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Speaker 1: Full Circle is an Iheartwoman's sports production and partnership with

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Speaker 1: Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on

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Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Full Circle.

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Speaker 2: We missed you missed, y'all. Sorry that we were absent

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Speaker 2: last week. Somebody had a hair appointment.

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Speaker 1: Listen. I was going to record during my hair appointment,

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Speaker 1: but I know how important it is for y'all to

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Speaker 1: see us, and unfortunately you were going to be able

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Speaker 1: to see us.

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Speaker 3: It looks real cute.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Lexie.

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Speaker 3: I love it. It was worth it. It was worth it.

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Speaker 2: Guys.

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Speaker 3: We're just girls.

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Speaker 1: Sorry, And Lexi just so happens to be a professional

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Speaker 1: athlete starting her season, so we had a lot going on.

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Speaker 3: We had a lot going on.

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Speaker 2: I have something to say before we get into this

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Speaker 2: Western Conference in preseason talk that we're going to have

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Speaker 2: because y'all know, I'm off X, I'm off of there,

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Speaker 2: and I've been the happiest I've ever been in my

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Speaker 2: professional career since I've been off that platform. But from

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Speaker 2: time to time, things come across my desk that I'm

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Speaker 2: involved in and instead of logging back in to address it.

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Speaker 3: I'm gonna just address it on my show.

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Speaker 2: So I'm not going to specifically say what tweet was

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Speaker 2: brought to my attention, but what I want to say

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Speaker 2: about Full Circle Podcast.

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Speaker 3: Okay, I wrote this down.

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Speaker 2: Okay, I had to write it down, you see, guys,

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Speaker 2: I have it written down because I can't miss any

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Speaker 2: of these points I'm about to make. Okay, bear with me, y'all,

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Speaker 2: so this podcast, I need y'all hopefully to appreciate my

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Speaker 2: perspective in this space because I've.

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Speaker 3: Experienced so much in my career.

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Speaker 2: I've been a starter, I've been a bench player, I've

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Speaker 2: been a role player. I've been a multiple D and

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Speaker 2: P player. I've been waved, I've been brought back, I've

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Speaker 2: been waved. Like anything you can experience as a professional

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Speaker 2: WNBA basketball player, I have experienced firsthand. Nothing I'm talking

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Speaker 2: about has been not experienced by me personally. So I

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Speaker 2: hope that you guys can, like at least appreciate shape

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Speaker 2: my perspective in that regard because I've experienced a lot

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Speaker 2: of stuff. I won't go down my accomplishments and my

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Speaker 2: milestones or anything because y'all can go on Google.

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Speaker 3: If y'all really care that much, it's all right there.

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Speaker 2: I also grew up in a house with probably one

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Speaker 2: of the brightest basketball minds I've ever talked to, in

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Speaker 2: my father, right. So he's a former NBA player, coached

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Speaker 2: in the NBA, coach in the WNBA front office, NBA,

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Speaker 2: all of the things that I talk to him every

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Speaker 2: single day. I was raised in that house, so I

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Speaker 2: have knowledge in that regard. So we're not going to

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Speaker 2: take this show and use it as an opportunity to

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Speaker 2: minimize my love and knowledge for the game, like people

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Speaker 2: tend to minimize my game in the WNBA as a player,

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Speaker 2: and that's been going on for almost my entire career.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to agree with anything that I say.

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Speaker 2: You don't have to agree with anything that Mariah says.

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Speaker 2: But I do want this platform to encourage intellectual conversations

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Speaker 2: about women's basketball. But if you do disagree, you do

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Speaker 2: not have to take personal digs or shots at me

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Speaker 2: as a player or as a person to get your

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Speaker 2: point across, Because now I don't care, I don't care

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Speaker 2: what point you're trying to make. If you make it personal,

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Speaker 2: especially from people that have zero professional basketball experience. I mean,

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Speaker 2: you have not logged a single second in the WNBA.

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Speaker 2: I do not care about anything you have to say

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Speaker 2: about me as a player. I don't I don't care

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Speaker 2: that you think that I'm not good enough to be

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Speaker 2: in the league.

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Speaker 3: There's a ten minute video of me on YouTube.

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Speaker 2: Making only three pointers, ten minutes of me making threes

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Speaker 2: from one season, and people still say I am not

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Speaker 2: a good shooter.

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Speaker 3: I don't care.

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Speaker 2: Y'all are gonna say whatever y'all want to say, but

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Speaker 2: I want this to be a space for us to

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Speaker 2: have intelligent, analytical conversations about basketball and.

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Speaker 3: Not emotional ones.

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Speaker 2: There's been like constant attempts to humble me, to silence

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Speaker 2: me because people think that I'm not good enough to

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Speaker 2: be in the league. I'm very proud of career that

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Speaker 2: I've put together. I spent a lot of time in

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Speaker 2: the gym. I study the game a lot, I look

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Speaker 2: at stats, I watch a lot of film, and in

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Speaker 2: my career there's been like an endless amount of things

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Speaker 2: that I've been completely out of my control, and all

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Speaker 2: I can do is show up and do my job.

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Speaker 3: And that's what I've done.

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Speaker 2: Instead of quitting or feeling sorry for myself. I've poured

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Speaker 2: into the mental side of the game and I fell

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Speaker 2: in love with it in a different way. This is

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Speaker 2: my platform, this is our show that we built, and

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Speaker 2: I love talking about basketball, and I'm always gonna include

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Speaker 2: myself in these conversations. I'm not excluded or immune to

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Speaker 2: anything that we talk about, and we gonna get into

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Speaker 2: that later, even when we're talking about the storm, the sparks,

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Speaker 2: everything that has been going on, the changes that have

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Speaker 2: been made. I don't exclude myself from anything positive or negative.

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Speaker 2: I was definitely hitting a stride in my career before

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Speaker 2: I got sick, like turning a real corner, and unfortunately,

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Speaker 2: sometimes in pro sports you have a very small window

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Speaker 2: to turn that corner. And I don't want to say

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Speaker 2: that my window has closed, but if that was my

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Speaker 2: only window, then it is what it is.

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Speaker 3: I was making the most of that opportunity. I had

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Speaker 3: no idea what.

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Speaker 2: Crones was gonna do to my basketball career. There were

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Speaker 2: moments where I thought I was never gonna be able

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Speaker 2: to play basketball again. So in order to continue to

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Speaker 2: stay engaged to the game that I love in the

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Speaker 2: occasion that I would be able to return, I had

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Speaker 2: to like stay engaged to what was going on in

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Speaker 2: the WNBA, the NBA to see how the game was changing.

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Speaker 2: So when I did come back, I wouldn't have I

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Speaker 2: wouldn't get left behind. It's taken me two years to

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Speaker 2: get back physically to compete at this level. It's not easy,

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Speaker 2: Like I don't understand why people think this league is

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Speaker 2: an easy league to be a part of. It's fucking

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Speaker 2: hard to be a WNBA player. But last night, when

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Speaker 2: I got on that court, I was so happy, like

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Speaker 2: I did.

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Speaker 3: Not even care that I missed all my shots. I

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Speaker 3: did not care.

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Speaker 2: Like I was out there, I was bumping people, I

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Speaker 2: was getting open, like I haven't felt like that in

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Speaker 2: two years on the WNBA floor.

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Speaker 3: So I I don't want.

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Speaker 2: I don't want people to take this show and use

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Speaker 2: it as another weapon to minimize me as a WNBA player,

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Speaker 2: as an athlete, as a person, as a woman, as

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Speaker 2: a black woman.

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Speaker 3: I don't want. This is not that. And if people

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Speaker 3: want to.

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Speaker 2: Clip out things that we say and try to make

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Speaker 2: it a negative thing, like there's nothing we can do

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Speaker 2: about that, Like.

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Speaker 3: We said, what we're saying is what we're saying.

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Speaker 2: If people want to clip a thirty second thing and

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Speaker 2: put it up and make it look like we're being negative,

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Speaker 2: like that's like, that's that's an issue with you. Last

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Speaker 2: thing is again, like I said, I did not care

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Speaker 2: that I didn't score last night. I don't have to

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Speaker 2: score one point at all this season for me to

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Speaker 2: deem this as a success. Because the hole that I

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Speaker 2: had to pull myself out of after being diagnosed with

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Speaker 2: crohnes was a deep one and I don't think people

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Speaker 2: really understand how sick I was, and I minimize the

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Speaker 2: severity of it because I didn't want to make excuses,

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Speaker 2: but it kind of led to me being like more

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Speaker 2: misunderstood than I already was, and that was something that

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Speaker 2: I wasn't expecting. And unfortunately, like I've been taken away

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Speaker 2: from the game, so I had to find other ways

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Speaker 2: to stay locked in to basketball and it's brought me

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Speaker 2: to new opportunities.

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Speaker 3: So thankfully I have this show I'm.

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Speaker 2: On Gills Arena, and being on Gills Arena it made

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Speaker 2: me realize that we don't have a space like that

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Speaker 2: in women's basketball where you can bring current players former

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Speaker 2: players together to break down games, bring real analysis, share experiences,

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Speaker 2: good and bad, talk a little shit, give flowers, and

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Speaker 2: then ultimately, like just respect the game as a whole.

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Speaker 2: So there's not going to be any negativity on this show, Like,

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Speaker 2: yes we're gonna talk stats, yes we're going to talk analysis,

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Speaker 2: but ultimately this is a very positive space and I'm

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Speaker 2: not going to allow people to take our beautiful baby

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Speaker 2: and make it into something that it's not. I'm very

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Speaker 2: happy that y'all are listening though. That's what I have

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Speaker 2: from it, like y'all tune then. But there's so much

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Speaker 2: that goes into being successful at the highest level and

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Speaker 2: having longevity is a blessing. So going into year eight

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Speaker 2: feeling this way, feeling confident about my future in this

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Speaker 2: league is something that I'm.

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Speaker 3: So grateful for.

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Speaker 2: And I wish that there were more conversations like this

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Speaker 2: when I was growing up, from real players and people

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Speaker 2: like you, Mariah, who genuinely want to uplift the sport,

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Speaker 2: real insight again.

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Speaker 3: Giving flowers.

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Speaker 2: I mean, ultimately, that's what this show is going to

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Speaker 2: be about, too, is just giving flowers as often as

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Speaker 2: we can. This was a little long winded, but I

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Speaker 2: had to get this off because I feel like that

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Speaker 2: quickly people forgot what this podcast was about so hopefully

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Speaker 2: this is like a little cute reminder about what we're

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Speaker 2: doing on full circle, and that is bringing real, genuine,

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Speaker 2: positive conversations to women's basketball. Y'all, not Finn turn this

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Speaker 2: into something nasty, because that's not what it is. Okay,

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Speaker 2: do we have it? Got it clip that post that

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Speaker 2: thank you? Okay, onto basketball.

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Speaker 1: I just want to say before we move on to

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Speaker 1: the Western Conference quote unquote, is what we're calling it

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Speaker 1: analysis That just because we want this to be a

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Speaker 1: positive platform and we want to have analytical and productive

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Speaker 1: conversations about women's basketball does not mean that every single

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Speaker 1: thing we say has to be like worshiping every single

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Speaker 1: even you, Lexi, Like it doesn't mean that every single

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Speaker 1: thing we say has to be There are going to

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Speaker 1: be things that we cover that are like, Okay, this

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Speaker 1: could be improved that, like on the court, this could

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Speaker 1: be improved this, she could get better at this. This

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Speaker 1: team could have gotten this piece in the off season

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Speaker 1: to make themselves better. In no other sport is expected

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Speaker 1: that we're supposed to sit here and be a show

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Speaker 1: about analysis and being real and unfiltered. And Gil's arenas

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Speaker 1: a perfect example, Lexi, you sit there every day and

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Speaker 1: watch them talk to retired players and talk amongst each

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Speaker 1: other's every single thing they say. I just love this,

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Speaker 1: I love it's so good last night.

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Speaker 3: Even though they lost by thirty.

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Speaker 1: Like, you know, let's not talk about the Clippers and

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Speaker 1: what James Harden did in his fifth game seven fumbling.

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Speaker 1: You know, let's only talk about the Nuggets. That doesn't

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Speaker 1: no basketball fan even wants to hear that. When y'all

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Speaker 1: are in the barbershop, or when y'all in the hair salon,

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Speaker 1: or when y'allre talking to your friends, y'all aren't having

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Speaker 1: only exclusively she did so good last night conversations. Otherwise

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Speaker 1: you wouldn't be clipping out what we have to say

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Speaker 1: and trying to negate it and putting it on X

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Speaker 1: to get people to jump us. So all I have

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Speaker 1: to say is, if you're a real sports fan, having

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Speaker 1: real sports fan conversations, you know that just because Lexi

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Speaker 1: has something to say about a certain lineup or this

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Speaker 1: or that or moves being made or analysis or whatever,

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Speaker 1: and you're gonna attack her because you don't agree is ridiculous,

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Speaker 1: because any fan that has any conversations are going to

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Speaker 1: mention those things regardless and I did see a few

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Speaker 1: tweets of these examples, and I won't get into the specifics,

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Speaker 1: but a lot of people actually in their responses agreed

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Speaker 1: Lexi what we were talking.

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Speaker 3: About, so ha haha.

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Speaker 1: But like, I just want to say that just because

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Speaker 1: we do bring up because it does happen with sports,

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Speaker 1: like we're gonna have to talk about this person not

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Speaker 1: having the best game or this or that. But Lexi,

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Speaker 1: being a knows that when you're actually in those rooms

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Speaker 1: and end practice in those games at the end of

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Speaker 1: the day, they know that there are bigger things going on.

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Speaker 1: Like if Leuxi's like I didn't score a point last night,

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Speaker 1: but I don't really care because you don't know all

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Speaker 1: the stuff I had to overcome. But we're having these

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Speaker 1: conversations about what's going on on the court. We're not

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Speaker 1: attacking your favorite player or favorite team or favorite person.

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Speaker 1: Like we're having conversations that you would have about any

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Speaker 1: other sports. So exactly, that's all I wanted to say, Like,

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Speaker 1: don't expect us to come on here and be like

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Speaker 1: like we mean positive in the sense that it's good

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Speaker 1: for the game, and it's like what we wish was

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Speaker 1: out there, not like we're gonna be undug fake'll because

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Speaker 1: I know a lot of our listeners want us to

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Speaker 1: be real. We are going to be real. We're not

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Speaker 1: going to be coming for people obviously, Like I feel

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Speaker 1: like that's all ever and.

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Speaker 2: Y'all don't need to then y'all in return, like y'all

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Speaker 2: don't need to come for us. Just if you disagree

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Speaker 2: with what I'm saying, give me some what we said,

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Speaker 2: y'allso effective field goal percentage pace net Ready. I came

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Speaker 2: in with real numbers to back what we're talking about

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Speaker 2: when we're previewing these teams for the season. If you

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Speaker 2: disagree with what I'm saying, bring me some bring me

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Speaker 2: some numbers. Don't show me videos. You can find videos

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Speaker 2: of anything. You could put a highlight reel of me

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Speaker 2: together and be like, damn, is she the best player

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Speaker 2: in the league, Like you.

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Speaker 3: Can do anything or a low light reel, but people

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Speaker 3: do exactly.

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Speaker 2: You could just show yes there's a level of eye test,

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Speaker 2: Yes that exists.

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Speaker 1: But we're talking about w NBA players and we talk

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Speaker 1: about all the time how difficult it is to get

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Speaker 1: into stay at that level. I mean, we're singing now

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Speaker 1: like roster cuts are being made. Changes are being made.

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Speaker 1: We see how hard it gets to that level. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: if we're talking about something or we're like this team

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Speaker 1: needs to do that, we're not saying, oh, this person

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Speaker 1: is incapable of making a jump shot, exactly, No shit

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Speaker 1: that can make a jump shot. They're impressional basketball player.

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Speaker 1: We're saying that there are other people on other teams

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Speaker 1: that might be better at this specific skill, that might

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Speaker 1: be good in this specific spot. Obviously, everybody can do

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Speaker 1: when I asked too, if they were on a college

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Speaker 1: team right now, they probably can do everything on the court.

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Speaker 1: They're professional basketball players. Are just making critiques and blah

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Speaker 1: bah blah blah blah. If you aren't the champions, you

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Speaker 1: obviously don't need anything. We don't have a perfect time

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Speaker 1: right right, so things are gonna come up. It doesn't

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Speaker 1: we're not being negative. Everybody's good, So let's go ahead

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Speaker 1: and get that out of the way.

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Speaker 3: Everybody is good.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, if you're gonna clip me saying something negative about

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Speaker 1: what somebody's game last night, obviously I'm not a professional

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Speaker 1: woman's basketball player. I know, like you, you don't have

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Speaker 1: to come for me and LEXI, like, we know everyone's good.

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Speaker 3: Leave us alone, Please leave us so much love. But

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Speaker 3: keep listening.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you can keep listening. And obviously, LEXI to you.

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Speaker 1: People are gonna as we go on to this and

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Speaker 1: as we get into the w NBA season, that's gonna happen.

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Speaker 3: Every week.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna get clipped. People are gonna say stuff about

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Speaker 1: the stuff we ever say. We just gotta keep talking

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Speaker 1: because obviously they're listening.

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Speaker 2: And I'm gonna say this because this is how like

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Speaker 2: life works. There is a hierarchy of expectation and performance

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Speaker 2: based on your pay.

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Speaker 3: And I'm not a pocket watcher by any means.

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Speaker 2: I'm so happy that we all get to make money

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Speaker 2: playing basketball doing what we love. But there is no

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Speaker 2: reason why anybody should ever come for the ninth highest paid.

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Speaker 3: Player on a WNBA team for anything.

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Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Like whatever, our salaries are public information, so

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Speaker 2: I don't care about talking about mine. I'm like the

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Speaker 2: next highest paid player after.

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Speaker 3: Rookies, like cool.

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Speaker 2: I'm so grateful for that, but like y'all not gonna

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Speaker 2: talk to me like I'm making all this money under

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Speaker 2: underachieving and not doing I really genuinely feel that I'm

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Speaker 2: I'm getting paid what my status have shown in my career.

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Speaker 2: You know, someplace, right place, right time for me. I'm

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Speaker 2: just saying, before y'all start coming for me, y'all go

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Speaker 2: look at the box score and be like, oh, what

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Speaker 2: is this. Let's keep everything in the right perspective as well.

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Speaker 1: But also Lexi, you don't I've never averaged a point

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Speaker 1: in anything ever. And I'm gonna say what I want regardless,

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Speaker 1: because if y'all want to to say something good for you,

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Speaker 1: you go find somebody to give you a mike to

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Speaker 1: talk about it. We're in it.

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Speaker 2: Go buy your own mike.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, do your thing. That's all y'all have done. Actually,

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Speaker 3: y'all all got mine.

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Speaker 1: And also at Lexi, when people are coming for you

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Speaker 1: about that thing about the ninth highest paid kind of situation,

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Speaker 1: like you ask those people how much they're getting paid

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Speaker 1: to pay professional basketball? How many points do they average

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Speaker 1: in a professional basketball league?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I just think perspective is key. So

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Speaker 2: while we're doing this, my level of self awareness is

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Speaker 2: very high. I don't want anybody to think that we

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Speaker 2: are on this show. I'm putting myself on this pedestal

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Speaker 2: like I'm all knowing everything. I know a lot of

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Speaker 2: shit it's because I care about it and I love

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Speaker 2: it and I'm in this space. I'm I exist here.

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Speaker 2: There are not a lot of players that I can

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Speaker 2: have high level dialogue about all basketball with. And that's

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Speaker 2: not a shot at anybody. That's just reality. That's why,

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Speaker 2: Like I have my own show, and I talk to

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Speaker 2: you and sometimes talk to myself, like it's not something

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Speaker 2: that I have a lot of conversations with with people

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Speaker 2: that I'm around all the time, and that's okay.

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Speaker 3: But I do understand who I am.

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Speaker 2: I understand my stats, I understand my career, I understand

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Speaker 2: my health situation, like all those things are going on

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Speaker 2: my head when I get on this show every week.

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Speaker 2: So I don't want anybody to ever think that I'm

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Speaker 2: coming on here and I think that I'm better than anybody,

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Speaker 2: I'm above anybody, or any of those things.

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Speaker 3: I just really want to talk about women's basketball, that's all. Okay,

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Speaker 3: Now let's actually start talking.

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Speaker 1: And see Lexi is being very humble, but you're about

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Speaker 1: to hear some really great analysis out of a really

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Speaker 1: smart basketball mind, and y'all can shut up and get

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Speaker 1: thanks for right, Okay, Lexi. We're preseason, which is super

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Speaker 1: super exciting finally.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, So as we go through these teams, I guess

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Speaker 1: if you want, if you want, before we get into

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Speaker 1: the teams, we could give a little recap of anything

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Speaker 1: that stuck out to you throughout preseason.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: The thing about preseason is we've all had one week

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Speaker 2: of practices, which, depending on how teams do their off

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Speaker 2: days and.

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Speaker 3: Stuff, that's like four or five practices.

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Speaker 2: Okay, So I don't really look at preseason to see

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Speaker 2: or formulate any real opinions, honestly, but I have five

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Speaker 2: things from the games that I saw from preseason.

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Speaker 3: First thing is Vegas wants to win now. They came

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Speaker 3: out belt to ask they were reselling game.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I was like, they look really good right now. So

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Speaker 3: say that.

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Speaker 2: Two is that Dallas has some very difficult decisions to make.

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Speaker 2: Despite the score of the game, their rookies came out

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Speaker 2: and hooped. They looked really good for that being their

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Speaker 2: first WNBA game. I think Dallas is still gonna They're

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Speaker 2: still finding their identity. They're a very young team with

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Speaker 2: a lot of young talent and rookies, so their roster

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Speaker 2: cuts are going to be brutal already know they are.

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Speaker 2: Third thing is made the perfect moves in free agency.

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Speaker 2: They brought in exactly what they needed. I feel like, again,

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Speaker 2: it's preseason. Caitlin didn't play the first game, then she

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Speaker 2: played the second game in Iowa, which was an amazing

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Speaker 2: atmosphere to see on TV. That was incredible to see,

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Speaker 2: and they looked good. They looked very contending, I feel like,

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Speaker 2: but again, one week of practices, so I'm excited to

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Speaker 2: see how that shakes out. And the fourth thing in Chicago,

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Speaker 2: the Tyler Marsh era has begun. That Chicago team looks

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Speaker 2: night and day compared to the last year's Chicago Sky team.

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Speaker 2: And yes, they played the Brazilian national team, so that's

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Speaker 2: not a very good sample size in my opinion because

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Speaker 2: that team is very young. Shout out to them though,

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Speaker 2: for coming over here and challenging themselves. That's not easy

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Speaker 2: to do as a teenager to come play professional basketball players.

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Speaker 2: So shout out to the Brazilian national team. But you

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Speaker 2: can tell that he's he's making his energy felt and

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Speaker 2: how he wants to play basketball.

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Speaker 3: So that was really good to see.

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Speaker 2: And then the one thing I'll say about our team,

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Speaker 2: the Seattle Storm is we gonna play some defense and yeah,

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Speaker 2: and We'll get more into that when we get into

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Speaker 2: our breakdowns. So who do you want to start with?

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Speaker 2: What team you want to start with?

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Speaker 1: Well, I'll say, y'all kind of put about the ass too,

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Speaker 1: but that's a conversation for no day. But Okay, we're

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Speaker 1: gonna do a quick vibe check because the preseason just

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Speaker 1: kicked off, and so we're gonna go team by team

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Speaker 1: through the West and what we're excited about and what

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Speaker 1: the fans can expect to see for this season. Okay,

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Speaker 1: starting with Minnesota, I think the biggest headline about them

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Speaker 1: is that they've got the same core, but a different

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Speaker 1: kind of energy is what they're trying to go into

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Speaker 1: the season with Lexi. As far as the numbers, what

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Speaker 1: are you seeing from them?

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Speaker 2: So back to our three numbers that we used when

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Speaker 2: we broke down the Eastern teams, effective field goal, pace,

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Speaker 2: net rating, So the Links were fourth and effective field

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Speaker 2: goal tenth in pace, and third in net rating. So

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Speaker 2: I think that when you think about pace, like yes,

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Speaker 2: you're you're going to think, oh, that means they just

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Speaker 2: play really slow. That's not necessarily what pace means. I

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Speaker 2: remember last year, the biggest thing about guarding the Links

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Speaker 2: is that, Yes, they play a very half court game,

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Speaker 2: but they play it fast, like their cuts are fast,

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Speaker 2: their actions are fast, their player like everybody is always moving,

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Speaker 2: but they like to settle into the half court. They

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00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,840
Speaker 2: don't play as much transition, even though they're very good

439
00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,399
Speaker 2: in transition. And then they were knocking down threes all

440
00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,399
Speaker 2: over the place. So when you think of pace with

441
00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,600
Speaker 2: the links, yes they were tenth, but their offense was

442
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,360
Speaker 2: very very hard to guard because.

443
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,440
Speaker 3: They ran it at such a high level.

444
00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:41,639
Speaker 2: And it like it kind of goes against like the

445
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,000
Speaker 2: logic of oh, how they tenth and pace, but they

446
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:45,160
Speaker 2: run their offense fast.

447
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:46,800
Speaker 3: But that's just because they like to sit in the

448
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:47,320
Speaker 3: half court.

449
00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,120
Speaker 2: So yeah, they made absolutely no change in free agency,

450
00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,560
Speaker 2: which I think is a good idea. We already talked

451
00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:55,960
Speaker 2: about it weeks ago, how we thought that they should

452
00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,520
Speaker 2: have won the finals. So they come in with a

453
00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,880
Speaker 2: chip on their shoulder. They traded away their first round pick.

454
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,240
Speaker 2: They were like, nah, we good over here. We don't

455
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,320
Speaker 2: need no, we don't need no rookies in here. Courtney

456
00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,200
Speaker 2: and Fie played together and unrivaled. They looked great and

457
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,760
Speaker 2: k Mack was one of the best players at unrivaled.

458
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,400
Speaker 2: I think then went from unrivaled and went and played

459
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:17,080
Speaker 2: in euro League.

460
00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,240
Speaker 3: So k Mack is ready. K Mack is ready to go.

461
00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:25,520
Speaker 2: And to me, this team was already really talented and

462
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,200
Speaker 2: already had a chip on their shoulder, I don't know

463
00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,480
Speaker 2: what kind of chip Bisco looked like. I think everyone

464
00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,520
Speaker 2: should be absolutely terrified of the Links, and I'm really

465
00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,880
Speaker 2: excited to see what type of beast comes out because

466
00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:44,359
Speaker 2: the way they lost the finals was so devastating, and

467
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,000
Speaker 2: I just know that they're ready to come back and

468
00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:49,680
Speaker 2: belt to ass all season long.

469
00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:53,200
Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, for those who don't know, like Lexie said,

470
00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,640
Speaker 1: they made virtually no changes and their entire starting five

471
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,639
Speaker 1: is back, and so they really their focused for the

472
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,240
Speaker 1: season is can they get even better and not just

473
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,640
Speaker 1: stay the same, which, like Lexi said, is terrifying because

474
00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,840
Speaker 1: they were already incredible. Lexi and your opinion, would you

475
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,720
Speaker 1: count them as the biggest threat to New York possibly

476
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:14,440
Speaker 1: running it back?

477
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,200
Speaker 2: I would say, honestly right now, And this is a

478
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,240
Speaker 2: very this is biased, and I'm biased for us, of course,

479
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,080
Speaker 2: but what I've been I know is not about us

480
00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:26,560
Speaker 2: right now. When I was talking about the storm, right now,

481
00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:29,520
Speaker 2: what I've seen in our training camp has been very special,

482
00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,960
Speaker 2: and I want to say that we are definitely contenders

483
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,560
Speaker 2: as well. But I mean, based on what we've seen

484
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,720
Speaker 2: last year to this year, yeah, I would say Minnesota

485
00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,440
Speaker 2: is probably the biggest threat to the Liberty running it back, Yeah,

486
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:43,280
Speaker 2: for sure.

487
00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:47,640
Speaker 1: Or the biggest threat to you know, whoever they might

488
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:48,800
Speaker 1: see in the finals of things.

489
00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,320
Speaker 2: And honestly, yeah, and honestly because the way our playoffs

490
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:55,480
Speaker 2: is set up, because it's not east and West, like

491
00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 2: Minnesota could be the best team on this side and

492
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,720
Speaker 2: the Liberty could be the best on this side. But

493
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,080
Speaker 2: depending on where they're falling one through eight, like they

494
00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,440
Speaker 2: could even meet each other even earlier than the finals.

495
00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,320
Speaker 3: So I mean, like, I mean, I love that we

496
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:10,840
Speaker 3: do it that way.

497
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,960
Speaker 2: I'm glad that we don't have the conferences. I love

498
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,880
Speaker 2: that it's just one through eight. But I'm really excited

499
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,800
Speaker 2: to see what that Minnesota team looks like. Alisa Peelee,

500
00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:20,840
Speaker 2: I think is also going to be a very big

501
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,959
Speaker 2: part of their jump. She played with us in Nashville

502
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,600
Speaker 2: au looked amazing, So seeing her jump from rookie year

503
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,600
Speaker 2: to year two, I'm really excited about.

504
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,000
Speaker 3: So, yeah, Minnesota.

505
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,800
Speaker 2: They come in like, I don't think anybody is overlooking

506
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,560
Speaker 2: them like they did last year at all. I think

507
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,520
Speaker 2: Fee is going to be a favorite for MVP. I

508
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,280
Speaker 2: think she got that attention a lot later than she

509
00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:47,760
Speaker 2: should have. Obviously, that award was ages from like All

510
00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:48,480
Speaker 2: Star Break.

511
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:49,480
Speaker 3: Like she had that locked up.

512
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,240
Speaker 2: But I think Fee can give her a real run

513
00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,239
Speaker 2: for her money to repeat as MVP if she if

514
00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,320
Speaker 2: she puts together a season like she did last year,

515
00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,960
Speaker 2: and then they potentially get to the finals again.

516
00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 3: So shout out to the Minnesota Links.

517
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,920
Speaker 1: Let's get into the next seam. Okay, so next we're

518
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 1: gonna get into the Las Vegas Aces. We kind of

519
00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,399
Speaker 1: tease them a little bit, but just to give you

520
00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,760
Speaker 1: guys some context, the biggest headline for the Aces is

521
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,720
Speaker 1: is Asia Wilson somehow getting better? And is she going

522
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,000
Speaker 1: to run it back MVP wise. She's coming off of

523
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,120
Speaker 1: the best single season in WNBA history with twenty six

524
00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,160
Speaker 1: point nine points per game MVP all the records, y'all

525
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,479
Speaker 1: saw it. Nick Commercial will sick shout out to her.

526
00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,760
Speaker 1: But yeah, the vibe in camp was very serious but

527
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:35,040
Speaker 1: quote unquote fresh, and there seems to be no burnout. Obviously,

528
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,400
Speaker 1: Kelsey Plumb is gone, she was traded to the Sparks.

529
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,440
Speaker 1: Jewel Lloyd is now stepping into that third score role.

530
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,960
Speaker 1: And the tiny undercurrent is that this could be could

531
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,120
Speaker 1: be Asia's quote unquote last year in Vegas with free

532
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,120
Speaker 1: agency looming in twenty twenty six.

533
00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,919
Speaker 3: I don't think that's going to happen. They should rename

534
00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:59,120
Speaker 3: it to the Las Vegas Asians. I don't think she's

535
00:24:59,200 --> 00:24:59,880
Speaker 3: going anywhere.

536
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:05,120
Speaker 2: Numbers wise, effective field goal percentage two, pace for net

537
00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,000
Speaker 2: rating four, so top five in those categories, which is

538
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 2: not surprising. Like we said earlier, they looked really good

539
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,200
Speaker 2: in that preseason game. They had two of their assistants

540
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,760
Speaker 2: leave for head coaching jobs, which is amazing for them. Congratulations.

541
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,080
Speaker 2: They added, like you said, Juel Lloyd, Tiffany Mitchell, Dana Evans,

542
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,680
Speaker 2: and Liz Kitley who they drafted last year, but she

543
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,359
Speaker 2: was injured. So this is the first time since they

544
00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:34,119
Speaker 2: Vegas got good that we've seen like a major personnel change.

545
00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,280
Speaker 2: When you have Chelsea Gray as your point guard, I

546
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,200
Speaker 2: think you're going to be okay no matter who's on

547
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,000
Speaker 2: your team. And when you have Ajil Wilson as your superstar.

548
00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,320
Speaker 2: You're gonna win games, so it's a matter of Honestly,

549
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,760
Speaker 2: I think the key to this season will be Jackie Young.

550
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,240
Speaker 3: I think she has been.

551
00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,880
Speaker 2: Their most consistent player offensively and defensively. And I think

552
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,840
Speaker 2: that she gets overlooked a lot because she's quiet. If

553
00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,920
Speaker 2: you look at her numbers, they're crazy, strong as hell.

554
00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:02,320
Speaker 3: She's smart.

555
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,280
Speaker 2: Like I said, she don't say much, so people kind

556
00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,080
Speaker 2: of forget about her sometimes. But I owe, every time

557
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,439
Speaker 2: you play the Aces, you feel Jackie Young. She had

558
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,720
Speaker 2: twenty eight points in their scrimmage, and then we said

559
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,560
Speaker 2: that one thing that they were lacking last season was

560
00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:19,879
Speaker 2: consistency from the three point line, so they added some

561
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,439
Speaker 2: three point shooters to give Asian more space to operate.

562
00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,040
Speaker 3: Chelsea Gray seems to be in her bag, in her groove.

563
00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,280
Speaker 2: She looks good, she looks healthy, she's moving well, but

564
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:30,240
Speaker 2: she still needs space.

565
00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,600
Speaker 3: That's why she was so good and unrivaled because she

566
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:34,199
Speaker 3: had unlimited space in.

567
00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,040
Speaker 2: Three on three and the gem of the draft uh

568
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,280
Speaker 2: Eleiah and I I think she had eighteen points in

569
00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 2: the preseason game, all threes.

570
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,200
Speaker 3: I think majority threes.

571
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,360
Speaker 2: They have some good rookies in there too, so I'm

572
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,600
Speaker 2: excited for Vegas too, like you, it's all these new

573
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,919
Speaker 2: eras happening. You know, you have your back to back

574
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,520
Speaker 2: championships and pretty much some of your focal points of

575
00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,040
Speaker 2: your team, whether they were major players or just role

576
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,679
Speaker 2: players on which are still very important, like the Alicia

577
00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,800
Speaker 2: Clarkson and Sydney Colson's like those are still very important

578
00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:09,000
Speaker 2: pieces to a championship team and a championship run.

579
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,360
Speaker 3: They're gone. How is Vegas gonna have this new identity?

580
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,080
Speaker 3: Like you said, you mentioned.

581
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,520
Speaker 2: They're serious and for so many years they were kind

582
00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:21,440
Speaker 2: of like the unseerious team, like the unseerious like all Stars, Like,

583
00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,000
Speaker 2: it seems like they're not that anymore. It seems like

584
00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,159
Speaker 2: they're kind of like, now we we come in like

585
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,720
Speaker 2: this is we're not funny ha ha no more. Like

586
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,040
Speaker 2: as much as everyone loved that about them, it seems

587
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,440
Speaker 2: like they're kind of like they still have that energy,

588
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,920
Speaker 2: that fun energy, but it seems like they're a lot

589
00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:43,960
Speaker 2: more locked in, which is again terrifying for of us.

590
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,760
Speaker 1: Well, thinking about last year when they had their little

591
00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,879
Speaker 1: role and Asia stop wearing outfits. You remember, and it

592
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,200
Speaker 1: was like I'm blocking in, Like I'm really not playing

593
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,920
Speaker 1: with y'all white tea shirts only it feels like that

594
00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,840
Speaker 1: is kind of the vibe switch that they've had. It's like, Okay, yes,

595
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:04,440
Speaker 1: we won those championships, Yes we have this MVP. Yes, yes, yes,

596
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,680
Speaker 1: but we're not satisfied with that, and so we can't

597
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 1: keep playing around like oh we're satisfied, like oh yay, whoo,

598
00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:12,160
Speaker 1: we're just them.

599
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,679
Speaker 2: It seels like like they comeing in with like black

600
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,200
Speaker 2: air Force energy, right.

601
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,320
Speaker 1: Which is scary because but also we've talked about this before.

602
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,920
Speaker 1: I feel like when you're great, you kind of have

603
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,000
Speaker 1: to be sick in the head in a way to

604
00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:29,520
Speaker 1: like make these little games for yourself to make it fun,

605
00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,320
Speaker 1: because being great can be boring, like constantly winning, constantly

606
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,520
Speaker 1: hitting the same goals in your schedule, constantly living that

607
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,800
Speaker 1: same way, it can get boring. So having these little

608
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,480
Speaker 1: games of like treating yourself like an underdog again and

609
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,600
Speaker 1: like oh no, we have to get back to that place.

610
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,120
Speaker 1: And having to make those little switches to keep things

611
00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,000
Speaker 1: fresh for Asia, having to add pieces so that she

612
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,120
Speaker 1: has space to operate, Like making those little adjustments is important,

613
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,480
Speaker 1: and I think that Vegas is doing a great job

614
00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 1: making sure that they're constantly getting better or not doing

615
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,800
Speaker 1: things that are too drastic, but like constantly getting better

616
00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:03,920
Speaker 1: in those little ways so that.

617
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,240
Speaker 2: They have Stey and they responded an adjusted well to

618
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 2: Plumb leaving. That wasn't like a shock to anybody really,

619
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,840
Speaker 2: Like that was a conversation that was happening before free

620
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,320
Speaker 2: agency even started. That Plumb probably wanted to make a

621
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,880
Speaker 2: change for herself, which is absolutely understandable and.

622
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,200
Speaker 3: Okay to do that. But yeah, when you lose even

623
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,480
Speaker 3: the coaches that they brought in great.

624
00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,520
Speaker 2: Hires, I feel like, so I'm I'm looking forward to

625
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:33,840
Speaker 2: to Vegas as well, Like I'm just seeing very intentional

626
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,600
Speaker 2: moves being made by so many teams that we just

627
00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,400
Speaker 2: have never seen before. The one thing I'm interested in

628
00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 2: seeing is how the three point attempt fluctuates throughout the season.

629
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,640
Speaker 2: So I don't think we're ever going to get to

630
00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 2: where the NBA is as far as three point attempts one.

631
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,280
Speaker 2: We don't have enough time and we play a lot

632
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,400
Speaker 2: more defense than the NBA, respectfully. But you know, in

633
00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 2: Vegas's preseason game, I think they got up thirty two

634
00:29:58,360 --> 00:29:59,040
Speaker 2: threes in.

635
00:29:59,080 --> 00:29:59,840
Speaker 3: Comparison to us.

636
00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,800
Speaker 2: Last night, we only got up sixteen, So it's gonna

637
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:07,200
Speaker 2: be interesting where that number migrates to throughout the course

638
00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,520
Speaker 2: of a season and what teams rise to the top

639
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,840
Speaker 2: and they're I mean, I'm a shooter. And that's just

640
00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,200
Speaker 2: something that's been the conversation around the NBA season is.

641
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:16,160
Speaker 3: Oh, too many threes.

642
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,840
Speaker 2: Too many threes, but they're fun and they're worth more points.

643
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,600
Speaker 2: Like simple as that threes are worth more than twos.

644
00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,360
Speaker 2: So for me, like seeing a team like Vegas made

645
00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,400
Speaker 2: a conscious effort to get more three point shooting on

646
00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,160
Speaker 2: that team, and you look at our team, who we

647
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 2: made an effort to get more three point shooting on

648
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,920
Speaker 2: our team, Like where that number is gonna is gonna lie?

649
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 2: Let me go look at what the WNBA average for

650
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,440
Speaker 2: three point attempts last year was.

651
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,560
Speaker 1: While you look at that, I do feel like I

652
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,360
Speaker 1: am more I'm a fan of watching I either want

653
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 1: to watch like crazy and when I say defense, I

654
00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 1: mean like Beeflowky. I either want to watch that or

655
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,600
Speaker 1: I want to watch hell threes like in the m NBA,

656
00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:01,080
Speaker 1: You're gonna kill wait like that in the MMBA, I'm

657
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,080
Speaker 1: a Warriors girl like down but with that we saw

658
00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,000
Speaker 1: in their series against Houston, Houston having that crazy defense

659
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:12,280
Speaker 1: when your shot isn't falling, it's kind of like they're.

660
00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:12,480
Speaker 3: Looking a little bit.

661
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: It's like, y'all can't get a two. Come on, the

662
00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:16,800
Speaker 1: threes aren't working right now, y'all can't get it too,

663
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,200
Speaker 1: So there has to be balanced there because then when

664
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:20,720
Speaker 1: the SHOT's not falling, your whole.

665
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,640
Speaker 3: Game is exactly you live by it and you die

666
00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:22,960
Speaker 3: by it.

667
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,640
Speaker 2: Not if you have a system though, which is why

668
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,480
Speaker 2: I mean, I know this is a women's boxswall show,

669
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,320
Speaker 2: but that's why the Celtics are so good because despite

670
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:32,520
Speaker 2: all their three point shooting, they have a system in

671
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:34,760
Speaker 2: place and they're very elite at making twos.

672
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:36,880
Speaker 3: So that's why no one can stop them.

673
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,920
Speaker 1: Well, this applies to what we're talking about too, because

674
00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 1: it's like the w's kind of finding. Like you said,

675
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,960
Speaker 1: there's not the time to be living and dying by

676
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:44,360
Speaker 1: the three.

677
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,920
Speaker 3: So okay, while I find this, what's the next team?

678
00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,080
Speaker 1: Oh well, I'm glad you brought up your storm because

679
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,400
Speaker 1: next step we have the Seattle Storm. So the biggest

680
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,160
Speaker 1: headline for y'all is that you're in a new era,

681
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,960
Speaker 1: which Alexi are very old. Lexei is a huge part

682
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:05,400
Speaker 1: of but it is officially deemed Necho Goomakay and Skylar

683
00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,800
Speaker 1: Diggins time to lead, and I'm considering y'all contenders. I

684
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,840
Speaker 1: know we've been very vocal about that, but even if

685
00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,040
Speaker 1: you weren't my friend and co host, I would still

686
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 1: think so. After a little bit of locker room tension

687
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:21,200
Speaker 1: last year, things have changed and they have handed leadership

688
00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,680
Speaker 1: officially to Mecca and sky Neka looks way more comfortable

689
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,080
Speaker 1: with Seattle. She says it feels like home now and

690
00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:30,000
Speaker 1: Skyler's back in elite shape. I want to check in

691
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:33,520
Speaker 1: on your rookie, because we were going to talk last week.

692
00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:34,280
Speaker 1: She hadn't reported.

693
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,320
Speaker 3: According to reports, she's here and she is tall as shit.

694
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:44,520
Speaker 2: Okay, tall gourage, tall girl. Yeah, she's at our game

695
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:45,200
Speaker 2: last night.

696
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:51,840
Speaker 1: I love it, she so. Dominiqueaz reported from France.

697
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:53,320
Speaker 3: Yes, love it.

698
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,200
Speaker 1: And so the questions that are surrounding you guys are

699
00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,120
Speaker 1: do the Storm have a real shot to contend or

700
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,640
Speaker 1: are y'all a piece away? And I'm curious, being in

701
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,320
Speaker 1: those locker rooms, being at practice, being in training camp,

702
00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:11,400
Speaker 1: what are you seeing as an argument of why you

703
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 1: could or couldn't contend or if there are pieces you

704
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:14,920
Speaker 1: feel like you guys should be looking for.

705
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:19,680
Speaker 3: The biggest thing I've seen is our roster depths.

706
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:26,280
Speaker 2: I genuinely believe that we have two lineups that can

707
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,080
Speaker 2: go in and make an impact at any given time,

708
00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,440
Speaker 2: which you don't really see that in the w usually

709
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,680
Speaker 2: see like seven eight players. Like I genuinely believe our

710
00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,840
Speaker 2: entire team, top to bottom, will be able to go

711
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:41,200
Speaker 2: into a game and contribute.

712
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,480
Speaker 3: Now, how we distribute.

713
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,360
Speaker 2: Minutes and all that kind of stuff, like, I'm just

714
00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,959
Speaker 2: glad I'm not a coach, because it's a hard thing

715
00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:53,120
Speaker 2: to do. Like, as good as your whole team could be, realistically,

716
00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:58,080
Speaker 2: it's very hard to play more than eight players significant

717
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,600
Speaker 2: amount of minutes. So I think that the best thing

718
00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:02,640
Speaker 2: about this team is that there's a maturity in our

719
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:07,200
Speaker 2: locker room that roles can be established and enforced and

720
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,600
Speaker 2: everybody in the locker room is going to accept that

721
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,320
Speaker 2: role and be the best at it, which again that

722
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,560
Speaker 2: is also something that's that's not easy to do. The

723
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:22,160
Speaker 2: goal is a championship, and we want one badly. In

724
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,960
Speaker 2: one week of camp, I've just the things that I've

725
00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:29,120
Speaker 2: experienced here in Seattle has been things that I've never

726
00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:33,160
Speaker 2: experienced in my career at all, from the conversations, from

727
00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:38,760
Speaker 2: the terminology, the facility is incredible, and not just because

728
00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:40,640
Speaker 2: of what it looks like and what it has in there,

729
00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:44,200
Speaker 2: but you're able to interact with your teammates off the court,

730
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 2: but still in the confines of work. So like, yeah,

731
00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:49,839
Speaker 2: like we can hang out in the in the ice

732
00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,520
Speaker 2: tub together, we can lift together, we can get shots

733
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,760
Speaker 2: up together. Like it's not just like the the intenseness

734
00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:58,920
Speaker 2: and the competitiveness of practice.

735
00:34:58,560 --> 00:34:59,919
Speaker 3: And then you just go home and then we show

736
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:00,960
Speaker 3: up again the next day.

737
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,680
Speaker 2: Like there's space it, we can go eat, we can

738
00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,200
Speaker 2: have coffee at the facility together. Like there's so many

739
00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:11,080
Speaker 2: different spaces to interact with your teammates and your coaching staff.

740
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,719
Speaker 2: In front office, like everybody's like the whole office, Like

741
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:14,440
Speaker 2: everybody is.

742
00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,960
Speaker 3: In the building. So it's really a family energy.

743
00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,759
Speaker 2: And you know, not no shade to any other organizations

744
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,399
Speaker 2: I've been a part of, but like they just don't

745
00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:25,120
Speaker 2: have you don't have the resources like that, so you

746
00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,160
Speaker 2: can't have experiences like that, you can't build a culture

747
00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:33,080
Speaker 2: like that because it's very hard. So I personally am

748
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,759
Speaker 2: just so grateful and happy to be in Seattle, and

749
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,200
Speaker 2: I personally don't know what role I'm going to be given.

750
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,000
Speaker 2: We still have Ezi, Gabby, and Dominique not in camp yet.

751
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,880
Speaker 2: They're all in Seattle, but none of them have practiced

752
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,839
Speaker 2: with us yet. So that's three pieces that we haven't

753
00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,000
Speaker 2: even seen on the court yet with what we have going,

754
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,880
Speaker 2: which is already going pretty well in my opinion. So

755
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,680
Speaker 2: whatever role they need me to play, which I already know,

756
00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:00,480
Speaker 2: is going to be, shoot the ball. Know that. So

757
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,359
Speaker 2: it's gonna be up to me to knock those shots down,

758
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,879
Speaker 2: whether I get three shots a game or twenty three

759
00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:05,720
Speaker 2: shots a game.

760
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,200
Speaker 3: Like my job is to knock the shots down.

761
00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:12,439
Speaker 2: But Neca and Skyler are absolutely the leaders of this team.

762
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:13,800
Speaker 3: They've been amazing.

763
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,200
Speaker 2: They haven't missed a practice, They do all.

764
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,719
Speaker 3: The reps like just real vets through and through. Like

765
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:22,200
Speaker 3: we are a little old.

766
00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,080
Speaker 2: We are an older team, but I'm still considered one

767
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,200
Speaker 2: of the young ones, which is fun. I would like

768
00:36:27,239 --> 00:36:30,560
Speaker 2: to say experienced, but I'm really excited. We have a

769
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,320
Speaker 2: lot of emphasis on defense. Like I said earlier, we

770
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,200
Speaker 2: want to play in transition. We want to run their

771
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:41,480
Speaker 2: numbers last year effective field goal nine, pace three, net

772
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:45,080
Speaker 2: rating five, so pretty average for the most part. The

773
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:48,360
Speaker 2: thing that was glaring to me was their three point percentage,

774
00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:50,200
Speaker 2: which was under thirty percent as a team, which is

775
00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:56,520
Speaker 2: actually horrible. Yeah, that's why you're there, added me Ac

776
00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:00,680
Speaker 2: Katie Lou, which she actually tore ACL so up to Lou,

777
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,440
Speaker 2: love you, Gurly Pop and Eric Wheeler.

778
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,160
Speaker 3: So three to four. Very season vets.

779
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,719
Speaker 2: Know how to play the game, know how to be

780
00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:15,960
Speaker 2: amazing at their roles, mean Ac bring championship experience. Ac

781
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,760
Speaker 2: is back in Seattle, which the fans were so excited

782
00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:21,800
Speaker 2: about her being back last night. Shout out to the

783
00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,920
Speaker 2: Seattle Storm fans. Though, by the way all preess a

784
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:25,799
Speaker 2: game was it was real.

785
00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:26,960
Speaker 1: That was gonna be one of my questions.

786
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:29,200
Speaker 3: It was real fun. So this season gonna be lit.

787
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:29,960
Speaker 3: I'm excited.

788
00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,279
Speaker 2: Like a lot of people are a little sleep on us,

789
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,000
Speaker 2: I feel like because there is a lot of newness,

790
00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:36,960
Speaker 2: but like I said, there's like a maturity in this

791
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,120
Speaker 2: locker room that I've never experienced before.

792
00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:41,799
Speaker 3: So I'm really looking forward to this season for us.

793
00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:44,640
Speaker 1: A couple of questions, So you've been in several locker

794
00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:48,160
Speaker 1: rooms and you obviously are a pro with this, and

795
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,080
Speaker 1: I feel like one thing the fans I feel would

796
00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,200
Speaker 1: want to know a little bit more about, especially considering

797
00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:57,000
Speaker 1: the team that you're on. I feel like Skuyler and

798
00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:00,839
Speaker 1: Neka got a little bit of flack lash as quote

799
00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,920
Speaker 1: unquote leaders and fans aren't even in the locker room.

800
00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:05,160
Speaker 1: They don't know them. They're experiencing that from what you're saying,

801
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,160
Speaker 1: though they're doing a really great job with that. What specifically,

802
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,480
Speaker 1: as leaders, do you feel like to lead you to

803
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,719
Speaker 1: a championship, because that's ultimately the goal is happening in

804
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:20,239
Speaker 1: Seattle that hadn't happened before, and what is making it

805
00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,520
Speaker 1: such a great experience? Like as far as them leading

806
00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:23,320
Speaker 1: the team.

807
00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:26,880
Speaker 2: Well, one, they both work so hard, like Mecca's in

808
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:30,480
Speaker 2: the gym before everybody. They both take excellent care of

809
00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,240
Speaker 2: their bodies, which is such like an underrated thing about

810
00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:37,040
Speaker 2: being a professional athlete. Is the recovery and activation and mobility,

811
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,600
Speaker 2: like all the things that they do to stay fresh.

812
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,480
Speaker 2: You know, everyone looks at Lebron like Lebron is like

813
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:45,279
Speaker 2: pinnacle of person taking care of their body, But like

814
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,600
Speaker 2: us as women, we go through way more stuff in

815
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:52,440
Speaker 2: our bodies than men do. Skylar's had two kids and

816
00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,600
Speaker 2: the way she showed up to camp, she looked like

817
00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:58,800
Speaker 2: she could go to war. Like the how good in

818
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,080
Speaker 2: shape she is is it's so amazing to me after

819
00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:04,920
Speaker 2: having two children, and then even Mekka, like Nekka was

820
00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,040
Speaker 2: telling us before camp even started, like she really locked

821
00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:10,560
Speaker 2: into getting her body right in the off season and she.

822
00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:15,120
Speaker 3: Is moving like twenty sixteen me, mep Neka like she is.

823
00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:16,280
Speaker 3: She looks great.

824
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,560
Speaker 2: So I think for them, it's like I'm just speaking

825
00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,080
Speaker 2: from my perspective. Looking at them as leaders is like

826
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,279
Speaker 2: the way that they they gonna tell you what to do,

827
00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,399
Speaker 2: but they're not going to tell you something that they're

828
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:31,719
Speaker 2: not doing themselves. And for some players you might not

829
00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:34,440
Speaker 2: like that. It's not easy to get up early and

830
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:36,600
Speaker 2: come to the gym early. It's not easy to lift

831
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,680
Speaker 2: every day. It's not easy to get your stretching in,

832
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,240
Speaker 2: it's not easy to go on the ice to sometimes

833
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:43,759
Speaker 2: you just want to go home and get in the bed, like,

834
00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,279
Speaker 2: but they gonna tell you to take care of your

835
00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,439
Speaker 2: body and stay you ass in shape because they're taking

836
00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:51,160
Speaker 2: care of their bodies and they stay in the ass

837
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,759
Speaker 2: in shape. So for me looking at them, anything that

838
00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:58,840
Speaker 2: they say, I'm listening because they practice exactly what they preach.

839
00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,360
Speaker 2: So for me, that's like an ideal leader in my opinion,

840
00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:03,880
Speaker 2: Like you're not going to tell me something and I

841
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:04,719
Speaker 2: look and you don't.

842
00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:06,680
Speaker 3: You literally doing an opposite what you just told me

843
00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:06,920
Speaker 3: to do.

844
00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:09,840
Speaker 1: Agreed, especially since you're like, okay, you're not going to be,

845
00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:11,680
Speaker 1: you know, at the gym before let me get to

846
00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:12,880
Speaker 1: the gym. I don't want to be looking like I'm

847
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,240
Speaker 1: the last one every day exactly exactly.

848
00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:19,360
Speaker 2: So they challenge their teammates in the best way possible

849
00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,040
Speaker 2: because they want the best for everybody. They want to

850
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:23,080
Speaker 2: bring the best out of everybody, and I think that's

851
00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:27,000
Speaker 2: something that I as a as a teammate I appreciate

852
00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:27,760
Speaker 2: and a leader.

853
00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,560
Speaker 3: But it's not like that leadership style is not for everybody,

854
00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:32,799
Speaker 3: but it's for me, so I like it. I love

855
00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:33,080
Speaker 3: it here.

856
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:36,279
Speaker 1: I also want to ask you about and this isn't

857
00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,279
Speaker 1: just Storm specific. I guess the Storm is leading me

858
00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,480
Speaker 1: to ask you this question, but league wise, you mentioned

859
00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 1: the depth that you guys have and the fact that

860
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,160
Speaker 1: it is difficult to play more than like eight players,

861
00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,399
Speaker 1: and how as a clocial, stetypical job to devvy out

862
00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:51,560
Speaker 1: what everyone's role is going to be because you have

863
00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:53,200
Speaker 1: so many great players and you want to play everyone,

864
00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:54,520
Speaker 1: but you can't. You have to make it make sense.

865
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:59,000
Speaker 1: As far as the WNBA having so much talent and

866
00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:01,320
Speaker 1: they're not being have any spots. Is why we always

867
00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:03,279
Speaker 1: talk about how competitive it is and how difficult it

868
00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:06,359
Speaker 1: is to get on a roster. Number one, I want

869
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:10,239
Speaker 1: to know as far as professionalism is concerned, and you said,

870
00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,040
Speaker 1: everybody just is kind of ready to play their role.

871
00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:14,960
Speaker 1: I've noticed with a lot of professional sports teams they

872
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:16,960
Speaker 1: kind of get in a groove of who they're playing,

873
00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:18,640
Speaker 1: and I'll be watching as a fan and being like,

874
00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:20,399
Speaker 1: what happened to this person? Like you can't just throw

875
00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:23,520
Speaker 1: them in. But what I hear from watching press conferences

876
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,279
Speaker 1: and stuff is you know, you don't want to just

877
00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:27,360
Speaker 1: throw somebody off and throw somebody new in the mix.

878
00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,920
Speaker 1: How does that work with staying ready and when you're

879
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,680
Speaker 1: not like, okay, solid starting five or solid this is

880
00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:36,440
Speaker 1: my role as a leader, how do you stay locked in?

881
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,440
Speaker 1: Like what is your experience as far as having so

882
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:40,080
Speaker 1: much depth?

883
00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's hard because, like you said, there is so

884
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,000
Speaker 2: much talent. I personally one word, you know, we need

885
00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,839
Speaker 2: more roster spots. We know that already two. I want

886
00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:52,040
Speaker 2: them to make the games longer. We got too many

887
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,399
Speaker 2: players and not enough minutes. We have too much talent

888
00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,000
Speaker 2: and not enough time. So I don't know if that's

889
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,960
Speaker 2: ever going to change, because I would like throw off

890
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,080
Speaker 2: a lot of stuff game times, like media like it

891
00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:04,960
Speaker 2: would like there's like a trickle down effect of adding eight.

892
00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:05,799
Speaker 3: More minutes to a game.

893
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,680
Speaker 2: Would like throw off so much stuff. But I think

894
00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:11,600
Speaker 2: that is something that can happen in the future. But

895
00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,800
Speaker 2: the thing about having depth is that you are a

896
00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:17,359
Speaker 2: very adaptable team.

897
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:21,000
Speaker 3: So we don't see it as much as in the WNBA.

898
00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,719
Speaker 2: But in the NBA we see like lineup changes all

899
00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:27,520
Speaker 2: the time, and not like complete lineup changes, like oh shit,

900
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:29,440
Speaker 2: like this group ain't working, so I'm gonna just throw

901
00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:30,919
Speaker 2: this group together and see what works.

902
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:32,240
Speaker 3: No, it's like there's.

903
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:36,719
Speaker 2: Specific matchups that you might like, and you would just

904
00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:39,160
Speaker 2: some teams like to just keep their lineups how they

905
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:41,480
Speaker 2: are and maybe they'll sub in a little earlier or

906
00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:44,000
Speaker 2: something to see what that matchup looks like. But the

907
00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:46,680
Speaker 2: thing that I really like about our team and how

908
00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:51,839
Speaker 2: NOIH runs the offense is like it's a system. It's

909
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:56,440
Speaker 2: very free flowing, but there's rules. So wherever you are

910
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:58,960
Speaker 2: on the court, whether you're the post player at this

911
00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:02,040
Speaker 2: spot or the guard of this spot, there's rules for you.

912
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:03,719
Speaker 3: Everybody got the same rules for.

913
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,000
Speaker 2: The most part, So whether you're at this position or

914
00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:09,839
Speaker 2: that position, if we call a certain offense, no matter

915
00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:12,720
Speaker 2: who's on the court, the play is not gonna change

916
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:16,080
Speaker 2: as far as our baseline offense. And I think that's

917
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:19,279
Speaker 2: something that's very important to having a deep team because

918
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,200
Speaker 2: you now can throw a different group of people in

919
00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:24,440
Speaker 2: and everybody's gonna be on the same page because that's

920
00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:27,000
Speaker 2: just how our offense is. It's free flowing, it's fun,

921
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,400
Speaker 2: it's quick, and we share the basketball.

922
00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:32,320
Speaker 3: So I've never been on a team this deep, I

923
00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:32,799
Speaker 3: don't think.

924
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:33,440
Speaker 1: So.

925
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:37,920
Speaker 2: Again, it's hard to play one through eleven or twelve,

926
00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:42,280
Speaker 2: So yes, there's gonna be decisions being made throughout the season.

927
00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,960
Speaker 2: But like one game, someone might get hot and then

928
00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,080
Speaker 2: you might roll with that player, Like that's just the

929
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:48,320
Speaker 2: nature of professional sports.

930
00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:49,160
Speaker 3: But you've got to be ready.

931
00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:51,160
Speaker 2: Watch a lot of films, stay locked in because you

932
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,840
Speaker 2: never know when your opportunity is gonna come. So for

933
00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,800
Speaker 2: me personally, like I'm just excited to be on a

934
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,440
Speaker 2: team with assystem them that I feel like I can

935
00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:04,200
Speaker 2: thrive in, whether that's on the ball, off the ball,

936
00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:07,040
Speaker 2: making passes, Like I missed my shots last night, but

937
00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:09,160
Speaker 2: I have five assists and no turnovers.

938
00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,760
Speaker 3: And that's because the way our offense is free flowing, You're.

939
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,879
Speaker 2: Able to be impactful without not necessarily putting the ball

940
00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:18,640
Speaker 2: in the basket yourself. So like, I really love I

941
00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:21,400
Speaker 2: really love our offense, and we have just scratched the surface.

942
00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:25,800
Speaker 2: Apparently our playbook is vast, so I'm really excited to

943
00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:28,239
Speaker 2: keep adding to it because it's gonna be hard to guard.

944
00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:31,120
Speaker 1: I'm excited we need to get into these last three

945
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:32,680
Speaker 1: teams because we're running out of time. But I do

946
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,200
Speaker 1: want to say that I do find it interesting that

947
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:37,920
Speaker 1: WNBA feel like training camp season, and it's like you

948
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,040
Speaker 1: do like you're saying you have so much more to explore,

949
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,600
Speaker 1: and the fans are watching you guys explore that as

950
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,240
Speaker 1: the season is beginning, which it's like, that's why everybody

951
00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:48,800
Speaker 1: needs to remember no overreactions to the very beginning of

952
00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:49,240
Speaker 1: the season.

953
00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:51,520
Speaker 3: We're learning, we're all learning together.

954
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:02,960
Speaker 1: The next team we're going to get into is the

955
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:07,640
Speaker 1: Phoenix Mercury. So their biggest headline is lots of changes

956
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:14,440
Speaker 1: and goodbye DT, goodbye BG, and hello to some new

957
00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:16,759
Speaker 1: pieces that we're going to get into. But it's a

958
00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:20,120
Speaker 1: totally different team, younger roster built around a brand new

959
00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:24,280
Speaker 1: big three. Alyssa Thomas is taking on the defensive captain

960
00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:29,560
Speaker 1: role immediately, coach is preaching about positionless basketball and toughness.

961
00:45:29,719 --> 00:45:33,040
Speaker 1: Kleia Copper said that they didn't even touch a basketball

962
00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:35,760
Speaker 1: on day one and it was all about defense.

963
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,800
Speaker 3: Oh, that sounds horrible.

964
00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,759
Speaker 1: So people are wondering. The biggest question surrounding Phoenix is

965
00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:46,440
Speaker 1: is Phoenix one of the scariest teams if it all

966
00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:47,759
Speaker 1: happens to click.

967
00:45:48,200 --> 00:45:49,080
Speaker 3: I'm going to say no.

968
00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:55,040
Speaker 2: And I say no because as good of a passer

969
00:45:56,080 --> 00:46:00,480
Speaker 2: that at is, she's not a point guard. She's like

970
00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:04,200
Speaker 2: a point forward. So yeah, she averaged atasist per game

971
00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:06,560
Speaker 2: last year. I think it was second to Kaitlin Clark,

972
00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,080
Speaker 2: which is amazing. But she plays like in very tight spaces,

973
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:12,560
Speaker 2: like she doesn't set up the offense, she doesn't put

974
00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:14,440
Speaker 2: everybody where they need to be all the time like

975
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:18,480
Speaker 2: a typical point guard. Her game is very unique and

976
00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:21,600
Speaker 2: it's very important. I actually really enjoyed watching her play

977
00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:25,120
Speaker 2: and facilitate. But my only concern about Phoenix is like

978
00:46:25,160 --> 00:46:28,320
Speaker 2: they don't have like a true point guard on the roster,

979
00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:33,160
Speaker 2: I don't think. And then from the roster I'm looking

980
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,840
Speaker 2: at right now, it doesn't look like they have like

981
00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:38,000
Speaker 2: a ton of outside shooting either.

982
00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,160
Speaker 3: Which was the problem that At had.

983
00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:42,839
Speaker 2: In Connecticut, which is why they couldn't get over the hump,

984
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,359
Speaker 2: is that they couldn't get it together from the three

985
00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:49,560
Speaker 2: point line. So I think Satu and Ka are some

986
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:52,480
Speaker 2: of the most dynamic scores in the w but they're

987
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:55,440
Speaker 2: very streaky from the three point line. So I think

988
00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:59,360
Speaker 2: that three headed monster is a force to be reckoned with.

989
00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:01,920
Speaker 2: Don't get me wrong, But like, how are they gonna

990
00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:04,640
Speaker 2: who is gonna be the other two players? Like what

991
00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:07,960
Speaker 2: direction are they gonna Are they gonna go massive? Because

992
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:10,920
Speaker 2: the three of them they're pretty big. That's a big

993
00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:14,880
Speaker 2: front court slash back court. So are they gonna go

994
00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:18,400
Speaker 2: massive or are they gonna go small smaller? So I'm interested.

995
00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:21,480
Speaker 2: I think they play their first preseason game is Tuesday.

996
00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:24,200
Speaker 2: Oh they play Vegas. Actually that that'll be a fun

997
00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,640
Speaker 2: game to watch, So I'm really interested to see what

998
00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,560
Speaker 2: lineup they go out with to be with that big three,

999
00:47:29,560 --> 00:47:33,040
Speaker 2: because that definitely is like a big three that is scary. Yes,

1000
00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:35,560
Speaker 2: that big three is scary. Is the Phoenix Mercury as

1001
00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:37,520
Speaker 2: a whole scary? I don't know yet because I don't

1002
00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:38,440
Speaker 2: know what type of team that.

1003
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:39,000
Speaker 3: They're gonna be.

1004
00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:42,319
Speaker 2: Oh their numbers, Oh yes, the numbers numbers, effective field

1005
00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:46,200
Speaker 2: goal six, pace eight, net rating nine. Again, those are

1006
00:47:46,320 --> 00:47:49,520
Speaker 2: just like formalities talking about those numbers because the team

1007
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:53,600
Speaker 2: is so different, but again middle of the pack. Their

1008
00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:56,319
Speaker 2: net rating being nine means that they didn't really play

1009
00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:59,640
Speaker 2: much defense, but no shots at Diana Tarassi.

1010
00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:03,719
Speaker 3: She didn't really play much defense their last year or two, but.

1011
00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:05,960
Speaker 1: That's why they didn't touch a basketball all day on

1012
00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:06,680
Speaker 1: a training camp.

1013
00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:09,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I think, I mean, I think Satu and

1014
00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:15,080
Speaker 2: Ka are very versatile defenders. At is a bully, respectfully,

1015
00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:18,120
Speaker 2: She's gonna knock your block off. So yeah, they could

1016
00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:21,840
Speaker 2: be terrifying defensively for sure if they really buy into that.

1017
00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:24,719
Speaker 3: But they want to score. They want to score to basketball.

1018
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:27,279
Speaker 3: So I'm very.

1019
00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:30,160
Speaker 2: Interested to see what direction they go in as far

1020
00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:32,839
Speaker 2: as their personnel surrounding that big three, because we've seen

1021
00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:35,960
Speaker 2: big threes other places, and as good as a big

1022
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,520
Speaker 2: three is, your supporting cast is just as important as

1023
00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,560
Speaker 2: your stars. I can't wait to see what that supporting

1024
00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:44,760
Speaker 2: cast looks like, because if they put the right players

1025
00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:47,279
Speaker 2: in the right positions, that team could be very, very good.

1026
00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:49,680
Speaker 1: I will say the good news and the bad news

1027
00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:53,879
Speaker 1: I have for Phoenix is as far as their brand

1028
00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,560
Speaker 1: new young big three is concerned, that's really exciting for

1029
00:48:56,640 --> 00:48:59,719
Speaker 1: them to step into this new era. At the same time,

1030
00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:04,040
Speaker 1: it's also exciting that, like what you're saying is building

1031
00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:06,520
Speaker 1: all of those little things surrounding them. Okay, who's the

1032
00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:10,600
Speaker 1: other two gonna be? Like the depth essentially that I

1033
00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:12,440
Speaker 1: feel like will come with time if they're able to

1034
00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:15,279
Speaker 1: keep them together for a while. The bad news is,

1035
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:18,120
Speaker 1: as long as I've been a sports fan, not just

1036
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:20,560
Speaker 1: in women's basketball, not just in men's basketball, but really

1037
00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:22,719
Speaker 1: in any sport, when we see teams kind of go

1038
00:49:23,160 --> 00:49:25,120
Speaker 1: decide to go all in on a big three of

1039
00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:29,440
Speaker 1: any sort, that usually means that you're sacrificing depth in

1040
00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:33,440
Speaker 1: some sort of way, And so can they Does their

1041
00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:36,760
Speaker 1: front office have the ability to find the right personnel

1042
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:38,520
Speaker 1: that wants to be there and we'll buy into the

1043
00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:41,560
Speaker 1: system correctly, and we'll work with those three players and

1044
00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,640
Speaker 1: can they find that. If they can, then scary. But

1045
00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:48,040
Speaker 1: if they can't, then like what you were saying, them

1046
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,120
Speaker 1: three are scary, but what about everybody else exactly?

1047
00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:53,879
Speaker 3: So it's gonna be interesting. I'm really excited to watch

1048
00:49:53,960 --> 00:49:54,359
Speaker 3: them play.

1049
00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:57,360
Speaker 2: I haven't really even been again since I'm not on

1050
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,279
Speaker 2: I'm not chronically online like I used to be really

1051
00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:04,279
Speaker 2: seeing any of these practices clips or anything like that.

1052
00:50:04,719 --> 00:50:07,560
Speaker 2: So they have good players in camp. They have very

1053
00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:10,960
Speaker 2: talented players in camp. They added Klannie Brown and Sammy

1054
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:13,680
Speaker 2: would come as well in free agency. So Sammy is

1055
00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:17,640
Speaker 2: a very intelligent high i Q shooter and Kilanie is

1056
00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:20,359
Speaker 2: some size that they lost when BG left.

1057
00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,880
Speaker 3: So it's gonna be interesting to see what direction they

1058
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:23,200
Speaker 3: go in.

1059
00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:25,880
Speaker 2: And I mean, I think the safest thing to guarantee

1060
00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:28,719
Speaker 2: some success is from the defensive end, because that has

1061
00:50:28,760 --> 00:50:31,080
Speaker 2: nothing to do with your personnel. That's that's effort and

1062
00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:34,600
Speaker 2: schemes and all be on the same page. So if

1063
00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:37,680
Speaker 2: they can take care of that in the offense secondary,

1064
00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:40,480
Speaker 2: I think they're gonna be fine. But we'll see on

1065
00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:44,640
Speaker 2: Tuesday what they come out with I'm excited next team.

1066
00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:47,120
Speaker 2: I feel like I know what team the next team is.

