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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we are

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Speaker 1: once again adding apostrophes to everything to celebrate Asia Wilson

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Speaker 1: winning MVP. That's m apostrophe VP. Y'all. It's Tuesday, September

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Speaker 1: twenty third, and on today show, we'll be chatting with

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Speaker 1: friend of the show, Annie Scoops Costable about the biggest

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Speaker 1: takeaways from the WNBA playoffs so far, the pros and

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Speaker 1: cons of coaches getting spicy, the behind the scenes chaos

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Speaker 1: of the Connecticut Sun sale, and her very candid thoughts

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Speaker 1: about the way many journalists responded to Angel Reese's comments

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Speaker 1: about her teammates and the Chicago Sky franchise. Plus, this

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Speaker 1: Current sets a record for speed, two elite track and

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Speaker 1: field clubs gain new members, and let's get routy for

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Speaker 1: two hundred bucks, shall we. It's all coming up right

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Speaker 1: after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to

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Speaker 1: know today. Let's start with the NWSL, where the race

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Speaker 1: to the Shield ended on Saturday with the candid The

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Speaker 1: City Current clinching the club's first ever regular season title

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Speaker 1: thanks to a two nail win over the Seattle Rain.

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Speaker 1: It marks the fastest NWSL Shield win ever, based both

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Speaker 1: on games remaining in the season and percentage of games played.

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Speaker 1: Kansas City midfielder de Bean You got the score and

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Speaker 1: started in Saturday's match, converting a penalty and the thirty

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Speaker 1: fourth minute after a handball was called on Seattle. Then

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Speaker 1: in the seventy fourth minute, Temushawinga sealed the win with

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Speaker 1: her first career header and thirteenth goal of the regular season,

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Speaker 1: which moved her back into the lead in the Golden

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Speaker 1: Boot Race. Shawinga celebrated the moment by running straight past

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Speaker 1: her teammates and b lining it across the field to

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Speaker 1: hug her coach Vladco and Danovski. We'll link to the

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Speaker 1: video of the moment in the show notes because it's

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Speaker 1: just the best thing ever. Vladco was asked about it

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Speaker 1: in the press conference after the game.

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Speaker 2: Take a listen or as many goals as she just course,

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Speaker 2: she hasn't scored aheader, and I'm so glad that I

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Speaker 2: did not accept her challenge. It actually happened yesterday and

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Speaker 2: she said if I score aheader, are you gonna dye

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Speaker 2: your hair like me? And I was like, absolutely not,

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Speaker 2: Like I mean that, lady's course goals left and right,

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Speaker 2: and I was like no, as she goes, no, no,

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Speaker 2: you're doing this.

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Speaker 3: I'm like, Tama, I can't. Like I was so afraid

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Speaker 3: to get into any challenges and next thing, you know,

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Speaker 3: scores ahead, and I was so happy for her and

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Speaker 3: thinking to myself, like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad

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Speaker 3: I did I didn't get into that.

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Speaker 1: Honestly, probably a good call, vlad Coat, but also we

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Speaker 1: definitely support you. If you rocked blue hair too, you

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Speaker 1: could pull it off. We'll get back to soccer in

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Speaker 1: just a minute, but now we have to get to

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Speaker 1: Asia Wilson. Early Sunday morning, Wilson was announced as the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty five MVP, making her the first player in

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Speaker 1: league history to earn MVP on hers four times. She

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Speaker 1: received fifty one first place votes and six hundred and

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Speaker 1: fifty seven total points to finish ahead of second place

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Speaker 1: Nefisa Collier, who received eighteen first place votes and five

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Speaker 1: hundred and thirty four total points. Wilson was presented with

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Speaker 1: the MVP award on Friday with WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert

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Speaker 1: and her boyfriend, Miami Heat player bam Audebio, surprising Wilson

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Speaker 1: with the trophy at the end of practice. Asia Wilson's dad, Roscoe,

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Speaker 1: as well as ace's owner Mark Davis, were also in

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Speaker 1: attendance for the trophy handoff, both sporting pink wigs to

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Speaker 1: match Wilson's look from media day earlier this season. We'll

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Speaker 1: link to the video of the moment she realized what

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Speaker 1: was about to happen, because it is just too precious,

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Speaker 1: and we'll also link to a photo of Dad and

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Speaker 1: Davis in the whigs because it's just too funny. Moving

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Speaker 1: on to Sunday's WNBA semi Finals. A few hours after

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Speaker 1: Wilson was named MVP, her number two seeded Aces hosted

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Speaker 1: the number six seed at Indiana Fever in Game one

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Speaker 1: of a best of five series. Led by Kelsey Mitchell.

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Speaker 1: With thirty four points on twelve for twenty three shooting,

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Speaker 1: the Fever pulled off the upset, stealing Game one eighty

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Speaker 1: nine seventy three. Odyssey Simms added seventeen points for the

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Speaker 1: Fever in the win, and Natasha Howard had a twelve

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Speaker 1: point eleven rebound double double. Meantime, Asia Wilson struggled with

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Speaker 1: her shot. She shot to six of twenty two from

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Speaker 1: the floor and She finished with sixteen points and thirteen rebounds,

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Speaker 1: which is good for most but disappointing for her. Later

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Speaker 1: on Sunday, the Minnesota Links opened up their semi final

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Speaker 1: series against the Phoenix Mercury with an eighty two to

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Speaker 1: sixty nine victory. The Mercury led forty seven to forty

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Speaker 1: at the half, but the Links limited them to just

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Speaker 1: twelve points in the second half, successfully doubling Phoenix triple

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Speaker 1: double machine Alyssa Thomas. Following halftime, Courtney Williams twenty three

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Speaker 1: points led the top seeded Links. Caleb McBride scored twenty

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Speaker 1: one and Nafisa Collier added eighteen points and nine boards.

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Speaker 1: The Links were without dejon A Carrington for Game one,

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Speaker 1: and it's been announced that she's out for the remainder

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Speaker 1: of the season after sustaining a midfoot sprain during the

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Speaker 1: team's first round series against the Valkyries. Both semi final

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Speaker 1: series continued tonight, beginning with the Mercury and Links at

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Speaker 1: seven thirty Eastern, followed by fever Aces at nine thirty.

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Speaker 1: And we'll have plenty more to say on all these

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Speaker 1: teams and the playoffs in general later in the show.

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Speaker 1: Within Constable it's more WNBA. Ahead of the semi finals,

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Speaker 1: Caitlin Clark said on social media she was fined two

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Speaker 1: hundred bucks for criticizing the referees during the Indiana Fever's

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Speaker 1: first round series against the Atlanta dream In two comments

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Speaker 1: on Instagram, Clark had written quote refs can't stop us

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Speaker 1: end quote elite bench mob. When a fan account posted

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Speaker 1: a screenshot of those comments, Clark reposted it, writing quote,

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Speaker 1: got fined two hundred bucks for this, Lol. Bench mob

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Speaker 1: will be even more rowdy tomorrow. Let's go a million

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Speaker 1: exclamation points even more rowdy. Well, we have no doubt.

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Speaker 1: Clark's injury may have her in street clothes, but it

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Speaker 1: hasn't kept her off the court, yelling at teammates, opponents,

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Speaker 1: and officials. More w the Atlanta Dreams Nozz Hillman was

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Speaker 1: named WNBA sixth Player of the Year on Saturday, becoming

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Speaker 1: the first player in team history to receive the honor. Hillman,

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Speaker 1: in her fourth season in the w averaged eight point

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Speaker 1: six points and six point two rebounds coming off the

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Speaker 1: bench in twenty seven to forty four games. She drained

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Speaker 1: fifty three to three pointers this season, after hitting just

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Speaker 1: one over the course of her first three years in

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Speaker 1: the league. One more award was announced on Monday, with

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Speaker 1: Seattle Storm forward and WNBA Players Association president Neca Ogumakay

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Speaker 1: being named the recipient of the Kim Parot Sportsmanship Award.

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Speaker 1: She's now the first player in league history to win

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Speaker 1: the award four times. She also won it in twenty nineteen,

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty, and twenty twenty one. Speaking of the Seattle Storm,

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Speaker 1: following their first round exit from the playoffs, the franchise

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Speaker 1: announced on Sunday that coach Noel Quinn will not return

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Speaker 1: next year. Quinn, the only black woman to serve as

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Speaker 1: a head coach in the WNBA this season, was the

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Speaker 1: second longest tenured w coach, having led the Storm since

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty one. During Quinn's time at the Helm, she

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Speaker 1: led them to four playoff appearances in five seasons, in

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Speaker 1: addition to the inaugural Commissioner's Cup title back in twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty one. But there was also turmoil behind the scenes,

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Speaker 1: including a dispute between Quinn's staff and star player Juel Lloyd,

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Speaker 1: who alleged harassment and bullying by the Storm coaching staff

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Speaker 1: and ultimately rec quested a trade out of Seattle, with

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Speaker 1: Quinn and the Storm parting ways. Cheryl Reeve remains the

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Speaker 1: longest tenured WNBA coach by a lot. Hired by the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Links in two thousand and nine, Reeve has now

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Speaker 1: been on the job for five thousand, seven hundred and

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Speaker 1: sixty eight days. That's nearly as long as every other

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Speaker 1: w coach combined. The eleven others clock in at five

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Speaker 1: eight hundred and eighty four total days. Wild back to

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Speaker 1: the NWSL, while the Kansas City Current have locked up

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Speaker 1: the Shield, their closest competition throughout most of the season.

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Speaker 1: The Orlando Pride are now ranked seventh following a nine

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Speaker 1: game winless streak, including a one nothing lost to the

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Speaker 1: North Carolina Courage on Friday. That game was scoreless till

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Speaker 1: the end, when North Carolina's Shinomi Cuyama found the back

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Speaker 1: of the net in the eighty ninth minute. With Orlando

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Speaker 1: down in the standings, the Washington Spirit are in control

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Speaker 1: of the second spot on the table, followed by third

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Speaker 1: ranked Gotham FC and the fourth ranked Portland Thorns. More

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Speaker 1: NWSL Racing Louisville announced in a statement on Friday that

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Speaker 1: Savannah Demelo has been diss charged from the hospital and

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Speaker 1: is back at home following an on field medical emergency

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Speaker 1: during a game just over a week ago against the

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Speaker 1: Seattle Ragin. We're happy to hear Savannah's now home and

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Speaker 1: we're continuing to send her our best to track and field,

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Speaker 1: where a friend of the show, Anna Hall, won the

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Speaker 1: heptathlon World title on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan, becoming the

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Speaker 1: second ever American alongside legend Jackie Joyner Cursey, to win

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Speaker 1: the event. Joiner Cursey, who won the hep at the

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Speaker 1: World Championships in nineteen eighty seven and nineteen ninety three,

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Speaker 1: has been a mentor of Halls, and was seen sitting

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Speaker 1: in the stands with Hall's family during the final event

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Speaker 1: in Tokyo. Hall recorded six eight hundred eighty eight points

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Speaker 1: during the two day seven event competition, one hundred and

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Speaker 1: seventy four points ahead of silver medalist Kate O'Connor of Ireland.

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Speaker 1: Fellow American Talia Brooks recorded a personal best to tie

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Speaker 1: for bronze with Great Britain's Katerina Johnson Thompson, marking the

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Speaker 1: first time since nineteen eighty seven that the US has

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Speaker 1: won two medals in heptathlon at an Olympics or World Championships.

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Speaker 1: More track and field. Last week, we welcomed Melissa Jefferson

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Speaker 1: and Wooden into the Good Game Hall of Fame, chronicling

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Speaker 1: her journey to the one hundred meter world title. While

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Speaker 1: on Friday, Jefferson Wooden completed the one hundred two hundred double,

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Speaker 1: becoming the second woman in thirty years and first American

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Speaker 1: woman ever to win both events at a single World Championships.

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Speaker 1: Her time in the two hundred meter final twenty one

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Speaker 1: point sixty eight seconds, marks the best time in the

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Speaker 1: world in two years, and that's not all. On Sunday,

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Speaker 1: she helped the US women win gold in the four

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Speaker 1: x one hundred meter relay. In doing so, Jefferson wouldn't

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Speaker 1: became just the second American woman to win three gold

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Speaker 1: medals at a single World Championships, a club whose only

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Speaker 1: other member is none other than Alison Felix. To tennis,

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Speaker 1: the Billy Jean King Cup wrapped up on Sunday in China.

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Speaker 1: The annual team tournament is unlike any other event on

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Speaker 1: the tennis calendar, with athletes competing as members of their

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Speaker 1: respective national teams rather than as individuals. Italy, the defending

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Speaker 1: BJK Cup champions repeated this year, defeating Team USA in

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Speaker 1: the finals, sweeping both singles matches in straight sets. More

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Speaker 1: hoops news, this time from Team USA. On Monday, USA

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Speaker 1: Basketball announced that Kara Lawson will be the next head

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Speaker 1: coach of the US women's national team through the twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty six World Cup and twenty twenty eight Los Angeles Olympics.

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Speaker 1: Lawson takes over for Cheryl Reeve, who led the US

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Speaker 1: during the last Olympics cycle. Lawson is the current head

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Speaker 1: coach at Duke. She previously served as head coach of

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Speaker 1: the US three x three team that won the inaugural

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Speaker 1: gold medal at the twenty twenty one Tokyo Games. More hoops,

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Speaker 1: this time of the Unrivaled Variety. On Monday, ahead of

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Speaker 1: the three on three League second season, which begins in January,

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Speaker 1: the organization begin announcing which players will be suitin' up.

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Speaker 1: Remember for season two, the Unrivaled total player pool will

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Speaker 1: expand thanks to the addition of two new clubs, the

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Speaker 1: Breeze and the Hive, along with a six person player

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Speaker 1: development pool that they're adding. Per Unrivals Instagram, Some players

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Speaker 1: will stay on the same club as year one, while

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Speaker 1: others will switch clubs or join one of the two

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Speaker 1: new teams. The league has committed to announcing six players

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Speaker 1: every weekday through October First. The development players will be

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Speaker 1: announced at a later date. As of this recording, four

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Speaker 1: players have been announced. Melissa Thomas, Rakia Jackson, Satu Saboli,

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Speaker 1: and Pagebeckers. We got to take a quick break. When

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Speaker 1: we come back, I try to make Annie Constable step

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Speaker 1: in it stick around, joining us now for the third time.

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Speaker 1: She's a women's sports reporter for Front Office Sports, formerly

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Speaker 1: of the Chicago Sun Times. She's an Iowa grad queen

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Speaker 1: of the thrift fit, breaker of news and hearts. We wined,

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Speaker 1: dined and annoyed the hell out of all of our

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Speaker 1: fellow shuttle patrons in Portland. It's the Stunnin Annie Costable. Hi,

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Speaker 1: Annie stunn In stun In.

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Speaker 4: Happy to be back. I don't know why you keep

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Speaker 4: having me back, but listen, I'm not going to complain.

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Speaker 1: Ah, because you are a breaker of news and hearts Annie,

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Speaker 1: and you are have your finger on the pulse of

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Speaker 1: all things WNBA, and it is a great time to

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Speaker 1: have a great WNBA. Voys on the show. We are

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Speaker 1: knee deep in the postseason. I'm talking to you on Monday.

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Speaker 1: So both some my final series got started on Sunday.

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Speaker 1: Minnesota got behind but came back to defeat the Mercury

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Speaker 1: eighty two to sixty nine, and the Indiana Fever upset

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Speaker 1: the Aces eighty nine to seventy three on Asia Wilson's

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Speaker 1: big MVP and alten Day spoiling her day. Let's start

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Speaker 1: with the Lynks Mercury. What was your biggest takeaway from

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Speaker 1: that game one.

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Speaker 4: I think it's just the level of poise that the

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Speaker 4: Links play with. They Cordy William, I mean, all of

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Speaker 4: them say this all the time, but they never feel

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Speaker 4: like they're down, and I think that was really exemplified,

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Speaker 4: especially the way they closed out that game right, because

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Speaker 4: you would never have known, at least in my opinion,

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Speaker 4: that they struggled the way they did defensively in the

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Speaker 4: first half had you only watched the third fourth quarter.

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Speaker 4: And I think that really speaks to the trajectory they're

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Speaker 4: on and their potential for winning this historic fifth title,

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Speaker 4: because again, when it comes to this point in the season,

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Speaker 4: it's not just about talent, it's about composure and your

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Speaker 4: ability to adjust in game. I mean, we just saw

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Speaker 4: the New York Liberty get ousted because of their inability

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Speaker 4: to adjust, and also you know they're dealing with a

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Speaker 4: ton of injuries, YadA, YadA, YadA. But at this point

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Speaker 4: in the season, that's what it's all about. And so

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Speaker 4: I think again, it just proved the dominance of the

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Speaker 4: Minnesota Lynx and what yeah again, the trajectory that they're on.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean they're terrifying because you can get

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Speaker 1: up fourteen seventeen points and they're like, all right, cool,

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Speaker 1: let's put our heads down and get back in this one.

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Speaker 1: And then they do and they win.

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Speaker 4: They're excited.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I had this yeap, that performance from the as

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Speaker 1: is not quite the same. They got down and they

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Speaker 1: stayed down. Yeah, what did you see in that game?

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Speaker 1: And how surprising was it to see the Fever come

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Speaker 1: out and steal Game one in Vegas?

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Speaker 4: I mean, listen, I am not above admitting when I'm wrong.

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Speaker 4: Did my predictions and I was like, you know, I

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Speaker 4: think the Aces could close this out in four games.

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Speaker 4: I think the Phenix Mercury and the Lynx excuse me,

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Speaker 4: that's gonna be to me, a back and forth series.

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Speaker 4: But I was like, the Aces starting in Vegas. I

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Speaker 4: think they could close this out, especially the fever, the

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Speaker 4: injuries they're dealing with. Man my mentions, all these people

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Speaker 4: are like, oh, remember when I'm like, listen, guys, I

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Speaker 4: this was a prediction. I didn't say I had a

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Speaker 4: crystal ball. So what I'll say about not only the

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Speaker 4: fever in this specific moment, but how they've played all

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Speaker 4: season long, after dealing with season injuring injury after season

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Speaker 4: ending injury, is they've always risen to the occasion. And

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Speaker 4: you've got to give credit to Stephanie White for how

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Speaker 4: she's she's led this team through these moments and how

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Speaker 4: again she's a coach that's that's adjusting on the fly.

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Speaker 4: Speaks to again her talent as a coach, and also

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Speaker 4: her bench, her assistance. And then you've got to talk

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Speaker 4: about Kelsey Mitchell. I mean, I think people continue to

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Speaker 4: bring up her ability to put this franchise on her back.

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Speaker 4: But what we've got to acknowledge when we say that

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Speaker 4: is she's been doing that. There's a reason she can

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Speaker 4: do that. Is she actually, in my opinion, I think

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Speaker 4: is uniquely equipped in a way other stars maybe are not,

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Speaker 4: in the sense that Kelsey for the entire early part

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Speaker 4: of her career was responsible for the majority of the

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Speaker 4: success that the Fever had, losing season after losing season.

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Speaker 4: So yeah, right, and so that's why too, even this

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Speaker 4: story when you think about, you know, where the Fever

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Speaker 4: goes this season, even next season. I mean, that's that's

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Speaker 4: a really special story to watch Kelsey Mitchell stays with

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Speaker 4: the Fever through you know, the next few years of

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Speaker 4: her career, through through her entire career because she's she

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Speaker 4: was there through the dark times. And also Odyssey Simms.

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Speaker 4: I mean, this is a veteran like who when you

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Speaker 4: even think about beyond this season, there need to bring

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Speaker 4: her back or get a point guard with that veteran

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Speaker 4: experience back, because when Caitlyn comes back, you want to

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Speaker 4: have a backup that has that level of experience. And

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Speaker 4: we're seeing why right now because in these moments again

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Speaker 4: when adjusting is everything, you need a vet and she's

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Speaker 4: got ten years of experience and it's showing in these

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Speaker 4: critical moments.

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Speaker 1: And pretty wild to see someone on a hardship contract

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Speaker 1: that has to have a home be having the effect

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Speaker 1: and the impact that Odyssey Simms has had. Pretty impressive. Right,

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Speaker 1: You want to make some news talking about how the

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Speaker 1: Fever are better off without Kaitlin.

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Speaker 4: Oh, I'm not going to get myself in trouble with that.

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Speaker 4: I don't want to say thank you for setting me

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Speaker 4: up like that. No, I love you. And listen. If

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Speaker 4: people want to fly off the handle and start putting

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Speaker 4: that shit out there, go for it. But you're you're

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Speaker 4: embrace debaterace debate, yea, getting those debates. But Caylen's clearly

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Speaker 4: like you know, she's going to make a difference when

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Speaker 4: she's back. It's just about her getting back and being.

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Speaker 1: Consistently back, and yeah, there's a there's a conversation to

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Speaker 1: be had about how they will adjust to the way

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Speaker 1: that people thrive when she's off the court. But also

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Speaker 1: more importantly, it's not just about whether she's there, it's

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Speaker 1: whether she's there consistently gaming and game out that they

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Speaker 1: can game plan around the in and out all season

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Speaker 1: long of this year made it so that even when

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Speaker 1: she was available this was he hadn't gotten into a rhythm.

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Speaker 1: So anyway, just want to see if you wanted to

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Speaker 1: get aggregated and get us put on some weird AI

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Speaker 1: generated website.

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Speaker 4: Well said Haylen, bark is done.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, she's no good. Let's go back to round one

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Speaker 1: really quick. Because you mentioned the Liberty, this is now

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Speaker 1: your home beat. They got asked by the Mercury. They

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Speaker 1: lost that series two games to one. When we caught

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Speaker 1: up in June when you were on the show, the

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Speaker 1: liber were hot. They look like they had a real

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Speaker 1: shot to win a second straight WNBA title. When they

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Speaker 1: added Emma Miseman. I was like trees the two threes,

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Speaker 1: that you can't stop this team when they're on is

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Speaker 1: too hard, but then they limp down the stretch. They

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Speaker 1: finished fifth in the standings go on to lose in

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Speaker 1: round one. Can you walk us through what you saw

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Speaker 1: from this team and why it didn't end up working

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Speaker 1: out this year?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I've seen this in the past two

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Speaker 4: I think we all have. If you cover sports long enough.

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Speaker 4: There are times when teams face hurdles and the mentality becomes, well,

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Speaker 4: when we're at one hundred, we're going to be a

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Speaker 4: different team when we get there, we're going to be

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Speaker 4: a different team. And we saw they never they never

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Speaker 4: got there. Stuwie Sabrina and John Quell played I believe,

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Speaker 4: fifteen full games together and so of course at full strength.

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Speaker 4: This is an entirely different situation we're talking about. The

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Speaker 4: season goes differently, but we know in sports like that's

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Speaker 4: that you don't you don't win games because you should

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Speaker 4: have you win the games that your record says you won.

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Speaker 4: And so they there, I think, in my opinion, the

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Speaker 4: Achilles heel here was their inability to adjust with what

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Speaker 4: they had. And so I think that's the biggest question

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Speaker 4: mark for the Liberty is they had depth beyond the injuries.

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Speaker 4: Why didn't we see a different result utilizing that depth?

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Speaker 4: And so this team, again, like so many others, unfortunately

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Speaker 4: got dealt a really tough hand when it came to injuries.

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Speaker 4: But look at where the Fever are and look at

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Speaker 4: where the Liberty are. If you're looking at these rosters,

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Speaker 4: even the depth of these rosters, right, anyone looking at

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Speaker 4: these two rosters would say that the situation should be flipped.

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Speaker 4: The Fever should have lost in the first round, right,

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Speaker 4: And and that's just again looking black and white at

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Speaker 4: the roster. And so that's the question you got to ask,

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Speaker 4: is what prevented the Liberty from adjusting considering the depth

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Speaker 4: they had beyond the stars they had on that team

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Speaker 4: that were injured for a majority of the season.

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Speaker 1: Right Brianna Stewart became the all time leading scorer in

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Speaker 1: Liberty postseason history during that series and tried to put

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Speaker 1: the team on her back in that decisive Game three,

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Speaker 1: but it wasn't enough. She then gave us an all

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Speaker 1: time meme after the game, responding to a question about

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Speaker 1: Sandy Brundella's future as the head games of the team

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Speaker 1: with the simple what the do you think it's fair

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Speaker 1: for folks to question Sandy just one season after the

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Speaker 1: franchise's first title win, understanding what you just said about

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Speaker 1: maybe not using the pieces right.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean there's so many layers to this, but

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Speaker 4: I'm a straight shooter. I think absolutely. I think we've

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Speaker 4: seen coaches get fired for less, or coaches and teams

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Speaker 4: part ways for less, and so I think anytime a

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Speaker 4: season ends, that's automatically the question that gets put on

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Speaker 4: the table is where does the franchise stand with the coach?

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Speaker 4: Is this still the right coach to lead them forward?

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Speaker 4: And what I'll say about this situation too, is we

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Speaker 4: just saw on social media or we just all got alerted,

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Speaker 4: like the Chicago skuy aren't doing exit interviews with Courtney

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Speaker 4: vanderslut Ariel Atkins, and Angel Reesa anymore. And so obviously

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Speaker 4: this question gets asked in this postgame press conference to

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Speaker 4: Stewie because the Liberty aren't doing exit interviews, which is

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Speaker 4: totally within their right, and Stewie's response is well within

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Speaker 4: her right. Like her Sabrina, this entire team is standing

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Speaker 4: ten toes down behind Sandy Brondello. That doesn't mean that

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Speaker 4: the question isn't warranted, because again, considering the underperformance of

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Speaker 4: this team, it's a legitimate question. And I think Sandy

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Speaker 4: herself would not be afraid of that either, Like she's

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Speaker 4: a pro, she's a two time championship winning coach, like

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Speaker 4: she knows. It's just it's the process. It's where you

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Speaker 4: go after a season like they had.

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Speaker 1: Well, I think you did mention on social media, which

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Speaker 1: I agree with that if teams are going to start

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Speaker 1: electing not to have exit interviews, you better prep your

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Speaker 1: players for being in the aftermath of a devastating loss,

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Speaker 1: their season ending, and that's when you're gonna get asked

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Speaker 1: about your future, your coach's future to make future, instead

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Speaker 1: of having time to compose yourself, talk to your teammates

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Speaker 1: talk to your family, talk to your coaches about what

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Speaker 1: you anticipate coming next. Now, maybe we'll get more honest responses,

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Speaker 1: but also maybe not as accurate if they haven't had

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Speaker 1: the time to sit and see about those things and

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Speaker 1: to process the loss they just endured. I do want

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Speaker 1: to ask you about Sandy Brundella, because yes, I think

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Speaker 1: any time a season ends, even when a team wins,

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Speaker 1: you can still have the conversation about what next season

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Speaker 1: looks like and whether the hestor is still the right

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Speaker 1: person for the job. But do you think a coach

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Speaker 1: should be fired for less? Because right now, when you

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Speaker 1: look at the WNBA, Cheryl Reeve by far and away

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Speaker 1: is the longest tenured coach two thousand and nine. Noel

428
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,080
Speaker 1: Quinn is now out for the Seattle Storm. So we've

429
00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,760
Speaker 1: got Becky Hammond hired in twenty twenty one, Sandy Brundello

430
00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,600
Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, we've got like Nate Tibbett shockingly the

431
00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,880
Speaker 1: fourth longest tenured coach, and he was hired in twenty

432
00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:09,159
Speaker 1: twenty three. So is this league too quick to fire

433
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,680
Speaker 1: as opposed to letting teams have more time with a

434
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,760
Speaker 1: roster and in a city to figure things out.

435
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, I love this question, and I in fact love

436
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,160
Speaker 4: that you're asking it right now because I just wrote

437
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,680
Speaker 4: about this with Minnesota and Cheryl Reeves tenure there. I mean,

438
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,119
Speaker 4: there's something to say about longevity, and a franchise is

439
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,439
Speaker 4: buy in with a team, and a franchise is commitment

440
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,639
Speaker 4: to a coach in the sense that realistically, a title

441
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 4: every season is it doesn't happen. It just doesn't happen.

442
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,440
Speaker 4: So what are you willing to allow? How much are

443
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,400
Speaker 4: you willing to allow your coach to try and fail

444
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,280
Speaker 4: and to make adjustments? And what's your mark of success?

445
00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:56,159
Speaker 4: Because again, if you look at Minnesota fourteen postseason trips

446
00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,119
Speaker 4: in a fifteen year time span, you look at that

447
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,160
Speaker 4: over the last fifteen years, that's a mark of success.

448
00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,639
Speaker 4: No other franchise has ever done that. That's success. Right.

449
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,080
Speaker 4: But the Links had to let Cheryl Weather through those

450
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:16,200
Speaker 4: post dynasty years. So when I look at the liberty, right,

451
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:20,320
Speaker 4: first of all, the player's outward support of Sandy, I

452
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,520
Speaker 4: think says a lot and says a lot about the

453
00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,040
Speaker 4: questions that the franchise has to answer in that regard

454
00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 4: of like, Okay, we didn't get where we wanted to be,

455
00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,879
Speaker 4: But do we give this another go next year assuming

456
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,280
Speaker 4: everyone's healthy, right, and then you've got to again think

457
00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:39,880
Speaker 4: about where else do you go from here?

458
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,359
Speaker 1: Right? Right? Is there a better coach or making a

459
00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,280
Speaker 1: change to make a change, because to me, Sandy Brundella

460
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,760
Speaker 1: has proved herself with the Phoenix Mercury and with the

461
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,800
Speaker 1: Liberty and in her limited time, brought the franchise its

462
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:52,679
Speaker 1: first ever title.

463
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:54,280
Speaker 4: One thing I.

464
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,000
Speaker 1: Think that's interesting to think about when you look at

465
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,040
Speaker 1: the difference between the Liberty and the Fever in terms

466
00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,879
Speaker 1: of their reaction to adversity the season, is that the

467
00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:05,080
Speaker 1: Liberty were an established team full of pieces from last

468
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,720
Speaker 1: year's title that you knew worked to win a title.

469
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,760
Speaker 1: The Fever were a newly constructed team of so many

470
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:17,119
Speaker 1: pieces that hadn't yet played together or spent significant time together,

471
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,439
Speaker 1: that didn't have a ton of success last year. So

472
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,600
Speaker 1: there's a lot more of, I think, an agility from

473
00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,320
Speaker 1: the start with that Fever team, where the understanding that

474
00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,000
Speaker 1: it's going to be an experiment, and with the Liberty,

475
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,800
Speaker 1: you can sort of understand why Sandy might stick to

476
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 1: her guns on what she thinks is going to work

477
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,879
Speaker 1: because it has worked as opposed to being creative in

478
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:38,959
Speaker 1: her response to injury. It's not to let her off

479
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,080
Speaker 1: the hook. It's just I wonder if that's some of

480
00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,720
Speaker 1: what goes into those two teams and their different ways

481
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,879
Speaker 1: of reacting to setbacks.

482
00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I think that's fair. I think that's

483
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,399
Speaker 4: also why you have exit interviews so you could ask.

484
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:55,840
Speaker 1: Yes, agree. I imagine Sandy will hopefully. I can't imagine

485
00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,639
Speaker 1: she doesn't speak to soon after that.

486
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,959
Speaker 4: Right Sandy, And I'll say too, like the Liberty are

487
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,480
Speaker 4: a very accessible team, and I think at some point

488
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 4: there will be media access, whether it's specific journalists that

489
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,439
Speaker 4: get to talk to to Sanny, whatever the case is.

490
00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,360
Speaker 4: But what I'll say to that point you just made

491
00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:15,000
Speaker 4: about the Fever and the Liberty as well, is again,

492
00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,760
Speaker 4: when there's expectation on a roster or on a certain lineup,

493
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 4: and then that lineup gets blown up because of injury,

494
00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,719
Speaker 4: it's easy to see how a team, a coach, a

495
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,159
Speaker 4: franchise would say, Okay, well we just need to wait

496
00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:31,440
Speaker 4: until we get them all back and then we'll be

497
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,480
Speaker 4: able to go back to that. What the Fever were

498
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,200
Speaker 4: forced to do, they had to accept in the moment.

499
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:40,200
Speaker 4: These players are done, We've got to adjust. The Liberty

500
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,200
Speaker 4: didn't take that same mindset and approach.

501
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,680
Speaker 1: So the Liberty didn't repeat. But Asia Wilson did her

502
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,720
Speaker 1: second straight MVP, her fourth first WNBA player in history

503
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,679
Speaker 1: to win four MPH thoughts on her taking the title

504
00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,280
Speaker 1: over and if he's a collier Alissa Thomas and others.

505
00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:01,640
Speaker 4: Yeah, I tweeted my thoughts. I think that the whole

506
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,520
Speaker 4: generational talent thing, we all overuse it. It's a really

507
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,800
Speaker 4: catchy term. It looks good in print. We love to

508
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,119
Speaker 4: fire it off and say it about all these people.

509
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,520
Speaker 4: But the reality is, when you're talking about a generational talent,

510
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 4: it's singular. You're talking about one person, and so there's

511
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,320
Speaker 4: just no arguing really that it's anyone else other than

512
00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:25,440
Speaker 4: Asia right now. And what I'll say to that, and

513
00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,280
Speaker 4: the reason that's like a compliment not only to Asia

514
00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:33,199
Speaker 4: but to everyone else that is competing with her. The

515
00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:40,840
Speaker 4: Visa had a incredible historic season one that if she

516
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:45,000
Speaker 4: wasn't competing against Asia would have she would have been

517
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,160
Speaker 4: MVP by a landside. There would be no question. I mean,

518
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,720
Speaker 4: maybe that's premature because obviously Alyssa Thomas is still in

519
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,119
Speaker 4: that discussion too, so let me back that up. That

520
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,480
Speaker 4: was premature. Alysa Thomas is right there with the Visa

521
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 4: in that respect. But what I'm say saying is that

522
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:05,600
Speaker 4: history that Nefisa made that only Elena Deladon has also accomplished,

523
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:12,359
Speaker 4: which was Elena's MVP season. If Asia's not Asia, you're

524
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,400
Speaker 4: an MVP. And so I think it speaks to how

525
00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,800
Speaker 4: impressive it is for Nefisa to be doing what she's doing,

526
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,480
Speaker 4: for Alica to be doing what she's doing, for Kelsey

527
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:28,000
Speaker 4: to be doing what she's doing, because you're attempting to

528
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:33,400
Speaker 4: overthrow not just anyone, but arguably the greatest of all time.

529
00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,800
Speaker 4: And I think that's what I wish we would do

530
00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,840
Speaker 4: more of in sports, specifically in women's sports, is like,

531
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 4: let's appreciate the greatness that we're witnessing and not ten

532
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,160
Speaker 4: years from now, twenty years from now look back and say, oh, yeah,

533
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,240
Speaker 4: we all said Asia was the greatest. No, like everyone's

534
00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,560
Speaker 4: but kind of backtracking or tiptoeing around that conversation like

535
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,400
Speaker 4: it's okay to acknowledge it in the moment. And I

536
00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,720
Speaker 4: think you'd be hard pressed to find legiti met basketball

537
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 4: voices that wouldn't say the same right.

538
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,040
Speaker 1: I want to ask about that because I do think

539
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:11,040
Speaker 1: sometimes we want pleasantries for all, support for all, sometimes

540
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:15,280
Speaker 1: at the expense of using those singular qualifiers for the greatest.

541
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,360
Speaker 1: And at the same time, I do think it's okay

542
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,400
Speaker 1: in women's sports to acknowledge that if there's a constant

543
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,160
Speaker 1: pitting of women against each other, and not in the

544
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,320
Speaker 1: competitive sports sense, but in other bullshit ways, it makes

545
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,000
Speaker 1: sometimes leadership I think have a responsibility to how they

546
00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,720
Speaker 1: carry themselves. So I'm asking this because a few weeks ago,

547
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,080
Speaker 1: Ajia Wilson's college coach John Staley posted a congrats to

548
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:41,640
Speaker 1: the WNBA and it's players for a great season and

549
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:44,280
Speaker 1: wrote along with that quote, if there's truly no funny

550
00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,920
Speaker 1: stuff in the air, Asia Wilson really is the MVP. Then,

551
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 1: just a few days ago, when Asia and Alana Smith

552
00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:56,160
Speaker 1: were named co Defensive Players of the Year, Wilson's current coach,

553
00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:59,760
Speaker 1: Becky Hammond criticized that they were given co honors and said, quote,

554
00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,000
Speaker 1: to me me, there's no comparison. A white tailed deer

555
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,920
Speaker 1: looks really good until an elk walks in the room. Now, coaches,

556
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,440
Speaker 1: I mean, what a present though, Like, yeah, it's an

557
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,800
Speaker 1: iconic line. Yes, I feel like coaches always hype their

558
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,560
Speaker 1: players totally, it's fine, But do you have an issue

559
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,800
Speaker 1: with alleging funny stuff if those players don't win, or

560
00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,360
Speaker 1: taking shots at other players and trying to hype yours.

561
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:29,040
Speaker 4: I mean, I think it's our job to decipher the

562
00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,880
Speaker 4: reality of these statements from the fact and the fact

563
00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,600
Speaker 4: in my I guess so fact is maybe a stretch

564
00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:37,200
Speaker 4: because then I was about to follow it up with

565
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:40,440
Speaker 4: in my opinion. So again, I think when when coaches

566
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,040
Speaker 4: say these things, it's our job to acknowledge, like this

567
00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 4: is Asia's coach saying it, it's her former college coach

568
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,600
Speaker 4: saying it down Staley alleging funny stuff is her opinion,

569
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,400
Speaker 4: and anyone that is, you know, taking that to mean

570
00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 4: that there's actually funny stuff going on. I think, listen

571
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,400
Speaker 4: and if you think there's funny stuff going on in

572
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:07,800
Speaker 4: the voting, and investigate that shit, right, it's like your journalists,

573
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,160
Speaker 4: that's our job. But I think that I'll start there

574
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,920
Speaker 4: is like these are her coaches saying these things the

575
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 4: same way. Again, Cheryl Reeve gets on her mic and

576
00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 4: says her comments about her players, and so I think

577
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,520
Speaker 4: from there, you've got to be able to stand on

578
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:29,479
Speaker 4: your vote and your opinion about a player. And I

579
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,240
Speaker 4: don't think it. I don't know. Maybe this is wrong

580
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:34,760
Speaker 4: of me, but I'll just say it, like, I don't

581
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:39,200
Speaker 4: think it's a bad thing for these fiery statements to

582
00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:42,320
Speaker 4: be out there. I really don't. I think it adds

583
00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,880
Speaker 4: to the storylines. It adds to kind of the competitiveness

584
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,680
Speaker 4: and the back and forth not only between Asia and

585
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,920
Speaker 4: Fi and Fee and At, but also like the coaches.

586
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,240
Speaker 4: I think those are some of the most untold stories.

587
00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,240
Speaker 4: I like the reason between these coaches.

588
00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,640
Speaker 1: I like the rivalries between the coaches. I like the feistiness,

589
00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,360
Speaker 1: I like the support of players. I think the specific

590
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,080
Speaker 1: language of Dawn's to me is when you in a

591
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:11,200
Speaker 1: sport where we have had historical conversations about black players

592
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,840
Speaker 1: not getting enough shine, about the potential for voting even

593
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,800
Speaker 1: to be impacted by subconscious or conscious bias, when you

594
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:21,600
Speaker 1: allege that in a situation where that wouldn't be at

595
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,440
Speaker 1: play at all, and where you do have deserving other

596
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:29,320
Speaker 1: folks in the running for MVP to even claim that

597
00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,960
Speaker 1: funny stuff would have to be taking place in order

598
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,520
Speaker 1: for her not to win. For me, becomes a sort

599
00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,400
Speaker 1: of boy you cried wolf situation. If there's a situation

600
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,360
Speaker 1: where you do think someone isn't getting media attention, awards

601
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:43,280
Speaker 1: otherwise because of the color of their skin or some

602
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,080
Speaker 1: other reason, when you then trot it out later it's

603
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,200
Speaker 1: something you've said before in a situation where she was

604
00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,960
Speaker 1: competing against other tremendous black women and other women who

605
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,480
Speaker 1: had seasons that are worthy of having a conversation. I

606
00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:57,760
Speaker 1: think that's the line. To me, where I think it

607
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,880
Speaker 1: goes from this is fun and competitive too. That's insulting

608
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,640
Speaker 1: to say if Nafisi Kalier one in a fifty forty

609
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:08,520
Speaker 1: ninety season, it must be because of funny stuff. Yeah,

610
00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,600
Speaker 1: I think winning a co award and then degrading a

611
00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,760
Speaker 1: player who also won instead of just saying I think

612
00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:16,880
Speaker 1: that Asia should have won it on her own. Frankly,

613
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:20,560
Speaker 1: I don't think there's a competition there versus saying that

614
00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,200
Speaker 1: the other player is significantly less than I don't know why.

615
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,000
Speaker 1: To me too, it feels like it's one step too

616
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,000
Speaker 1: far in terms of supporting your own player.

617
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 4: Good way do you put it that way? I could

618
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,520
Speaker 4: see what you're saying in regards to Dawn's comments and

619
00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,080
Speaker 4: end that being a situation where down the line, then

620
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,520
Speaker 4: it can become an issue if you're if you're being

621
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:44,160
Speaker 4: vocal about something else. And I do do agree with

622
00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:47,160
Speaker 4: you when you put it in that context, especially because

623
00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 4: to say that during a fifty to forty ninety season

624
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,640
Speaker 4: if she wins, then it's like there's got to be

625
00:33:54,680 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 4: some conspiracy theory, like no, no, that's that's just not accurate.

626
00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:07,360
Speaker 4: What I'll say to Becky's comment is Becky and Cheryl

627
00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:14,480
Speaker 4: are both very known to the sarcastic little shit talkers.

628
00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:16,399
Speaker 4: And I say that as one of.

629
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,080
Speaker 1: My see see Cheryl Reeve, Emma Masiman pick the wrong team?

630
00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:23,839
Speaker 4: Yeah yeah, And so you know, is there a line? Absolutely?

631
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:28,839
Speaker 4: Is everyone's line different? Absolutely? And I think what what

632
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 4: Becky's statements could have done is spurred a team that

633
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:35,920
Speaker 4: was already desk on the trajectory to win a fitth title.

634
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:38,400
Speaker 4: You know, even more so you got to stand on

635
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:38,959
Speaker 4: what you said.

636
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:39,439
Speaker 1: That's true.

637
00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:41,319
Speaker 4: I think both Becky and Cheryl do.

638
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,200
Speaker 1: And and yeah, I've mentioned this before. I think maybe

639
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,080
Speaker 1: even in an interview with you, where sometimes I find

640
00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,040
Speaker 1: myself sliding into I hope both teams have fun territory

641
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,000
Speaker 1: and I don't want to be that person, and I

642
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,200
Speaker 1: don't feel like women's sports needs to be like that.

643
00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:59,080
Speaker 1: But also I think for me, I'm always trying to

644
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,279
Speaker 1: temper the fact that the rest of society is so

645
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,960
Speaker 1: polluting the space that when the people within it add

646
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,120
Speaker 1: to that, I'm like, oh, do we need to do that? Though?

647
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,799
Speaker 1: And I know that's not what they're doing, and I

648
00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,040
Speaker 1: know that that's something within me, but like, I do

649
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,400
Speaker 1: want to hold both things true, where like, yes, they

650
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:21,520
Speaker 1: can hate each other, be competitive, talk shit, and I

651
00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,720
Speaker 1: don't like the idea of like some of what feels

652
00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,319
Speaker 1: a little bit like bullying sometimes from these coaches when

653
00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:29,040
Speaker 1: they actively, like yell at journalists in the press conference

654
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,399
Speaker 1: of like who did you vote for? That's bullshit, Like

655
00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,120
Speaker 1: that's not how these awards work. It's a subject to

656
00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,680
Speaker 1: go based on personal opinion. If you don't want it

657
00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:38,440
Speaker 1: to be that, then do it based on numbers or

658
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,080
Speaker 1: something or a computer otherwise I don't know. That sort

659
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:44,959
Speaker 1: of exchange sometimes feels to me also like can't Asia

660
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:49,640
Speaker 1: Wilson stand on her own? Does she need you bullying

661
00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:52,439
Speaker 1: reporters or yelling at them saying they made the wrong

662
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,120
Speaker 1: decision to win and earn.

663
00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:58,439
Speaker 4: It the last thing I'll say. And now I sound

664
00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,560
Speaker 4: like I'm in defense of these and I'm like, I'm

665
00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:07,480
Speaker 4: riding for Becky and Cheryl. This is again, but the

666
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,200
Speaker 4: history of the w NBA voting, We've seen it in

667
00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,080
Speaker 4: the last couple of years, there have been these these

668
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:18,880
Speaker 4: random votes that like someone voted Asia fourth in the

669
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:23,680
Speaker 4: MVP vote when she absolutely should not have received a

670
00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:24,360
Speaker 4: fourth place.

671
00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:28,239
Speaker 1: Rakia Jackson got to vote this year MVP, which all

672
00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:29,600
Speaker 1: respect to Rakia Jackson both.

673
00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,239
Speaker 4: So if you're a coach and your respected voice, like

674
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,520
Speaker 4: you know all these coaches we just named are, and

675
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,440
Speaker 4: you know that history about the w NBA voting, and

676
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,920
Speaker 4: you know the w n BA has, you know, an

677
00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:48,920
Speaker 4: odd history in a lot of regards officiating all these

678
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,320
Speaker 4: different things, like where's the accountability factor?

679
00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:55,120
Speaker 1: I agree, the difference between those yelling at someone for

680
00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:57,319
Speaker 1: making Asia fourth and then yelling at someone for like

681
00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:01,680
Speaker 1: voting for Fee instead or something right, rose context matter totally.

682
00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 4: And I let me just say I voted for Asia

683
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,400
Speaker 4: in my AP vote. I didn't have a w NBA vote.

684
00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:13,240
Speaker 4: They took it away. I'm the audacity. I'm just joking

685
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:16,200
Speaker 4: I obviously watched jees I switched out.

686
00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:18,280
Speaker 1: Maybe you needed to establish in the new place.

687
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,640
Speaker 4: Before they okay, right, And I work for a business

688
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:23,319
Speaker 4: outlet now, so maybe there was some We don't know

689
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:24,960
Speaker 4: what Annie's going to be doing in her new role.

690
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,920
Speaker 4: Either way, my vote was for Asia, and I stand

691
00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:29,919
Speaker 4: by that. If I had a WBA vote, I would

692
00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:33,400
Speaker 4: have I would have voted for Asia. But in my

693
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:38,520
Speaker 4: opinion of Asia, there's no takeaway from the FISA. Again,

694
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,800
Speaker 4: just at the top of this conversation, anybody else and

695
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,120
Speaker 4: the FISA would have been the MVP given the year

696
00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:46,719
Speaker 4: that she had.

697
00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm I'm always trying to temper those feelings I

698
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,600
Speaker 1: have because I do find myself veering sometimes into territory

699
00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,239
Speaker 1: for women's sports that I would never feel like in

700
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,240
Speaker 1: men's But I do think it's because of all the

701
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:59,960
Speaker 1: bullshits around Again, let's talk about Yeah, let's talk about

702
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,279
Speaker 1: Asia's aces, because they ended the regular season on an

703
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,000
Speaker 1: almost historic wind streak after a very rough start to

704
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:10,279
Speaker 1: the season. What did you see change in them? And

705
00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:14,080
Speaker 1: beyond Sunday's ugly Game one loss. Are the win streak

706
00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:15,320
Speaker 1: Aces the real Aces?

707
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:21,400
Speaker 4: In your opinion, I think the moment or their ability

708
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,840
Speaker 4: to sustain that through the end of the regular season

709
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,839
Speaker 4: says a lot about what they can do this postseason.

710
00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:32,000
Speaker 4: What it also says is they were relying a lot

711
00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,560
Speaker 4: on Asia and Jackie Young, and so if you're an

712
00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:40,600
Speaker 4: opponent and you nullify those two players, well the Aces

713
00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:43,400
Speaker 4: need They need more from Chelsea, they need more from Jewel,

714
00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:46,879
Speaker 4: they need more from Dana Evans. And I think even

715
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,080
Speaker 4: Dana said that in the postgame is that we know that,

716
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:55,160
Speaker 4: and so if they can sustain that over that seventeen

717
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,160
Speaker 4: game stretch, they can absolutely use that to close out

718
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,239
Speaker 4: even win another title. And I think it would say

719
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,840
Speaker 4: even more than some of the past titles have because

720
00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:10,440
Speaker 4: of the way they got this one done. And I

721
00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:14,760
Speaker 4: also think the adjustments. Again, I feel like the narrative

722
00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:18,160
Speaker 4: of this podcast is your ability to adjust. But I

723
00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,520
Speaker 4: think the adjustments made for them to rebound from the

724
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,240
Speaker 4: first half of the season the way they did speaks

725
00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:28,640
Speaker 4: to again a mentality and what they can do through

726
00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:29,880
Speaker 4: this postseason.

727
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:32,560
Speaker 1: We got to take a quick break more with any

728
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:43,000
Speaker 1: constable after this. Let's talk about the Connecticut Sun, because

729
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:45,239
Speaker 1: you had some really good reporting over the summer about

730
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,360
Speaker 1: the behind the scenes of that sale. Just to refresh

731
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:50,840
Speaker 1: the slices. Back in August, you reported that the record

732
00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:53,240
Speaker 1: three hundred and twenty five million dollar offered that Celtics

733
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,960
Speaker 1: minority owner Steve Paliuca made to purchase the team from

734
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,360
Speaker 1: the Mohegan Tribe was brought to League Commissioner Kathy Engelbert,

735
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,520
Speaker 1: but she never presented it to the WNBA's board of governors.

736
00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:05,040
Speaker 1: Now you're reporting indicated that the league was hoping to

737
00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:07,080
Speaker 1: force the Sun to sell to a buyer of the

738
00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 1: league's choosing, most likely Houston, which was in the running

739
00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,120
Speaker 1: during the latest expansion draft process. And in the last

740
00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,759
Speaker 1: couple of weeks we've seen politicians get involved, Connecticut senators

741
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:20,120
Speaker 1: and Attorney General issuing statements writing letters to Kathy Engelbert

742
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,000
Speaker 1: criticizing the league's attempt to dictate the terms of a

743
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,920
Speaker 1: potential sale. What was your biggest takeaway from what you

744
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:28,200
Speaker 1: reported on this in the last few weeks and do

745
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:29,440
Speaker 1: you have any updates.

746
00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:35,200
Speaker 4: I think it's the change in the way sales are

747
00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:39,200
Speaker 4: obviously happening. There was a time in the WNBA, which

748
00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:44,880
Speaker 4: we're all familiar with, when franchises were desperate to find owners,

749
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,680
Speaker 4: and once they did. Sales were pushed through with very

750
00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:53,560
Speaker 4: little pushback because again the effort was to keep franchises

751
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:58,400
Speaker 4: alive versus what we're seeing now where there's more strategy

752
00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:02,799
Speaker 4: behind the expand and the sale of franchises. So when

753
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:07,040
Speaker 4: it comes to that, the league has not been quiet

754
00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:12,960
Speaker 4: or reserved in what they've said about their ability to

755
00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:18,040
Speaker 4: influence a sale or them having full authority essentially over

756
00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:21,480
Speaker 4: a sale because it's a league matter. This is what

757
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:26,080
Speaker 4: leaky hearing like. This is a league matter. A team

758
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:31,000
Speaker 4: cannot just sell to an owner and subsequently move back.

759
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,680
Speaker 1: Which by the way, is common across professional leagues. Most

760
00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:37,160
Speaker 1: often the new owners have to be approved by the

761
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:40,120
Speaker 1: existing owners and the league because you obviously don't want

762
00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:42,640
Speaker 1: to bring someone into this quote unquote fraternity or sorority

763
00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,840
Speaker 1: that isn't a part of the larger goals or plans

764
00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:48,960
Speaker 1: that being set. There's a big difference between approving ownership

765
00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:52,400
Speaker 1: and dictating ownership or the terms of a sale. It

766
00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:53,600
Speaker 1: sure feels like they're trying.

767
00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,920
Speaker 4: To do here right. And I think the biggest question

768
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,360
Speaker 4: that I have not gotten clarity from the league gone

769
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:02,840
Speaker 4: because every time it's asked, it goes back to a

770
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:05,680
Speaker 4: team doesn't have the right to sold to a franchise

771
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:09,239
Speaker 4: and that's going to relocate it. Okay, we get that,

772
00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:15,640
Speaker 4: but why wouldn't the league approve a sale and subsequent

773
00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:17,120
Speaker 4: relocation to Boston.

774
00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,760
Speaker 1: Why because then they're not double dipping. They're not getting

775
00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:24,120
Speaker 1: the cost of the sale and then the cost of

776
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:24,680
Speaker 1: the expansion.

777
00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:29,640
Speaker 4: And that's what they've inadvertently or not even so inadvertently revealed,

778
00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:33,120
Speaker 4: because if you go back to their original statement, it

779
00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:38,160
Speaker 4: mentioned Bill Chisholm by name. Their original statement when the

780
00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:42,320
Speaker 4: news of this broke with the with the Boston Globe,

781
00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:47,279
Speaker 4: their subsequent statement was, when the time is right Bill Chislm.

782
00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:50,840
Speaker 4: I'm paraphrasing here, but we talked to Bill Chishlm about

783
00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,360
Speaker 4: a franchise going to Boston, and what they were saying

784
00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,840
Speaker 4: there is, when the time is right and the team

785
00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:01,319
Speaker 4: can be operate under NBA ownership, we will grant an

786
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,440
Speaker 4: expansion team here. And so again, from a business standpoint,

787
00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,160
Speaker 4: we've seen the success that's that's happened with the Golden

788
00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,640
Speaker 4: State Valkyries. There's clearly a model that they're operating with

789
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:16,040
Speaker 4: in terms of what their hopes are for franchises and

790
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:20,640
Speaker 4: expansion teams. However, when you consider the history of this

791
00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:24,520
Speaker 4: franchise and the history of the Houston comments, who we

792
00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:26,600
Speaker 4: could all assume would be brought back if this team

793
00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:31,120
Speaker 4: is sold to Houston, there's a question of is this

794
00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:35,000
Speaker 4: good business to move one franchise with so much history

795
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:42,000
Speaker 4: to another city and then adopt the start that exists there.

796
00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,960
Speaker 4: And also, this fan base is very much connected to

797
00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,400
Speaker 4: the East Coast. So I think the question that the

798
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 4: league needs to answer is why wouldn't you approve a

799
00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:57,200
Speaker 4: sale that's on the table to Boston.

800
00:43:57,040 --> 00:44:00,040
Speaker 1: Right and fundamentally too To do wrong by the owner

801
00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,080
Speaker 1: of the team and force them to take a lesser

802
00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,680
Speaker 1: deal after being steadfast owners during the rough times and

803
00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:09,360
Speaker 1: not allowing them to profit at the highest level now

804
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,359
Speaker 1: is messed up. And then also to your point, if

805
00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:15,600
Speaker 1: they've got a person in mind in Boston in the future,

806
00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:19,359
Speaker 1: then they are truly trying to dictate every move as

807
00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:23,280
Speaker 1: opposed to an existing offer for a team that makes

808
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,759
Speaker 1: more sense. They're issuing that in favor of some deal

809
00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:28,319
Speaker 1: they've sort of already made on the back end with

810
00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:30,080
Speaker 1: Chisholm totally.

811
00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:32,480
Speaker 4: And but what I will say to that point is

812
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:35,880
Speaker 4: the stance from the league is that this three hundred

813
00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:42,839
Speaker 4: and twenty five million is not a accurate evaluation of

814
00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:49,160
Speaker 4: what the franchise is worth, because that's the sale price

815
00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:52,280
Speaker 4: for a move to Boston. That's the sale price assuming

816
00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:55,760
Speaker 4: the team is bought and moved to Boston. So again,

817
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,279
Speaker 4: I'm not a lawyer. I'm not you know, behind the

818
00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:03,000
Speaker 4: scenes in the conversations with Alan and co. With the league,

819
00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:07,520
Speaker 4: with the connecticuts on. And that's where legally the league

820
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,800
Speaker 4: may be able to get away with doing that, because again,

821
00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:15,680
Speaker 4: sale and a subsequent move are two separate decisions. Both

822
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:18,759
Speaker 4: have to be approved by the league. So while this

823
00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,000
Speaker 4: three twenty five is out there, it's out there under

824
00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:25,200
Speaker 4: the presumption that the team would be moved to Boston.

825
00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:27,799
Speaker 1: And we understand how much expansion fees are. And so

826
00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:30,280
Speaker 1: while you don't want the to be trying to double

827
00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:32,640
Speaker 1: dip here, you also understand that they don't want to

828
00:45:32,640 --> 00:45:35,439
Speaker 1: lose out on that by having people die to work

829
00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:37,600
Speaker 1: around it. Okay, we're running out of time here, but

830
00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:39,120
Speaker 1: I have a couple of last things for you. I

831
00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,080
Speaker 1: want to ask you about your former beat, the Chicago Sky.

832
00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:44,040
Speaker 1: In the situation with Angel Reese, she criticized the team

833
00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:46,759
Speaker 1: and some of her teammates. She eventually apologized to the

834
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,480
Speaker 1: locker room. She ended up sitting the final game of

835
00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:50,799
Speaker 1: the season with what they call the recurrence of the

836
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:53,080
Speaker 1: back injuries she had been suffering from. But some rightfully

837
00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:55,640
Speaker 1: wondered if there was more to it. Let's put a

838
00:45:55,719 --> 00:46:00,719
Speaker 1: number on it first, just a number, no explanation. Percentage

839
00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:02,680
Speaker 1: likelihood she's in a Sky Jersey next season.

840
00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:06,680
Speaker 4: This is just my opinion, not my reporting. Yep, my

841
00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:10,120
Speaker 4: opinion the likelihood of Angel being back in a sky

842
00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:13,080
Speaker 4: Jersey is between twenty and thirty percent.

843
00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:15,839
Speaker 1: Wow. Okay, what did you make of her comments? Because

844
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:19,360
Speaker 1: I want to just say that for me, her criticism

845
00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:23,000
Speaker 1: of the team facilities, their ability to get stars, all

846
00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:25,000
Speaker 1: of that rang true to me. And while I knew

847
00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,120
Speaker 1: that would frustrate the team, I was fine with that.

848
00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:31,120
Speaker 1: When she specifically named teammates and called out, for instance,

849
00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:33,919
Speaker 1: Courtney vanderslut the future plans with her and said there's

850
00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,080
Speaker 1: no one here worth keeping other than a couple, that

851
00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:40,680
Speaker 1: to me was the most fundamental violation of how you

852
00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:42,480
Speaker 1: publicly handle your stuff as a teammate, and I was

853
00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:45,840
Speaker 1: surprised how many people were willing to make apologies for that.

854
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,840
Speaker 1: I think because we're so used to Angel being criticized

855
00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:51,480
Speaker 1: for things she shouldn't be criticized for that, now we're

856
00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,319
Speaker 1: sort of blanket apologizing for anything. And to me, that

857
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:57,440
Speaker 1: felt like such a clear you don't do that, you

858
00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:58,000
Speaker 1: don't do that.

859
00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:02,080
Speaker 4: Yeah, I actually just got to say, I really really

860
00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:05,880
Speaker 4: appreciate you asking me that question and asking me for

861
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:09,840
Speaker 4: my opinion, because I have not given my opinion yet.

862
00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:13,279
Speaker 4: I wrote a story that was sourced with the opinions

863
00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:16,120
Speaker 4: of others around the league about how this could play out,

864
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:20,799
Speaker 4: and that has again become Well, Annie thinks this, my

865
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:23,680
Speaker 4: thought is very much in line with what you just said.

866
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:27,919
Speaker 4: I've covered numerous stars who have forced their way out

867
00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:32,280
Speaker 4: of Chicago and done so and talked about the franchise

868
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:34,719
Speaker 4: in the process in terms of what didn't exist there,

869
00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:40,439
Speaker 4: operational standards that were lacking. The difference there is. None

870
00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:45,160
Speaker 4: of those players publicly called out teammates in the process,

871
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:47,920
Speaker 4: and I think, no matter what sport you're in, and

872
00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:51,120
Speaker 4: this was another This was another hard thing for me

873
00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:53,680
Speaker 4: to accept when I saw the follow ups from people

874
00:47:53,760 --> 00:47:57,759
Speaker 4: I have a ton of respect for. Was the the

875
00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:01,480
Speaker 4: comments about oh so if this was men's sports, we

876
00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:04,439
Speaker 4: wouldn't be batting an eyelash at this. That is fact

877
00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:10,160
Speaker 4: completely disagreeing, incorrect, factually incorrect. If you want to say

878
00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:12,799
Speaker 4: you don't got the sources, just say you don't got

879
00:48:12,840 --> 00:48:15,800
Speaker 4: the sources. But to be factually incorrect on a topic,

880
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,640
Speaker 4: it's like, oh my god. It was like a dagger

881
00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:21,200
Speaker 4: to the soul because not only has it happened in

882
00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:25,120
Speaker 4: men's sports, it's happened in Chicago. Dwayne Wade and Jimmy

883
00:48:25,120 --> 00:48:27,880
Speaker 4: Butler got suspended for half a game, which to the

884
00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:30,359
Speaker 4: point I'm like, I was like, the Chicago skuy are

885
00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:33,920
Speaker 4: taking a page out of the Chicago Bulls book. Whether

886
00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:37,279
Speaker 4: or not they're right for that is an opinion, and.

887
00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:38,840
Speaker 1: That's something people said to you half a game. What

888
00:48:38,960 --> 00:48:39,600
Speaker 1: is this high school?

889
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:39,719
Speaker 4: No?

890
00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:41,200
Speaker 1: I mean, we've seen that in the NBA.

891
00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,000
Speaker 4: We've literally seen it. And so my thing is, like,

892
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:48,920
Speaker 4: I even saw someone compare angels comments about her teammates

893
00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:52,960
Speaker 4: to comments that Michael Jordan has made and that Kobe

894
00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:57,960
Speaker 4: Bryant has made. Another distinct difference between those those three players,

895
00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:03,120
Speaker 4: those two Kobe and Michael champions. Angel has yet to

896
00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:06,279
Speaker 4: win a championship in the WNBA. That's not to say

897
00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:09,640
Speaker 4: that she won't, but she's the second year player and

898
00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:13,000
Speaker 4: it's not even to say that her comments weren't accurate.

899
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:17,560
Speaker 4: But those are comments you make in sports. It's like rule.

900
00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:20,359
Speaker 4: You make it in the locker room, you make it

901
00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:23,600
Speaker 4: to the face of your teammates, to your GM and

902
00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:27,239
Speaker 4: you know, publicly criticizing the franchise is one thing, but

903
00:49:27,440 --> 00:49:31,120
Speaker 4: naming your teammates, that's a completely different story. And what

904
00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:34,759
Speaker 4: I wish because I'd be lying to you if I

905
00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:39,239
Speaker 4: said some of the backlash on social media isn't hard

906
00:49:39,239 --> 00:49:43,560
Speaker 4: to take. And I just wish more of our colleagues

907
00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:48,960
Speaker 4: would call a thing a thing versus all the excuses

908
00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:51,640
Speaker 4: we start to make because it's women's sports.

909
00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:54,160
Speaker 1: Right well, and because it's her Angel, And I think

910
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:56,640
Speaker 1: I understand the root of that, which is that we

911
00:49:56,680 --> 00:49:59,719
Speaker 1: are so seeped in the bullshit that came along with

912
00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:05,680
Speaker 1: A versus Caitlin and the over extension of so many

913
00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:08,960
Speaker 1: to criticize Angel for everything. And I think there is

914
00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:12,400
Speaker 1: a lot of racism, yeah, that is underlying all of that.

915
00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:15,799
Speaker 1: So the desire to defend her is natural. But I

916
00:50:15,840 --> 00:50:19,080
Speaker 1: think the problem is when she says something that across

917
00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:21,319
Speaker 1: every single sport and every single level we know is

918
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,319
Speaker 1: not what to do to defend it, then, I think

919
00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:29,320
Speaker 1: is problematic. And I think Angel, even after giving comments

920
00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:32,920
Speaker 1: about this situation and how she apologized to her teammates,

921
00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:35,000
Speaker 1: she said, I just have to be better with my

922
00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,239
Speaker 1: language because I know it's not the message, it's the

923
00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:40,399
Speaker 1: messenger and understanding what I say can be taken any

924
00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:41,799
Speaker 1: kind of way. So I just have to really be

925
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:44,600
Speaker 1: better and grow from this. She said their comments were misconstrued.

926
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:46,319
Speaker 1: I don't think they were. I think they were taking

927
00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:48,560
Speaker 1: at face value. It's just that people didn't react well

928
00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:50,480
Speaker 1: to them. And so the idea that it's about her

929
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:53,520
Speaker 1: being the messenger in this case, it's not. It's about

930
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,520
Speaker 1: literally anyone who says that about their teammates is going

931
00:50:55,560 --> 00:50:56,440
Speaker 1: to be criticized for it.

932
00:50:56,880 --> 00:51:00,160
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think also, I don't even think think

933
00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:04,840
Speaker 4: Corney Vanderslut herself would negate the fact that what she's

934
00:51:04,880 --> 00:51:08,040
Speaker 4: coming back from is challenging, and she is at a

935
00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:11,719
Speaker 4: stage in her like Corney Vanderslout, is a realist. She's

936
00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:14,279
Speaker 4: she's not gonna lie to you about the fact that

937
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:17,239
Speaker 4: she's coming back from an ACL injury she's also at

938
00:51:17,239 --> 00:51:20,719
Speaker 4: the latter point of her career. But that's not something

939
00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:25,720
Speaker 4: for your teammate to say in a public interview, because

940
00:51:26,120 --> 00:51:29,279
Speaker 4: the only person who could speak to her ability to

941
00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:33,200
Speaker 4: come back is Courtney Vanderslut herself. And then you have

942
00:51:33,600 --> 00:51:36,000
Speaker 4: you have this this fact of the matter in the

943
00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,920
Speaker 4: sense that Corney Vanderslut is a two time champion. She

944
00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:43,920
Speaker 4: is one of the most respected point guards in this league.

945
00:51:44,440 --> 00:51:48,439
Speaker 4: So not only by by making those comments, are you

946
00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:51,920
Speaker 4: are you putting yourself at odds with your own teammate,

947
00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:56,160
Speaker 4: but you're putting yourself at odds with people who have

948
00:51:56,320 --> 00:52:02,000
Speaker 4: played alongside this player and who can speak to again

949
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:05,320
Speaker 4: her impacts on a team, et cetera.

950
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,440
Speaker 1: So well, and she said specifically, you know, we need

951
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:10,279
Speaker 1: to come back with players who have won it and

952
00:52:10,320 --> 00:52:12,000
Speaker 1: get it. And it's like that is the person that

953
00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:13,839
Speaker 1: you just called that as not the person to move

954
00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:16,719
Speaker 1: forward with. Right. There was a lot of right conflict

955
00:52:16,760 --> 00:52:19,000
Speaker 1: even in the things she said right exactly.

956
00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:23,359
Speaker 4: And I think again, Angel's a young player, and she's

957
00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:30,160
Speaker 4: she's built a reputation and an entire business on being herself,

958
00:52:30,239 --> 00:52:36,479
Speaker 4: and that is a strong opinionated, successful too player. Those

959
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:40,160
Speaker 4: all those things can be true, but this lesson I

960
00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:43,840
Speaker 4: think was more so her needing to learn when to

961
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:47,960
Speaker 4: pick her spots and where to say those things, because

962
00:52:48,000 --> 00:52:50,960
Speaker 4: again it's just code and sports. You don't talk about

963
00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:52,600
Speaker 4: your teammates in the press.

964
00:52:52,920 --> 00:52:56,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Well it'll be really interesting to see

965
00:52:56,160 --> 00:52:58,880
Speaker 1: what happens with the Sky and with the Angel. Of course,

966
00:52:58,960 --> 00:53:02,520
Speaker 1: we're we looking for to the CBA deadline, which is

967
00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:04,719
Speaker 1: a little over a month from now, so we'll probably

968
00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:07,759
Speaker 1: have to have you back for visit number four. We'll

969
00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:11,160
Speaker 1: start getting the four Timers blazer sewn and ready for me.

970
00:53:11,239 --> 00:53:14,200
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, as always for the time Annie.

971
00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:16,920
Speaker 4: Stun In time, Thanks for having me, guys, stun In

972
00:53:17,719 --> 00:53:18,359
Speaker 4: stun In.

973
00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:22,799
Speaker 1: We have to take another quick break when we come back.

974
00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:35,000
Speaker 1: Spooky season has nothing on unrivaled Hint season. Welcome back, slices.

975
00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:36,840
Speaker 1: We love that you're listening, but we want you to

976
00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:39,000
Speaker 1: get in the game every day too, So here's our

977
00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,160
Speaker 1: good game play of the day. I mentioned in a

978
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:44,360
Speaker 1: previous episode that some slices have requested a way to

979
00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:47,400
Speaker 1: discuss the show and connect with each other beyond some

980
00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:49,480
Speaker 1: of the Reddit threads that have popped up in response

981
00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:52,600
Speaker 1: to specific episodes. Or interviews. Now, we really want to

982
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:54,719
Speaker 1: make this happen for you, but with such a bifurcated

983
00:53:54,760 --> 00:53:57,439
Speaker 1: social media space, we're not really sure where and how

984
00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:00,560
Speaker 1: all of y'all like to connect with. Discard be the

985
00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:05,040
Speaker 1: preferred space. Slack, a more intentional and organized reddit channel.

986
00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,680
Speaker 1: Let us know what you think. We're taking your thoughts

987
00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:09,799
Speaker 1: and ideas. We really want to make this a community

988
00:54:09,960 --> 00:54:11,840
Speaker 1: where you all can talk to each other in addition

989
00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:14,640
Speaker 1: to talking to us, So whatever suggestions you have, we

990
00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:17,239
Speaker 1: are open to hit us up on email Good game

991
00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:20,160
Speaker 1: at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at

992
00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,600
Speaker 1: eight seven two two four fifty seventy and don't forget

993
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:27,480
Speaker 1: to subscribe, rate and review. It's really easy, y'all. Watch

994
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:32,480
Speaker 1: Unrivaled Hints season rating six straight hours of news drops

995
00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:36,879
Speaker 1: thanks to the Unrivaled insta feed review. It's here. It's

996
00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:40,439
Speaker 1: finally here. As I mentioned earlier, Unrivaled season two player

997
00:54:40,480 --> 00:54:43,240
Speaker 1: announcements are getting rolled out, with a few returning players

998
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,680
Speaker 1: already posted, and then soon the hints will begin for

999
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:50,400
Speaker 1: the new editions. Whoever runs Unrivals Instagram account will be

1000
00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:53,120
Speaker 1: back to their cryptic ways. And I had so much

1001
00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:55,200
Speaker 1: fun trying to guess which players we'd see suiting up

1002
00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:57,400
Speaker 1: for season one that I'm stoked to find out who

1003
00:54:57,440 --> 00:54:59,960
Speaker 1: all the league's newest players will be for season two,

1004
00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:04,120
Speaker 1: especially with those two new teams, Breeze and Hive. It's

1005
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:06,759
Speaker 1: super dope that unrival social media team was not only

1006
00:55:06,840 --> 00:55:10,080
Speaker 1: able to generate copious amounts of buzz last season with

1007
00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:13,200
Speaker 1: all those individual player announcements, but that a community of

1008
00:55:13,200 --> 00:55:16,439
Speaker 1: hoopeads who are also hint fiends and puzzle people got

1009
00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:19,000
Speaker 1: such a kick out of all the reveals. I expect

1010
00:55:19,160 --> 00:55:23,480
Speaker 1: plenty more gems and robust discussion in the comments section

1011
00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:26,120
Speaker 1: as all the new Unrivaled players are hinted at and

1012
00:55:26,160 --> 00:55:29,200
Speaker 1: then revealed. Maybe I'll even see some of you slices

1013
00:55:29,200 --> 00:55:32,280
Speaker 1: in the replies. Now it's your turn, rate and review.

1014
00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:36,759
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Annie, Good game,

1015
00:55:36,840 --> 00:55:41,120
Speaker 1: Kansas City. Current you leagues that just announce player signings

1016
00:55:41,120 --> 00:55:43,920
Speaker 1: without making us do logic puzzles or giving us fun hints.

1017
00:55:45,600 --> 00:55:48,280
Speaker 1: Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports

1018
00:55:48,280 --> 00:55:51,440
Speaker 1: production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You

1019
00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:54,600
Speaker 1: can find us on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or

1020
00:55:54,640 --> 00:55:58,280
Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network.

1021
00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:01,960
Speaker 1: Our producers are Alex Azi and Misha Jones. Our executive

1022
00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:06,440
Speaker 1: producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rutder.

1023
00:56:06,840 --> 00:56:10,239
Speaker 1: Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch and

1024
00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:14,520
Speaker 1: Gianna Palmer. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones. Production assistant

1025
00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:17,560
Speaker 1: from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain