WEBVTT - WNBA Playoff Preview 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.000 Before we get started, please rate and review our show. 0:00:03.240 --> 0:00:09.720 It helps people find us. On this episode of Sports 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:13.240 Illustrated Weekly, the w NBA Playoffs are upon us and 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:15.560 we have everything you need to know to get ready. 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:18.280 We are delighted to be joined by Jordan Legans from 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:23.360 The Spinsters podcast and Buckets for our postseason preview. I'm 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.160 your host, John Gonzalez from Sports Illustrated and I Heart Radio. 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:39.839 This is Sports Illustrated Weekly. Jordan Legans, Welcome back to 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.840 Sports Illustrated Weekly. Thank you for having me. So happy 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:45.479 to be here again. Oh, it's delightful to have you 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:48.879 on as always. The w NBA Playoffs are here and 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:51.279 you're gonna help us set the table. Before we get 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:53.279 I want to run through all of the different matchups 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:55.680 with you, because nobody's just plugged into the w n 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:57.040 b a as you are, so it's gonna be great 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:58.320 for all of us. But I want to talk about 0:00:58.360 --> 0:01:00.280 the change to the format in the playoffs, which I 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:03.360 find very interesting. Jordan's so no more buys. Every team 0:01:03.360 --> 0:01:06.120 plays in the first round, no receding after the first round. 0:01:06.400 --> 0:01:09.520 This is the component that I find interesting after six 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:12.120 years of single elimination first and second round games. We 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:15.119 have now moved to first round matchups as a best 0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:18.920 of three, semifinal and finals best of five the first 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:22.680 round Jordan's this is the wrinkle. First two games at 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.479 the higher seed at home. If the lower seats somehow 0:01:25.520 --> 0:01:28.640 pulls that off, they get the decisive game three on 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:30.160 their core. What do you make of all this? Do 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:33.120 we like it? I like it? I like it. It's 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:36.720 like the new old format because this is a format 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:39.959 that the W used to have back in the heyday. 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:44.160 The single elimination was just chaos and it was fun, 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:48.040 but it was like March madness at a pro level, 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:51.400 and some players hated it, like if you have an 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:54.880 off game and you're a top seed, you don't have 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:58.520 a chance to redeem yourself. So I like this series. 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.240 It gives us more games just in general, more playoff games, 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:05.720 which is what we want. But it's time it allows 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:09.280 for some bounce back games, because that's how the Chicago 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.360 skuy won last year. They had their best games in 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:14.880 those single elimination games and then they ended up winning 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:17.520 the finals. They came into the playoffs at five hundred 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:21.200 and they still won the finals, so it they kind 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:26.120 of stopped that right after Chicago did that you make 0:02:26.160 --> 0:02:28.760 a compelling point. More basketball is always good. We love 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:31.680 basketball here. On the one hand, I am an agent 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.080 of chaos in my own life. I also embraced chaos 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:38.200 as a content creator. However, if you were a basketball 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:41.200 player and a basketball team, and you were a higher seed, 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:43.680 you certainly want more games because, as we know, the 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:46.520 statistics bear it out. If you have an actual series, 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.959 the higher seeds, the more accomplished teams tend to get 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:53.120 through as opposed to Hey, on any given night, if 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:55.000 it's just one game, now, all of a sudden, there 0:02:55.080 --> 0:02:56.560 might be an upset. So it is a little bit 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:58.799 fairer for the teams that are putting the work during 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.960 the regular season, which brings me Jordan's to these matchups. 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:04.440 We'll start with the one versus the eight. It's the 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.720 Las Vegas Aces versus the Phoenix Mercury. The race. The 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:10.200 number one Vegas barely held off the Chicago Sky, the 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:15.200 aforementioned defending champions by a half game. It lost any sass, 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:21.840 I'm the number one overall. See in the radio playoffs 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:24.440 Vegas one all three games versus the Mercury in the 0:03:24.520 --> 0:03:27.919 regular season. Uh, what do you see? From Vegas. What 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.760 are their strengths to the Does Mercury have any shot here? 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:35.200 Vegas is going to win the championship, That is my statement. 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:37.320 I was gonna save that for the end, but all right, 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:39.200 let's do it up top. Let's do it up top, 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.360 because they are winning this series and they are beating everyone. 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:46.520 Asia Wilson is my m v P, so I don't 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:50.200 think the Mercury have a chance. Diana Trassi is is out. 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:52.560 She was out for the regular season. It's a question 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:56.200 mark if she's playing in the playoffs. Skylar Diggins didn't 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:59.720 finish the regular season for personal reasons. So this Mercury 0:03:59.760 --> 0:04:03.840 team him is kind of stitched together barely. They don't 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.720 have their all stars Superstar and Britney Griner right now. 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.120 The Aces also have some injuries with Derick A. Hanby, 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:15.160 but they are rolling Kelsey Plum. If Asia wasn't the 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:18.160 m v P, Kelsey Plum might be the m v P. 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:22.920 Becky Hammond has his team moving like a machine and 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:26.040 they're gonna beat everybody. So the Mercury are first up 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.400 and they're gonna beat them too. I like it. I 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:31.880 like how declarative and definitive. This is as you mentioned, 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.760 that first round matchup for the Aces doesn't seem like 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.360 a tall order because of all the things that Phoenix 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.200 has had to go through this season. There were five 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:42.360 games under five hundred, they finished fifteen and twenty. As 0:04:42.400 --> 0:04:45.240 you mentioned, Diana Tarassi has a quad strain. Who knows 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:48.080 if she'll be back. And then the entire Britney Grinder situation, 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:50.880 which has been just a really awful situation. Her lawyers, 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:52.840 we should mention, just appealed her sentence while the US 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:55.400 government tries to arrange a prisoners swap. There's no real 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.039 good transition here. It's just like a weight that's that's 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:01.880 over everybody. Uh and that that, obviously and rightly so, 0:05:02.680 --> 0:05:05.200 is a massive distruction because there's more important things in basketball. 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.120 But because we're discussing basketball here, Jordan's just imagine you 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:11.479 made the case for the Aces rolling and they're gonna 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:13.960 win the championship, and they're they're playing so well, what 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:16.800 would a Mercury upset have to look like? What would 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:21.279 they have to pull off? They would have to score 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.680 a hundred and fifteen points each game. There's a lot 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:29.360 of points, especially in the debut. The Aces are scoring 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:34.040 so easily and so much, and they're going they're the 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:37.320 fastest team in the league pace wise, so it's like 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:40.560 you have to score more than them and you have 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:44.400 to be faster than them for three games or two games. 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.039 I don't see that happening, especially for the Mercury team. 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.680 So if they would, if they were to win, they 0:05:50.720 --> 0:05:52.800 don't have to take it to the whole series and 0:05:53.720 --> 0:06:01.160 probably shoot from three breaks. As a basketball fan, I 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:05.280 feel like is a tall order, uh, from or from 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:08.440 anywhere on the court. So got speed to the Mercury. 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:10.560 You've got some nice parting gifts coming your way. Let's 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.560 go to number two Chicago Sky versus the number seven 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.839 New York Liberty. Chicago almost got the top slot. They're 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:24.080 the defending champs for the first time in franchise history, 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:31.480 the Chicago Sky champions. We know that their interior with 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:35.680 Candice Parker is excellent, and yet you're already saying that 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:37.400 this is a rap. It's gonna go to the Aces. 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:39.480 Tell me more though about the Sky before we get 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:42.360 to the Liberty and why the Sky could maybe up 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:46.520 end your Aces in your prediction. The Sky have that 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:50.240 championship experience, right like going back to back you know 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:53.000 what it takes to get there. The Aces have been 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:56.640 to the finals before, but this pretty much same unit 0:06:56.839 --> 0:06:59.800 with the Sky. We're just there so they know what 0:06:59.880 --> 0:07:02.960 it takes. They have great leadership in Canus Parker. They 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:07.440 have Courtney bandersup, they have Khalia Copper and they're they're 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:09.720 just have their mindset there, like we know what it 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:11.600 takes to get there. We're going to get back whoever 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:14.880 is in our way. We're gonna bulldoze them. But when 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:18.680 they meet the Aces again, that's where it stops. I 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.920 have Chicago going all the way up until but we 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:24.640 just had the Commissioner's Cup not too long ago, which 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:27.960 is basically they're in season tournament for the w n 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:31.640 b A and the Chicago Sky and the Aces met there. 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.920 The Aces were up by thirty in the first quarter, 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.360 Like it's a lot of points. They score a lot 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:41.320 of points. That's what I'm getting at. So if the 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:45.680 Sky can match them there and kind of prep each 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.320 series like Okay, this is what we need to work 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.080 on to beat the Aces, then that's what's going to 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:54.120 get them there. First up for the Liberty, they are 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:57.840 a tough team and they barely made it into the playoffs. 0:07:57.920 --> 0:08:01.760 If you guys didn't know, the last regular season games 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:06.080 all decided the last three spots of the playoffs. So 0:08:06.120 --> 0:08:09.160 the Liberty got that spot because they beat the Atlanta Dream. 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:12.120 So the Liberty got that spot two times in a row. 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:17.920 They've squeaked in. But you have Sabrina Esque, which you're 0:08:17.920 --> 0:08:19.960 gonna bet money on. You're gonna bet money on that. 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:21.920 She's going to have a great game, She's gonna have 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:26.239 a good series. But Nigel Laney, Um, so many players 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:28.920 on this Liberty team are going to fight till the end. 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:31.320 But I still don't think they make it past Chicago 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:35.240 and their experience. Yeah, as you mentioned, Liberty just snuck in. 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.880 They finished at sixteen and twenty. Uh. Doesn't look good 0:08:38.920 --> 0:08:40.440 for them either, in the same way that it doesn't 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:42.760 look good for Phoenix. But now we get into some 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.320 of these matchups that could potentially be slightly more competitive. 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:49.640 You have number three Connecticut Sun versus the sixth seed 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:51.760 the Dallas Wings. The Son had a really good season 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:54.800 and eleven just a half game behind this guy in 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:57.679 a game behind the Aces eleven and three. Since the 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:00.360 All Star break, they're playing their best basketball right now. 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:04.280 What do you think maybe a potential spoiler somewhere in here. Yeah, 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:07.720 the Connecticut Son. I always say this about them. They 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:13.640 are the bride'smaids, but never the bride. They have wonderful 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:19.080 regular seasons top top three for the past like four years, 0:09:19.440 --> 0:09:22.319 but they when it gets to the postseason, it gets 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:28.559 a little shaky. So if I'm yes, and if you're 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:32.599 the Wings, you want the Connecticut Son. I'm excited for 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:35.680 this series because the Wings are a team that will 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:40.640 blow up everyone's bracket. Like they are really good and 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:45.320 they're peeking at the right time. Without their superstar, Rique 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:47.680 gomal A, one of the best players in the league, 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:50.880 is injured right now and she is expected to miss 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:53.480 the first round. I hate to see it for such 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.520 an awesome player. Plus, don't forget she's just came back 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:59.559 from that ankle injury. But the Dallas Wings have actually 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:04.160 been playing better without her, which is very interesting. Usually 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:06.480 that doesn't happen. Well, so let me let me stop 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:08.880 you then, because there they were a game under five hundred. 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:10.840 They finished at seventeen and eighteen. As you mentioned, they 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:13.240 don't have their top score the best player Rique, She's 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:16.920 got an abdominal injury and yet You're excited for the 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:20.120 series and think that the Wings want the Sun. So 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:23.360 what are the Wings doing to the Sun or what 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:25.520 do you think the Wings can bring that could potentially 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:30.319 spell an upset. The Sun are really good inside in 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.080 the paint. Most of their points are right in the middle. 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:37.959 They have Alyssa thomas Um, they have Bree Jones who 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:41.240 just clog it up. But the Dallas Wings have Tierra McCowen, 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:45.240 who is having a breakout season on this new team. 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.200 She was with the Fever before, now she's with Dallas 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.040 and we're really were able to see her blossom into 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:54.400 this dominant post player that we knew that she could be. 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:57.440 So they have that matchup in the in the paint, 0:10:57.720 --> 0:10:59.720 it's it's not going to be so easy for them 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:03.920 where they have John Quo Jones typically you know feasted inside, 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:06.679 but they have Tierra McCowan to at least be a 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:10.240 barrier and stop them. They also have Izzie Harrison, who 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.000 is a post player. So I think that matchup in 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:16.680 the paint is usually where Connecticut's son beats everybody else. 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:21.080 Dallas has that marked. And then on the outside, Dallas 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:24.640 has Marina Maybury who's having an incredible season, and it 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:29.160 is really stepping up while Rique is out and Connecticut 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:33.439 is a little inconsistent on the outside with their guards. 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.839 I think Heidelman is doing well. Courtney Williams is great, 0:11:37.480 --> 0:11:40.400 but I think Marina Maybrey is gonna drop a thirty 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.240 point game on them, and they're not gonna see it 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.719 coming because they're expecting a Rique to do that, and 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:47.920 since she's not here, maybe they fall back a little 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:51.839 bit um and Dallas kind of strikes. That's what I'm 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.240 hoping for. Are you gonna do it? Are you going 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:57.320 to pick the upset? Oh? Yeah, let's do it. Let's 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:00.160 do it. Let's do it. Yeah, there we go. You're 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.960 gonna hear first on Sports Illustrator Weekly, Jordan's picking the upset? Alright? 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:06.599 Last one for you, number four Seattle Storm versus the 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:10.080 number five Washington Mystics. Uh, they finished with the same record, 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:13.880 both were fourteen tiebreaker and home court go to the Storm. 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:16.959 Super even what are we looking for here? Aside from 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:19.760 farewell to Supper who was like one of the great, 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:22.120 not just great all time basketball players, but one of 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.200 the great all time athletes. Ever. I can't believe she's retiring. 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:28.080 I can't believe it either. I'm so old. I'm so old. 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:31.400 It's it's bizarre. I don't know a w B A 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:38.200 without super like shea going to college. She has been 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.800 winning at every level for so long. But this has 0:12:41.840 --> 0:12:46.160 been a wonderful farewell tour to her every game, her 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:48.959 last home game, her last regular season game, like everything 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:52.559 has really been this. We love you, Sue, we love you. 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:56.120 Now is the playoffs, and uh, I don't know if 0:12:56.240 --> 0:12:59.240 the Washington Mystics are going to be so so nice 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:04.160 to you on her farewell tour. But it really helps 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.880 that Sue is on a Seattle Storm team with Brianna 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:12.520 Stewart and Jue Lloyd and all of these one Tina Charles, 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:17.199 like all of these really great basketballers. I watched the 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:19.920 Seattle Storm the other day and I was like, they 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.000 could win it all. Like they're that good. They are 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:27.679 so good. And when we talk about experience in the postseason, 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:31.880 this is a core that has won multiple championships together, 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.600 have been to the playoffs almost every season, have been 0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:37.839 to the finals, so they know what it takes. They're like, 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:40.839 you know, a regular season, Yeah, yeah, we're the fourth seed, 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:43.640 but we're going to turn up in the playoffs. This 0:13:43.840 --> 0:13:47.280 Washington Mystic team is trying to figure that out. Atlanta 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.040 de Ladon was a part time player during the regular 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:54.960 season just to save her for this moment um. Natasha 0:13:55.040 --> 0:13:57.079 Cloud is a little bit of a question mark. I 0:13:57.160 --> 0:13:59.600 know she got banged up in the last the last game, 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:04.840 Zone Philly Zone. Natasha contractually obligated to mention that anytime 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:08.280 anybody for Philadelphia appears, So yes, very excited for you. 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:11.439 Got Khalia Copper to North Philly. She's on the Chicago 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:14.640 skuy so you you'll love her too. But the Washington 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:18.720 Mystics are close. I don't think this is their year 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:22.480 to make it past Seattle, but they're close. They're like 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:27.280 a season or two from winning it again. So it 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:29.240 sounds to me like you're going with the storm though, 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:32.120 or are you wavering? I'm going with the storm. I'm 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.560 going with the storm here. Jula Lloyd had thirty eight 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:39.440 I think in the last game, and every time I 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:43.600 watched her play basketball, I'm just in awe and she 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:46.760 is wonderful at the sport, and I think this is 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:49.480 her time to shine. She wants People have kind of 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:52.320 only been talking about Sue's farewell tour and not really 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:55.960 about how good Seattle Storms team is. And I think 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:59.080 she wants to kind of prove like, yeah, we're good 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.400 and we're gonna we're gonna go far. And you've got 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:03.160 me excited for that series. You've got me excited for 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:06.240 these playoffs. You've already mentioned that the finals are gonna 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:09.480 be chalk, and then you've got the Aces winning. So 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:13.840 we've covered all that. Less exciting probably for them, maybe 0:15:13.880 --> 0:15:16.040 not for us, are the teams that were eliminated. I 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.120 just want to rattle off a couple here with you 0:15:18.520 --> 0:15:21.040 that did not make the playoffs. The Sparks, Jordan's, the 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:23.560 Sparks missing back to back postseasons for the first time 0:15:23.720 --> 0:15:27.640 since the first two years as a team, traded away 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:31.120 their first round pick, Grimm, Grimm and l A. Yeah, 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:34.200 you know, I was at the last home game last night, 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.280 and um, how did that go? It did not go 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:39.880 well because you know that Dallas team that I was 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:42.800 telling you about, Yeah, they beat us by about forty 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.240 It was not good. A friend of mine Jordan's a 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:48.480 friend of mine went to a game recently and said 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:50.360 there was no energy in the building. It was kind 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.720 of dead. People are like only the hardcore Sparks fans 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:57.040 like you go, now, yeah, it's kind of rough. I 0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:58.680 think me and my fiance were there and we were 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:02.320 looking around and we were like, it isn't Sparks basketball. 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.640 Like it was actually bad basketball. They didn't know what 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.960 they're doing. I've interviewed so many Sparks players this season, 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:13.080 and it was turnover with coaches and players and egos. 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.880 And you can make all the shots on the court, 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:18.800 but if everything behind the scenes isn't working out and 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.400 isn't jelling together, then it kind of doesn't matter. And 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:24.480 that's what's going on with the Sparks right now. It 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.960 doesn't seem like anyone is like, hey, remember when we 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.600 were good. I panned up to the championship banners while 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:33.720 I was there, and I zoomed in to just remember 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:37.080 the good times that, like, we were good at one point, right, 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:41.040 so we got to get back there. We have to 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.680 get back there. I don't know what it's gonna take, 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:48.320 but this season was pretty awful, Like it was pretty bad. 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:50.840 How long I mean when you say you don't know 0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:54.200 what it'll take, I mean ball park me Like, like, 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:56.200 how grim do you think it is? Like when do 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:58.200 you think they're back in the mix. Are we talking 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:01.440 about like a full hard reset? Your you know, this 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.880 season was the reset. It was pretty much a whole 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:07.679 new roster. And then I saw a tweet the other 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:11.560 day that said, like six players are free agents or 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:15.119 unrestricted free agents. So will they come back to this 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:18.800 fire storm? I don't know, are they going to go 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:21.760 somewhere else? I think we need a new coach. Derek 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:25.280 Fisher was fired and then we had an interim with 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:29.680 Fred Williams, I believe, and no one really bought into 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:31.639 what he was doing because it just seemed like it 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:34.720 was temporary. So if we come in, have a coach 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:37.560 come in and say this is our identity, this is 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:39.640 what we're gonna stand for, this is what we're gonna 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:43.320 play for. Hey, let's watch some old game film of 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:46.720 the Lisa Leslie sparks and how packed it was in 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:50.840 Staples in the forum, Like let's get back to how 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:53.520 great we can be. Then I think they'll be buy 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:56.440 in because the players want to play at a high level, 0:17:56.520 --> 0:17:59.600 they want to win, and individually they're all great players. 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:02.680 They just have to figure out how to jail them together. 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:06.280 Small small things. I mean, it's just so tiny count 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:11.040 the organization change. Yeah, one more team that I wanted 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.000 to mention to you that didn't make it. The links 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:15.440 were eliminated, which means we say goodbye to the great 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:25.680 Sylvia Fouls a lot of media attention, obviously and rightly so, 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:28.640 as she's leaving. Highly recommend by the way Ben Pickman 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:31.560 story on her in s I, Sylvia is a legend. 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:34.000 She's got a very unique life story which I want 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.600 to touch on with you, but real quick. Uh as 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:39.680 a basketball player, fifteen year career to w NBA titles, 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.800 two finals, MVPs for Olympic Golds, go on and on 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.680 about total rebounds and field goal percentage and double doubles. 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:49.359 Member of the WS Anniversary team, just dunked in the 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:59.320 most recent All Star Game. It put her career in perspective. 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:04.200 Explain her greatness to people, man Sweet Silk. First of all, 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:07.439 she is the nicest person I've ever met. Like sweet 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:11.399 Sill just is the perfect moniker for her because she 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:16.320 is so nice. But her career is really dominance, like 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:21.800 pure dominance for a really long time, like a fifteen 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:25.919 year career. She's still the league leader in rebounding. Her 0:19:26.040 --> 0:19:30.280 last season, she has the all time leader in rebounds. 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:33.320 And it's so interesting because when you see her play 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:37.000 even this season, you say, she's still dominant. Why is 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:40.000 she hanging it up? But she wanted to end on 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:43.159 this note, and I think as basketball fans we can 0:19:43.200 --> 0:19:45.720 always appreciate that. We didn't want her to go down 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.639 an injury or um she was going to retire in 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:51.960 when she had a hip surgery, but she don't want 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:53.639 to go out like that. She wanted to still go 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:58.040 out as this dominant, most decorated player, and for an 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:01.160 organization like The Links where she helped, you know, really 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:05.400 create their dynasty and help with that. But the game 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:07.240 is going to miss her. I think a lot of 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:10.040 people are going to be able to get more layups 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:14.440 now that she's not in there blocking and uh, share 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:18.320 the rebounds somewhere else. But just as fans, you know, 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:22.760 she plays with such tenacity and energy, but it's also 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.560 super super kind and really nice. We're just gonna miss her. 0:20:26.760 --> 0:20:30.399 We love Sylvia. Foul's here right to the last, as 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:32.800 you said, still dominant on the boards, still cleaning the glass, 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:37.320 still burying people, which is appropriate because she's going to 0:20:37.480 --> 0:20:41.760 spend her next phase of her life as a mortician. Yes, 0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:45.080 I mean this is a wild component. Again, I recommend 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:47.440 people go read Ben Pickman's story, but it's all about 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:49.639 how she was like into death from an early age 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:53.000 and she like just decided to have a side hustle 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:55.359 where she like showed up at a funeral home and 0:20:55.480 --> 0:20:58.040 was like, I'll help you beautify these corpses, and that's 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:01.760 gonna be her life. It's wild. It's so wild. She 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:06.320 is probably the most interesting person ever because also she 0:21:06.760 --> 0:21:11.160 like knits, and she like knit everyone a homemade gift. 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:14.280 On her last home game, while she was receiving all 0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:18.280 these flowers and gifts, she knitted everybody something personal, like 0:21:18.480 --> 0:21:22.080 that's who she is. But also yes, she says that 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:26.399 people just aren't educated in the mortician area and that 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:30.439 it's actually great and she loves it. So more about 0:21:30.600 --> 0:21:34.600 to a great retirement plan. Honestly, Wow, I wish her 0:21:34.640 --> 0:21:37.520 the best. She was a delight to watch. I'm excited 0:21:37.520 --> 0:21:39.800 about the playoffs now because we've previewed them with you, 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:42.040 so we wish you the best as well. Listen to 0:21:42.160 --> 0:21:44.639 Jordan on the Spinsters with Haley, who is also a 0:21:44.680 --> 0:21:46.680 friend of the program, and watch her at w NBA 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:50.040 commentary on buckets. She's our number one seed and a 0:21:50.119 --> 0:21:53.119 sure fire Hall of Famer. Jordan leggands, thank you for this, 0:21:54.040 --> 0:22:01.119 Thank you, thanks for listening everybody, and a reminder to 0:22:01.240 --> 0:22:03.959 please rate and review the show that helps people find us. 0:22:07.960 --> 0:22:10.800 Sports Illustrated Weekly is a production of Sports Illustrated and 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:14.240 I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 0:22:14.640 --> 0:22:18.080 visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:21.560 you get your favorite shows. And for more of Sports Illustrated, 0:22:21.560 --> 0:22:25.760 its best stories and podcasts, visit SI dot com. This 0:22:25.880 --> 0:22:28.720 episode of Sports Illustrated Weekly was produced by Jordan Rosieri, 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:33.120 Jessica Armoski, and Isaac Lee, who was also our sound engineer. 0:22:34.000 --> 0:22:36.840 Our senior producers are Dan Bloom and Harry sward Out. 0:22:37.440 --> 0:22:40.919