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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're starting

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Speaker 1: the show with a huge you to the lady with

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Speaker 1: the band Nails shirt. At Wednesday nights, connecticuts on Indiana

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Speaker 1: Fever Game, Go Kick Rocks Lady. On today's show, we

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Speaker 1: got another group chat. We're talking all things WNBA with

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Speaker 1: Jordan Robinson, co host of the Queens of the Court podcast,

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Speaker 1: and Ben Pickman, women's basketball writer for The Athletic. Plus

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Speaker 1: Captain Dick Rocket is at it again. It's all coming

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Speaker 1: up right after this. Welcome back my little slices. Happy Friday.

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Speaker 1: Here's what you need to know today. Round one of

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Speaker 1: the WNBA Playoffs is complete and we're looking ahead to

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Speaker 1: the semi finals that start on Sunday. First up, the

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Speaker 1: New York Liberty host in the Las Vegas Aces at

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Speaker 1: three pm Eastern on ABC. It's a twenty twenty three

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Speaker 1: finals rematch and it's sure to be a hell of

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Speaker 1: a five game series. Who will prevail in the Battle

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Speaker 1: of the last two WNBA MVPs to Wilson or Brianna Stewart,

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Speaker 1: Who will have the upper hand point guard Chelsea Gray

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Speaker 1: or sabrinian Escu. Clear your schedule This one is going

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Speaker 1: to be fun. Then, at eight thirty pm Eastern on ESPN,

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Speaker 1: the Connecticut Sun played their first road game of these

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Speaker 1: playoffs at the Minnesota Links. Will Nafisa Collier serve up

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Speaker 1: another forty Burger can Alyssa Thomas at another triple double

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Speaker 1: tour all time tally? Only time will tell. This should

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Speaker 1: be a good one. Some more WNBA news, a w

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Speaker 1: team might be in Philadelphia's future. Per the Philadelphia Inquirer,

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Speaker 1: the seventy six Ers have plans to bid for a team,

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Speaker 1: a detail that was uncovered during a public city meeting

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Speaker 1: about the seventy six ers new arena proposal on page

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Speaker 1: sixty six of an eighty page PowerPoint presentation. In a

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Speaker 1: statement to the Inquirer, a seventy six Ers team spokesperson said, quote,

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Speaker 1: we share in Mayor Parker's desire to bring a WNBA

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Speaker 1: franchise to Philadelphia and have been engaged with the league

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Speaker 1: on the process. Our goal is for our new arena

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Speaker 1: to service home to both the seventy six Ers and

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Speaker 1: a WNBA franchise. End quote. We'll link to the Inquirer's

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Speaker 1: full story in our show Notes to Soccer. There's one

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Speaker 1: game in the NWSL Tonight, angel City FC host in

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Speaker 1: the Washington Spirit at ten pm Eastern on Prime Video.

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Speaker 1: Angel City is still sitting in the tenth spot in

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Speaker 1: the standings with twenty two points, three points behind number

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Speaker 1: eight Racing Louisville, and they'll try to close that gap

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Speaker 1: with a win tonight. There are six more games this

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Speaker 1: weekend as well, including a three to four matchup between

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Speaker 1: Gotham FC and Casey Current on Saturday, and a five

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Speaker 1: to six matchup between NC Courage and Chicago Red Stars

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Speaker 1: on Sunday. We'll link to that full schedule in our

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Speaker 1: show notes. Some exciting news for the NWSL as well.

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Speaker 1: The average team now worth one hundred and four million dollars,

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Speaker 1: up fifty seven percent from a year ago. According to Sportico,

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Speaker 1: angel CITYFC, a club that joined the NWSL in twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty two, leads the whole league with a two hundred

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Speaker 1: and fifty million dollar valuation on its own. This comes

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Speaker 1: in a year where the league is set records for attendance, revenue,

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Speaker 1: and TV ratings. What's that age old adage we keep

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Speaker 1: coming back to in women's sports, If you build it

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Speaker 1: and invest in it, they will come to college volleyball,

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Speaker 1: the non conference portion of the schedule has come to

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Speaker 1: a close. So far, this season has been full of

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Speaker 1: surprises and upsets. Pitt and Nebraska are currently holding court

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Speaker 1: as the best teams in the land, and there's a

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Speaker 1: slew of rank sides tipping off conference action over the weekend.

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Speaker 1: We'll link to the full schedule in our show notes.

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Speaker 1: The top three teams in the nation hit the court tonight. First,

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Speaker 1: it's number three Stanford versus Notre Dame at six thirty Eastern,

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Speaker 1: Then the aforementioned Pittsburgh Panthers against Clemson at seven eastern,

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Speaker 1: followed by number two Nebraska playing UCLA at eight eastern

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Speaker 1: to the ice. The college hockey season enters its second

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Speaker 1: weekend with a big couple matchups. Number three Minnesota opens

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Speaker 1: its season with back to back games on the road

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Speaker 1: against number nine Connecticut tonight and Saturday, and number two

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Speaker 1: Wisconsin opens its season at home with Lyndenwood visiting for

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Speaker 1: a doubleheader. In college soccer, number three Duke takes the

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Speaker 1: pitch tonight against Southern Methodist and number four UNC will

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Speaker 1: face number nineteen Virginia, both at seven pm Eastern. A

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Speaker 1: majority of the top tenor and Action on Sunday too.

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Speaker 1: Will link to the entire weekend schedule in our show notes.

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Speaker 1: We got to take a quick break. When we come back,

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Speaker 1: time for another group chat with Jordan Robinson and Ben Pickman.

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Speaker 1: It's time for group chat where we take the tea

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Speaker 1: from the text to the airwaves. Joining us today, she's

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Speaker 1: co host of the Queens of the Court podcast, host

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Speaker 1: of the ESPN Plus show this Week in wcc Basketball,

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Speaker 1: and hosts for the Women's Sports Network. She's co authoring

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Speaker 1: a book on the history of women's hoops and you

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Speaker 1: don't want to mess with her and her hubby in

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Speaker 1: a co ed hoops league. It's Jordan Robinson. What's up, Jordan?

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Speaker 2: Hi, I'm so glad that last part got in there.

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Speaker 1: Yes, I've seen the picks. I've seen proof. Joining her,

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Speaker 1: he's a staff writer at The Athletic, cover in the

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Speaker 1: WNBA and women's college basketball, one of the hosts of

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Speaker 1: the Athletic Women's Basketball Podcast. He's a Wisconsin alum, an

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Speaker 1: elite camp counselor, and a marathon runner. It's Ben Pickman.

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Speaker 1: What's up, Ben?

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Speaker 3: Wow, that is a great introduction, but I'm still dwelling

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Speaker 3: on Jordan's introduction because that just blew me away.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Judy, about your championship, I would love to so

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Speaker 2: me and my husband wearing a co ed league and

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Speaker 2: we won the championship and it was amazing because I'm

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Speaker 2: a guard, he's a post player, so my assists were up.

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Speaker 2: He was dominating inside, I was shooting from the outside.

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Speaker 2: Just a scary tandem to go up against.

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Speaker 1: Yah sounds like a perfect perfect match in marriage and

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Speaker 1: in hoops. Speaking of hoops, we are knee deep in

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Speaker 1: the WNBA playoffs. There is so much to get to.

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Speaker 1: I want to start with reflecting on the first round.

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Speaker 1: I got called the casual on Twitter by a number

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Speaker 1: of people for complaining about the best of three format

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Speaker 1: in the first round. But I know I am not

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Speaker 1: alone in wanting more to Rossi and the Mercury, more Jewel,

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Speaker 1: Lloyd and the Store, more Kaitlin Clark and the Fever.

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Speaker 1: That was probably enough of the Liberty Dream series. But

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Speaker 1: you get my point. Are you with me? Jordan? Is

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Speaker 1: it time to to best of five in the first round?

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Speaker 4: Absolutely?

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Speaker 2: I think we've made steps forward because we've come from

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Speaker 2: the single elimination first round, which.

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Speaker 5: Was just bonker.

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Speaker 2: I think we could all agree on that that was

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Speaker 2: really hard because yes, it gave kind of that March

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Speaker 2: badness atmosphere, but it didn't allow for a team to

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Speaker 2: have a bad game. Like if somebody was just having

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Speaker 2: a bad game, then they can come back and kind of,

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Speaker 2: you know, have a good game the next time.

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Speaker 4: So that's what the best of three series did.

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Speaker 2: Now it's time to expand from that, and I hope

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Speaker 2: that we can see that there was still some really

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Speaker 2: high basketball being played and we want to continue to

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Speaker 2: watch that. And Sarah, I think you made this point

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Speaker 2: of like giving the other teams a chance to make

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Speaker 2: some money off of the postseason run. I think that's smart,

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Speaker 2: and it also I think the conversations around making the

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Speaker 2: regular season longer, I don't think we want that. Look,

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Speaker 2: I love the Sparks. We don't want to see the

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Speaker 2: Sparks way anymore games Like put the bad teams out

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Speaker 2: of their misery and let's give more games to the

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Speaker 2: good teams of the postseason.

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Speaker 1: I agree with that. I think I could be convinced

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Speaker 1: on an even longer regular season, but we're just year

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Speaker 1: two of the forty game season. I'm fine with a

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Speaker 1: couple more years of that. While it shakes out, and

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Speaker 1: then figuring out once we add another team next year,

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Speaker 1: two more teams in twenty twenty six, if we want

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Speaker 1: to have a few more opportunities for teams to face

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Speaker 1: each other, then Ben She mentioned that I talked about

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Speaker 1: the financial aspect on Twitter and listen. I was only

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Speaker 1: part of a team ownership group for a couple of years,

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Speaker 1: but in those meetings you do talk about how important

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Speaker 1: it is to make the postseason so that you can

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Speaker 1: potentially host a playoff game. Not only for the financials

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Speaker 1: and the money it brings in with merchant ticket sales

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Speaker 1: and concessions and all that, but the brand affinity that

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Speaker 1: is driven by success by having a team that gets

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Speaker 1: to that point and that you can get fans to

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Speaker 1: show up for that playoff atmosphere brings them back the

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Speaker 1: next year more often because it just feels different than

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Speaker 1: a regular season game. I think the WNBA financials are

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Speaker 1: so different now that not only do they not to

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Speaker 1: save money on avoiding the travel and the things that

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Speaker 1: come with a longer series, but also they can afford

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Speaker 1: to make more money by capitalizing on teams getting a

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Speaker 1: chance to host at least one game. So are you

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Speaker 1: good with expansion to ben Are you gonna call me

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Speaker 1: a casual who just got here who only wants to

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Speaker 1: see Kaitlin Clark? And if she had won, I would

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Speaker 1: have been saying this no.

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Speaker 3: And I'm all for a playoff reformatting the postseason, and

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Speaker 3: I do think it is something that is going to

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Speaker 3: happen over the next couple of years. I think there

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Speaker 3: was kind of a general openness among players and coaches

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Speaker 3: I talked to heading into the postseason that you know,

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Speaker 3: as the WNBA expands to fourteen teams and sixteen teams,

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Speaker 3: if the playoff format is going to continue to be

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Speaker 3: reevaluated right to the regular season format. I mean, I

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Speaker 3: think the footprint of the WNBA is only going to

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Speaker 3: get longer because it has to, as you know, team thirteen, fourteen, fifteen,

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Speaker 3: and eventually sixteen comes in, and so it makes sense

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Speaker 3: that you know, the footprint in the fall continues to go,

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Speaker 3: you know, late October into November, potentially you know, making

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Speaker 3: the arena dates work with the NBA too. But you know,

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Speaker 3: it wouldn't shock me if the playoff format changed as well,

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Speaker 3: and maybe you know it's three out of five, maybe

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Speaker 3: it's actually going back to conferences if we get eight

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Speaker 3: to eight, you know, evenly in a couple of years.

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Speaker 3: I do think one other thing to consider. Brianna Stort

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Speaker 3: made this point to me in a conversation we had

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Speaker 3: leading into the playoffs, is in the short term at

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Speaker 3: least do they re evaluate the two to one format, right,

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Speaker 3: Because one of the big reasons it was put in

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Speaker 3: was because of the.

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Speaker 5: Current charter plans, right and how right?

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Speaker 3: Like everyone's taking commercial flights and the league had then

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Speaker 3: moved to charters for you know, the postseason before now

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Speaker 3: putting in the full charter plan. But in theory, with

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Speaker 3: charter flights being the norm even next year, like, couldn't

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Speaker 3: you go one to one one and allow what you're

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Speaker 3: talking about, Sarah, that everyone gets a chance to host

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Speaker 3: a game. Now we know the WNBA post season schedule

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Speaker 3: really tight, really condensed. Those games are on top of

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Speaker 3: each other, So maybe logistically that's tough, but that could

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Speaker 3: also be something in the short term, even before a

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Speaker 3: three out of five change goes into place.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great point, Ben, Were there any surprises

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Speaker 1: for you in this first round in the WNBA postseason?

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Speaker 5: It's a good question.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think Seattle hung with Las Vegas a

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Speaker 3: little bit more than I thought, and Phoenix for a while,

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Speaker 3: especially in that Game one, pushed the Minnesota Lynx big

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Speaker 3: picture surprises like not really, I had predicted a two

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Speaker 3: to two two two or sweeps and the Connecticut Indiana

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Speaker 3: series frankly, like, I'm going to get a lot of

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Speaker 3: things wrong on this postseason. In terms of predictions, it

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Speaker 3: kind of went exactly how I thought it was going

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Speaker 3: to be, with Connecticut winning pretty handily in Game one

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Speaker 3: and then this game too coming down to the wire

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Speaker 3: and the more experienced team playing out. So I think

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Speaker 3: we're due for some surprises, do for some excitement, but

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Speaker 3: no shockers for round one.

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Speaker 1: For me, yeah, we'll get to the semi finals because that,

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Speaker 1: to me is going to be a lot tougher to pick.

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Speaker 1: But Jordan, how about you, Anything surprised you in this

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Speaker 1: first round?

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Speaker 2: I think kind of the opposite, and I feel like

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Speaker 2: that kind of goes with this whole playoff schedule. Is

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Speaker 2: when I look at a team with Skuyler Neka and

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Speaker 2: Jewel Lloyd and them not winning a single playoff game,

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Speaker 2: I think that kind of surprises me when you think

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Speaker 2: about who they went up against. Okay, that's not really

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Speaker 2: the surprise, but when that trade happened, I think I

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Speaker 2: wanted to them, you know, gel more and have that

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Speaker 2: excitement of playing with each other. And then the same

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Speaker 2: with Phoenix. You get Ca Natasha Cloud, Diana Tarassi playing

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Speaker 2: the way she was, Brittany Griner and them going, you know,

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Speaker 2: winless in the postseason. That's a little bit of a surprise.

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Speaker 2: So I think the sweeps are the way that they are,

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Speaker 2: and the better teams did win, but when you look

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Speaker 2: at the construction of the teams, it is a little

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Speaker 2: surprising that they didn't get a win.

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Speaker 4: But that's just.

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Speaker 2: Kind of a hat tip to how good this league

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Speaker 2: is right now. There are players like an Asia Wilson

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Speaker 2: that are playing out of their mind, so that is

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Speaker 2: not surprising.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that the top teams are just so

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Speaker 1: good that they somehow managed to beat out even rosters

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Speaker 1: that look like they should make I mean, the Storm

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Speaker 1: all season long look like this should have been making

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Speaker 1: it work better than they did, and it just never

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Speaker 1: really clicked. And then when you saw what Gabby Williams brought,

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Speaker 1: you were like, I really would have liked to see

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Speaker 1: this team with her all season long. It just would

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Speaker 1: have been a different story. I think if they'd had

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Speaker 1: her all along, and then same with Phoenix. Some mean

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Speaker 1: I think the foul trouble obviously made it so cautious,

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Speaker 1: wasn't as dominant as she could have been. But also, yeah,

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Speaker 1: just on paper is very different than in games when

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Speaker 1: you got a fee or you got a Asia doing

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Speaker 1: what they're doing. It's it's tough toward the WNBA released

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Speaker 1: a statement after the Wednesday night game between the Sun

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Speaker 1: and the Fever condemning the racist, derogatory, and threatening comments

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Speaker 1: received by the players. This felt like it was directly

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Speaker 1: in response to the treatment faced by dj A Carrington

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Speaker 1: after the accidental contact with Caitlin Clark in Game one

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Speaker 1: of that series, but it applies to a whole lot

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Speaker 1: of players in the league. What did you make of

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Speaker 1: the timing of that statement? Let's start there. Let me

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Speaker 1: just take any bath pace. The timing of this statement

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Speaker 1: is atrocious.

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Speaker 2: I think, just to put it out there to say

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Speaker 2: this statement in the what are way the last week

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Speaker 2: of September, when this has been happening since May, since April,

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Speaker 2: since what was that twenty twenty three National championship with

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Speaker 2: Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, like the WNBA had a

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Speaker 2: whole year to prepare themselves for what was about to

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Speaker 2: come their way, and they did not prepare themselves. And

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Speaker 2: when I saw that statement, you know, I kind of

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Speaker 2: thought about twenty twenty and how awful twenty twenty was

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Speaker 2: for so many reasons. But I just felt like the

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Speaker 2: whole year I was going around saying how my life mattered.

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Speaker 2: The whole time, I'm just saying Black lives matter, and

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Speaker 2: this is why, this is why. And I feel like

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Speaker 2: it is more of the same thing in the WNBA.

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Speaker 2: We have been screaming all season long that the black players'

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Speaker 2: lives matter, and their lives are getting threatened daily on

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Speaker 2: social media, players are getting stocked. Like it has gone

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Speaker 2: to a way bigger level than just oh I don't

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Speaker 2: like that player because they were mean to my favorite player.

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Speaker 4: This is a whole other level.

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Speaker 2: And a couple weeks ago when Cathy says essentially that yeah,

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Speaker 2: we see.

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Speaker 4: That, but that doesn't really matter.

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Speaker 2: What matters is the bottom line, and it was just

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Speaker 2: a slap in the face to all the players, but

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Speaker 2: especially the black players who have been screaming at the

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Speaker 2: top of their lungs like, hey, pay attention to this,

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Speaker 2: and now it is getting to a point where you

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Speaker 2: can't ignore it. But the bare minimum that you can

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Speaker 2: do is release a statement, and that's exactly what the

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Speaker 2: WNBA is doing.

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Speaker 4: They're doing the bare minimum.

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Speaker 2: Now I want to see what are the actions that

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Speaker 2: are going to be taking place, because, yes, the statement

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Speaker 2: is nice, and it was in a nice spot, it

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Speaker 2: was in the color scheme of the WNBA, But what

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Speaker 2: is going to be the next step after this? And

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Speaker 2: the season's about the end, so you got a whole

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Speaker 2: off season to figure it out for the next season.

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Speaker 1: And it wasn't just end of September. It happened to

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Speaker 1: be after the fever and that fan base that's been

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Speaker 1: responsible for a lot of it is no longer in it.

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Speaker 1: It did feel like it was specific to the email

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Speaker 1: that Dja Carrington got and posted on her Instagram story,

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Speaker 1: and that they felt like it was necessary to speak out,

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Speaker 1: but again, it's just so far behind a conversation that's

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Speaker 1: been going on all season long that you expected the

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Speaker 1: league's front office and even the players themselves to potentially

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Speaker 1: rally around and speak out about and it's been sort

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Speaker 1: of instead. This constant hum both below the surface and

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Speaker 1: in the conversations of media, reporters, fans, players, etc. Without

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Speaker 1: the league really taking control of it. So Ben there

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Speaker 1: were a couple of reporters, including Frankie de Lacreta, who

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Speaker 1: was on the show a few weeks ago to talk

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Speaker 1: about something else but also covers a lot of women's

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Speaker 1: basketball and the intersection of race and sports, and they

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Speaker 1: posted about a downright hostile and unsafe feeling environment at

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Speaker 1: the Connecticut sun Fever game, including posting a photo of

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Speaker 1: one woman wearing fake nails and a homemade T shirt

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Speaker 1: that said ban nails. This was again in reference to

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Speaker 1: Djnay Carrington, who, by the way, doesn't even have particularly

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Speaker 1: long it's giving racist dog whistle, it's giving misogynir and

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Speaker 1: some folks think this kind of thing is inevitable with

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Speaker 1: an increase in attendance and popularity. I think those people

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Speaker 1: can't possibly be deeply involved in the w if they

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Speaker 1: don't understand the difference between sports fans being assholes and morons,

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Speaker 1: and the way this has been very specifically divided by race, bisexuality,

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Speaker 1: by political party, et cetera, and how it's become this

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Speaker 1: much bigger thing. What do you say to those folks

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Speaker 1: who just kind of shrug and say, this is what

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Speaker 1: comes with a league getting more popular.

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Speaker 3: I think I would say, listen to what Jordan just said.

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Speaker 3: How you teed up this question, Sarah, I think I

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Speaker 3: would say, listen to the players who time and again

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Speaker 3: since may have made their thoughts very clear on this.

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Speaker 3: I think agents have made their thoughts clear as front

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Speaker 3: offices coaches like this is not a secret. And I

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Speaker 3: think going back to Jordan's comments about the timing of

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Speaker 3: the league's release, and to do it in the middle

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Speaker 3: of a press conference, when players you suddenly are reacting

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Speaker 3: mid press conference to a statement they haven't seen, it

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Speaker 3: puts them in again in an unfair position to react

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Speaker 3: to what the league is saying. But this is not new.

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Speaker 3: This is not something new to the WNBA. Frankly, it's

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Speaker 3: heightened this year. You talk to players, they talk about

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Speaker 3: the increases in toxicity, in vitriol that they face. But

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Speaker 3: this is not new for this league of players who

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Speaker 3: you know, primarily black women, so many in the queer community.

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Speaker 3: I mean, this is commonplace for a lot of these

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Speaker 3: players now. Unfortunately so and I think everyone is still

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Speaker 3: waiting to see how the WNBA is going to react.

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Speaker 3: I know the Chicago Skies, a franchise, have taken a

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Speaker 3: lot of crap over the years for their lack of

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Speaker 3: investment for their facilities. But I do want to call

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Speaker 3: one partnership that they actually announced in mid August, and

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Speaker 3: they partner with these two companies to have an app

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Speaker 3: placed on the phones of their players that, in theory

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Speaker 3: they say uses automatic intelligence to identify negative posts on

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Speaker 3: social media feeds and block them. Like, I don't know

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Speaker 3: the success of that app and how good of a

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Speaker 3: job it is doing and limiting harassment, but to me,

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Speaker 3: that seems like, you know, a step, right, a small

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Speaker 3: step potentially that the lead could take, that other teams

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Speaker 3: could take, and you know, is it reactionary to what

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Speaker 3: has gone on? Would that have been something a great

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Speaker 3: partnership to have at the start of the year. Absolutely,

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Speaker 3: But that is more than what I think a lot

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Speaker 3: of other teams are doing right now. So I do

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Speaker 3: have to give Chicago credit for making that step, and

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Speaker 3: I hope stuff like that happens, you know, going forward,

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Speaker 3: because I think the unfortunate reality is these kind of comments,

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Speaker 3: the toxicity, it's not going away.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I have to say I do like the idea

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Speaker 1: of that, assuming that the AI and or someone else

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Speaker 1: is actually monitoring it, because as someone who has gotten

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Speaker 1: death threats before, the problem with dismuting or blocking is

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Speaker 1: then you're actually not seeing if they escalate. You're not

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Speaker 1: seeing if they're taking a turn where you actually have

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Speaker 1: to like think about being in danger. I've definitely had

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Speaker 1: people say I know where you work or I know

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Speaker 1: where you live and I'm coming there. So yeah, there's

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Speaker 1: I mean, the problem is that this exists in the

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Speaker 1: sports world and outside of it too.

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Speaker 3: Along those lines, pre Turner just on Twitter this morning.

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Speaker 3: She talked about, you know, that it's important that these

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Speaker 3: players continue to call out what is going on right

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Speaker 3: and that she is someone who has continued to advocate

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Speaker 3: for various causes, but to be fearless in what she

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Speaker 3: is saying. And she noted that you know, minimizing hate spiece,

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Speaker 3: not calling it out, cultivate spaces in which people are

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Speaker 3: enabled and continue to be enabled to allow this behavior

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Speaker 3: to go on. So I think, you know, I hear

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Speaker 3: exactly where you're saying, Sarah, and I think that's kind

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Speaker 3: of the balance that teams and leagues are navigating right

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Speaker 3: of how to act when you receive this hate speech.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and Jordan, I wanted to say something Ben pointed out,

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Speaker 1: and this is true. This is a league that has

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Speaker 1: had to push back against society's feelings about queer people,

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Speaker 1: about black women, about women who don't fit this like

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Speaker 1: general esthetic of what we like to see the girl

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Speaker 1: next door, petite athlete. But it also had made for

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Speaker 1: itself over the years a space that felt unique for

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Speaker 1: all those people, both as fans and as players. There

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Speaker 1: were always going to be the outliers. There were always

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Speaker 1: going to be the assholes, but when you went to

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Speaker 1: a game, it felt different. Literally named this show based

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Speaker 1: on the concept of like going to a women's professional

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Speaker 1: sporting event is the good place where you get the

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Speaker 1: good game. And it was so sad to me to

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Speaker 1: see people posting about going to that game, that sun

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Speaker 1: Fever game, and say, I never thought this is what

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Speaker 1: a w game would be for me, with a woman

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Speaker 1: wearing these ridiculous fake nails and a dumb shit shirt

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00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:26,080
Speaker 1: she made that said band nails and feeling like it

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00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,840
Speaker 1: looked like a meme of like a Karen calling on

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00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:32,560
Speaker 1: someone's barbecue, or it looked like a fucking Trump rally

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00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:36,360
Speaker 1: at a W game. I know, it just feels it's

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Speaker 1: different this year. It's not the same.

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Speaker 4: It's not the same.

428
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Speaker 5: And I.

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Speaker 2: Had to think about, you know, I'm doing my Scandal

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00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:45,960
Speaker 2: rewatch right now.

431
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Speaker 4: Out's shondaland perfect show.

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Speaker 2: But I just got to the part where Papa Pope

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Speaker 2: is telling Olivia Pope the famous scene where you have

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Speaker 2: to be what and Olivia repeats, you have to be

435
00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:03,000
Speaker 2: twice as good for half as much. And that is

436
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,360
Speaker 2: the story of being a black woman in this country,

437
00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,160
Speaker 2: very much so. And when I think about Djana's story,

438
00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:17,520
Speaker 2: she has two undergrad degrees from Stanford, Like.

439
00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,640
Speaker 4: She is not just this normal woman. She is the

440
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,480
Speaker 4: WNBA's most improved player.

441
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 2: And still she gets reduced to someone calling her a thug.

442
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:33,200
Speaker 2: She gets reduced to an inward slur. She gets, you know,

443
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,919
Speaker 2: the long nails that aren't even long. It's just an

444
00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,440
Speaker 2: assumption that because she is a black player with lashes,

445
00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,560
Speaker 2: that her nails are long. Still that happens, and it

446
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:48,399
Speaker 2: just hurts my heart because you're right. The W it

447
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,760
Speaker 2: felt like this safe space. It felt like we were

448
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,520
Speaker 2: in our own world for a little bit. And I

449
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,480
Speaker 2: know we were calling from the rooftops for people to pay.

450
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,800
Speaker 4: Attention, but not in this way like good.

451
00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,280
Speaker 1: People, only the best people, like good people.

452
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,879
Speaker 4: It truly feels like I was thinking about this the

453
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:06,280
Speaker 4: other day.

454
00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,840
Speaker 2: It feels like we got hijacked, like our season, our

455
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,600
Speaker 2: love for this sport got hijacked by people who don't

456
00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,439
Speaker 2: know anything about it, who are spewing hate.

457
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,239
Speaker 4: And it's like, what is going on?

458
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,640
Speaker 2: And I think Stephanie White said it beautifully last night

459
00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,639
Speaker 2: in her press conference. She said, we are making the

460
00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:31,000
Speaker 2: trolls the main story. Yes, we're not keeping the main thing,

461
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:33,200
Speaker 2: the main thing, the main thing.

462
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:35,400
Speaker 4: The basketball is still really good.

463
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,359
Speaker 1: Right, right right. I think it's this complicated thing of

464
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,000
Speaker 1: how do you address this very obvious thing that's going on,

465
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,440
Speaker 1: but also how do you take responsibility as reporters, as

466
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,080
Speaker 1: media companies, as websites to not post the thing that

467
00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,280
Speaker 1: you know will get the clicks if you also know

468
00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,240
Speaker 1: that it will increase the damage, the vitriol, the threats,

469
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,639
Speaker 1: Like you have to decide that it is not worth

470
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,240
Speaker 1: the extra clicks to immediately post Kaitlin Clark punched in

471
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,320
Speaker 1: the eye if that's not what happened, and you also

472
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,720
Speaker 1: know the result the LA Times headline that I called

473
00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,679
Speaker 1: out that said, Kaitlin Clark gets black eye from player

474
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,760
Speaker 1: who previously mocked her, Like, you know, what's going to

475
00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:16,000
Speaker 1: happen when you post that, and it implies intention, and

476
00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,560
Speaker 1: it implies correlation, which there wasn't. It happened to be

477
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,800
Speaker 1: a player she had an incident with before, which happens

478
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:23,600
Speaker 1: in basketball. But when you do that, you know what

479
00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,320
Speaker 1: you're doing. And I think that's what Stephanie spoke to beautifully,

480
00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,159
Speaker 1: which is it's not that we ignore that this is

481
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 1: a hum beneath the surface, but it is that we

482
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,639
Speaker 1: stop allowing them to have control over what we talk about,

483
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,439
Speaker 1: what we post, the clips we use, the headlines we write,

484
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:41,160
Speaker 1: because that's what's making it allowed to grow and be fostered.

485
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,480
Speaker 3: I think that's also something that you know, players are

486
00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,960
Speaker 3: wrestling with about how to platform and if they should

487
00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,280
Speaker 3: you know, platform to use another word or to use

488
00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,160
Speaker 3: that word, like the messages they are actually receiving. Right,

489
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,000
Speaker 3: We saw to Jenick Carington post the specifics of a message,

490
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,960
Speaker 3: right and sure enough a few hours later call a coincidence.

491
00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,840
Speaker 3: Maybe it's not coincidence. The WNBA, You sure it's not Yep,

492
00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:06,280
Speaker 3: the WNBA releases this statement, and suddenly we're continuing to

493
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,160
Speaker 3: have this conversation and more and more people are talking

494
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 3: about it. They do it, you know, they talk about

495
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,399
Speaker 3: it on Sports Center, on morning talk shows today, on

496
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,440
Speaker 3: shows like this. I've talked to players all year about,

497
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,399
Speaker 3: you know, some of these social media you know, the

498
00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,640
Speaker 3: harassment they faced, and a lot of them speak to it,

499
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,959
Speaker 3: but are also hesitant to provide specific examples. And that

500
00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,919
Speaker 3: is obviously their right not to provide specific examples. But

501
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,200
Speaker 3: there is this kind of balance that I think players

502
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,640
Speaker 3: are navigating of how much do they share and reveal?

503
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,400
Speaker 3: Because how much does sharing and revealing specifics actually lead

504
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,280
Speaker 3: to what you're talking about, Sarah, More people going into

505
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:42,520
Speaker 3: their mentions, more people using really vitriotic, vitriolic language, more

506
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,880
Speaker 3: people seeing you know, what Carrington has been called and

507
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:46,760
Speaker 3: doing that time.

508
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,000
Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly. That It's tough, the balance that so many

509
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:51,400
Speaker 5: are waying.

510
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,280
Speaker 1: And here we are, you know, we're twenty minutes into

511
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,320
Speaker 1: talking and we haven't talked that much basketball because it's

512
00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,639
Speaker 1: so hard. You don't want to, you don't want to

513
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,840
Speaker 1: move from this, it's so important, But you also then

514
00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: find yourself saying Oh yeah, let's talk about who had

515
00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,400
Speaker 1: a good game too. Nancy Armer wrote a great piece,

516
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:09,840
Speaker 1: and I want to wrap up with this before we

517
00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,040
Speaker 1: do move on to basketball, about how Caitlin didn't ask

518
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,480
Speaker 1: for any of this, but she is still sort of

519
00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,919
Speaker 1: responsible for helping shut it down. I've been giving her

520
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,600
Speaker 1: a lot of grace. I've been saying by next season,

521
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,440
Speaker 1: I anticipate and expect that she should have enough experience

522
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,960
Speaker 1: in this league with women of color understanding everything going

523
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,520
Speaker 1: on that she should be able to speak to it

524
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,720
Speaker 1: and feel comfortable speaking to it if she isn't yet.

525
00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:37,520
Speaker 1: She didn't ask for this, but I do think it'd

526
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,320
Speaker 1: be hard for me to be in her position and

527
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:44,800
Speaker 1: not have said something by now. Do you think she

528
00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,200
Speaker 1: needs to now or do you think at the start

529
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,120
Speaker 1: of next season or in the off season there needs

530
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 1: to be a time for her to address what's going

531
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:51,360
Speaker 1: on in her name?

532
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:51,919
Speaker 5: Jordan.

533
00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:59,760
Speaker 2: Such a tough question, because sometimes I've read people saying

534
00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:03,080
Speaker 2: it is her responsibility. I don't know if it's her responsibility,

535
00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:05,399
Speaker 2: but the silence is very loud.

536
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:06,439
Speaker 4: I will say that.

537
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 2: Because if it was something that you totally disagreed with,

538
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:16,280
Speaker 2: I would run to say please so disassociate my name

539
00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,560
Speaker 2: with all of this hate. But it's a little bit

540
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,919
Speaker 2: of like you know that quote from the Last Dance

541
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:25,840
Speaker 2: that kind of blew up where Michael Jordan was like

542
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:30,800
Speaker 2: Republicans VI shoes too, like, oh, is it her team?

543
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,639
Speaker 2: Kind of saying, you know, let's just all good. Press

544
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,400
Speaker 2: is good. You know, all press is good press. That's

545
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,879
Speaker 2: where I would hope there's a change there because she

546
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,840
Speaker 2: has these teammates. You know, a Leah Boston was kind

547
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,399
Speaker 2: of the first person this season that got the most

548
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,960
Speaker 2: hate when Indiana was not doing well. That is her teammate,

549
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,240
Speaker 2: that is someone she says she loves to play with.

550
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,880
Speaker 2: So now you are in these rooms with these players

551
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,600
Speaker 2: who are having these visceral reactions, like an Alyssa Smith,

552
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,399
Speaker 2: like people who you see every single day. So I

553
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,399
Speaker 2: would hope that you would get out in front of

554
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,919
Speaker 2: it the next season and say this is not what

555
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:05,520
Speaker 2: I stand for.

556
00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,399
Speaker 4: Shut it all down. That's my hope. Will it happen,

557
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:09,760
Speaker 4: I don't know, but that's my hope.

558
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,640
Speaker 1: Yeah. Let's talk side my finals. The first round going

559
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,720
Speaker 1: chalk wasn't a surprise to any of us, but making

560
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,560
Speaker 1: picks in the next round is tough. I want to

561
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,600
Speaker 1: start with Game one on Sunday, top seeded New York

562
00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,800
Speaker 1: Liberty versus the two time defending champs in the Las

563
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:28,160
Speaker 1: Vegas Aces. What's the difference going to be in this one, Ben, I.

564
00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 3: Think it is how Las Vegas handles New York's revamp

565
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,119
Speaker 3: starting lineup, and that is really the big question for me.

566
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,639
Speaker 3: New York moved Leoni Phoebich into the starting lineup in

567
00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,960
Speaker 3: the first round, and this was a five man group

568
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:43,280
Speaker 3: of Stuart Jones, Laney, Yenescu, and Phoebich that was almost

569
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 3: plus twenty four per one hundred possessions during the regular season.

570
00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,000
Speaker 3: It was their third most used lineup and one that

571
00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:51,200
Speaker 3: was super super successful. That netrating went up to plus

572
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:55,000
Speaker 3: thirty six point one, which is a crazy, crazy number

573
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,520
Speaker 3: in the first round series, and it just provides New

574
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 3: York with so much versatility. Lanth on defense and Spiebitch

575
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,000
Speaker 3: is a true six ' four. She is really strong,

576
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,919
Speaker 3: like she can guard post and she can guard guards,

577
00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,159
Speaker 3: and that is such a weapon to have. Laney, we

578
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,960
Speaker 3: know she can switch. Yanescu has improved her physicality all

579
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,920
Speaker 3: year and so there really isn't a point that I

580
00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,639
Speaker 3: think Las Vegas can attack, and so I'm curious to see,

581
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:18,600
Speaker 3: you know, what does Las Vegas do to counter or

582
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,879
Speaker 3: do they play Kia Stokes. Do they play Tiffany Mitchell

583
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,840
Speaker 3: who had a great first round series, but New York

584
00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,399
Speaker 3: might go out her on the defensive end?

585
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:25,639
Speaker 1: Right?

586
00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,679
Speaker 3: Do they play Alicia Clark who has been such a

587
00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,440
Speaker 3: good defender, but Knight might not have the same offensive

588
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,560
Speaker 3: ability as Hayes. So I think that's really the most

589
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,119
Speaker 3: fascinating chess match for me is how does Las Vegas

590
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,560
Speaker 3: counter with New York playing such a big lineup for

591
00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:40,719
Speaker 3: what I expect to be the majority of this series.

592
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not a big problem to have when you

593
00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 1: get to bring one of the greatest facilitators in history

594
00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:47,120
Speaker 1: of the game off the bench in Courtney vander Slut,

595
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,200
Speaker 1: just for a switch up, it's not too bad. Jordan,

596
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,680
Speaker 1: Is there a particular matchup or a particular player in

597
00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 1: this series that you think could swing things?

598
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,680
Speaker 2: I just want to I want to focus on the stars,

599
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,720
Speaker 2: like I want Brianna's Doward and.

600
00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,320
Speaker 4: Asia Wilson to just battle it out.

601
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,120
Speaker 2: I feel like in the finals we got robbed a

602
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,440
Speaker 2: little bit of that. Brianna Stewart did not play well

603
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:10,960
Speaker 2: in the finals last season, she really didn't play well

604
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,719
Speaker 2: the entire postseason, so I want her to step up big.

605
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,120
Speaker 2: And then Asia Wilson just showing everybody on the biggest

606
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 2: stage with the brightest lights why she is a three

607
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,840
Speaker 2: time MVP. So yes, there is going to be role

608
00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,920
Speaker 2: players and key players that are going to swing, have

609
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,120
Speaker 2: momentum shifts and all of that. But especially this season

610
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,480
Speaker 2: where we're not talking about Brianna Stewart enough, We're not

611
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:36,920
Speaker 2: talking about Agia Wilson enough, I want them to be

612
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:39,280
Speaker 2: able to rise to the occasion and really battle it out.

613
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,160
Speaker 4: That's what I'm so here for that.

614
00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,280
Speaker 1: I want that too. I want a battle of the

615
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:50,280
Speaker 1: back to back MVPs getting after it. Speaking of MVPs, though,

616
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 1: the second series features you runner up MVP and defeasta

617
00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:58,240
Speaker 1: Collier who has been lights out thirty eight points in

618
00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,600
Speaker 1: Game one, forty two points in game too. Her two

619
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:05,560
Speaker 1: seed Minnesota Links have been absolutely unstoppable since the Olympic break.

620
00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,280
Speaker 1: They're taken on the number three seed Connecticut Son. What

621
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,520
Speaker 1: can the Sun do to try to stop feed Jordan?

622
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,800
Speaker 2: I think when do they say prayer defense? Like just pray,

623
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,080
Speaker 2: just pray that Fee is going to have an off night.

624
00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 2: But honestly, I think NOFISA scoring the forty two points

625
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:28,680
Speaker 2: on seventy percent from the field just shows really the

626
00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,800
Speaker 2: team as a whole, because the fascinating thing about the

627
00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:35,360
Speaker 2: Minnesota Links this season is their pace is slow. They

628
00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,240
Speaker 2: are one of the slowest teams in the league. But

629
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,920
Speaker 2: it's because they swing the ball. They move it around.

630
00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:45,360
Speaker 2: So what the Sun can do is try to speed

631
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,560
Speaker 2: that up. If they try to speed them up. We

632
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,200
Speaker 2: saw Phoenix do that to them when they were coming

633
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,240
Speaker 2: back in Game one after being down twenty points. You're

634
00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,680
Speaker 2: pressuring the ball, You're making Courtney Williams take a rush

635
00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,640
Speaker 2: midi instead of one that's in control and in rhythm.

636
00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,040
Speaker 2: So the Sun is the number one defense right now

637
00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,600
Speaker 2: and Minnesota is the number two defense right now. So

638
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,040
Speaker 2: it is going to be a defensive battle all the

639
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:13,080
Speaker 2: defensive head This is your series. But if you are

640
00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,600
Speaker 2: pressuring Minnesota and trying to speed them up, Fee is

641
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:17,680
Speaker 2: going to do Fee.

642
00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:19,040
Speaker 4: She's going to get her shots.

643
00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 2: But I think the rest of the team what makes

644
00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,160
Speaker 2: the Links so dangerous is that they can spread it

645
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,400
Speaker 2: out and everybody's in double figures.

646
00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,680
Speaker 4: When you look at the box at the end of

647
00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:28,080
Speaker 4: the day.

648
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,160
Speaker 2: So if you try to limit those shots, that's kind

649
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:32,360
Speaker 2: of your best bet.

650
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,240
Speaker 1: Who you got stepping up if fees in foul trouble

651
00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,040
Speaker 1: or isn't isn't at her best.

652
00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:43,239
Speaker 6: Caleb McBride has had a quiet like one of the

653
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,440
Speaker 6: best seasons of her career, and I think that is

654
00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,400
Speaker 6: a shout out to Cheryl Reeve and Nefisa Collier just

655
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,480
Speaker 6: getting the best out of all these.

656
00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,840
Speaker 2: Players so late in their careers. But I can see

657
00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:59,160
Speaker 2: Caleb McBride just knocking down some shots, but also putting

658
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,080
Speaker 2: the ball on the floor driving to the basket when

659
00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,800
Speaker 2: she's aggressive that way, the Links are super super scary.

660
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,960
Speaker 2: And then Bridget Carleton getting some votes for most Improved

661
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,840
Speaker 2: Player of the Year. She has, I mean down the

662
00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 2: stretch in clutch time. My goodness, Bridget Carleton has been

663
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,520
Speaker 2: on points, so I also see her having a good series.

664
00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,560
Speaker 1: Ben on the other side of Lissa Thomas, the only

665
00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:24,000
Speaker 1: player in WNBA Playoff history with fifteen plus points, thirteen

666
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,160
Speaker 1: plus assists and five plus rebounds in a game, and

667
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,680
Speaker 1: she's done it twice. Now, what do the Links have

668
00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:29,640
Speaker 1: to do to slow her down.

669
00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:32,880
Speaker 3: I don't know what you can do. I mean, try

670
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:34,440
Speaker 3: and get her her way, and I guess she's going

671
00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:36,400
Speaker 3: to run you over and hope to draw charge.

672
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:38,080
Speaker 5: Like, what are the what are.

673
00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:39,800
Speaker 3: The solutions to slong the list of Thomas down? No

674
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:41,440
Speaker 3: one has really found six a.

675
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:46,040
Speaker 1: Third labor to terror to, a third labrum, a.

676
00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,120
Speaker 3: Sixth player to follow her on the court as well,

677
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,080
Speaker 3: something like that. I mean, look, the thing about Connecticut

678
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,960
Speaker 3: is they can play at so many different styles and

679
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,320
Speaker 3: I think that's what is making them so dangerous right now.

680
00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 3: Jordan mentioned the pace Connecticut, you know, bottom of the

681
00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,480
Speaker 3: league in terms of but yet in the first round

682
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,160
Speaker 3: they actually scored the second most fast break points of

683
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,560
Speaker 3: any team of the eight teams in the playoffs, behind

684
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,320
Speaker 3: just the Indiana Fever. They moved in transition and were

685
00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,800
Speaker 3: sped up and did just fine. Right, It's a team

686
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,400
Speaker 3: that normally struggles a little bit from three point range,

687
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,560
Speaker 3: but we saw Marina Mabery get hot. And if she's

688
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,880
Speaker 3: able to get hot, you know she shot under forty

689
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,200
Speaker 3: percent I think just four times since like late August

690
00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,479
Speaker 3: or mid August, like she's been really really good and

691
00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,840
Speaker 3: was really great in that first round series. So if

692
00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,800
Speaker 3: she's making shots, especially from their perimeter, they can make

693
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:31,880
Speaker 3: three pointers in a way that they haven't before. We

694
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 3: saw someone like Veronica Burton who normally does not score right.

695
00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,360
Speaker 3: I think she had only reached double figures five times

696
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,160
Speaker 3: previously in her three year career. She gets ten off

697
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,440
Speaker 3: the bench right and plays a key role. So different

698
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,920
Speaker 3: players are stepping up, They're playing different styles. I think

699
00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:49,000
Speaker 3: that's something to be aware of, and so much of

700
00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,200
Speaker 3: that to me, it is Thomas and her ability to

701
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:52,440
Speaker 3: play different roles.

702
00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:53,960
Speaker 5: But also do Wanna Bonner? Right?

703
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,440
Speaker 3: You asked Jordan about slowing down to Fisa Collier. I

704
00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,040
Speaker 3: think to want to Bonnor. We might see her gardener

705
00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,000
Speaker 3: Fisa Kllier for a little bit of this series, and

706
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,000
Speaker 3: you're talking about a smith army knife defender.

707
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:03,600
Speaker 1: Yeah.

708
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:05,960
Speaker 3: From Clark to Open, you know, game one of the

709
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,280
Speaker 3: first round, Tafisa Kalier. Two very different kinds of players.

710
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,240
Speaker 3: But do have a player in Bonner capable of doing

711
00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,560
Speaker 3: both like that is such a luxury. It's why Connecticut

712
00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:16,560
Speaker 3: is so tough to be.

713
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,680
Speaker 1: You mentioned top two defenses in these teams, top five

714
00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,319
Speaker 1: offenses in these teams. Two great coaches and Stephanie White

715
00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,279
Speaker 1: and Cheryl reed We got the coach of the year

716
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,600
Speaker 1: from last year, we got a three time coach of

717
00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,920
Speaker 1: the year. How much of this is going to come

718
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,400
Speaker 1: down to strategy and who figures out how to face

719
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,200
Speaker 1: the other team better? And how much is it just

720
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,960
Speaker 1: the players executing the plan like we're I guess I'm

721
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:45,720
Speaker 1: asking for a pick Jordan. Oh gosh, I know, so unfair.

722
00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,000
Speaker 4: How do you go against Cheryl Reeve?

723
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:54,759
Speaker 2: I don't know, But what that said, Stephanie White has

724
00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:59,600
Speaker 2: proven been mentioned that switch Ondwana Bonner on Caitlin Clark.

725
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:05,719
Speaker 2: He's so smart and such a strategy shift in their

726
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,239
Speaker 2: defense and it changed everything, I think, especially in that

727
00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:13,520
Speaker 2: Game one using Dowana Bonner's length. So I'm excited to

728
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,200
Speaker 2: see what Stephanie White's gonna come up with, Like that's

729
00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:19,759
Speaker 2: the fun part of this. Her clipboard is amazing, some

730
00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:23,120
Speaker 2: of those bounds plays, those last minute shots that she's

731
00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:24,120
Speaker 2: able to draw up.

732
00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:25,600
Speaker 4: So that's going to be fun.

733
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,080
Speaker 2: But then you go with the experience of Cheryl Reeve

734
00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,239
Speaker 2: just being in these situations time and time again. I

735
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 2: always battle with that when we get to this time,

736
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,000
Speaker 2: how much does experience really come into play when you

737
00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:41,680
Speaker 2: have players who have been here before who want to

738
00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:43,399
Speaker 2: get over the hump, and then you have a team

739
00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,440
Speaker 2: like Connecticut who's like, we have to get past this point,

740
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:50,040
Speaker 2: Like it is desperation mode for our franchise. We have

741
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,919
Speaker 2: to get past this point. So Cheryl Reeve is going

742
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 2: to do what she has constantly done, but she's also

743
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 2: been able to get the players to buy in to.

744
00:35:58,560 --> 00:35:59,760
Speaker 4: This defensive system.

745
00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,680
Speaker 2: And I've been playing close attention these past couple games

746
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,320
Speaker 2: of when she calls her timeouts, and it is fully

747
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,120
Speaker 2: when the defense is not doing what they are supposed

748
00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,440
Speaker 2: to do, when they are giving some backdoor cuts or

749
00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,360
Speaker 2: some pick and roll actions, it's a time out because

750
00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,440
Speaker 2: that's not the standard of defense that we play. So

751
00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,040
Speaker 2: I'm going to I'm sure that's going to happen again

752
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:24,439
Speaker 2: with Cheryl Reeves high standard and like, hey, I got

753
00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,799
Speaker 2: some rings. This isn't going to get it done, and

754
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:29,040
Speaker 2: I'm excited to see that. Yeah.

755
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,319
Speaker 1: I hate those in game coach interviews. I mean, I

756
00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,160
Speaker 1: like the idea of them, but they just think the

757
00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 1: coach always seems like they cannot stand it and half

758
00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:38,600
Speaker 1: the time they can't even hear it. But I did

759
00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:40,839
Speaker 1: like the insight into Cheryl being like, in the last

760
00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,200
Speaker 1: two halves, we've given up half one hundred points in

761
00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,000
Speaker 1: each one, and there have been twenty six points in

762
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:46,680
Speaker 1: the paint. I'm gonna give you every single stant about

763
00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:48,560
Speaker 1: how pissed I am about this defense. It's not show

764
00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:50,400
Speaker 1: it up. And I was like, okay, all right, she

765
00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 1: ripped into them in halftime, and they're gonna come out

766
00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:54,479
Speaker 1: of here with a little bit better defense for sure.

767
00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:57,200
Speaker 1: Ben Jordan didn't answer my questions. So I'm just gonna

768
00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:58,960
Speaker 1: ask you about out. I need you to make a

769
00:36:58,960 --> 00:36:59,840
Speaker 1: pick in both series.

770
00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,560
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, I noticed that too. I was going to

771
00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:03,399
Speaker 5: call her out if you did.

772
00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:07,759
Speaker 4: You know what I was trying to do.

773
00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,359
Speaker 3: I'm glad you did the job before me. I think

774
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:15,680
Speaker 3: I'm gonna lean slightly towards Connecticut. Actually, I think they're

775
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,640
Speaker 3: in my mind, a slightly more talented roster top to Bonham.

776
00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,200
Speaker 3: I think they can play in different ways as I

777
00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:23,840
Speaker 3: was talking about. I also think like this is a

778
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,239
Speaker 3: team that is comfortable and confident going up against the

779
00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:29,080
Speaker 3: Minnesota Links. They won the season series to one this year.

780
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:31,680
Speaker 3: It is a franchise in Connecticut that has actually ended

781
00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,360
Speaker 3: Minnesota's season the past two years, last year in the

782
00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,640
Speaker 3: playoffs and two years ago in the final day of

783
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,600
Speaker 3: the regular season. Connecticut, you know, might not have home

784
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,520
Speaker 3: court in this series, but if you remember back to

785
00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:45,839
Speaker 3: last year's postseason, they actually won Game three in Minnesota convincingly.

786
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,240
Speaker 3: So I don't think the thought of going to Target Center,

787
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,520
Speaker 3: you know, in front of a rockus crowd, is any

788
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,840
Speaker 3: kind of thing that the Connecticut son are afraid of.

789
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,799
Speaker 3: It's a veteran group and you know, I like Thomas

790
00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:00,000
Speaker 3: Jones Maybury like what they can all do. Bonner is

791
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,920
Speaker 3: we talked about, like Minnesota, the question I've gone back

792
00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 3: to all year is have they hit their ceiling? And

793
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,640
Speaker 3: if Nafisa Collier plays it the way she did in

794
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,000
Speaker 3: the first round, I think the answer is no. But

795
00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:14,880
Speaker 3: so much of what they do is incredible team defense.

796
00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,800
Speaker 3: It's incredible ball movement on offenses Jordan was talking about.

797
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,440
Speaker 3: And I do wonder that if games slow down and

798
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,839
Speaker 3: the competition continues to heat up, like does Connecticut just

799
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,320
Speaker 3: wear on them and just make plays in little moments

800
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,239
Speaker 3: that are the difference. So I actually think this one

801
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:32,120
Speaker 3: is going to go five and I'm going to take

802
00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,319
Speaker 3: the Sun on the road beating Minnesota in that fifth game.

803
00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:37,960
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what Ben's going to do his research,

804
00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:40,839
Speaker 1: and you did mention the ball movement. They actually set

805
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:44,640
Speaker 1: a record over that series of most points assisted in

806
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:48,040
Speaker 1: a two game playoff series, so points off assists, the

807
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,479
Speaker 1: percentage was the best of all time, and you could

808
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,480
Speaker 1: see that it was very hard to stop them in

809
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,000
Speaker 1: the half court and very hard to stop them with

810
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,759
Speaker 1: points off turnovers two, which I think the Sun will

811
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,680
Speaker 1: do a better job of this series. Ben quick make

812
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:02,720
Speaker 1: a pick for the first series.

813
00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,520
Speaker 3: I'm gonna go to New York in five games. I

814
00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,000
Speaker 3: think if you are a fan of the New York Liberty,

815
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:09,920
Speaker 3: I think you should be very afraid of how they

816
00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:12,680
Speaker 3: looked against the Las Vegas Aces in mid August without

817
00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:15,359
Speaker 3: Asia Wilson. But New York still did beat Las Vegas

818
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,200
Speaker 3: in all three matchups. This year, it's a different team,

819
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,759
Speaker 3: Sabrina and Escu, a different player from last year to

820
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:21,919
Speaker 3: this year, and I do think the Phoebish switch into

821
00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:24,520
Speaker 3: the starting lineup creates a different look. I like New

822
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:26,000
Speaker 3: York in five games in that one.

823
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:28,839
Speaker 1: All right, Jordan, back to you. We're making picks this time.

824
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:29,440
Speaker 1: Both series.

825
00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:35,920
Speaker 2: Go Man Okay, well, let's start with Connecticut Minnesota. I

826
00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,960
Speaker 2: also think Connecticut that desperation is gonna kick in. Like

827
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:43,080
Speaker 2: I said, it truly feels like, do we blow it

828
00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,040
Speaker 2: up after this year if they don't get it done.

829
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,480
Speaker 4: They've always been the bridesmaid, never the bride, So do

830
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:49,600
Speaker 4: wanna playoff?

831
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:52,520
Speaker 2: Dowana Bonner is such a treat for all of us,

832
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,440
Speaker 2: and she's able to still in year fifteen kick it

833
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,759
Speaker 2: into another gear. So she has a she has a

834
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,840
Speaker 2: semi finals gear, and I'm excited to see that happen.

835
00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:09,439
Speaker 2: So yes, I think Connecticut gets Minnesota in. God, I'm

836
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,279
Speaker 2: not saying the games don't put me to that, but

837
00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:16,800
Speaker 2: I'm saying Connecticut wins. Now for the Liberty and the Aces, Gosh,

838
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,960
Speaker 2: this is tough because I do feel like the Aces

839
00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:25,879
Speaker 2: are a different team from when the Liberty beat them

840
00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:30,440
Speaker 2: those other times. They are just hitting a stride right now,

841
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,640
Speaker 2: and Asia Wilson is hitting a stride and Chelsea Gray

842
00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,760
Speaker 2: is back to the playoff point. God, and you can't

843
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:42,960
Speaker 2: ever count her out for that. But Sabrina has something

844
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:47,480
Speaker 2: different in her eye. That focus is there. She was

845
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:51,000
Speaker 2: in the gym in the off season and me and

846
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,160
Speaker 2: Cheryl Swoops talked about it on our podcast.

847
00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:55,960
Speaker 4: She could have been up for most Improved Player, Like she's.

848
00:40:55,760 --> 00:41:00,359
Speaker 2: Added so much into her bag that it's it's tough

849
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,359
Speaker 2: to be a liberty team where Stuwie is playing at

850
00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 2: a high level and she has a quiet thirty because

851
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,960
Speaker 2: Sabrina is making so much noise not only from beyond

852
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,360
Speaker 2: the three point line but also in the paint and

853
00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:16,040
Speaker 2: attacking and driving. So I have New York because I

854
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,960
Speaker 2: just feel like this is their season, all right.

855
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:20,560
Speaker 1: That was unfair of me, So thank you guys. I

856
00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,040
Speaker 1: appreciate you playing a lot in there. It's a tough one.

857
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:25,520
Speaker 1: This is gonna be so much fun. Listen to the

858
00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:30,120
Speaker 1: Athletic Women's Basketball Podcast. Listen to Queens of the Court

859
00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:33,239
Speaker 1: Jordan alongside Cheryl Swoops, and thanks to both of you

860
00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:33,840
Speaker 1: for hopping on.

861
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:37,440
Speaker 4: Thank you for having us.

862
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:40,239
Speaker 1: We gotta pay some bills. When we come back. We

863
00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:50,840
Speaker 1: air out some weirdos for being weirdos. Welcome back, Slices.

864
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:52,920
Speaker 1: It's been a while since we called someone out for

865
00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:56,600
Speaker 1: fucking around and finding out and it's time we're back. Baby.

866
00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,479
Speaker 1: Let's talk about the gambling site and I'm not giving

867
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,320
Speaker 1: it Freeable City by naming it here. That set odds

868
00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:06,600
Speaker 1: on Chicago's Skyrookie Angel Reese's Next Boyfriend, The Superstar first

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Speaker 1: year player talked about the kind of guy she likes

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00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,000
Speaker 1: on her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, saying, quote, he gotta be

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00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,960
Speaker 1: tall six ' seven, six ' eight yeah NBA end quote,

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00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: And there were rumors that she was dating Detroit Piston's

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00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,680
Speaker 1: power forward Jalen Duran. So the gambling site ran with it,

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00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:25,960
Speaker 1: making an Angel Reese Next Boyfriend odds chart and allowing

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00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:29,560
Speaker 1: people to bet on her dating life. Now, listen, we

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00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,640
Speaker 1: love a good gab sesshon about who's dating who. See

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00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:36,120
Speaker 1: our ongoing Aposto Bam coverage and the fact that Taylor's

878
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:38,920
Speaker 1: with and Travis Kelsey videos are basically my whole personality.

879
00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:42,120
Speaker 1: But we draw the line at profiting off people betting

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00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 1: on someone's love life. Come on, now, we're going to

881
00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,560
Speaker 1: keep poking our nose in other people's business when and

882
00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:50,759
Speaker 1: only when they're appearing at each other's Keys to the

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00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,240
Speaker 1: City day or performing on stage at a multi billion

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00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,480
Speaker 1: dollar tour. We have standards here. Okay, we love that

885
00:42:56,520 --> 00:42:57,840
Speaker 1: you're listening, but we want you to get in the

886
00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:59,719
Speaker 1: game every day too. So here's our good gameplay of

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00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,759
Speaker 1: the day. Let's counteract some of the garbage in the

888
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:06,160
Speaker 1: menshies of our FAVEWNBA players and send them some love instead.

889
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,520
Speaker 1: So find a couple of your favorites and send them

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00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:13,600
Speaker 1: some positive messages please on X, Twitter, Insta, wherever, and

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00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:15,120
Speaker 1: we love to hear from you, So hit us up

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00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:18,040
Speaker 1: on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave

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00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:20,040
Speaker 1: us a voicemail at eight seven two two oh four

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00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:23,400
Speaker 1: fifty seventy. We'll take all those positive messages too, and

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00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:26,920
Speaker 1: don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy watch

896
00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,600
Speaker 1: Twitter slash x owner Elon Musk changing the block feature

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00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:33,880
Speaker 1: so blocked users can still see the posts of the

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00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:37,560
Speaker 1: accounts that block them, rating a billion T out of

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00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:42,200
Speaker 1: a billion T fail whales review. Elon has long hated

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00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:45,000
Speaker 1: the block feature, saying it quote unquote makes no sense,

901
00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:47,720
Speaker 1: which is exactly what someone would say who's been blocked

902
00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:51,560
Speaker 1: thousands and thousands of times for I don't know, inciting hate,

903
00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:55,640
Speaker 1: spreading misinformation, restoring Donald Trump's Twitter threatening a cage match

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00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:58,600
Speaker 1: with Mark Zuckerberg, selling blue check marks, making the report

905
00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:02,520
Speaker 1: function essentially useless. Making the search function essentially useless, making

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00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:06,759
Speaker 1: the security protection essentially useless, losing users, losing billions, and

907
00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:09,440
Speaker 1: losing cool points for shit like posting a picture holding

908
00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:12,839
Speaker 1: a sink and writing quote let that sink in. So

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00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,400
Speaker 1: not only has he confused us all by giving Twitter

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00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:18,359
Speaker 1: two names Twitter x, twitter x, I don't know what

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00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:20,760
Speaker 1: the fuck is, but he's also allowed right wing bots

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00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,919
Speaker 1: to continue flourishing and harassing people, and now he wants

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00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:27,120
Speaker 1: the harassment to be less checked. Allowing block users to

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00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,279
Speaker 1: see your content just makes it that much easier for

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00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:32,440
Speaker 1: them to continue to harass you. Sure, folks have always

916
00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:34,880
Speaker 1: been able to create another account, logging over there and

917
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:37,120
Speaker 1: go creep on your posts, but at least that creates

918
00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,960
Speaker 1: some sort of barrier, some sort of work. Now, if

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00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:41,920
Speaker 1: your stocker wants to keep up with you, Elon's made

920
00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:44,319
Speaker 1: it real easy, and I have no doubt that this

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00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:47,440
Speaker 1: is just a step toward eliminating the block feature altogether,

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00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:50,040
Speaker 1: something he's been threatening to do since he became the

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00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:54,480
Speaker 1: app's evil overlord. Thankfully, Apple's App Store guidelines mandate that

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00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:57,760
Speaker 1: social networks offer quote the ability to block abusive users

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00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,640
Speaker 1: from the service end quote, So maybe that'll keep captain

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00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:04,040
Speaker 1: Dick Rockets somewhat in line. Now. Am I gonna get

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00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:06,640
Speaker 1: off Twitter or whatever the fuck it's called. I'm not

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00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:10,719
Speaker 1: because that would be letting him win, and because I'm addicted,

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00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:12,879
Speaker 1: So I'll be on it till they pry my phone

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00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:15,479
Speaker 1: out of my cold dead hands. What can I say,

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00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,919
Speaker 1: I'm weak. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks

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00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,360
Speaker 1: for listening, have a great weekend and see you next week.

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00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:26,120
Speaker 1: Good game, Jordan, Good game, Ben, Thank you again, Lady

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00:45:26,239 --> 00:45:29,200
Speaker 1: with the band Nail's shirt. No one wants you here

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00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:33,520
Speaker 1: in case that wasn't clear. Good Game with Sarah Spain

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00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,200
Speaker 1: is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep

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00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:38,480
Speaker 1: Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the

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00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,920
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:45,440
Speaker 1: Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie

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00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,120
Speaker 1: and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz,

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00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:52,480
Speaker 1: Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder,

942
00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:56,319
Speaker 1: Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistants from

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00:45:56,400 --> 00:46:00,520
Speaker 1: Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain st