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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. Hi, guys,

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

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Speaker 2: Lexi. Hey, you.

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Speaker 3: Know, I felt better, but I'm doing well, still blessed.

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Speaker 4: How are you.

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Speaker 1: I'm good, Lexi, I'm good. I'm ready to talk to

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Speaker 1: the people. Talk about what's going on this week.

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Speaker 4: There's a lot going on. I know what what week?

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Speaker 4: Are we into the season? Two?

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Speaker 2: Two?

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Speaker 1: I believe.

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Speaker 3: I'm like I feel like the season has been going

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Speaker 3: on for a year. I know it's oh my goodness,

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Speaker 3: it's it's it fails long.

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Speaker 1: But as soon as it's over, we're gonna be like

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Speaker 1: that flu by.

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Speaker 3: You might feel that way. Yeah, you're right, but no,

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Speaker 3: it's been great. It's been it's been fun. I just

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Speaker 3: like you have been watching from the socidelines.

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Speaker 4: But let's get right into.

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Speaker 3: It because we have a lot of exciting things to

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Speaker 3: talk about today and we can start with the beginning

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Speaker 3: of our Commissioner's Cup.

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Speaker 1: Yes, okay, So first off, I want to introduce you

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Speaker 1: guys to the WNBA Commissioner's Cup super exciting. The Ncason

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Speaker 1: Tournament from the other league copied.

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Speaker 4: It, stalled. I don't like saying copy.

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Speaker 3: They stole the idea, completely stole.

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Speaker 2: It, straight up, straight up. But I'm a fan.

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Speaker 3: I love it, and I think that the NBA actually

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Speaker 3: does it better than we do as far as marketing

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Speaker 3: and pushing it and promoting it. Because it's been a

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Speaker 3: few years of us doing the Commissioner's Cup and people.

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Speaker 4: Still are like, what's the Commissioner's Cup.

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Speaker 3: So we're here to explain it to anybody that is

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Speaker 3: confused as to why, all of a sudden, all of

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Speaker 3: the messaging has switched over in this month of June

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Speaker 3: and we are playing with pink, black and white basketballs

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Speaker 3: instead of our typical orange and white ones. So, Mariah,

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Speaker 3: if you're going to give the people a little rundown

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Speaker 3: of what the Commissioner's Cup is.

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Speaker 1: Yes, I'm going to give a little intro as to

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Speaker 1: what it is, just basic overview, and then Lexi, I

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Speaker 1: want you to explain your opinion on it and what

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Speaker 1: you think, because obviously you have some opinions, But first

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Speaker 1: and foremost, this is the WNBA's n season tournament. So

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Speaker 1: there's prize money, bragging rights, and charity incentives. It was

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Speaker 1: officially announced in twenty twenty and then it officially launched

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Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one. The format is, it's from June

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Speaker 1: first to June seventeenth, and it's designated games within each

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Speaker 1: conference that count towards the Cup standing. So me and

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Speaker 1: Lexi when we did our preseason preview went through the

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Speaker 1: teams by conference, even though the playoffs aren't by conference,

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Speaker 1: So you guys can go back to those episodes to

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Speaker 1: see how that works. But it's basically the Eastern teams

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Speaker 1: all five of them versus the Western teams all six

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Speaker 1: of them. They play they're six because of Golden State,

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Speaker 1: and the top team in each conference plays in the

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Speaker 1: July first title game. Each game still counts towards everyone's

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Speaker 1: regular season standings, so it still counts towards their normal standings,

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Speaker 1: but there is a five hundred thousand dollars prize pool

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Speaker 1: for players on the winning team, and there's a little

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Speaker 1: bonus that each player receives around five thousand dollars in bitcoin,

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Speaker 1: which I just learned that today.

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Speaker 4: Very interesting. I just learned that just now.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's worth.

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Speaker 1: About one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in total, and

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Speaker 1: the past winners are the Storm, the Aces, the Liberty

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Speaker 1: and the Links, and the past MVPs are Breonna stor,

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Speaker 1: Asa Wilson, Sabrina Yunescu and the FISA Collier Lexi.

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Speaker 2: What are your thoughts on the Commissioner's Cup.

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Speaker 3: Well, for me, it's exciting because you get more money.

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Speaker 3: So in our last game, you know, I didn't play

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Speaker 3: our last game, but I was like, I want to

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Speaker 3: win this game because you don't have to play to

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Speaker 3: get the bonus money. You just got to be on

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Speaker 3: the team. So for me, Mae, I've always been excited

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Speaker 3: about the Commissioner's Cup. But it's like, obviously I haven't

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Speaker 3: been on any of these teams that have won the

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Speaker 3: Commissioner's Cup. And I know why because there was like

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Speaker 3: little to no excitement about it on the teams that

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Speaker 3: I was on, Like they, I guess you want to

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Speaker 3: lock in and be like, oh, this is just like

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Speaker 3: another game, it's another game, but no, it's not just

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Speaker 3: another game. It's the Commissioner's Cup, like right, And I

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Speaker 3: feel like some teams approach it that way, and then

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Speaker 3: some teams approach it like no, like this is the

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Speaker 3: Commissioner's Cup, Like we want to win, Like it doesn't

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Speaker 3: matter what's going on in our regular season right now,

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Speaker 3: it's Commissioner Cup. Time forget everything else that's been going on.

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Speaker 3: Let's lock in and when the Commissioner's Cup, like you

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Speaker 3: get a trophy, you get the champagne bottles, you get

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Speaker 3: a photo shoot, you get all the.

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Speaker 1: Things, and it looks so hardy accounts and they still

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Speaker 1: have showed your regular season standing.

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Speaker 3: Exactly, So I'm like, why are some teams are more?

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Speaker 1: I feel like giving these games a little extra oomph

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Speaker 1: isn't harmful?

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Speaker 3: No, And it's been the most confusing thing to me,

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Speaker 3: Like people don't get like extra high for the Commissioner's

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Speaker 3: Cup game, Like yeah, we can talk about it like

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Speaker 3: oh yes, Commissioner's Cup, but like we got to play

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Speaker 3: like it's the.

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Speaker 2: Finals and exactly.

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Speaker 1: That's that's what I was looking into it. Why it

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Speaker 1: matters quote unquote is because it's high stakes. It's supposed

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Speaker 1: to be giving the fans a playoff type of atmosphere

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Speaker 1: early in the season, and then it I feel like

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Speaker 1: it adds an entertainment value, extra competition and some more

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Speaker 1: context to early season matchups, because in any league, the

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Speaker 1: early part of the regular season can be a little well,

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Speaker 1: it's the early part of the regular season. It doesn't matter,

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Speaker 1: but you throw on a trophy and a tournament, I

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Speaker 1: feel like it matters.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: And the thing about ours versus the NBA is the

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Speaker 3: conference thing and the NBA it's like they're like randomized,

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Speaker 3: quote unquote, as random as things be in professional sports.

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Speaker 3: So it's like you do see these early season matchups

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Speaker 3: that maybe you wouldn't see before, and you see teams

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Speaker 3: that maybe aren't doing so well because they're stuck in

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Speaker 3: the tough ass Western Conference. Now they get to go

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Speaker 3: play in the Commissioner's Cup and play some teams that

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Speaker 3: they don't have to see all the time, and boom,

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Speaker 3: all of a sudden, you see an Indiana Pacers team

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Speaker 3: like last season, in the finals of the Commissioner's Cup.

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Speaker 3: So I don't know if if we'll ever get to

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Speaker 3: that in our league. As our teams grow, we get

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Speaker 3: expansion and stuff to where it won't have to just

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Speaker 3: be East West. I think obviously that might be like

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Speaker 3: a logistical thing as well, but I think it would

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Speaker 3: be more fun if you mix up the Commissioner's Cup

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Speaker 3: or like break it down into like three pools or

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Speaker 3: four pools instead of just two big ones. Like, but

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Speaker 3: again there's limitations because there's only thirteen teams. Also, it's

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Speaker 3: like not fair that we have to play six and

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Speaker 3: the Eastern gets to play five? Like what is that?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I will say, yeah, that is really good. Will

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Speaker 1: say that for me as a fan, it makes it

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Speaker 1: less confusing that it's the East to West, because that's

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Speaker 1: what I'm used to with the NBA playoffs, and I

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Speaker 1: can understand that very simply, like geographically East West. But

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Speaker 1: when they do the whole prize pool thing in the

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Speaker 1: end season tournament that I'm confused. I don't know who's

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Speaker 1: playing who, I don't know what's going on. So I

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Speaker 1: actually feel like, well, it might be more fun because

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Speaker 1: of the matchups, but I feel like as a fan.

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Speaker 4: It's easier to follow.

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Speaker 3: He's doing it better, yeah, because it's easier to follow,

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Speaker 3: but I need them to like do more with it.

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Speaker 3: It's like it's still like the n season tournament. Like

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Speaker 3: the way the NBA like made that seem like it

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Speaker 3: was the NBA Finals was amazing.

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, they gossed it yeah, the whole They.

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Speaker 3: Exactly like, we're not there yet, and I think we

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Speaker 3: can get there, and I think once that happens, and

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Speaker 3: it's gonna like turn a corner as far as the

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Speaker 3: stakes being high and the level of play being elevated.

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Speaker 3: But it also happens like we're seven games in, so

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Speaker 3: the mask has to be like, oh, playoff ready, and

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Speaker 3: we've been playing for a week and a half. Some

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Speaker 3: teams are hooping, some teams are still figuring it out,

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Speaker 3: which is what we We're about to get into some

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Speaker 3: of that as well, but shout out to the Commissioner's Cup.

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Speaker 3: We still have a chance to to get our ish together.

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Speaker 3: So so far, the storm we're on one a Commissioner's Cup,

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Speaker 3: but we have time to turn it around.

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Speaker 1: Like I definitely think tonight's match up, y'all got It's

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Speaker 1: definitely an opportunity.

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Speaker 3: And we have no choice if if which we won't

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Speaker 3: and I'm not going to put that out there because

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Speaker 3: we have powerful manifestation words. That'll be four losses in

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Speaker 3: a row, and that's not how you want to start

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Speaker 3: your season.

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Speaker 2: You're playing the Wings right at home. You'll be okay, yep, oh,

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Speaker 2: you'll be fine. See I'm not even exactly.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, but I think you'll be all right, all right

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Speaker 1: getting into We don't want to spoil it too soon.

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Speaker 1: Looking at some of the team that stuck out to

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Speaker 1: us this week, I want to start by either way, Lexi,

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Speaker 1: you want to just go through these and talk about

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Speaker 1: each one, or do you want to give an overview

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Speaker 1: and then you can say what's tuck out to you?

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Speaker 4: We'll go one by one. Okay, I think let's do it.

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Speaker 4: That's easier.

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Speaker 2: With the Liberty, Yes, I mean this is the team.

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Speaker 1: I mean there are two, but this is the team

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Speaker 1: really everyone's been talking about because they don't look that different,

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Speaker 1: but they do look a little different. This has been

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Speaker 1: their most dominant star ever. They have the best offensive

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Speaker 1: and defensive rating. Everyone's touching the ball, I mean, and

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Speaker 1: I mean Ellie might get the next position.

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Speaker 3: I think has hasn't a minor obsession with Ellie because

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Speaker 3: she mentioned.

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Speaker 2: Her everyone that's my homegirl.

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Speaker 3: I need you all to get a picture together if

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Speaker 3: you ever go to a Liberty game again.

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Speaker 2: Oh I have one?

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Speaker 4: Oh you do?

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah, We're gonna post that on our socials because

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Speaker 3: now the world needs to see why why what what's

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Speaker 3: going on with Ellie and Mariah, Because.

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Speaker 4: Y'all got something going on. Y'all got y'all got so I'm.

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Speaker 1: Serious the way things are going for them, They're about

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Speaker 1: to put Eli on the court.

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Speaker 2: I'm not even playing.

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Speaker 3: I mean, they look so good. They're back to these numbers.

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Speaker 3: You guys, you know I'm going to keep I'm always

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Speaker 3: going to talk about the numbers here. Okay, they have

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Speaker 3: the highest assist percentage.

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Speaker 4: In the league.

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Speaker 3: Their net rating, like Mariah said, is number one, and

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Speaker 3: it's twenty five point one. And to put that in context,

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Speaker 3: the team with the second best offensive rating, who we

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Speaker 3: will also talk about a little bit later, has a

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Speaker 3: net rating of ten point three. So if we can,

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Speaker 3: if y'all can visualize the gap of offensive domination and

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Speaker 3: defensive domination that the Liberty are playing with right now,

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Speaker 3: there you go, twenty five point one.

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Speaker 4: Second place is ten point three.

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Speaker 3: To go on top of their offensive rating, they're averaging

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Speaker 3: ninety one point nine points per game, and the last

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Speaker 3: team that averaged nine over ninety points per game, or

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Speaker 3: the Aces and twenty twenty two and in twenty twenty three,

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Speaker 3: I'm pretty sure those are the years that they won

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Speaker 3: their back to back championships and shout out to the

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Speaker 3: Liberty because the Las Vegas Aces have.

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Speaker 4: Led the league in scoring since twenty twenty.

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Speaker 3: Wow, so let's knock the Aces off that little pedestal.

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Speaker 4: So I'm gonna I'm.

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Speaker 3: Gonna give them a little high five for that, because yes,

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Speaker 3: we've been watching the Aces run the table offensively for

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Speaker 3: five years. So it's nice to see another team stepping

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Speaker 3: up to the challenge of scoring the basketball in our league,

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Speaker 3: because it is not easy to score in the WNBA.

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Speaker 1: So yes, Lexi, why the difference. I didn't know before

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Speaker 1: we started talking that you were about to say that,

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Speaker 1: and I'm shocked.

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Speaker 2: But obviously we know what's making the team so good.

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Speaker 1: Obviously the pieces they have are really good, but they're

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Speaker 1: that far apart.

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Speaker 3: They're just they're a well oiled machine, like we always say.

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Speaker 4: And the addition of Tash has.

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Speaker 3: Like I knew she was gonna come in there and

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Speaker 3: make a big difference, but the impact that she's had

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Speaker 3: has been beyond probably anybody's expectations. She just has just

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Speaker 3: brought their energy to another level. Like they already were

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Speaker 3: a very hard team to guard inside and outside, like

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Speaker 3: they have endless threats from the two. They have endless

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Speaker 3: threats from the three. They got threats coming off the bench,

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Speaker 3: and it just seems like everybody on that team is

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Speaker 3: in a role and they're fulfilling it and they're embracing it,

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Speaker 3: and they just look like they're having a lot of fun.

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Speaker 3: And we can credit that again to like, every time

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Speaker 3: we think of The Liberty, you think of like the

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Speaker 3: Liberty and then you think of Ellie, Like, I think

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Speaker 3: it's nice to as many superstars as they have on

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Speaker 3: that team. You don't think as just one player when

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Speaker 3: you think of the Liberty unless you're like a super

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Speaker 3: fan of one of those players. But from the outside

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Speaker 3: looking in, when you look at the Liberty, you're like,

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Speaker 3: that's a really really good team and they have a

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Speaker 3: really really fun, amazing mascot, and I think that's making

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Speaker 3: such a big difference. Like they're out there just playing

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Speaker 3: so free and it looks like they look very free flowing,

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Speaker 3: and even when they're missing a star in JJ like,

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Speaker 3: they're still very dominant.

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Speaker 4: So I knew they were going to be really good.

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Speaker 3: Obviously they're the defending champions, but they're exceeding my personal expectations.

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Speaker 3: I have for them, and I this is only game seven,

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Speaker 3: so they're only going to keep getting better, so everyone

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Speaker 3: else needs to tighten up.

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Speaker 1: Well, let's get into the next unbeaten tam that you mentioned,

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Speaker 1: the Minnesota Lynx. They are unbeaten and still seem unsatisfied. Okay,

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Speaker 1: tearing through the league, Corney Williams and the FISA Collier

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Speaker 1: are an elite duo. LEXI tell us what the numbers

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Speaker 1: have to say about the Links.

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Speaker 3: So the team with the next best net rating at

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Speaker 3: ten point three is the Links, which is still a

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Speaker 3: really good net rating. So I just yes, I think

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Speaker 3: the Liberty they're gonna plateau or whatever at some point.

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Speaker 3: Numbers wise not saying like their game is still not gonna,

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Speaker 3: you know, take a leap. They have the second highest

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Speaker 3: assist percentage and Kaylea McBride returned to the starting lineup

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Speaker 3: when they played US. Lucky us that we got the

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Speaker 3: return of k Mack and in her three games back,

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Speaker 3: she's averaging thirteen points, three rebounds, three assists, and shooting

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Speaker 3: fifty percent from three.

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Speaker 4: So k Mack came.

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Speaker 3: Into the starting lineup and she said, I know y'all

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Speaker 3: missed me here. I am I didn't miss the beat.

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Speaker 3: She fits again in that system seamlessly. And then the

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Speaker 3: dynamic duo of Courtney Williams and Nafisa Collier are averaging

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Speaker 3: over forty points per game just the two of them.

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Speaker 3: So that's another three headed snake right there. And again

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Speaker 3: it's another team when you think about them, like, yes,

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Speaker 3: Fee is MVP candidate playing out of her mind, but

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Speaker 3: you still think of like the links, like the team,

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Speaker 3: and I think that's also like their superpowers, just like

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Speaker 3: the Liberty and just be like, oh, if we stop

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Speaker 3: this one, like they're gonna be dead, or if you

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Speaker 3: stop this one, they're gonna be dead. Like no, Like

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Speaker 3: that's a very hard team to guard. Their hard team

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Speaker 3: to play against, and we played them pretty tight when

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Speaker 3: we were in Minnesota. But like watching them actually one

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Speaker 3: of the games I actually played in, like they they

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Speaker 3: got it together. So they're another team that just is

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Speaker 3: going to continue to improve.

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Speaker 1: I think, Lexie, I'm curious. Obviously basketball is a team sport,

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Speaker 1: so duh. But we've seen different types of great teams,

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Speaker 1: superstar led great teams, and like you're what you're describing,

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Speaker 1: which is you don't know who's gonna go off on

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Speaker 1: any given night type of teams which one are is

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Speaker 1: the WNBA leaning more towards as the future is coming

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Speaker 1: because you know, the style is always changing, and these

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Speaker 1: are the teams on top. So is this what fans

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Speaker 1: have to look forward to getting used to?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think historically those are the teams

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Speaker 3: that have in the WNBA. When you have a lot

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Speaker 3: of talented players and you have a coach that knows

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Speaker 3: where to put these players. That's a whole job within

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Speaker 3: itself too, is making sure that you're putting your stars

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Speaker 3: and you're putting your talented players in situations for them

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Speaker 3: to be successful.

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Speaker 4: And that's not always easy.

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Speaker 3: And then in turn those players have to now buy

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Speaker 3: in into these situations, which might not always be the

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Speaker 3: situation that they want. So it's up like I'll use

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Speaker 3: Courtney as I've never i haven't had a conversation with

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Speaker 3: Courtney about this, but I've played with Courtney in Connecticut

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Speaker 3: and I've watched her again. I played against her in college.

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Speaker 3: She's not a she didn't come into the league to

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Speaker 3: be a point guard. She didn't come into the league

336
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Speaker 3: to run a team. But she is great when she

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Speaker 3: has the ball in her hands and It took her

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Speaker 3: being on the super talented Links team for her coach

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Speaker 3: to be like, you are really great with the ball,

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Speaker 3: you are a threat from the mid range, and you

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Speaker 3: can You're a very underrated passer.

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Speaker 4: You need to be the point guard of this team.

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Speaker 3: And I'm sure Courtney at first was like, I'm not

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Speaker 3: a point guard, Like what are you Like? This is

345
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Speaker 3: a very hard position, but she's embraced it and now

346
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Speaker 3: she looks like one of the best point guards in

347
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Speaker 3: the league right now, and she's playing like it and

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Speaker 3: her confidence is sky high. So it's having that type

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Speaker 3: of relationship with your team, your teammates, your coaching staff

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Speaker 3: to make a whole team work. But you look at

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Speaker 3: teams of the past, like even that Minnesota Lynk's dynasty team, like.

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Speaker 4: They had five Hall of Famers on their team.

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Speaker 1: So yes, and that requires buy in, Like not everybody

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Speaker 1: wants to go, like you said, pretty much everybody in

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Speaker 1: the WNBA, because as we've spoken about so many times,

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Speaker 1: everybody is so talented and it's so hard to hold

357
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Speaker 1: and take a spot in that league. But outside of that,

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Speaker 1: every player being a player that could go be a

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Speaker 1: star somewhere and choosing to buy into a system where

360
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Speaker 1: they might not be in the position that they are

361
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Speaker 1: there for or want to be, or be the main

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Speaker 1: girl in the main star.

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Speaker 2: That requires buy in from.

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Speaker 4: Those players, and it's a two way street.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, I think historically that's how teams have been

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Speaker 3: successful in the W I think it's going to continue

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Speaker 3: that way because everybody in this league is so talented

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Speaker 3: and everybody has a platform, everybody has a brand, So

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Speaker 3: you don't have a ton of like no name under

370
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Speaker 3: the radar players coming in that you can kind of

371
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Speaker 3: draft and just kind of like hide away on the bench,

372
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Speaker 3: because you're gonna have people be like, well, what happened

373
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Speaker 3: to this player?

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Speaker 4: Like why isn't this player playing right?

375
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Speaker 3: But sometimes things happen like you're not in the rotation

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Speaker 3: or you're just not fitting in with that team, And

377
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,639
Speaker 3: that happens sometimes too. But again, it's not as easy

378
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Speaker 3: to just allow those situations to fester as it has

379
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Speaker 3: been in the past because one, our visibility as a

380
00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,760
Speaker 3: whole in the league is bigger. It's more so people

381
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Speaker 3: are looking at some of these teams that are doing really,

382
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Speaker 3: really well and like, oh, like they're doing really well,

383
00:18:58,000 --> 00:18:59,520
Speaker 3: Like what they got going on is cool. But then

384
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Speaker 3: you look on we're here, the teams may be struggling

385
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Speaker 3: a little bit, and you're like, well, on paper, they

386
00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,280
Speaker 3: look just as good as this team or that team,

387
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Speaker 3: so like what they got going on over there? So

388
00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,280
Speaker 3: it's all a journey, it's all a process. But I

389
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Speaker 3: think you know, the teams that have the most buying

390
00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,600
Speaker 3: obviously are the most successful. But I think that's like

391
00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:17,760
Speaker 3: in all sports.

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Speaker 2: Well, you want to know what team?

393
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Speaker 4: I want to talk about your team at at?

394
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Speaker 3: What?

395
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Speaker 1: Who?

396
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Speaker 4: We also just played in last to.

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Speaker 1: Lexi, and you know, I'm always rude for.

398
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Speaker 2: You girls, but that's my city.

399
00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:32,640
Speaker 4: Whatever.

400
00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,040
Speaker 1: We are five and two, No, you guys, we are

401
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,000
Speaker 1: five and two. What is one of the num we're saying?

402
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,479
Speaker 1: Because I listen, can somebody roll back the tape of

403
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,440
Speaker 1: me saying in our preseason video I was like, I

404
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,560
Speaker 1: think we're going to be better than and then all

405
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Speaker 1: of the all the research I did, Lexi, everybody's like,

406
00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:55,880
Speaker 1: let's manage expectations.

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Speaker 2: So what happened, Lexi?

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00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:57,479
Speaker 4: Okay?

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Speaker 3: Well what I will say, okay, numbers for so their

410
00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,919
Speaker 3: net rating is five point three, which is fifth in

411
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Speaker 3: the league, so not horrible, top half of the league.

412
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Speaker 3: Their assist percentage is seventy percent, which is fifth in

413
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Speaker 3: the league. So what I will say about this Atlanta

414
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,520
Speaker 3: Dream Team is this new coach, like I said, he

415
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,639
Speaker 3: wants to play fast, and he wants to shoot a

416
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Speaker 3: lot of threes because that's how that's how he coached

417
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:27,119
Speaker 3: that Florida Gulf Coast. My main concern with the Dream

418
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:29,639
Speaker 3: was how were they going to manage that pace and

419
00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,159
Speaker 3: style of play playing double bigs in BG and free jones.

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Speaker 3: So from what I saw in our game against the

421
00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:45,000
Speaker 3: Dream is he benched VG in the second half, so.

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00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,200
Speaker 4: We were up big. Actually we were actually.

423
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Speaker 3: Had a nice, little comfortable lead that game, and he said,

424
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Speaker 3: you know what, changing everything. I'm going one big one

425
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Speaker 3: center because Nas came in and whipped our on the

426
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,560
Speaker 3: offensive glass. But so shout out to Nas because she's

427
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,919
Speaker 3: a little energizer bunny, and I've always loved that and

428
00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,840
Speaker 3: appreciated that about her game. So yeah, I mean, he

429
00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,720
Speaker 3: stars don't get sat down often in the W You

430
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,879
Speaker 3: don't see that, and we saw I saw with my

431
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,399
Speaker 3: own eyes another game I did not play in. So

432
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Speaker 3: I'm watching all these things very closely. I want to

433
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,280
Speaker 3: say that Ryan Howard and Alisha Gray might be the

434
00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:30,440
Speaker 3: most underrated backcourt in the WNBA. Rian is averaging seventeen

435
00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,000
Speaker 3: points right now, and she has been averaging seventeen points

436
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,120
Speaker 3: per game the last two seasons, so she's very consistent

437
00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,720
Speaker 3: with her scoring. Alisha Gray is averaging twenty one points

438
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,920
Speaker 3: per game up I think, five or six points from

439
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,200
Speaker 3: her average last season, and she's shooting forty four percent

440
00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,119
Speaker 3: from the three. So what they got going on in Atlanta,

441
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,600
Speaker 3: it's it looks good and they're doing all of this

442
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,280
Speaker 3: without their starting point guard Jordan Canada.

443
00:21:56,359 --> 00:22:00,840
Speaker 1: So who coming back would push us into another strato

444
00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:01,560
Speaker 1: sphere I fear.

445
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,359
Speaker 3: I think I think so too, especially with how fast

446
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,960
Speaker 3: y'all be playing like now.

447
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 1: I will say it's funny that you mentioned the benching

448
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:19,040
Speaker 1: Biggs Stars situation because that's exactly what I was hoping

449
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:23,000
Speaker 1: would occur when we were playing The Fever and Stay

450
00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:23,880
Speaker 1: from Marina.

451
00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:25,680
Speaker 2: Because.

452
00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,040
Speaker 1: That game was a visual representation of exactly what you

453
00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:30,840
Speaker 1: were talking about.

454
00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:32,960
Speaker 2: He wants to play super fast.

455
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,040
Speaker 1: That would have worked a little better against.

456
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:40,680
Speaker 2: Them, and it just wasn't. It just wasn't happening.

457
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,159
Speaker 1: So I think that having a coach that is willing

458
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,120
Speaker 1: to make those adjustments.

459
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,560
Speaker 4: And that's all it was. Guys.

460
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 3: Before you're like, oh she said, bj got bench, Like yeah,

461
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,400
Speaker 3: like you get sat down, like I'm on a permanent

462
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:54,320
Speaker 3: benching right now.

463
00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:55,320
Speaker 4: Like I know what it's like.

464
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,800
Speaker 3: Sometimes you just this ain't Joe moment, the end, move on,

465
00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,840
Speaker 3: next game. She might play the whole game and score

466
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:03,919
Speaker 3: thirty Like it's not that serious.

467
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 2: It's about and every game requires something different.

468
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:08,360
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's all about making adjustments.

469
00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,360
Speaker 3: And they made a major adjustment in the second half

470
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,720
Speaker 3: of the I think we were up eleven or twelve

471
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:14,440
Speaker 3: at halftime.

472
00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,880
Speaker 4: So yeah, the Dream, like.

473
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,960
Speaker 3: They look good and they had some good contributions coming

474
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:24,320
Speaker 3: off the bench. Their bench is like solid, like they're

475
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 3: not gonna like score a ton of points, but they're

476
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,959
Speaker 3: gonna come in and provide energy and do what they

477
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:29,520
Speaker 3: need to do.

478
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:31,960
Speaker 4: And yeah, so shout out to the Dream.

479
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,639
Speaker 3: I'm mad that y'all beat us, because you know that

480
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,240
Speaker 3: was one of those games. If y'all we'll get into

481
00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,000
Speaker 3: my situation in a second, but if y'all know what

482
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,840
Speaker 3: it's like to be on the bench, Like sometimes you

483
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,600
Speaker 3: see that score, that.

484
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,840
Speaker 4: Margin growing and growing, and you're.

485
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,400
Speaker 3: Like, dang, I'm gonna get in this game and then

486
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,399
Speaker 3: the margin shrinks. I actually played nine games. I actually

487
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,400
Speaker 3: played nine minutes this game. The game I didn't play

488
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,120
Speaker 3: was the last one in Vegas. But I played nine

489
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,439
Speaker 3: minutes and then the lead went away and then that

490
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:03,000
Speaker 3: was it for me.

491
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 4: So I was like, oh, okay, well, well.

492
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,160
Speaker 1: Lexi, you can you can go into more detail about

493
00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,159
Speaker 1: your POV because right now we're doing a check in

494
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,359
Speaker 1: with what's going on with the Storm. I'm gonna give

495
00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 1: the people a little overview. First of all, I'll say

496
00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,560
Speaker 1: the Storm and not y'all, because I will I won't

497
00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:23,040
Speaker 1: insert you into everything that has occurred. But the Storm

498
00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,120
Speaker 1: currently holds a three and four record, having lost their

499
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,760
Speaker 1: last three games. Their most recent defeat was a close

500
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,280
Speaker 1: seventy five to seventy loss to the Las Vegas Aces,

501
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,600
Speaker 1: who seem to come in with some We're going to

502
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:42,560
Speaker 1: get our look back to have energy on Sunday, and yeah,

503
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:47,920
Speaker 1: Gaby Williams led with twenty points and some reserves contributed

504
00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:49,960
Speaker 1: significantly in a late game rally.

505
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,840
Speaker 2: But I want to know what you think, Lexi.

506
00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 4: So first we'll get into our numbers.

507
00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:02,280
Speaker 3: So our net rating is negative point four, which is bad.

508
00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,840
Speaker 3: You don't want to be a negative ever in net ratings,

509
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,800
Speaker 3: so that's where we are. But it is seventh overall

510
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,320
Speaker 3: in the league, so it's not the worst, but being

511
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:13,440
Speaker 3: a negative is a no.

512
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:13,600
Speaker 4: No.

513
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,680
Speaker 3: Our assist percentage is fourth, which means, which is good.

514
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:19,720
Speaker 4: A lot of our shots are.

515
00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:21,679
Speaker 3: Assisted, which means we share the ball and that is

516
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:22,720
Speaker 3: absolutely true.

517
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:26,600
Speaker 4: So love that. I know.

518
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,560
Speaker 3: I didn't talk about this for the rest of the teams,

519
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,399
Speaker 3: but we are still dead last and three point attempts,

520
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,640
Speaker 3: so again, I'm going to keep my eye on that

521
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:41,840
Speaker 3: number because that directly has impacted me a three point shooter,

522
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:46,480
Speaker 3: So I think right now, I mean, we dealt with

523
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,359
Speaker 3: an injury with Ac we lost her for one of

524
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 3: our games, and again a lot of new pieces, like

525
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,320
Speaker 3: you have the core four from last season returning, and

526
00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:00,920
Speaker 3: then everybody else on the team is new. So that's

527
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,240
Speaker 3: just something that we're working through as a team. I

528
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 3: feel like I do want to shout out Gabby Williams,

529
00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 3: who's been playing out of her mind. I think a

530
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:14,199
Speaker 3: lot of people have been shocked at how she's been playing,

531
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,479
Speaker 3: only because they haven't seen her often in the w

532
00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,760
Speaker 3: because she's been playing overseas a lot but this is

533
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,480
Speaker 3: a player that she's always been and she's even improved,

534
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,320
Speaker 3: I think. And I've been seeing her, you know, develop

535
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,720
Speaker 3: her three point shooting, her decision making, like she brings

536
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,720
Speaker 3: the ball up a lot for us, So just seeing

537
00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,080
Speaker 3: her growth as a player. We were in the same

538
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,719
Speaker 3: draft class, so I've been you know, watching her for

539
00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:38,919
Speaker 3: a long time. So she's been playing really well and

540
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 3: that makes me really happy for her, especially with you know,

541
00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:45,600
Speaker 3: the drama of prioritization and being in the w and

542
00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,479
Speaker 3: being in France and all that kind of stuff. So

543
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,520
Speaker 3: to see her start the season this way has been

544
00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:55,639
Speaker 3: like really amazing for her me personally, Guys, I wish

545
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,440
Speaker 3: I had an explanation as to.

546
00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,800
Speaker 4: Why I haven't been seeing a lot of the playing.

547
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,959
Speaker 3: I'm you know, all you can do is show up

548
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,199
Speaker 3: and do what they ask you to do and be

549
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,359
Speaker 3: a professional through it all, which is what I've been doing.

550
00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,760
Speaker 3: What I have not liked seeing is any of the

551
00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:15,679
Speaker 3: conversations surrounding my health. I'm not playing because I'm dealing

552
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,520
Speaker 3: with sickness. I'm fine, I'm healthy, I'm good. I didn't

553
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,840
Speaker 3: miss games because I was sick. I missed games because

554
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,479
Speaker 3: I didn't know what I was sick with, and then

555
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,800
Speaker 3: you have to figure out how to attack crone disease

556
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,080
Speaker 3: with the medication, and then that's always the hardest part.

557
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,359
Speaker 3: And once you get that settled, like everything's fine. So

558
00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,159
Speaker 3: anybody wondering, like, oh, she's sick again, she can't stay healthy,

559
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,800
Speaker 3: Like no, Like I'm going to keep addressing this every week.

560
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:44,160
Speaker 3: I'm fine, I feel great. I'm in the gym, I'm

561
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 3: shooting all the shots up. I don't know how many

562
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 3: more shots you can take as a shooter, but you

563
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,720
Speaker 3: know you can't make shots that you don't have. But

564
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,400
Speaker 3: I'm just being asked to be great in my role,

565
00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,440
Speaker 3: which is currently being a great teammate and just being

566
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,359
Speaker 3: ready and that's all you can do. And that's what

567
00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,439
Speaker 3: professional sports is, unfortunately. Like I was talking to my

568
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,880
Speaker 3: mom today about it, like it's still amazing being here,

569
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,560
Speaker 3: the facility is still amazing, Like I love my teammates,

570
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,600
Speaker 3: it's great, but like, ultimately, like this is a job,

571
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,639
Speaker 3: Like I'm I didn't ask for this trade. I didn't

572
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,399
Speaker 3: ask to be put in this situation. So it's just

573
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,280
Speaker 3: something that I'm navigating. It's like waking up one day

574
00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,320
Speaker 3: you're at a job that you really like, in a

575
00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,240
Speaker 3: city that you really like, and then you get a

576
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:30,880
Speaker 3: call from a job and be like, oh, you were

577
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,360
Speaker 3: sending you to this job over there, good luck bye.

578
00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:36,479
Speaker 4: Like that's ultimately what it is.

579
00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,360
Speaker 3: So you can't do anything but be a professional through

580
00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,560
Speaker 3: it all and still grateful to be here. I have

581
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,280
Speaker 3: a job, I'm employed, I'm living my dream.

582
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,120
Speaker 4: But it's hard to watch like your.

583
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 3: Team struggle or your team lose and you're just sitting

584
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,200
Speaker 3: there like like dang, Like I know I can contribute,

585
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,560
Speaker 3: I know I can help, but you just got to

586
00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,920
Speaker 3: stay positive, which is what I'm what I'm trying to

587
00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,000
Speaker 3: do the best that I can.

588
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,640
Speaker 1: LEXI, thanks for being super honest.

589
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:03,320
Speaker 2: So that's about that.

590
00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,920
Speaker 1: I think that people don't like to, you know, talk

591
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,480
Speaker 1: about those those things, and I really appreciate you being

592
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 1: honest with us. But and I'm just from a number,

593
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,280
Speaker 1: just from a number of perspective, you know, while you

594
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,720
Speaker 1: were talking, I had to look up some numbers of

595
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:23,080
Speaker 1: my own, and I will say it is interesting. The

596
00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 1: Seattle Storm are last in three point attempts and the

597
00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:33,280
Speaker 1: New York Liberty or second right and first and three

598
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:39,400
Speaker 1: pointers made. So I'm thinking to myself, at least in

599
00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:44,200
Speaker 1: the MNBA side of things, we find that when a

600
00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,080
Speaker 1: team wins a championship, obviously every team has their own

601
00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:53,160
Speaker 1: personnel and identity. However, as a basketball fan and a

602
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,920
Speaker 1: sports fan in general, typically this happens in the NFL

603
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,640
Speaker 1: as well. When a team wins a championship doing a

604
00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,120
Speaker 1: certain thing, it kind of starts to feel like the

605
00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:09,000
Speaker 1: recipe for winning becomes similar to that. And so I'm

606
00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:14,280
Speaker 1: just curious from your perspective as a professional, I feel

607
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:20,880
Speaker 1: like taking more threes and or making more threes could

608
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,960
Speaker 1: be beneficial to a.

609
00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:24,480
Speaker 2: Team, not just a Storm, any team.

610
00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just I don't know me personally, I feel like,

611
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,360
Speaker 1: why isn't that something that can be prioritized more across

612
00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:33,760
Speaker 1: the board?

613
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I feel like because there was like

614
00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 3: such negative talk about there's too many threes, there's too

615
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 3: many threes, but it's like we're still not taking nearly

616
00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,280
Speaker 3: as many as the NBA teams are taking. But it's

617
00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,120
Speaker 3: like the Aces, like I said, have been leading the

618
00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,840
Speaker 3: league and scoring and it was because they're paced, and

619
00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:57,680
Speaker 3: then they were shooting a lot of threes.

620
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,400
Speaker 2: And their second and three.

621
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, like I thought that like this change would be

622
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:08,680
Speaker 3: happening a little quicker as far as prioritizing, you know,

623
00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,280
Speaker 3: three point shots versus two point shots. Like you said,

624
00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,000
Speaker 3: you need to have a healthy combination of the two,

625
00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,080
Speaker 3: and you have to make The thing about the twos

626
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:18,840
Speaker 3: is like you have to make them at a high level.

627
00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,640
Speaker 3: So you could make all the threes you want, but

628
00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,480
Speaker 3: like if you're missing twos easy twos, like you're not

629
00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,400
Speaker 3: gonna win that way either. So it's just finding the

630
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,680
Speaker 3: healthy balance and like you said, having the right personnel

631
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:30,080
Speaker 3: for it.

632
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 4: So I'm I mean, I've y'all know me.

633
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,920
Speaker 3: I watch all the games, I'm watching all of our

634
00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:39,840
Speaker 3: film whatever, and some of the shots that I'm seeing

635
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,000
Speaker 3: get put up. I'm just kind of like, Okay, well,

636
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,760
Speaker 3: I'm just gonna sit here and wait for that opportunity.

637
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:49,840
Speaker 3: Not that I want to go out and jack a

638
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,760
Speaker 3: bunch of threes, Like that's also not what I want

639
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:52,960
Speaker 3: to do.

640
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:54,120
Speaker 4: I'm an effishing player.

641
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,920
Speaker 3: I like to play basketball the right way, but I

642
00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:01,480
Speaker 3: also am not just delegated to playing outside the three

643
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,440
Speaker 3: point line. Like I can score in other ways. I

644
00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,800
Speaker 3: can contribute in other ways. And I feel like, because

645
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,960
Speaker 3: I talk so highly about.

646
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:09,800
Speaker 4: My three point shooting.

647
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,320
Speaker 3: When I get to the WNBA, I get like put

648
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,800
Speaker 3: in like this three point shooter box, and I will

649
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,560
Speaker 3: take a little bit of accountability for that because I

650
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:21,640
Speaker 3: am very confident in my three point shooting because I

651
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:22,960
Speaker 3: know how hard I work at it.

652
00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:23,720
Speaker 2: As you should be.

653
00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,080
Speaker 3: But I can do other things Like if anybody watched

654
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,040
Speaker 3: me and Au this past year, I was doing a

655
00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:36,160
Speaker 3: lot of other types of scoring besides shooting threes, so right,

656
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,240
Speaker 3: and you got a lot of praise for that. Yeah,

657
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 3: And it's something that I purposely did because I did

658
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,120
Speaker 3: feel myself being put in that box in the WNBA

659
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,600
Speaker 3: of oh, she can only shoot threes. If it's not

660
00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:48,880
Speaker 3: a three point shot, then she won't take it, or

661
00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:50,680
Speaker 3: we shouldn't give it for the ball if it's not

662
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,360
Speaker 3: a three. And that's something that I mean, it's a

663
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,000
Speaker 3: good reputation I have. I get to the few minutes

664
00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,120
Speaker 3: that I'm out on the court, I get defended. Like

665
00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,160
Speaker 3: I've made twenty five threes already this season, I've made zero,

666
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,280
Speaker 3: so I've only shot four, but I've made I haven't

667
00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:08,480
Speaker 3: made any. But every time I step on the floor,

668
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 3: the respect is there, and that always makes me feel good.

669
00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,320
Speaker 3: At least because I am respected by my peers in

670
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,240
Speaker 3: that aspect that she can shoot the ball, like, don't

671
00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:21,240
Speaker 3: let her get any easy looks. So that keeps me,

672
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,520
Speaker 3: you know, confident and motivated whether I'm making ten threes

673
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:26,520
Speaker 3: or making no threes, Like, I know the work that

674
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,160
Speaker 3: I've put in. But the only real thing that has

675
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,600
Speaker 3: really upset me about this is that, like, I will

676
00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,680
Speaker 3: never get into the three point contests doing this, I'm

677
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,880
Speaker 3: going to have my own three point contests and live

678
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,400
Speaker 3: stream it for y'all to watch.

679
00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:41,920
Speaker 4: And that's what I'm I'm going.

680
00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,320
Speaker 3: To live stream it while the actual three point contest

681
00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,640
Speaker 3: is going on. I know, I'm like, how am I

682
00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:50,320
Speaker 3: going to get into the three point contest?

683
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:52,360
Speaker 4: Ain't nobody seen me shooting? No damn three?

684
00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: Didn't you win the Gills Arena shooting contest?

685
00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:57,000
Speaker 4: I beat the couch.

686
00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,320
Speaker 3: I didn't win the actual competition, but yes, I beat

687
00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:03,400
Speaker 3: the couch. I'm the best shooter on the couch still officially.

688
00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:04,600
Speaker 4: We had like a little mini.

689
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,360
Speaker 3: Shootout like two months ago, and I didn't really shoot

690
00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 3: that well, but that was it didn't count.

691
00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:10,600
Speaker 4: I'm still the best shooter on the couch.

692
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 3: But right right, we have a game tonight against Dallas,

693
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:17,360
Speaker 3: Like I said, and this is a good opportunity to

694
00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,160
Speaker 3: turn to turn it around. Like no one is panicking,

695
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,440
Speaker 3: but you don't ever want to go on a losing

696
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 3: streak at any point in your season, Like doesn't matter

697
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,000
Speaker 3: what type of season you're having. Like when those losses

698
00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,319
Speaker 3: start to pile up, it's like it's difficult.

699
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:34,600
Speaker 4: It's very difficult.

700
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,439
Speaker 3: But the Chicago Sky team I was on, I wasn't

701
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,239
Speaker 3: around for it, but they went on like a seven

702
00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:43,000
Speaker 3: or eight game losing streak and finished sixth place. Not

703
00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,040
Speaker 3: saying we're gonna finish six but again.

704
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:45,800
Speaker 4: It's not the end of the world.

705
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,799
Speaker 3: Like losing happens. So tonight is a great opportunity.

706
00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:51,120
Speaker 2: And you're also not going to go on a seven

707
00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:51,919
Speaker 2: game losing streak.

708
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, So tonight is a great opportunity for us to

709
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,560
Speaker 3: turn around. Everyone's really locked in. We had a great

710
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,560
Speaker 3: shoot around, learned a lot from film from last game.

711
00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,120
Speaker 3: So I'm excited for our game tonight. It's gonna be

712
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,799
Speaker 3: a good one. And it's on ESPN, so y'all can

713
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,719
Speaker 3: see me either on the corner on the bench, either way,

714
00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:08,960
Speaker 3: y'all will be able.

715
00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:10,040
Speaker 4: To see me on ESPN.

716
00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,560
Speaker 1: Okay, I watched the last time you guys played the

717
00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:13,160
Speaker 1: Wings too.

718
00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,040
Speaker 4: Oh so yeah, I didn't even play, I guess, so

719
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:16,960
Speaker 4: they might be able.

720
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,480
Speaker 3: To throw me in there and be like surprise, like

721
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,640
Speaker 3: you ain't see Lexi last game, so maybe you can

722
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,799
Speaker 3: see her tonight. But like I said, great opportunity for

723
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:26,960
Speaker 3: us tonight. So I'm really excited.

724
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:28,400
Speaker 1: Well, at the end of the day, we love in

725
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:29,360
Speaker 1: the tunnel fits Lexi.

726
00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:33,200
Speaker 4: You eating that up, thank you, thank you.

727
00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:35,240
Speaker 1: There are three point contest for that you'd be winning.

728
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,799
Speaker 1: Last team that we're gonna get into before we talk

729
00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,000
Speaker 1: a little bit about hardship contracts and educate you guys

730
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,000
Speaker 1: a little bit because that goes into the situation we're

731
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,160
Speaker 1: about to discuss, and that is the Indiana Fever, who

732
00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:58,239
Speaker 1: are two and four. No Caitlin Clark for now, but

733
00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,560
Speaker 1: Aliah Boston is thriving a playmaker. Lexi, Is this what

734
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,160
Speaker 1: you expected with no Caitlin?

735
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:10,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean you don't expect people to get injured obviously.

736
00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:12,400
Speaker 1: Well last week when we discussed it.

737
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:16,719
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean I was expecting maybe for dB

738
00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:18,920
Speaker 3: to like find her footing a little bit more. But

739
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,279
Speaker 3: like I said, it is not easy to get used

740
00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:23,440
Speaker 3: to a new team, a new city, and then now

741
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,120
Speaker 3: your point guard's down, So that's probably going to make

742
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:28,680
Speaker 3: it a little bit harder for dB to like find

743
00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,839
Speaker 3: her rhythm. Some of their numbers net rating is six

744
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:36,719
Speaker 3: point four, which is third. They have the lowest assists

745
00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,520
Speaker 3: percentage though, So when I see that number, I don't

746
00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:43,480
Speaker 3: want everyone's thoughts to be like, oh, they're selfish, they

747
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,520
Speaker 3: don't pass the ball, like, No, they just have a

748
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,719
Speaker 3: lot of players that can create their own shots.

749
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,200
Speaker 1: So is that because also Kaitlyn is not playing?

750
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:53,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean because when you have that, when you

751
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,640
Speaker 3: have the player that leads the league in assists, and

752
00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:58,360
Speaker 3: your assists percentage is that low, like it that doesn't

753
00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:01,160
Speaker 3: really like make sense, But again, like you have a

754
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:03,319
Speaker 3: lot of players that can create their own shots, and

755
00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:06,400
Speaker 3: then yeah, they're as sis percentage has probably taken a

756
00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:09,680
Speaker 3: tumble since Caitlyn has been out. Oh their threes and

757
00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:15,120
Speaker 3: then surprisingly this probably also is because Kaitln has missed

758
00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,799
Speaker 3: some games. But they're eleventh and three point attempts at

759
00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:21,240
Speaker 3: twenty point three, so I thought they would be taking

760
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,800
Speaker 3: way more threes than that. But even when Kaitlyn was playing,

761
00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,520
Speaker 3: like they were still like kind of middle bottom of

762
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:29,920
Speaker 3: the list for three point attempts, So that was like

763
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:32,640
Speaker 3: very surprising to me. But also, I think teams are

764
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,680
Speaker 3: defending Caitlyn Clark a little bit better than last season.

765
00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,880
Speaker 3: You have a year of experience, a year of film

766
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,640
Speaker 3: under your belt to figure that out. But yeah, this

767
00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:48,759
Speaker 3: goes back to our conversations about rosters spots, because you

768
00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,840
Speaker 3: could have your whole team and then three days later

769
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,520
Speaker 3: you have seven players, which is basically what has happened

770
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:59,160
Speaker 3: to the Indiana Fever. So they've lost multiple players to

771
00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,400
Speaker 3: injury and now have brought in players.

772
00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:03,440
Speaker 4: On hardship contracts.

773
00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:05,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, is there anything else you want to say about

774
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,959
Speaker 3: the fever before we dive into hardship contracts.

775
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:13,120
Speaker 1: Well, they added Ari McDonald on hardship to hold hopefully

776
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:18,160
Speaker 1: hang on while injured. But LEXI definitely give us a

777
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,400
Speaker 1: little bit of hardship contracts one oh one.

778
00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,520
Speaker 3: So we mentioned a hardship contract in one of our

779
00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:25,239
Speaker 3: previous episodes, but I was like, oh, we won't need

780
00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,720
Speaker 3: to get into that, and so like middle of the season,

781
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,879
Speaker 3: but no, like here we are games seven to eight

782
00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:33,880
Speaker 3: for a lot of these teams, and we're already signing

783
00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,920
Speaker 3: hardship contracts. So what hardship contracts are. There are temporary

784
00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,520
Speaker 3: contracts that can be used if you get under the

785
00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,399
Speaker 3: minimum number of healthy players, which in our league is eight.

786
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:48,280
Speaker 3: So some teams started this season with eleven, some teams

787
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:52,239
Speaker 3: like us started with ten. So those hardship contracts can

788
00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,680
Speaker 3: kick in very fast. I think you get seventy five

789
00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:01,399
Speaker 3: percent of the veteran minimum. And just because they say

790
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:03,640
Speaker 3: rest of the season like that doesn't mean like these

791
00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:06,520
Speaker 3: players are on the roster for the rest of the season.

792
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,839
Speaker 3: They're just on the roster until the player that they're

793
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,200
Speaker 3: replacing is back healthy.

794
00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:13,720
Speaker 4: So you can still get like cut.

795
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:16,520
Speaker 3: But a lot of these contracts a lot Also, what

796
00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:20,000
Speaker 3: people don't understand, everybody that's not on a guaranteed deal

797
00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,919
Speaker 3: can right now. They can still be waived from their team.

798
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,120
Speaker 3: So these non guaranteed players are still like, you can

799
00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 3: get cut still right now, and a lot of people

800
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:31,960
Speaker 3: don't realize that.

801
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,919
Speaker 1: So if a player on hardship comes in and goes off,

802
00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:39,120
Speaker 1: let's say and a player with a non guaranteed contract

803
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,759
Speaker 1: may be hurt or something, and there let's say that

804
00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,359
Speaker 1: they're second the death chart for point guard and they're

805
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,120
Speaker 1: hurt also, and then they sign a point guard for

806
00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:51,320
Speaker 1: hardship and that point guard goes off and they decide

807
00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,040
Speaker 1: they want to keep her for the rest of the season.

808
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,799
Speaker 1: Would they then cut their second on the death art

809
00:39:57,360 --> 00:39:59,400
Speaker 1: point guard that is non guaranteed?

810
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,680
Speaker 4: I mean, technically, yes, they could do that. Wow. Is

811
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,800
Speaker 4: that the right thing to do? Is that good karma?

812
00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:08,719
Speaker 4: Probably not?

813
00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:14,680
Speaker 3: But if we're talking business of sports and business of

814
00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:17,759
Speaker 3: basketball and you have a hardship player come in and

815
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,080
Speaker 3: go crazy, like, yes, that can absolutely happen.

816
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:21,600
Speaker 4: Does that typically happen?

817
00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,719
Speaker 3: No, Usually just bring in the hardship player to meet

818
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:30,040
Speaker 3: your player minimum. But there are cases like last year

819
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,840
Speaker 3: for the Sparks that Odyssey came in and was starting

820
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,880
Speaker 3: as a hardship player and now she's on a regular

821
00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:38,040
Speaker 3: contract the next year.

822
00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:40,680
Speaker 4: So they're great opportunities, I.

823
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:42,919
Speaker 1: Asked, because it's a good opportunity.

824
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:44,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a great many players getting waved.

825
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:45,280
Speaker 4: Yeah.

826
00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:48,440
Speaker 3: So I'm like really happy for Airy because her getting

827
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:51,440
Speaker 3: away from the Sparks was definitely surprising, So for her

828
00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,840
Speaker 3: to get a different opportunity on a Fever team that

829
00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,520
Speaker 3: actually can use her, I'm really excited for her and

830
00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:00,120
Speaker 3: really happy for her, because I'm sure she was and

831
00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:04,040
Speaker 3: expecting to get waved from the sparks either. So if

832
00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:05,960
Speaker 3: any of you guys were confused as to what a

833
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:09,759
Speaker 3: hardship contract was, I hope that cleared a little.

834
00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:11,240
Speaker 4: Bit of that confusion up.

835
00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,879
Speaker 3: But also something else that has come up that has

836
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:19,240
Speaker 3: probably confused people are players leaving to go play in Europe,

837
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,040
Speaker 3: and you guys are probably like, I thought the European

838
00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:23,240
Speaker 3: season was the off season.

839
00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:26,120
Speaker 4: Yeah it is, but there's euro Basket now.

840
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:27,799
Speaker 3: And if you guys don't know what euro Basket is,

841
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:31,280
Speaker 3: it's it's the tournament that helps teams and countries qualify

842
00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:36,400
Speaker 3: for the Olympics. So players just get to leave and

843
00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,400
Speaker 3: be like breb, We're gonna go play for our countries

844
00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:41,880
Speaker 3: and we'll see y'all when we get back. So sometimes

845
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,840
Speaker 3: teams will like temporarily suspend a player or they'll just

846
00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 3: wave them.

847
00:41:46,400 --> 00:41:51,400
Speaker 4: Completely like there's really it's like it is.

848
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,319
Speaker 3: It's a hard thing to explain to people, like why

849
00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:56,120
Speaker 3: do they just get to leave in the middle of

850
00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:58,680
Speaker 3: the season, and they're just like, well, because they can,

851
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:02,279
Speaker 3: and you have obligations. Sorry, guys, this is my dog

852
00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:10,920
Speaker 3: growling here. He is Everyone say hi, to Canon Cannon.

853
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:11,440
Speaker 4: Hey, what are you growling at?

854
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,160
Speaker 2: It's so cute? Well, he was trying to t take

855
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:13,520
Speaker 2: the mic.

856
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:19,440
Speaker 3: He's uh, but yeah, the EuroBasket because I remember my

857
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,799
Speaker 3: second year in the league, I was trying to get

858
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,680
Speaker 3: a Serbian passport to play on the Serbian national team,

859
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,040
Speaker 3: and they wanted me to miss like the first half

860
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:33,200
Speaker 3: of the w season to go get ready for the tournament.

861
00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:35,120
Speaker 1: Why were you going to play in Serbia?

862
00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:40,320
Speaker 3: Well, because when you have a passport from another country,

863
00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,680
Speaker 3: you can get paid more money overseas, and then you

864
00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:48,279
Speaker 3: can go on teams with more Americans on it because

865
00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:52,400
Speaker 3: technically you're not an American because teams overseas have caps

866
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:54,240
Speaker 3: on how many Americans you can have on a roster.

867
00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:57,880
Speaker 3: So if you get a passport, you can be considered

868
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:01,200
Speaker 3: a European player, so then they can like load up

869
00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:03,319
Speaker 3: on so like I don't know if you guys follow,

870
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,960
Speaker 3: it's cool European and FOBA, but like there's like Fenner

871
00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:09,280
Speaker 3: Fenner and a lot.

872
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:10,160
Speaker 4: Of those euro League teams.

873
00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:11,680
Speaker 3: You look over there and you're like, why do they

874
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:14,759
Speaker 3: have so many WNBA players on their team. It's because

875
00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:18,000
Speaker 3: a lot of them have European passports. So they can

876
00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:20,719
Speaker 3: like put them all on the same team, which is

877
00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:22,759
Speaker 3: also why some of your players you are like, why

878
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,520
Speaker 3: aren't they on the USA team, Well, because they got passports,

879
00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:27,400
Speaker 3: so they go play for other for other teams in

880
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:28,160
Speaker 3: other countries.

881
00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:31,480
Speaker 2: That is so interesting.

882
00:43:31,719 --> 00:43:34,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I was this close to being Serbian, y'all.

883
00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:38,840
Speaker 3: I was real close, but it didn't work out that way.

884
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,040
Speaker 2: So you would have been cousins.

885
00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,359
Speaker 3: I know, I know, but yeah, I literally like I was.

886
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:47,160
Speaker 3: I was playing in Hungary at the time, so I

887
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:50,120
Speaker 3: was like taking like little mini trips to Serbia trying

888
00:43:50,120 --> 00:43:52,120
Speaker 3: to get all that settled. I met with the coach

889
00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:55,799
Speaker 3: like it was like happening, and then they're like, oh, yeah,

890
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:57,839
Speaker 3: you need to miss like the first half of your

891
00:43:57,960 --> 00:43:59,920
Speaker 3: w season, and I was like, I just got.

892
00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:01,360
Speaker 4: Here, I can't.

893
00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:06,680
Speaker 3: And then the rest is history. So yeah, that's the

894
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:10,080
Speaker 3: euro Basket stuff. If you guys were wondering why players

895
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:13,560
Speaker 3: just get to leave, it's just because I have fire obligations.

896
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:17,279
Speaker 1: One of the current top headlines going around as far

897
00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:20,280
Speaker 1: as the w is concerned is Cameron Brink basically saying

898
00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:24,480
Speaker 1: on her podcast that before the WBA adds more teams,

899
00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:27,080
Speaker 1: there needs to be more roster spots with what we're

900
00:44:27,080 --> 00:44:29,280
Speaker 1: talking about euro Basket.

901
00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:31,440
Speaker 2: Departures, hardship contracts.

902
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,160
Speaker 1: Do you feel as though I think Portland is going

903
00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:36,759
Speaker 1: to be the next one to get a team, or

904
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:43,000
Speaker 1: Toronto Toronto the tempo, but after that and it's even

905
00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:45,200
Speaker 1: out and so the commissioner's couple not be six and six.

906
00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:50,560
Speaker 1: Do you feel like before expanding there needs to be

907
00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:51,520
Speaker 1: more roster spots.

908
00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,880
Speaker 3: I mean, I feel like both can happen. So if

909
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,160
Speaker 3: there's a time for it to happen, it is now.

910
00:44:58,200 --> 00:45:01,040
Speaker 3: But it's something that needs to be negotiated in our

911
00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:04,319
Speaker 3: CBA or there just needs to be some type of

912
00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:09,440
Speaker 3: I was just talking about this on Ryl and Tarika's

913
00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:13,919
Speaker 3: podcast that there's a new league starting East Coast based

914
00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:16,640
Speaker 3: out of Jacksonville, because my dad is like consulting with it.

915
00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:20,200
Speaker 3: It's called Upshot, and it's going to be four teams

916
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:23,440
Speaker 3: in different cities on the East Coast and it's like

917
00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:25,600
Speaker 3: going to be like a professional women's basketball league in

918
00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:26,239
Speaker 3: the summertime.

919
00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:29,799
Speaker 4: And I was like, well, I don't know.

920
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,280
Speaker 3: This will also have to be written in the CBA

921
00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:37,120
Speaker 3: if they can figure something out with the w to

922
00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:43,000
Speaker 3: where you have players in this new league playing working out.

923
00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:48,040
Speaker 3: Maybe you give these coaches offenses that are typically ran

924
00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:51,920
Speaker 3: in the WNBA, so that there's a pool of players

925
00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:55,799
Speaker 3: that can be selected from instead of going to find

926
00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,840
Speaker 3: someone that is on their couch or at home, or

927
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:03,080
Speaker 3: someone is like not waiting around for that opportunity because

928
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:06,000
Speaker 3: they have another one somewhere else. Like sometimes players miss

929
00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:08,960
Speaker 3: out on this opportunity with the hardship contracts because they

930
00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:13,080
Speaker 3: accept their overseas contract or they go play somewhere else

931
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:16,320
Speaker 3: in the summertime. So I feel like in our new CBA,

932
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:18,719
Speaker 3: like we are one hundred percent in control of how

933
00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:23,440
Speaker 3: this moves forward, the roster spots, the team expansion, where

934
00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:28,000
Speaker 3: these hardship players come from, Like it all has to

935
00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:30,279
Speaker 3: we all have to work together to make it a

936
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,640
Speaker 3: more realistic thing, like instead of just calling random people

937
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:36,560
Speaker 3: to come fill in a roster spot.

938
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:39,240
Speaker 4: Like that doesn't it's not a good look for the league.

939
00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:42,680
Speaker 3: It's a very stressful and weird situation for these players

940
00:46:42,680 --> 00:46:46,279
Speaker 3: that get caught in these hardship situations. And yeah, like

941
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,600
Speaker 3: there's no reason why a professional basketball team should ever

942
00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:53,800
Speaker 3: have seven healthy players in right one of the season,

943
00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:57,880
Speaker 3: Like that's ridiculous. So yeah, I think that there's a

944
00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:02,040
Speaker 3: way that we can expand rosters and have the expansion teams,

945
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,759
Speaker 3: because I think the expansion teams are amazing. But I

946
00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,560
Speaker 3: absolutely agree that these rosters need to be expanded. But

947
00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:12,799
Speaker 3: that's something that's written in the CBA, so I agree, you.

948
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:14,439
Speaker 4: Can't do anything about it right now.

949
00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:16,440
Speaker 3: So yeah, like it's nice to just keep saying it

950
00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:21,160
Speaker 3: over and over and over. But I'm in these CBA conversations.

951
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 3: I'm on the committee. I'm our player representative for the

952
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:28,960
Speaker 3: Players Association. Me a season vice president, Mekka is the president,

953
00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:31,480
Speaker 3: so we have like a lot and Ezzie is like

954
00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:35,000
Speaker 3: the second player reps. Like, we have a lot of

955
00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:37,960
Speaker 3: voices in these conversations. So I hope that a lot

956
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:40,439
Speaker 3: of these players who are so vocal about things are

957
00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:44,120
Speaker 3: also in these conversations because their voices need to be heard.

958
00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:45,759
Speaker 4: So the right people, the.

959
00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,440
Speaker 3: People that are actually at the table, Like, if you

960
00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:50,800
Speaker 3: have a concern, like you need to be in these meetings.

961
00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:53,040
Speaker 3: You need to have these conversations because I know I

962
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,480
Speaker 3: am because if everybody knows me, I have a lot

963
00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:58,080
Speaker 3: of concerns and opinions about a lot of things. But

964
00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:00,520
Speaker 3: you better believe I'm at those meetings and I'm talking

965
00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:03,480
Speaker 3: to Terry, and I'm talking to Mekka, and I'm bringing

966
00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:05,920
Speaker 3: things to the front and center that concerned me that

967
00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:07,759
Speaker 3: I think needs to be improved, that needs to be

968
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:11,120
Speaker 3: better for the future of the league. So yes, I

969
00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:16,400
Speaker 3: think we all agree that rosters need expanding, and hopefully

970
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:19,880
Speaker 3: that's something that we can get negotiated in the next CBA.

971
00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:22,120
Speaker 1: I agree, and I'm proud of all of you for

972
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:26,040
Speaker 1: making your voices heard. Lexi, I can't believe we're getting

973
00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:27,560
Speaker 1: these people out and under an hour.

974
00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,600
Speaker 3: Under an hour, guys, like we are trying really hard.

975
00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:33,960
Speaker 3: So this was this was a record day, but we

976
00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:35,879
Speaker 3: got a lot. We talked about a lot, so we.

977
00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:37,160
Speaker 4: Can do it. We can do it.

978
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:40,000
Speaker 3: We can make these tons. The episode is real efficient

979
00:48:41,200 --> 00:48:41,960
Speaker 3: and thought provoking.

980
00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:44,239
Speaker 1: Lexai, good luck tonight. Can't wait to hear you.

981
00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:47,359
Speaker 4: Yeah, I got a few laid out on my bed

982
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:47,799
Speaker 4: right now.

983
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,520
Speaker 3: Actually, so, guys, this is like, after I get through

984
00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:53,160
Speaker 3: my scouting and film, the next part of my game

985
00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:56,759
Speaker 3: day routine is figuring out the fit. So if y'all

986
00:48:56,840 --> 00:48:59,719
Speaker 3: been watching me on the on the Gram, y'all been

987
00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:01,839
Speaker 3: seeing my outfits, I've and very proud of them. So

988
00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:05,200
Speaker 3: it's been one of the highlights of the season so

989
00:49:05,239 --> 00:49:06,560
Speaker 3: far has been the tunnel fits.

990
00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:10,800
Speaker 1: For sure, it's the highlight of ours as well well.

991
00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:12,560
Speaker 2: Thank you guys so much for listening.

992
00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:13,920
Speaker 1: To this episode of Full Circle.

993
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:15,040
Speaker 2: We'll be back next week.

994
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:15,800
Speaker 4: See y'all.

995
00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:18,759
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next

996
00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:20,680
Speaker 1: week with more basketball.

997
00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:22,680
Speaker 2: For the girls, by the girls. We want to hear

998
00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:23,120
Speaker 2: from you.

999
00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:25,680
Speaker 1: Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and tell us

1000
00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:28,080
Speaker 1: what you want us to talk about. Full Circle is

1001
00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:31,440
Speaker 1: hosted by Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose. Our executive producer

1002
00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:35,080
Speaker 1: is Jesse Katz. Our supervising producer is Grace Fuse. Our

1003
00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:39,160
Speaker 1: producer is Zoe Danklab. Listen to Full Circle on America's

1004
00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:42,759
Speaker 1: number one podcast network, iHeart, open your free iHeart app

1005
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:45,200
Speaker 1: and search Full Circle with Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose

1006
00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:46,040
Speaker 1: and start listening.