WEBVTT - Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing with Jordan Robinson & Ben Pickman

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're starting

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<v Speaker 1>the show with a huge you to the lady with

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<v Speaker 1>the band Nails shirt. At Wednesday nights, connecticuts on Indiana

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

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<v Speaker 1>got another group chat. We're talking all things WNBA with

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<v Speaker 1>Jordan Robinson, co host of the Queens of the Court podcast,

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

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<v Speaker 1>Captain Dick Rocket is at it again. It's all coming

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<v Speaker 1>up right after this. Welcome back my little slices. Happy Friday.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's what you need to know today. Round one of

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<v Speaker 1>the WNBA Playoffs is complete and we're looking ahead to

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<v Speaker 1>the semi finals that start on Sunday. First up, the

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<v Speaker 1>New York Liberty host in the Las Vegas Aces at

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<v Speaker 1>three pm Eastern on ABC. It's a twenty twenty three

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<v Speaker 1>finals rematch and it's sure to be a hell of

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<v Speaker 1>a five game series. Who will prevail in the Battle

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<v Speaker 1>of the last two WNBA MVPs to Wilson or Brianna Stewart,

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<v Speaker 1>Who will have the upper hand point guard Chelsea Gray

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<v Speaker 1>or sabrinian Escu. Clear your schedule This one is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be fun. Then, at eight thirty pm Eastern on ESPN,

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<v Speaker 1>the Connecticut Sun played their first road game of these

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<v Speaker 1>playoffs at the Minnesota Links. Will Nafisa Collier serve up

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<v Speaker 1>another forty Burger can Alyssa Thomas at another triple double

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<v Speaker 1>tour all time tally? Only time will tell. This should

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<v Speaker 1>be a good one. Some more WNBA news, a w

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<v Speaker 1>team might be in Philadelphia's future. Per the Philadelphia Inquirer,

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<v Speaker 1>the seventy six Ers have plans to bid for a team,

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<v Speaker 1>a detail that was uncovered during a public city meeting

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<v Speaker 1>about the seventy six ers new arena proposal on page

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<v Speaker 1>sixty six of an eighty page PowerPoint presentation. In a

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<v Speaker 1>statement to the Inquirer, a seventy six Ers team spokesperson said, quote,

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<v Speaker 1>we share in Mayor Parker's desire to bring a WNBA

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<v Speaker 1>franchise to Philadelphia and have been engaged with the league

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<v Speaker 1>on the process. Our goal is for our new arena

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<v Speaker 1>to service home to both the seventy six Ers and

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

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<v Speaker 1>full story in our show Notes to Soccer. There's one

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<v Speaker 1>game in the NWSL Tonight, angel City FC host in

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<v Speaker 1>the Washington Spirit at ten pm Eastern on Prime Video.

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<v Speaker 1>Angel City is still sitting in the tenth spot in

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<v Speaker 1>the standings with twenty two points, three points behind number

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<v Speaker 1>eight Racing Louisville, and they'll try to close that gap

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<v Speaker 1>with a win tonight. There are six more games this

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<v Speaker 1>weekend as well, including a three to four matchup between

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<v Speaker 1>Gotham FC and Casey Current on Saturday, and a five

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<v Speaker 1>to six matchup between NC Courage and Chicago Red Stars

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<v Speaker 1>on Sunday. We'll link to that full schedule in our

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<v Speaker 1>show notes. Some exciting news for the NWSL as well.

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<v Speaker 1>The average team now worth one hundred and four million dollars,

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<v Speaker 1>up fifty seven percent from a year ago. According to Sportico,

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<v Speaker 1>angel CITYFC, a club that joined the NWSL in twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty two, leads the whole league with a two hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and fifty million dollar valuation on its own. This comes

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<v Speaker 1>in a year where the league is set records for attendance, revenue,

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<v Speaker 1>and TV ratings. What's that age old adage we keep

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<v Speaker 1>coming back to in women's sports, If you build it

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<v Speaker 1>and invest in it, they will come to college volleyball,

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<v Speaker 1>the non conference portion of the schedule has come to

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<v Speaker 1>a close. So far, this season has been full of

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<v Speaker 1>surprises and upsets. Pitt and Nebraska are currently holding court

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<v Speaker 1>as the best teams in the land, and there's a

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<v Speaker 1>slew of rank sides tipping off conference action over the weekend.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll link to the full schedule in our show notes.

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<v Speaker 1>The top three teams in the nation hit the court tonight. First,

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

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<v Speaker 1>Then the aforementioned Pittsburgh Panthers against Clemson at seven eastern,

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<v Speaker 1>followed by number two Nebraska playing UCLA at eight eastern

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<v Speaker 1>to the ice. The college hockey season enters its second

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<v Speaker 1>weekend with a big couple matchups. Number three Minnesota opens

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<v Speaker 1>its season with back to back games on the road

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<v Speaker 1>against number nine Connecticut tonight and Saturday, and number two

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<v Speaker 1>Wisconsin opens its season at home with Lyndenwood visiting for

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<v Speaker 1>a doubleheader. In college soccer, number three Duke takes the

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<v Speaker 1>pitch tonight against Southern Methodist and number four UNC will

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<v Speaker 1>face number nineteen Virginia, both at seven pm Eastern. A

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<v Speaker 1>majority of the top tenor and Action on Sunday too.

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<v Speaker 1>Will link to the entire weekend schedule in our show notes.

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<v Speaker 1>We got to take a quick break. When we come back,

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<v Speaker 1>time for another group chat with Jordan Robinson and Ben Pickman.

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<v Speaker 1>It's time for group chat where we take the tea

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<v Speaker 1>from the text to the airwaves. Joining us today, she's

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<v Speaker 1>co host of the Queens of the Court podcast, host

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<v Speaker 1>of the ESPN Plus show this Week in wcc Basketball,

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<v Speaker 1>and hosts for the Women's Sports Network. She's co authoring

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<v Speaker 1>a book on the history of women's hoops and you

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<v Speaker 1>don't want to mess with her and her hubby in

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, I've seen the picks. I've seen proof. Joining her,

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<v Speaker 1>he's a staff writer at The Athletic, cover in the

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<v Speaker 1>WNBA and women's college basketball, one of the hosts of

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

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

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<v Speaker 1>What's up, Ben?

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<v Speaker 3>Wow, that is a great introduction, but I'm still dwelling

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<v Speaker 3>on Jordan's introduction because that just blew me away.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Judy, about your championship, I would love to so

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<v Speaker 2>me and my husband wearing a co ed league and

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<v Speaker 2>we won the championship and it was amazing because I'm

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

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<v Speaker 2>He was dominating inside, I was shooting from the outside.

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<v Speaker 2>Just a scary tandem to go up against.

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<v Speaker 1>Yah sounds like a perfect perfect match in marriage and

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<v Speaker 1>in hoops. Speaking of hoops, we are knee deep in

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<v Speaker 1>the WNBA playoffs. There is so much to get to.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to start with reflecting on the first round.

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<v Speaker 1>I got called the casual on Twitter by a number

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<v Speaker 1>of people for complaining about the best of three format

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<v Speaker 1>in the first round. But I know I am not

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<v Speaker 1>alone in wanting more to Rossi and the Mercury, more Jewel,

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<v Speaker 1>Lloyd and the Store, more Kaitlin Clark and the Fever.

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<v Speaker 1>That was probably enough of the Liberty Dream series. But

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<v Speaker 1>you get my point. Are you with me? Jordan? Is

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<v Speaker 1>it time to to best of five in the first round?

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<v Speaker 4>Absolutely?

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<v Speaker 2>I think we've made steps forward because we've come from

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<v Speaker 2>the single elimination first round, which.

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<v Speaker 5>Was just bonker.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we could all agree on that that was

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<v Speaker 2>really hard because yes, it gave kind of that March

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<v Speaker 2>badness atmosphere, but it didn't allow for a team to

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<v Speaker 2>have a bad game. Like if somebody was just having

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<v Speaker 2>a bad game, then they can come back and kind of,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, have a good game the next time.

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<v Speaker 4>So that's what the best of three series did.

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<v Speaker 2>Now it's time to expand from that, and I hope

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<v Speaker 2>that we can see that there was still some really

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<v Speaker 2>high basketball being played and we want to continue to

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<v Speaker 2>watch that. And Sarah, I think you made this point

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<v Speaker 2>of like giving the other teams a chance to make

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

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<v Speaker 2>and it also I think the conversations around making the

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

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<v Speaker 2>I love the Sparks. We don't want to see the

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<v Speaker 2>Sparks way anymore games Like put the bad teams out

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<v Speaker 2>of their misery and let's give more games to the

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<v Speaker 2>good teams of the postseason.

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<v Speaker 1>I agree with that. I think I could be convinced

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<v Speaker 1>on an even longer regular season, but we're just year

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<v Speaker 1>two of the forty game season. I'm fine with a

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<v Speaker 1>couple more years of that. While it shakes out, and

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<v Speaker 1>then figuring out once we add another team next year,

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<v Speaker 1>two more teams in twenty twenty six, if we want

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<v Speaker 1>to have a few more opportunities for teams to face

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<v Speaker 1>each other, then Ben She mentioned that I talked about

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<v Speaker 1>the financial aspect on Twitter and listen. I was only

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<v Speaker 1>part of a team ownership group for a couple of years,

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<v Speaker 1>but in those meetings you do talk about how important

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<v Speaker 1>it is to make the postseason so that you can

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<v Speaker 1>potentially host a playoff game. Not only for the financials

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<v Speaker 1>and the money it brings in with merchant ticket sales

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<v Speaker 1>and concessions and all that, but the brand affinity that

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<v Speaker 1>is driven by success by having a team that gets

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<v Speaker 1>to that point and that you can get fans to

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<v Speaker 1>show up for that playoff atmosphere brings them back the

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<v Speaker 1>next year more often because it just feels different than

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<v Speaker 1>a regular season game. I think the WNBA financials are

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<v Speaker 1>so different now that not only do they not to

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<v Speaker 1>save money on avoiding the travel and the things that

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<v Speaker 1>come with a longer series, but also they can afford

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<v Speaker 1>to make more money by capitalizing on teams getting a

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<v Speaker 1>chance to host at least one game. So are you

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<v Speaker 1>good with expansion to ben Are you gonna call me

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<v Speaker 1>a casual who just got here who only wants to

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<v Speaker 1>see Kaitlin Clark? And if she had won, I would

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<v Speaker 1>have been saying this no.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm all for a playoff reformatting the postseason, and

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<v Speaker 3>I do think it is something that is going to

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<v Speaker 3>happen over the next couple of years. I think there

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<v Speaker 3>was kind of a general openness among players and coaches

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<v Speaker 3>I talked to heading into the postseason that you know,

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<v Speaker 3>as the WNBA expands to fourteen teams and sixteen teams,

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<v Speaker 3>if the playoff format is going to continue to be

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<v Speaker 3>reevaluated right to the regular season format. I mean, I

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<v Speaker 3>think the footprint of the WNBA is only going to

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

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<v Speaker 3>and eventually sixteen comes in, and so it makes sense

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<v Speaker 3>that you know, the footprint in the fall continues to go,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, late October into November, potentially you know, making

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<v Speaker 3>the arena dates work with the NBA too. But you know,

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

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<v Speaker 3>and maybe you know it's three out of five, maybe

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<v Speaker 3>it's actually going back to conferences if we get eight

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<v Speaker 3>to eight, you know, evenly in a couple of years.

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<v Speaker 3>I do think one other thing to consider. Brianna Stort

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<v Speaker 3>made this point to me in a conversation we had

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<v Speaker 3>leading into the playoffs, is in the short term at

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<v Speaker 3>least do they re evaluate the two to one format, right,

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<v Speaker 3>Because one of the big reasons it was put in

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<v Speaker 3>was because of the.

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<v Speaker 5>Current charter plans, right and how right?

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<v Speaker 3>Like everyone's taking commercial flights and the league had then

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<v Speaker 3>moved to charters for you know, the postseason before now

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<v Speaker 3>putting in the full charter plan. But in theory, with

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<v Speaker 3>charter flights being the norm even next year, like, couldn't

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<v Speaker 3>you go one to one one and allow what you're

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<v Speaker 3>talking about, Sarah, that everyone gets a chance to host

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<v Speaker 3>a game. Now we know the WNBA post season schedule

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<v Speaker 3>really tight, really condensed. Those games are on top of

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<v Speaker 3>each other, So maybe logistically that's tough, but that could

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<v Speaker 3>also be something in the short term, even before a

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<v Speaker 3>three out of five change goes into place.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that's a great point, Ben, Were there any surprises

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<v Speaker 1>for you in this first round in the WNBA postseason?

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<v Speaker 5>It's a good question.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I think Seattle hung with Las Vegas a

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<v Speaker 3>little bit more than I thought, and Phoenix for a while,

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<v Speaker 3>especially in that Game one, pushed the Minnesota Lynx big

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<v Speaker 3>picture surprises like not really, I had predicted a two

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<v Speaker 3>to two two two or sweeps and the Connecticut Indiana

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<v Speaker 3>series frankly, like, I'm going to get a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>things wrong on this postseason. In terms of predictions, it

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<v Speaker 3>kind of went exactly how I thought it was going

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<v Speaker 3>to be, with Connecticut winning pretty handily in Game one

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<v Speaker 3>and then this game too coming down to the wire

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<v Speaker 3>and the more experienced team playing out. So I think

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<v Speaker 3>we're due for some surprises, do for some excitement, but

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<v Speaker 3>no shockers for round one.

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

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<v Speaker 1>to me is going to be a lot tougher to pick.

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<v Speaker 1>But Jordan, how about you, Anything surprised you in this

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<v Speaker 1>first round?

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<v Speaker 2>I think kind of the opposite, and I feel like

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<v Speaker 2>that kind of goes with this whole playoff schedule. Is

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<v Speaker 2>when I look at a team with Skuyler Neka and

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<v Speaker 2>Jewel Lloyd and them not winning a single playoff game,

0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:53.559
<v Speaker 2>I think that kind of surprises me when you think

0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:55.839
<v Speaker 2>about who they went up against. Okay, that's not really

0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:59.320
<v Speaker 2>the surprise, but when that trade happened, I think I

0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:03.160
<v Speaker 2>wanted to them, you know, gel more and have that

0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:05.800
<v Speaker 2>excitement of playing with each other. And then the same

0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:10.360
<v Speaker 2>with Phoenix. You get Ca Natasha Cloud, Diana Tarassi playing

0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:14.680
<v Speaker 2>the way she was, Brittany Griner and them going, you know,

0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:17.760
<v Speaker 2>winless in the postseason. That's a little bit of a surprise.

0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:21.480
<v Speaker 2>So I think the sweeps are the way that they are,

0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.800
<v Speaker 2>and the better teams did win, but when you look

0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:27.520
<v Speaker 2>at the construction of the teams, it is a little

0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:29.120
<v Speaker 2>surprising that they didn't get a win.

0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:29.959
<v Speaker 4>But that's just.

0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.960
<v Speaker 2>Kind of a hat tip to how good this league

0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:36.160
<v Speaker 2>is right now. There are players like an Asia Wilson

0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:39.120
<v Speaker 2>that are playing out of their mind, so that is

0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:39.880
<v Speaker 2>not surprising.

0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:43.160
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think that the top teams are just so

0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:47.240
<v Speaker 1>good that they somehow managed to beat out even rosters

0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:49.000
<v Speaker 1>that look like they should make I mean, the Storm

0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:50.880
<v Speaker 1>all season long look like this should have been making

0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:52.680
<v Speaker 1>it work better than they did, and it just never

0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.160
<v Speaker 1>really clicked. And then when you saw what Gabby Williams brought,

0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:56.920
<v Speaker 1>you were like, I really would have liked to see

0:11:56.920 --> 0:11:58.800
<v Speaker 1>this team with her all season long. It just would

0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:00.440
<v Speaker 1>have been a different story. I think if they'd had

0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:02.360
<v Speaker 1>her all along, and then same with Phoenix. Some mean

0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:04.920
<v Speaker 1>I think the foul trouble obviously made it so cautious,

0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.400
<v Speaker 1>wasn't as dominant as she could have been. But also, yeah,

0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.880
<v Speaker 1>just on paper is very different than in games when

0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.280
<v Speaker 1>you got a fee or you got a Asia doing

0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:17.559
<v Speaker 1>what they're doing. It's it's tough toward the WNBA released

0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:21.200
<v Speaker 1>a statement after the Wednesday night game between the Sun

0:12:21.200 --> 0:12:24.560
<v Speaker 1>and the Fever condemning the racist, derogatory, and threatening comments

0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:27.160
<v Speaker 1>received by the players. This felt like it was directly

0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:29.920
<v Speaker 1>in response to the treatment faced by dj A Carrington

0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:32.679
<v Speaker 1>after the accidental contact with Caitlin Clark in Game one

0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:34.959
<v Speaker 1>of that series, but it applies to a whole lot

0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:36.839
<v Speaker 1>of players in the league. What did you make of

0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:42.400
<v Speaker 1>the timing of that statement? Let's start there. Let me

0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.120
<v Speaker 1>just take any bath pace. The timing of this statement

0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:48.840
<v Speaker 1>is atrocious.

0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.360
<v Speaker 2>I think, just to put it out there to say

0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.560
<v Speaker 2>this statement in the what are way the last week

0:12:54.600 --> 0:13:01.000
<v Speaker 2>of September, when this has been happening since May, since April,

0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:06.160
<v Speaker 2>since what was that twenty twenty three National championship with

0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:09.040
<v Speaker 2>Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, like the WNBA had a

0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:13.800
<v Speaker 2>whole year to prepare themselves for what was about to

0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:17.280
<v Speaker 2>come their way, and they did not prepare themselves. And

0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:20.360
<v Speaker 2>when I saw that statement, you know, I kind of

0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:24.560
<v Speaker 2>thought about twenty twenty and how awful twenty twenty was

0:13:24.679 --> 0:13:27.720
<v Speaker 2>for so many reasons. But I just felt like the

0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:32.400
<v Speaker 2>whole year I was going around saying how my life mattered.

0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:35.280
<v Speaker 2>The whole time, I'm just saying Black lives matter, and

0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:38.400
<v Speaker 2>this is why, this is why. And I feel like

0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:40.839
<v Speaker 2>it is more of the same thing in the WNBA.

0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:45.599
<v Speaker 2>We have been screaming all season long that the black players'

0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:50.120
<v Speaker 2>lives matter, and their lives are getting threatened daily on

0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:54.320
<v Speaker 2>social media, players are getting stocked. Like it has gone

0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:59.199
<v Speaker 2>to a way bigger level than just oh I don't

0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:01.800
<v Speaker 2>like that player because they were mean to my favorite player.

0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:03.600
<v Speaker 4>This is a whole other level.

0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:10.400
<v Speaker 2>And a couple weeks ago when Cathy says essentially that yeah,

0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:11.280
<v Speaker 2>we see.

0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:12.880
<v Speaker 4>That, but that doesn't really matter.

0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:16.320
<v Speaker 2>What matters is the bottom line, and it was just

0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:19.600
<v Speaker 2>a slap in the face to all the players, but

0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:22.320
<v Speaker 2>especially the black players who have been screaming at the

0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.600
<v Speaker 2>top of their lungs like, hey, pay attention to this,

0:14:26.680 --> 0:14:28.400
<v Speaker 2>and now it is getting to a point where you

0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.880
<v Speaker 2>can't ignore it. But the bare minimum that you can

0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:34.280
<v Speaker 2>do is release a statement, and that's exactly what the

0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:35.080
<v Speaker 2>WNBA is doing.

0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:36.880
<v Speaker 4>They're doing the bare minimum.

0:14:36.960 --> 0:14:39.320
<v Speaker 2>Now I want to see what are the actions that

0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:41.840
<v Speaker 2>are going to be taking place, because, yes, the statement

0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:43.480
<v Speaker 2>is nice, and it was in a nice spot, it

0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:46.440
<v Speaker 2>was in the color scheme of the WNBA, But what

0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:48.920
<v Speaker 2>is going to be the next step after this? And

0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:51.840
<v Speaker 2>the season's about the end, so you got a whole

0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:54.280
<v Speaker 2>off season to figure it out for the next season.

0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:57.440
<v Speaker 1>And it wasn't just end of September. It happened to

0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:00.480
<v Speaker 1>be after the fever and that fan base that's been

0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:03.840
<v Speaker 1>responsible for a lot of it is no longer in it.

0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:05.880
<v Speaker 1>It did feel like it was specific to the email

0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.800
<v Speaker 1>that Dja Carrington got and posted on her Instagram story,

0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:10.600
<v Speaker 1>and that they felt like it was necessary to speak out,

0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:14.080
<v Speaker 1>but again, it's just so far behind a conversation that's

0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:15.920
<v Speaker 1>been going on all season long that you expected the

0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:18.480
<v Speaker 1>league's front office and even the players themselves to potentially

0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:20.880
<v Speaker 1>rally around and speak out about and it's been sort

0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:25.360
<v Speaker 1>of instead. This constant hum both below the surface and

0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:30.360
<v Speaker 1>in the conversations of media, reporters, fans, players, etc. Without

0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.920
<v Speaker 1>the league really taking control of it. So Ben there

0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.560
<v Speaker 1>were a couple of reporters, including Frankie de Lacreta, who

0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:38.120
<v Speaker 1>was on the show a few weeks ago to talk

0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:40.240
<v Speaker 1>about something else but also covers a lot of women's

0:15:40.240 --> 0:15:43.400
<v Speaker 1>basketball and the intersection of race and sports, and they

0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:47.480
<v Speaker 1>posted about a downright hostile and unsafe feeling environment at

0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:50.320
<v Speaker 1>the Connecticut sun Fever game, including posting a photo of

0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.000
<v Speaker 1>one woman wearing fake nails and a homemade T shirt

0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:56.320
<v Speaker 1>that said ban nails. This was again in reference to

0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:59.680
<v Speaker 1>Djnay Carrington, who, by the way, doesn't even have particularly

0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:06.520
<v Speaker 1>long it's giving racist dog whistle, it's giving misogynir and

0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:08.840
<v Speaker 1>some folks think this kind of thing is inevitable with

0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:12.040
<v Speaker 1>an increase in attendance and popularity. I think those people

0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:15.120
<v Speaker 1>can't possibly be deeply involved in the w if they

0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:19.880
<v Speaker 1>don't understand the difference between sports fans being assholes and morons,

0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:25.240
<v Speaker 1>and the way this has been very specifically divided by race, bisexuality,

0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.120
<v Speaker 1>by political party, et cetera, and how it's become this

0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.320
<v Speaker 1>much bigger thing. What do you say to those folks

0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:33.520
<v Speaker 1>who just kind of shrug and say, this is what

0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:35.240
<v Speaker 1>comes with a league getting more popular.

0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.360
<v Speaker 3>I think I would say, listen to what Jordan just said.

0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:40.920
<v Speaker 3>How you teed up this question, Sarah, I think I

0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:43.280
<v Speaker 3>would say, listen to the players who time and again

0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:46.160
<v Speaker 3>since may have made their thoughts very clear on this.

0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:48.240
<v Speaker 3>I think agents have made their thoughts clear as front

0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:51.520
<v Speaker 3>offices coaches like this is not a secret. And I

0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.240
<v Speaker 3>think going back to Jordan's comments about the timing of

0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:55.920
<v Speaker 3>the league's release, and to do it in the middle

0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:58.440
<v Speaker 3>of a press conference, when players you suddenly are reacting

0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:01.280
<v Speaker 3>mid press conference to a statement they haven't seen, it

0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:04.680
<v Speaker 3>puts them in again in an unfair position to react

0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.040
<v Speaker 3>to what the league is saying. But this is not new.

0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:10.600
<v Speaker 3>This is not something new to the WNBA. Frankly, it's

0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:12.840
<v Speaker 3>heightened this year. You talk to players, they talk about

0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:15.800
<v Speaker 3>the increases in toxicity, in vitriol that they face. But

0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:18.600
<v Speaker 3>this is not new for this league of players who

0:17:18.680 --> 0:17:21.800
<v Speaker 3>you know, primarily black women, so many in the queer community.

0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:24.960
<v Speaker 3>I mean, this is commonplace for a lot of these

0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:28.640
<v Speaker 3>players now. Unfortunately so and I think everyone is still

0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.639
<v Speaker 3>waiting to see how the WNBA is going to react.

0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:34.520
<v Speaker 3>I know the Chicago Skies, a franchise, have taken a

0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:36.560
<v Speaker 3>lot of crap over the years for their lack of

0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:39.600
<v Speaker 3>investment for their facilities. But I do want to call

0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:43.639
<v Speaker 3>one partnership that they actually announced in mid August, and

0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:45.840
<v Speaker 3>they partner with these two companies to have an app

0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:48.720
<v Speaker 3>placed on the phones of their players that, in theory

0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:52.040
<v Speaker 3>they say uses automatic intelligence to identify negative posts on

0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:55.160
<v Speaker 3>social media feeds and block them. Like, I don't know

0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:58.040
<v Speaker 3>the success of that app and how good of a

0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:00.480
<v Speaker 3>job it is doing and limiting harassment, but to me,

0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.639
<v Speaker 3>that seems like, you know, a step, right, a small

0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:06.080
<v Speaker 3>step potentially that the lead could take, that other teams

0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:08.840
<v Speaker 3>could take, and you know, is it reactionary to what

0:18:08.880 --> 0:18:10.800
<v Speaker 3>has gone on? Would that have been something a great

0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:13.280
<v Speaker 3>partnership to have at the start of the year. Absolutely,

0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.439
<v Speaker 3>But that is more than what I think a lot

0:18:15.520 --> 0:18:17.439
<v Speaker 3>of other teams are doing right now. So I do

0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:20.760
<v Speaker 3>have to give Chicago credit for making that step, and

0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.680
<v Speaker 3>I hope stuff like that happens, you know, going forward,

0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:27.280
<v Speaker 3>because I think the unfortunate reality is these kind of comments,

0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.040
<v Speaker 3>the toxicity, it's not going away.

0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:31.640
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I have to say I do like the idea

0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:34.200
<v Speaker 1>of that, assuming that the AI and or someone else

0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:36.840
<v Speaker 1>is actually monitoring it, because as someone who has gotten

0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:39.280
<v Speaker 1>death threats before, the problem with dismuting or blocking is

0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:41.919
<v Speaker 1>then you're actually not seeing if they escalate. You're not

0:18:42.080 --> 0:18:44.679
<v Speaker 1>seeing if they're taking a turn where you actually have

0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.560
<v Speaker 1>to like think about being in danger. I've definitely had

0:18:47.560 --> 0:18:48.879
<v Speaker 1>people say I know where you work or I know

0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.760
<v Speaker 1>where you live and I'm coming there. So yeah, there's

0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:53.879
<v Speaker 1>I mean, the problem is that this exists in the

0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:55.840
<v Speaker 1>sports world and outside of it too.

0:18:55.840 --> 0:18:58.080
<v Speaker 3>Along those lines, pre Turner just on Twitter this morning.

0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.399
<v Speaker 3>She talked about, you know, that it's important that these

0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:02.720
<v Speaker 3>players continue to call out what is going on right

0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:04.960
<v Speaker 3>and that she is someone who has continued to advocate

0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:08.159
<v Speaker 3>for various causes, but to be fearless in what she

0:19:08.240 --> 0:19:12.080
<v Speaker 3>is saying. And she noted that you know, minimizing hate spiece,

0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:14.760
<v Speaker 3>not calling it out, cultivate spaces in which people are

0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:17.960
<v Speaker 3>enabled and continue to be enabled to allow this behavior

0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:20.120
<v Speaker 3>to go on. So I think, you know, I hear

0:19:20.160 --> 0:19:22.800
<v Speaker 3>exactly where you're saying, Sarah, and I think that's kind

0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:25.639
<v Speaker 3>of the balance that teams and leagues are navigating right

0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.760
<v Speaker 3>of how to act when you receive this hate speech.

0:19:29.240 --> 0:19:31.520
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and Jordan, I wanted to say something Ben pointed out,

0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:33.200
<v Speaker 1>and this is true. This is a league that has

0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:38.000
<v Speaker 1>had to push back against society's feelings about queer people,

0:19:38.160 --> 0:19:41.280
<v Speaker 1>about black women, about women who don't fit this like

0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.120
<v Speaker 1>general esthetic of what we like to see the girl

0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:48.239
<v Speaker 1>next door, petite athlete. But it also had made for

0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:51.560
<v Speaker 1>itself over the years a space that felt unique for

0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:54.680
<v Speaker 1>all those people, both as fans and as players. There

0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:56.480
<v Speaker 1>were always going to be the outliers. There were always

0:19:56.480 --> 0:19:58.399
<v Speaker 1>going to be the assholes, but when you went to

0:19:58.520 --> 0:20:02.159
<v Speaker 1>a game, it felt different. Literally named this show based

0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:04.480
<v Speaker 1>on the concept of like going to a women's professional

0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:07.320
<v Speaker 1>sporting event is the good place where you get the

0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:11.320
<v Speaker 1>good game. And it was so sad to me to

0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:15.240
<v Speaker 1>see people posting about going to that game, that sun

0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:17.600
<v Speaker 1>Fever game, and say, I never thought this is what

0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:20.160
<v Speaker 1>a w game would be for me, with a woman

0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.080
<v Speaker 1>wearing these ridiculous fake nails and a dumb shit shirt

0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:26.080
<v Speaker 1>she made that said band nails and feeling like it

0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.840
<v Speaker 1>looked like a meme of like a Karen calling on

0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:32.560
<v Speaker 1>someone's barbecue, or it looked like a fucking Trump rally

0:20:32.760 --> 0:20:36.360
<v Speaker 1>at a W game. I know, it just feels it's

0:20:36.400 --> 0:20:37.879
<v Speaker 1>different this year. It's not the same.

0:20:38.720 --> 0:20:39.639
<v Speaker 4>It's not the same.

0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:40.679
<v Speaker 5>And I.

0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:44.800
<v Speaker 2>Had to think about, you know, I'm doing my Scandal

0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:45.960
<v Speaker 2>rewatch right now.

0:20:46.200 --> 0:20:49.000
<v Speaker 4>Out's shondaland perfect show.

0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:51.560
<v Speaker 2>But I just got to the part where Papa Pope

0:20:52.160 --> 0:20:56.080
<v Speaker 2>is telling Olivia Pope the famous scene where you have

0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.040
<v Speaker 2>to be what and Olivia repeats, you have to be

0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:03.000
<v Speaker 2>twice as good for half as much. And that is

0:21:03.680 --> 0:21:07.360
<v Speaker 2>the story of being a black woman in this country,

0:21:08.520 --> 0:21:12.160
<v Speaker 2>very much so. And when I think about Djana's story,

0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:17.520
<v Speaker 2>she has two undergrad degrees from Stanford, Like.

0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:21.640
<v Speaker 4>She is not just this normal woman. She is the

0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:23.480
<v Speaker 4>WNBA's most improved player.

0:21:24.000 --> 0:21:28.000
<v Speaker 2>And still she gets reduced to someone calling her a thug.

0:21:28.520 --> 0:21:33.200
<v Speaker 2>She gets reduced to an inward slur. She gets, you know,

0:21:33.440 --> 0:21:35.919
<v Speaker 2>the long nails that aren't even long. It's just an

0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:39.440
<v Speaker 2>assumption that because she is a black player with lashes,

0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:43.560
<v Speaker 2>that her nails are long. Still that happens, and it

0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:48.399
<v Speaker 2>just hurts my heart because you're right. The W it

0:21:48.520 --> 0:21:51.760
<v Speaker 2>felt like this safe space. It felt like we were

0:21:51.800 --> 0:21:54.520
<v Speaker 2>in our own world for a little bit. And I

0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:57.480
<v Speaker 2>know we were calling from the rooftops for people to pay.

0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:00.800
<v Speaker 4>Attention, but not in this way like good.

0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:03.280
<v Speaker 1>People, only the best people, like good people.

0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:05.879
<v Speaker 4>It truly feels like I was thinking about this the

0:22:05.880 --> 0:22:06.280
<v Speaker 4>other day.

0:22:06.320 --> 0:22:09.840
<v Speaker 2>It feels like we got hijacked, like our season, our

0:22:09.920 --> 0:22:13.600
<v Speaker 2>love for this sport got hijacked by people who don't

0:22:13.600 --> 0:22:16.439
<v Speaker 2>know anything about it, who are spewing hate.

0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.239
<v Speaker 4>And it's like, what is going on?

0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:22.640
<v Speaker 2>And I think Stephanie White said it beautifully last night

0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:26.639
<v Speaker 2>in her press conference. She said, we are making the

0:22:27.240 --> 0:22:31.000
<v Speaker 2>trolls the main story. Yes, we're not keeping the main thing,

0:22:31.080 --> 0:22:33.200
<v Speaker 2>the main thing, the main thing.

0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:35.400
<v Speaker 4>The basketball is still really good.

0:22:35.520 --> 0:22:38.359
<v Speaker 1>Right, right right. I think it's this complicated thing of

0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:41.000
<v Speaker 1>how do you address this very obvious thing that's going on,

0:22:41.400 --> 0:22:44.440
<v Speaker 1>but also how do you take responsibility as reporters, as

0:22:44.520 --> 0:22:48.080
<v Speaker 1>media companies, as websites to not post the thing that

0:22:48.119 --> 0:22:50.280
<v Speaker 1>you know will get the clicks if you also know

0:22:50.359 --> 0:22:54.240
<v Speaker 1>that it will increase the damage, the vitriol, the threats,

0:22:54.440 --> 0:22:57.639
<v Speaker 1>Like you have to decide that it is not worth

0:22:57.760 --> 0:23:01.240
<v Speaker 1>the extra clicks to immediately post Kaitlin Clark punched in

0:23:01.280 --> 0:23:03.320
<v Speaker 1>the eye if that's not what happened, and you also

0:23:03.440 --> 0:23:05.720
<v Speaker 1>know the result the LA Times headline that I called

0:23:05.760 --> 0:23:08.679
<v Speaker 1>out that said, Kaitlin Clark gets black eye from player

0:23:08.720 --> 0:23:11.760
<v Speaker 1>who previously mocked her, Like, you know, what's going to

0:23:11.840 --> 0:23:16.000
<v Speaker 1>happen when you post that, and it implies intention, and

0:23:16.040 --> 0:23:19.560
<v Speaker 1>it implies correlation, which there wasn't. It happened to be

0:23:19.560 --> 0:23:21.800
<v Speaker 1>a player she had an incident with before, which happens

0:23:21.840 --> 0:23:23.600
<v Speaker 1>in basketball. But when you do that, you know what

0:23:23.640 --> 0:23:26.320
<v Speaker 1>you're doing. And I think that's what Stephanie spoke to beautifully,

0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:28.159
<v Speaker 1>which is it's not that we ignore that this is

0:23:28.440 --> 0:23:30.840
<v Speaker 1>a hum beneath the surface, but it is that we

0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:33.639
<v Speaker 1>stop allowing them to have control over what we talk about,

0:23:33.640 --> 0:23:36.439
<v Speaker 1>what we post, the clips we use, the headlines we write,

0:23:36.520 --> 0:23:41.160
<v Speaker 1>because that's what's making it allowed to grow and be fostered.

0:23:42.240 --> 0:23:44.480
<v Speaker 3>I think that's also something that you know, players are

0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:46.960
<v Speaker 3>wrestling with about how to platform and if they should

0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:49.280
<v Speaker 3>you know, platform to use another word or to use

0:23:49.359 --> 0:23:52.160
<v Speaker 3>that word, like the messages they are actually receiving. Right,

0:23:52.280 --> 0:23:56.000
<v Speaker 3>We saw to Jenick Carington post the specifics of a message,

0:23:56.200 --> 0:23:59.960
<v Speaker 3>right and sure enough a few hours later call a coincidence.

0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:02.840
<v Speaker 3>Maybe it's not coincidence. The WNBA, You sure it's not Yep,

0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:06.280
<v Speaker 3>the WNBA releases this statement, and suddenly we're continuing to

0:24:06.280 --> 0:24:08.160
<v Speaker 3>have this conversation and more and more people are talking

0:24:08.160 --> 0:24:09.560
<v Speaker 3>about it. They do it, you know, they talk about

0:24:09.560 --> 0:24:11.399
<v Speaker 3>it on Sports Center, on morning talk shows today, on

0:24:11.440 --> 0:24:14.440
<v Speaker 3>shows like this. I've talked to players all year about,

0:24:14.520 --> 0:24:16.399
<v Speaker 3>you know, some of these social media you know, the

0:24:16.440 --> 0:24:18.640
<v Speaker 3>harassment they faced, and a lot of them speak to it,

0:24:18.720 --> 0:24:22.959
<v Speaker 3>but are also hesitant to provide specific examples. And that

0:24:23.040 --> 0:24:25.919
<v Speaker 3>is obviously their right not to provide specific examples. But

0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:29.200
<v Speaker 3>there is this kind of balance that I think players

0:24:29.240 --> 0:24:31.640
<v Speaker 3>are navigating of how much do they share and reveal?

0:24:31.880 --> 0:24:35.400
<v Speaker 3>Because how much does sharing and revealing specifics actually lead

0:24:35.440 --> 0:24:38.280
<v Speaker 3>to what you're talking about, Sarah, More people going into

0:24:38.320 --> 0:24:42.520
<v Speaker 3>their mentions, more people using really vitriotic, vitriolic language, more

0:24:42.560 --> 0:24:45.880
<v Speaker 3>people seeing you know, what Carrington has been called and

0:24:46.000 --> 0:24:46.760
<v Speaker 3>doing that time.

0:24:47.760 --> 0:24:51.000
<v Speaker 5>Yeah, exactly. That It's tough, the balance that so many

0:24:51.040 --> 0:24:51.400
<v Speaker 5>are waying.

0:24:51.840 --> 0:24:54.280
<v Speaker 1>And here we are, you know, we're twenty minutes into

0:24:54.280 --> 0:24:57.320
<v Speaker 1>talking and we haven't talked that much basketball because it's

0:24:57.359 --> 0:24:59.639
<v Speaker 1>so hard. You don't want to, you don't want to

0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:02.840
<v Speaker 1>move from this, it's so important, But you also then

0:25:02.880 --> 0:25:05.119
<v Speaker 1>find yourself saying Oh yeah, let's talk about who had

0:25:05.160 --> 0:25:08.400
<v Speaker 1>a good game too. Nancy Armer wrote a great piece,

0:25:08.400 --> 0:25:09.840
<v Speaker 1>and I want to wrap up with this before we

0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:14.040
<v Speaker 1>do move on to basketball, about how Caitlin didn't ask

0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:16.480
<v Speaker 1>for any of this, but she is still sort of

0:25:16.520 --> 0:25:18.919
<v Speaker 1>responsible for helping shut it down. I've been giving her

0:25:19.000 --> 0:25:21.600
<v Speaker 1>a lot of grace. I've been saying by next season,

0:25:21.640 --> 0:25:24.440
<v Speaker 1>I anticipate and expect that she should have enough experience

0:25:24.480 --> 0:25:28.960
<v Speaker 1>in this league with women of color understanding everything going

0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:30.520
<v Speaker 1>on that she should be able to speak to it

0:25:30.560 --> 0:25:32.720
<v Speaker 1>and feel comfortable speaking to it if she isn't yet.

0:25:33.560 --> 0:25:37.520
<v Speaker 1>She didn't ask for this, but I do think it'd

0:25:37.520 --> 0:25:39.320
<v Speaker 1>be hard for me to be in her position and

0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:44.800
<v Speaker 1>not have said something by now. Do you think she

0:25:44.920 --> 0:25:47.200
<v Speaker 1>needs to now or do you think at the start

0:25:47.240 --> 0:25:49.120
<v Speaker 1>of next season or in the off season there needs

0:25:49.160 --> 0:25:50.640
<v Speaker 1>to be a time for her to address what's going

0:25:50.680 --> 0:25:51.360
<v Speaker 1>on in her name?

0:25:51.600 --> 0:25:51.919
<v Speaker 5>Jordan.

0:25:54.000 --> 0:25:59.760
<v Speaker 2>Such a tough question, because sometimes I've read people saying

0:25:59.800 --> 0:26:03.080
<v Speaker 2>it is her responsibility. I don't know if it's her responsibility,

0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:05.399
<v Speaker 2>but the silence is very loud.

0:26:05.560 --> 0:26:06.439
<v Speaker 4>I will say that.

0:26:07.880 --> 0:26:11.480
<v Speaker 2>Because if it was something that you totally disagreed with,

0:26:11.760 --> 0:26:16.280
<v Speaker 2>I would run to say please so disassociate my name

0:26:16.760 --> 0:26:20.560
<v Speaker 2>with all of this hate. But it's a little bit

0:26:20.640 --> 0:26:23.919
<v Speaker 2>of like you know that quote from the Last Dance

0:26:23.960 --> 0:26:25.840
<v Speaker 2>that kind of blew up where Michael Jordan was like

0:26:25.920 --> 0:26:30.800
<v Speaker 2>Republicans VI shoes too, like, oh, is it her team?

0:26:30.960 --> 0:26:33.639
<v Speaker 2>Kind of saying, you know, let's just all good. Press

0:26:33.760 --> 0:26:36.400
<v Speaker 2>is good. You know, all press is good press. That's

0:26:36.440 --> 0:26:38.879
<v Speaker 2>where I would hope there's a change there because she

0:26:39.160 --> 0:26:41.840
<v Speaker 2>has these teammates. You know, a Leah Boston was kind

0:26:41.880 --> 0:26:44.399
<v Speaker 2>of the first person this season that got the most

0:26:44.440 --> 0:26:47.960
<v Speaker 2>hate when Indiana was not doing well. That is her teammate,

0:26:48.040 --> 0:26:50.240
<v Speaker 2>that is someone she says she loves to play with.

0:26:50.600 --> 0:26:52.880
<v Speaker 2>So now you are in these rooms with these players

0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:57.600
<v Speaker 2>who are having these visceral reactions, like an Alyssa Smith,

0:26:57.760 --> 0:27:00.399
<v Speaker 2>like people who you see every single day. So I

0:27:00.400 --> 0:27:02.399
<v Speaker 2>would hope that you would get out in front of

0:27:02.400 --> 0:27:04.919
<v Speaker 2>it the next season and say this is not what

0:27:04.960 --> 0:27:05.520
<v Speaker 2>I stand for.

0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:08.399
<v Speaker 4>Shut it all down. That's my hope. Will it happen,

0:27:08.440 --> 0:27:09.760
<v Speaker 4>I don't know, but that's my hope.

0:27:10.080 --> 0:27:13.640
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Let's talk side my finals. The first round going

0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:15.720
<v Speaker 1>chalk wasn't a surprise to any of us, but making

0:27:15.800 --> 0:27:19.560
<v Speaker 1>picks in the next round is tough. I want to

0:27:19.600 --> 0:27:21.600
<v Speaker 1>start with Game one on Sunday, top seeded New York

0:27:21.680 --> 0:27:23.800
<v Speaker 1>Liberty versus the two time defending champs in the Las

0:27:23.880 --> 0:27:28.160
<v Speaker 1>Vegas Aces. What's the difference going to be in this one, Ben, I.

0:27:28.119 --> 0:27:31.040
<v Speaker 3>Think it is how Las Vegas handles New York's revamp

0:27:31.119 --> 0:27:34.119
<v Speaker 3>starting lineup, and that is really the big question for me.

0:27:34.240 --> 0:27:36.639
<v Speaker 3>New York moved Leoni Phoebich into the starting lineup in

0:27:36.680 --> 0:27:38.960
<v Speaker 3>the first round, and this was a five man group

0:27:39.080 --> 0:27:43.280
<v Speaker 3>of Stuart Jones, Laney, Yenescu, and Phoebich that was almost

0:27:43.280 --> 0:27:46.240
<v Speaker 3>plus twenty four per one hundred possessions during the regular season.

0:27:46.280 --> 0:27:48.000
<v Speaker 3>It was their third most used lineup and one that

0:27:48.040 --> 0:27:51.200
<v Speaker 3>was super super successful. That netrating went up to plus

0:27:51.240 --> 0:27:55.000
<v Speaker 3>thirty six point one, which is a crazy, crazy number

0:27:55.240 --> 0:27:57.520
<v Speaker 3>in the first round series, and it just provides New

0:27:57.600 --> 0:28:00.560
<v Speaker 3>York with so much versatility. Lanth on defense and Spiebitch

0:28:00.600 --> 0:28:03.000
<v Speaker 3>is a true six ' four. She is really strong,

0:28:03.200 --> 0:28:05.919
<v Speaker 3>like she can guard post and she can guard guards,

0:28:05.960 --> 0:28:08.159
<v Speaker 3>and that is such a weapon to have. Laney, we

0:28:08.200 --> 0:28:10.960
<v Speaker 3>know she can switch. Yanescu has improved her physicality all

0:28:11.040 --> 0:28:13.920
<v Speaker 3>year and so there really isn't a point that I

0:28:13.960 --> 0:28:16.639
<v Speaker 3>think Las Vegas can attack, and so I'm curious to see,

0:28:16.880 --> 0:28:18.600
<v Speaker 3>you know, what does Las Vegas do to counter or

0:28:18.640 --> 0:28:20.879
<v Speaker 3>do they play Kia Stokes. Do they play Tiffany Mitchell

0:28:21.000 --> 0:28:23.840
<v Speaker 3>who had a great first round series, but New York

0:28:23.920 --> 0:28:25.399
<v Speaker 3>might go out her on the defensive end?

0:28:25.520 --> 0:28:25.639
<v Speaker 1>Right?

0:28:25.680 --> 0:28:27.679
<v Speaker 3>Do they play Alicia Clark who has been such a

0:28:27.680 --> 0:28:30.440
<v Speaker 3>good defender, but Knight might not have the same offensive

0:28:30.480 --> 0:28:33.560
<v Speaker 3>ability as Hayes. So I think that's really the most

0:28:33.560 --> 0:28:36.119
<v Speaker 3>fascinating chess match for me is how does Las Vegas

0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:38.560
<v Speaker 3>counter with New York playing such a big lineup for

0:28:38.720 --> 0:28:40.719
<v Speaker 3>what I expect to be the majority of this series.

0:28:41.200 --> 0:28:42.840
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's not a big problem to have when you

0:28:42.880 --> 0:28:45.040
<v Speaker 1>get to bring one of the greatest facilitators in history

0:28:45.040 --> 0:28:47.120
<v Speaker 1>of the game off the bench in Courtney vander Slut,

0:28:47.280 --> 0:28:50.200
<v Speaker 1>just for a switch up, it's not too bad. Jordan,

0:28:50.280 --> 0:28:52.680
<v Speaker 1>Is there a particular matchup or a particular player in

0:28:52.720 --> 0:28:54.320
<v Speaker 1>this series that you think could swing things?

0:28:55.880 --> 0:28:58.680
<v Speaker 2>I just want to I want to focus on the stars,

0:28:58.720 --> 0:29:00.720
<v Speaker 2>like I want Brianna's Doward and.

0:29:00.680 --> 0:29:03.320
<v Speaker 4>Asia Wilson to just battle it out.

0:29:03.400 --> 0:29:06.120
<v Speaker 2>I feel like in the finals we got robbed a

0:29:06.160 --> 0:29:08.440
<v Speaker 2>little bit of that. Brianna Stewart did not play well

0:29:08.640 --> 0:29:10.960
<v Speaker 2>in the finals last season, she really didn't play well

0:29:11.000 --> 0:29:14.719
<v Speaker 2>the entire postseason, so I want her to step up big.

0:29:15.040 --> 0:29:18.120
<v Speaker 2>And then Asia Wilson just showing everybody on the biggest

0:29:18.120 --> 0:29:20.680
<v Speaker 2>stage with the brightest lights why she is a three

0:29:20.720 --> 0:29:23.840
<v Speaker 2>time MVP. So yes, there is going to be role

0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:26.920
<v Speaker 2>players and key players that are going to swing, have

0:29:27.080 --> 0:29:31.120
<v Speaker 2>momentum shifts and all of that. But especially this season

0:29:31.360 --> 0:29:34.480
<v Speaker 2>where we're not talking about Brianna Stewart enough, We're not

0:29:34.520 --> 0:29:36.920
<v Speaker 2>talking about Agia Wilson enough, I want them to be

0:29:36.960 --> 0:29:39.280
<v Speaker 2>able to rise to the occasion and really battle it out.

0:29:39.360 --> 0:29:41.160
<v Speaker 4>That's what I'm so here for that.

0:29:41.600 --> 0:29:44.280
<v Speaker 1>I want that too. I want a battle of the

0:29:44.400 --> 0:29:50.280
<v Speaker 1>back to back MVPs getting after it. Speaking of MVPs, though,

0:29:50.320 --> 0:29:53.440
<v Speaker 1>the second series features you runner up MVP and defeasta

0:29:53.480 --> 0:29:58.240
<v Speaker 1>Collier who has been lights out thirty eight points in

0:29:58.280 --> 0:30:01.600
<v Speaker 1>Game one, forty two points in game too. Her two

0:30:01.600 --> 0:30:05.560
<v Speaker 1>seed Minnesota Links have been absolutely unstoppable since the Olympic break.

0:30:05.560 --> 0:30:08.280
<v Speaker 1>They're taken on the number three seed Connecticut Son. What

0:30:08.440 --> 0:30:10.520
<v Speaker 1>can the Sun do to try to stop feed Jordan?

0:30:12.600 --> 0:30:15.800
<v Speaker 2>I think when do they say prayer defense? Like just pray,

0:30:16.360 --> 0:30:19.080
<v Speaker 2>just pray that Fee is going to have an off night.

0:30:19.520 --> 0:30:23.800
<v Speaker 2>But honestly, I think NOFISA scoring the forty two points

0:30:23.800 --> 0:30:28.680
<v Speaker 2>on seventy percent from the field just shows really the

0:30:28.760 --> 0:30:31.800
<v Speaker 2>team as a whole, because the fascinating thing about the

0:30:31.840 --> 0:30:35.360
<v Speaker 2>Minnesota Links this season is their pace is slow. They

0:30:35.360 --> 0:30:38.240
<v Speaker 2>are one of the slowest teams in the league. But

0:30:38.320 --> 0:30:41.920
<v Speaker 2>it's because they swing the ball. They move it around.

0:30:42.560 --> 0:30:45.360
<v Speaker 2>So what the Sun can do is try to speed

0:30:45.440 --> 0:30:47.560
<v Speaker 2>that up. If they try to speed them up. We

0:30:47.600 --> 0:30:50.200
<v Speaker 2>saw Phoenix do that to them when they were coming

0:30:50.240 --> 0:30:53.240
<v Speaker 2>back in Game one after being down twenty points. You're

0:30:53.280 --> 0:30:56.680
<v Speaker 2>pressuring the ball, You're making Courtney Williams take a rush

0:30:56.840 --> 0:30:59.640
<v Speaker 2>midi instead of one that's in control and in rhythm.

0:31:00.120 --> 0:31:03.040
<v Speaker 2>So the Sun is the number one defense right now

0:31:03.080 --> 0:31:05.600
<v Speaker 2>and Minnesota is the number two defense right now. So

0:31:05.760 --> 0:31:09.040
<v Speaker 2>it is going to be a defensive battle all the

0:31:09.080 --> 0:31:13.080
<v Speaker 2>defensive head This is your series. But if you are

0:31:13.240 --> 0:31:16.600
<v Speaker 2>pressuring Minnesota and trying to speed them up, Fee is

0:31:16.640 --> 0:31:17.680
<v Speaker 2>going to do Fee.

0:31:17.720 --> 0:31:19.040
<v Speaker 4>She's going to get her shots.

0:31:19.040 --> 0:31:21.680
<v Speaker 2>But I think the rest of the team what makes

0:31:21.880 --> 0:31:24.160
<v Speaker 2>the Links so dangerous is that they can spread it

0:31:24.200 --> 0:31:26.400
<v Speaker 2>out and everybody's in double figures.

0:31:26.000 --> 0:31:27.680
<v Speaker 4>When you look at the box at the end of

0:31:27.720 --> 0:31:28.080
<v Speaker 4>the day.

0:31:28.520 --> 0:31:31.160
<v Speaker 2>So if you try to limit those shots, that's kind

0:31:31.160 --> 0:31:32.360
<v Speaker 2>of your best bet.

0:31:32.680 --> 0:31:35.240
<v Speaker 1>Who you got stepping up if fees in foul trouble

0:31:35.320 --> 0:31:37.040
<v Speaker 1>or isn't isn't at her best.

0:31:38.280 --> 0:31:43.239
<v Speaker 6>Caleb McBride has had a quiet like one of the

0:31:43.280 --> 0:31:46.440
<v Speaker 6>best seasons of her career, and I think that is

0:31:46.480 --> 0:31:50.400
<v Speaker 6>a shout out to Cheryl Reeve and Nefisa Collier just

0:31:50.880 --> 0:31:52.480
<v Speaker 6>getting the best out of all these.

0:31:52.320 --> 0:31:55.840
<v Speaker 2>Players so late in their careers. But I can see

0:31:55.920 --> 0:31:59.160
<v Speaker 2>Caleb McBride just knocking down some shots, but also putting

0:31:59.200 --> 0:32:01.080
<v Speaker 2>the ball on the floor driving to the basket when

0:32:01.080 --> 0:32:04.800
<v Speaker 2>she's aggressive that way, the Links are super super scary.

0:32:04.800 --> 0:32:07.960
<v Speaker 2>And then Bridget Carleton getting some votes for most Improved

0:32:08.000 --> 0:32:10.840
<v Speaker 2>Player of the Year. She has, I mean down the

0:32:10.840 --> 0:32:14.520
<v Speaker 2>stretch in clutch time. My goodness, Bridget Carleton has been

0:32:14.600 --> 0:32:17.520
<v Speaker 2>on points, so I also see her having a good series.

0:32:18.440 --> 0:32:20.560
<v Speaker 1>Ben on the other side of Lissa Thomas, the only

0:32:20.560 --> 0:32:24.000
<v Speaker 1>player in WNBA Playoff history with fifteen plus points, thirteen

0:32:24.000 --> 0:32:26.160
<v Speaker 1>plus assists and five plus rebounds in a game, and

0:32:26.200 --> 0:32:28.680
<v Speaker 1>she's done it twice. Now, what do the Links have

0:32:28.720 --> 0:32:29.640
<v Speaker 1>to do to slow her down.

0:32:31.200 --> 0:32:32.880
<v Speaker 3>I don't know what you can do. I mean, try

0:32:32.880 --> 0:32:34.440
<v Speaker 3>and get her her way, and I guess she's going

0:32:34.520 --> 0:32:36.400
<v Speaker 3>to run you over and hope to draw charge.

0:32:36.520 --> 0:32:38.080
<v Speaker 5>Like, what are the what are.

0:32:37.960 --> 0:32:39.800
<v Speaker 3>The solutions to slong the list of Thomas down? No

0:32:39.840 --> 0:32:41.440
<v Speaker 3>one has really found six a.

0:32:41.400 --> 0:32:46.040
<v Speaker 1>Third labor to terror to, a third labrum, a.

0:32:46.040 --> 0:32:48.120
<v Speaker 3>Sixth player to follow her on the court as well,

0:32:48.160 --> 0:32:51.080
<v Speaker 3>something like that. I mean, look, the thing about Connecticut

0:32:51.240 --> 0:32:53.960
<v Speaker 3>is they can play at so many different styles and

0:32:54.000 --> 0:32:56.320
<v Speaker 3>I think that's what is making them so dangerous right now.

0:32:56.400 --> 0:32:59.200
<v Speaker 3>Jordan mentioned the pace Connecticut, you know, bottom of the

0:32:59.240 --> 0:33:01.480
<v Speaker 3>league in terms of but yet in the first round

0:33:01.680 --> 0:33:04.160
<v Speaker 3>they actually scored the second most fast break points of

0:33:04.200 --> 0:33:06.560
<v Speaker 3>any team of the eight teams in the playoffs, behind

0:33:06.600 --> 0:33:09.320
<v Speaker 3>just the Indiana Fever. They moved in transition and were

0:33:09.360 --> 0:33:11.800
<v Speaker 3>sped up and did just fine. Right, It's a team

0:33:11.840 --> 0:33:14.400
<v Speaker 3>that normally struggles a little bit from three point range,

0:33:14.400 --> 0:33:16.560
<v Speaker 3>but we saw Marina Mabery get hot. And if she's

0:33:16.640 --> 0:33:18.880
<v Speaker 3>able to get hot, you know she shot under forty

0:33:18.920 --> 0:33:22.200
<v Speaker 3>percent I think just four times since like late August

0:33:22.280 --> 0:33:24.479
<v Speaker 3>or mid August, like she's been really really good and

0:33:24.600 --> 0:33:26.840
<v Speaker 3>was really great in that first round series. So if

0:33:26.840 --> 0:33:29.800
<v Speaker 3>she's making shots, especially from their perimeter, they can make

0:33:29.840 --> 0:33:31.880
<v Speaker 3>three pointers in a way that they haven't before. We

0:33:31.920 --> 0:33:35.520
<v Speaker 3>saw someone like Veronica Burton who normally does not score right.

0:33:35.560 --> 0:33:38.360
<v Speaker 3>I think she had only reached double figures five times

0:33:38.400 --> 0:33:41.160
<v Speaker 3>previously in her three year career. She gets ten off

0:33:41.200 --> 0:33:43.440
<v Speaker 3>the bench right and plays a key role. So different

0:33:43.440 --> 0:33:45.920
<v Speaker 3>players are stepping up, They're playing different styles. I think

0:33:45.960 --> 0:33:49.000
<v Speaker 3>that's something to be aware of, and so much of

0:33:49.000 --> 0:33:51.200
<v Speaker 3>that to me, it is Thomas and her ability to

0:33:51.480 --> 0:33:52.440
<v Speaker 3>play different roles.

0:33:52.560 --> 0:33:53.960
<v Speaker 5>But also do Wanna Bonner? Right?

0:33:54.080 --> 0:33:56.440
<v Speaker 3>You asked Jordan about slowing down to Fisa Collier. I

0:33:56.440 --> 0:33:59.040
<v Speaker 3>think to want to Bonnor. We might see her gardener

0:33:59.080 --> 0:34:01.000
<v Speaker 3>Fisa Kllier for a little bit of this series, and

0:34:01.080 --> 0:34:03.000
<v Speaker 3>you're talking about a smith army knife defender.

0:34:03.360 --> 0:34:03.600
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:34:03.640 --> 0:34:05.960
<v Speaker 3>From Clark to Open, you know, game one of the

0:34:06.000 --> 0:34:09.280
<v Speaker 3>first round, Tafisa Kalier. Two very different kinds of players.

0:34:09.760 --> 0:34:12.240
<v Speaker 3>But do have a player in Bonner capable of doing

0:34:12.280 --> 0:34:15.560
<v Speaker 3>both like that is such a luxury. It's why Connecticut

0:34:15.640 --> 0:34:16.560
<v Speaker 3>is so tough to be.

0:34:17.560 --> 0:34:20.680
<v Speaker 1>You mentioned top two defenses in these teams, top five

0:34:20.760 --> 0:34:24.319
<v Speaker 1>offenses in these teams. Two great coaches and Stephanie White

0:34:24.320 --> 0:34:26.279
<v Speaker 1>and Cheryl reed We got the coach of the year

0:34:26.280 --> 0:34:28.600
<v Speaker 1>from last year, we got a three time coach of

0:34:28.600 --> 0:34:30.920
<v Speaker 1>the year. How much of this is going to come

0:34:30.960 --> 0:34:34.400
<v Speaker 1>down to strategy and who figures out how to face

0:34:34.440 --> 0:34:37.200
<v Speaker 1>the other team better? And how much is it just

0:34:37.280 --> 0:34:40.960
<v Speaker 1>the players executing the plan like we're I guess I'm

0:34:40.960 --> 0:34:45.720
<v Speaker 1>asking for a pick Jordan. Oh gosh, I know, so unfair.

0:34:46.360 --> 0:34:49.000
<v Speaker 4>How do you go against Cheryl Reeve?

0:34:49.280 --> 0:34:54.759
<v Speaker 2>I don't know, But what that said, Stephanie White has

0:34:54.880 --> 0:34:59.600
<v Speaker 2>proven been mentioned that switch Ondwana Bonner on Caitlin Clark.

0:35:00.000 --> 0:35:05.719
<v Speaker 2>He's so smart and such a strategy shift in their

0:35:05.760 --> 0:35:09.239
<v Speaker 2>defense and it changed everything, I think, especially in that

0:35:09.320 --> 0:35:13.520
<v Speaker 2>Game one using Dowana Bonner's length. So I'm excited to

0:35:13.600 --> 0:35:16.200
<v Speaker 2>see what Stephanie White's gonna come up with, Like that's

0:35:16.280 --> 0:35:19.759
<v Speaker 2>the fun part of this. Her clipboard is amazing, some

0:35:19.840 --> 0:35:23.120
<v Speaker 2>of those bounds plays, those last minute shots that she's

0:35:23.160 --> 0:35:24.120
<v Speaker 2>able to draw up.

0:35:24.480 --> 0:35:25.600
<v Speaker 4>So that's going to be fun.

0:35:25.640 --> 0:35:29.080
<v Speaker 2>But then you go with the experience of Cheryl Reeve

0:35:29.280 --> 0:35:33.239
<v Speaker 2>just being in these situations time and time again. I

0:35:33.400 --> 0:35:35.680
<v Speaker 2>always battle with that when we get to this time,

0:35:35.760 --> 0:35:39.000
<v Speaker 2>how much does experience really come into play when you

0:35:39.080 --> 0:35:41.680
<v Speaker 2>have players who have been here before who want to

0:35:41.719 --> 0:35:43.399
<v Speaker 2>get over the hump, and then you have a team

0:35:43.440 --> 0:35:46.440
<v Speaker 2>like Connecticut who's like, we have to get past this point,

0:35:46.520 --> 0:35:50.040
<v Speaker 2>Like it is desperation mode for our franchise. We have

0:35:50.120 --> 0:35:52.919
<v Speaker 2>to get past this point. So Cheryl Reeve is going

0:35:52.960 --> 0:35:56.000
<v Speaker 2>to do what she has constantly done, but she's also

0:35:56.080 --> 0:35:58.440
<v Speaker 2>been able to get the players to buy in to.

0:35:58.560 --> 0:35:59.760
<v Speaker 4>This defensive system.

0:36:00.160 --> 0:36:02.680
<v Speaker 2>And I've been playing close attention these past couple games

0:36:02.960 --> 0:36:06.320
<v Speaker 2>of when she calls her timeouts, and it is fully

0:36:06.560 --> 0:36:09.120
<v Speaker 2>when the defense is not doing what they are supposed

0:36:09.160 --> 0:36:11.440
<v Speaker 2>to do, when they are giving some backdoor cuts or

0:36:11.480 --> 0:36:14.360
<v Speaker 2>some pick and roll actions, it's a time out because

0:36:14.360 --> 0:36:17.440
<v Speaker 2>that's not the standard of defense that we play. So

0:36:17.520 --> 0:36:21.040
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to I'm sure that's going to happen again

0:36:21.160 --> 0:36:24.439
<v Speaker 2>with Cheryl Reeves high standard and like, hey, I got

0:36:24.440 --> 0:36:26.799
<v Speaker 2>some rings. This isn't going to get it done, and

0:36:27.160 --> 0:36:29.040
<v Speaker 2>I'm excited to see that. Yeah.

0:36:29.040 --> 0:36:31.319
<v Speaker 1>I hate those in game coach interviews. I mean, I

0:36:31.440 --> 0:36:33.160
<v Speaker 1>like the idea of them, but they just think the

0:36:33.200 --> 0:36:36.560
<v Speaker 1>coach always seems like they cannot stand it and half

0:36:36.560 --> 0:36:38.600
<v Speaker 1>the time they can't even hear it. But I did

0:36:38.680 --> 0:36:40.839
<v Speaker 1>like the insight into Cheryl being like, in the last

0:36:40.840 --> 0:36:43.200
<v Speaker 1>two halves, we've given up half one hundred points in

0:36:43.239 --> 0:36:45.000
<v Speaker 1>each one, and there have been twenty six points in

0:36:45.000 --> 0:36:46.680
<v Speaker 1>the paint. I'm gonna give you every single stant about

0:36:46.719 --> 0:36:48.560
<v Speaker 1>how pissed I am about this defense. It's not show

0:36:48.560 --> 0:36:50.400
<v Speaker 1>it up. And I was like, okay, all right, she

0:36:50.520 --> 0:36:52.680
<v Speaker 1>ripped into them in halftime, and they're gonna come out

0:36:52.680 --> 0:36:54.479
<v Speaker 1>of here with a little bit better defense for sure.

0:36:55.280 --> 0:36:57.200
<v Speaker 1>Ben Jordan didn't answer my questions. So I'm just gonna

0:36:57.200 --> 0:36:58.960
<v Speaker 1>ask you about out. I need you to make a

0:36:58.960 --> 0:36:59.840
<v Speaker 1>pick in both series.

0:37:00.040 --> 0:37:02.560
<v Speaker 5>Oh yeah, I noticed that too. I was going to

0:37:02.640 --> 0:37:03.399
<v Speaker 5>call her out if you did.

0:37:06.560 --> 0:37:07.759
<v Speaker 4>You know what I was trying to do.

0:37:08.800 --> 0:37:11.359
<v Speaker 3>I'm glad you did the job before me. I think

0:37:11.440 --> 0:37:15.680
<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna lean slightly towards Connecticut. Actually, I think they're

0:37:15.880 --> 0:37:18.640
<v Speaker 3>in my mind, a slightly more talented roster top to Bonham.

0:37:18.719 --> 0:37:21.200
<v Speaker 3>I think they can play in different ways as I

0:37:21.239 --> 0:37:23.840
<v Speaker 3>was talking about. I also think like this is a

0:37:23.840 --> 0:37:26.239
<v Speaker 3>team that is comfortable and confident going up against the

0:37:26.280 --> 0:37:29.080
<v Speaker 3>Minnesota Links. They won the season series to one this year.

0:37:29.560 --> 0:37:31.680
<v Speaker 3>It is a franchise in Connecticut that has actually ended

0:37:31.719 --> 0:37:34.360
<v Speaker 3>Minnesota's season the past two years, last year in the

0:37:34.360 --> 0:37:36.640
<v Speaker 3>playoffs and two years ago in the final day of

0:37:36.640 --> 0:37:39.600
<v Speaker 3>the regular season. Connecticut, you know, might not have home

0:37:39.640 --> 0:37:41.520
<v Speaker 3>court in this series, but if you remember back to

0:37:41.600 --> 0:37:45.839
<v Speaker 3>last year's postseason, they actually won Game three in Minnesota convincingly.

0:37:45.960 --> 0:37:48.240
<v Speaker 3>So I don't think the thought of going to Target Center,

0:37:48.560 --> 0:37:50.520
<v Speaker 3>you know, in front of a rockus crowd, is any

0:37:50.600 --> 0:37:52.840
<v Speaker 3>kind of thing that the Connecticut son are afraid of.

0:37:53.440 --> 0:37:56.799
<v Speaker 3>It's a veteran group and you know, I like Thomas

0:37:57.000 --> 0:38:00.000
<v Speaker 3>Jones Maybury like what they can all do. Bonner is

0:38:00.080 --> 0:38:04.920
<v Speaker 3>we talked about, like Minnesota, the question I've gone back

0:38:04.920 --> 0:38:07.560
<v Speaker 3>to all year is have they hit their ceiling? And

0:38:07.600 --> 0:38:09.640
<v Speaker 3>if Nafisa Collier plays it the way she did in

0:38:09.680 --> 0:38:12.000
<v Speaker 3>the first round, I think the answer is no. But

0:38:12.160 --> 0:38:14.880
<v Speaker 3>so much of what they do is incredible team defense.

0:38:14.920 --> 0:38:17.800
<v Speaker 3>It's incredible ball movement on offenses Jordan was talking about.

0:38:18.120 --> 0:38:20.440
<v Speaker 3>And I do wonder that if games slow down and

0:38:20.560 --> 0:38:24.839
<v Speaker 3>the competition continues to heat up, like does Connecticut just

0:38:25.000 --> 0:38:28.320
<v Speaker 3>wear on them and just make plays in little moments

0:38:28.360 --> 0:38:30.239
<v Speaker 3>that are the difference. So I actually think this one

0:38:30.280 --> 0:38:32.120
<v Speaker 3>is going to go five and I'm going to take

0:38:32.120 --> 0:38:35.319
<v Speaker 3>the Sun on the road beating Minnesota in that fifth game.

0:38:35.800 --> 0:38:37.960
<v Speaker 1>I'll tell you what Ben's going to do his research,

0:38:38.040 --> 0:38:40.839
<v Speaker 1>and you did mention the ball movement. They actually set

0:38:40.840 --> 0:38:44.640
<v Speaker 1>a record over that series of most points assisted in

0:38:44.680 --> 0:38:48.040
<v Speaker 1>a two game playoff series, so points off assists, the

0:38:48.120 --> 0:38:50.479
<v Speaker 1>percentage was the best of all time, and you could

0:38:50.480 --> 0:38:54.480
<v Speaker 1>see that it was very hard to stop them in

0:38:54.480 --> 0:38:56.000
<v Speaker 1>the half court and very hard to stop them with

0:38:56.000 --> 0:38:58.759
<v Speaker 1>points off turnovers two, which I think the Sun will

0:38:58.800 --> 0:39:01.680
<v Speaker 1>do a better job of this series. Ben quick make

0:39:01.680 --> 0:39:02.720
<v Speaker 1>a pick for the first series.

0:39:03.200 --> 0:39:05.520
<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna go to New York in five games. I

0:39:05.560 --> 0:39:08.000
<v Speaker 3>think if you are a fan of the New York Liberty,

0:39:08.040 --> 0:39:09.920
<v Speaker 3>I think you should be very afraid of how they

0:39:09.960 --> 0:39:12.680
<v Speaker 3>looked against the Las Vegas Aces in mid August without

0:39:12.680 --> 0:39:15.359
<v Speaker 3>Asia Wilson. But New York still did beat Las Vegas

0:39:15.400 --> 0:39:17.200
<v Speaker 3>in all three matchups. This year, it's a different team,

0:39:17.239 --> 0:39:19.759
<v Speaker 3>Sabrina and Escu, a different player from last year to

0:39:19.800 --> 0:39:21.919
<v Speaker 3>this year, and I do think the Phoebish switch into

0:39:21.920 --> 0:39:24.520
<v Speaker 3>the starting lineup creates a different look. I like New

0:39:24.640 --> 0:39:26.000
<v Speaker 3>York in five games in that one.

0:39:26.520 --> 0:39:28.839
<v Speaker 1>All right, Jordan, back to you. We're making picks this time.

0:39:28.880 --> 0:39:29.440
<v Speaker 1>Both series.

0:39:29.520 --> 0:39:35.920
<v Speaker 2>Go Man Okay, well, let's start with Connecticut Minnesota. I

0:39:36.440 --> 0:39:39.960
<v Speaker 2>also think Connecticut that desperation is gonna kick in. Like

0:39:40.000 --> 0:39:43.080
<v Speaker 2>I said, it truly feels like, do we blow it

0:39:43.160 --> 0:39:45.040
<v Speaker 2>up after this year if they don't get it done.

0:39:45.080 --> 0:39:48.480
<v Speaker 4>They've always been the bridesmaid, never the bride, So do

0:39:48.560 --> 0:39:49.600
<v Speaker 4>wanna playoff?

0:39:49.640 --> 0:39:52.520
<v Speaker 2>Dowana Bonner is such a treat for all of us,

0:39:52.560 --> 0:39:55.440
<v Speaker 2>and she's able to still in year fifteen kick it

0:39:55.480 --> 0:39:58.759
<v Speaker 2>into another gear. So she has a she has a

0:39:58.800 --> 0:40:01.840
<v Speaker 2>semi finals gear, and I'm excited to see that happen.

0:40:01.960 --> 0:40:09.439
<v Speaker 2>So yes, I think Connecticut gets Minnesota in. God, I'm

0:40:09.440 --> 0:40:11.279
<v Speaker 2>not saying the games don't put me to that, but

0:40:11.400 --> 0:40:16.800
<v Speaker 2>I'm saying Connecticut wins. Now for the Liberty and the Aces, Gosh,

0:40:17.000 --> 0:40:20.960
<v Speaker 2>this is tough because I do feel like the Aces

0:40:21.000 --> 0:40:25.879
<v Speaker 2>are a different team from when the Liberty beat them

0:40:25.920 --> 0:40:30.440
<v Speaker 2>those other times. They are just hitting a stride right now,

0:40:30.520 --> 0:40:33.640
<v Speaker 2>and Asia Wilson is hitting a stride and Chelsea Gray

0:40:33.800 --> 0:40:36.760
<v Speaker 2>is back to the playoff point. God, and you can't

0:40:36.840 --> 0:40:42.960
<v Speaker 2>ever count her out for that. But Sabrina has something

0:40:43.120 --> 0:40:47.480
<v Speaker 2>different in her eye. That focus is there. She was

0:40:47.640 --> 0:40:51.000
<v Speaker 2>in the gym in the off season and me and

0:40:51.120 --> 0:40:53.160
<v Speaker 2>Cheryl Swoops talked about it on our podcast.

0:40:53.400 --> 0:40:55.960
<v Speaker 4>She could have been up for most Improved Player, Like she's.

0:40:55.760 --> 0:41:00.359
<v Speaker 2>Added so much into her bag that it's it's tough

0:41:00.400 --> 0:41:03.359
<v Speaker 2>to be a liberty team where Stuwie is playing at

0:41:03.360 --> 0:41:06.480
<v Speaker 2>a high level and she has a quiet thirty because

0:41:06.520 --> 0:41:09.960
<v Speaker 2>Sabrina is making so much noise not only from beyond

0:41:09.960 --> 0:41:12.360
<v Speaker 2>the three point line but also in the paint and

0:41:12.480 --> 0:41:16.040
<v Speaker 2>attacking and driving. So I have New York because I

0:41:16.200 --> 0:41:18.960
<v Speaker 2>just feel like this is their season, all right.

0:41:18.960 --> 0:41:20.560
<v Speaker 1>That was unfair of me, So thank you guys. I

0:41:20.600 --> 0:41:23.040
<v Speaker 1>appreciate you playing a lot in there. It's a tough one.

0:41:23.040 --> 0:41:25.520
<v Speaker 1>This is gonna be so much fun. Listen to the

0:41:25.560 --> 0:41:30.120
<v Speaker 1>Athletic Women's Basketball Podcast. Listen to Queens of the Court

0:41:30.320 --> 0:41:33.239
<v Speaker 1>Jordan alongside Cheryl Swoops, and thanks to both of you

0:41:33.280 --> 0:41:33.840
<v Speaker 1>for hopping on.

0:41:34.360 --> 0:41:37.440
<v Speaker 4>Thank you for having us.

0:41:38.400 --> 0:41:40.239
<v Speaker 1>We gotta pay some bills. When we come back. We

0:41:40.280 --> 0:41:50.840
<v Speaker 1>air out some weirdos for being weirdos. Welcome back, Slices.

0:41:51.000 --> 0:41:52.920
<v Speaker 1>It's been a while since we called someone out for

0:41:52.920 --> 0:41:56.600
<v Speaker 1>fucking around and finding out and it's time we're back. Baby.

0:41:57.280 --> 0:41:59.479
<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the gambling site and I'm not giving

0:41:59.480 --> 0:42:02.320
<v Speaker 1>it Freeable City by naming it here. That set odds

0:42:02.360 --> 0:42:06.600
<v Speaker 1>on Chicago's Skyrookie Angel Reese's Next Boyfriend, The Superstar first

0:42:06.640 --> 0:42:08.440
<v Speaker 1>year player talked about the kind of guy she likes

0:42:08.440 --> 0:42:12.000
<v Speaker 1>on her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, saying, quote, he gotta be

0:42:12.080 --> 0:42:15.960
<v Speaker 1>tall six ' seven, six ' eight yeah NBA end quote,

0:42:16.360 --> 0:42:18.560
<v Speaker 1>And there were rumors that she was dating Detroit Piston's

0:42:18.560 --> 0:42:21.680
<v Speaker 1>power forward Jalen Duran. So the gambling site ran with it,

0:42:21.760 --> 0:42:25.960
<v Speaker 1>making an Angel Reese Next Boyfriend odds chart and allowing

0:42:25.960 --> 0:42:29.560
<v Speaker 1>people to bet on her dating life. Now, listen, we

0:42:29.680 --> 0:42:32.640
<v Speaker 1>love a good gab sesshon about who's dating who. See

0:42:32.680 --> 0:42:36.120
<v Speaker 1>our ongoing Aposto Bam coverage and the fact that Taylor's

0:42:36.160 --> 0:42:38.920
<v Speaker 1>with and Travis Kelsey videos are basically my whole personality.

0:42:39.040 --> 0:42:42.120
<v Speaker 1>But we draw the line at profiting off people betting

0:42:42.200 --> 0:42:45.120
<v Speaker 1>on someone's love life. Come on, now, we're going to

0:42:45.200 --> 0:42:47.560
<v Speaker 1>keep poking our nose in other people's business when and

0:42:47.719 --> 0:42:50.759
<v Speaker 1>only when they're appearing at each other's Keys to the

0:42:50.760 --> 0:42:53.240
<v Speaker 1>City day or performing on stage at a multi billion

0:42:53.280 --> 0:42:56.480
<v Speaker 1>dollar tour. We have standards here. Okay, we love that

0:42:56.520 --> 0:42:57.840
<v Speaker 1>you're listening, but we want you to get in the

0:42:57.840 --> 0:42:59.719
<v Speaker 1>game every day too. So here's our good gameplay of

0:42:59.760 --> 0:43:02.759
<v Speaker 1>the day. Let's counteract some of the garbage in the

0:43:02.800 --> 0:43:06.160
<v Speaker 1>menshies of our FAVEWNBA players and send them some love instead.

0:43:06.440 --> 0:43:08.520
<v Speaker 1>So find a couple of your favorites and send them

0:43:08.560 --> 0:43:13.600
<v Speaker 1>some positive messages please on X, Twitter, Insta, wherever, and

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<v Speaker 1>on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave

0:43:18.120 --> 0:43:20.040
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0:43:20.120 --> 0:43:23.400
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0:43:23.480 --> 0:43:26.920
<v Speaker 1>don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy watch

0:43:27.880 --> 0:43:31.600
<v Speaker 1>Twitter slash x owner Elon Musk changing the block feature

0:43:31.680 --> 0:43:33.880
<v Speaker 1>so blocked users can still see the posts of the

0:43:33.920 --> 0:43:37.560
<v Speaker 1>accounts that block them, rating a billion T out of

0:43:37.560 --> 0:43:42.200
<v Speaker 1>a billion T fail whales review. Elon has long hated

0:43:42.239 --> 0:43:45.000
<v Speaker 1>the block feature, saying it quote unquote makes no sense,

0:43:45.160 --> 0:43:47.720
<v Speaker 1>which is exactly what someone would say who's been blocked

0:43:47.719 --> 0:43:51.560
<v Speaker 1>thousands and thousands of times for I don't know, inciting hate,

0:43:51.640 --> 0:43:55.640
<v Speaker 1>spreading misinformation, restoring Donald Trump's Twitter threatening a cage match

0:43:55.680 --> 0:43:58.600
<v Speaker 1>with Mark Zuckerberg, selling blue check marks, making the report

0:43:58.640 --> 0:44:02.520
<v Speaker 1>function essentially useless. Making the search function essentially useless, making

0:44:02.560 --> 0:44:06.759
<v Speaker 1>the security protection essentially useless, losing users, losing billions, and

0:44:06.800 --> 0:44:09.440
<v Speaker 1>losing cool points for shit like posting a picture holding

0:44:09.440 --> 0:44:12.839
<v Speaker 1>a sink and writing quote let that sink in. So

0:44:13.080 --> 0:44:15.400
<v Speaker 1>not only has he confused us all by giving Twitter

0:44:15.440 --> 0:44:18.359
<v Speaker 1>two names Twitter x, twitter x, I don't know what

0:44:18.360 --> 0:44:20.760
<v Speaker 1>the fuck is, but he's also allowed right wing bots

0:44:20.800 --> 0:44:23.919
<v Speaker 1>to continue flourishing and harassing people, and now he wants

0:44:23.960 --> 0:44:27.120
<v Speaker 1>the harassment to be less checked. Allowing block users to

0:44:27.160 --> 0:44:29.279
<v Speaker 1>see your content just makes it that much easier for

0:44:29.320 --> 0:44:32.440
<v Speaker 1>them to continue to harass you. Sure, folks have always

0:44:32.440 --> 0:44:34.880
<v Speaker 1>been able to create another account, logging over there and

0:44:34.920 --> 0:44:37.120
<v Speaker 1>go creep on your posts, but at least that creates

0:44:37.120 --> 0:44:39.960
<v Speaker 1>some sort of barrier, some sort of work. Now, if

0:44:40.000 --> 0:44:41.920
<v Speaker 1>your stocker wants to keep up with you, Elon's made

0:44:41.960 --> 0:44:44.319
<v Speaker 1>it real easy, and I have no doubt that this

0:44:44.400 --> 0:44:47.440
<v Speaker 1>is just a step toward eliminating the block feature altogether,

0:44:47.760 --> 0:44:50.040
<v Speaker 1>something he's been threatening to do since he became the

0:44:50.040 --> 0:44:54.480
<v Speaker 1>app's evil overlord. Thankfully, Apple's App Store guidelines mandate that

0:44:54.520 --> 0:44:57.760
<v Speaker 1>social networks offer quote the ability to block abusive users

0:44:57.760 --> 0:45:00.640
<v Speaker 1>from the service end quote, So maybe that'll keep captain

0:45:00.680 --> 0:45:04.040
<v Speaker 1>Dick Rockets somewhat in line. Now. Am I gonna get

0:45:04.040 --> 0:45:06.640
<v Speaker 1>off Twitter or whatever the fuck it's called. I'm not

0:45:07.360 --> 0:45:10.719
<v Speaker 1>because that would be letting him win, and because I'm addicted,

0:45:10.920 --> 0:45:12.879
<v Speaker 1>So I'll be on it till they pry my phone

0:45:12.880 --> 0:45:15.479
<v Speaker 1>out of my cold dead hands. What can I say,

0:45:15.600 --> 0:45:18.919
<v Speaker 1>I'm weak. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks

0:45:19.000 --> 0:45:21.360
<v Speaker 1>for listening, have a great weekend and see you next week.

0:45:21.719 --> 0:45:26.120
<v Speaker 1>Good game, Jordan, Good game, Ben, Thank you again, Lady

0:45:26.239 --> 0:45:29.200
<v Speaker 1>with the band Nail's shirt. No one wants you here

0:45:29.560 --> 0:45:33.520
<v Speaker 1>in case that wasn't clear. Good Game with Sarah Spain

0:45:33.640 --> 0:45:36.200
<v Speaker 1>is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep

0:45:36.200 --> 0:45:38.480
<v Speaker 1>Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the

0:45:38.560 --> 0:45:41.920
<v Speaker 1>iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:45:42.080 --> 0:45:45.440
<v Speaker 1>Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie

0:45:45.440 --> 0:45:49.120
<v Speaker 1>and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz,

0:45:49.200 --> 0:45:52.480
<v Speaker 1>Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder,

0:45:52.480 --> 0:45:56.319
<v Speaker 1>Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistants from

0:45:56.400 --> 0:46:00.520
<v Speaker 1>Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain st