WEBVTT - The No ‘A-Hole’ Policy with Veronica Burton 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:02.920 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where now would 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.320 be a great time for our Midwest Laces to stop 0:00:05.320 --> 0:00:08.640 by the Diana Tarasi bench in Door County, Wisconsin to 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:11.240 pay homage to the newest member of the Mercury Ring 0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:14.600 of Honor. It's Friday, August fourteenth, and on today's show, 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.840 we're joined by Golden State Valkyrie standout Veronica Burton. We 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:20.880 talk about her breakout season last year, believing in herself 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:24.040 during her lean years in the league, coach Natalie Nicasse's 0:00:24.079 --> 0:00:28.120 no A holes policy, and the magic of Balhalla, plus 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:32.320 a well uh kind of statement, a sixteen year streak continues, 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:34.960 and an annoying reminder that we still have to consider 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:43.720 the men. It's all coming up right after this welcome 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:48.200 back Slice's here's what you need to know today. Let's 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:50.760 start with soccer and four games on the schedule in 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:53.640 the NWSL tonight, including a matchup between top of the 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:56.800 table got the FC and Ted Lasso's favorite squad, the 0:00:56.840 --> 0:00:59.640 seventh place Kansas City Current. The Current have put up 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.360 a win, a loss, and two draws in their four 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:05.720 games without superstar Temwa Shwenga, who's been busy leading her 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.560 Malawi team at WAFCAN. More on that in a moment. 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:12.520 In the meantime, another Casey star has shined. Last weekend, 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:15.960 midfielder Dubinya scored her eighty third career goal across all 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:20.080 NWSL competitions, good for first place on the NWSL's all 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:23.160 time scoring leader board, breaking her tie with the Seattle 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.840 Rains lynd Biandolo, who's currently on maternity leave. There are 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.720 two more NWSL games on Saturday and also a pair 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:34.479 on Sunday. More soccer. The aforementioned Temwa and her sister 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.440 Tabitha Shweinga led the way from Malawi in the Wafcon 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:40.679 semifinals on Wednesday, helping the Scorchers to a three one 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:45.600 victory over Algeria. Tabitha scored twice and Temwa once, and Malawi, 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:48.160 ranked one hundred and fifty third in the world entering 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.080 the tournament, earned a spot in the WAFCAN Final, the 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:54.320 first teams in South Africa's men in nineteen ninety six 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:56.880 to reach the African Cup of Nations final in their 0:01:56.920 --> 0:02:00.800 debut tournament. Malawi will meet Cameroon in the final on Sunday. 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:04.840 After the Indimitable Lioness's upset host Morocco three to one 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:08.560 on penalties. To Lacrosse, where we've reached the inaugural Women's 0:02:08.600 --> 0:02:12.120 Lacrosse League Championship weekend, The Maryland charm and the California 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:14.280 Palms will go head to head for the trophy on 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.880 Saturday at five pm Eastern at Subaru Park in Philadelphia. 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:21.359 You can catch that game on ESPN. To the WNBA, 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:23.560 there are two games on the slate tonight, starting with 0:02:23.600 --> 0:02:26.519 the Indiana Fever hosting the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Field 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:29.600 House a seven thirty pm Eastern tip off. The Fever 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:31.720 of won seven of their last nine games, while the 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:35.040 Wings have struggled, going three and six in their last nine, 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.200 though they did manage a ninety four eighty eight win 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:39.800 over the Toronto Tempo Wednesday night to end their three 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:43.440 game skid. Another must watch on Saturday, when the league 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:46.640 best Minnesota Lynks take on the defending champion Las Vegas 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:50.320 aces and eight pm Eastern start. And on Sunday, three 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.040 time WNBA champion and WNBA all time leading scorer Diana 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.919 Tarassi will be inducted into the Mercury Ring of Honor 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.640 ahead of their contest with the Portland Fire a seven 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.079 pm Eastern tip off. Tarassi's jersey will be officially retired, 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:07.160 joining Cheryl Miller, Jennifer Gillum, Bridget Pettis, Michelle Tims, and 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:11.799 Tarossi's wife, Penny Taylor more w On Wednesday, a WNBA 0:03:11.919 --> 0:03:14.920 task force of team presidents and gms met and in 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:17.600 a statement to ESPN, the league said, quote, Today's meeting 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:20.800 covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:24.160 transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:27.600 players online. We will continue to engage all league stakeholders 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:29.920 in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:33.200 important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:37.040 our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:40.000 and we strongly denounce the bad faith efforts to use 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:44.040 these topics to demean or marginalize others. End quote to 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:51.640 the PWHL slash MNBA, slash MLBS slash WNBA slash I 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:55.000 guess the whole world of sports business. On Wednesday, news 0:03:55.000 --> 0:03:57.520 broke that multi pro sports team owner Mark Walter had 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:01.040 agreed to sell the mnba's Los Angeles Lakers to New ownership. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.080 It's an eyebrow raising move, both because of the price, 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:08.760 a twelve point five billion dollar valuation, the timing just 0:04:08.840 --> 0:04:11.800 over a year after Walter purchased the team for ten billion, 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:15.240 and the identity of the buyers former Disney CEO and 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:19.200 Angel City controlling owner Bob Eiger, along with venture capitalist 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:23.200 Josh Kushner. Yes Kushner, as in the brother in law 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.560 of Evanka Trump, who's married to Josh's brother Jared. The 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:28.840 twelve and a half billion dollar sale will break the 0:04:28.880 --> 0:04:31.000 record for the most money ever paid for an American 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:35.200 sports franchise, and the timing. Just last month, Bloomberg Law 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:39.040 reported that Walter's investment firm, Guggenheim Partners, was under federal 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:43.120 investigation due to suspicious accounting. And there's the fact that 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:46.640 Josh Kushner runs Thrive Capital, the investment fund that FIFA 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:48.840 wanted to sell a minority stake to for four point 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:52.440 two billion dollars just last week, a proposal that immediately 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:55.200 blew up in FIFA President Johnny and Fantino's face when 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:59.279 key stakeholders threatened to boycott if the plan went through. Anyway, 0:04:59.720 --> 0:05:00.960 I know, oh what a lot of you are thinking. 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:03.200 Right now, Sarah, why are we talking about the sale 0:05:03.240 --> 0:05:07.080 of a men's team. This is a women's sports podcast. Well, 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:10.080 a reminder that Mark Walter is also the majority owner 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.120 of the PWHL, still run under a single entity model. 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.640 Oh and Walter is also the controlling owner of the 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:21.039 WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, which weren't included in the sale 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:24.480 of the Lakers. All that to say, whenever Walter's name 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:26.960 comes up, whether because of his ownership of the LA 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:31.279 Dodgers or till now the Lakers, or because of those 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:35.320 accusations of fraud, we pay attention. We'll keep you posted 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:38.560 as we learn more about the sale details to swimming, 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:40.719 The biggest swim meet of the year, the Pan Pacific 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:44.839 Championship Scott underwe on Wednesday in Irvine, California. The competition, 0:05:44.880 --> 0:05:48.520 which features athletes from North and South America, Asia and Oceana, 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.159 is held every four years at the midway point between 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:54.479 Olympic Games. In a surprise to no one, US star 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:56.560 Katie Ledecki opened the meet with a win in the 0:05:56.560 --> 0:06:00.640 fifteen hundred meter race, continuing her sixteen year winds treak 0:06:00.720 --> 0:06:05.400 in the event. Sixteen years y'all, what was surprising seeing 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:08.160 the second place finisher in the same frame as Ladeki. 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.279 At the finish, Aussie Lanni Pallister touched the wall just 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:14.359 two point five to three seconds after Ladeki, marking Ladeki's 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:17.360 closest finish in the event at an international competition since 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:20.960 twenty thirteen. Other highlights from the first couple of days 0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:23.560 of competition include Gretchen Walsh winning the five hundred meter 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:26.680 butterfly and Tmusa winning the four by one hundred mixed 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:31.000 gender medley relay in world record time. The competition continues 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:33.840 through Saturday, but the most anticipated race is later today, 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:36.760 the women's four hundred meter final, which is expected to 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:40.280 feature Canada's Summer Macintosh, the current four hundred meter world 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:43.279 record holder, taking on Ladeki, who is a four time 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:46.279 world champion and former world record holder at the distance. 0:06:47.080 --> 0:06:49.200 To the Sliding Sports World and Friend of the Show, 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:52.400 Alana Meyers Taylor, the most decorated black athlete in Winter 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:56.159 Olympic history, and Milan Courtino Mono Bob gold medallist, revealed 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:58.800 on Wednesday she's been dealing with post concussion symptoms for 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.320 the past few months and will miss the upcoming World 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:04.600 Cup season, which runs November to March. Meyers Taylor, who 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:06.280 has dealt with this issue in the past, wrote in 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:08.640 a social media post, quote, if all goes well, I 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:10.240 hope to be back in a sled before the end 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.880 of the winter season, but time will tell end quote. 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.560 We're sending you our best, Elana as you navigate this. Finally, 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:19.240 in baseball, don't forget there are four WPBL games this 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:22.200 weekend down in Springfield, Illinois. Friend of the show Kelsey 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.240 Whitmore's coming off with three home run performance on Wednesday 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.760 night that helped her San Francisco fire Bells defeat the 0:07:27.760 --> 0:07:31.040 Los Angeles Queens eight to two. Those two teams will 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:35.600 face off again tonight. We're going to take a break 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.320 when we come back. Keeping the faith with Veronica Burton. 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:40.360 We spoke to her on Tuesday, the day before the 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:50.880 Valks faced the Chicago Sky joining us. Now, she's a 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:53.080 guard for the Golden State Valkyries and lifted the twenty 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.600 twenty six Unrivaled Trophy with the mist a Northwestern Hooper. 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:58.520 She was the seventh overall pick in the twenty twenty 0:07:58.560 --> 0:08:01.440 two WNBA draft by the Della Swings, played two seasons 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:03.640 there and a season with the Connecticut Sun before the 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:06.920 Valkyrie snagged her in the expansion draft for their inaugural season. 0:08:06.960 --> 0:08:10.120 Last year, she averaged career highs and earned WNBA Most 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:12.920 Improved Player and All Defensive honors. Last season, Ink to 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:14.760 multi year deal with the Valks and has helped them 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:16.280 to one of the best records in the league. So far. 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:19.120 This year, she's been inducted to the Good Game Hall 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:22.560 of Fame. It's Veronica Burton. Veronica, thanks for joining. 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:24.320 Us, of course, thanks for having me. 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:26.880 If you're not a regular listener, which I'm sure you 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:28.840 are in your free time, I want to tell you 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:30.760 about the Good Game Hall of Fame. It's where we 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:34.240 induct mostly women's sports lore, the kind of things we 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:36.280 know about from the men's side but don't get talked 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:38.000 about or shared enough on the women's side, and it's 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.120 usually goofy stuff. But we made an exception for you, 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:42.080 and here's a little bit of what I said about 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:44.000 you when we inducted you into the Good Game Hall 0:08:44.040 --> 0:08:47.240 of Fame. In her first three seasons, she never averaged 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:49.319 more than three points per game, playing fifteen minutes or 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:51.199 fewer per night. She made just one start for the Sun. 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:53.680 In twenty twenty four, after spending the off season playing 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:56.280 in the WNBL in Australia, she arrived at Golden State 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.079 Valkyries camp and got her breakout year. In November, she 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.480 won gold in the Three America and in early December 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:04.680 she joined her first Team USA training camp. The Globe 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:08.360 was crazy for Veronica, and I'm kind of like exhilarated 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:11.079 and exhausted just reading it and thinking about the journey 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:12.679 that you've taken to get to here, And I wonder 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:14.679 what you make of the last year or two if 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:15.960 you actually sit and think about it. 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:19.959 Yeah, honestly, I mean, I think it definitely is something 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:22.120 that I try and process in real time and I 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:25.880 try and be super like present, which is easier said 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:29.520 than done. I think it's it's been a whirlwind and 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:34.920 for me just appreciating every single moment. I think being 0:09:35.000 --> 0:09:36.480 in and out of the league a little bit like 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.640 there's a different level of gratitude that I have every 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:42.120 time I am experiencing something in this league or for 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:44.880 Team USA or unrivaled whatever it may be. I think 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.520 I am just extra aware and extra present of the 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:50.760 moments of even the little moments with teammates in a 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:54.160 locker room, like being there on a season open air, 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:55.960 whatever it may be. I think that's kind of my 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:59.960 biggest thing is just like, man, I'm just so great 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:02.360 even the hard days, like it's really don't get me long. 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:03.360 The seasons get long. 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:05.000 And there's days where you just don't want to be there, 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:06.920 but I do feel like there's just been a different 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.560 level of appreciation. And then you know, winning always makes 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:11.400 things better, and so to be able to be in 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:14.920 different moments and win, that's just been amazing. 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:17.840 I love to hear that because it's such a great 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:20.320 perspective and it's so true. You know, when you're in 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:23.079 the middle of great times and someone says the lowest 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.280 times were actually the best for me because it made 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:27.360 me and you're like, oh, okay, well, that's a nice 0:10:27.400 --> 0:10:30.760 way to reframe failure. But it is true that some 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.560 of the hardest things we go through ultimately allow us 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:36.079 to see the successes through different eyes, and they mean 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.040 more when it doesn't feel easy and it wasn't easy 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:41.080 for you, And I wonder, in those moments of the 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:44.680 early years, did you think you could be so much 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:46.520 better or was there a part of you is like 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:48.640 I guess this is my ceiling. The w's hard. 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.120 Yeah, a little bit of both. Honestly, I think it 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:53.400 depended on the day that you asked me. I was 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:57.280 either super motivated, super super driven, and like everything's going 0:10:57.320 --> 0:10:59.000 to work out, and then on any other day it 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:00.800 was like, well, if this is for me, it's for me. 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:02.920 If it's not, I'll be good either way. 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:06.360 I definitely had moments where I knew I wasn't playing 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:09.120 how I could play like. I think that was the 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:12.440 almost refreshing thing, but also the more frustrating part was 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:13.760 just like I know I'm a lot better than what 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:14.640 I'm playing. 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:15.880 So how I get there? 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.839 I'm not exactly sure, but at least I know that 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.160 this isn't the best that I could be playing, But 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:24.599 I didn't know if the WNBA was necessarily going to 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:27.400 be for me. I think that was like the back 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:29.040 and forth was just am I ever going to get 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:29.840 the opportunity? 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:32.600 And am I ever going to grow and play how 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:33.240 I can play? 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:36.439 So I would go back and forth with that, and honestly, 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.120 from a mental standpoint, I think it was just moments 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.400 where I was content with not playing or content with 0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:44.240 my role of this is what it's going to look 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:46.120 like for me. And then there's other times where it's like, no, 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:48.800 I'm gonna I'm gonna find a way to make make 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:52.920 it bigger and have a bigger impact. And so I 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:56.360 think eventually that went out, that mindset went out, and 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:57.240 I'm grateful it did. 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:00.720 But again, opportunity, I think really is the biggest thing 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:01.319 in this league. 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:04.280 Yeah, because there's a couple of ways to look at it. 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:06.640 I haven't been given the right opportunity or these people 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:08.640 don't see in me what I see, or this isn't 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:10.160 the right coach for me, or this isn't the right 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:12.319 fit for me, or what do I need to personally 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.800 do to get better? And usually it's a combination of 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:17.600 all those things. So what do you think went right 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.480 for you personally when you got to the Belks. 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:23.480 Yeah, definitely fit in culture. 0:12:24.080 --> 0:12:27.760 I'm a very big relationships person, and I think I 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:31.559 play my best basketball when I feel valued and trusted 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:35.360 in a sense, when I feel like one, I'm able 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:38.360 to make mistakes. That was one thing that coach Natalie 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:43.280 they want a training camp right first year was I want, like, 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:44.160 I literally want. 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:44.959 You guys to make mistakes. 0:12:45.000 --> 0:12:47.520 And I know everyone says that but I really don't care, 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:50.960 and I can just feel the genuineness with which she 0:12:51.040 --> 0:12:53.800 said that, And for me, that was refreshing because I 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:56.240 didn't always feel that in the places I was before. 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:59.240 And sometimes it's just the reality of your situation too 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.560 and your role. You know, your leash isn't as long 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.800 in certain places, and I mean, that's pros, that's basketball 0:13:04.800 --> 0:13:08.400 at sports. But I think going in with that mindset 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:10.240 where it was just like, I'm not afraid to mess 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:13.800 up really shifted things for me because that's just a 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:15.440 freedom that I hadn't had. 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.120 And eventually, you. 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:20.240 Know, my relationship with coach grew and my relationship with 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:22.120 my teammates grew, and I just felt like, Okay, I 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:24.320 can really be me and I feel what I bring 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.960 is valued and so and then coming off the WNBL 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:32.440 Championship and coming off playing a really solid season on Australia, like, 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:34.200 I think I just had that momentum and I just 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.680 didn't want to let go of that. So again, I 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:38.360 do think it's a combination of the two. But I 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:40.040 think I noticed really early that it was going to 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.240 be different in Golden State for me than it had 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.640 in the other places. 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:47.800 I love what I've read about how coach Natalie Nicasse 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.160 coaches between that I want you to make mistakes and 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:54.200 play free to what there's a great profile by I 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:57.160 think Brian Hamilton and The Athletic recently talking about how 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.520 she has a real conversation with players and says like, 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:00.959 what do you want for me? Do you want me 0:14:01.000 --> 0:14:02.800 to ride you? Do you want me to compliment you? 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:05.320 Do you want me to be specific about, you know, 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:07.000 skill sets that you need to work on? Or do 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:08.880 you want me to think bigger picture? And like having 0:14:08.880 --> 0:14:10.840 that back and forth with players so she can give 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:13.600 them what they really need instead of her guessing you're 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:16.199 so smart seems really obvious. It's not the approach a 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:19.000 lot of coaches take. So tell me about coach, Like 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:21.000 what does she do well and what seems to be 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:23.080 working with this team? 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:24.520 She does a lot well. 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:28.240 Again, I think just her ability one to relate to 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:32.600 us and to know like the things that we struggle 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:35.280 with and to know that people can overthink a misshot 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:39.600 and like so she gives the reassurance where you need it. Honestly, 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:41.760 it's like I don't care if you miss Like what 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:43.840 I do care about is if you're not talking. What 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:45.760 I do care about is if you're not defending your 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.200 boxing out, So it's like it's a give and take. 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:50.600 You know, we have to meet her too, and her 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.280 expectations of us are very high, and she doesn't slip 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:56.640 in her standard of that, but it's just understanding what 0:14:56.680 --> 0:14:58.760 that standard is. And we know, like we're doing our 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.040 part when we're going hard, when we're communicating, when we're 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:03.520 playing defense and stuff like that, and that's in our control. 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:04.840 And so I think that. 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:07.200 Is something, especially with the people that they brought into 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:09.320 Golden State, like that's something that we could all buy 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:12.400 into and resonate with. And so I think that's just 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:14.760 been a really healthy balance and healthy culture. 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:17.520 And then yeah, her. 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:20.440 Ability to challenge us, I mean, honestly, especially as a 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.200 point guard, she expects a lot out of me, out 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.480 of our point guards, out of our team, and she'll 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:27.920 be straight up with that and she won't shy away 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:31.880 from that. But she's also there to help us in 0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:33.880 any moment that we need her, and we have just 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.200 such like the healthy balance of being able to go 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.720 to her and she's very open in the sense of 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.480 just look, I'm this is my first time being a 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.960 head coach too in the w so it's like we're 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:46.120 both we're all growing together and it's been really cool 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:47.480 to see that humility from her. 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:50.640 She has to know a holes policy, which is one 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.360 of my favorite kind of policies. It starts with day one, 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:55.920 when before day one, it starts with who you hire 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:58.120 and who you recruit and who you draft and all 0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:00.560 of that. But it's an ongoing policy. Right at some 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:02.800 point somebody could be an a hole when they're usually not. 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:05.520 Have you ever seen her enforced said policy in a 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:07.640 meaningful way or have you ever had a moment where 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:11.240 it became clear someone had crossed the able threshold and 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:12.960 she had to step in and say, that's not how 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:13.560 we do it here. 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:20.080 I honestly don't even think they'll bring in people and 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.960 like it sounds, I don't know, like a superiority type 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.520 of complex, but it's not like I think the culture 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:30.480 is so protected in a sense that you just know 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:32.160 how it is and it's, yeah, it is a little 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:34.640 bit like get on board or get left behind, And 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:37.400 I think that's just been set from day one. And 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:40.640 we were really fortunate with our inaugural season roster, like 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:42.760 it just wasn't even close, like we. 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:44.880 All just loved on each other. We build each other up. 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:47.880 And with that, I think the tone was just set 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:50.960 and they continue to seek out people that match that 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:54.480 and that fit that. So she's well aware of it. 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:56.600 I think she really is observant of people before they 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:57.680 even step foot in the door. 0:16:57.720 --> 0:16:59.840 And so yeah, it's fun. It makes it fun. 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.440 I would love to see the draft board or like 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:04.640 the waiver wire board and just like next to a name, 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:09.159 no description, you can't grab her ass whole. She wouldn't 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:13.960 say it, but I know she wouldn't. But what's something 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:16.320 about coach that might surprise us? Tell us something we 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:22.320 don't know about Coach Nakasse? Secret hidden fact. 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:23.360 Secret hidden fact? 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:24.919 I don't know. 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:26.680 I feel like she might watch this and I might 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:28.719 get caught up. She can dance. I don't know if 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:30.520 that's secret. She can dance a little. 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.840 She doesn't dance often, she probably won't dance for anyone else, 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:33.840 but she can dance. 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:34.120 A little bit. 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:37.480 Okay, we got to find the footage now, Yeah, that's 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:42.000 my goal. Well, you talked about creating culture, and obviously 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.119 President Jess Smith GM mohamma nin and have this incredible 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:46.760 idea of what they wanted to put together. But there 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:49.000 were a lot of doubts last year when the Valk 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:52.800 squad started, myself included. I was surprised also that there 0:17:52.800 --> 0:17:55.000 weren't more big name free agents that wanted to take 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:58.040 a chance on the place, the venues, the facilities, everything else, 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:01.080 the fan base. But the first expansion team to make 0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:04.520 the postseason in their first year? What went right last year? 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:07.000 And how long did it take for you to say, Oh, 0:18:07.040 --> 0:18:10.560 they know what they're doing, Like this is not by chance. 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.920 I would say early on, I felt confident. I felt 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.080 confident going in honestly when we were first drafted. When 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.640 I was first drafted, I think even in my own mind, 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.720 I kind of had shifted my mindset of like I'm 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:25.280 going to attack this opportunity. And I think I came 0:18:25.280 --> 0:18:28.640 in with a confidence that I was excited. I love 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:32.320 a good underdog story label, whatever it may be. I 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:35.600 think when you come in with that chip on your shoulder, 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:37.440 like I think it would be foolish for. 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:39.000 Us to have expected anything less. 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:42.879 And when we went into training camp, it was just 0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:44.880 like we had a plan and set, and we had 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.000 goals in mind, and we had a culture that we 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:48.760 believed in and at the end of. 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:50.720 The day, we're all WNBA players. I tell that people 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:51.160 all the time. 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:54.119 I think there's this idea that players on the end 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:56.639 of a WNBA team or at the end of the 0:18:56.640 --> 0:19:00.440