 1: come in with an underdog mentality, Like you know, you

1243
00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:12,520
Speaker 1: guys really had so much talent on the bench behind

1244
00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:15,840
Speaker 1: stewing Sue that can come in and do these amazing

1245
00:57:15,920 --> 00:57:18,120
Speaker 1: things and excel on the court. Now given a new role,

1246
00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:20,919
Speaker 1: which I think is really special, and you guys really

1247
00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:22,920
Speaker 1: show the league like we still making the playoffs, We're

1248
00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:24,800
Speaker 1: still doing this. It's not going to be like a

1249
00:57:24,880 --> 00:57:27,000
Speaker 1: walkover game coming to Seattle. Y'all have to come and

1250
00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:29,880
Speaker 1: bring your a game. But I mean, so you have

1251
00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:32,560
Speaker 1: this amazing year in twenty nineteen, and then you follow

1252
00:57:32,600 --> 00:57:35,000
Speaker 1: it up in the bubble season, which I know brought

1253
00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:38,560
Speaker 1: a lot of challenges for everybody dealing with different things

1254
00:57:38,600 --> 00:57:40,800
Speaker 1: going on in that bubble. But you guys come in

1255
00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:43,240
Speaker 1: twenty and twenty Sue is back, and so then you

1256
00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:46,400
Speaker 1: move into this backup role. But it's different from your

1257
00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:49,479
Speaker 1: rookie year. Now you're averaging more points, you've gotten your flow,

1258
00:57:49,520 --> 00:57:51,520
Speaker 1: you've got in your rhythm. It seems like you've kind

1259
00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:54,000
Speaker 1: of started to figure out just your role, what you

1260
00:57:54,080 --> 00:57:57,640
Speaker 1: can really bring to the league. So what was that

1261
00:57:57,800 --> 00:58:00,960
Speaker 1: experience like coming into that back up role again? But

1262
00:58:01,160 --> 00:58:03,320
Speaker 1: it seemed like you had a different understanding of the

1263
00:58:03,400 --> 00:58:05,880
Speaker 1: game where you have such an impact on this team,

1264
00:58:05,920 --> 00:58:09,400
Speaker 1: where second ring Sweet Vegas in the finals, more minutes,

1265
00:58:09,480 --> 00:58:12,800
Speaker 1: more points, everything has just gotten better. So what was

1266
00:58:12,880 --> 00:58:14,120
Speaker 1: that year like in the bubble for you?

1267
00:58:14,600 --> 00:58:16,960
Speaker 2: I think just at that point, I kind of was

1268
00:58:17,080 --> 00:58:20,360
Speaker 2: familiar with the team and the role that I had,

1269
00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:23,760
Speaker 2: And even that year was different because there was some games,

1270
00:58:23,840 --> 00:58:26,560
Speaker 2: or at least half the games I started when Sue.

1271
00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:28,680
Speaker 3: Would rest Ye kind of like in and out, in

1272
00:58:28,760 --> 00:58:29,640
Speaker 3: and out, in and out.

1273
00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:32,120
Speaker 2: And even that was hard within itself trying to figure

1274
00:58:32,160 --> 00:58:33,120
Speaker 2: out and navigate that.

1275
00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:35,840
Speaker 3: But I think at that time I knew what my

1276
00:58:36,040 --> 00:58:36,640
Speaker 3: role would be.

1277
00:58:37,240 --> 00:58:39,600
Speaker 2: That would either be starting or I would be coming

1278
00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:41,800
Speaker 2: off the bench, and so I kind of figured that

1279
00:58:41,920 --> 00:58:45,920
Speaker 2: out and just knowing that I had to be confident

1280
00:58:46,000 --> 00:58:49,520
Speaker 2: in that role, and that's something that you know, I didn't.

1281
00:58:49,320 --> 00:58:52,640
Speaker 3: Really have, like the first couple of years in the league,

1282
00:58:52,720 --> 00:58:53,560
Speaker 3: was that confidence.

1283
00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:57,120
Speaker 2: I was lacking that confidence, And then going into the bubble,

1284
00:58:57,320 --> 00:58:59,320
Speaker 2: it was kind of like, Okay, I know what to expect.

1285
00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:00,880
Speaker 3: I know expect of me.

1286
00:59:01,640 --> 00:59:03,920
Speaker 2: I'm familiar with being in the league now and the

1287
00:59:04,000 --> 00:59:07,080
Speaker 2: pace and understanding what we're looking for and what we

1288
00:59:07,240 --> 00:59:10,200
Speaker 2: are as a team, and I kind of just stuck

1289
00:59:10,280 --> 00:59:12,560
Speaker 2: with that and every single game I was like, what

1290
00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:14,360
Speaker 2: does the team need for me? What can I do,

1291
00:59:14,480 --> 00:59:17,439
Speaker 2: whether that's starting or coming off the bench, just being

1292
00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:20,000
Speaker 2: a little bit more aggressive in that role. So that

1293
00:59:20,200 --> 00:59:22,000
Speaker 2: was just kind of the mentality that I had going

1294
00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,400
Speaker 2: into the bubble, understanding that at any given moment, I

1295
00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:27,040
Speaker 2: could be starting, I could be coming off the bench,

1296
00:59:27,120 --> 00:59:29,720
Speaker 2: but my job is the same, Like I can't let

1297
00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:30,200
Speaker 2: that waiver.

1298
00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:32,080
Speaker 3: I have to be consistent in that. And so that

1299
00:59:32,200 --> 00:59:33,560
Speaker 3: was just the mentality that I had.

1300
00:59:33,880 --> 00:59:35,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it definitely showed on the court and

1301
00:59:35,720 --> 00:59:37,680
Speaker 1: just the confidence that you played with and I feel

1302
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,440
Speaker 1: coming in and out all the time, it's also it's

1303
00:59:40,480 --> 00:59:42,600
Speaker 1: hard to catch the rhythm of the game, and so

1304
00:59:42,720 --> 00:59:45,080
Speaker 1: I think that's just something that you handled very well

1305
00:59:45,200 --> 00:59:48,720
Speaker 1: and it was very apparent. Something else exciting in twenty

1306
00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:52,000
Speaker 1: twenty was you became a Joining brand athlete, which is Dope,

1307
00:59:52,520 --> 00:59:55,800
Speaker 1: and you recently had your pees come out. So what

1308
00:59:55,960 --> 00:59:57,600
Speaker 1: has that been like? Have you did you ever think

1309
00:59:57,600 --> 00:59:59,560
Speaker 1: you were going to get your own shoe? I feel

1310
00:59:59,560 --> 01:00:02,200
Speaker 1: like pe are super exciting, So what has that been

1311
01:00:02,240 --> 01:00:04,080
Speaker 1: like in your a PE and being a Jordan athlete.

1312
01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:07,880
Speaker 3: I love being a Jordan athlete. Just the family atmosphere

1313
01:00:08,040 --> 01:00:08,520
Speaker 3: that we have.

1314
01:00:09,120 --> 01:00:11,880
Speaker 2: Love that all of us are different in the way

1315
01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:15,600
Speaker 2: we play and our personalities and our style, but we

1316
01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:20,040
Speaker 2: all represent excellence and greatness important and that's what I

1317
01:00:20,200 --> 01:00:22,960
Speaker 2: love about it. And when we all come together is

1318
01:00:23,080 --> 01:00:25,240
Speaker 2: like with one big family. And that's what I really

1319
01:00:25,560 --> 01:00:28,520
Speaker 2: love about being a part of this brand. And I

1320
01:00:28,760 --> 01:00:32,280
Speaker 2: wasn't expecting to have any pees when I first signed,

1321
01:00:32,840 --> 01:00:35,720
Speaker 2: but over the years, you know, they gave me a

1322
01:00:35,800 --> 01:00:38,880
Speaker 2: chance to have a couple of pees, and so it's

1323
01:00:38,960 --> 01:00:41,600
Speaker 2: just really exciting to be creative on that side. And

1324
01:00:41,680 --> 01:00:45,040
Speaker 2: that aspect of trying to put your vision and your

1325
01:00:45,160 --> 01:00:48,920
Speaker 2: ideas onto a shoe, I think that's a great experience

1326
01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:51,440
Speaker 2: and it allows me to be creative and come up

1327
01:00:51,480 --> 01:00:53,320
Speaker 2: with new ideas of what I want to do and

1328
01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:54,800
Speaker 2: what I want to put up on a shoe. So

1329
01:00:55,240 --> 01:00:57,960
Speaker 2: it's been pretty awesome that Jordan has given us that

1330
01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:01,200
Speaker 2: opportunity and that ability to be creative in that way

1331
01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:03,880
Speaker 2: and being able to put it on a shoe and play.

1332
01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:06,680
Speaker 1: It's so cool to see everybody come out with pees

1333
01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:09,880
Speaker 1: and all these different things, just showing like more of

1334
01:01:09,920 --> 01:01:12,120
Speaker 1: who you are off the court, what things are important

1335
01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:15,080
Speaker 1: to you, and showing that in the creative space of basketball.

1336
01:01:15,160 --> 01:01:17,400
Speaker 1: I think tying those two things is really special. And

1337
01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:19,400
Speaker 1: I think it just talked about the coverage that has

1338
01:01:19,440 --> 01:01:22,120
Speaker 1: grown with women's sports, especially women's basketball, in the past

1339
01:01:22,160 --> 01:01:25,640
Speaker 1: few years. Just like you know, companies pouring into women's

1340
01:01:25,680 --> 01:01:29,000
Speaker 1: basketball on the college level, but especially on the WNBA level,

1341
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:32,200
Speaker 1: I feel like so many more big brands like want

1342
01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:34,680
Speaker 1: to work with US athletes, want to show want to

1343
01:01:34,720 --> 01:01:36,080
Speaker 1: get to know us for who we are off the

1344
01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:39,040
Speaker 1: court as well. And so what are some of the

1345
01:01:39,120 --> 01:01:42,120
Speaker 1: ways that you've seen coverage in your time in the

1346
01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:45,400
Speaker 1: WNBA just get better over the years you've been playing.

1347
01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:48,760
Speaker 2: I think just the marketing, to be honest, I think

1348
01:01:49,040 --> 01:01:52,760
Speaker 2: we're getting a lot more opportunities to be on TV,

1349
01:01:53,600 --> 01:01:55,560
Speaker 2: which is really helpful for us. And when you put

1350
01:01:55,640 --> 01:01:58,080
Speaker 2: us on TV, you see that people are watching. The

1351
01:01:58,160 --> 01:02:01,600
Speaker 2: viewership goes up every single year just because we're able

1352
01:02:01,680 --> 01:02:03,840
Speaker 2: to be on a platform where everyone can see us,

1353
01:02:03,880 --> 01:02:06,520
Speaker 2: and I think that's super important, and that has changed

1354
01:02:07,160 --> 01:02:09,200
Speaker 2: over the last couple of years that I've been in

1355
01:02:09,240 --> 01:02:12,800
Speaker 2: the league, just more viewership and WNBA doing a great

1356
01:02:12,920 --> 01:02:16,560
Speaker 2: job of marketing the team, and even the team's doing

1357
01:02:16,600 --> 01:02:19,760
Speaker 2: a better job of marketing players and putting us out

1358
01:02:19,800 --> 01:02:23,200
Speaker 2: there and giving us opportunities that are not necessarily related

1359
01:02:23,240 --> 01:02:24,000
Speaker 2: to basketball.

1360
01:02:24,040 --> 01:02:26,720
Speaker 3: And you see a lot of people with beauty.

1361
01:02:26,440 --> 01:02:30,959
Speaker 2: Products or companies that deal with certain type of water

1362
01:02:31,200 --> 01:02:35,120
Speaker 2: or certain type of products give opportunities to do that

1363
01:02:35,280 --> 01:02:37,040
Speaker 2: and put our faces out there. And I think that's

1364
01:02:37,080 --> 01:02:39,480
Speaker 2: what has changed over the years, and it's such an

1365
01:02:39,480 --> 01:02:40,160
Speaker 2: amazing thing.

1366
01:02:40,320 --> 01:02:42,640
Speaker 3: And that's another thing why I love Jordan brand.

1367
01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:45,440
Speaker 2: It is just because they're so involved with the women's

1368
01:02:45,480 --> 01:02:48,440
Speaker 2: side and wanting to change and wanting to shift it

1369
01:02:48,680 --> 01:02:51,520
Speaker 2: and be a part of that women empowerment. And that's

1370
01:02:51,560 --> 01:02:53,920
Speaker 2: another another big thing of being a part of the

1371
01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:56,200
Speaker 2: Jordan brand is that they always try to put us

1372
01:02:56,200 --> 01:02:59,320
Speaker 2: on the forefront and give us opportunities to explore things

1373
01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:02,520
Speaker 2: that we didn't have opportunities to explore in the last

1374
01:03:02,600 --> 01:03:03,280
Speaker 2: recent years.

1375
01:03:03,840 --> 01:03:06,400
Speaker 1: I mean, for sure, I couldn't agree more I think

1376
01:03:06,560 --> 01:03:10,960
Speaker 1: just the coverage more national TV games, pouring into what

1377
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:13,760
Speaker 1: female athletes can bring to this table of endorsements and

1378
01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:17,040
Speaker 1: marketing all these different things, Like the age of social

1379
01:03:17,120 --> 01:03:19,720
Speaker 1: media is really at a peak right now of growing

1380
01:03:19,760 --> 01:03:22,240
Speaker 1: your brand and this and that. And I know, one

1381
01:03:22,280 --> 01:03:26,000
Speaker 1: thing I love about your socials is your love of singing.

1382
01:03:26,200 --> 01:03:28,200
Speaker 1: And can I just tell you you have a talent

1383
01:03:28,600 --> 01:03:32,400
Speaker 1: a talent? Did I Did I stock your videos? Maybe?

1384
01:03:32,680 --> 01:03:36,800
Speaker 1: Maybe not? But you are amazing? And so when did

1385
01:03:37,160 --> 01:03:39,400
Speaker 1: singing really become a passion for you? And I know

1386
01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:41,480
Speaker 1: I have other friends who singing, do this and that,

1387
01:03:41,600 --> 01:03:45,280
Speaker 1: but it takes such courage to like post it on

1388
01:03:45,440 --> 01:03:48,439
Speaker 1: the internet. And so what finally got you to start

1389
01:03:48,480 --> 01:03:51,000
Speaker 1: posting and sharing this passion that you have. Once I

1390
01:03:51,120 --> 01:03:53,520
Speaker 1: got into the league, I was like, you know what,

1391
01:03:53,680 --> 01:03:56,880
Speaker 1: I got to start figuring out, like what can I

1392
01:03:57,000 --> 01:04:00,440
Speaker 1: do that's not basketball related that I could show to

1393
01:04:00,600 --> 01:04:02,000
Speaker 1: people because a lot.

1394
01:04:01,920 --> 01:04:03,560
Speaker 2: Of times people like, well we don't really know you,

1395
01:04:03,920 --> 01:04:05,920
Speaker 2: what do you like to do outside of basketball? And

1396
01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:09,560
Speaker 2: I'm like singing, But I'm like so shy, Like if

1397
01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:10,920
Speaker 2: you told me to sing right now, I would not

1398
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:11,240
Speaker 2: do it.

1399
01:04:11,440 --> 01:04:12,520
Speaker 3: Like people ask you.

1400
01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:13,960
Speaker 1: I won't put you on the spot.

1401
01:04:14,680 --> 01:04:16,280
Speaker 3: People ask me all the time, I can you sing

1402
01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:18,200
Speaker 3: for us? And I'm like super shy about it.

1403
01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:21,840
Speaker 2: But you know, getting older now like I understand that

1404
01:04:22,360 --> 01:04:24,280
Speaker 2: that's a part of me, that that is part of

1405
01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:26,000
Speaker 2: something that I want to be a part of my brand,

1406
01:04:26,080 --> 01:04:28,400
Speaker 2: so I have to put it out there. I didn't

1407
01:04:28,400 --> 01:04:32,720
Speaker 2: really get into music really, I guess it's still kind

1408
01:04:32,720 --> 01:04:33,800
Speaker 2: of young middle school.

1409
01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:36,040
Speaker 3: That's when I joined my middle.

1410
01:04:35,800 --> 01:04:38,960
Speaker 2: School choir in seventh grade, and that's when I kind

1411
01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:42,040
Speaker 2: of got really into music. My dad actually used to

1412
01:04:42,120 --> 01:04:45,720
Speaker 2: be a part of a music group back in his heyday. Yeah,

1413
01:04:45,760 --> 01:04:47,560
Speaker 2: he had a music group and he traveled all over

1414
01:04:47,640 --> 01:04:51,320
Speaker 2: the country and the world touring, and so I kind

1415
01:04:51,360 --> 01:04:54,680
Speaker 2: of get my singing skills from him. So it wasn't

1416
01:04:54,760 --> 01:04:56,720
Speaker 2: until like middle school, when I joined my choir that

1417
01:04:56,800 --> 01:05:00,320
Speaker 2: I really started to really love music and wanting to

1418
01:05:00,400 --> 01:05:02,920
Speaker 2: get more involved with that. I'm still trying to figure

1419
01:05:02,960 --> 01:05:06,280
Speaker 2: that out and navigate because it's so it's so much work.

1420
01:05:06,360 --> 01:05:07,360
Speaker 3: I've been to I went to.

1421
01:05:07,440 --> 01:05:10,040
Speaker 2: A studio one time last year. I did a thing

1422
01:05:10,160 --> 01:05:12,560
Speaker 2: with the players trivia with State Farm, and I got

1423
01:05:12,640 --> 01:05:15,400
Speaker 2: to go into the studio and learn how to make

1424
01:05:15,440 --> 01:05:17,760
Speaker 2: a song. And that was that took so much time.

1425
01:05:17,880 --> 01:05:20,640
Speaker 2: It took five hours and we didn't even finish the song.

1426
01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:23,080
Speaker 2: I didn't even get twenty percent done with the song

1427
01:05:23,200 --> 01:05:26,320
Speaker 2: because I had to figure start from scratch of figuring

1428
01:05:26,360 --> 01:05:29,320
Speaker 2: out a melody, figuring out the topic of the song

1429
01:05:29,440 --> 01:05:32,640
Speaker 2: that I wanted to be about, getting a vocals right,

1430
01:05:33,320 --> 01:05:33,680
Speaker 2: trying to.

1431
01:05:33,720 --> 01:05:37,200
Speaker 3: Write a hook. It took me about like, I don't know,

1432
01:05:37,920 --> 01:05:39,240
Speaker 3: I love the process, but this.

1433
01:05:39,320 --> 01:05:41,400
Speaker 2: Is a little bit too long to make one song

1434
01:05:41,520 --> 01:05:46,280
Speaker 2: and I'm professional in that area, but it was kind

1435
01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:48,600
Speaker 2: of fun just to see the ends and outs and

1436
01:05:48,680 --> 01:05:50,800
Speaker 2: behind the scenes of what it takes to make a song.

1437
01:05:51,480 --> 01:05:55,120
Speaker 2: So I'm still trying to navigate that. If I want

1438
01:05:55,160 --> 01:05:57,000
Speaker 2: to get into music for real, I know I do.

1439
01:05:57,200 --> 01:05:59,360
Speaker 2: I'm just trying to figure out, like, at what point

1440
01:05:59,440 --> 01:06:01,520
Speaker 2: do I really want to start taking it seriously and

1441
01:06:01,640 --> 01:06:03,240
Speaker 2: be like, Okay, let's get into the studio.

1442
01:06:03,680 --> 01:06:05,720
Speaker 1: You have all the talent in the world to do so,

1443
01:06:05,840 --> 01:06:08,280
Speaker 1: and I feel like it's so important, Like once you

1444
01:06:08,360 --> 01:06:10,320
Speaker 1: get to the league, it's completely different, where now you

1445
01:06:10,400 --> 01:06:12,720
Speaker 1: have all this free time that's not with school and

1446
01:06:12,840 --> 01:06:15,720
Speaker 1: homework and all this stuff, and so it's like figuring

1447
01:06:15,800 --> 01:06:19,320
Speaker 1: out who you're going to be outside of basketball nowadays.

1448
01:06:19,960 --> 01:06:23,080
Speaker 1: I mean you're back in LA now, which is seems

1449
01:06:23,120 --> 01:06:25,040
Speaker 1: like the best place to be for the music scene,

1450
01:06:25,440 --> 01:06:27,520
Speaker 1: going to studios, doing this and that, trying all these

1451
01:06:27,560 --> 01:06:30,760
Speaker 1: different things. We talked about, the marketing, the endorsements, all

1452
01:06:30,800 --> 01:06:32,840
Speaker 1: these different things, and so you got to come. You

1453
01:06:32,920 --> 01:06:35,840
Speaker 1: signed with the Spars in twenty twenty two, so homecoming,

1454
01:06:35,880 --> 01:06:39,320
Speaker 1: which is exciting. And now in this season we talked

1455
01:06:39,360 --> 01:06:41,160
Speaker 1: about you guys knocking on the door of the playoffs.

1456
01:06:41,520 --> 01:06:44,120
Speaker 1: But I think one thing that's really special about the

1457
01:06:44,120 --> 01:06:47,800
Speaker 1: Sparks we mentioned her earlier is Meca and she's been

1458
01:06:47,840 --> 01:06:49,800
Speaker 1: a staple in the league for so long now, but

1459
01:06:50,160 --> 01:06:53,120
Speaker 1: she's been with the Sparks her entire career, and so

1460
01:06:54,000 --> 01:06:56,680
Speaker 1: just talk about a little bit what it's like having

1461
01:06:57,000 --> 01:06:59,200
Speaker 1: a person like her. She's the president of the union.

1462
01:06:59,600 --> 01:07:03,280
Speaker 1: She's an amazing individual, just so intelligent. What is it

1463
01:07:03,520 --> 01:07:05,480
Speaker 1: like getting to have a vet like her? Well, I

1464
01:07:05,520 --> 01:07:07,800
Speaker 1: guess you're a vet now, but like, what is it

1465
01:07:07,920 --> 01:07:11,400
Speaker 1: what is it like a baby? That baby that? So,

1466
01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:14,480
Speaker 1: what is it like getting to, you know, be in

1467
01:07:14,480 --> 01:07:17,360
Speaker 1: an organization with Mecca as that pillar man?

1468
01:07:17,480 --> 01:07:20,320
Speaker 3: Mecca is an amazing human being.

1469
01:07:20,840 --> 01:07:25,640
Speaker 2: Honestly the best people that I have ever met and

1470
01:07:25,920 --> 01:07:28,160
Speaker 2: have the blessed to be able to know her.

1471
01:07:28,640 --> 01:07:30,640
Speaker 3: She has so much wisdom, Her and Cheney.

1472
01:07:30,720 --> 01:07:34,120
Speaker 2: Honestly, both of them, those two I call them the

1473
01:07:34,160 --> 01:07:37,640
Speaker 2: Whys of Guoma Cays because they always have some type

1474
01:07:37,680 --> 01:07:41,000
Speaker 2: of wisdom to give no matter what situation that you're in.

1475
01:07:41,840 --> 01:07:46,560
Speaker 2: And with the wisdom, it always comes with grace. Ka

1476
01:07:46,640 --> 01:07:49,240
Speaker 2: talks about that a lot is just giving yourself grace

1477
01:07:49,360 --> 01:07:51,600
Speaker 2: no matter the circumstances of what you're in.

1478
01:07:52,640 --> 01:07:57,000
Speaker 3: And just having a teammate like that is just like

1479
01:07:57,520 --> 01:07:59,200
Speaker 3: you can't compare it to anything else.

1480
01:07:59,320 --> 01:08:01,560
Speaker 2: And she's the foundation of the Spark She's been here

1481
01:08:01,600 --> 01:08:05,120
Speaker 2: her whole career and just being able to play with

1482
01:08:05,240 --> 01:08:08,600
Speaker 2: her these last two seasons, I absolutely love it, just

1483
01:08:09,240 --> 01:08:12,080
Speaker 2: how caring of a teammate she is. She's always looking

1484
01:08:12,120 --> 01:08:16,160
Speaker 2: out for either the rookies myself. She really pours into

1485
01:08:16,280 --> 01:08:19,600
Speaker 2: this organization and you can tell just by you know,

1486
01:08:19,800 --> 01:08:22,759
Speaker 2: just being around her, being in the atmosphere and environment

1487
01:08:22,840 --> 01:08:26,720
Speaker 2: that she has created here. It's so loving and I'm

1488
01:08:26,880 --> 01:08:29,439
Speaker 2: just really thankful to know her and to be a

1489
01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:34,479
Speaker 2: part of her journey with the Sparks. And like I said,

1490
01:08:34,560 --> 01:08:37,360
Speaker 2: she's just so wise and everything that comes out of

1491
01:08:37,400 --> 01:08:38,720
Speaker 2: her mouth, you just like, oh my.

1492
01:08:38,760 --> 01:08:40,960
Speaker 1: God, you just like you just want to soak it up.

1493
01:08:41,000 --> 01:08:43,800
Speaker 3: It's just like, yes, oh yeah, you just poke it

1494
01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:48,000
Speaker 3: all in. Yeah. She's just an amazing human being, very phenomenal.

1495
01:08:48,680 --> 01:08:51,920
Speaker 2: And yeah, I'm like I said, I'm extremely blessed to

1496
01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:53,160
Speaker 2: be able to play with her, to.

1497
01:08:53,240 --> 01:08:55,439
Speaker 1: Know her neck is a special individual and I think

1498
01:08:55,560 --> 01:08:58,439
Speaker 1: she definitely SAIDs to the culture in LA. But every

1499
01:08:58,520 --> 01:09:01,280
Speaker 1: room she steps into, it's just she commands this respect

1500
01:09:01,360 --> 01:09:03,840
Speaker 1: and you know that she's wise and all these amazing

1501
01:09:03,920 --> 01:09:06,200
Speaker 1: things that come with her and Shanee as well. But

1502
01:09:06,320 --> 01:09:08,560
Speaker 1: I know they're Stanford Royalty. Like when we're when I

1503
01:09:09,080 --> 01:09:11,840
Speaker 1: all you hear about is Nika. They're amazing and it's

1504
01:09:11,880 --> 01:09:14,240
Speaker 1: not just like we're in basketball. It's like any person

1505
01:09:14,320 --> 01:09:15,960
Speaker 1: you meet and I'm like, oh, I'm the basketball team,

1506
01:09:16,200 --> 01:09:17,800
Speaker 1: Oh my god, do you know Nika? Do you have

1507
01:09:17,920 --> 01:09:20,240
Speaker 1: you met? And I'm like, yes, I have. I was

1508
01:09:20,320 --> 01:09:23,400
Speaker 1: blessed too. But they're amazing, And I know, you guys

1509
01:09:23,439 --> 01:09:25,560
Speaker 1: just have great people in LA. And one of the

1510
01:09:25,560 --> 01:09:28,080
Speaker 1: people I know very well, Zia, who's having a great

1511
01:09:28,160 --> 01:09:30,840
Speaker 1: rookie season. She's a combo guard, who went to guards,

1512
01:09:30,840 --> 01:09:33,280
Speaker 1: She's an amazing score, all these different things. What have

1513
01:09:33,439 --> 01:09:36,160
Speaker 1: you really liked seeing from her so far in her

1514
01:09:36,240 --> 01:09:36,840
Speaker 1: rookie season.

1515
01:09:37,320 --> 01:09:40,599
Speaker 2: She is learning and I love that and I appreciate

1516
01:09:40,920 --> 01:09:43,840
Speaker 2: that about Zia is that she wants to learn, she

1517
01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:46,879
Speaker 2: wants to grow, she wants to help the team, she wants.

1518
01:09:46,680 --> 01:09:47,200
Speaker 3: To be better.

1519
01:09:47,840 --> 01:09:49,600
Speaker 2: And you know, we just tell her, like, look, you

1520
01:09:49,800 --> 01:09:51,439
Speaker 2: just got to go out there and Who and play

1521
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:53,120
Speaker 2: like yourself, Like you're gonna learn.

1522
01:09:53,479 --> 01:09:54,840
Speaker 3: All this stuff is gonna come as.

1523
01:09:54,760 --> 01:09:56,200
Speaker 2: You play, but like, you just got to go out

1524
01:09:56,200 --> 01:09:58,880
Speaker 2: there and be yourself and Who. And she's been doing

1525
01:09:58,960 --> 01:10:01,240
Speaker 2: that the last couple of games. She's been very aggressive.

1526
01:10:01,560 --> 01:10:03,120
Speaker 2: Her decision making has been.

1527
01:10:03,040 --> 01:10:03,599
Speaker 3: A lot better.

1528
01:10:04,479 --> 01:10:07,840
Speaker 2: She's just been locked in and she's just having She's

1529
01:10:07,880 --> 01:10:11,000
Speaker 2: so teachable, and you don't really get that from a

1530
01:10:11,080 --> 01:10:13,960
Speaker 2: lot of rookies or just you know, people that are

1531
01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:16,120
Speaker 2: coming into the game so young, Like a lot of

1532
01:10:16,120 --> 01:10:20,120
Speaker 2: people are not teachable. And she's tea coachable and she's

1533
01:10:20,160 --> 01:10:22,479
Speaker 2: a great teammate, and you know, she wants to give

1534
01:10:22,520 --> 01:10:24,360
Speaker 2: her best day in and day out, and you can

1535
01:10:24,479 --> 01:10:26,960
Speaker 2: see it. And she's not afraid to use her voice

1536
01:10:27,000 --> 01:10:30,200
Speaker 2: even when we have huddles sometimes going into games usually

1537
01:10:30,360 --> 01:10:34,360
Speaker 2: will rely on like Cheney or Jazz or myself. She

1538
01:10:34,520 --> 01:10:36,439
Speaker 2: comes in, she step says, and she's not afraid to

1539
01:10:36,439 --> 01:10:39,920
Speaker 2: say what she wants to say. And we need somebody

1540
01:10:40,080 --> 01:10:42,040
Speaker 2: like that. We need somebody like Zaia and or rookie

1541
01:10:42,040 --> 01:10:43,040
Speaker 2: who's not afraid to use.

1542
01:10:42,960 --> 01:10:45,519
Speaker 3: Her voice and then come in and be a spark.

1543
01:10:45,840 --> 01:10:47,439
Speaker 3: And she's just been doing a.

1544
01:10:47,439 --> 01:10:50,519
Speaker 2: Great job this year of learning and growing and also

1545
01:10:50,680 --> 01:10:54,680
Speaker 2: just being able to find herself, be aggressive in her

1546
01:10:54,760 --> 01:10:57,600
Speaker 2: scoring and just when she's out there. So I'm extremely

1547
01:10:57,680 --> 01:11:00,680
Speaker 2: proud of Zaia, you know, the core of this in

1548
01:11:00,760 --> 01:11:03,120
Speaker 2: these last couple of months of her just growing into

1549
01:11:03,240 --> 01:11:05,560
Speaker 2: the role that she's had and just embracing it.

1550
01:11:06,040 --> 01:11:08,599
Speaker 1: Zia loves the game, and I think, you know, coming

1551
01:11:08,600 --> 01:11:10,400
Speaker 1: from a place like South Carolina, like you got to

1552
01:11:10,400 --> 01:11:13,000
Speaker 1: be coachable with Miss Dawn, and so she came in.

1553
01:11:13,160 --> 01:11:15,519
Speaker 1: She knows what it takes. And Zia has always been amazing.

1554
01:11:15,760 --> 01:11:18,000
Speaker 1: We've been in the same class all our lives, always

1555
01:11:18,040 --> 01:11:21,000
Speaker 1: competing against each other, and so I love seeing you know,

1556
01:11:21,080 --> 01:11:24,040
Speaker 1: everybody that you know so well, playing so well, competing

1557
01:11:24,040 --> 01:11:26,920
Speaker 1: at the highest level. But we're gonna head into our

1558
01:11:27,000 --> 01:11:30,519
Speaker 1: final section here, which is rapid fire answers. It's called

1559
01:11:30,560 --> 01:11:33,200
Speaker 1: our vibe check. So some guests are better than others

1560
01:11:33,400 --> 01:11:36,320
Speaker 1: with the rapid fire portion. I have some faith in you.

1561
01:11:36,479 --> 01:11:39,719
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be great. Okay, we'll just start

1562
01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:42,439
Speaker 1: off hots here. We are hopefully you watched our drafts

1563
01:11:42,439 --> 01:11:45,360
Speaker 1: and sell all of our fits. For our first question here,

1564
01:11:45,560 --> 01:11:48,360
Speaker 1: so who was best dressed at the draft? I'm gonna

1565
01:11:48,360 --> 01:11:51,800
Speaker 1: say Zion, that's understandable. Okay, best dressed in the league.

1566
01:11:52,000 --> 01:11:52,760
Speaker 3: Oh that's hard.

1567
01:11:54,400 --> 01:11:56,120
Speaker 1: A lot of competition can I give you?

1568
01:11:56,280 --> 01:11:57,400
Speaker 3: I have to give you one person.

1569
01:11:57,640 --> 01:12:00,439
Speaker 1: You can give me, like your top few, top a few.

1570
01:12:00,840 --> 01:12:02,679
Speaker 3: I would say, a weeque.

1571
01:12:03,720 --> 01:12:05,840
Speaker 1: This is so hard. It's such a well dressed week.

1572
01:12:06,800 --> 01:12:08,559
Speaker 3: I feel like a lot of people don't give her

1573
01:12:08,680 --> 01:12:13,599
Speaker 3: enough credit. But Tory Walker Kim Broke, ooh she does,

1574
01:12:14,479 --> 01:12:17,120
Speaker 3: she dresses. I feel like she doesn't get enough credit,

1575
01:12:17,520 --> 01:12:18,920
Speaker 3: like she's very underrated.

1576
01:12:19,200 --> 01:12:21,000
Speaker 1: So I with her.

1577
01:12:22,080 --> 01:12:24,080
Speaker 3: And then the third I was not to put myself

1578
01:12:24,160 --> 01:12:24,599
Speaker 3: in there.

1579
01:12:25,080 --> 01:12:28,479
Speaker 1: Also fire fits, never miss, never miss. Okay, what's your

1580
01:12:28,520 --> 01:12:29,680
Speaker 1: go to karaoke song?

1581
01:12:29,800 --> 01:12:31,040
Speaker 3: Love by Music? So Child?

1582
01:12:31,280 --> 01:12:34,000
Speaker 1: Oh my god. I have such an appreciation for him,

1583
01:12:34,040 --> 01:12:36,759
Speaker 1: and I feel like so many people don't, and it's he's.

1584
01:12:36,760 --> 01:12:39,200
Speaker 3: One of my favorite. Yeah, he's one of my favorite artists.

1585
01:12:39,240 --> 01:12:42,800
Speaker 2: As him all the time and my friend because whenever,

1586
01:12:43,080 --> 01:12:45,639
Speaker 2: whenever someone asked me to sing, that's always the song

1587
01:12:45,720 --> 01:12:48,000
Speaker 2: I sing and then put it up.

1588
01:12:48,080 --> 01:12:50,120
Speaker 3: Can you find another song? I'm like, no, that's a

1589
01:12:50,240 --> 01:12:52,000
Speaker 3: great song. So that's always my go to.

1590
01:12:52,479 --> 01:12:54,240
Speaker 1: Wow. I knew this, I knew we were gonna click.

1591
01:12:54,439 --> 01:12:55,400
Speaker 3: This is perfect.

1592
01:12:55,680 --> 01:12:58,200
Speaker 1: Okay, artists you'd want to collab with?

1593
01:12:58,600 --> 01:12:58,760
Speaker 2: Is it?

1594
01:12:59,040 --> 01:12:59,519
Speaker 1: Is it music?

1595
01:12:59,560 --> 01:12:59,920
Speaker 3: So child?

1596
01:13:00,040 --> 01:13:00,720
Speaker 1: Is it someone else?

1597
01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:02,160
Speaker 3: It's actually her?

1598
01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:06,840
Speaker 2: She's She's my favorite like female artist. I love her

1599
01:13:07,520 --> 01:13:09,439
Speaker 2: and so I listened. I listened to her music all

1600
01:13:09,439 --> 01:13:12,479
Speaker 2: the time too. I just love her mentality, I love

1601
01:13:12,840 --> 01:13:15,040
Speaker 2: her vibe, and I feel like if I ever went

1602
01:13:15,160 --> 01:13:17,679
Speaker 2: into music, I think that would kind of be along

1603
01:13:17,760 --> 01:13:18,200
Speaker 2: the line.

1604
01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:21,160
Speaker 3: So how I want my music to go is like her.

1605
01:13:21,439 --> 01:13:25,280
Speaker 1: Right, your taste is immaculate. Okay, what's the drill you

1606
01:13:25,400 --> 01:13:28,120
Speaker 1: never want to see on the practice plan? I think

1607
01:13:28,240 --> 01:13:31,240
Speaker 1: personally don't like cutthroat? Ooh it's stressful.

1608
01:13:32,920 --> 01:13:35,160
Speaker 3: Yes, it's just too much. I don't like it.

1609
01:13:35,600 --> 01:13:38,040
Speaker 1: I'm with you. I'm with you, Okay. Game winning shot

1610
01:13:38,160 --> 01:13:38,959
Speaker 1: or game winning.

1611
01:13:38,760 --> 01:13:41,080
Speaker 3: Block game winning shot for sure, Okay, and.

1612
01:13:41,240 --> 01:13:42,040
Speaker 1: One or three pointer.

1613
01:13:43,920 --> 01:13:44,760
Speaker 3: I like a one.

1614
01:13:45,320 --> 01:13:47,519
Speaker 1: I'm definitely and one person too. It is just because

1615
01:13:47,560 --> 01:13:49,080
Speaker 1: you're so hype, so hyph.

1616
01:13:49,240 --> 01:13:51,200
Speaker 3: I get more and ones than I hit threes. So

1617
01:13:51,320 --> 01:13:52,680
Speaker 3: I'm gonna say almos.

1618
01:13:52,800 --> 01:13:57,000
Speaker 1: Hey Twins toughest place to play.

1619
01:13:56,880 --> 01:14:01,439
Speaker 2: In the w OH I think personally League Connecticut is

1620
01:14:01,520 --> 01:14:02,360
Speaker 2: really tough to play.

1621
01:14:02,439 --> 01:14:03,479
Speaker 1: It's loud up in there.

1622
01:14:03,720 --> 01:14:07,120
Speaker 2: It's loud, and they got some true fans up in there,

1623
01:14:07,280 --> 01:14:09,040
Speaker 2: and it's just always there.

1624
01:14:09,160 --> 01:14:11,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with you. Okay, what's your go to trash

1625
01:14:12,000 --> 01:14:13,200
Speaker 1: talk line if you have one.

1626
01:14:13,439 --> 01:14:16,240
Speaker 3: I'm not a trash talker. I'm sorry to say I don't.

1627
01:14:17,120 --> 01:14:19,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's okay, I'm not either. I just kind of

1628
01:14:19,080 --> 01:14:25,000
Speaker 1: play and I, you know, whatever comes to who's the

1629
01:14:25,040 --> 01:14:27,080
Speaker 1: biggest trash talker in the league, because I know we

1630
01:14:27,439 --> 01:14:28,439
Speaker 1: got some trash talkers.

1631
01:14:28,560 --> 01:14:31,759
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, I don't think anybody really beats DT,

1632
01:14:32,200 --> 01:14:38,240
Speaker 2: but yeah, I would give it to I'll give it

1633
01:14:38,280 --> 01:14:39,200
Speaker 2: to Courtney Williams.

1634
01:14:39,720 --> 01:14:42,920
Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, court she she'd be talking her and Marina

1635
01:14:42,960 --> 01:14:43,800
Speaker 1: both on that team.

1636
01:14:43,880 --> 01:14:46,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, Marina, Marina too, But I would give it to

1637
01:14:46,720 --> 01:14:49,599
Speaker 2: court because I've seen court like talker stuff.

1638
01:14:49,880 --> 01:14:54,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay. The hardest player to guard, oh Man Errique.

1639
01:14:54,680 --> 01:14:56,200
Speaker 3: I mean, I know she's not in the league right now,

1640
01:14:56,320 --> 01:14:59,360
Speaker 3: but Skyler Diggins was hard for me to guard. And

1641
01:15:00,120 --> 01:15:02,200
Speaker 3: Jesse Mitchell too. Kelsey Mitchell is hard. Oh.

1642
01:15:02,720 --> 01:15:03,639
Speaker 1: She's always moving.

1643
01:15:03,840 --> 01:15:06,320
Speaker 3: Yes, she's always moving. She's like an energizer bunny.

1644
01:15:06,400 --> 01:15:09,240
Speaker 2: She's just like always and she has that like bounce

1645
01:15:09,479 --> 01:15:12,479
Speaker 2: in hot so like you never know when you can

1646
01:15:12,600 --> 01:15:15,599
Speaker 2: stop for a break because she's just always moving.

1647
01:15:15,760 --> 01:15:17,439
Speaker 3: So I would have to give it to Kelsey Mitchell.

1648
01:15:17,439 --> 01:15:17,559
Speaker 2: Two.

1649
01:15:17,760 --> 01:15:21,559
Speaker 1: That's facts. That's facts. Okay. Who has the best handles

1650
01:15:21,600 --> 01:15:22,040
Speaker 1: in the league?

1651
01:15:22,160 --> 01:15:26,080
Speaker 3: Best handles? I would say Chelsea.

1652
01:15:25,920 --> 01:15:29,960
Speaker 1: Gray, Yeah, Chelsea Gray. Okay. Biggest flopper could be controversial,

1653
01:15:30,120 --> 01:15:31,240
Speaker 1: biggest flopper.

1654
01:15:31,120 --> 01:15:32,160
Speaker 3: Biggest flopper.

1655
01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:33,599
Speaker 1: I've gotten a few different answers.

1656
01:15:33,800 --> 01:15:36,360
Speaker 3: I don't even know if I can name a flopper.

1657
01:15:36,479 --> 01:15:38,679
Speaker 3: To be honest, I don't even really be paying attention

1658
01:15:38,800 --> 01:15:40,840
Speaker 3: that much. She even know who did? People say?

1659
01:15:41,080 --> 01:15:45,280
Speaker 1: Okay, we've gotten we've gotten Sophie Cunningham, we've gotten Kelsey Plumb.

1660
01:15:45,400 --> 01:15:50,640
Speaker 2: Well, now that these names come to mind, yes, we

1661
01:15:50,800 --> 01:15:52,639
Speaker 2: agree with those, Okay, I agree with those.

1662
01:15:52,680 --> 01:15:53,679
Speaker 3: Okay, I would agree.

1663
01:15:54,080 --> 01:15:57,719
Speaker 1: On to the next what is your biggest basketball I don't.

1664
01:15:57,800 --> 01:16:01,360
Speaker 2: Like when this is not really game related, but I

1665
01:16:02,400 --> 01:16:05,160
Speaker 2: don't like it when people leave the court on a mishot.

1666
01:16:05,400 --> 01:16:08,599
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I feel like that's just bad vibe, that's

1667
01:16:08,680 --> 01:16:09,560
Speaker 2: bad energy.

1668
01:16:09,400 --> 01:16:10,000
Speaker 3: And I don't like that.

1669
01:16:10,280 --> 01:16:12,000
Speaker 1: It's just bad jud You like, if you're missing your

1670
01:16:12,000 --> 01:16:14,280
Speaker 1: outside shot, go take a damn layout and then run

1671
01:16:14,320 --> 01:16:16,880
Speaker 1: off the court. It's fine, Okay, who's your goat?

1672
01:16:18,800 --> 01:16:19,599
Speaker 3: Women or men?

1673
01:16:20,240 --> 01:16:22,000
Speaker 1: Or you can do both. You can do both.

1674
01:16:22,920 --> 01:16:23,760
Speaker 3: My goat for.

1675
01:16:24,120 --> 01:16:29,040
Speaker 2: Men is between Michael Jordan or Kobe Okay, my woman

1676
01:16:29,240 --> 01:16:30,960
Speaker 2: goat that is tough.

1677
01:16:31,439 --> 01:16:31,720
Speaker 1: M h.

1678
01:16:33,320 --> 01:16:36,080
Speaker 3: I'm gonna have to say shrol swoops.

1679
01:16:35,880 --> 01:16:39,080
Speaker 1: Okay, A good pick, A good pick okay. Then our

1680
01:16:39,120 --> 01:16:42,280
Speaker 1: last rapid fire is what's your best impersonation of Coach Miller?

1681
01:16:42,360 --> 01:16:43,519
Speaker 1: Because I know he's a character.

1682
01:16:43,840 --> 01:16:46,599
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, he's a clapper. He loves to clap

1683
01:16:46,680 --> 01:16:48,160
Speaker 2: all the time. Like if if we're on the bus,

1684
01:16:48,360 --> 01:16:50,080
Speaker 2: like we'll get off the bus and be like, let's go.

1685
01:16:50,200 --> 01:16:54,400
Speaker 1: Guy, sir off the bus.

1686
01:16:54,600 --> 01:16:56,479
Speaker 2: And when we're on the bus getting off, he will

1687
01:16:56,520 --> 01:17:00,320
Speaker 2: clap like let's go clack clat, flat clack clack.

1688
01:17:00,720 --> 01:17:03,759
Speaker 3: When we're stretching, he likes the class. He's just the class.

1689
01:17:03,840 --> 01:17:06,240
Speaker 1: The clapper, Well, we love the energy.

1690
01:17:06,920 --> 01:17:09,120
Speaker 3: I can't do it now. But he loves to stomp.

1691
01:17:09,240 --> 01:17:11,720
Speaker 3: He's a stomper like you. You've seen him.

1692
01:17:12,240 --> 01:17:13,200
Speaker 1: I've seen the stomps.

1693
01:17:13,479 --> 01:17:16,640
Speaker 3: He stomps and it's like so funny because it's like,

1694
01:17:17,200 --> 01:17:18,240
Speaker 3: why are you stomping?

1695
01:17:18,960 --> 01:17:22,400
Speaker 2: Ye, I don't understand, but that's I can't do it

1696
01:17:22,479 --> 01:17:24,400
Speaker 2: right now because you won't see me in the camera.

1697
01:17:24,520 --> 01:17:26,400
Speaker 3: But he loves to stomp. He loves clap.

1698
01:17:26,680 --> 01:17:29,800
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's Kurt Jordan. This has been amazing. I've appreciated

1699
01:17:29,920 --> 01:17:31,400
Speaker 1: you so much for being on.

1700
01:17:31,680 --> 01:17:34,000
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. This was great,

1701
01:17:34,760 --> 01:17:36,920
Speaker 3: and go luck the rest of the way the season.

1702
01:17:38,000 --> 01:17:39,400
Speaker 3: I hope we both make playoffs.

1703
01:17:39,479 --> 01:17:40,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, were both gonna be up in there.

1704
01:17:41,080 --> 01:17:42,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, I hope we both make playoffs. How about that.

1705
01:17:43,080 --> 01:17:45,720
Speaker 1: We're both gonna be up in there. But thank you

1706
01:17:45,840 --> 01:17:48,800
Speaker 1: for being on. Thank you everyone for listening. We will

1707
01:17:48,840 --> 01:17:51,840
Speaker 1: be back next week with another episode of Sometimes I Hoop.

1708
01:17:57,320 --> 01:17:59,840
Speaker 1: Hey everyone, thanks so much for listening to Sometimes I Hoop.

1709
01:18:00,120 --> 01:18:03,000
Speaker 1: Please don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review wherever you

1710
01:18:03,080 --> 01:18:05,599
Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Be sure to follow me on Instagram

1711
01:18:05,800 --> 01:18:08,640
Speaker 1: at Haley dot Jones. That's no I and Hailey and

1712
01:18:08,800 --> 01:18:11,320
Speaker 1: three s's and Jones to get all the sometimes I

1713
01:18:11,439 --> 01:18:13,800
Speaker 1: hoop content. You can also watch the episodes on the

1714
01:18:13,840 --> 01:18:16,960
Speaker 1: players Tribune YouTube page. Thanks again for all your support

1715
01:18:25,720 --> 01:18:28,280
Speaker 1: the players Tribune dot com