WEBVTT - From Name to Game: The Azzi Story 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:06.480 Hello, fut around and find out family, welcome back. 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:06.920 Today. 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:10.959 We have a very very very special guest. Two of them, 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:14.160 we had, Miss Jennifer a. Z and Katie five. 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:17.880 Great to be here. 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:19.640 Listen, I have. 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:22.840 To run through these accolades. I have to run through 0:00:22.880 --> 0:00:23.400 your intro. 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.000 So, Katie, I'm gonna start with you. 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:28.000 Yeah, Mine Shorter. 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:33.479 Everyone knows that you are Asy's mama. 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:38.360 However, I'm gonna run through this awesome basketball intro of yours. 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:42.200 So acc rookie of the Year at NC State, then 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:46.080 transferred to Georgetown for three seasons where you scored sixteen 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:50.280 hundred and seventy one points. Recently honored as a Big 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:53.680 East legend at the Big East Tournament that I had 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:57.240 the pleasure to witness as the first Georgetown Hoya. 0:00:57.000 --> 0:01:01.040 To be drafted in the WNBA. Come on, oh, Katie fun. 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:07.960 All right, we have Miss Jennifer a Zy. Olympic gold medalist, 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:13.399 NCAA champion and Final four MVP with Stanford, two time 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:18.680 Feeble World Champion, WNBA All Star, and Women's Basketball Hall 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:19.640 of Famer. 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:23.399 Come on, Jennifer Azy WHOA. 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.240 Thank you guys so much for joining us on the pod. 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:29.440 It is honestly on honor to host with both of you, 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:34.679 It's gonna be fun. So first things First, As is 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:40.840 named after Jennifer Azy Katie. What did Jennifer represent for 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:42.640 you that made you choose that name? 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.160 Actually, this was just in a speech that I gave 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.560 the other day. First, I think we run into people 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.080 when we're thinking about names that we automatic are like, 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:55.400 we'll never name my kid. So I wanted to do 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.800 it a little bit differently. There wasn't a ton of 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:01.280 basketball on TV growing up. I think the first thing 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:06.200 that I saw was a documentary maybe on your nineteen 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:09.040 ninety national championship team, So that was first like wow, 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:13.520 women's basketball on TV. And then fast forward to when 0:02:13.560 --> 0:02:16.560 I was a senior in high school, they did the 0:02:16.880 --> 0:02:19.280 I think it was a WBCA All American game or 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:21.480 the Nike one. I'm not sure, but it was a 0:02:21.480 --> 0:02:24.240 doubleheatter with the women's national team. You just played China 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:26.720 and they sat us at a table. And you probably 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:28.440 don't remember this at all, but they sat us. They 0:02:28.520 --> 0:02:30.400 came on the bus and said who's your favorite player 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:32.480 on the national team, and then they sat us at 0:02:32.520 --> 0:02:36.000 a table and I was super quiet, super shy, and 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:38.760 I just sat there and watched you interact with all 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.280 these people you didn't know, the way that you spoke, 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:45.520 the character that you displayed, just like the actual, just 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:47.400 human that you were, on top of being a really 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:50.560 good basketball player. Plus, my maiden name is Smirka Duffy. 0:02:50.760 --> 0:02:53.400 I have red hair, unique things. I just like them. 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:55.399 So it's like, that would be a really cool name 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:57.040 for a girl. And I just knew right then if 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:00.079 I ever had a girl, I would name Razy. I 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:03.960 thought about changing the spelling so people didn't butcher it 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:06.880 and do more phonetic, but then I was like, that 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:08.960 defeats the purpose, so we're not doing that. 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.320 You know what's crazy is I think naming her easy 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:18.000 has helped people pronounce my name correctly, so I appreciate it. 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:18.919 I can need to help. 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:22.680 This is really we're getting the real, Miss. 0:03:22.639 --> 0:03:26.160 Jeffiface my background here, so we're all real today. 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:30.800 Yeah, like it's very real today. So okay, you and 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:33.200 Eyes had met, so you guys didn't know each other. 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:37.080 When we actually met too later my senior year, you 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:40.640 guys were practicing Colorado Springs and I was trying out, 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:47.400 not successfully for some USA team. It's okayed to successful, I. 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.160 Believe it or not. This is what no one ever 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.040 talks about. But you know I tried out also in 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:54.800 ninety two and I was cut from the team. I 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:57.080 was Actually my claim to fame is that I was 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:00.280 the last player sent home, So i've I was, you know, 0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:01.640 I was sent home from there as well. 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:05.360 We have something there. We go. 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.560 A lot of things, a lot of things. So at 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:12.040 what point, Katie, did you realize that Asy would follow 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:14.440 in these basketball footsteps? 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:15.880 You know, I think when you have kids, you just 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:19.279 want them to be happy, right, You want them to 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.040 find their passion. And for Asy, we tried a bunch 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:25.039 of different things, and she took the basketball. I think 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:28.320 because it was more social. She really liked her teammates 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:31.240 and that drew her to the game and kept her 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:33.960 loving practices and that kind of stuff. I thought she 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:36.920 was awful when she started. Tim claims he knew she'd 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:41.880 be good or whatever, but like she was awful. I 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:45.599 would say. She played in a tournament when she was 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:47.880 in third grade, and she played. She played two years 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:51.440 up anyhow, but with a sister program, our point guard's 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:54.599 dad's program. Our team wasn't going to Nationals and his 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:56.239 team was to. We asked if he could have Asy 0:04:56.320 --> 0:05:00.560 and Carly. And at that tournament, she really like just 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:03.520 kept stepping up in ways that I didn't know she 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.080 was capable of. And I was like, oh, well, okay, 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:08.919 she could get a free education out of this. That 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:11.720 would be phenomenal, right, And that was like the endgame 0:05:11.720 --> 0:05:15.560 at that point. Didn't think anything past that, like we 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:17.520 just won't have to pay for college. 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:20.719 I feel you on and that that was right. Save 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:21.160 a bill. 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:24.520 So Jennifer had like, what was your reaction when you 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:27.400 found out that someone named their daughter after you? 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:29.960 Well, it's better than having a dog named after you. 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:33.120 The Ada at Stanford named his dog Asy. And then 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:35.279 at first I thought it was a joke because it's 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:37.920 like that's such a big deal, like that's I don't 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:40.200 I didn't take it lightly. It was like, wow, that 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.600 is that's amazing. And I think Katie, even hearing you 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:46.760 talk about maybe feeling like you had a sense of 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.400 me and who I was versus just you know, an 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:52.320 athlete on the court or something, and that makes it, 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.880 I think, feel even that much more special. And I 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:59.159 had the opportunity to meet Katie and Asy when I 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.120 was coaching at you and so I got to meet, 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.080 you know more, really meet you, right, like maybe we 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:08.359 are past cross but just seeing what a great parent 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:12.120 that you were with her and obviously continue to be. 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.040 But that was kind of early on in her journey. 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:17.360 And you know, you never know how your kids are 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:19.200 going to turn out. And I can totally relate to 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:23.599 just wanting your kids to be into something that they love, 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.440 that they're passionate about. Like I have a nine year 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:29.840 old son and he is all about basketball right now. 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.039 We tried tennis. He was really good at it, but 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:35.360 he wanted the social part too, and so it's just 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:38.280 fun to see. I think where your kids can go. 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:40.679 And I think, Katie, you guys have done a tremendous 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:43.480 job with your daughter because you know that doesn't happen 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:48.200 just by chance. That's your support, your love, your being 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:52.440 there for her and you know, giving giving her your all. 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.640 And I think when you look at successful kids like 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:59.479 your daughter, you have at least one parent if not 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:03.760 obviously too behind them believing in them, you know, more 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:05.080 than anything unconditionally. 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.559 Yeah, it definitely takes a lot of time and effort, 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:12.560 but with anything, any kind of parenting takes time and effort. Yeah, 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:15.160 I need We're fortunate that, you know, our kids are 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:18.000 fortunate to have to involve parents. Some days probably they 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:22.800 think it's not so fortunate. But down the line though, 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:24.440 the reflecting definitely. 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:27.679 Jennifer. You also have a five year old daughter. Correct 0:07:27.760 --> 0:07:28.760 did she play basketball? 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:31.760 So she's now getting into it. She's almost six. But 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:36.640 you know, I actually coached both kids soccer teams, and 0:07:36.720 --> 0:07:38.760 that was sort of crazy because I love that. But 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.360 I had my son's group for like four years, and 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:43.280 I think we lost maybe two games, and it was 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:45.240 so much fun for me and him to go through 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:48.440 it together because it's not my sport, so it was 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.640 like we were really kind of doing it together. But 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:53.080 I got to influence him and his group of friends 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:55.800 with all the great things that I learned, you know, 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.200 from sports, and that taught me as a you know, 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:00.720 as a human being. Now, my daughter, when I started 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:02.640 coaching her, she was just jumping on my back and 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.000 wanted nothing to do with it, and you know, so 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.560 we'll see where she ends up. But she really has 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:10.680 seems to now take a liking to basketball, and you know, 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:12.960 we have at one point my son said, Mom, how 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:14.480 many hoops do we have in the house? And I 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.360 was like, Okay, I don't know, like nine, you know, 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:20.840 they're like hanging over the shower. But it's not just us, 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:24.080 it's him. He you know, wants to shoot every chance 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:25.960 that he gets. And so I think my daughter's seeing 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.880 all this and really how much fun we have with it, 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.280 you know, So we'll see if it if it sticks 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:34.359 for her. But she also likes to dance, she likes gymnastics, 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:36.920 and you know, I think my job is to expose 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.040 them and find what, you know, what they really end 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:39.600 up liking. 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.280 Okay, if you were to name of your child, say, 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:46.600 if you had another one after a basketball player, who 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:47.080 would it be? 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:50.600 I mean me and probably everyone in the world, but uh, 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:54.400 Steph Curt I mean, you know, some more form but 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:58.920 like you know, uh Steph, you know one of the 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:02.280 step On me I'm seeing in that family. I just 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:04.720 I think that he is one of the greatest human 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:07.680 beings that I've ever met. And you know, what he's 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:09.520 able to do and the way that he impacts the 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:12.280 world is really second to Nine and obviously best shooter 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:12.840 of all time. 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:16.199 So I will say before we met him that we 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:19.040 did name our dog after him. And when was at 0:09:19.080 --> 0:09:22.800 USA basketball tryouts. His mom was there with cam Bring's mom, 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.319 and I was like, hey, just letting you know we 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:26.680 named our dog after your family. 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:29.920 There we go, that's maybe I'll adopt that since I 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.080 am due to get another dog, I think pretty soon. 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:33.720 So yeah, I love food. 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:45.320 So yes, the tradition of naming pets and children after 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:52.040 the As name and other talented basketball players. Katie recently, 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:55.120 Asy just met baby As. Could you tell us more 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:55.600 about that? 0:09:56.000 --> 0:10:00.439 So one of our former players played at University of 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:04.280 New England. After the final four last year, she sends 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:07.280 me a picture from Facebook saying, look what I see 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:10.800 This is one of my teammates kind of thing, and 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:13.720 it said Azy Alan Porter born for twenty one And 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:16.079 I was like, no way, like that is at just 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:19.240 another family name more, you know, there's got to be 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:22.560 some other connection. So she reached out and asked her 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:24.720 if she was actually named after a Zy and she's like, oh, 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:26.480 my gosh, one hundred percent. Well she's at one thousand 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:30.000 percent yes, And so they came over last night so 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:32.880 that Aisy could meet Asy. My Asy is a soup like. 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.920 She loves kids, loves babies, so you could pretty much 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:37.520 get her to do anything if you have a child 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:42.480 in front of her. And so actually, Liz the mom 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:46.320 said that the dad Jay is the one. Last a 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:48.319 year ago September, when they found out they were having 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.360 a girl, he's the one who suggested naming her Asy. 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:54.280 And then she joked around. She's like, all right, well, 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:56.880 if they win the national championship, let's do it. And 0:10:56.920 --> 0:10:59.240 then they won and then Aisy got them op so 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:01.560 then she was like, all right, that's it. So she 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:04.000 was born two weeks to the day of the National 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:06.319 Championship game, and she's a cutie. 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:06.959 I love it. 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:12.000 Oh my goodness, that's awesome. Look it started with you, Jennifer. 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:15.959 Now we got kids named at the easy baby Asy 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:18.720 gonna be super Baby, a be as. 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:22.800 Yeah, and there definitely are multiple dogs and cats named 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:23.520 Asian as well. 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:27.000 So I've definitely seen that all over socials. 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:30.000 Like who I will say back in the day when 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:32.640 I did it, I was like, yo, is she gonna 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:33.960 think like I'm stockersh. 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:39.360 I think it's I think it's amazing. 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:40.000 You know. 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:43.839 When she committed to Yukon, I had so many people 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:46.640 texting me as if she's my daughter. It was like, 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.920 you know, it's like congratulations, I'm like, wait a minute, 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:52.880 Like I met her once. I think she's awesome, you know, 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:56.160 but it's it's pretty cool to, uh, you know, think 0:11:56.200 --> 0:11:59.320 about what this really kind of extended family feels like. 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:02.240 It's it's it's pretty awesome. And I know, I lost 0:12:02.280 --> 0:12:06.920 my dad in early twenty twenty four, and he was 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:09.360 sort of that original girl dad, like you know, for 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:11.559 me growing up in the seventies and eighties when there 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.360 wasn't you know, obviously no wnba nowhere really to go. 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:17.200 But he saw how much I loved it, and he 0:12:17.240 --> 0:12:19.400 put a hoop in our driveway that was slanted and 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:21.480 you know, he had to kind of, i'm sure, borrow 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:23.679 money to even get the hoop, and you know, and 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:26.959 he really was that person in my life that encouraged 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:30.680 me to go to Stanford, that you know, just believed 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.439 in me. And so I think, as this name, if 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:37.480 you will, continues, it's it's pretty cool for me, you know. 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:39.640 And I don't know where my son will, you know, 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:41.559 will end up. But my dad and I actually put 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:44.319 together his first hoop. I was coming back from a 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:47.000 trip from India, so we're you know, working together, putting 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:49.680 his little hoop together. And it's just fun to see 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.720 what basketball does. You know, it brings people together, It's 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:55.240 it's a really powerful sport, a great. 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:57.920 Beautiful And you messaged as I don't know if it 0:12:58.040 --> 0:13:00.480 was when she first made the USA team or something, 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:04.160 you messaged her, emailed or something, and she's like, oh, 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.960 Jennifer Azy emailed me, So she thought that was super cool. 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.600 Well, I'm as proud as I can be from Afar, Like, 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:13.840 I just think that, you know, she has incredible character. 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.920 Her game speaks for itself. I'm sure she will be 0:13:17.960 --> 0:13:21.120 an Olympian, which is no pressure, but you know she's 0:13:21.160 --> 0:13:23.800 on that tack and we believe it's outstanding. 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:29.000 Yeah, that's definitely her dream. I'd like to be there. So, Jennifer, 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:29.720 I have a question. 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:33.640 Are you an inductee of the twenty twenty six Tennessee 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:35.160 Sports Hall of Fame class? 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:35.440 Are you? 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:36.200 Yes? I am? 0:13:36.640 --> 0:13:40.040 Are you? Oh my goodness, concredulations? 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:44.079 Yeah, unfortunately didn't make it there. We've got the Nines 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:48.040 event in Las Vegas. But yeah, it's pretty big honor 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:50.800 there because Tennessee sports are everything. 0:13:51.200 --> 0:13:55.439 So yes, are we played in Tennessee when I was 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:59.360 in high school? Where were we? We were there? Was 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:02.240 a North in aalth and now I can't remember where 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.560 we were, of course I'm blanking, but basketball was just 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:07.760 it was amazing, Like we had good fans in our 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:12.160 high school. But we went to watch another game and 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:13.720 we had to park at the middle school and take 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:15.920 a shuttleover because it was just a pack. So that 0:14:16.080 --> 0:14:20.360 was really cool. Then we got back to the hotel Greenville. 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.440 So as North and South Greenville we're playing each other. 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:25.320 We got back to our hotel and the people behind 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.760 the desk at the hotel were talking about the game, 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:32.920 which you know, that's like, you know, early like ninety four, 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:36.400 ninety five somewhere in there. So that was different, right, 0:14:36.440 --> 0:14:38.720 You just didn't get a lot of people like that. 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:43.560 Weren't basketball people, just general population people talking about women's basketball. 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:45.880 And then I had someone come up to me that 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:47.760 second year that we were there and they just they 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:49.760 smirk it up, you know, and named my donald for you. 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:55.600 And that's why I was like, really, thank you so much. 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:59.240 Yeah, we had in my high school at our state 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:04.000 tournament Murphy, Tennessee, we had ten thousand people. Crazy, that's crazy. 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:06.160 And that was back I wouldn't even say when, but 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:06.840 you know. 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:08.880 So then was that hard for you to leave that 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:12.640 go to Stanford out in like the wild basically where 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:15.840 there's not as much interest in women's back very hard. 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:20.680 I remember my first game there and I'm thinking, like, 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:22.600 when did the fans show up? Because you know, they 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:25.480 don't tell you during recruiting there's like no fans and 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:28.640 it wasn't when everything was broadcast at that time, and 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:30.560 they're like, oh, we're lucky if you know friends and 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:33.480 family are in town. So the team, I think before 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:36.760 I was part of tar Vanderver's first recruiting class, so 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:40.520 you know, they were building and the year before I 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:42.920 think the team had won three to five games or something. 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:45.800 You know, we were five hundred my freshman year, and 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:48.480 so it was scary for me and then being you know, 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.720 I still had a Southern accent. I'm from Tennessee. I 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.320 go out there, I think everybody's smarter and better and 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:56.280 we're terrible, and you know, and then one thing led 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.680 to another and Tar ended up, you know, recruiting some 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:02.320 of the best classes in the country and within you know, 0:16:02.600 --> 0:16:05.000 three years, we won the national championship and we were 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:08.680 selling out Maple's pavilion. So literally went from I'm telling you, 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:12.200 I could count the fans on two hands from that 0:16:12.480 --> 0:16:16.600 to eight thousand fans a gain a game at Maple's pavilion. 0:16:16.640 --> 0:16:20.600 And I always say that Tar's a genius because she said, hey, 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:23.840 three is worth more than two because the three point 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:26.120 line came in between. You probably remember this, Kdie, but 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:29.400 between my freshmen and sophomore year, that's when the three 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:31.920 point line came in and she said, the only way 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:34.040 we're gonna win is if we can shoot threes. So 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:36.960 my teammates and I lived in the gym and we 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:40.200 learned how to shoot threes because it just extended everything 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:42.520 and that's kind of how we ended up winning. But 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.040 it was hard. It was It was a really hard adjustment. 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:46.280 That is crazy. 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:50.560 I can't imagine a brand new like rule, a brand 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:55.600 new right like huge, Like literally you were playing basketball 0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:57.800 at a really high level at the time, like one 0:16:57.800 --> 0:16:58.840 of the highest levels. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:00.400 To have something that. 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.200 Big change and be a part of the game and 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:03.960 now it's forever part of the game. 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:06.960 That is amazing. 0:17:07.000 --> 0:17:08.520 That's pretty cool to say that you were in it. 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:09.920 I guess it's like if you were six on a 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:10.640 side basketball. 0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:13.160 Although yeah, that was a little that's even more drastic, right, 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:14.520 But no, that was cool, And I. 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:16.000 Think Yukon's crazy. 0:17:16.320 --> 0:17:19.480 Our record held for years and we start shot over 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.200 fifty percent from the floor, like we just literally shot. 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:26.360 And I think Yukon broke our three point record somewhere 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:30.040 in the like maybe twenty fifteen or sixteen, somewhere around there, 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:31.560 but it held for a long time. 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:35.159 Yeah, that you. 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:35.840 Should get even more. 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:37.600 Let me go to that for sure. 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:43.360 So, Jennifer, you also are Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists. 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:47.840 Congratulations, thank you, And I know there's an opportunity for you. 0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:50.320 I believe you're going to get recognized or all air 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:52.879 during the final four. What does it mean to be 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:54.840 recognized by the Naismith Hall of Fame. 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:58.119 Well, I'm not exactly recognized yet because you know, I 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:00.760 feel like I'm like always a bright made I've been 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:04.000 I've been in a timeless i don't know, a few years, 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.560 a few different times. And you know, my big thing 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:08.439 I think with the Nasmith Hall of Fame, and I'm 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:11.840 actually on one of their committees right now, is seeing 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:15.320 more of this you women, as you know we go 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:18.480 into the future, because you've now you now have all 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.160 of these generations, and you know you're going to need 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.600 a place for you know, for all the great athletes 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.280 that have you know, come, you know, not just from 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:30.720 my generation, but now throughout until this you know, current day. 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:36.840 I'm not competitor as if I'm in, I'm not. You know, 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:44.120 so well, we're believing, we're believing right in regardless. Yeah, 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:45.200 it's going to happen. 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:47.080 Is happening. 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:50.480 Okay, So we talked about the huge change while you 0:18:50.520 --> 0:18:54.200 were playing, adding the three point line. How do you 0:18:54.240 --> 0:18:57.120 think it's different, like the path for top women's basketball 0:18:57.280 --> 0:19:00.399 prospects now versus when you guys were both playing. 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:04.680 I didn't. I mean, I think everything has changed so much, 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:09.919 not necessarily for the better. There's a lot, I means, 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:14.680 but I just think there's more access and visibility, and 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:18.119 I think it's easier for coaches to see who players are. 0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:20.480 I think it's easier for players to figure out where 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:22.040 they want to go if they want to take the 0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:24.359 time to find the right place for them. I know 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:26.320 for me and probably for you too. Like you're getting 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:29.560 recruited and you've never seen these people play, right, you 0:19:29.600 --> 0:19:31.439 can't watch them on TV. You know, you have to 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:33.600 go there and watch a game in person, and most 0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:35.360 of the time that wasn't happening. Most of our parents 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:39.119 couldn't just drop things and travel like that. So I 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:41.880 think just the visibility, and I think I don't think. 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.680 I mean, now you've got all the players jerseys out there, 0:19:44.680 --> 0:19:47.840 and you see little boys wearing you know, women's jerseys, 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:50.000 which to me is a huge thing. As if we 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:53.840 teach boys at a young age to respect female athletes, 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:55.159 they're not going to grow up to be men that 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:57.159