1067
00:50:47,880 --> 00:50:52,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, you do, because you feel them common. That's that PTSD. Anyways, y'all,

1068
00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:59,120
Speaker 1: I'm being messy, okay, l L LA. Actually we're getting

1069
00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:03,239
Speaker 1: into the Los Angeles Sparks. So the biggest headlines, as

1070
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,439
Speaker 1: if we don't already know, is Kelsey Plum is quote

1071
00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:10,160
Speaker 1: unquote changing everything. According to reports coming out of training camp,

1072
00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:14,600
Speaker 1: the Sparks finished dead last last year, but apparently, according

1073
00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:17,160
Speaker 1: to reports coming out of training camp, Plumb is already

1074
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:20,160
Speaker 1: looking to set a culture of accountability and hard work

1075
00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:23,719
Speaker 1: first in drills and second and staying after practice and

1076
00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:27,600
Speaker 1: attempting to mentor the rookies. Coach is giving Plumb the

1077
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:31,520
Speaker 1: keys to lead without ego. And they had a huge

1078
00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:36,279
Speaker 1: roster turnover eleven new players in camp. And yeah, I

1079
00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:38,840
Speaker 1: guess the main thing when it comes to Sparks is

1080
00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:43,640
Speaker 1: it does a culture reset actually work in year one

1081
00:51:43,760 --> 00:51:46,840
Speaker 1: of having a new star and leader or is it

1082
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:49,440
Speaker 1: going to be a longer and larger process.

1083
00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:54,120
Speaker 2: You know, I feel like we have talked so much

1084
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:59,200
Speaker 2: about Connecticut blowing up what they had going on over there.

1085
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:03,839
Speaker 2: La did something very similar. It was like a mass

1086
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:08,160
Speaker 2: staging of the organization. I feel like new coaches, like

1087
00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:11,520
Speaker 2: you said, eleven new players. I think that the process

1088
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,680
Speaker 2: wasn't as drastic as Connecticut.

1089
00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:15,640
Speaker 3: When they did it all at one time.

1090
00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,799
Speaker 2: I think in LA it's been a slow phase out,

1091
00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:21,880
Speaker 2: and I think I was the last piece of that

1092
00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:24,759
Speaker 2: phase out. I think I was the last piece of

1093
00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:29,600
Speaker 2: that Derek Fisher experiment that happened in LA. The fact

1094
00:52:29,680 --> 00:52:33,520
Speaker 2: that you have three of your four last seasons missing

1095
00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:36,480
Speaker 2: the playoffs and being in the lottery and never getting

1096
00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:40,080
Speaker 2: a number one pick is insane. I think that's a

1097
00:52:40,280 --> 00:52:43,399
Speaker 2: mixture of mismanagement in the front office and bad luck.

1098
00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:45,839
Speaker 2: If you guys want to know who the last four

1099
00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:49,040
Speaker 2: number one picks were, they were a Leah Boston, Ryan Howard,

1100
00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:52,839
Speaker 2: Kaitlyn Clark, and Pagebackers. And this past draft they had

1101
00:52:52,880 --> 00:52:54,920
Speaker 2: a forty eight percent chance to get the number one

1102
00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:57,520
Speaker 2: pick and did not get it. So I feel like

1103
00:52:57,760 --> 00:53:01,360
Speaker 2: just a massive change of energy you needed to happen,

1104
00:53:02,239 --> 00:53:07,200
Speaker 2: and unfortunately for me, I was part of probably that

1105
00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:10,320
Speaker 2: bad energy that was lingering over the La Sparks organization.

1106
00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:12,239
Speaker 3: And that's just how it is.

1107
00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:16,760
Speaker 2: Sometimes, Like, yes, some of it can be personal, at times,

1108
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:19,719
Speaker 2: but overall, like you can't really go into a new

1109
00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:22,200
Speaker 2: space with old.

1110
00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:25,680
Speaker 3: Shit still there. And I think I was part of

1111
00:53:25,719 --> 00:53:26,880
Speaker 3: the own shit that was going on.

1112
00:53:27,320 --> 00:53:28,719
Speaker 2: I mean, they got rid of me, they got rid

1113
00:53:28,760 --> 00:53:31,560
Speaker 2: of Zie, they got rid of lead like everybody out.

1114
00:53:31,800 --> 00:53:36,239
Speaker 2: So the numbers are tenth in effective field goal, fifth

1115
00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:40,560
Speaker 2: and pace, and eleventh in net rating. So just poor overall,

1116
00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:43,320
Speaker 2: like I said, finishing in the lottery three of the

1117
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:45,719
Speaker 2: last four seasons, which means you're one of the worst teams.

1118
00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:45,959
Speaker 4: In the league.

1119
00:53:46,080 --> 00:53:48,080
Speaker 2: So for them, I mean, yeah, I think they've been

1120
00:53:48,120 --> 00:53:50,719
Speaker 2: saying new era and culture reset for the last three years.

1121
00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:52,560
Speaker 2: I think this year is the first time it's actually

1122
00:53:52,719 --> 00:53:55,400
Speaker 2: like going to be a thing. And I think bringing

1123
00:53:55,400 --> 00:53:58,160
Speaker 2: in a player like Kelsey Plumb is like them stamping

1124
00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:01,160
Speaker 2: like okay, yeah, we're we're all in on this new

1125
00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:05,239
Speaker 2: era of LA Sparks basketball, and it's gonna be good

1126
00:54:05,239 --> 00:54:07,600
Speaker 2: for them. I mean, the league isn't a better place

1127
00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:11,120
Speaker 2: when LA is good, Like I remember growing up when

1128
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:14,440
Speaker 2: Candice Parker was on the Sparks, Like the WBA is

1129
00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:16,759
Speaker 2: just fun when LA is good. Then you go to

1130
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:21,399
Speaker 2: LA Sparks games, they're lit, they're fun, like same with NBA.

1131
00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:23,800
Speaker 2: The NBA is in a better place when the Lakers

1132
00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:24,160
Speaker 2: are good.

1133
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:28,080
Speaker 1: It's like that in every sport. I mean, it was

1134
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:29,920
Speaker 1: fun when they went to the Super Bowl. It's fun

1135
00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:33,920
Speaker 1: when the Dodgers are winning the World Series. It's fun regardless, LA.

1136
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:37,880
Speaker 1: I think that a big part of that is Cameron

1137
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:40,560
Speaker 1: Brink obviously being able to have a healthy season. I

1138
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:43,320
Speaker 1: was sick to see her go down, especially with the

1139
00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:46,760
Speaker 1: Olympics and everything, so praying that she has a healthy

1140
00:54:47,560 --> 00:54:50,200
Speaker 1: season and a long, happy career. And on top of that,

1141
00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:52,719
Speaker 1: like you said, with the number one picks thing, I

1142
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:55,160
Speaker 1: think that that, at least for me as a fan,

1143
00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:58,000
Speaker 1: was a huge conversation before the lottery, because it was

1144
00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:00,640
Speaker 1: like the sparks were in like a lower place and

1145
00:55:00,760 --> 00:55:04,759
Speaker 1: everybody's like, oh, Page La, imagine Paige in La.

1146
00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:09,480
Speaker 4: Like really with the mob crazy that that didn't happen,

1147
00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:13,399
Speaker 4: Like with the momentum the WNBA is building right now

1148
00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:15,440
Speaker 4: having a player like that.

1149
00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:17,920
Speaker 1: Obviously they have Cam, but like having a player like

1150
00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:21,440
Speaker 1: that in La, it like what would move the needle?

1151
00:55:21,600 --> 00:55:23,560
Speaker 1: For sure? Now, how cool would it be to see

1152
00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:25,040
Speaker 1: like a Juju in La?

1153
00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:27,560
Speaker 2: I would love to see Juju in La, But again,

1154
00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:29,880
Speaker 2: it's like the Sparks, like you can tell that they

1155
00:55:29,920 --> 00:55:32,560
Speaker 2: were banking on that number one pick because they traded

1156
00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:36,080
Speaker 2: away the second pick to us, which for me, you

1157
00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:37,200
Speaker 2: traded that away.

1158
00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:39,640
Speaker 3: Are you crazy? Thank you?

1159
00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:42,400
Speaker 1: La? That's another thing I was going to say, And

1160
00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:45,960
Speaker 1: I feel like you probably can't say this, and you

1161
00:55:46,120 --> 00:55:47,800
Speaker 1: can't yell at me for saying it either, because I

1162
00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:50,320
Speaker 1: just have to say it. So my thing also is

1163
00:55:50,719 --> 00:55:53,799
Speaker 1: is this at fault of the front office, because at

1164
00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:56,200
Speaker 1: the same time you are La, you are the Sparks.

1165
00:55:56,280 --> 00:55:57,719
Speaker 1: It is going to be really good for the league.

1166
00:55:57,719 --> 00:56:00,000
Speaker 1: If the Sparks are really good. So why do you

1167
00:56:00,239 --> 00:56:02,640
Speaker 1: have You're talking about the facilities you have in place

1168
00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:05,920
Speaker 1: in Seattle, and how what a momentum builder that's been

1169
00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:08,440
Speaker 1: for you, allowing you to be in this new spot

1170
00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:11,480
Speaker 1: and get to know your teammates and seeing Nekka and

1171
00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:13,680
Speaker 1: Skylar lead and seeing them in the gym first, and

1172
00:56:13,719 --> 00:56:15,399
Speaker 1: then getting in the ice bath and be like, damn,

1173
00:56:15,400 --> 00:56:16,800
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna go home. They're going to in the

1174
00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:20,680
Speaker 1: ice bath. Those kind of things are a advantage for

1175
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:23,440
Speaker 1: a team, especially trying to build a new culture. So

1176
00:56:23,520 --> 00:56:26,759
Speaker 1: if you're La, why the hell do you not have

1177
00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:30,080
Speaker 1: facilities yet that would make it a big free agent

1178
00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:32,960
Speaker 1: destination that's already LA and would make people want to

1179
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:34,880
Speaker 1: play there and would allow these rookies that you can

1180
00:56:34,920 --> 00:56:37,480
Speaker 1: bring in to do better. Like that also feels to

1181
00:56:37,560 --> 00:56:39,600
Speaker 1: me like a fault of front office. Why are you

1182
00:56:39,680 --> 00:56:41,400
Speaker 1: doing things like you treading away the second pick? Like

1183
00:56:42,200 --> 00:56:44,040
Speaker 1: that's in my opinion, Yeah.

1184
00:56:44,200 --> 00:56:46,640
Speaker 2: I yeah, I mean I think the facility thing is

1185
00:56:46,680 --> 00:56:49,600
Speaker 2: more of a fault of ownership. Yeah, I'm hoping that

1186
00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:51,400
Speaker 2: there is something in place.

1187
00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:52,279
Speaker 1: About all the higher power.

1188
00:56:53,000 --> 00:56:55,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, I do believe that there is something in the

1189
00:56:55,360 --> 00:56:56,279
Speaker 3: works in LA.

1190
00:56:56,520 --> 00:56:58,040
Speaker 2: I want I'm going to give them the benefit of

1191
00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:01,399
Speaker 2: the doubt because there's no way that there's not even

1192
00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:04,480
Speaker 2: a plan in place of getting a facility for a

1193
00:57:04,560 --> 00:57:06,600
Speaker 2: team like the La Sparks. So I'm going to give

1194
00:57:06,600 --> 00:57:08,680
Speaker 2: them the benefit of the doubt in that regard trading

1195
00:57:08,719 --> 00:57:11,680
Speaker 2: away that pick, Like I didn't understand that. I mean,

1196
00:57:11,760 --> 00:57:15,959
Speaker 2: I guess you don't want to put all your faith

1197
00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:19,240
Speaker 2: in a nineteen year old. That's fair when you could

1198
00:57:19,280 --> 00:57:20,040
Speaker 2: get Chelsey.

1199
00:57:20,280 --> 00:57:22,040
Speaker 3: Like the home mark of sports.

1200
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:26,840
Speaker 2: People do it all the time, not at the W obviously, Hey,

1201
00:57:27,840 --> 00:57:30,880
Speaker 2: I wouldn't have traded if I wouldn't have traded that pickaway.

1202
00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:32,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I wouldn't have done it.

1203
00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:35,800
Speaker 2: But again, you don't know what goes on in these offices,

1204
00:57:35,840 --> 00:57:37,720
Speaker 2: what kind of conversations people are having.

1205
00:57:37,960 --> 00:57:38,760
Speaker 3: So again I.

1206
00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:42,560
Speaker 2: Would love to say thanks, because I'm confused, LA for

1207
00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:44,120
Speaker 2: giving us that number two pick.

1208
00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:46,400
Speaker 1: LA really handed you a lot of blessings this year.

1209
00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:49,480
Speaker 1: They gave you a B they gave you, they gave

1210
00:57:49,520 --> 00:57:51,240
Speaker 1: you a championship contending situation.

1211
00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:52,600
Speaker 3: They gave me baby Wemby.

1212
00:57:53,200 --> 00:57:58,440
Speaker 1: You're free of the words reset and culture and so

1213
00:57:58,760 --> 00:58:01,800
Speaker 1: good for you, and yeah, I feel like it's such

1214
00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:04,520
Speaker 1: an and the number two picks. So you got Christmas

1215
00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:07,680
Speaker 1: from literally situation. So it worked out.

1216
00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:10,160
Speaker 2: But I think La, again, La, they were last, like

1217
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:14,000
Speaker 2: you said, so they can only go up technically, not really,

1218
00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:16,040
Speaker 2: because now we have the Valkyries, they could go down.

1219
00:58:16,280 --> 00:58:17,400
Speaker 3: I don't see that happening.

1220
00:58:17,720 --> 00:58:20,880
Speaker 2: I'm happy for them being able to turn the page

1221
00:58:20,880 --> 00:58:22,920
Speaker 2: because I was there for a lot of the dysfunction,

1222
00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:25,120
Speaker 2: So for them to be able to move past that,

1223
00:58:25,240 --> 00:58:28,840
Speaker 2: I hope that they're able to and they can move

1224
00:58:28,920 --> 00:58:34,320
Speaker 2: forward and bring the Sparks back to being that dominant LA. Like,

1225
00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:38,960
Speaker 2: there's just the expectation of winning in Los Angeles, So

1226
00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:41,840
Speaker 2: I don't like that. The sparks kind of just have

1227
00:58:41,960 --> 00:58:44,560
Speaker 2: been they're just the sparks, like they don't deserve that.

1228
00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:47,920
Speaker 2: We don't deserve that as WNBA teams to be a

1229
00:58:48,080 --> 00:58:52,280
Speaker 2: second thought now because we don't win, So hopefully they

1230
00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:55,280
Speaker 2: can bring that energy back because.

1231
00:58:55,080 --> 00:58:55,600
Speaker 3: They deserve it.

1232
00:58:55,760 --> 00:58:59,480
Speaker 1: Being a second thought also isn't going to cultivate winning either.

1233
00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:02,240
Speaker 1: If you're gonna make them a set at afterthought because

1234
00:59:02,240 --> 00:59:06,120
Speaker 1: they're not winning, well then they're never gonna win. So exactly, exactly,

1235
00:59:06,360 --> 00:59:09,240
Speaker 1: speaking of young people, the number one picks, we're going

1236
00:59:09,280 --> 00:59:13,320
Speaker 1: to talk about the Dallas Wings. So it's officially Paige

1237
00:59:13,400 --> 00:59:16,800
Speaker 1: Becker's time in Dallas. Page and a Rique have to

1238
00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,560
Speaker 1: figure out how to mesh quickly, especially when it comes

1239
00:59:19,600 --> 00:59:22,439
Speaker 1: to sharing the ball, but their chemistry has already shown

1240
00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:25,120
Speaker 1: up in camp. We've seen some fun clips of Dja

1241
00:59:25,320 --> 00:59:27,720
Speaker 1: roasting Page and whatnot, what not, just having a good

1242
00:59:27,720 --> 00:59:31,320
Speaker 1: little time. Page is adjusting to the pro screens, the spacing,

1243
00:59:31,440 --> 00:59:35,160
Speaker 1: the physicality, duh, Welcome to the league, girl. And so

1244
00:59:35,280 --> 00:59:37,680
Speaker 1: there's a lot of questions among fans who's more important

1245
00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:40,440
Speaker 1: to Dallas ceiling, is it Page or Rique? Or both

1246
00:59:40,840 --> 00:59:41,640
Speaker 1: finding the way.

1247
00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:46,240
Speaker 3: To co exist. It's a good question, and we had

1248
00:59:46,640 --> 00:59:47,320
Speaker 3: I wrote.

1249
00:59:47,080 --> 00:59:52,320
Speaker 1: This before we watched what unfolded against the Aces, and

1250
00:59:52,440 --> 00:59:55,800
Speaker 1: so yeah, some takeaways from that as well.

1251
00:59:57,000 --> 01:00:00,440
Speaker 2: Dallas has a lot of work to do because they

1252
01:00:00,480 --> 01:00:03,800
Speaker 2: do have a lot of new players and yes they're

1253
01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:08,200
Speaker 2: technically they are veterans, but they're like baby veterans, so

1254
01:00:09,680 --> 01:00:12,000
Speaker 2: being in a new city, new team, new teammates, that

1255
01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:15,640
Speaker 2: takes time to adjust. Dallas played a lot of their

1256
01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:19,320
Speaker 2: rookies compared to Vegas, and their rookies looked great.

1257
01:00:20,000 --> 01:00:21,760
Speaker 3: Actually, they didn't look afraid.

1258
01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:25,320
Speaker 2: They looked very comfortable out there, especially playing against a

1259
01:00:25,440 --> 01:00:30,120
Speaker 2: Las Vegas team. To answer your question about who's more

1260
01:00:30,160 --> 01:00:33,800
Speaker 2: important to the ceiling, I think it's not saying that

1261
01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:36,720
Speaker 2: Arik is not important. But we know what she can do,

1262
01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:39,000
Speaker 2: like she gonna put that ball in the basket, Like

1263
01:00:39,760 --> 01:00:42,440
Speaker 2: we know what she gonna show up and do every night.

1264
01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:45,440
Speaker 2: We don't know what Page is going to bring to

1265
01:00:45,600 --> 01:00:48,560
Speaker 2: this team yet, and I think Arik has been a

1266
01:00:48,720 --> 01:00:52,560
Speaker 2: consistent scoring threat her entire WNBA career. So what is

1267
01:00:52,600 --> 01:00:54,960
Speaker 2: Paige going to do to compliment that? Because that is

1268
01:00:55,080 --> 01:00:57,800
Speaker 2: Arique's team as of right now. So what is Page

1269
01:00:57,840 --> 01:01:00,120
Speaker 2: going to come in and do to compliment that they

1270
01:01:00,200 --> 01:01:03,360
Speaker 2: brought in Like you said, Djena, Melissa maisja heinz Allen

1271
01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:06,640
Speaker 2: and Ty Harris, which are very solid pickups and free agency.

1272
01:01:06,680 --> 01:01:08,880
Speaker 2: But like I said, young ones, I don't think Ty

1273
01:01:09,040 --> 01:01:12,160
Speaker 2: played in their preseason game. She played in AU and

1274
01:01:12,240 --> 01:01:15,440
Speaker 2: Nashville was excellent. She's a great floor general. She can

1275
01:01:15,800 --> 01:01:19,320
Speaker 2: knock down the three very consistently. So adding her into

1276
01:01:19,360 --> 01:01:22,080
Speaker 2: the mix is going to definitely help paigeen Arique as

1277
01:01:22,120 --> 01:01:25,640
Speaker 2: far as spacing and playmaking. Their numbers last year seventh

1278
01:01:25,720 --> 01:01:29,480
Speaker 2: in effective field global percentage, first in pace, but last

1279
01:01:29,560 --> 01:01:30,160
Speaker 2: in net rating.

1280
01:01:30,560 --> 01:01:34,840
Speaker 3: So obviously they need to defend better. They brought in it.

1281
01:01:35,120 --> 01:01:37,560
Speaker 2: They literally brought in a defender in Djona who was

1282
01:01:37,640 --> 01:01:39,880
Speaker 2: last year's most improved player. So she's come in with

1283
01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:42,680
Speaker 2: a lot of confidence and now with a lot more responsibility.

1284
01:01:42,920 --> 01:01:47,880
Speaker 2: Whole new coaching staff, new front office. So like other

1285
01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:51,800
Speaker 2: teams in the league, new era on the way. So

1286
01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:56,880
Speaker 2: my only concern is I know Kurt Miller. He don't

1287
01:01:56,920 --> 01:01:59,280
Speaker 2: do well with young players. I'm gonna just say that

1288
01:01:59,440 --> 01:01:59,760
Speaker 2: right now.

1289
01:02:00,480 --> 01:02:01,120
Speaker 3: He needs to be.

1290
01:02:01,240 --> 01:02:03,880
Speaker 2: Patient with this team and help them grow and develop.

1291
01:02:03,960 --> 01:02:07,120
Speaker 2: And keep breathing life into them because he's so used

1292
01:02:07,160 --> 01:02:09,160
Speaker 2: to having veteran players.

1293
01:02:09,640 --> 01:02:10,360
Speaker 4: This is not that.

1294
01:02:10,960 --> 01:02:14,080
Speaker 2: So I'm hoping that as a GM, he's not a coach,

1295
01:02:14,160 --> 01:02:16,080
Speaker 2: he's a GM, he in the front office, that he

1296
01:02:16,200 --> 01:02:20,040
Speaker 2: will understand that this team is extremely talented, but they're

1297
01:02:20,080 --> 01:02:22,120
Speaker 2: going to go through some growing pains, as we saw

1298
01:02:22,200 --> 01:02:25,880
Speaker 2: already in preseason losing a preseason game by that many points.

1299
01:02:25,920 --> 01:02:29,320
Speaker 2: It's crazy, but it happens when you have a new

1300
01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:31,840
Speaker 2: team that's really young and figuring it out, playing against

1301
01:02:31,840 --> 01:02:33,840
Speaker 2: a team that wanted to show everybody from day one

1302
01:02:33,880 --> 01:02:37,000
Speaker 2: that they're they're not here to play no games. So

1303
01:02:38,400 --> 01:02:40,520
Speaker 2: Dallas is going to be fun team to watch, I think,

1304
01:02:40,800 --> 01:02:42,360
Speaker 2: And I think this is also going to be a

1305
01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:46,720
Speaker 2: very pivotal part of Arique's career because she does want

1306
01:02:46,760 --> 01:02:49,880
Speaker 2: to win. She won in college and she just hasn't

1307
01:02:50,080 --> 01:02:53,959
Speaker 2: had the personnel I think, to win at this highest level.

1308
01:02:54,600 --> 01:02:56,320
Speaker 2: And I think that she can help this team win

1309
01:02:57,040 --> 01:03:00,320
Speaker 2: if they all buy into whatever content role identity that

1310
01:03:00,360 --> 01:03:03,280
Speaker 2: they're gonna roll with, because I want her to win,

1311
01:03:03,680 --> 01:03:06,800
Speaker 2: like she's such a great player and her the only

1312
01:03:06,880 --> 01:03:09,480
Speaker 2: knock on her has been like that her teams just

1313
01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:13,800
Speaker 2: haven't won enough. So I'm excited for Erique because I

1314
01:03:13,880 --> 01:03:15,720
Speaker 2: think this is going to be a very very important

1315
01:03:15,800 --> 01:03:18,160
Speaker 2: year for her because we know what she can do.

1316
01:03:18,520 --> 01:03:21,040
Speaker 2: She's gonna score that ball. So what kind of leader

1317
01:03:21,120 --> 01:03:22,600
Speaker 2: is she going to be because we haven't really seen

1318
01:03:22,640 --> 01:03:24,800
Speaker 2: her in that role yet on a team, So I'm

1319
01:03:24,840 --> 01:03:27,600
Speaker 2: really excited for her to show that side of her game.

1320
01:03:35,840 --> 01:03:38,520
Speaker 1: Boryman, I do want to say about Dallas, we did

1321
01:03:38,600 --> 01:03:41,200
Speaker 1: the same thing with I mean, it's a different situation

1322
01:03:41,280 --> 01:03:45,560
Speaker 1: than Indiana, but with Caitlin, when her first week, couple weeks,

1323
01:03:45,640 --> 01:03:48,480
Speaker 1: first few games in the league, everyone's like, welcome to

1324
01:03:48,520 --> 01:03:51,560
Speaker 1: the league moment, she's getting humbled, like what people have

1325
01:03:51,640 --> 01:03:53,960
Speaker 1: been saying whatever, Like people like overreacted and then she

1326
01:03:54,080 --> 01:03:56,360
Speaker 1: like very quickly turned that around when she got used

1327
01:03:56,400 --> 01:04:00,280
Speaker 1: to things. So, like you said, it's about patience and age.

1328
01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:03,080
Speaker 1: Literally just got off a parade from like five minutes,

1329
01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:05,680
Speaker 1: like she was a college kid fifteen minutes ago. So

1330
01:04:06,040 --> 01:04:09,160
Speaker 1: it's like, let's all breathe. She has a whole franchise

1331
01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:12,840
Speaker 1: on her shoulders and Yukon that wasn't really the case.

1332
01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:15,840
Speaker 1: It was like Yukon had very high championship prowess, and

1333
01:04:16,280 --> 01:04:18,720
Speaker 1: really talented players and like they were them and she

1334
01:04:18,840 --> 01:04:20,720
Speaker 1: just had to step in and be her. And this

1335
01:04:20,880 --> 01:04:22,840
Speaker 1: is kind of like, Okay, no girl, we're relying on

1336
01:04:22,920 --> 01:04:24,600
Speaker 1: you to lift this situation up. So this is new.

1337
01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:27,320
Speaker 2: I will say though, also with like that, welcome to

1338
01:04:27,360 --> 01:04:31,400
Speaker 2: the league's stuff. Us as a league and as veterans,

1339
01:04:31,680 --> 01:04:36,640
Speaker 2: I think we have made this a more welcoming environment

1340
01:04:37,560 --> 01:04:41,040
Speaker 2: for this rookie class. Not saying that last year it

1341
01:04:41,240 --> 01:04:44,800
Speaker 2: was like overly hostile by any means, but I feel like, well,

1342
01:04:44,840 --> 01:04:47,000
Speaker 2: one because I haven't seen it because I haven't been online,

1343
01:04:47,360 --> 01:04:51,000
Speaker 2: the energy feels different this year, like as far as

1344
01:04:51,080 --> 01:04:53,600
Speaker 2: these rookies coming in and how the season is starting,

1345
01:04:53,840 --> 01:04:59,200
Speaker 2: like it's overwhelmingly more positive, but also still very competitive.

1346
01:05:00,040 --> 01:05:04,360
Speaker 2: Last year it was like complete hostility going into the season,

1347
01:05:04,440 --> 01:05:05,240
Speaker 2: like it was insane.

1348
01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:09,440
Speaker 3: I never felt that before going into a season, and like.

1349
01:05:09,800 --> 01:05:13,280
Speaker 2: The competitiveness, like it wasn't like there was no competition

1350
01:05:13,480 --> 01:05:15,920
Speaker 2: type energy in that it was just like just hostile

1351
01:05:16,000 --> 01:05:19,160
Speaker 2: and mean and nasty. This year, I feel like it's

1352
01:05:19,360 --> 01:05:25,480
Speaker 2: very high level, high energy, competitive, respectful. That's just how

1353
01:05:25,520 --> 01:05:28,360
Speaker 2: I feel personally. I don't know if anybody else has

1354
01:05:28,440 --> 01:05:33,120
Speaker 2: anything feels anything differently. But I feel this season is

1355
01:05:33,200 --> 01:05:36,600
Speaker 2: different for these rookies, and I hope that they feel

1356
01:05:36,800 --> 01:05:39,760
Speaker 2: welcomed to the w like whether they're in a good

1357
01:05:39,800 --> 01:05:42,720
Speaker 2: situation up not so good situation, whether they make the

1358
01:05:42,800 --> 01:05:45,040
Speaker 2: team their waves, like, I hope that we've done a

1359
01:05:45,120 --> 01:05:48,000
Speaker 2: better job as older players and veterans to make this

1360
01:05:48,280 --> 01:05:49,440
Speaker 2: like an enjoyable.

1361
01:05:49,080 --> 01:05:49,920
Speaker 3: Experience for them.

1362
01:05:50,080 --> 01:05:52,080
Speaker 2: So that's what I hope. That's what I've been feeling.

1363
01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:54,200
Speaker 2: I hope that that's not too far off.

1364
01:05:54,520 --> 01:05:56,880
Speaker 3: But I do know it's a different energy compared to

1365
01:05:56,960 --> 01:05:57,440
Speaker 3: last season.

1366
01:05:57,600 --> 01:05:59,880
Speaker 1: I know that based on the press and the coverage

1367
01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:01,880
Speaker 1: of training camp, it seems like they feel that way.

1368
01:06:02,040 --> 01:06:03,640
Speaker 1: So everything seems positive.

1369
01:06:03,840 --> 01:06:05,760
Speaker 2: Oh, and shout out to having all the preseason games

1370
01:06:05,800 --> 01:06:07,600
Speaker 2: on TV, Like that's amazing.

1371
01:06:07,800 --> 01:06:08,640
Speaker 3: That's never happened.

1372
01:06:08,960 --> 01:06:11,680
Speaker 2: I never thought I would see today WNBA preseason would

1373
01:06:11,680 --> 01:06:14,400
Speaker 2: be on television, So shout out to us.

1374
01:06:15,280 --> 01:06:19,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, congratulations. I mean, y'all deserve that, period, But I

1375
01:06:19,440 --> 01:06:22,960
Speaker 1: feel like that's really exciting. Lastly, and then we'll leave

1376
01:06:23,040 --> 01:06:25,120
Speaker 1: y'all alone. But I know y'all been waiting for this

1377
01:06:25,200 --> 01:06:26,960
Speaker 1: because this has been some trending news. I can't wait

1378
01:06:27,000 --> 01:06:29,320
Speaker 1: to hear Lexi's if any of that. So the Golden

1379
01:06:29,360 --> 01:06:31,760
Speaker 1: State Valkyries, obviously nothing I can tell you all about

1380
01:06:31,800 --> 01:06:34,040
Speaker 1: last season because there was no last season. But I

1381
01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:38,440
Speaker 1: will say everything is new, new coaches, new front office,

1382
01:06:38,520 --> 01:06:41,680
Speaker 1: new team, new logo, new everything is new. And then

1383
01:06:41,960 --> 01:06:46,280
Speaker 1: as far as going into the season, they listen. Cuts

1384
01:06:46,320 --> 01:06:49,400
Speaker 1: are inevitable when it comes to the WNBA, as we

1385
01:06:49,520 --> 01:06:52,400
Speaker 1: always talk to you about it. The WNBA can invite

1386
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:54,120
Speaker 1: a certain amount of players to training camp, that does

1387
01:06:54,160 --> 01:06:56,200
Speaker 1: not mean that they're going to make the roster. And

1388
01:06:56,560 --> 01:06:59,560
Speaker 1: the Golden State Valkyries have shocked a lot of people

1389
01:07:00,120 --> 01:07:03,880
Speaker 1: when the expansion team announced their first cut. Chyanne Sellers,

1390
01:07:04,120 --> 01:07:08,760
Speaker 1: this is smart to debate online about teams possibly prioritizing

1391
01:07:09,400 --> 01:07:12,120
Speaker 1: international talent, which is something that me and Lexi have

1392
01:07:12,640 --> 01:07:16,800
Speaker 1: spoken at length about and been jumped about on this platform.

1393
01:07:17,080 --> 01:07:19,520
Speaker 1: So since it's a turning topic, we are going to

1394
01:07:19,520 --> 01:07:21,320
Speaker 1: be talking about it. Lexi, first of all, what is

1395
01:07:21,360 --> 01:07:24,920
Speaker 1: your reaction to the news. And she's a seventeenth overall

1396
01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:27,160
Speaker 1: draft pick, so it's this whole thing is a shock.

1397
01:07:27,680 --> 01:07:30,400
Speaker 2: So yeah, especially for an expansion team and how she

1398
01:07:30,640 --> 01:07:33,280
Speaker 2: finished her season, she finished her season very strong. For

1399
01:07:33,440 --> 01:07:38,280
Speaker 2: them to cutting her, this early. It's also a blessing

1400
01:07:38,320 --> 01:07:40,600
Speaker 2: of disguise because it gives her enough time to possibly

1401
01:07:40,640 --> 01:07:43,240
Speaker 2: get picked up by another team and go to another camp,

1402
01:07:43,240 --> 01:07:46,240
Speaker 2: which is something that people don't realize. Once you get waved,

1403
01:07:46,840 --> 01:07:49,680
Speaker 2: once you're off waivers.

1404
01:07:50,120 --> 01:07:52,160
Speaker 3: Another team can come pick you up like your life.

1405
01:07:52,280 --> 01:07:54,960
Speaker 3: Your career in life is not over. If you get waved,

1406
01:07:55,040 --> 01:07:57,640
Speaker 3: like you still have the opportunity to go make another team.

1407
01:07:57,920 --> 01:08:01,800
Speaker 2: The announcement seem very heartless and cut throat, and I

1408
01:08:01,880 --> 01:08:05,200
Speaker 2: think that's what always rubs people the wrong way. But y'all,

1409
01:08:05,400 --> 01:08:08,640
Speaker 2: it's not y'all's business to know why someone got cut, because,

1410
01:08:09,640 --> 01:08:12,360
Speaker 2: first of all, it could be she had a poor

1411
01:08:12,440 --> 01:08:13,160
Speaker 2: outing in camp.

1412
01:08:13,280 --> 01:08:15,240
Speaker 3: You don't want to put that out there. Maybe she

1413
01:08:15,400 --> 01:08:16,840
Speaker 3: just wasn't a fit. You don't want to put that

1414
01:08:16,960 --> 01:08:17,360
Speaker 3: out there.

1415
01:08:17,479 --> 01:08:21,880
Speaker 1: Like well, Natalie's statement on the move was she picked

1416
01:08:21,920 --> 01:08:24,280
Speaker 1: up everything that we asked her to do, did everything

1417
01:08:24,320 --> 01:08:26,760
Speaker 1: that we asked. It's just that I have to choose

1418
01:08:26,840 --> 01:08:29,639
Speaker 1: the best twelve that are going to fit. Doesn't mean

1419
01:08:29,680 --> 01:08:32,320
Speaker 1: the most talented, it means the best twelve. So it

1420
01:08:32,439 --> 01:08:35,479
Speaker 1: seems like they're saying that she wasn't a fit, which

1421
01:08:35,560 --> 01:08:37,320
Speaker 1: to me, the confusing thing about that is.

1422
01:08:37,600 --> 01:08:38,720
Speaker 3: Why did she pick her fit?

1423
01:08:39,040 --> 01:08:42,160
Speaker 1: Why draft her at all? Exactly, especially with plenty of

1424
01:08:42,240 --> 01:08:45,320
Speaker 1: talented players, you know, as an option. Why?

1425
01:08:45,520 --> 01:08:47,280
Speaker 3: I mean, I think that was a safe answer. I

1426
01:08:47,320 --> 01:08:49,519
Speaker 3: think that was the hr answer.

1427
01:08:49,720 --> 01:08:51,679
Speaker 2: Like I said, you don't want to throw anybody under

1428
01:08:51,720 --> 01:08:54,040
Speaker 2: the bus because you don't want to mess up someone's

1429
01:08:54,080 --> 01:08:57,240
Speaker 2: potential next opportunity or landing spot. But like I said,

1430
01:08:57,320 --> 01:09:01,360
Speaker 2: cutting her that early in camp was surprised. Some people

1431
01:09:01,520 --> 01:09:04,840
Speaker 2: were talking about maybe she wasn't healthy. I think one

1432
01:09:04,880 --> 01:09:07,400
Speaker 2: of her family members stepped in and said, my girl

1433
01:09:07,720 --> 01:09:08,479
Speaker 2: is good to go.

1434
01:09:08,800 --> 01:09:11,400
Speaker 3: She is healthy. But this is my least favorite part.

1435
01:09:11,280 --> 01:09:16,439
Speaker 2: About preseason and our season is these roster cutdowns. They're

1436
01:09:16,560 --> 01:09:20,840
Speaker 2: very heartbreaking, they're very hard, and you don't know what

1437
01:09:21,040 --> 01:09:23,640
Speaker 2: is going on in these camps. You don't know like

1438
01:09:23,800 --> 01:09:25,880
Speaker 2: what is going on behind the scenes. So yeah, a

1439
01:09:25,960 --> 01:09:29,519
Speaker 2: lot of these cuts are very hard to understand because

1440
01:09:29,560 --> 01:09:33,360
Speaker 2: you're not you're not there. So again we said the

1441
01:09:33,439 --> 01:09:37,880
Speaker 2: Valkyries are like the Euro All Stars, but I don't

1442
01:09:37,880 --> 01:09:40,880
Speaker 2: know Connecticut. Last night they was looking very Euro All

1443
01:09:40,960 --> 01:09:44,000
Speaker 2: Stars too. But Natalie knows what she's doing, Like you

1444
01:09:44,120 --> 01:09:46,840
Speaker 2: gotta you gotta trust the process, and it is sad

1445
01:09:47,000 --> 01:09:50,519
Speaker 2: when you see young players' dreams get shot down like

1446
01:09:50,640 --> 01:09:54,280
Speaker 2: this immediately. But it's not the INFRA for sure, Like

1447
01:09:54,360 --> 01:09:59,240
Speaker 2: she's too talented and she'll bounce back playing on rival,

1448
01:09:59,360 --> 01:10:02,760
Speaker 2: playing at you, play overseas, get picked up, like there's

1449
01:10:02,800 --> 01:10:04,000
Speaker 2: so many opportunities for her.

1450
01:10:04,080 --> 01:10:05,760
Speaker 3: So I just hope that she's not discouraged.

1451
01:10:05,800 --> 01:10:08,000
Speaker 2: But I know that that decision like shocked a lot

1452
01:10:08,040 --> 01:10:11,280
Speaker 2: of people, but I want to ensure everybody that, like,

1453
01:10:11,600 --> 01:10:17,120
Speaker 2: it's really part of this business. Unfortunately, I've I've been

1454
01:10:17,200 --> 01:10:21,519
Speaker 2: victimized by the WNBA as well. So I remember when

1455
01:10:21,720 --> 01:10:26,240
Speaker 2: when I signed to Chicago, they like Bleacher Report made

1456
01:10:26,280 --> 01:10:27,280
Speaker 2: like a graphic.

1457
01:10:26,960 --> 01:10:32,840
Speaker 3: About it, and I was like, I remember that I'm

1458
01:10:32,880 --> 01:10:35,000
Speaker 3: on a training camp deal. Why would you make me

1459
01:10:35,120 --> 01:10:35,719
Speaker 3: a graphic?

1460
01:10:36,240 --> 01:10:40,040
Speaker 2: But again, like that's how good I was playing in

1461
01:10:40,120 --> 01:10:43,920
Speaker 2: Minnesota for when I got signed to Chicago, people were like, oh,

1462
01:10:44,040 --> 01:10:45,120
Speaker 2: that's a great pickup.

1463
01:10:45,520 --> 01:10:48,000
Speaker 3: Whole time it was it was training camp and I

1464
01:10:48,080 --> 01:10:48,559
Speaker 3: got cut.

1465
01:10:48,720 --> 01:10:50,840
Speaker 2: Like that's just how the WNBA is, and you just

1466
01:10:50,880 --> 01:10:52,680
Speaker 2: got to be able to bounce back and put your

1467
01:10:52,720 --> 01:10:54,679
Speaker 2: head down in work and just roll with the punches

1468
01:10:54,760 --> 01:10:57,280
Speaker 2: because you never know where they're coming from. Like literally,

1469
01:10:57,360 --> 01:10:59,880
Speaker 2: Bleacher Report put me in a sky uniform, gave me

1470
01:11:00,040 --> 01:11:06,439
Speaker 2: little clouds everything. I said, oh no, because this is

1471
01:11:06,560 --> 01:11:11,439
Speaker 2: not a guarantee contract. It's not even a regular contract. Tryout,

1472
01:11:12,280 --> 01:11:14,799
Speaker 2: y'all put me on bleach report for a tryout.

1473
01:11:16,600 --> 01:11:18,800
Speaker 1: It's all right. That means you're her. That's all that. Man.

1474
01:11:18,920 --> 01:11:20,679
Speaker 3: I remember that one up. I was like, oh, brother,

1475
01:11:21,560 --> 01:11:23,439
Speaker 3: But it all worked out in the end.

1476
01:11:23,920 --> 01:11:27,680
Speaker 1: Well, LEXI that we had a lot. We had a

1477
01:11:27,760 --> 01:11:29,679
Speaker 1: lot today, but it was fun.

1478
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:30,160
Speaker 4: I know.

1479
01:11:30,400 --> 01:11:32,880
Speaker 2: Sorry, guys, this is a long one, but again we haven't.

1480
01:11:33,080 --> 01:11:35,120
Speaker 2: We missed last week, so we had to kind of

1481
01:11:35,160 --> 01:11:36,160
Speaker 2: make up for a lost time.

1482
01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:37,640
Speaker 1: We had a lot to catch up.

1483
01:11:37,680 --> 01:11:42,120
Speaker 2: One preseason Western Conference. I'm excited for the season. We

1484
01:11:42,240 --> 01:11:44,680
Speaker 2: are on the road for our first two games, unfortunately,

1485
01:11:44,920 --> 01:11:46,639
Speaker 2: but very exciting.

1486
01:11:46,720 --> 01:11:50,880
Speaker 1: Nonetheless, I'm gonna miss you guys for the week. But

1487
01:11:51,120 --> 01:11:53,880
Speaker 1: now we're in the era where stuff is happening every day,

1488
01:11:53,920 --> 01:11:55,320
Speaker 1: so we'll have so much to talk about by the

1489
01:11:55,360 --> 01:11:55,880
Speaker 1: time we're back.

1490
01:11:56,120 --> 01:11:59,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, so preseason games this week. Tune in y'all.

1491
01:12:00,160 --> 01:12:02,880
Speaker 2: Tune into those games, and thank y'all for tuning in

1492
01:12:02,960 --> 01:12:05,280
Speaker 2: to another episode of Full Circle Podcasts.

1493
01:12:06,040 --> 01:12:09,599
Speaker 3: We will see y'all next week. Bye bye.

1494
01:12:11,160 --> 01:12:13,360
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next

1495
01:12:13,400 --> 01:12:16,360
Speaker 1: week with more basketball for the Girls by the girls.

1496
01:12:16,760 --> 01:12:18,759
Speaker 1: We want to hear from you. Leave us a review

1497
01:12:18,840 --> 01:12:21,240
Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, and tell us what you want us

1498
01:12:21,280 --> 01:12:23,800
Speaker 1: to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown

1499
01:12:23,880 --> 01:12:27,240
Speaker 1: and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our

1500
01:12:27,280 --> 01:12:31,160
Speaker 1: supervising producer is Grace Fuse. Our producer is Zoe Danglab.

1501
01:12:32,160 --> 01:12:35,080
Speaker 1: Listen to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network,

1502
01:12:35,280 --> 01:12:38,360
Speaker 1: iHeart Open your free iHeart app and search full Circle

1503
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:40,639
Speaker 1: with Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening