1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,279
Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're rewatching

2
00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,120
Speaker 1: the Nafisa Kauier Kendrick Lamar mashup video.

3
00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:07,840
Speaker 2: Over and over again.

4
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,160
Speaker 1: Say Kathy, it's Thursday, October second, and on today's show

5
00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:12,800
Speaker 1: we're going to get.

6
00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,760
Speaker 2: Into that whole w miss.

7
00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,600
Speaker 1: Then we'll be in the presence of field hockey greatness

8
00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,759
Speaker 1: as we chat with legendary player turned Northwestern head coach

9
00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,439
Speaker 1: Tracy Fuchs and Wildcat's captain Aaron Chris about entering the

10
00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,440
Speaker 1: season as the defending national champions. There are four straight

11
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,360
Speaker 1: trips to the title game, how to improve upon perfection

12
00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,640
Speaker 1: and the collegiate field hockey landscape as a whole. Plus,

13
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,240
Speaker 1: the WNBA finals are set, the final four is moving

14
00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,680
Speaker 1: on up parton ways at an opportune time. And yeah,

15
00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,440
Speaker 1: that mic drop that could change women's sports history, it's

16
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:45,839
Speaker 1: all coming up right after this.

17
00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,240
Speaker 2: Welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today.

18
00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,800
Speaker 1: We're going to start with the WNBA and it's hard

19
00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,080
Speaker 1: to decide where in the wa to begin because it's

20
00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,760
Speaker 1: been a couple days. Let's start with the press conference

21
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,319
Speaker 1: we're likely going to be talking about for years to come.

22
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,760
Speaker 1: During her exit interview on Tuesday, Minnesota Link star and

23
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,959
Speaker 1: Vice president of the WNBA Players Association Nafisa Kllier began

24
00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,640
Speaker 1: by reading a prepared statement that criticized WNBA officiating and leadership,

25
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,600
Speaker 1: in particular Commissioner Kathy Engelbert. It's long, a little over

26
00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:27,600
Speaker 1: four minutes, but we're going to play the whole thing

27
00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,840
Speaker 1: because it's worth hearing it in its entirety.

28
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,520
Speaker 2: Take a listen. Thank you all for your time today.

29
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,600
Speaker 3: I have prepared a statement that I like to make

30
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,640
Speaker 3: before taking any questions. So first of all, I'd like

31
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,319
Speaker 3: to congratulate the Mercury for advancing to the finals. And

32
00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,360
Speaker 3: I want to be clear this conversation is not about

33
00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,800
Speaker 3: winning or losing. It's about something much bigger. The real

34
00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 3: threat to our league isn't money. It isn't ratings or

35
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,400
Speaker 3: even miss calls, or even physical play. It's the lack

36
00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,880
Speaker 3: of accountability from the league office. Since I've been in

37
00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,040
Speaker 3: the league, you've heard the cont concerns about officiating, and

38
00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,800
Speaker 3: it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our

39
00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,000
Speaker 3: sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates. Whether

40
00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,720
Speaker 3: the league cares about the health of the players is

41
00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,840
Speaker 3: one thing, but to also not care about the product

42
00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,160
Speaker 3: we put on the floor is truly self sabotage. Year

43
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,280
Speaker 3: of to year, the only thing that remains consistent is

44
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,000
Speaker 3: the lack of accountability.

45
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,639
Speaker 2: From our leaders. Sorry, I had to walk here in

46
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,000
Speaker 2: my boot. I'm kinda out of breath.

47
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,120
Speaker 3: The league has a buzzword that they've rolled out as

48
00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,359
Speaker 3: talking points for the CBA as to why they can't

49
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,400
Speaker 3: pay the players what we're worth. That word is sustainability.

50
00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,840
Speaker 3: But what's truly unsustainable is keeping a good product on

51
00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,520
Speaker 3: the floor while allowing officials to lose control of games.

52
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,000
Speaker 3: Fancy it every night coaches both winning and losing, pointed

53
00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,480
Speaker 3: out every night in pregame and postgame media. Yet leadership

54
00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,480
Speaker 3: just issues, finds and looks the other way. They ignore

55
00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:53,560
Speaker 3: the issues that everyone inside the game is begging to

56
00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:54,120
Speaker 3: be fixed.

57
00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,920
Speaker 2: That is negligence at unarrival.

58
00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,200
Speaker 3: This past February, I sat ross from Cathy and asked

59
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,840
Speaker 3: how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league.

60
00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,639
Speaker 3: Her response was, will only the losers complain about the refs?

61
00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:10,480
Speaker 3: I also asked how she planned to fix the fact

62
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,200
Speaker 3: that players like Caitlin Angel and Page, who are clearly

63
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,000
Speaker 3: driving massive revenue for the league are making.

64
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,320
Speaker 2: So little for their first four years.

65
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,000
Speaker 3: Her response was, Caitlyn should be grateful she makes sixty

66
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,200
Speaker 3: million off the court, because without the platform that the

67
00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,960
Speaker 3: WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything. And in that

68
00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,920
Speaker 3: same conversation, she told me players should be on their

69
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,639
Speaker 3: knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rites steal

70
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,880
Speaker 3: that I got them. That's mentality driving our league from

71
00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,440
Speaker 3: the top. We go to battle every day to protect

72
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,600
Speaker 3: a shield that doesn't value us. The league believes it

73
00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,440
Speaker 3: succeeds despite its players, not because of them. I have

74
00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,640
Speaker 3: the privilege of watching my husband run a league where

75
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 3: he has to balance a one hundred different things at once.

76
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,760
Speaker 3: I won't pretend the job is easy, but even with

77
00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:56,440
Speaker 3: all of that on his plate, he always takes the

78
00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,400
Speaker 3: time to reach out to players when he sees an injury,

79
00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,280
Speaker 3: whether it's unrivaled or even during the WBA season.

80
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:03,680
Speaker 2: That is what leadership looks like.

81
00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,600
Speaker 3: It's the human element, it's basic integrity, and it's the

82
00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,400
Speaker 3: bare minimum any leader should embody. This year alone, I've

83
00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,120
Speaker 3: gotten calls, texts, and well wishes from so many players

84
00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,200
Speaker 3: across the league. Those moments remind me that sometimes there

85
00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,240
Speaker 3: are things bigger than the results than this game we play.

86
00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:21,600
Speaker 2: But do you know who.

87
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,480
Speaker 3: I haven't heard from Kathy, not one call, not one text,

88
00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,840
Speaker 3: and said the only outreach has come from her number

89
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,279
Speaker 3: two telling my agent that she doesn't believe physical play

90
00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,680
Speaker 3: is contributing to injuries. That is infuriating, and it's the

91
00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,560
Speaker 3: perfect example of the tone deaf, dismissive approach that our

92
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:43,160
Speaker 3: leaders always seem to take. I've finally grown tired for

93
00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,880
Speaker 3: too long. I have tried to have these conversations in private,

94
00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,520
Speaker 3: but it's clear there is no intention of accepting there's

95
00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,320
Speaker 3: a problem. The league has made it clear. It isn't

96
00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,719
Speaker 3: about innovation, it isn't about collaboration. It's about control and power.

97
00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,760
Speaker 3: I've earned this platform, and I've paid the price to

98
00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,080
Speaker 3: get here, and now I have a responsibility to speak

99
00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,000
Speaker 3: on behalf of the fans and everyone in this league

100
00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,480
Speaker 3: that deserves better. Our leadership's answer to being held accountable

101
00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:11,719
Speaker 3: is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines. I'm

102
00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,520
Speaker 3: not concerned about a fine. I'm concerned about the future

103
00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,520
Speaker 3: of our sport. At some point, everyone deserves to hear

104
00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,400
Speaker 3: the truth from someone who I hope has earned the

105
00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,240
Speaker 3: benefit of the doubt to fight for what is right

106
00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,719
Speaker 3: and fair for our athletes and our fans. We have

107
00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,720
Speaker 3: the best players in the world, we have the best

108
00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,960
Speaker 3: fans in the world, but right now we have the

109
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,799
Speaker 3: worst leadership in the world. If I didn't know exactly

110
00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,039
Speaker 3: what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn't feel this way.

111
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,920
Speaker 3: But unfortunately for them I do. We serve a league

112
00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:39,880
Speaker 3: that has shown they think championship coaches and Hall of

113
00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,200
Speaker 3: Fame players are dispensable. And that's fine, it's professional sports.

114
00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,960
Speaker 3: But I will not stand quietly by and allow different

115
00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,520
Speaker 3: standards to be applied at the league level.

116
00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:49,200
Speaker 2: Thank you now. Call.

117
00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,360
Speaker 1: Your statement comes in the wake of her coach Cheryl

118
00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,280
Speaker 1: reaps suspension and fine for conduct and comments after the

119
00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,200
Speaker 1: Links Game three loss, including saying, quote, I want to

120
00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,400
Speaker 1: call for a change in leadership at the league level

121
00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,480
Speaker 1: when it comes to officiating end quote. And also it

122
00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,520
Speaker 1: comes importantly during the w's ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. The

123
00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,839
Speaker 1: player's current deal with the league is set to expire

124
00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:09,719
Speaker 1: at the end of the month.

125
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:10,280
Speaker 2: Now.

126
00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,520
Speaker 1: After Fee's statement, players across the league expressed support for

127
00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,520
Speaker 1: her remarks, including Angel Reese, who posted ten out of

128
00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,640
Speaker 1: ten no notes, and w Rookie of the Year Paige Beckers,

129
00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,840
Speaker 1: who wrote on Instagram Queen Fee. As for the other

130
00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,680
Speaker 1: player in NAFISA mentioned by name, the Indiana Fever told

131
00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,320
Speaker 1: the ESPN and other news outlets that Caitlin Clark had no.

132
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:29,400
Speaker 2: Comment on the statement.

133
00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,440
Speaker 1: Meantime League MVP Asia Wilson added her two cents, saying quote,

134
00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,400
Speaker 1: I was honestly disgusted by the comments that Kathy made

135
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,960
Speaker 1: and I'm going to ride with Fee always. Recently retired

136
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,479
Speaker 1: former two time MVP A Lena Deladon reposted Collier's comments

137
00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,280
Speaker 1: on her Instagram story with the caption quote, it's the

138
00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,080
Speaker 1: care for the human part for me. I'm still not

139
00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,200
Speaker 1: sure if Kathy knows I'm retired. Heard from everyone but

140
00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,120
Speaker 1: her end quote. Now when the notoriously out of the

141
00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:02,440
Speaker 1: spotlight Deladon is chiming in to quote at natural Underscore

142
00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,560
Speaker 1: wonder on social quote Elena Deladon, don't do nothing but

143
00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,640
Speaker 1: recreational carpentry, play with her abnormally large dog, and mind

144
00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,200
Speaker 1: her business. And she said, no, Kathy got me f

145
00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,040
Speaker 1: two on today. It's getting spooky for big Blazer.

146
00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,000
Speaker 2: End quote.

147
00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,600
Speaker 1: A few hours after Collier's press conference, the league released

148
00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,760
Speaker 1: a statement on Engelbert's behalf, which read quote, I have

149
00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,240
Speaker 1: the utmost respect for Nafisa Collier and for all the

150
00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,480
Speaker 1: players in the WNBA. Together, we have worked tirelessly to

151
00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,720
Speaker 1: transform this league. My focus remains on ensuring a bright

152
00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,040
Speaker 1: future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on

153
00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,960
Speaker 1: how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened

154
00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:43,160
Speaker 1: by Hannafisa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even

155
00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:45,960
Speaker 1: when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and

156
00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:47,320
Speaker 1: to this work will not waiver.

157
00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:48,480
Speaker 2: End quote.

158
00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,520
Speaker 1: Little more on Fee and her comments from Big Citrus

159
00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,160
Speaker 1: in just a few minutes. All right, let's get to

160
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,680
Speaker 1: the action on the court where the WNBA Finals are

161
00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:57,720
Speaker 1: officially set.

162
00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,480
Speaker 2: The Las Vegas Aces.

163
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,840
Speaker 1: Defeated the India of Fever on Tuesday night one oh

164
00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,160
Speaker 1: seven ninety eight in overtime in the decisive Game five

165
00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,440
Speaker 1: to clinch a spot in the finals for the third

166
00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:10,800
Speaker 1: time in four years. Ace's players Asia Wilson and Jackie

167
00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,160
Speaker 1: Young finished the night with thirty five and thirty two points, respectively,

168
00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,120
Speaker 1: becoming the first duo in WNBA history to score at

169
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,680
Speaker 1: least thirty points in the same playoff game. Meantime, For

170
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,640
Speaker 1: anybody looking for an example of an exemplary team wide performance,

171
00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,000
Speaker 1: the Indiana Fever offered a masterclass, not just through the season,

172
00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,679
Speaker 1: but once again in Game five, where the team's injury

173
00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,840
Speaker 1: woes continued. Star Kelsey Mitchell went down in the third

174
00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,080
Speaker 1: quarter with what was later described as extreme cramping in

175
00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,880
Speaker 1: her lower body. She was transported to the hospital to

176
00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,080
Speaker 1: receive fluids. More on Mitchell in a moment and in

177
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,680
Speaker 1: her absence and the absence of Caitlin Clark, said Colson

178
00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,040
Speaker 1: Aarry MacDonald, Damaris Dantis, Sophie Cunningham, and Chloe Bibby all

179
00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,600
Speaker 1: lost a season ending injuries, plus Aleah Boston, who missed

180
00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,640
Speaker 1: most of the second half with foul trouble and ended

181
00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,240
Speaker 1: up fouling out in the final seconds of regulation. Still old,

182
00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,720
Speaker 1: the Fever somehow managed to keep it close. In fact,

183
00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:04,679
Speaker 1: they outscored the Aces twenty three to fifteen in the

184
00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,600
Speaker 1: fourth quarter and forced overtime. In the end, they couldn't

185
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,880
Speaker 1: come out on top, but they also became the first

186
00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,040
Speaker 1: team in WNBA playoff history with six players to record

187
00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,320
Speaker 1: at least ten points and two assists, including Odyssey Sims,

188
00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,320
Speaker 1: who finished with twenty seven points and six assists. An

189
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,640
Speaker 1: outstanding playoff effort from the Fever, a masterful coaching job

190
00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,160
Speaker 1: from Steph White and y'all. Sims better have a big

191
00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,160
Speaker 1: OL contract to start next season. No more mid season

192
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,280
Speaker 1: hardship contracts please. The WNBA Finals get underway on Friday.

193
00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,440
Speaker 1: The Aces as the number two overall seed. We'll get

194
00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,880
Speaker 1: to host the Mercury in four of seven possible games,

195
00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,840
Speaker 1: including Game one, which tips off at eight pm Eastern

196
00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,960
Speaker 1: at michelob Ultra Arena. Wellingk to the full final schedule

197
00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,360
Speaker 1: in the show notes. On Wednesday, Kelsey Mitchell shared an

198
00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:50,120
Speaker 1: update about her health, posting in part quote, I suffered

199
00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,320
Speaker 1: from something called rhabdomyolysis last night. My muscles stopped producing

200
00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 1: and reached its maximum capacity. I went into a sense

201
00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,520
Speaker 1: of numbness slash paralyzing feeling with no move from my

202
00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,520
Speaker 1: lower extremities for up to five to seven seconds because

203
00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,720
Speaker 1: my muscles stopped producing positive blood to my bloodstream. My

204
00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,520
Speaker 1: body locked up from a physical standpoint, and from there

205
00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,920
Speaker 1: fatigue and cramping settled in. I panicked because I began

206
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,400
Speaker 1: to think the worst when I felt like I.

207
00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,360
Speaker 2: Couldn't move my legs. End quote.

208
00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,679
Speaker 1: Mitchell went on to say she's up and moving at

209
00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,080
Speaker 1: a slow pace and will be fine very soon.

210
00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,480
Speaker 2: End quote. I played literally till my wheels fell off. Lmao.

211
00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:27,240
Speaker 2: End quote.

212
00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,560
Speaker 1: More WNBA Earlier, I mentioned last Friday's Links Mercury Game three,

213
00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,920
Speaker 1: when Links coach Cheryl Reeve confronted and pursued officials and

214
00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,560
Speaker 1: then went on a tie rad during her postgame press conference,

215
00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,160
Speaker 1: resulting in the league finding her and issuing a one

216
00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,560
Speaker 1: game suspension. Well per The Athletic, that fine amounted to

217
00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,800
Speaker 1: fifteen thousand dollars, and the AP's Doug Feinberg reports it's

218
00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,280
Speaker 1: believed to be the largest amount an individual has been

219
00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,240
Speaker 1: fined in WNBA history. Reeve's assistance Eric Tibo and Rebecca

220
00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 1: Brunson were fined five hundred dollars. Apiece and Aces coach

221
00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,920
Speaker 1: Becky Hammond and Fever coach Steph White were also fined

222
00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:02,760
Speaker 1: for comments supporting Reeve and for doubling down on her

223
00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,960
Speaker 1: message about the state of officiating in the league. More

224
00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,000
Speaker 1: w The Dallas Wings utilized the absolute chaos of Tuesday

225
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,079
Speaker 1: afternoon post Nefisa Callier statement to announce that the team

226
00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,480
Speaker 1: is parting ways with head coach Chris Coklanis, contrary to

227
00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,840
Speaker 1: reporting last week from friend at the show, Annie Costable,

228
00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,760
Speaker 1: that the team would retain his services. The Wings finished

229
00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,640
Speaker 1: last in the WNBA standings with ten wins and thirty

230
00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,400
Speaker 1: four losses, tying for the worst record in league history,

231
00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,520
Speaker 1: and you kind of have to wonder if the delay

232
00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,400
Speaker 1: on announcing is firing means they were considering giving co

233
00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,200
Speaker 1: Clanis more time to figure things out till they saw

234
00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,160
Speaker 1: former New York Liberty coach Sandy Brountdello pop onto the

235
00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:42,600
Speaker 1: market to hockey. The PWHL released its upcoming season schedule

236
00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,880
Speaker 1: on Wednesday, and the regular season will be played from

237
00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,920
Speaker 1: November twenty first till April twenty fifth, with a break

238
00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,320
Speaker 1: for nearly the entire month of February due to the

239
00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,120
Speaker 1: Winter Olympics, plus a week off in December for national

240
00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,920
Speaker 1: team training camps. Just like last year, each team will

241
00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,920
Speaker 1: play thirty regular season games. First game of the season

242
00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,840
Speaker 1: will feature the two time defending champion Walter Cup champions,

243
00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,960
Speaker 1: the Minnesota Frost, taken on the Toronto Scepters, and later

244
00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,640
Speaker 1: that same night, the league's two new expansion teams Seattle

245
00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,640
Speaker 1: and Vancouver will face off for the first time. Also

246
00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,440
Speaker 1: worth noting that while the PWHL is pausing for the Olympics,

247
00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,640
Speaker 1: there's no World Championship break built into the schedule. The

248
00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,680
Speaker 1: Women's World Championships are typically held in April of every year,

249
00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,439
Speaker 1: and while the PWHL paused competition for the tournament during

250
00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,440
Speaker 1: its first two seasons, things are a little more complicated

251
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,840
Speaker 1: in an Olympic year. Back in June, the IIHF, hockey's

252
00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:32,400
Speaker 1: international governing body, announced it was postponing naming a host

253
00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,000
Speaker 1: and dates for the tournament until this week, when the

254
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,079
Speaker 1: IIHF reconvenes for its semi annual congress. With the PWHL

255
00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,600
Speaker 1: schedule now confirmed, we'll have to wait and see whether

256
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,960
Speaker 1: the IIHF tries to go ahead with an April World

257
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,520
Speaker 1: Championship tournament or not to the NWSL, Angel City announced

258
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,599
Speaker 1: that the club has acquired Japanese midfielder he and A

259
00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,880
Speaker 1: Sugita in a trade with Portland Thorns FC. In exchange,

260
00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,960
Speaker 1: Portland receives defender M. A. Vignola and six hundred thousand

261
00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,520
Speaker 1: dollars in intra league transfer funds. Sugitas Are earned fifty

262
00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,439
Speaker 1: one international caps, representing Japan at two World Cups and

263
00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,240
Speaker 1: an Olympics, and she helped Portland to an NWSL title

264
00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,880
Speaker 1: in her debut season in twenty twenty two. To College Hoops,

265
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,199
Speaker 1: the twenty twenty eight Final Four is slated to take

266
00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,960
Speaker 1: place in Indianapolis, but instead of games being held at

267
00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,120
Speaker 1: Gainbridge Fieldhouse as planned, teams will instead take the court

268
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:22,120
Speaker 1: inside of Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.

269
00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,920
Speaker 1: The Division One Women's Basketball Committee announced the change of

270
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,760
Speaker 1: venue on Tuesday, and as a result, there will be

271
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,319
Speaker 1: about thirteen thousand more seats available for fans. This will

272
00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:32,040
Speaker 1: be the first time since two thousand and five that

273
00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,800
Speaker 1: the Women's Final Four is played in a football stadium.

274
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,720
Speaker 1: That five event was in Indianapolis as well at the

275
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,240
Speaker 1: previous home of the Colts, the RCAA Dome. The committee

276
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,120
Speaker 1: also voted to continue hosting First four and first and

277
00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:46,959
Speaker 1: second round games at on campus sites. The NCAA surveyed

278
00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,600
Speaker 1: athletic directors, coaches, and conference officials, and eighty five percent

279
00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,840
Speaker 1: of participants preferred to keep that setup.

280
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:53,400
Speaker 4: Sure.

281
00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,079
Speaker 1: We'll talk about that more as the college season approaches.

282
00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,920
Speaker 1: To golf, The Low Te Championship began on Wednesday in Hoja,

283
00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,880
Speaker 1: Why with one hundred twenty competitors competing for a total

284
00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,560
Speaker 1: purse of three million dollars.

285
00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:06,880
Speaker 2: The LPGA still has not yet seen a.

286
00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,240
Speaker 1: Repeat winner this season, and if another new golfer triumphs

287
00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,000
Speaker 1: this weekend, it would tie the LPGA to a record

288
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,600
Speaker 1: for most winners in a single year at twenty six,

289
00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,360
Speaker 1: something that has only been done three times since nineteen

290
00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,440
Speaker 1: ninety five. Finally, in tennis, the China Open continues today

291
00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,280
Speaker 1: with the quarter final round. By the time you slices

292
00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,400
Speaker 1: hear this, Coco Goff's match against Germany's Eva Lease will

293
00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,080
Speaker 1: likely be wrapped up, and depending on how early you listen,

294
00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,440
Speaker 1: Amanda Anisimova and Jasmin Palini may be deadlocked in a

295
00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,600
Speaker 1: tie break or already doing their postmatch thing. We'll link

296
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,680
Speaker 1: to the full China Open schedule and results in the

297
00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:44,320
Speaker 1: show notes. All right, slices, that was a lot of news.

298
00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,880
Speaker 1: But before we take a break, we gotta take a

299
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:51,240
Speaker 1: minute to talk about fees comments, So time for another

300
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,880
Speaker 1: edition of give me a minute, let me start the clock,

301
00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,960
Speaker 1: which you know we never stick to and really means

302
00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,920
Speaker 1: nothing but it's worth starting anyway, Alex, I want to

303
00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,680
Speaker 1: start with you. You were shocked what I sent along

304
00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,720
Speaker 1: a link to these comments. You were presumably living your life,

305
00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,080
Speaker 1: going about your Tuesday, and then boom.

306
00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:11,880
Speaker 2: What did you make of what Fee had to say?

307
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,560
Speaker 5: I would say my shot came not from what she

308
00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:19,920
Speaker 5: said or that she believes it, but that something like

309
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,040
Speaker 5: this is so rare in sports, where you see a

310
00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:27,440
Speaker 5: player speak out against the league commissioner. And I think,

311
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,360
Speaker 5: to me, what stands out the most is kind of

312
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,160
Speaker 5: the context of the moment, the fact that CBA negotiations

313
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,880
Speaker 5: are ongoing, and also Fee's role in Unrivaled, which, as

314
00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,000
Speaker 5: we know, you know, the WNBA hasn't been unrivaled biggest

315
00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:45,080
Speaker 5: fan allegedly allegedly, and I think maybe we're seeing one

316
00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,920
Speaker 5: of the reasons why. But when it comes to Kathy Engelbert,

317
00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,360
Speaker 5: I'm not at all surprised that Fee feels this way,

318
00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,960
Speaker 5: and seemingly lots of other players feel this way, because

319
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,920
Speaker 5: I think we have seen Kathy step in it a

320
00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:58,680
Speaker 5: lot this last year, whether from wearing a New York

321
00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,800
Speaker 5: Skyline dress to the NBA Finals in which New York

322
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,800
Speaker 5: was playing, or her comments on CNBC last year where

323
00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,520
Speaker 5: she was asked specifically about racism in the WNBA and

324
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,800
Speaker 5: instead talked about rivalries. And so I think it's been

325
00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,720
Speaker 5: a long time coming that players have really been losing

326
00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,320
Speaker 5: trust in her. And being a good commissioner isn't just

327
00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,680
Speaker 5: about having a good relationship with players. It's also about

328
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,400
Speaker 5: the business side, and Kathy, to her credit, I think

329
00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,480
Speaker 5: has done a lot in that space. But I think

330
00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,560
Speaker 5: the relationship has just gotten to the point where the

331
00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,280
Speaker 5: players are ready for something new.

332
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,120
Speaker 2: Meischhwe did you make of it? Sarah?

333
00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,760
Speaker 6: When I tell you, I had people I know who

334
00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,800
Speaker 6: have not texted me about a lick of WNBA anything

335
00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,080
Speaker 6: all season, and I was driving on my way into DC,

336
00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,160
Speaker 6: as you know, I live in the DMV. My phone

337
00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,680
Speaker 6: was blowing up. I thought something happened. I thought something

338
00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,160
Speaker 6: was wrong with you know, somebody that I But it

339
00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,760
Speaker 6: was really just people reacting to this, And I think

340
00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,600
Speaker 6: that just goes to show, like Alex said, the magnitude

341
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,320
Speaker 6: of this, the fact that we really don't see this

342
00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:00,800
Speaker 6: that often.

343
00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:03,480
Speaker 2: And I'm here for it, man.

344
00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,040
Speaker 6: I'm all for people speaking up and trying to get

345
00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:07,359
Speaker 6: exactly what it is they deserve.

346
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:08,719
Speaker 2: I'm all for people.

347
00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:12,280
Speaker 6: If the things that Fee is saying Kathy said are true,

348
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,320
Speaker 6: like you need to be exposed, you know what I mean?

349
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,080
Speaker 6: There are a lot of folks in corporate you know,

350
00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,199
Speaker 6: spaces that hide behind titles, that hide behind vagueness, that

351
00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,000
Speaker 6: hide behind you know, other actors and other people. And

352
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:25,560
Speaker 6: this is not to take a shot at Kathy, because

353
00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,200
Speaker 6: I don't know that lady. But if those words are true, baby,

354
00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:28,840
Speaker 6: you got.

355
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,520
Speaker 2: Some some things to work out. A b.

356
00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,480
Speaker 6: It's very interesting to me to see who had fees

357
00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,520
Speaker 6: back and who supported her after the comments came out,

358
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,560
Speaker 6: and specifically, I really hate that I even have to

359
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:44,679
Speaker 6: do this, and I don't have to do this, but

360
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:45,639
Speaker 6: I'm gonna do it anyway.

361
00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:48,719
Speaker 2: The fact that Fee specifically.

362
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,520
Speaker 6: Went to bat for Kaitlyn Clark and then Kitlyn Clark's teammate,

363
00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,639
Speaker 6: Lexi Hull, and not Kitlyn Clark herself, had something to

364
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,640
Speaker 6: say in support a Fee that that bothers me a lot.

365
00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,200
Speaker 2: That really bothers me a lot.

366
00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,840
Speaker 6: It gives me the CEC's hurt.

367
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,200
Speaker 2: She wasn't suiting up for Game five.

368
00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,680
Speaker 6: Lexi Hall has been, you know, one of the key

369
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,120
Speaker 6: pieces for Indiana, and yet she still found time when

370
00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,280
Speaker 6: asked about it to respond, and it's certainly not a

371
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,480
Speaker 6: one to one comparison, but it's very reminiscent of when

372
00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,320
Speaker 6: folks were using Caitlyn her rookie year to shit on

373
00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,800
Speaker 6: Angel and her not having anything to say. Again, not

374
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,760
Speaker 6: a one to one, but girl, at some point, you

375
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:24,680
Speaker 6: got to decide whether you're gonna be in the fight

376
00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,080
Speaker 6: with the people around you, with your colleagues or not.

377
00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,159
Speaker 6: And that's just the long and short of.

378
00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,720
Speaker 5: It, especially because we've seen Caitlyn in some cases, you know,

379
00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,000
Speaker 5: ahead of All Star, and this was before she got injured,

380
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,600
Speaker 5: but she was planning on going to the WNBACBA negotiations.

381
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,000
Speaker 5: She has shown a side of herself where she wants

382
00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,200
Speaker 5: to be engaged in that and it is in her

383
00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,240
Speaker 5: best interest to be engaged straight right.

384
00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,119
Speaker 6: And also, like the other part of it that I

385
00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,640
Speaker 6: can't ignore is Fee is a star, she's established herself,

386
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,040
Speaker 6: she's elite, all that good stuff.

387
00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,120
Speaker 2: But at the core, this is.

388
00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,720
Speaker 6: A black woman putting herself on the line for everybody else,

389
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,000
Speaker 6: for everyone else and you and you had nothing to

390
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,440
Speaker 6: say about it, right, And the fact that if CC

391
00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:09,920
Speaker 6: she didn't even have to say anything, really, she could

392
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,840
Speaker 6: have just went on Twitter like these youngsters do.

393
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:12,639
Speaker 2: I'm saying youngsters.

394
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:13,800
Speaker 7: I'm a youngster too, I know that.

395
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:15,680
Speaker 6: But she could have just been on Twitter and said

396
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,200
Speaker 6: hell yeah, fie, and that would have had a huge impact,

397
00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:18,920
Speaker 6: you know what I mean.

398
00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,040
Speaker 2: It's privilege and it gives me the ick. It gives

399
00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:23,200
Speaker 2: me the yeah.

400
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,199
Speaker 1: I do want to point out to your point, she

401
00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:27,000
Speaker 1: is going to bat for her, but also it's very

402
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,400
Speaker 1: smart and friend of the show Lindsay Gibbs, I think

403
00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,280
Speaker 1: was spot on when she posted on Blue Sky Nafisa

404
00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,720
Speaker 1: knew exactly what she was doing, dropping that Caitlin Clark

405
00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,040
Speaker 1: nugget in her prepared statement, and I applaud her for

406
00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,639
Speaker 1: doing it. Use the attention economy for your favor, like

407
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,080
Speaker 1: her statement would have gotten attention anyways, but by activating

408
00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,760
Speaker 1: that fan base, not to mention angel in pages truly

409
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:47,280
Speaker 1: a leadership masterclass.

410
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:48,439
Speaker 2: And I think that's a good point.

411
00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,200
Speaker 1: She made sure to invoke the names of other players

412
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:52,480
Speaker 1: who people are going to ride for.

413
00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,600
Speaker 2: And care about and be angry on behalf of.

414
00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,399
Speaker 1: And I think what stood out to me was to

415
00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,280
Speaker 1: Alex's point, to your point, she we just don't see this.

416
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,280
Speaker 1: We don't see players actively taking on their own commissioners

417
00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:10,000
Speaker 1: while still playing. And also it was so composed, it

418
00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:15,960
Speaker 1: was premeditated, intentional, scripted, and calm. As opposed to the

419
00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,399
Speaker 1: rare occasion that we do see someone go after their

420
00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:19,159
Speaker 1: own league.

421
00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:20,320
Speaker 2: It's usually angry.

422
00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,240
Speaker 1: It's usually in the moment, off the top of the head,

423
00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:27,000
Speaker 1: frustrated about a call or a result or something. And

424
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:29,240
Speaker 1: in this case, instead, I think the power of it

425
00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:33,640
Speaker 1: was that fee knew in advance. I'm being incredibly brave

426
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,040
Speaker 1: in this moment. I am putting myself on the line.

427
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:41,400
Speaker 1: I am setting myself up for endless awkward future run

428
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,840
Speaker 1: ins and situations. If I'm ever getting handed in a

429
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,600
Speaker 1: ward by Kathy, that is going to be memed to death.

430
00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,400
Speaker 2: If the next time I'm in the same room, memed

431
00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:52,040
Speaker 2: to death.

432
00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,639
Speaker 5: Right, we are just going to get a little trophy.

433
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:56,840
Speaker 2: They're going to go back to the little trophies.

434
00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 1: But to me, that's what stood out was that it

435
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,560
Speaker 1: was coated and professional, and she had her sake at

436
00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,840
Speaker 1: the moment when she said, if I didn't know exactly

437
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,400
Speaker 1: what the job entailed, maybe I wouldn't feel this way.

438
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:10,800
Speaker 2: But unfortunately for them, I.

439
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,040
Speaker 1: Do now that that was a mic drop right, that

440
00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,200
Speaker 1: was a bar. It's not exactly the same, and we've

441
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,920
Speaker 1: acknowledged us in the past. What unrival deals with and

442
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,800
Speaker 1: how they're building is very different from a twenty five

443
00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,720
Speaker 1: plus year established league that has its connections to the NBA,

444
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 1: its prohibitions, and its issues as a result of that

445
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:29,680
Speaker 1: relationship with the NBA and everything else.

446
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:30,640
Speaker 2: So it's not exactly the same.

447
00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,000
Speaker 1: But more than almost anyone, Fee can say she knows

448
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:35,680
Speaker 1: what they're dealing with and what it means to run

449
00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,000
Speaker 1: a league, and that what she said about. You know,

450
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,800
Speaker 1: the sustainability of the product is the players staying on

451
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,720
Speaker 1: the court, staying healthy, and the product being good, which

452
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,400
Speaker 1: means it being called correctly. The WNBPA posted a statement

453
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,919
Speaker 1: after Fee's comments that said, quote, when Fee speaks, people listen.

454
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:55,280
Speaker 1: The leaders of the league and its teams would benefit

455
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,359
Speaker 1: from listening to her powerful statement. The players know their value,

456
00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:00,679
Speaker 1: even if the league does not, are fighting for their

457
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,560
Speaker 1: legacy and the future of basketball.

458
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:06,240
Speaker 2: Now, as you said me, I'm not talking about that lady.

459
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:06,800
Speaker 2: I don't know her.

460
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:08,280
Speaker 1: I've met her a couple times. I don't really know

461
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:09,879
Speaker 1: her either, and I certainly don't know the scope of

462
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,320
Speaker 1: her job. And I certainly don't know exactly how difficult

463
00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:13,879
Speaker 1: it is to run a league that is moving as

464
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,480
Speaker 1: quickly as it is. At each moment you've accomplished something

465
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,600
Speaker 1: that sounds and looks good, and then a year later

466
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:20,920
Speaker 1: everyone is saying that's not enough, you didn't do enough.

467
00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:23,320
Speaker 1: That's very difficult, and that's great problem to have for

468
00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:25,640
Speaker 1: a league that is growing exponentially. But it does mean

469
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,359
Speaker 1: that when your TV deal isn't as good as we thought,

470
00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:29,960
Speaker 1: I mean, you could have gotten more from this, and

471
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,160
Speaker 1: when you could have asked for more from this, it's

472
00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,600
Speaker 1: going to be a lot of pressure on you.

473
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:35,800
Speaker 2: To figure that shit out.

474
00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:37,439
Speaker 1: And so I don't envy the job that she's in,

475
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,720
Speaker 1: but I will say that I agree with you that

476
00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,720
Speaker 1: hiding behind a title or the years of experience in

477
00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,720
Speaker 1: the finance and consulting field will not make up for

478
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,800
Speaker 1: not understanding the league that you run and the players

479
00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:51,080
Speaker 1: in it.

480
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:54,200
Speaker 2: And there have been too many instances where.

481
00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,760
Speaker 1: It has been come very clear that she has not

482
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 1: educated herself or doesn't care about the law arger.

483
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,720
Speaker 2: Issues that are a part of what it is to.

484
00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,680
Speaker 1: Run a league that's predominantly black, that's majority queer, that

485
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,639
Speaker 1: is women in the current universe in the year twenty

486
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,639
Speaker 1: twenty five, and to me, that's where you really have

487
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,560
Speaker 1: to stop. You can only make so many excuses for

488
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,320
Speaker 1: the people in charge. There have got to be some

489
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,080
Speaker 1: qualified folks who also understand what it is to be

490
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,520
Speaker 1: a player in this league and know how to talk

491
00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,720
Speaker 1: to them and about them the correct way, because those

492
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,000
Speaker 1: comments from Fee to me also really stood up.

493
00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:27,959
Speaker 5: One final thing I just want to bring up is

494
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,719
Speaker 5: while this is rare, we have also seen it before,

495
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,879
Speaker 5: and when we have seen it, it has led to

496
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,800
Speaker 5: incredible change, and I think that's what we're going to

497
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 5: see this time. We saw it in twenty twenty one

498
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:44,160
Speaker 5: when NWSL players spoke out about their experience in the league,

499
00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:48,280
Speaker 5: Alex Morgan literally posting receipts on Twitter and Lisa Bard

500
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,479
Speaker 5: was out within a day. We've seen it in women's

501
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,920
Speaker 5: hockey where two hundred players said, hey, this isn't good enough.

502
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,920
Speaker 5: They went and formed their own thing that eventually led

503
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,040
Speaker 5: to the formation of the PAHL. We saw it with

504
00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,320
Speaker 5: the US women's national soccer team in twenty fifteen, in

505
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,440
Speaker 5: nineteen ninety six, and we saw it with Billy jen

506
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,120
Speaker 5: King in the original nine when we have seen athletes

507
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,200
Speaker 5: and women's sports use their platform and make a stand

508
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,000
Speaker 5: like this. It has led to some of the most

509
00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 5: revolutionary change that we've seen in the space, and I

510
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 5: have a feeling that Fee's statement is going to do

511
00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:19,760
Speaker 5: just that in the WNBA.

512
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:21,480
Speaker 2: I couldn't agree more.

513
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 1: Also want to shout out Lisa Bard for finding me

514
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,720
Speaker 1: within the very first few weeks of my ownership as

515
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,160
Speaker 1: a Red Star's owner for essentially rejecting racism and supporting

516
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,160
Speaker 1: Sarah Gordon, especially because it was a very small fine.

517
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:35,600
Speaker 1: I didn't pay it myself, and I do have it

518
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,720
Speaker 1: framed on my wall because I take great pride in

519
00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:41,639
Speaker 1: being fined for being anti racist. Anyway, we'll have a

520
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,360
Speaker 1: lot more to say about these comments and the fall

521
00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,080
Speaker 1: up from them in the coming days, I am sure.

522
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:49,119
Speaker 2: For now, we got to take a quick break.

523
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,879
Speaker 1: When we come back, it's Northwestern Field hockeys Tracy Fuchs

524
00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:52,560
Speaker 1: and Aaron.

525
00:24:52,400 --> 00:25:02,520
Speaker 7: Chris joining us now.

526
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,399
Speaker 1: She's the winningest head coach in Northwestern field hockey history

527
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,680
Speaker 1: after joining the team in nine She led the Wildcats

528
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,040
Speaker 1: to their first two national championships in twenty twenty one

529
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,320
Speaker 1: and twenty twenty four, plus three Big Ten titles, eight

530
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,439
Speaker 1: NCAA tournament appearances, and a winning record in fifteen of

531
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,440
Speaker 1: her sixteen seasons at the Helm. After last season's national title,

532
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,159
Speaker 1: she and the rest of her coaching team were awarded

533
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,080
Speaker 1: NFHCA National Coaching Staff of the Year for the second

534
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 1: year in a row and the third time in four seasons.

535
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 1: A three time All American and national champion. As a

536
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,640
Speaker 1: player at Connecticut, she was a two time USA Field

537
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 1: Hockey Athlete of the Year, member of two Olympic and

538
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 1: four World Cup teams, and a team captain for fourteen

539
00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,280
Speaker 1: of her seventeen years with Team USA, She's participated in

540
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,600
Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty eight international matches, more than any

541
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:42,639
Speaker 1: other player in USA field hockey history.

542
00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 2: A member of the.

543
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,720
Speaker 1: USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame, and Team USA assistant

544
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:47,200
Speaker 1: coach Art We've simply run out of time and I

545
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,639
Speaker 1: can't read anymore for bios. She's basically the goat. It's

546
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,359
Speaker 1: Tracy buke Y. Tracy, thanks for joining us.

547
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,880
Speaker 8: Oh, thanks for having me, Sarah. I'm a big fan.

548
00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,240
Speaker 2: Thank you appreciate it joining her.

549
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,520
Speaker 1: She's a redshirt junior athlete and graduating in the spring

550
00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,879
Speaker 1: senior student at Northwestern see if you can keep up

551
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,440
Speaker 1: with that. She's a captain of the Wildcats field hockey

552
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,320
Speaker 1: team and help lead her team to a national title

553
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,000
Speaker 1: last season. A southpaw from Ridgefield, Connecticut, she's a neuroscience

554
00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaker 1: major and twice has been named to the Big Ten

555
00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:15,040
Speaker 1: All Academic Team.

556
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 2: We got a smarty pants on our hands at Aaron

557
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:17,840
Speaker 2: Chris Hi.

558
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:19,879
Speaker 4: Aaron Hi, thank you for having me.

559
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,320
Speaker 1: Neuroscience while being an athlete at a school like Northwestern

560
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,560
Speaker 1: color me impressed. Brief aside, I'm obsessed with neuroscience and neuroplasticity,

561
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,440
Speaker 1: and in my later age, I'm like, oh, I wish

562
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,480
Speaker 1: I would have studied that. Are you enjoying it or

563
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,000
Speaker 1: is it just a lot right now?

564
00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,879
Speaker 4: Well, first of all, like, that's awesome. I love that

565
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,159
Speaker 4: for you. Yeah, I'm enjoying it. It's definitely hard, but

566
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,240
Speaker 4: it's all good. That's fun stuff.

567
00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,119
Speaker 2: What do you want to do with that?

568
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:46,720
Speaker 7: You know?

569
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,720
Speaker 4: I have no clue, and I'll figure it out as

570
00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:50,000
Speaker 4: we go.

571
00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:51,520
Speaker 2: You know.

572
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 1: I often hear people talk about how a neuroscience major

573
00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:55,920
Speaker 1: is useful for pretty much every job.

574
00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:57,800
Speaker 2: It's very good, it's easy to use.

575
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean that's sarcasm, but I'm sure you'll

576
00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:05,080
Speaker 1: figure out how to use how to use it. So fascinating, Tracy,

577
00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:07,280
Speaker 1: I want to start with the very first day of

578
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,520
Speaker 1: bringing all your players in this season. You're coming off

579
00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,760
Speaker 1: a title last year, four straight appearances in the national

580
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,880
Speaker 1: title game. How do you make sure everyone comes back

581
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,520
Speaker 1: hungry and no matter what year they are and what

582
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: experience they have, they're just as ready to put the

583
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:23,400
Speaker 1: work in to get back there.

584
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,880
Speaker 8: Yeah, you know, I think it starts with our culture

585
00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,760
Speaker 8: and the unity and accountability that our team brings each

586
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,359
Speaker 8: and every day. And I think, you know, we lost

587
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,600
Speaker 8: a lot of big players from last year. You know,

588
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,880
Speaker 8: everybody knows that most college athletes got that COVID year,

589
00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,320
Speaker 8: so everybody got that fifth year and now it's gone.

590
00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,440
Speaker 8: So it really opened up the doors for a lot

591
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,639
Speaker 8: of role players to come in and really fight for

592
00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:53,160
Speaker 8: starting positions. So I didn't have to do much. Everybody

593
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,119
Speaker 8: wants to play and win and be a part of

594
00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:01,760
Speaker 8: our great legacy here. So you know, with leaders and

595
00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,640
Speaker 8: captains like Aaron and Maddie and Greta are other captains,

596
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,560
Speaker 8: it was it was pretty easy for me.

597
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:09,119
Speaker 2: Aaron.

598
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a matter of luck. Sometimes it's the way

599
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:15,240
Speaker 1: the ball bounces. Sometimes it's whose healthiest at the.

600
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:16,000
Speaker 2: End of the season.

601
00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,240
Speaker 1: But is there any part of you that can really

602
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,600
Speaker 1: pinpoint a difference between winning it all last year and

603
00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:24,760
Speaker 1: runner up the two seasons before.

604
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,080
Speaker 4: I think last year has put it all together. We

605
00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:31,320
Speaker 4: had an extra fire under us since we've lost it

606
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,080
Speaker 4: two years before, especially the year we lost in the shootouts.

607
00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,280
Speaker 4: That was really hard, and I think we wanted to

608
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 4: come back and just proved everybody that we were the

609
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,360
Speaker 4: best and like there is really nothing that was going

610
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:44,920
Speaker 4: to stop us. And I think we really proved that,

611
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:46,280
Speaker 4: especially in the final game.

612
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,200
Speaker 1: That's hard to do inorganically, right, Like you could say

613
00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,680
Speaker 1: that every single year, But there's something about, like I

614
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,120
Speaker 1: guess the anger of having lost in shootouts and being

615
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 1: so close that it's very hard to replicate. So how

616
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,480
Speaker 1: do you get yourself in a mindset this year of

617
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,560
Speaker 1: not being complacent or missing that little bit because you

618
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:06,520
Speaker 1: did win it last year.

619
00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:08,920
Speaker 4: Yeah, No, that's a really good point. I think that

620
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,120
Speaker 4: fire is still there, Like, yes, we won, but we

621
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,920
Speaker 4: still lost the big ten game and we wanted to

622
00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,440
Speaker 4: win the whole thing. So there's still that goal that

623
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 4: we want to win that championship, and every year we

624
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:22,600
Speaker 4: want to come out and still be the best. So

625
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,040
Speaker 4: we want to still be number one. And I think

626
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,320
Speaker 4: that's just like what's been instilled in us. So there's

627
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,720
Speaker 4: just always that fire underneath us. We'll always be playing

628
00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:30,960
Speaker 4: with that.

629
00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:31,760
Speaker 2: Tracy.

630
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,120
Speaker 1: I grew up playing field hockey and in the North

631
00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,680
Speaker 1: Shore of Chicago, it's not uncommon. It's still fewer schools

632
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,240
Speaker 1: to compete against the same powerhouses. Every year we would

633
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:43,680
Speaker 1: beat this school called New Trier and then we would

634
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,240
Speaker 1: lose to this school called Oak Park, and I'm still

635
00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 1: mad at them. But it feels like there are some

636
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 1: new sports gaining traction in the US for women, especially

637
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,320
Speaker 1: things like flag football. Can you talk about the state

638
00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,960
Speaker 1: of field hockey in the country. Are there more teams

639
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,240
Speaker 1: being added, is it grow going in areas that didn't

640
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,280
Speaker 1: have it before, or is it still sort of limited

641
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,960
Speaker 1: to a specific kind of area of the country. And

642
00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,320
Speaker 1: is the pool for recruiting still fairly small.

643
00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,800
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think internationally

644
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,280
Speaker 8: it's still growing, and here in America it continues to grow.

645
00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:24,240
Speaker 8: I think flag football is definitely a sport that's amazing actually,

646
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,880
Speaker 8: and I think more girls are going to want to

647
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,840
Speaker 8: grow up and play that as well. So we just

648
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,480
Speaker 8: need to continue to market our sport and show everybody

649
00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:38,120
Speaker 8: how great it is. Certainly the Olympics help that in Paris,

650
00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 8: and you know, with our US team just qualifying for

651
00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,760
Speaker 8: the World Cup, hopefully we can get some traction. But

652
00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:45,600
Speaker 8: you know, we have to do the work. We've got

653
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,800
Speaker 8: to get girls and little boys to start playing such

654
00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,520
Speaker 8: a great sport, and with LA right around the corner,

655
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:56,640
Speaker 8: now is the time to really start marketing these amazing athletes.

656
00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,840
Speaker 1: I don't know if I'm going to touch on something controversial.

657
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:02,640
Speaker 1: I haven't actually looked into this, but I know that

658
00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,360
Speaker 1: you've been an assistant coach with Team USA. You spend

659
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,080
Speaker 1: time with that team when you're not working with Northwestern.

660
00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,920
Speaker 1: And we've had Aaron Mattson on the show, who obviously

661
00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,520
Speaker 1: creates a lot of buzz around the sport because it's

662
00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,120
Speaker 1: such a unique story of someone who was so successful

663
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,600
Speaker 1: as a player and then immediately became a coach at

664
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,920
Speaker 1: one of the best schools in the country. And there

665
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,240
Speaker 1: was a little controversy about whether she was available and

666
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,800
Speaker 1: allowed to play for Team USA based on whether she

667
00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,480
Speaker 1: could be there for certain camps and practices and other things.

668
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,040
Speaker 1: To me, that was a no brainer in terms of

669
00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:34,160
Speaker 1: selling the sport. You have one of the few people

670
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 1: who kind of rises above in terms of publicity and interest.

671
00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,360
Speaker 1: What did you make of that conflict of whether or

672
00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,719
Speaker 1: not she could be a part of the team as

673
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:45,200
Speaker 1: one of the best players in the country and then

674
00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:46,640
Speaker 1: wasn't able to join Team USA.

675
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:51,520
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think you know, I was so incredibly sad

676
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,040
Speaker 8: when Erin decided to coach instead of playing. I was

677
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,680
Speaker 8: beside myself. I wanted to coach her. I wanted to

678
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,560
Speaker 8: help her become one of the best international players in

679
00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:07,320
Speaker 8: the country. And in a sport like ours, internationally, you've

680
00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:09,440
Speaker 8: you've got to be in there day in and day

681
00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:13,200
Speaker 8: out in the culture. And unfortunately Aaron made the decision

682
00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 8: to coach, and you know, missed out on playing. And

683
00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,480
Speaker 8: you know, I'm hoping she gets back in the system now.

684
00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,240
Speaker 8: You know, it takes years and years to develop to

685
00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,719
Speaker 8: be a great international player, and you know, I think

686
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,240
Speaker 8: Aaron had all the potential to do that, and you know,

687
00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 8: I decided that like, this is her, this is her

688
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,160
Speaker 8: life and not mine. I can't I can wish it

689
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,520
Speaker 8: for her, but I can't obviously force her to do

690
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,160
Speaker 8: something she wanted to coach. She's great at it. She's

691
00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,560
Speaker 8: doing a hell of a job down in Carolina. But

692
00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,440
Speaker 8: you know, the US teams in residency and they're working

693
00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,080
Speaker 8: together towards LA, So we're going to focus on that

694
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:55,840
Speaker 8: group right now.

695
00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:58,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I understand that it's hard to bend the rules

696
00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,360
Speaker 1: for people, even when they're unbelievable, both talents and the rules.

697
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:03,960
Speaker 2: The rules are the rules, Aaron.

698
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,520
Speaker 1: You know, Tracy was talking about trying to just grow

699
00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:08,440
Speaker 1: the sport and get people to fall in love with it.

700
00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:11,560
Speaker 1: Folks who don't play field hockey sometimes complain about how

701
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,040
Speaker 1: hard it is to follow, especially with all the whistles.

702
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:15,560
Speaker 1: My friends would try to come watch me in high

703
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 1: school and be like, we don't really know what's happening,

704
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:19,760
Speaker 1: but you're beating the shit out of people, and why

705
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,720
Speaker 1: are you like a foot and a half taller than everyone.

706
00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,080
Speaker 1: I'm like that important just to just watch the watch

707
00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,160
Speaker 1: the ball go in the net. Do you have a

708
00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:30,680
Speaker 1: go to way of explaining to friends how to better

709
00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,920
Speaker 1: enjoy it, or a video or a website or something

710
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:36,479
Speaker 1: that you can kind of tell people, Hey, if you're

711
00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,720
Speaker 1: kind of interested, or curious about this, Go check this

712
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,560
Speaker 1: out and I'll help you. Want to, you know, watch

713
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,760
Speaker 1: our games or watch a game in your in your hometown.

714
00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:45,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, I always tell my friends to go watch India's

715
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,440
Speaker 4: men's national team. I think they're fantastic. I love watching

716
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 4: them play. They're so fun of the ball. I'm very creative.

717
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,360
Speaker 4: I think part of the problem is obviously, I feel

718
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,840
Speaker 4: like he's play played on a water based turf, which

719
00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,400
Speaker 4: makes the ball move so fast. But we don't have

720
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,760
Speaker 4: a lot of acts to that in the United States,

721
00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:03,400
Speaker 4: and so a lot of time in high school or

722
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,720
Speaker 4: middle school it's played on field turf or grass, which

723
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:09,239
Speaker 4: kind of slows the game down. It can make it

724
00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,880
Speaker 4: harder to watch. So that's understandable for sure. But watching

725
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,200
Speaker 4: international play is really fun and they do a really

726
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:15,879
Speaker 4: good job with it.

727
00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:19,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I one of the reasons I ended

728
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,040
Speaker 1: up doing tracking college and not field hockey despite being

729
00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,160
Speaker 1: recruited for just because I had a feeling that turf

730
00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,239
Speaker 1: was not going to be my friend. I was all

731
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 1: about speed and a little less about stick work, and

732
00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 1: I realized once I got to the next level, I

733
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:31,719
Speaker 1: might get eaten up by all the shorties with the

734
00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:35,640
Speaker 1: good hands. But when you watch clips and highlights from

735
00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,560
Speaker 1: the college game and the international game, holy cow, some

736
00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:40,839
Speaker 1: of the stuff that y'all are doing was just not

737
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:42,640
Speaker 1: even a part of the game when I was playing.

738
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:44,759
Speaker 2: Just incredible to watch.

739
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:44,920
Speaker 6: You know.

740
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,080
Speaker 1: I know, Aarin, you come from a family of ice

741
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,200
Speaker 1: hockey players, your dad and your brothers. So how much

742
00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,680
Speaker 1: did they try to lure you into the other hockey

743
00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,120
Speaker 1: growing up or how much did you maybe consider wanting

744
00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:55,960
Speaker 1: to play that instead.

745
00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:58,520
Speaker 4: Oh, I definitely wanted to. I mean, I played ice

746
00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,320
Speaker 4: hockey up until high school. I was doing too many things.

747
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:04,920
Speaker 4: But they still help me out. They still tell me

748
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,320
Speaker 4: things that I think that I should be doing differently.

749
00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,320
Speaker 4: A lot of times I'm like, that doesn't really translate,

750
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,680
Speaker 4: but okay, so yeah, they've been good. They've been fun.

751
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,160
Speaker 1: So for those who don't know, what's the biggest difference

752
00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,319
Speaker 1: when it comes to the stick in ice hockey and

753
00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,000
Speaker 1: field hockey and how you use it, Well.

754
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,080
Speaker 4: There's only one side you can use as opposed to

755
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,680
Speaker 4: two sides in ice hockey, so that's definitely different and

756
00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:30,680
Speaker 4: hard for people to pick up. And then it's curved

757
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,640
Speaker 4: at the bottom as opposed to kind of like a

758
00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,560
Speaker 4: flat blade. So yeah, those are the differences.

759
00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:37,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, instead of being able to sort of go back

760
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,080
Speaker 1: and forth with it, you have to curve your stick

761
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,440
Speaker 1: around and back to sort of carry and travel the

762
00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,360
Speaker 1: ball down the field, which is a very different motion

763
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,279
Speaker 1: and very confusing for sometimes people when they're watching because

764
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,160
Speaker 1: they don't understand that half of the stick is not

765
00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,240
Speaker 1: usable to try to to try to play the ball. Tracy,

766
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,360
Speaker 1: you had a perfect non conference start to the season,

767
00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,279
Speaker 1: and you opened up conference play with a five. Nothing

768
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,239
Speaker 1: went over Indiana last Friday, you got Iowa neck this

769
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,200
Speaker 1: Friday when you're nine to zero. You've outscored opponents thirty

770
00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:07,120
Speaker 1: one to two so far. What do you tell your

771
00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:07,880
Speaker 1: team to work on?

772
00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:13,000
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think, you know, we kind of break the

773
00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:16,680
Speaker 8: year into three seasons. So the non conference, which we

774
00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,480
Speaker 8: did great. We were on the road for eight straight games,

775
00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,759
Speaker 8: which is really difficult. And now we're in season two,

776
00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,279
Speaker 8: which is Big Tens, and you know, these guys want

777
00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,640
Speaker 8: to defend our championship and you know, really went out

778
00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,560
Speaker 8: in season two and the Big Ten being you know,

779
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:35,920
Speaker 8: arguabilly one of the best top two conferences in the country.

780
00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,440
Speaker 8: Year after year, it's going to be difficult, but that

781
00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:41,680
Speaker 8: that's the fun and that's the challenge. And you have

782
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,279
Speaker 8: people as competitive as Erin and by the way, Erin

783
00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,080
Speaker 8: it plays as sport lefty with only right and sticks,

784
00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:54,160
Speaker 8: so she is unbelievably talented to be able to do

785
00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,080
Speaker 8: what she does on the field, and she's one of

786
00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:02,120
Speaker 8: two lefties in the country. So kudos to her and

787
00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,920
Speaker 8: we're happy to have her. But you know, we have

788
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:09,320
Speaker 8: an upcoming game with Iowa and then we get back

789
00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,800
Speaker 8: home here in Evanston for a few more Big ten games,

790
00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,279
Speaker 8: and we're just looking forward to the challenge. We know

791
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:19,040
Speaker 8: there might be some bumps in the road, but we're

792
00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:20,160
Speaker 8: ready to go after it.

793
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,799
Speaker 1: In the beginning of the season, a few weeks in

794
00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,840
Speaker 1: penalty corner conversion was an issue for y'all. Is that

795
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,960
Speaker 1: still something that you need to look to improve.

796
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,440
Speaker 8: Yeah, definitely. Early in the season, I think we had

797
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,200
Speaker 8: a better conversion rate on field shots.

798
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:36,680
Speaker 2: Than corners, and.

799
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:42,319
Speaker 8: So corners, you you typically look to score twenty to

800
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,879
Speaker 8: twenty five percent, you know, so one out of four,

801
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,440
Speaker 8: one out of five, that's that's going to get you

802
00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:49,560
Speaker 8: deep into the playoffs, and I think we were about

803
00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,040
Speaker 8: one out of ten or twelve, and we've really come

804
00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:56,800
Speaker 8: along where our percentage is much much higher now. Obviously

805
00:37:56,840 --> 00:37:59,200
Speaker 8: playing at home on your own turf helps a little bit,

806
00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:01,440
Speaker 8: but you know, it takes time to get a rhythm

807
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,880
Speaker 8: between the stopper and the and whoever's hitting the ball.

808
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,440
Speaker 8: And we're really coming along now, and now is the

809
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,320
Speaker 8: time in the season where it really makes a difference

810
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:13,239
Speaker 8: for my.

811
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,680
Speaker 1: Soccer girl is out there are those who know soccer.

812
00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,120
Speaker 1: While a corner is very similar, it's a set play

813
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,320
Speaker 1: where you get the ball and you're lined up around

814
00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,960
Speaker 1: uh sort of the paint or I guess we're now

815
00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:27,400
Speaker 1: using basketball analogies there to help people understand and and

816
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,840
Speaker 1: uh and firing it out to a player. So in

817
00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,720
Speaker 1: theory you should have higher odds and better conversion there.

818
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,320
Speaker 1: But yeah, you got to you got to be effective,

819
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:37,640
Speaker 1: you got to make it work. Aaron, how did you

820
00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,120
Speaker 1: approach being one of the more veteran players on the

821
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,920
Speaker 1: team in order to make your team feel like you

822
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,759
Speaker 1: were someone that they can look up to, someone that

823
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:46,520
Speaker 1: they can go to for advice, and someone who should

824
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:47,359
Speaker 1: be in that captain role.

825
00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,759
Speaker 4: I think we really try and preach culture and like

826
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,319
Speaker 4: we want to have kind of the best culture in

827
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:56,239
Speaker 4: the whole into delay and I think we really do.

828
00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:58,920
Speaker 4: And by doing that, we have like four values that

829
00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:00,640
Speaker 4: really that we try to follow, and I think I

830
00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:02,759
Speaker 4: just try to embody those as much as I can

831
00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,759
Speaker 4: and just be like an overall good teammate. And we

832
00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:09,759
Speaker 4: lost a lot of veteran players, which is hard, and

833
00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,120
Speaker 4: so we needed people to step up and those are

834
00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,160
Speaker 4: really big roles to fill and I think we're still

835
00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,560
Speaker 4: trying to do that. So just trying to, you know,

836
00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:20,400
Speaker 4: get people to trust in you and have confidence in

837
00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:23,120
Speaker 4: you and try and your team back to victory.

838
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:24,720
Speaker 2: What are your four values?

839
00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:33,840
Speaker 4: All right? We've got respect, accountability, unity, and are you are.

840
00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:37,480
Speaker 6: Right?

841
00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,240
Speaker 4: So that's my key one.

842
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:49,799
Speaker 1: Straight does feel like good, good things for anybody, not

843
00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:51,719
Speaker 1: just a not just a team, not just a Feeld

844
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,719
Speaker 1: hockey team. Have to take a quick break more with

845
00:39:54,800 --> 00:40:05,160
Speaker 1: Tracy and Aaron after this, speaking of relentlessness, I wanted

846
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,600
Speaker 1: to ask quickly about that right handed stick thing. When

847
00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,520
Speaker 1: you're growing up, do you have a lot of questions

848
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,640
Speaker 1: for folks about why in the world a sport would

849
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:13,760
Speaker 1: only have a stick for people who are right handed?

850
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, I yeah, I hated it. I was pretty confused.

851
00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,880
Speaker 4: But it's okay, I got it. You know, people have rules.

852
00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I'm impressed that you weren't discouraged enough to

853
00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:27,720
Speaker 1: try something else. I mean, that's sort of discriminating against

854
00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:31,120
Speaker 1: you and other lefties, like out of just pure principle,

855
00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:34,319
Speaker 1: I might reject the sport entirely based on their unwillingness

856
00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,280
Speaker 1: to adjust to the fact that I'm left handed.

857
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:39,080
Speaker 4: No, I definitely rejected it. I played a lot of

858
00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,960
Speaker 4: other sports, and it wasn't until eighth grade that somebody

859
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:44,960
Speaker 4: showed me a video of Carly Bennett the Stuten She

860
00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:48,120
Speaker 4: played lefty a couple of years ago, and I was like, well,

861
00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:49,879
Speaker 4: she's doing it, then I can do it. So that's

862
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,120
Speaker 4: when I switched. But I definitely did not like the

863
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:53,960
Speaker 4: sport when I had to play Ready.

864
00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:57,040
Speaker 2: Tracy.

865
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,200
Speaker 1: In this time of transfer portals and and players sort

866
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:04,000
Speaker 1: of in some cases rightfully believing that the grass is

867
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,160
Speaker 1: greener somewhere else, they'll get more playing time, they'll be

868
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,520
Speaker 1: a star somewhere. When you're one of the best teams

869
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,640
Speaker 1: every single year, you've established yourself as a program that's

870
00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:14,560
Speaker 1: going to be at the top of the heap, how

871
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:16,719
Speaker 1: do you convince players who aren't going to start every

872
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:19,000
Speaker 1: game that it's still worth coming, And how do you

873
00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,400
Speaker 1: manage that competitiveness and make it a good thing for

874
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,880
Speaker 1: your team instead of something that divides because there are

875
00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,800
Speaker 1: some really talented folks that could be playing every single

876
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:28,600
Speaker 1: minute somewhere else.

877
00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:33,399
Speaker 8: Yeah, I think again, we keep going back to this,

878
00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:36,680
Speaker 8: but you know, I think we have such a great

879
00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:40,320
Speaker 8: culture of unity and as a coaching staff, we really

880
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:42,759
Speaker 8: try to value players not.

881
00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:44,360
Speaker 4: Based on playing time.

882
00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:48,200
Speaker 8: And that is so so hard because both they and

883
00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:52,040
Speaker 8: most of their family, you know, the first question they're

884
00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:56,960
Speaker 8: probably asked is did you play? And it becomes really difficult.

885
00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:00,880
Speaker 8: But I think one Northwestern sells itself with both the

886
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,200
Speaker 8: academics that they can get here and the support we

887
00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:08,359
Speaker 8: get as a female sport at Northwestern. And I think

888
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:12,640
Speaker 8: if you treat people well and are really transparent and honest,

889
00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:16,520
Speaker 8: hopefully good things will happen and they'll want to stay.

890
00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:19,120
Speaker 8: And if that's not the case, I've really come full

891
00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,319
Speaker 8: circle with the transfer portal. But in the end, we

892
00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,120
Speaker 8: want our players to be happy and if that's here, great,

893
00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:28,640
Speaker 8: and if not, we will help you go to a

894
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:33,759
Speaker 8: school maybe that's a little less competitive or maybe not

895
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:37,040
Speaker 8: top two or three in the country where you can

896
00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:40,640
Speaker 8: accomplish your goals there and we don't lose that many people,

897
00:42:40,719 --> 00:42:44,160
Speaker 8: which makes me really really proud. And we've certainly helped

898
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:48,279
Speaker 8: a few go for grad degrees elsewhere where either they

899
00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,160
Speaker 8: had the major or maybe they would get more playing time.

900
00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:55,080
Speaker 8: But we have a good record of keeping our players

901
00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,239
Speaker 8: here and I think that really helps us with recruiting

902
00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,640
Speaker 8: and with other parents, see as they're getting a good

903
00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:04,680
Speaker 8: experience if they're not playing and they're still happy and

904
00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:06,239
Speaker 8: contributing to the team.

905
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:09,720
Speaker 1: You mentioned Northwestern selling itself. How far into the recruiting

906
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,479
Speaker 1: day do they see the lake front field that they'll

907
00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:13,920
Speaker 1: be playing on, right on the water.

908
00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:18,680
Speaker 8: Yeah, it's very very early. I mean are building. My

909
00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:22,319
Speaker 8: office overlooks the water and the field. So I have

910
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,960
Speaker 8: the best job in the world mentoring young women to

911
00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:30,719
Speaker 8: be great leaders first and athletes and hopefully champions.

912
00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:33,520
Speaker 1: Aaron, I want to talk about how different this team

913
00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:37,440
Speaker 1: feels from last year, whether that's returning players or transfers.

914
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,200
Speaker 1: What are the biggest changes that you're adjusting to from

915
00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:41,319
Speaker 1: that championship team.

916
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:46,600
Speaker 4: Probably the biggest difference is losing our key veteran players,

917
00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:50,239
Speaker 4: but Honestly, our culture is so strong that the team

918
00:43:50,239 --> 00:43:52,600
Speaker 4: really doesn't feel that different. Obviously, we added in a

919
00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:55,799
Speaker 4: freshman class, but they fit in really well. And I've

920
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:58,680
Speaker 4: really just been trying to continue where we left off

921
00:43:58,719 --> 00:43:59,919
Speaker 4: from last year and just keep going.

922
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:04,200
Speaker 1: What about you, Tracy, is there any major strategic differences

923
00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:08,440
Speaker 1: or do you have to use any players distinctly differently

924
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,400
Speaker 1: as a results of the losses to graduation?

925
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:10,920
Speaker 2: Otherwise?

926
00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:14,000
Speaker 8: I think our first big if we were talking about

927
00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:18,240
Speaker 8: it over the summer, is filling the shoes of Annabel Scooby.

928
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:21,239
Speaker 8: Shoe was a three or four time All American and

929
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,480
Speaker 8: goal you know now is playing with the national team.

930
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:29,279
Speaker 8: And we were fortunate enough to have a player come

931
00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:34,000
Speaker 8: in Juliana who was able to be mentored by who

932
00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:37,000
Speaker 8: we call Scooby and get a red shirt year where

933
00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:41,360
Speaker 8: she just practiced every day, got the competitive atmosphere, and

934
00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:44,479
Speaker 8: now has taken over. And you never know how that's

935
00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:47,400
Speaker 8: going to go, if somebody's going to step up and

936
00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:51,440
Speaker 8: rise to the occasion or feel anxious and nervous about

937
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:54,359
Speaker 8: filling the shoes as somebody else. And she hasn't looked back.

938
00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:56,799
Speaker 8: She has an amazing defense in front of her which

939
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:00,640
Speaker 8: has helped. But you know, that was something we were

940
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,960
Speaker 8: looking at along with some other really key positions. And

941
00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:09,719
Speaker 8: you know Maddie Zimmer who's a paras olympian who took

942
00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,560
Speaker 8: an Olympic red shirt to come back for her six

943
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,120
Speaker 8: year I mean, I think she's twenty four years old now.

944
00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:20,000
Speaker 8: But when you have leadership like Maddie and you know,

945
00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:23,520
Speaker 8: Aaron and our other seniors, good things will happen. Like

946
00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:26,520
Speaker 8: my job is pretty easy with all the leadership that

947
00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:29,319
Speaker 8: we've developed and have on the group.

948
00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:33,040
Speaker 1: In the group, speaking of Tracy's leadership, Aaron, what's the

949
00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:34,560
Speaker 1: quirkiest thing about your coach?

950
00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:39,840
Speaker 4: I might have to say, and I'm sorry Tracy, but

951
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:42,719
Speaker 4: the Die Cokes. She's a big fan of Die Coke.

952
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:47,400
Speaker 1: There it is always there, always has on her fingertips.

953
00:45:48,239 --> 00:45:50,719
Speaker 8: If that's If that's the quirkiest I think I'm doing.

954
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:52,000
Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, not too bad.

955
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,320
Speaker 1: What about the thing in practice that will most quickly

956
00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:56,680
Speaker 1: get Tracy yelling at y'all?

957
00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:00,279
Speaker 4: Uh, probably if we're not working hard, which is more

958
00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:03,439
Speaker 4: than fair. I mean, yeah, that's like one of our

959
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:05,319
Speaker 4: main staples. So if we're not working hard and not

960
00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:08,239
Speaker 4: tackling back hard, enough then yeah, it's not good.

961
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:11,360
Speaker 2: Tracy, do you agree? What else? What else gets you

962
00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:11,879
Speaker 2: riled up?

963
00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:14,000
Speaker 4: I think they're smart.

964
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:17,759
Speaker 8: One, you know, they these this generation loves music at practice.

965
00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:20,240
Speaker 8: So one, if they know if they come out play

966
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,440
Speaker 8: an Abba or Billy Joel, they're going to it's going

967
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,640
Speaker 8: to be on a lot longer. But I do agree

968
00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:29,400
Speaker 8: with Aaron that you know they're working hard and and

969
00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:33,719
Speaker 8: uh uh, you have to be on time, you know,

970
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,520
Speaker 8: like you're not just holding up yourself, you're holding up

971
00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:40,359
Speaker 8: everybody else. And that's part of our accountability and being here.

972
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:43,520
Speaker 8: But that that just sends me over the edge unless

973
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:47,040
Speaker 8: you're coming from class or something like that. But make

974
00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:49,520
Speaker 8: sure you have good time management and you're and you're

975
00:46:49,560 --> 00:46:50,320
Speaker 8: doing your work.

976
00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:53,239
Speaker 1: A lot of running in field hockey, we ran three

977
00:46:53,239 --> 00:46:55,440
Speaker 1: miles every day before we started practice.

978
00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:57,680
Speaker 2: Is that is that at the collegiate level.

979
00:46:57,760 --> 00:46:59,720
Speaker 1: Are you still doing a lot of distance during season

980
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:02,840
Speaker 1: or expecting them to show up ready to go and

981
00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:05,319
Speaker 1: already having done a lot of that just conditioning stuff

982
00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:06,000
Speaker 1: in the off season.

983
00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:08,959
Speaker 8: Yeah, you need to make a comeback because those days

984
00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:13,719
Speaker 8: are over. Oh three miles, Yeah, we go now and

985
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:17,799
Speaker 8: most teams go more by high speed distance, which is

986
00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:21,960
Speaker 8: getting over sixteen kilometers, which is pretty quick. So we

987
00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:25,919
Speaker 8: gauge everything on basically their speed, and we have high

988
00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:29,680
Speaker 8: days and load days, and you know, our top minute

989
00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:34,000
Speaker 8: getters are probably running between five and seven miles per

990
00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:38,000
Speaker 8: game now and field hockey. But we're allowed unlimited substitution,

991
00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:41,800
Speaker 8: which is really nice, so they can go harder for longer.

992
00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:45,279
Speaker 8: Sometimes I think soccer needs to do that because yeah,

993
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:47,720
Speaker 8: they could play a lot harder if they just subbed

994
00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:49,839
Speaker 8: all the time. But that's for another day.

995
00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:51,560
Speaker 2: It's certainly part of the strategy.

996
00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:54,440
Speaker 1: But I agree with you, yeah, that it might be

997
00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:56,680
Speaker 1: a better product if you weren't worried about the fact

998
00:47:56,719 --> 00:47:58,560
Speaker 1: that someone could never come back in once they got

999
00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:01,160
Speaker 1: once they got pulled. Wow, So it's really just a

1000
00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:03,440
Speaker 1: lot of like wind sprints instead of distance.

1001
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:04,080
Speaker 8: Exactly.

1002
00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:05,320
Speaker 4: Yep, okay, exactly.

1003
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:11,000
Speaker 1: Both are so fun, Tracy. I saw that there was

1004
00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,799
Speaker 1: just a little documentary made fifty plus years in the

1005
00:48:13,800 --> 00:48:17,560
Speaker 1: making celebrating the rise of Northwestern field hockey, starting with

1006
00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:20,120
Speaker 1: the kind of early days of Hall of Fame coach

1007
00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:23,480
Speaker 1: Nancy Stevens in the eighties, and then everything that you've done.

1008
00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:26,319
Speaker 1: Give us a little pitch on why we should watch

1009
00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:29,680
Speaker 1: that or what's interesting about Northwestern in particular as a

1010
00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:30,920
Speaker 1: program in this country.

1011
00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:35,960
Speaker 8: Yeah, first of all, I think the videos amazing, and

1012
00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:39,799
Speaker 8: you know, in the end, whatever sport it is, it

1013
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:44,000
Speaker 8: just shows you how far women's sport has come in

1014
00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:46,960
Speaker 8: our country and all over the world. And when we're

1015
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,799
Speaker 8: seeing that now, I mean the Caitlin Clark effect. But

1016
00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:53,960
Speaker 8: to hear the stories of some of the older players

1017
00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:57,719
Speaker 8: who came in and what they went through and all

1018
00:48:57,880 --> 00:49:02,080
Speaker 8: the you know, the lack of uniforms and locker rooms

1019
00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:05,480
Speaker 8: and what they didn't have. And we always always talk

1020
00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:08,600
Speaker 8: on our team about being grateful, we'll always always push

1021
00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:11,920
Speaker 8: for more as women and leaders that you know, the

1022
00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:15,200
Speaker 8: crumbs are getting bigger, but they're kind of still crumbs

1023
00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:20,319
Speaker 8: right now. So just to hear their stories and have

1024
00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:24,279
Speaker 8: them be introduced to Aaron and our team and be

1025
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:27,680
Speaker 8: able to share some moments together and funny stories, that's

1026
00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:31,160
Speaker 8: when I leave. But you know, all the things they've

1027
00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,600
Speaker 8: gone through and how appreciative they are for their time

1028
00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:37,840
Speaker 8: at Northwestern. And I think sometimes you have to be

1029
00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:41,440
Speaker 8: five or ten years out of college to really appreciate

1030
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,360
Speaker 8: what you had. And I think that's when they should

1031
00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:47,680
Speaker 8: do surveys. Is five years out, when you're out, when

1032
00:49:47,719 --> 00:49:51,360
Speaker 8: you really can reflect and see what an amazing team

1033
00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:54,520
Speaker 8: and time you had here at Northwestern.

1034
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree a lot of my college roommates and

1035
00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:00,479
Speaker 1: I still kind of all these years later think about, like, Wow,

1036
00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:02,640
Speaker 1: we really didn't know how great we had it. We

1037
00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:04,840
Speaker 1: had a great campus, and we had each other, and

1038
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,280
Speaker 1: everyone was so smart and interested and you know, compelling

1039
00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:10,879
Speaker 1: and thoughtful about all the different things that they wanted

1040
00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:12,640
Speaker 1: to study and understand. And then you get out in

1041
00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:16,040
Speaker 1: the real world and you're like, oh not everyone's like that.

1042
00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:17,719
Speaker 2: That's a topic for another time too.

1043
00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:18,719
Speaker 4: Well.

1044
00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:20,680
Speaker 2: Thank you both for joining me, and good luck on

1045
00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:21,400
Speaker 2: the rest of the season.

1046
00:50:22,280 --> 00:50:25,120
Speaker 8: Awesome, Thanks so much for having us, Sarah, seriously, thank

1047
00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:26,240
Speaker 8: you go Cats.

1048
00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:30,719
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Tracy and Aaron for taking the time.

1049
00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:32,520
Speaker 1: We got to take another break when we come back

1050
00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:34,840
Speaker 1: when fighting, the good fight runs in the family.

1051
00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:45,319
Speaker 2: Welcome back, slices. We love that you're listening, but.

1052
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:46,759
Speaker 1: We want you to get in the game every day too.

1053
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:49,200
Speaker 1: So here's our good game play of the day. Follow

1054
00:50:49,239 --> 00:50:52,240
Speaker 1: Northwestern Field Hockey on Instagram. We'll link to their account

1055
00:50:52,239 --> 00:50:54,359
Speaker 1: in the show notes, and no matter where you live.

1056
00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:56,719
Speaker 1: Try to go check out a collegiate field hockey game

1057
00:50:56,719 --> 00:50:59,000
Speaker 1: this season. I know I'm biased, but it is a

1058
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:01,680
Speaker 1: very fast and physical game and it's even better in person.

1059
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:05,040
Speaker 1: So check out your local university schedule. And you know

1060
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:06,480
Speaker 1: we love to hear from you, so hit us up

1061
00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:09,440
Speaker 1: on email good game at wondermediaetwork dot com, or leave

1062
00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:11,720
Speaker 1: us a voicemail at eight seven two two four fifty

1063
00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:14,919
Speaker 1: seventy and don't forget to subscribe. Rate and review SLA

1064
00:51:14,960 --> 00:51:21,200
Speaker 1: says it's easy watch fees dramatic exit interviews, rating four

1065
00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:24,759
Speaker 1: out of four minutes of reading for filth Review. While

1066
00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:27,640
Speaker 1: it might be surprising that the usually mild mannered, stoic

1067
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:30,920
Speaker 1: Nafisa Collier was the one who blowed towards Kathy Engelbert

1068
00:51:30,960 --> 00:51:33,359
Speaker 1: in the league, perhaps there have been some clues that

1069
00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:35,960
Speaker 1: she can do more than just speak softly and carry

1070
00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,640
Speaker 1: a big stick. Some of you might remember seeing a

1071
00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:42,080
Speaker 1: CBS Sports feature back when Fee was at Yukon highlighting

1072
00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,480
Speaker 1: her family and how her leadership skills were passed down

1073
00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:48,320
Speaker 1: from those who came before her. Collier's grandfather, Gershawn Collier,

1074
00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,960
Speaker 1: in particular, he was the first permanent representative of Sierra

1075
00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:55,359
Speaker 1: Leone to the United Nations, helped the country negotiate independence

1076
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:58,480
Speaker 1: from Britain in nineteen sixty one, and served as Sierra

1077
00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:02,200
Speaker 1: Leone's ambassador to the United States in twenty nineteen. Back

1078
00:52:02,200 --> 00:52:05,640
Speaker 1: in that CBS Sports feature, gino Oriama set of Fee quote,

1079
00:52:05,680 --> 00:52:08,520
Speaker 1: she carries herself as if there's something beyond basketball in

1080
00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:11,080
Speaker 1: her life, and whether that's genetic, you know, handed down

1081
00:52:11,120 --> 00:52:14,080
Speaker 1: from her grandfather, whether it's her father directly, that's a

1082
00:52:14,120 --> 00:52:15,320
Speaker 1: reflection of her heritage.

1083
00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:16,200
Speaker 2: End quote.

1084
00:52:16,600 --> 00:52:19,719
Speaker 1: I'm certain Gershawn, who passed away in ninety four, would

1085
00:52:19,719 --> 00:52:22,799
Speaker 1: have been very proud of NAFISA on Tuesday. Now it's

1086
00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:26,160
Speaker 1: your turn, y'all, rate and review. Thanks for listening, See

1087
00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:29,200
Speaker 1: you tomorrow. Good game, Tracy and Aaron, Good game, Las

1088
00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:30,239
Speaker 1: Vegas Aces.

1089
00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:33,360
Speaker 5: Alex c getting hit in the knee with the field

1090
00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:36,120
Speaker 5: hockey ball a few decades on, and I'm pretty sure

1091
00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:36,760
Speaker 5: I still.

1092
00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:37,120
Speaker 2: Have a bruise.

1093
00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:40,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, And you getting hit in the nose with a

1094
00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,160
Speaker 1: stick a few decades on, and I know I've still

1095
00:52:43,160 --> 00:52:47,320
Speaker 1: got a crooked honker. Good Game with Sarah Spain is

1096
00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:50,439
Speaker 1: an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue

1097
00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:53,760
Speaker 1: Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,

1098
00:52:53,840 --> 00:52:57,480
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by

1099
00:52:57,520 --> 00:53:01,360
Speaker 1: Wonder Media Network. Our producers are Alex Sazzi and Misha Jones.

1100
00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,760
Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan

1101
00:53:05,880 --> 00:53:09,799
Speaker 1: and Emily Rutder. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez,

1102
00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:13,640
Speaker 1: Grace Lynch and Gianna Palmer. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.

1103
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:17,640
Speaker 1: Production assistance from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah

1104
00:53:17,640 --> 00:53:17,960
Speaker 1: Spain