1
00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,120
Speaker 1: Hey, what's up, everybody. I'm Jamel Hill and welcome to

2
00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,800
Speaker 1: politics and iHeart podcast and unbothered network production. Time to

3
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:20,360
Speaker 1: get spolitical. The renowned philosopher Aristotle once referred to women

4
00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,040
Speaker 1: as quote deform males who were quote unable to control

5
00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,000
Speaker 1: themselves physically and psychologically through the exercise of reason the

6
00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 1: way that men can. Aristotle believed too much education and

7
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,360
Speaker 1: sports activity made a woman infertile. Who knew one of

8
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,839
Speaker 1: the alleged greatest philosophers in world history was actually just

9
00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,440
Speaker 1: another toxic podcast bro who never got over his seventh

10
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:45,519
Speaker 1: grade crush rejecting him. But while Aristotle was busy cementing

11
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,919
Speaker 1: himself as the father of misogyny, something far more important

12
00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,159
Speaker 1: was happening. A woman named Sensica was competing in the

13
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,200
Speaker 1: Olympic Games and on her way to becoming the Olympics

14
00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,319
Speaker 1: first female champion as a four horse chariot racer. Men

15
00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,800
Speaker 1: during Sensica's time thought, just like Aristotle, just to crystallize

16
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,840
Speaker 1: that women have been fighting for your respect, agency and

17
00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,160
Speaker 1: equality and athletic spaces since literally before that fellow Jesus

18
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,640
Speaker 1: Christ was born. Things, of course, have gotten better, though

19
00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,959
Speaker 1: yesterday's Aristotle is apparently today's presidential candidate, Crookie.

20
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:29,759
Speaker 2: Joe Biden became mentally impaired, said, but Lion Kamala Harris, Honestly, I.

21
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,200
Speaker 1: Believe she was born that way.

22
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,720
Speaker 2: There's something wrong with Kamala, and I just don't know

23
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,080
Speaker 2: what it is. But there is definitely something missing, and

24
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,319
Speaker 2: you know what, everybody knows it.

25
00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,000
Speaker 1: But as we edge closer to possibly electing the first

26
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,960
Speaker 1: female president, who also would be the first black woman

27
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,880
Speaker 1: and Asian to hold that particular office, we sit at

28
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,440
Speaker 1: a particularly interesting moment that we used together what we're

29
00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,400
Speaker 1: seeing in politics with what we're seeing in women's sports. Currently,

30
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,600
Speaker 1: women's sports are experiencing a revolution that is led in

31
00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,960
Speaker 1: large part by the staggering explosion in women's basketball. Last

32
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,440
Speaker 1: college basketball season, the women's national Championship game outrated the

33
00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 1: men's national championship game for the first time in history,

34
00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,320
Speaker 1: not by little, but by a lot. An average of

35
00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,120
Speaker 1: eighteen point seven million viewers watched the South Carolina women

36
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,120
Speaker 1: remain undefeated against Caitlin Clark's IOWA team, with the game

37
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,600
Speaker 1: peaking at twenty four million viewers. Meanwhile, the men average

38
00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,480
Speaker 1: fourteen point eight million viewers. Hey fellas get your viewers up.

39
00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,880
Speaker 1: Despite the naysayers that predicted that momentum wouldn't translate to

40
00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,880
Speaker 1: the WNBA, the WNBA went on to experience its most

41
00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,639
Speaker 1: watch regular season ever, led by WNBA Rookie of the

42
00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,080
Speaker 1: Year Kaitlyn Clark and another heralded rookie, Angel Reese. Twenty

43
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,400
Speaker 1: two regular season WNBA games averaged more than one million

44
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,760
Speaker 1: viewers in person. Attendance was up forty eight percent, and

45
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,000
Speaker 1: every single WNBA team posted year over year growth in attendance.

46
00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,880
Speaker 1: Beyond basketball, Simone Biles added three more gold medals to

47
00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:12,440
Speaker 1: her stellar resume at the Paris Olympics this past summer. Overall,

48
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,120
Speaker 1: female athletes competing in the Olympics brought home sixty seven

49
00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,320
Speaker 1: of this country's one hundred and twenty six medals, including

50
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,120
Speaker 1: twenty six of Team USA's gold medals. The National Women's

51
00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,760
Speaker 1: Soccer League has already surpassed one point five million in

52
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,760
Speaker 1: attendance and is expected to reach two million by the

53
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,160
Speaker 1: end of the season. Aaron Haynes, the editor at large

54
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,080
Speaker 1: for The Nineteenth, an independent, nonprofit news organization that focuses

55
00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:40,840
Speaker 1: on gender politics and policy, believes any conversation about the

56
00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:45,000
Speaker 1: explosion of women's sports should immediately be followed with one

57
00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,480
Speaker 1: about women in this year's national election.

58
00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,760
Speaker 3: You know, I really think that the trajectory of women's

59
00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:57,160
Speaker 3: sports parallels the rise of women's leadership generally in this

60
00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,360
Speaker 3: country in a way that.

61
00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,080
Speaker 1: Is undeniable. It might be obvious to some, but others

62
00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,440
Speaker 1: still refuse to acknowledge. There is a deep connection between

63
00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,600
Speaker 1: women's continued fight for agency in the sports space with

64
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,280
Speaker 1: women's continued fight for their basic rights overall, and the

65
00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,480
Speaker 1: excuses for looking away is dwindling. The stakes are high

66
00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,039
Speaker 1: for women in this election. We are now living in

67
00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:24,360
Speaker 1: a post Row versus Way world. In twenty twenty two,

68
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,560
Speaker 1: the Supreme Court ended a women's constitutional right to abortion,

69
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,280
Speaker 1: a right that had been protected since nineteen seventy three.

70
00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,960
Speaker 1: The year before abortion was ruled to be constitutionally protected,

71
00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,880
Speaker 1: there was another major piece of legislation that would be

72
00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,520
Speaker 1: an important cornerstone for women in sport. In nineteen seventy two,

73
00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,920
Speaker 1: Title nine became public law. That signature legislation prohibited sex

74
00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:51,000
Speaker 1: based discrimination in any education programs or activities that receive

75
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,839
Speaker 1: federal funding. It mandated that schools and universities had to

76
00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,599
Speaker 1: provide equal opportunities for both genders and sports. But despite

77
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,479
Speaker 1: the Supreme Court's decision on versus Wade and Title nine

78
00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,520
Speaker 1: being seemingly entrenchedgent to law, equal opportunities and reproductive rights

79
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,800
Speaker 1: are still very much on the ballot for the upcoming election.

80
00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,800
Speaker 1: Project twenty twenty five created by the conservative think tank

81
00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,400
Speaker 1: the Heritage Foundation. Far as I like to think of

82
00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,880
Speaker 1: them hell Hydra from the Marvel movies, they developed a

83
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,920
Speaker 1: conservative playbook that will guide Donald Trump if he gets

84
00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,760
Speaker 1: another presidential term. Project twenty twenty five is over nine

85
00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,560
Speaker 1: hundred pages, and let's just keep it a stack. Nobody

86
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,320
Speaker 1: reading all that something they were definitely counting on because

87
00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,200
Speaker 1: if people read it, it would effectively scare the shit

88
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,120
Speaker 1: out of them. So let me do some of the

89
00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,600
Speaker 1: hard work for you. Pull up a chair, and I'll

90
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,800
Speaker 1: tell you about how a second Trump term would result

91
00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,720
Speaker 1: in infinitely less rights and empowerment for women. Here are

92
00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,279
Speaker 1: some of the important cliff notes. Project twenty twenty five

93
00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,920
Speaker 1: seeks to end medication abortion, meaning women would no longer

94
00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,080
Speaker 1: have access to abortion pills. It would also deny access

95
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,240
Speaker 1: to abortion care in emergency sitution, increase pregnancy and abortion

96
00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:06,080
Speaker 1: surveillance at the federal level, which means hospitals and doctors

97
00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,520
Speaker 1: would be required to report not just abortions, but miscarriages

98
00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,120
Speaker 1: and steelburs and if you don't report it, then you

99
00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,960
Speaker 1: could be denied federal funding. By the way, all of

100
00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,839
Speaker 1: you women who use period trackers might want to delete

101
00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,320
Speaker 1: that app to be on the safe side. In the workplace,

102
00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 1: Project twenty twenty five would rescind an important executive order

103
00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,080
Speaker 1: by former President Lyndon B. Johnson that prohibited federal contractors

104
00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,640
Speaker 1: from discriminating on the basis of race and sex, which

105
00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,120
Speaker 1: ultimately led to the creation of Title nine. They also

106
00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,360
Speaker 1: want to get rid of the Department of Labor Women's

107
00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,680
Speaker 1: Bureau and weaken the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission so women

108
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,479
Speaker 1: face discrimination in educational institutions or in federal workplaces. They

109
00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,640
Speaker 1: would have to spend a shit ton of money to

110
00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,880
Speaker 1: follow lawsuit and that would ultimately be time consuming and defeating.

111
00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,160
Speaker 1: Project twenty twenty five also wants to redefine sexual health

112
00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:03,960
Speaker 1: education as pornography and replace it with abstinence only education. Now,

113
00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,160
Speaker 1: if there's one thing we can count on, it is

114
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,920
Speaker 1: for teenagers to be abstinate. And speaking of pornography, the

115
00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,640
Speaker 1: Project twenty twenty five agenda includes an outright ban on porn,

116
00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,840
Speaker 1: including criminalizing it. I bet these Project twenty twenty five

117
00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,640
Speaker 1: people are an absolute fucking blast at parties. So to

118
00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,440
Speaker 1: recap that, come in for your reproductive rights, your contraception,

119
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,679
Speaker 1: your right to fight against abuses and discrimination, you're porn

120
00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,760
Speaker 1: and it seems like, and not to be too dramatic,

121
00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,360
Speaker 1: your general right to exist without being harmed. Now, given

122
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,920
Speaker 1: everything that is at stake, the big question is will

123
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,160
Speaker 1: women rise to the challenge in this election and send

124
00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,960
Speaker 1: a strong message that they ain't trying to live out

125
00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,400
Speaker 1: some new season of a Handmaide's tale. Let's not forget

126
00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,120
Speaker 1: the important role women have played in the last two

127
00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:58,000
Speaker 1: presidential elections, for better or for worse. In twenty twenty,

128
00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,520
Speaker 1: female athletes in the WNBAC and a clear message about

129
00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,920
Speaker 1: what they not going to do, and that is support

130
00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,840
Speaker 1: a politician who got them all the way fucked up.

131
00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,600
Speaker 4: Well, let's start off with calls for US Senator Kelly

132
00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,520
Speaker 4: Leffler to step away from the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA

133
00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,239
Speaker 4: team that she co owns. She recently wrote a letter

134
00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,560
Speaker 4: to the WNBA Commissioner, and according to NBC News, Lefler

135
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,200
Speaker 4: was explaining her opposition to players wearing Black Lives Matter

136
00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,080
Speaker 4: and say her name slogans on warm up jerseys. She

137
00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,560
Speaker 4: writes in a letter about the need to take politics

138
00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,800
Speaker 4: out of sports, saying sports have the power to be

139
00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,840
Speaker 4: a unifying antidote. She says she does not support what

140
00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,960
Speaker 4: she calls the Black Lives Matter political movement, saying it

141
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,800
Speaker 4: wants to defund the police, remove Jesus from churches, and

142
00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,480
Speaker 4: promotes violence and destruction across the country. Now, this has

143
00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,360
Speaker 4: not gone over well with many current and former WNBA players,

144
00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,080
Speaker 4: the players Union responding today on Twitter simply saying enough

145
00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,160
Speaker 4: out if.

146
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,160
Speaker 1: Fuck around and find out was a person because Kelly

147
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,760
Speaker 1: Leffler found out, she don't want no smoke with the

148
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,720
Speaker 1: women in the WNBA. The Atlanta Dream and other WNBA

149
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,720
Speaker 1: players threw their support behind Leffler's challenger in the Senate race,

150
00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:11,440
Speaker 1: Reverend Rafael Warnott, after initially polling at nine percent, became

151
00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,400
Speaker 1: Georgia's first black senator thanks to the popularity boost he

152
00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,640
Speaker 1: received from the widespread support from the debut. Eventually, as

153
00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,280
Speaker 1: senator were not cast to a vote to confirm Supreme

154
00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,600
Speaker 1: Court Justice Kintanji Brown, Jackson as the first black woman

155
00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,600
Speaker 1: on the Supreme Court, allowing Joe Biden to fulfill his

156
00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,680
Speaker 1: campaign promise to put a black woman in that seat.

157
00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,920
Speaker 1: But let's have an honesty moment. We know black women

158
00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,440
Speaker 1: are going to show up in this election and show

159
00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,160
Speaker 1: up in force as they have in the previous elections.

160
00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,400
Speaker 1: In twenty sixteen, ninety one percent of black women voted

161
00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,000
Speaker 1: for Hillary Clinton. In twenty twenty, ninety two percent of

162
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,120
Speaker 1: Black women voted for Joe Biden. Meanwhile, with reproductive rights

163
00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,240
Speaker 1: on the table and Donald Trump bragging about grabbing women

164
00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,240
Speaker 1: by the huha, fifty four percent a white women voted

165
00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:01,320
Speaker 1: for Trump in twenty sixteen, and the number of white

166
00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,920
Speaker 1: women who voted for Trump was even higher at fifty

167
00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:08,160
Speaker 1: five percent. Here's Aaron Haynes again on what the white

168
00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,880
Speaker 1: women going to do in this election. Will they finally

169
00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,880
Speaker 1: reject the man who has been found credibly liable of

170
00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,880
Speaker 1: committing rape by a court of law and who loves

171
00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,560
Speaker 1: to brag about taking away their reproductive rights? Or will

172
00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:22,520
Speaker 1: white women again be the ops?

173
00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,880
Speaker 3: That is the perennial question every four years, right because

174
00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,960
Speaker 3: I think you know, whether we're calling them suburban moms

175
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,079
Speaker 3: or lipstick moms or whatever nickname we want to give

176
00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,040
Speaker 3: them every four years, like that's who we're talking about.

177
00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:35,120
Speaker 5: We're talking about.

178
00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,560
Speaker 3: White women who, frankly, in our modern politics, have tended

179
00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:41,160
Speaker 3: to vote majority Republican.

180
00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:41,600
Speaker 6: Right.

181
00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,520
Speaker 1: We don't know if white women are.

182
00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,880
Speaker 3: Going to finally come over to you know, the Democratic

183
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,720
Speaker 3: Party and vote in the majority, But will there be

184
00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,839
Speaker 3: some greater number of white women that decide to do

185
00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,280
Speaker 3: that this year because they literally feel like they have

186
00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,200
Speaker 3: skin in the game, especially around the issue of rights

187
00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,840
Speaker 3: and freedom, reproductive rights, abortion access in particular. Right, I

188
00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:07,360
Speaker 3: think that you know, what we have seen since the

189
00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,319
Speaker 3: DOPS decision in twenty twenty two is that white women

190
00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:14,800
Speaker 3: are starting to say, hey, maybe I do need to

191
00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:16,920
Speaker 3: think about how this is affecting me.

192
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:17,320
Speaker 7: Right.

193
00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,720
Speaker 3: Maybe they didn't care about their black and brown sisters,

194
00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:21,880
Speaker 3: you know, prior to twenty twenty two, but they're now

195
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,679
Speaker 3: understanding that, hey, wait, we do actually have a shared

196
00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,600
Speaker 3: fate and our shared gender might actually be the thing

197
00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:33,280
Speaker 3: that I need to think about and not just my

198
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,319
Speaker 3: race and tying myself to whiteness.

199
00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,199
Speaker 1: There is still so much that women need to fight for,

200
00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,000
Speaker 1: even as we celebrate and acknowledge some of the historic

201
00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,120
Speaker 1: gains that have happened, particularly in the last year. But

202
00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,720
Speaker 1: the choice is really simple for women in this election.

203
00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:55,839
Speaker 1: What's a better direction for women moving forward a going back.

204
00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:02,640
Speaker 1: I'm Jammelle Hill, and I approve this message. Coming up

205
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,400
Speaker 1: on spolitics, we're going to continue this conversation with a

206
00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,960
Speaker 1: woman who is certainly no stranger for standing ten toes

207
00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:13,440
Speaker 1: down in important fights. She's a former WNBA MVP who

208
00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,640
Speaker 1: is currently serving her third term as president of the

209
00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:22,160
Speaker 1: WNBA Players Association. We'll discuss this election, this historic WNBA season,

210
00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,079
Speaker 1: her being appointed as head of Lebron's voting rights organization,

211
00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,280
Speaker 1: and if WNBA players will be tempted to tone down

212
00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:32,360
Speaker 1: their activism now that there's more money being invested in

213
00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,839
Speaker 1: the league. Up next on spolitics, the Seattle Storms. Mekka Obumka.

214
00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,160
Speaker 1: At the time of this recording, you're just coming from practice,

215
00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,160
Speaker 1: So I really appreciate this because God knows what your

216
00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,640
Speaker 1: day has been like. But I'm gonna start by asking

217
00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:58,240
Speaker 1: you a question that I am asking every guest who

218
00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,360
Speaker 1: appears on spolatives, which is who was the athlete that

219
00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,160
Speaker 1: made you fall in love with sports?

220
00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:04,840
Speaker 7: Oh? Wow?

221
00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:06,720
Speaker 6: First of all, thank you for having me it is

222
00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,440
Speaker 6: such an honor, and you know, we always loved sharing

223
00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:17,720
Speaker 6: space with fellow tagers, fellow disruptors, and so you know.

224
00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,400
Speaker 1: So well, that's a big compliment. I will receive it

225
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,599
Speaker 1: and take it so thank you. Now answer the question.

226
00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,880
Speaker 6: Who made me fall in with sports? I probably have

227
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,400
Speaker 6: to honestly say, Kevin Garnett. I think that when I

228
00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,319
Speaker 6: first started playing basketball, specifically my parents and my family,

229
00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,120
Speaker 6: we were learning about the sport. You know, we were

230
00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:43,400
Speaker 6: all novices, and so we didn't know much about it.

231
00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,880
Speaker 6: We didn't know where it could take us, and our

232
00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,640
Speaker 6: gateway was of course, the Houston Rockets. And then through that,

233
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:55,120
Speaker 6: you know, we became Detroit Pistons fans and then Celtics fans,

234
00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,040
Speaker 6: and like Kevin Garnett was always just my favorite player

235
00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:58,480
Speaker 6: to watch.

236
00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:00,800
Speaker 1: Wait wait, I got to back you up a second.

237
00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,120
Speaker 1: Being from Detroit, you said john became Pistons fans. Yeah,

238
00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:06,280
Speaker 1: tell me about that.

239
00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,600
Speaker 6: We loved the Pistons played, you know, and my my

240
00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:12,040
Speaker 6: dad would always kind of use them as an example

241
00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,280
Speaker 6: of how to be aggressive and how to be kind

242
00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,520
Speaker 6: of apologetic about like your strength. So we loved watching

243
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,160
Speaker 6: Rashid Wallace Ben Wallace Tayshawn Prance. Like, we we grew

244
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,440
Speaker 6: up as a family watching them very much. We were

245
00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,800
Speaker 6: first and foremost Rockets fans because you know, we grew

246
00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,320
Speaker 6: up watching Tracey McGrady, Steve Francis, Yao Me, Shane Battier

247
00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,000
Speaker 6: and so like, we just loved watching the sport and

248
00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:36,640
Speaker 6: how different teams played the sport.

249
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,320
Speaker 5: So the Pistons were one of our teams.

250
00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:40,360
Speaker 1: As someone who was born as they say, in the

251
00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,000
Speaker 1: nineteen hundreds, it is in a way it's very sobering

252
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,640
Speaker 1: for me to hear that your early recollections of the

253
00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,920
Speaker 1: Pistons are the two thousand and four team that won

254
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,920
Speaker 1: the title. I was like with me, it was the

255
00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,160
Speaker 1: team that won, and you know was Isaiah Joders. And

256
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,320
Speaker 1: even with the Rockets, you know, Hakeem Olajuan is my

257
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,840
Speaker 1: favorite center of all time. I mean, you know, again,

258
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:04,640
Speaker 1: I want people to focus on favorite, Like I know

259
00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,560
Speaker 1: some people are gonna say Shack or Kareem as they should,

260
00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,280
Speaker 1: but he was the center I enjoyed the most, you know,

261
00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,320
Speaker 1: watching play. So when you said Tracy McGrady and y'all mean,

262
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,200
Speaker 1: I was like, ooh, she didn't say a king because

263
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:17,640
Speaker 1: that wouldn't have been our error.

264
00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,720
Speaker 5: Love him, Yeah, but I didn't get up.

265
00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:24,000
Speaker 1: Oh God, I'm old.

266
00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:26,760
Speaker 5: I am a relic.

267
00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,920
Speaker 1: Well necka. As you know, this is a very uh

268
00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,840
Speaker 1: you know, serious time right now politically in our in

269
00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,000
Speaker 1: our country, with everything that is happening. You the mantle

270
00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,400
Speaker 1: of leadership for More Than a Vote, which is an

271
00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,360
Speaker 1: organization that was started by Lebron and a collection of players,

272
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,440
Speaker 1: including some of your fellow w NBA players, including I

273
00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:49,120
Speaker 1: believe Skyler Diggins Smith. He started More Than a Vote

274
00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,160
Speaker 1: as like a voting advocacy organization, and I know it's

275
00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,240
Speaker 1: an organization you've been involved with as well. But now

276
00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:59,640
Speaker 1: you will be assuming the mantle of leadership of More

277
00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:01,800
Speaker 1: Than a Vote. Tell me a little bit about how

278
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:02,280
Speaker 1: that came about.

279
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,680
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, like you know, as we all experienced

280
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,760
Speaker 6: in twenty twenty, there was just there was more that

281
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,840
Speaker 6: we wanted to do. And when Lebron came out and

282
00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,480
Speaker 6: got a collection of athletes to, you know, to have

283
00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:19,360
Speaker 6: a call for action for justice and change after the

284
00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:24,920
Speaker 6: murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others,

285
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,600
Speaker 6: I don't feel like it was settled in our spirit

286
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:29,800
Speaker 6: to not do anything.

287
00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,560
Speaker 5: Especially as women in the W who were playing in.

288
00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,600
Speaker 6: That leuble, we wanted to do whatever we could, and

289
00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,120
Speaker 6: so I was just grateful to be a part of

290
00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,760
Speaker 6: a group of players that were looking to use their

291
00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:44,440
Speaker 6: platforms to raise awareness, engagement resources for us to be

292
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,240
Speaker 6: able to change what we experience, what is our lived

293
00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,960
Speaker 6: experience every day. And from there it's just kind of

294
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,440
Speaker 6: been a major alignment for me. You know, we have

295
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:57,640
Speaker 6: a lot of experience with help from you as women

296
00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,280
Speaker 6: in the W using our platforms to stand for that

297
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,600
Speaker 6: are bigger than what we represent, but also understanding the

298
00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,280
Speaker 6: responsibility of what it means to be a professional athlete.

299
00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,720
Speaker 6: You know, everyone loves to say shut up and dribble

300
00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,479
Speaker 6: in to that, I say, I wish we could, but

301
00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,399
Speaker 6: we can't. And I think WNBA players are athletes that

302
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,679
Speaker 6: really understand what it means to stand for something and

303
00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:21,280
Speaker 6: to do.

304
00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,399
Speaker 5: Something about it with the platforms that we have.

305
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,920
Speaker 6: And I'm just grateful to have been a part of

306
00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,840
Speaker 6: the initial group to you know, more than a vote

307
00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,040
Speaker 6: to to make that type of change, but also I'm

308
00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,080
Speaker 6: all about sustainable change and to be here again in

309
00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:39,280
Speaker 6: twenty twenty four doing what I can to continue that change,

310
00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,480
Speaker 6: especially with the headline of reproductive freedoms. As a woman

311
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,800
Speaker 6: who uses her body for her career, it really means

312
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:47,320
Speaker 6: a lot to.

313
00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,240
Speaker 1: Me now, you know, I realized that twenty twenty in

314
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,320
Speaker 1: many ways it was an unforgettable year because of the

315
00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:57,080
Speaker 1: murders that you cited, Brionna Taylor, George Floyd, A mod Arbury,

316
00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:01,840
Speaker 1: so many others. There was a very intense energy in

317
00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,840
Speaker 1: the athlete community, especially in the black athlete community then,

318
00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,000
Speaker 1: especially in terms of getting involved in politics and social issues.

319
00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,119
Speaker 1: Now you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it

320
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,359
Speaker 1: feels like in twenty twenty four, while I wouldn't expect

321
00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,320
Speaker 1: it to match twenty twenty, I probably was expecting it

322
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,440
Speaker 1: to be a little higher. In twenty twenty four, there's

323
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,680
Speaker 1: been a bit of a dip off. Would you say

324
00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,720
Speaker 1: that that's a fair observation.

325
00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:27,920
Speaker 5: Yeah, I would agree.

326
00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,560
Speaker 6: I think that what feels what felt heightened in twenty

327
00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,560
Speaker 6: twenty was the fact that we were in the middle

328
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,840
Speaker 6: of a pandemic. Everyone was at home, you know, we

329
00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,119
Speaker 6: were playing in a bubble. It was unique that we

330
00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,639
Speaker 6: were in a situation in the season where all of

331
00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,280
Speaker 6: the players were in one place at one time and

332
00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,760
Speaker 6: here we are post pandemic, well not really, but you know,

333
00:18:54,560 --> 00:19:00,639
Speaker 6: post that kind of isolated, insulated time. We're now reintegrating

334
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,640
Speaker 6: into the world and kind of trying to figure out

335
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,399
Speaker 6: how best we can still maintain that level of engagement

336
00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:11,080
Speaker 6: and energy and awareness while still being in not just

337
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,679
Speaker 6: active seasons, but I mean, the visibility and engagement that

338
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,800
Speaker 6: we're experiencing today is not what we had experience.

339
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,199
Speaker 5: In twenty twenty, let alone a few months ago.

340
00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:29,800
Speaker 6: So understanding where that lands, and then also kind of

341
00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:34,119
Speaker 6: the conversation around our lived experiences with the injustice, with

342
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,080
Speaker 6: injustice on black and brown people, on women, and so

343
00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,840
Speaker 6: many different marginalized groups, how that now is woven into

344
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:45,280
Speaker 6: the cultural conversation of sports. You know, while we're still

345
00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,280
Speaker 6: trying to see what we can do to manage our

346
00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,920
Speaker 6: daily lives, what it means for us to be black

347
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,399
Speaker 6: women in sport, what it means for those on the

348
00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:57,600
Speaker 6: outside giving their own opinions about that, and then still

349
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,920
Speaker 6: showing up in our communities and making a difference as

350
00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:05,320
Speaker 6: civilians and as citizens of the communities that we represent,

351
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,439
Speaker 6: both in market and as just people.

352
00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,119
Speaker 1: Now you know, I know that you're through in your

353
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,440
Speaker 1: career showing this like you're the type of player that's

354
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,240
Speaker 1: going to be sort of engaged in these issues regardless.

355
00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:21,320
Speaker 1: But what does it mean for you, if anything, to

356
00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,280
Speaker 1: have Kamala Harris being at the top of the Democratic

357
00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,960
Speaker 1: ticket and be, you know, the nominee the person running

358
00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:27,439
Speaker 1: for president.

359
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,200
Speaker 6: For me, I think that there were just so many

360
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,159
Speaker 6: there's been so many question marks around our leadership in

361
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,879
Speaker 6: this country, and one thing about black women is that

362
00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,240
Speaker 6: we find a way to make sure that we're on

363
00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,120
Speaker 6: the right side of history. And for me, I don't

364
00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:48,320
Speaker 6: think that I've ever lived through a potential president that

365
00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,200
Speaker 6: has been disqualified. It has nothing to I don't want

366
00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:53,280
Speaker 6: to say has nothing to do.

367
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,760
Speaker 5: But the priority for.

368
00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:00,480
Speaker 6: Me isn't always about the demographics. Granted, it's difficult for

369
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,960
Speaker 6: us to ignore that because we live in all the

370
00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,000
Speaker 6: intersections as black women, especially in black women in sport,

371
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:13,000
Speaker 6: but I just feel like it's incredibly symbolic of what

372
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,000
Speaker 6: we always say is that we have to work twice

373
00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,000
Speaker 6: as hard to get.

374
00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:16,400
Speaker 5: Half as far.

375
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,120
Speaker 6: I feel like we're living that in real time and

376
00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,800
Speaker 6: to be able to look at someone that I can

377
00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:30,119
Speaker 6: see myself in that not only represents an illustrious career

378
00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,800
Speaker 6: to get to a point where she is incredibly qualified

379
00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,280
Speaker 6: to do this job. But for me to also look

380
00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,280
Speaker 6: at my own career and think about all of the

381
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,679
Speaker 6: work that we do individually and where we are at

382
00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,280
Speaker 6: the point out of the points in our careers, in

383
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,199
Speaker 6: our lives, and using that as using that as as

384
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:51,600
Speaker 6: a way of being just incredibly it's incredibly relatable in

385
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,159
Speaker 6: so many different ways. It's incredibly relatable and still working

386
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:57,600
Speaker 6: through the muck to get to where you know you

387
00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,480
Speaker 6: deserve to be, to get to where you know you've

388
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,679
Speaker 6: worked to be. But then all of that, of course

389
00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,160
Speaker 6: with I personally, I personally think that being a black woman,

390
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,320
Speaker 6: being a woman who went to an HBCU, you know,

391
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,560
Speaker 6: being a woman who was a prosecutor. I think that

392
00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,240
Speaker 6: there's so many different intersections that I can appreciate. I

393
00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,560
Speaker 6: am also a child of immigrants, Like, there's just so

394
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,160
Speaker 6: much that I can see in myself in someone who

395
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,160
Speaker 6: was incredibly qualified and who could potentially be our president.

396
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,879
Speaker 1: Now there's so much about on what you said, but

397
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,920
Speaker 1: I'll serve with this, have you had much personal interaction

398
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:35,320
Speaker 1: with the vice president?

399
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:36,520
Speaker 5: Not personal interaction?

400
00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,000
Speaker 6: But I will say, and I mean I'm a Everyone

401
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,000
Speaker 6: saw that she came to our game last year she did.

402
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,080
Speaker 6: That was my first time ever meeting the vice president,

403
00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,919
Speaker 6: and she came into our locker room. It was it

404
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,480
Speaker 6: was a celebration because it was BG's first game back

405
00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,720
Speaker 6: after being wrongfully detained, and for her to show up

406
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:03,920
Speaker 6: in that moment, it just represents the way that black

407
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,440
Speaker 6: women show for each other and in times where.

408
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:08,320
Speaker 5: Where we need that support.

409
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,560
Speaker 6: And I'm just grateful to have been able to meet

410
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,240
Speaker 6: her at all, but especially in that capacity, you know,

411
00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,760
Speaker 6: on behalf of BEG and her coming back to us.

412
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,720
Speaker 1: Now, I'm sure you've seen a lot of the political,

413
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,920
Speaker 1: you know, rhetoric, A lot has been about immigrants. You're

414
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,280
Speaker 1: the child of immigrants, and there seems to be a

415
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,680
Speaker 1: very conscious demonization of immigrants. So how have you processed

416
00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:38,200
Speaker 1: hearing from the other presidential candidate and Donald Trump, how

417
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:43,600
Speaker 1: often he summons, you know, immigrants and uses them, you know,

418
00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:48,000
Speaker 1: politically and especially as a tool of division and dehumanizing

419
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,560
Speaker 1: and demonization. As a child of immigrants, how does that

420
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:51,119
Speaker 1: land with you?

421
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,600
Speaker 6: I mean, I was raised, My parents raised me to

422
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,440
Speaker 6: believe that there's no one that can say anything about

423
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,719
Speaker 6: me that I'm going to believe, you know, especially they

424
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,640
Speaker 6: don't know me. I think that there's tactics, Like you said,

425
00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:10,719
Speaker 6: there's tools, there's ways to divide groups, to divide people.

426
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,320
Speaker 6: Finding differences and using that against people is something that

427
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,000
Speaker 6: I am familiar with as being a child of immigrants.

428
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:20,720
Speaker 6: Granted it may not have been.

429
00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:22,520
Speaker 5: A part of the conversation, a part of.

430
00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:26,239
Speaker 6: The cultural conversation as much as it is now, but

431
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,960
Speaker 6: I grew up with kids in school making different types

432
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,639
Speaker 6: of jokes around you know, what are you eating for lunch?

433
00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,160
Speaker 6: That smells weird? You know, why do you guys wear that?

434
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:42,240
Speaker 6: And it's nothing that I'm unfamiliar with, but it's quite

435
00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:48,359
Speaker 6: unfortunate that people can use differences to cause more divide.

436
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:55,719
Speaker 6: I think that our country was certainly built on people

437
00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:00,439
Speaker 6: being from different places unwillingly and also by choice, but

438
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,320
Speaker 6: mostly unwillingly, and it is it is very sad to

439
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,959
Speaker 6: see today that with the contributions of those people that

440
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 6: were not originally we're not originally here, that have made

441
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,159
Speaker 6: a life and that have driven culture and have driven

442
00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:20,280
Speaker 6: the success of this country to not be to not

443
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,560
Speaker 6: be respected and supported in a way that we need

444
00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,080
Speaker 6: for us to continue to make our country as strong

445
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,600
Speaker 6: as we all know it to be. And I have

446
00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,359
Speaker 6: living experience through my parents who have built lives for

447
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,040
Speaker 6: themselves and ultimately for us to be able to do

448
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 6: what we do and represent ourselves proudly.

449
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:39,760
Speaker 5: You know, there doesn't there There doesn't go.

450
00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,040
Speaker 6: A day where don't hear that Cheney talks about being Nigerian,

451
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,960
Speaker 6: and that's something that was embedded in our household. It's

452
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,400
Speaker 6: something that makes us Nigerian, It's something that makes us American.

453
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,600
Speaker 6: And those are things that I think are represented well

454
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,080
Speaker 6: through the hairs Walls campaign.

455
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,280
Speaker 5: Is that she really.

456
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,760
Speaker 6: Talks about or appreciates where she's come from, how she

457
00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,800
Speaker 6: was raised, and how that makes sure who she is

458
00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:04,960
Speaker 6: as an American today.

459
00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,840
Speaker 1: Uh. Now, I believe you are serving your third term

460
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 1: as president of the Players Association. Big titled Now, when

461
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:18,280
Speaker 1: you first were you know, elected to that position, did

462
00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,960
Speaker 1: you imagine doing it three times? Did you imagine you

463
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:21,840
Speaker 1: would be a three time?

464
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:23,119
Speaker 8: I did not.

465
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,480
Speaker 6: Here we are and I'm very grateful I run on

466
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:32,160
Speaker 6: the post three times. But I mean I'm seeing now

467
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:38,679
Speaker 6: quite possibly maybe through the other the other elected positions

468
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,240
Speaker 6: in our EC that is becoming more competitive.

469
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,200
Speaker 5: You know, I think that you know.

470
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,480
Speaker 6: There's there's people that are wanting to be a part

471
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,359
Speaker 6: of this leadership.

472
00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:50,480
Speaker 5: I'm excited to see that happen.

473
00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,359
Speaker 6: Also, when it comes to people wanting to possibly be

474
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,119
Speaker 6: president of the PA, it wasn't always a job that

475
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,479
Speaker 6: people wanted, but I think that our previous presidents did

476
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,080
Speaker 6: an amazing job of, you know, ensuring that the role

477
00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:07,440
Speaker 6: was was respected by the person that held that position,

478
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:13,200
Speaker 6: and then ultimately that it grew and you know, maybe

479
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:13,880
Speaker 6: I'll run again.

480
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,359
Speaker 5: We want to be a part of a group of

481
00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,520
Speaker 5: women that want to lead these players in this union

482
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 5: towards great, big change.

483
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,440
Speaker 1: Now. Recently, as I'm sure you saw the WNBA Commissioner

484
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,560
Speaker 1: Kathy Engelbert, she was on CNBC and she was asked

485
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 1: about the Angel Rees Caitlyn Clark rivalry that has sort

486
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,439
Speaker 1: of dominated the headlines of this WNBA season and how

487
00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,520
Speaker 1: there's a bit of a I wouldn't I'm I think

488
00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,640
Speaker 1: I'm being generous by calling it a bit, but there

489
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:49,800
Speaker 1: is a negative undercurrent because of the racial engender dynamics

490
00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,840
Speaker 1: that have been brought into the discussion. Real quick, for

491
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,080
Speaker 1: the people listening, I'm going to play what she said,

492
00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,720
Speaker 1: and then I want you to respond to.

493
00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:02,080
Speaker 8: That question, which raises some sensitivity of rivalries between players,

494
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,439
Speaker 8: in the case of Angel Reese who's just had to

495
00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,880
Speaker 8: shut it down because of a risk injury, Caitlin Clark

496
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,120
Speaker 8: who's continuing to play, rivalry that goes back to their

497
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:16,119
Speaker 8: college days, presumably where I guess some trash talking entered in.

498
00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 8: But now it seems on some social media channels to

499
00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,680
Speaker 8: have taken a darker turn, a more menacing turn, where

500
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,919
Speaker 8: race has been introduced into the conversation, where sexuality is

501
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,600
Speaker 8: sometimes introduced into the conversation.

502
00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 5: How do you.

503
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:37,199
Speaker 9: Try and stay ahead of that, try and tamp it

504
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:42,080
Speaker 9: down or act as a league when two of your

505
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:46,520
Speaker 9: most visible players are involved, not personally, it would seem,

506
00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,360
Speaker 9: but their fan bases are involved.

507
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,600
Speaker 8: In saying some very uncharitable things.

508
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:53,920
Speaker 10: The other thing that's great about the league right now

509
00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:57,280
Speaker 10: we do sit at this intersection of culture and sport

510
00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,320
Speaker 10: and fashion and music. Like the WNBA players are really

511
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,840
Speaker 10: looked at now as kind of cultural icons. And when

512
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,160
Speaker 10: you have that, you have a lot of attention on you.

513
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,360
Speaker 10: There's no more apathy. Everybody cares. It is a little

514
00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,080
Speaker 10: that bird magic moment. If you recall from nineteen seventy

515
00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,400
Speaker 10: nine when those two rookies came in from a big

516
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,400
Speaker 10: college rivalry, one white, one black, and so we have

517
00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,120
Speaker 10: that moment with these two. But the one thing I

518
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,040
Speaker 10: know about sports, you need rivalry. That's what makes people watch.

519
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,400
Speaker 10: They want to watch games of consequence between rivals. They

520
00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,160
Speaker 10: don't want everybody being nice to one another. So social

521
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,360
Speaker 10: media is different today than it was in nineteen seventy

522
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,040
Speaker 10: nine when it didn't exist. But you know, I always

523
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:35,640
Speaker 10: tell the players, you know, I was told a long

524
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,240
Speaker 10: time ago, if someone's typing something in and you wouldn't

525
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,360
Speaker 10: ask their advice, ignore it. So it's it's a balance,

526
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,200
Speaker 10: but certainly from a marketing dollars, but corporate partners are

527
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,760
Speaker 10: stepping up to endorse these players much much more so

528
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:49,880
Speaker 10: than they were five years ago because they see the

529
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,280
Speaker 10: benefit of having women and diverse women representing their brand.

530
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,240
Speaker 1: So how do you feel about what Kathy Engelbird said

531
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:58,480
Speaker 1: on CNBC.

532
00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 6: Well, you know, I think that, to be honest, it

533
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,640
Speaker 6: felt like a lob that could have been a slam dunk,

534
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:08,040
Speaker 6: and I thought that it was missed, you know, And

535
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:14,520
Speaker 6: it's disappointing to hear that response to a question about

536
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,400
Speaker 6: a league that stands for everything that has to do

537
00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 6: with equality and equity and denouncing racism and bigotry and

538
00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,800
Speaker 6: homophobia and sexism. I think that we want to be

539
00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,680
Speaker 6: able to feel like we have a commissioner, someone who

540
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,080
Speaker 6: is leading this league that represents us and our values

541
00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:36,520
Speaker 6: and our lived experiences.

542
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,200
Speaker 5: Now I will say though, that.

543
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,760
Speaker 6: You know, her lived experiences are not my lived experiences.

544
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:49,320
Speaker 6: And I am what looks like over eighty percent of

545
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,920
Speaker 6: this league, and so it's very important for us to

546
00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:58,800
Speaker 6: develop relationship where there are gaps in our lived experiences

547
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:03,360
Speaker 6: to help us present ourselves and these players the way

548
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,040
Speaker 6: that we want to be and the way that we

549
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:08,000
Speaker 6: know that we should be. I don't think I need

550
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,240
Speaker 6: to make this clear, but I will make this clear.

551
00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,040
Speaker 6: There's no rivalry racism.

552
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 5: In our league. You know that that's not something that

553
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:15,840
Speaker 5: we stand for.

554
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:20,959
Speaker 6: It exists, and there's agendas that are pushed because of

555
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,720
Speaker 6: the intense following of these rookies that have come into

556
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,480
Speaker 6: this league. There have been undercurrents of this that we've

557
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:32,160
Speaker 6: experienced in the WNBA, whether it's through branding and marketing

558
00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 6: and selecting certain players, something that I've experienced, something that

559
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,800
Speaker 6: players have talked to me about experiencing.

560
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,880
Speaker 5: And quite frankly, there is no business.

561
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,520
Speaker 6: In bigotry when it comes to the WNBA. You know,

562
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,800
Speaker 6: we've had players who have had to shut down their accounts.

563
00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:50,840
Speaker 6: They have had players who have had death threats, and

564
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:55,360
Speaker 6: we now have a player who like the post and

565
00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,280
Speaker 6: is now seeing or maybe not even now seeing, but

566
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,320
Speaker 6: now we are now all publicly witnessing the agenda that

567
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,320
Speaker 6: was trying to be pushed by the backing of a

568
00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:10,240
Speaker 6: very talented rookie who herself has even had to publicly

569
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:17,400
Speaker 6: denounce the just the vile behavior and the vile engagement

570
00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:22,640
Speaker 6: of players, and specifically black women who are experiencing a

571
00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,920
Speaker 6: lot of these racist acts and these sexist acts that

572
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:31,440
Speaker 6: are just being driven behind what seems to be support

573
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,920
Speaker 6: of certain players. And so I really one thing that

574
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:37,040
Speaker 6: I really don't like about all of this is that

575
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,840
Speaker 6: I feel as though black women a lot of times

576
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,520
Speaker 6: have to clean up miss is that they didn't make.

577
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:49,040
Speaker 6: And I think that players players should not have to

578
00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 6: be the ones to solve the problems of something that

579
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:57,520
Speaker 6: needs to be either the league's issue or collaborative effort

580
00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,000
Speaker 6: from whether it's the players, the union, and the league

581
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,600
Speaker 6: and I think we're going to reintroduce discussions that I

582
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,640
Speaker 6: know that we are already having on the players Association

583
00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,320
Speaker 6: side that started with a conversation with Kathy. I had

584
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,640
Speaker 6: a conversation with Kathy. She was apologetic, she knows she

585
00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,720
Speaker 6: missed the ball. She wants to move forward, and she

586
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:20,440
Speaker 6: doesn't want this to happen again. It's you know, as

587
00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:22,959
Speaker 6: black women, we know anything can kind of happen, but

588
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,520
Speaker 6: we're always here and we're always ready to open the

589
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,480
Speaker 6: door for collaborative efforts. But I do think that, as

590
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,760
Speaker 6: I expressed in twenty twenty to the players and to

591
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,280
Speaker 6: individuals in the league and the PA, that it can't

592
00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:37,240
Speaker 6: always fall on the players to have to deal with

593
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,520
Speaker 6: issues or fix these types of issues.

594
00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:44,040
Speaker 1: And of course, you were referring to Aleah Boston, who

595
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,680
Speaker 1: is Kaitlyn Clark's teammate, who had to basically get off

596
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:48,640
Speaker 1: social media because early in the season they got off

597
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:51,520
Speaker 1: to a rough start and her teammates took the blame

598
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,000
Speaker 1: for that, and so she was subjected to a lot

599
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,720
Speaker 1: of these attacks, as is any player seemingly who guards

600
00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,480
Speaker 1: Kaitlyn Clark. It's just subjected to a number of attacks,

601
00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,280
Speaker 1: and of course, referring to Kaitlyn Clark liking posts by

602
00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:07,120
Speaker 1: Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris, and suddenly that has gotten

603
00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,839
Speaker 1: her out of favor with people who I think most

604
00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:11,640
Speaker 1: of us who have watched the league and follow the

605
00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:14,560
Speaker 1: league knew this, and it was always an elephant in

606
00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,280
Speaker 1: the room that there were some people who were trying

607
00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,479
Speaker 1: to disguise their fandom of her, but really they hate

608
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,880
Speaker 1: black women more than they love her or the WNBA,

609
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,239
Speaker 1: and they were sort of using her as their bat

610
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 1: signal to kind of get out some feelings that we

611
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,440
Speaker 1: knew that they harbored, whether Kaitlyn Clark existed or not.

612
00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,440
Speaker 1: Nothing that has of course been encouraged by her on

613
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:40,880
Speaker 1: any front. But with that being said, is that you

614
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,480
Speaker 1: mentioned several times in our conversation how the WNBA everybody

615
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,600
Speaker 1: knows what it stands for in terms of how the

616
00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:50,080
Speaker 1: players are politically and socially engaged. That's just in the fabric.

617
00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,840
Speaker 1: In the DNA of the players, a third of the

618
00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,080
Speaker 1: players in the league are identified as LGBTQ. Plus, you

619
00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 1: have a league that is almost eighty percent of black women.

620
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,719
Speaker 1: And with that being the case, as is the popularity

621
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,479
Speaker 1: of the WNBA is ascending to a different level. How

622
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,440
Speaker 1: concerned are you that the league will still maintain that

623
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:15,479
Speaker 1: DNA of activism, of speaking out and outspoken this as

624
00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,680
Speaker 1: more people get invested in what this league is.

625
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,840
Speaker 6: I mean, to be honest, I've never really felt concerned

626
00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,360
Speaker 6: about that, only because I know our players. I know

627
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,160
Speaker 6: the players are not going to just fall for anything.

628
00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:34,839
Speaker 6: And I think that as long as that's not recognized

629
00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:40,520
Speaker 6: collectively and from the league, than incidents like this week

630
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:44,600
Speaker 6: are just going to continue to happen. And ultimately, that's

631
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,880
Speaker 6: not something that looks good, that's not something that feels good,

632
00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,959
Speaker 6: that's not something that foster's and environment where players really

633
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,600
Speaker 6: want to be represented and represent themselves. So I can

634
00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,799
Speaker 6: only believe that we have to move forward from this.

635
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,239
Speaker 6: I know that the players always do. I know that

636
00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,319
Speaker 6: the players are always going to speak up. I know

637
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,440
Speaker 6: that the union is always going to represent our best interests,

638
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,960
Speaker 6: and I have faith that the league will too. And

639
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:15,760
Speaker 6: I think that you have to experience instances like Kathy's

640
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:16,440
Speaker 6: interview and.

641
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:18,560
Speaker 5: The response from that interview and the response from the.

642
00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:23,800
Speaker 6: Players for us to really look and reflect and think about, Hey,

643
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:28,120
Speaker 6: this is what needs to move forward and concerning ourselves

644
00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:32,040
Speaker 6: with league investment, when it.

645
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:32,480
Speaker 5: Comes to.

646
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,319
Speaker 6: Standing on top of our values is going to be

647
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:42,000
Speaker 6: an issue because if we're worried about the dollars, then

648
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:46,680
Speaker 6: the integrity of this league it can fall just as

649
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:47,680
Speaker 6: fast as it got built.

650
00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:50,720
Speaker 5: I'm very strongly, I'm very strong.

651
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,600
Speaker 6: I'm an advocate for the sustainability and the integrity of.

652
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,520
Speaker 5: What you stand on. And we got here, We got

653
00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,640
Speaker 5: through twenty sixteen, we got through.

654
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,960
Speaker 6: Twenty twenty, need to be in twenty twenty four, and

655
00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,520
Speaker 6: I think that that's the only way that we can continue.

656
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:05,600
Speaker 5: To move forward.

657
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:06,960
Speaker 6: And the right people are going to be the right

658
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,080
Speaker 6: people that will stand with us.

659
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:11,799
Speaker 1: You know, being that you seem to kind of have

660
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,400
Speaker 1: a pension for being president of the Players Association. Have

661
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,520
Speaker 1: you thought about a career or ever thought about a

662
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:19,719
Speaker 1: career in politics?

663
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:20,000
Speaker 5: Oh?

664
00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,839
Speaker 6: Man, my family has they asked me this all the time,

665
00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,640
Speaker 6: especially as someone who you know, someone who's from Houston.

666
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,160
Speaker 6: You know, for a lot of people, don't a lot

667
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:32,640
Speaker 6: of people feel like we could have a different type

668
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:33,480
Speaker 6: of senator.

669
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,560
Speaker 1: Y'all need well you can make I'm gonna say it

670
00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:40,279
Speaker 1: for you. You might not be able to say it,

671
00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:45,080
Speaker 1: but because the state of Texas absolutely needs a different senator.

672
00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:49,319
Speaker 5: We're slowly, I mean we if we're not verbal, we

673
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:50,879
Speaker 5: are lily we are.

674
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:56,520
Speaker 6: And so that's something that has I haven't really thought

675
00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:01,600
Speaker 6: about it, and it's something that has certainly been entertained

676
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,960
Speaker 6: in conversation amongst friends and family.

677
00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:10,560
Speaker 5: But I'll ask you this, Actually, I understand politics.

678
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,880
Speaker 6: I understand that in the industries that we exist in

679
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,680
Speaker 6: there are politics there too, you know, And I wonder,

680
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,520
Speaker 6: I guess maybe it's because I've just been in sport

681
00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:24,560
Speaker 6: for so long. Don't you feel like we have more

682
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:29,000
Speaker 6: power with the platforms that exist in the intersection and

683
00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:33,120
Speaker 6: the politics that are revealed within those intersections. Like how

684
00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,799
Speaker 6: do you feel about that? I personally feel like I do,

685
00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:38,840
Speaker 6: but I haven't dabbled fully into.

686
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:42,400
Speaker 5: The pot, like the actual politics of things, right, you know.

687
00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,799
Speaker 1: You know that's that's that's a great question. And it's

688
00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,400
Speaker 1: crazy because I'm forever encouraging everybody else to run because

689
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:52,760
Speaker 1: I do think I do believe in sort of something

690
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,040
Speaker 1: that Tony Morrison said that applies to everything, which she said,

691
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,600
Speaker 1: write the book that you want to read that you

692
00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,560
Speaker 1: don't see, right, And so because of the complaints that

693
00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:05,200
Speaker 1: we often hear at the grassroots level about the politicians.

694
00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:08,680
Speaker 1: I always say, like, be the candidate that you want

695
00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,319
Speaker 1: to win, right, Like, be the candidate that you want

696
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,040
Speaker 1: to see, And so I would say the same to you.

697
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,000
Speaker 1: Is that Yeah? I mean, I know the political landscape

698
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,200
Speaker 1: is very tricky. It is. It's difficult in a lot

699
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,600
Speaker 1: of respects. But if we do want to see the

700
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:30,000
Speaker 1: systems woult of change, somebody like Neka needs to might

701
00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:34,680
Speaker 1: need to be an office a good experience going already.

702
00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:37,120
Speaker 1: So that's why I asked you that question. And I'm

703
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,080
Speaker 1: not surprised that your family has asked you the same

704
00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,040
Speaker 1: question because maybe they see it too.

705
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, I don't close doors.

706
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,080
Speaker 1: You're not gonna rule it out.

707
00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:50,600
Speaker 5: I won't rule it out. I won't rule it out,

708
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:53,640
Speaker 5: but I will say though, no matter what, I need

709
00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:55,840
Speaker 5: a few more rings and then maybe I'll see that

710
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:56,200
Speaker 5: to you.

711
00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not trying to retire you right now, that's

712
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:03,720
Speaker 1: for sure, but because you have so much more left

713
00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:09,279
Speaker 1: to accomplish. And what was speaking of basketball? I know

714
00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:13,760
Speaker 1: that you have had your issues, understandable issues with Team USA,

715
00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,320
Speaker 1: but what were your thoughts on the fact that the

716
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,600
Speaker 1: Nigerian women's basketball team. They reached the quarterfinals. I think

717
00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:21,560
Speaker 1: that the first African team to do so. Like, how

718
00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,200
Speaker 1: did you feel witnessing that in the in the Summer Olympics?

719
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:30,279
Speaker 6: It felt great, If I wasn't surprised, And I think

720
00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:34,000
Speaker 6: that it was a little bit serendipitous that they you

721
00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,600
Speaker 6: know that that they played. I don't know, like they

722
00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:41,920
Speaker 6: just played so hard and they played the hardest competition.

723
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,520
Speaker 5: Like I just feel as though it feels it.

724
00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 6: Felt good being Nigerian and American like that, Like that's

725
00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,000
Speaker 6: really the only way that I can describe it. I

726
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,120
Speaker 6: think that it just shows that the best parts of

727
00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:55,759
Speaker 6: me are at the top.

728
00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,319
Speaker 5: You know, it was it was, it was I.

729
00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:03,279
Speaker 6: Felt I felt very very, very represented, and so I

730
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,080
Speaker 6: look forward to seeing how much more can be done.

731
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:08,719
Speaker 6: I look forward to seeing if I.

732
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:10,560
Speaker 5: Can be on Team Nigerian twenty twenty eight.

733
00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:17,040
Speaker 1: Though in la Okay put it out there listen, you know,

734
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:22,080
Speaker 1: for those who are listening. Unfortunately, there is a statistic

735
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:25,920
Speaker 1: that you have that I feel like is such ah,

736
00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:28,400
Speaker 1: it is such a disservice to your career. But I

737
00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,640
Speaker 1: think you're the only WNBA MVP two have never made

738
00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:36,000
Speaker 1: Team USA. What is it like for you watching Team

739
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:40,239
Speaker 1: USA and the Olympics, knowing that you've had a very

740
00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:45,160
Speaker 1: let's use the word political kind of experience with them,

741
00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:48,080
Speaker 1: But what's it like for you to watch Team USA?

742
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,279
Speaker 5: You know, I mean those are my teammates, those are right.

743
00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:53,320
Speaker 5: I think that.

744
00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 6: I've always had respect and I continue to always have respect.

745
00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:59,759
Speaker 5: I mean, I wouldn't I would be lying to you

746
00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:01,840
Speaker 5: if I if I told you that I felt peace,

747
00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,439
Speaker 5: you know, like I don't feel peace. And I think

748
00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,799
Speaker 5: that it's it's maybe less.

749
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:12,960
Speaker 6: About watching Team USA and more about the process.

750
00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:13,440
Speaker 3: You know.

751
00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:18,920
Speaker 6: I played for Team USA for fifteen years. You know,

752
00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:24,520
Speaker 6: I did all the things. I was told all the things,

753
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,840
Speaker 6: and I was trusting, you know.

754
00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:29,960
Speaker 5: And I think that.

755
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:37,360
Speaker 6: It's just it's unfortunate that I feel as though my

756
00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:41,680
Speaker 6: experience is incredibly symbolic of the tools of divisions that

757
00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,600
Speaker 6: we're experiencing from, you know, campaigns.

758
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:46,760
Speaker 5: That want to profit off of division.

759
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:51,160
Speaker 6: And I think that my experience can resonate with a

760
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:54,839
Speaker 6: lot of different people who come to places for opportunity

761
00:42:55,600 --> 00:43:00,759
Speaker 6: and do the right thing and are disciplined and try

762
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:05,480
Speaker 6: to be good and are not not only not rewarded,

763
00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:11,480
Speaker 6: but are disrespected, and so for me, I couldn't sacrifice

764
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:14,759
Speaker 6: my integrity and continue on. I wanted I had to

765
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:18,040
Speaker 6: keep that, you know, And I went against I went

766
00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:22,440
Speaker 6: against a lot of close family and friends advice to

767
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:23,040
Speaker 6: try again.

768
00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:26,080
Speaker 5: It just did. It didn't rest well. It didn't rest

769
00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,000
Speaker 5: well to me.

770
00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:30,799
Speaker 6: It felt it didn't feel good to continue to try again,

771
00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:32,680
Speaker 6: and so I'm forging my own path.

772
00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, when you know Kitlin Clark wasn't selected, obviously, that

773
00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,040
Speaker 1: caused a lot of conversation, a lout of controversy, and

774
00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:43,200
Speaker 1: I said, I was like, you know, I get why

775
00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,840
Speaker 1: people feel emotional and passionate about it. I was like,

776
00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,720
Speaker 1: but if we're talking snubs, the biggest snub by far

777
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,680
Speaker 1: is Mekka Ogum mackay. And it was interesting to hear

778
00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,920
Speaker 1: Arique talk about why she withdrew her name out of

779
00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,719
Speaker 1: the process. And to me, if you have players who

780
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:02,360
Speaker 1: are feeling this way, then you might need to evaluate

781
00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 1: your process. But for this moment, we're going to leave

782
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,680
Speaker 1: this conversation right here and take a quick break, and

783
00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:11,000
Speaker 1: when we come back, I'm going to ask you the

784
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:13,560
Speaker 1: question that is sure to get you in trouble, Mecca,

785
00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,879
Speaker 1: because I mean, you just you're so nice and so

786
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:18,759
Speaker 1: polished and so eloquent. I was like, now we got

787
00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:20,120
Speaker 1: to get her in some trouble. So I have that

788
00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:22,600
Speaker 1: question that is going to get you in trouble coming

789
00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:33,520
Speaker 1: up after the break. As you've seen Mecca like, there's

790
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,560
Speaker 1: been an explosion of coverage for the WNBA this season,

791
00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:39,239
Speaker 1: the sensational rookie class. But if you had to give

792
00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:42,640
Speaker 1: the media a grade for how you felt they've covered

793
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:47,000
Speaker 1: the WNBA this season, what would it be?

794
00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:49,280
Speaker 5: This is an excellent question.

795
00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:51,920
Speaker 1: And by the way, this was not the controversial question.

796
00:44:53,920 --> 00:44:58,439
Speaker 1: No it wasn't. I got even more controversial.

797
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:00,920
Speaker 5: Wa A grade?

798
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:02,280
Speaker 7: Wow?

799
00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:06,239
Speaker 1: Yes, I mean you're you are a basketball player and

800
00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:09,160
Speaker 1: a scholar, so I know you understand grades.

801
00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:14,000
Speaker 5: Great. Okay. So I've been in the league. This is

802
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:14,880
Speaker 5: my thirteenth season.

803
00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:16,000
Speaker 1: Mm hmm.

804
00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:22,040
Speaker 6: I've been through many many failing grades, many many failing grades.

805
00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,480
Speaker 1: I know some years that media has definitely gotten an f.

806
00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,239
Speaker 5: I would to give me a feeling grade. This year,

807
00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:34,160
Speaker 5: I wouldn't give them a feeling grade.

808
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,040
Speaker 1: I can give you what would you like me to

809
00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:39,920
Speaker 1: Would you like me to make it pass fail? Or

810
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:40,920
Speaker 1: is that too binary?

811
00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:45,719
Speaker 7: Yeah?

812
00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's binary. Okay, all right, feeling grade.

813
00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,279
Speaker 6: So there, I feel like there's a lot of variables

814
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,719
Speaker 6: that come into the grade that I.

815
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:57,520
Speaker 5: Would I would I would probably give like a solid sea.

816
00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:01,360
Speaker 5: I would probably give a solid seed only because.

817
00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:06,560
Speaker 6: I think that when it comes to media, there was

818
00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:10,319
Speaker 6: a lot of work that wasn't done before we got

819
00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:14,520
Speaker 6: to this moment that is exactly that is only serving

820
00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:18,400
Speaker 6: as an exacerbation of problems.

821
00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:20,200
Speaker 5: You know. I think that.

822
00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:26,640
Speaker 6: There's a lot of enabling that continues to occur because

823
00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,120
Speaker 6: of problems that weren't addressed before. And like from my experience,

824
00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:35,840
Speaker 6: what I would say is representation in stories, representation in media,

825
00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:38,920
Speaker 6: you know, when it comes to who is telling the stories,

826
00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:43,360
Speaker 6: who is pitching the stories, who is asking for the stories,

827
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:49,120
Speaker 6: who are the stories about? There's not enough diversity in

828
00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:51,960
Speaker 6: a lot of those a lot of those categories. I

829
00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,200
Speaker 6: was a part of actually a media summit last year

830
00:46:55,840 --> 00:46:58,200
Speaker 6: or actually at the top of this year, where we

831
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:02,440
Speaker 6: talked a lot to beat writers, you know, media and

832
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,680
Speaker 6: the WNBA and players.

833
00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:07,640
Speaker 5: And relationships with the media, especially.

834
00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:10,680
Speaker 6: With you know, are changing media rules when it comes

835
00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,279
Speaker 6: to coming into the locker room and such.

836
00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:14,120
Speaker 5: I know that a lot of people were up in

837
00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:14,839
Speaker 5: arms about that.

838
00:47:14,920 --> 00:47:18,000
Speaker 6: I think that media coming into the locker room is

839
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:22,920
Speaker 6: as traditional as white jerseys being the traditional color for

840
00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:27,080
Speaker 6: women who all menstract right, those are just things that

841
00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:29,200
Speaker 6: people are like, Oh, we never questioned it. It's always

842
00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:31,400
Speaker 6: just kind of been a thing. And so now when

843
00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:35,720
Speaker 6: we come with new ideas and innovative ways to protect

844
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:37,200
Speaker 6: players but also still.

845
00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:40,719
Speaker 5: Ensure that media can do their jobs, it's jolting.

846
00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:43,399
Speaker 6: People are not used to it, and so I give

847
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,719
Speaker 6: it a c because for so long it's been like,

848
00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:48,359
Speaker 6: that's just the way it is, that's just the way

849
00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:50,960
Speaker 6: it is. Well, now we're here. Do we want this

850
00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,239
Speaker 6: to continue to just be the way it is? Do

851
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:57,080
Speaker 6: we have Jamal Hills asking questions and being able to

852
00:47:57,120 --> 00:47:59,040
Speaker 6: tell the stories that they want to tell. Do we

853
00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:03,840
Speaker 6: have do we have Big three shows that are representing

854
00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:06,719
Speaker 6: these women in ways that they feel like, Okay, you know,

855
00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:08,880
Speaker 6: even if this is a hot take on me and

856
00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:12,000
Speaker 6: my team, it's an informed take. These are people that

857
00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,360
Speaker 6: have a lot of history of watching these sports, knowing

858
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:18,640
Speaker 6: these women and looking like a majority of what this

859
00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:21,839
Speaker 6: league looks looks like to tell these stories and talk

860
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:24,880
Speaker 6: about these sports, and I feel as though we have

861
00:48:24,960 --> 00:48:26,719
Speaker 6: a way. We still have a ways to go to

862
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:32,239
Speaker 6: even get to an A B, you know, and I

863
00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:36,480
Speaker 6: look forward to seeing how that changes. But the powers

864
00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,240
Speaker 6: that be, you know, are the one like the people

865
00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:41,840
Speaker 6: who are in charge of making these decisions.

866
00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:43,040
Speaker 5: That's what really needs to change.

867
00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:48,280
Speaker 1: With the media, Yeah, it's been it's been uncomfortable to watch, uh,

868
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:52,080
Speaker 1: you know, as a as a media member because the one,

869
00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,439
Speaker 1: the biggest, one of the bigger observations I've certainly put

870
00:48:55,480 --> 00:48:57,560
Speaker 1: out there was and I'm gonna keep it real. It's

871
00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:00,359
Speaker 1: like a lot of men who are now china in

872
00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:03,799
Speaker 1: and talking about the W. I'm not saying that you

873
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:07,600
Speaker 1: have to know the history from soup to nuts. I'm

874
00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:10,480
Speaker 1: not saying that, but there is some institutional knowledge you

875
00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:14,560
Speaker 1: should know. And what amazes me is that men are

876
00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:16,839
Speaker 1: allowed in the space of women's sports. And it's not

877
00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,480
Speaker 1: just the W, but I think it's particularly prevalent in

878
00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:21,480
Speaker 1: the W to show up and say I don't know

879
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:25,680
Speaker 1: anything about this, but here's my opinion, and that opinion

880
00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:29,120
Speaker 1: is being regarded as gospel. And I just there is

881
00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:31,120
Speaker 1: not a woman in mind like I could not show

882
00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:33,720
Speaker 1: up on anybody's NFL set and say, oh that Patrick

883
00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:36,800
Speaker 1: mahomes guys seems kind of good, huh, Like I couldn't

884
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:39,600
Speaker 1: do that. And yet when I watch sometimes the commentary

885
00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,200
Speaker 1: about the W it's people who don't know anything about

886
00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:46,160
Speaker 1: the league, and they are loud and proud of the

887
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:48,600
Speaker 1: fact that they don't know anything, and yet their opinions

888
00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:52,520
Speaker 1: are taken very seriously. And so I'm hoping that the

889
00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:55,080
Speaker 1: media will take this year to actually grow up a

890
00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:58,279
Speaker 1: little bit, because it's not on the players, it's the

891
00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:03,239
Speaker 1: media is responsible for the coverage and the conversation and

892
00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,560
Speaker 1: the narratives that are set, and so it's it's been

893
00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:10,759
Speaker 1: a little disheartening to watch that take place. So I'm

894
00:50:11,080 --> 00:50:13,799
Speaker 1: this will lead to a question as somebody who is,

895
00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:16,960
Speaker 1: you know, sort of in that space. I know you

896
00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:19,239
Speaker 1: don't want to get into the business of necessarily, you know,

897
00:50:19,400 --> 00:50:23,440
Speaker 1: sort of ripping the media, but what are your hopes

898
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:26,840
Speaker 1: going forward, because now that the popularity is there, the

899
00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:30,680
Speaker 1: coverage is increasing, are you hopeful going forward that the

900
00:50:30,719 --> 00:50:33,719
Speaker 1: media will be more grown up in how they cover

901
00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:35,760
Speaker 1: the W Yeah.

902
00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:39,279
Speaker 6: So, I mean I know how grim it can feel,

903
00:50:39,440 --> 00:50:44,240
Speaker 6: you know, as someone who is watching all of these takes,

904
00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:46,600
Speaker 6: and I mean people picking up a mic for the

905
00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:52,200
Speaker 6: first time now talking talking so much about about a

906
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:55,920
Speaker 6: league and sports and athletes that we've that we have

907
00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:58,959
Speaker 6: been we have been so passionate about, like we would

908
00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:01,120
Speaker 6: do it without even anyone paying us to talk about

909
00:51:01,239 --> 00:51:04,960
Speaker 6: or play, you know, And so I can feel I

910
00:51:04,960 --> 00:51:07,239
Speaker 6: can feel the tension when it comes to all of

911
00:51:07,280 --> 00:51:10,920
Speaker 6: these new pot takes, but I do feel I do

912
00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:14,399
Speaker 6: feel hopeful because maybe I have a different vantage point

913
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:18,399
Speaker 6: from the inside. For so long, it's always been easy

914
00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:20,759
Speaker 6: to point back, point out like who's doing what wrong?

915
00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:24,839
Speaker 5: And so I think in a year where we are

916
00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:30,520
Speaker 5: just you know, exploding with attention and media, I you know,

917
00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:34,239
Speaker 5: my radar is like no, okay, And.

918
00:51:34,239 --> 00:51:37,120
Speaker 6: So I'm able to sift it out a little bit

919
00:51:37,160 --> 00:51:41,320
Speaker 6: easier and without emotion because for so long people have

920
00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:45,080
Speaker 6: been getting it wrong and I'm able to and a

921
00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:49,000
Speaker 6: lot of other players are able to appreciate the theist

922
00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:53,719
Speaker 6: just women's sports, the Big Three, Jamel Hill, you know,

923
00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:57,160
Speaker 6: like we're able to really appreciate that and also see

924
00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:03,240
Speaker 6: that there is investment for those who are institutional.

925
00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,799
Speaker 5: At this point, like you said, in knowing things about the.

926
00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:11,480
Speaker 6: W because without investment in the Big Three, where the

927
00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:15,880
Speaker 6: hell would we really be watching people covering women's sports,

928
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:18,560
Speaker 6: you know, like being able and I of course I'm

929
00:52:18,560 --> 00:52:21,400
Speaker 6: biased because my sisters is a part of the Big Three,

930
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:24,920
Speaker 6: but being able to see them work and just be

931
00:52:25,120 --> 00:52:28,520
Speaker 6: in their bag in that way because of the boom

932
00:52:28,600 --> 00:52:32,319
Speaker 6: in women's sports and the engagement and the feedback that

933
00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:32,840
Speaker 6: they get.

934
00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,680
Speaker 5: It comes hand in hand with.

935
00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,960
Speaker 6: The stephen As and the Shanna Sharps and people who

936
00:52:39,960 --> 00:52:43,920
Speaker 6: are honestly having their gateway into it. Because for me,

937
00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:47,759
Speaker 6: like I'm not here to criticize anyone, I will tell you, like, hey,

938
00:52:47,880 --> 00:52:51,279
Speaker 6: do your research, like before you start talking. It's cool

939
00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:53,280
Speaker 6: to read up on something, or watch a few games,

940
00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:55,160
Speaker 6: go and look at some WBA classics, you know.

941
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:02,080
Speaker 5: But I think that the the.

942
00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:05,040
Speaker 6: Loud and wrongness of the media now is an opportunity

943
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:07,879
Speaker 6: for someone who is credentialed like you to be.

944
00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:12,880
Speaker 5: Like, hm, no, you know, you have community of people.

945
00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:15,920
Speaker 6: With large platforms, and the same way that Monica McNutt

946
00:53:16,239 --> 00:53:18,359
Speaker 6: did what she did, I feel like these are now

947
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:21,880
Speaker 6: opportunities for us to instead of fight and combat like

948
00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,600
Speaker 6: the fans are in the comment section. You can have

949
00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:26,560
Speaker 6: people who are credential you can have people who are

950
00:53:26,560 --> 00:53:30,799
Speaker 6: respected in the WNBA speaking to people who aren't necessarily

951
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:33,080
Speaker 6: informed on the d NBA, but do have the platform

952
00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:35,880
Speaker 6: and are credential and respected in their own rights to

953
00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:39,200
Speaker 6: bring these communities together and be like, hey, it's okay

954
00:53:39,239 --> 00:53:41,359
Speaker 6: if you didn't know, I'm here to help you out,

955
00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:42,120
Speaker 6: you know.

956
00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:44,960
Speaker 5: And so that's kind of in granted, I may be.

957
00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:47,719
Speaker 6: Someone who generally has Candice would always tell me that,

958
00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:49,520
Speaker 6: like you always see the good in things, and like

959
00:53:50,040 --> 00:53:53,520
Speaker 6: I maybe someone who leans, she's a little bit more pragmatic,

960
00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:58,200
Speaker 6: but I maybe someone who leans to be a little

961
00:53:58,200 --> 00:54:00,960
Speaker 6: bit more optimistic. But I think that there's ways that

962
00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:03,480
Speaker 6: you can still be firm and so let people know

963
00:54:03,600 --> 00:54:07,480
Speaker 6: and read them without it turning into, you know, an

964
00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:09,839
Speaker 6: all out war or fight. But then sometimes you do

965
00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:11,520
Speaker 6: need to get a little bit messy. And so that's

966
00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:13,440
Speaker 6: kind of that's that's.

967
00:54:13,239 --> 00:54:13,960
Speaker 5: What I anticipate.

968
00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:16,480
Speaker 6: I anticipate people being able to have a little bit

969
00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:18,520
Speaker 6: more golf and say, like, you know, like I've been

970
00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:20,799
Speaker 6: doing this, let me let you know you're not right,

971
00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:23,440
Speaker 6: but let's move forward and educate ourselves about it together.

972
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:26,239
Speaker 1: And so I actually brought up in this conversation you've

973
00:54:26,239 --> 00:54:29,040
Speaker 1: been you've been in the league now thirteen years, which

974
00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:31,239
Speaker 1: you know, I mean, I knew you've been there for

975
00:54:31,239 --> 00:54:34,560
Speaker 1: a while, but it just it still feels like you

976
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:37,640
Speaker 1: still feel it still feels like it hasn't been that long.

977
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:41,560
Speaker 1: But I like to know how much thought have you

978
00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:44,319
Speaker 1: given to how much longer you want to do? You

979
00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:44,920
Speaker 1: want to play?

980
00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:45,560
Speaker 5: Yeah?

981
00:54:45,560 --> 00:54:48,480
Speaker 6: Well, I mean I would say that you know, you

982
00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:50,239
Speaker 6: make plans and you think that things are going to

983
00:54:50,280 --> 00:54:53,920
Speaker 6: go a certain way. I did not, I will be honest,

984
00:54:53,920 --> 00:54:56,400
Speaker 6: I did not anticipate playing in another franchise. I'm very

985
00:54:56,400 --> 00:55:01,560
Speaker 6: grateful that I'm here. I have resources is that give

986
00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:04,520
Speaker 6: me that make me feel like I'm looking at a

987
00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:09,400
Speaker 6: longer runway now, you know, whether it's a facility and ownership,

988
00:55:09,440 --> 00:55:10,600
Speaker 6: engagement and.

989
00:55:12,280 --> 00:55:14,040
Speaker 5: Just being able to feel as though.

990
00:55:13,880 --> 00:55:17,000
Speaker 6: I'm I still feel like I could be out there

991
00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:18,920
Speaker 6: doing things and I know that I have resources and

992
00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:21,719
Speaker 6: staff and support that can help me do those things

993
00:55:21,719 --> 00:55:27,239
Speaker 6: for much longer. And you know, my aspirations to play

994
00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:29,240
Speaker 6: in the Olympics, I think is something that is probably

995
00:55:29,320 --> 00:55:32,120
Speaker 6: also extending my career as well. And so I can't

996
00:55:32,120 --> 00:55:34,080
Speaker 6: tell you how long, but I can't tell you that

997
00:55:34,560 --> 00:55:36,960
Speaker 6: I have goals and to be an Olympian is one.

998
00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:40,640
Speaker 6: To be a multi a multi champion is one, and

999
00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:43,440
Speaker 6: it takes takes a.

1000
00:55:43,440 --> 00:55:46,040
Speaker 5: Couple of years to get those things done. So we'll

1001
00:55:46,080 --> 00:55:47,160
Speaker 5: see where that lands me.

1002
00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:50,520
Speaker 6: But I'm very happy with with still trying to choose

1003
00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:51,640
Speaker 6: to achieve those goals.

1004
00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:57,520
Speaker 1: Your your sister Cheney recently got married. What was your

1005
00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:01,640
Speaker 1: favorite moment or memory from her wedding?

1006
00:56:02,120 --> 00:56:02,319
Speaker 4: Oh?

1007
00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:04,359
Speaker 1: Where are you her? Mad or honor?

1008
00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:05,160
Speaker 5: I was?

1009
00:56:05,239 --> 00:56:06,920
Speaker 1: I was okay, all right, So you had to give

1010
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:07,400
Speaker 1: the speech?

1011
00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:11,240
Speaker 6: I did well, you know, there was so much happening

1012
00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:14,799
Speaker 6: that we almost didn't do it speech, but we made it.

1013
00:56:14,800 --> 00:56:18,600
Speaker 5: We made it, We made you made it. Okay. Well,

1014
00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:20,080
Speaker 5: my favorite part of the wedding.

1015
00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:24,680
Speaker 6: So we have a Nigerian culture. We have a traditional wedding.

1016
00:56:24,719 --> 00:56:29,080
Speaker 6: It's called demonk Wu, right, and we had to rehearse

1017
00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:32,760
Speaker 6: a dance to enter the hall as a part of

1018
00:56:33,280 --> 00:56:35,719
Speaker 6: the ceremonies when it comes to call what we called

1019
00:56:35,719 --> 00:56:38,160
Speaker 6: the wine carny. And so I would say that when

1020
00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:40,560
Speaker 6: we entered the hall and we were doing our rehearse dance,

1021
00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:43,399
Speaker 6: that was probably my favorite part of the wedding. There's video,

1022
00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:46,040
Speaker 6: there's clips, there's highlights. You can watch it for sure.

1023
00:56:46,440 --> 00:56:51,080
Speaker 1: Now here comes the controversy as we want. Yes, now

1024
00:56:51,120 --> 00:56:52,239
Speaker 1: here comes the controversy.

1025
00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:54,960
Speaker 5: I've been I've been good so far, though you have.

1026
00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:57,320
Speaker 1: Been You've been excellent, and I feel like I haven't

1027
00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:00,399
Speaker 1: really put you on the hot seat. But this I'm

1028
00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:03,640
Speaker 1: hoping we'll do the do the trick. Make the case

1029
00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:10,160
Speaker 1: for why Nigerian jollafrice is better than Gahanian jollarice. Make

1030
00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:10,760
Speaker 1: the case.

1031
00:57:12,800 --> 00:57:14,320
Speaker 5: Why do I have to make the case?

1032
00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:19,480
Speaker 1: I didn't look the streets says it's a dad all battle.

1033
00:57:20,720 --> 00:57:24,000
Speaker 1: I've had them both. It's hard for me to I

1034
00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:27,480
Speaker 1: have had them both, you know. I mean, I have

1035
00:57:27,560 --> 00:57:30,720
Speaker 1: to say I am I am kind of leaning towards Ghana.

1036
00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:34,320
Speaker 1: I'm not whoa I just I hate to say I'm

1037
00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:38,040
Speaker 1: leaning towards Ghanda. Now I felt like, see, gotta tricked

1038
00:57:38,080 --> 00:57:40,480
Speaker 1: me just because I was in Ghana when I had

1039
00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:44,040
Speaker 1: the rice, right, so like I was anger when I

1040
00:57:44,040 --> 00:57:46,560
Speaker 1: had the Nigerian rice that I've had has been in

1041
00:57:46,640 --> 00:57:52,320
Speaker 1: the States but made by real Nigerians. Okay, so yes,

1042
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:56,760
Speaker 1: all right, so like, but having it in Ghana, I

1043
00:57:56,880 --> 00:57:59,840
Speaker 1: was able to sample a lot of the rice, and

1044
00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:03,000
Speaker 1: so I feel yeah, and because it feels a little

1045
00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:06,440
Speaker 1: spicier to me and I'm a spicy person. Wow, man,

1046
00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:11,880
Speaker 1: it does like But again that's why I said, like,

1047
00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:16,120
Speaker 1: let's start beefing these series. Why is Nigerian jollifrice better

1048
00:58:16,800 --> 00:58:18,680
Speaker 1: than right jollifrice from Ghana?

1049
00:58:19,720 --> 00:58:26,760
Speaker 5: Because it is because it is need to be explainable. Man.

1050
00:58:27,040 --> 00:58:29,880
Speaker 1: You hear that got it? You hear that you got

1051
00:58:29,920 --> 00:58:34,680
Speaker 1: twenty four hours to response. We are agreed you. You

1052
00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:37,960
Speaker 1: you escape that controversy. You talked your ship, which was

1053
00:58:38,000 --> 00:58:41,320
Speaker 1: good because now all of Ghana, yes, you have to.

1054
00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:44,240
Speaker 1: Now when when Ghana riding into your mentions? I can't

1055
00:58:44,280 --> 00:58:47,000
Speaker 1: wait because they take that rice very seriously.

1056
00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:51,160
Speaker 5: Tell you you don't play you don't play well.

1057
00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:53,920
Speaker 1: Nekka. I want to thank you for joining me on

1058
00:58:54,080 --> 00:58:56,840
Speaker 1: politics and for taking some time out and you know,

1059
00:58:57,680 --> 00:59:00,280
Speaker 1: twenty twenty eight we want to see it. We want

1060
00:59:00,280 --> 00:59:05,320
Speaker 1: to see you in a country's Olympic uniform. Perhaps the Nigerians.

1061
00:59:05,320 --> 00:59:07,760
Speaker 1: I mean they made the corner finals before. What could

1062
00:59:07,800 --> 00:59:10,400
Speaker 1: they do if they had Knucko on the team. I'm

1063
00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:13,480
Speaker 1: just saying, you know what I mean. But yes, but

1064
00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:17,360
Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining me and yeah, good

1065
00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:20,040
Speaker 1: luck going forward and look forward to your political this

1066
00:59:20,080 --> 00:59:20,800
Speaker 1: is subjective.

1067
00:59:21,200 --> 00:59:22,360
Speaker 5: I appreciate that.

1068
00:59:29,880 --> 00:59:32,480
Speaker 1: All right. As I mentioned in the first episode of Politics,

1069
00:59:32,520 --> 00:59:34,800
Speaker 1: I'm going to use this final segment to answer your

1070
00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:39,880
Speaker 1: questions about sports, politics, maybe even life. Today's question comes

1071
00:59:39,880 --> 00:59:41,240
Speaker 1: from Seth Smith.

1072
00:59:41,520 --> 00:59:46,320
Speaker 7: Hijamu great first episode of Politics. Really enjoyed the topics

1073
00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:48,760
Speaker 7: that you got to cover with the guy that literally

1074
00:59:48,760 --> 00:59:52,320
Speaker 7: inspired me to be a journalism major at Paul University

1075
00:59:52,360 --> 00:59:54,840
Speaker 7: here in Chicago, Dan Lovebtzard. I really loved a lot

1076
00:59:54,840 --> 00:59:57,240
Speaker 7: of the topics you guys covered, and I think what

1077
00:59:57,280 --> 01:00:01,360
Speaker 7: you're doing with this particular series is really really important.

1078
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:03,520
Speaker 7: But my question, I guess would be, is how do

1079
01:00:03,560 --> 01:00:06,120
Speaker 7: you break into this industry and how do you get started?

1080
01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:08,440
Speaker 7: Because I would really love to be a part of

1081
01:00:08,480 --> 01:00:11,040
Speaker 7: this world, not even just saying hey, give you a job.

1082
01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:14,760
Speaker 7: I swear I'm not, but just like a compass, you

1083
01:00:14,760 --> 01:00:18,120
Speaker 7: could provide a lighthouse of like where does somebody go

1084
01:00:18,320 --> 01:00:20,280
Speaker 7: if they want to make this a career?

1085
01:00:20,920 --> 01:00:23,560
Speaker 1: All right, So Seth, you basically asked me how do

1086
01:00:23,640 --> 01:00:26,760
Speaker 1: you break into this business? And what are some of

1087
01:00:26,800 --> 01:00:28,640
Speaker 1: the steps you need to take and whether or not

1088
01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:30,040
Speaker 1: I can provide you with a blueprint.

1089
01:00:30,160 --> 01:00:30,840
Speaker 5: I'm gonna be one.

1090
01:00:30,720 --> 01:00:34,240
Speaker 1: Thousand percent honest with you. I can't provide you a blueprint,

1091
01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:36,080
Speaker 1: not because I'm stingy and not because I don't want

1092
01:00:36,120 --> 01:00:37,960
Speaker 1: to share all the knowledge. Is that the blueprint that

1093
01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:40,520
Speaker 1: I came up with to get into this business literally

1094
01:00:40,560 --> 01:00:43,760
Speaker 1: doesn't exist anymore. Just to give you a little background,

1095
01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:46,960
Speaker 1: I came up through newspapers, so I majored in journalism

1096
01:00:47,120 --> 01:00:50,000
Speaker 1: when I went to Michigan State. I had five internships

1097
01:00:50,040 --> 01:00:51,880
Speaker 1: when I was in college. I interned at the Lineman

1098
01:00:51,920 --> 01:00:55,640
Speaker 1: News in Lima, Ohio, the Philadelphia Acquired, the Detroit Free Press,

1099
01:00:56,000 --> 01:00:59,000
Speaker 1: the Cleveland Playing Dealer, the Riley News and Observer because

1100
01:00:59,040 --> 01:01:00,880
Speaker 1: I wanted to be a print journalist. That was my

1101
01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:04,160
Speaker 1: sort of big thing. And then after that I worked

1102
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:06,120
Speaker 1: at the News and Observer and Raley as a general

1103
01:01:06,120 --> 01:01:09,120
Speaker 1: assignment sports reporter for a couple of years, worked in Detroit,

1104
01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:11,960
Speaker 1: was a columnist in Orlando before I got to ESPN.

1105
01:01:12,400 --> 01:01:14,720
Speaker 1: Keep in mind, ESPN did not hire me to be

1106
01:01:14,800 --> 01:01:16,880
Speaker 1: on air talent. That's just something that evolved when I

1107
01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:20,000
Speaker 1: was there. They hired me to be a sports columnist

1108
01:01:20,080 --> 01:01:23,800
Speaker 1: for ESPN dot Com. So all that to say is

1109
01:01:23,840 --> 01:01:27,720
Speaker 1: that blueprint of coming up through print doesn't potentially work anymore.

1110
01:01:27,800 --> 01:01:30,040
Speaker 1: So I think probably the best advice that I can

1111
01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:32,760
Speaker 1: give you is to just get as many reps as possible.

1112
01:01:32,760 --> 01:01:35,080
Speaker 1: You didn't necessarily specify whether you want to produce, whether

1113
01:01:35,080 --> 01:01:36,800
Speaker 1: you want to be on air. I know you had

1114
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:39,680
Speaker 1: such wonderful praise for Dan Levittard and I, but if

1115
01:01:39,720 --> 01:01:41,520
Speaker 1: you want to be on air, you have to give

1116
01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:45,560
Speaker 1: reps because our business is one where your experience is

1117
01:01:45,600 --> 01:01:48,000
Speaker 1: your currency, and that's what matters the most. And I

1118
01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:50,600
Speaker 1: would say if you're trying to get those reps, start

1119
01:01:50,640 --> 01:01:52,960
Speaker 1: wherever you are. If you're still in college, then I

1120
01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:57,160
Speaker 1: would say college radio, student TV, all those things that

1121
01:01:57,200 --> 01:02:00,680
Speaker 1: are available on campus. If you're not in knowledge, what

1122
01:02:00,720 --> 01:02:02,480
Speaker 1: I would say is that a lot of the entry

1123
01:02:02,560 --> 01:02:05,800
Speaker 1: level positions in media they just need capable hands. They

1124
01:02:05,840 --> 01:02:07,520
Speaker 1: just need people who going to show up on time

1125
01:02:07,680 --> 01:02:10,720
Speaker 1: and do the work. And because if you don't have

1126
01:02:10,760 --> 01:02:14,480
Speaker 1: a lot of experience, you also have one great quality.

1127
01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:17,520
Speaker 1: You're cheap, so that always helps as well. So what

1128
01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:20,040
Speaker 1: I would say, as soon as you possibly can start

1129
01:02:20,080 --> 01:02:23,200
Speaker 1: getting reps, depending on what it is that you want

1130
01:02:23,200 --> 01:02:25,520
Speaker 1: to do in this business. Also, I should mention Dan

1131
01:02:25,600 --> 01:02:28,280
Speaker 1: Levatar also came up through newspapers as I did, but

1132
01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:30,920
Speaker 1: as you see what's happening with local news, I'm not

1133
01:02:30,960 --> 01:02:33,600
Speaker 1: so sure that's a viable path. Also, let me just

1134
01:02:33,720 --> 01:02:36,880
Speaker 1: mention this final thing before I wrap up. When you

1135
01:02:36,920 --> 01:02:40,280
Speaker 1: want to be on air, hey, listen social media, TikTok,

1136
01:02:40,400 --> 01:02:43,520
Speaker 1: YouTube channels like, start talking to people, start getting reps,

1137
01:02:43,520 --> 01:02:46,000
Speaker 1: start getting comfortable being in front of a camera. That

1138
01:02:46,120 --> 01:02:49,080
Speaker 1: also will help you anyway. Try to answer your question

1139
01:02:49,160 --> 01:02:53,600
Speaker 1: as best that I can, and hopefully that will do

1140
01:02:53,680 --> 01:02:55,760
Speaker 1: you some kind of good. But you know, keep me

1141
01:02:56,080 --> 01:02:57,960
Speaker 1: updated on your progress because I'd love to know how

1142
01:02:57,960 --> 01:03:01,400
Speaker 1: you're doing. Thanks, Seth. Now, if you would like to

1143
01:03:01,440 --> 01:03:03,880
Speaker 1: ask me a question as well, you can email me

1144
01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:06,320
Speaker 1: your question or send me a video with your question,

1145
01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:08,280
Speaker 1: as Seth did. But if you send me a video,

1146
01:03:08,360 --> 01:03:11,720
Speaker 1: make sure it's thirty seconds or less. Send your questions

1147
01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:16,040
Speaker 1: to Spolitics twenty twenty four at gmail dot com. That's

1148
01:03:16,120 --> 01:03:19,720
Speaker 1: Politics twenty twenty four at gmail dot com. That's s

1149
01:03:20,040 --> 01:03:23,800
Speaker 1: PO L I T I c s. And remember, a

1150
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:27,400
Speaker 1: new episode of Spolitics drops every Thursday on iHeart podcast

1151
01:03:27,720 --> 01:03:31,200
Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. This is politics where

1152
01:03:31,200 --> 01:03:37,400
Speaker 1: sports and politics don't just mix, they also matter Spolitics

1153
01:03:37,440 --> 01:03:40,560
Speaker 1: is the production of iHeart Podcasts and the Unbothered network.

1154
01:03:40,960 --> 01:03:45,240
Speaker 1: I'm Your host Jamel Hill. Executive producer is Taylor Schakoigne.

1155
01:03:45,640 --> 01:03:48,959
Speaker 1: Lucas Hymen is head of Audio and executive producer. Megan

1156
01:03:49,080 --> 01:03:53,400
Speaker 1: Armstrong is associate producer. Original music for Spolitics provided by

1157
01:03:53,480 --> 01:03:55,520
Speaker 1: Kyle Visz from wiz FX.