WEBVTT - Silent Assassin Type Stuff with Sharlize Palacios 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:03.040 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're booking 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:05.240 a flight to Connecticut to pick up a six pack 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.320 of seventy eight to O Hazy Ipa from Tina Charles' 0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:11.800 new seventy eight brewing company. Naming your first release after 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.560 your back to back undefeated thirty nine to O seasons 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:19.680 at Yukon cheers. It's Thursday, July thirtieth. Then on Today Show, 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.320 Utah Talents catcher Charlie's Palacios joins US fresh Offer team 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:27.000 second straight AUSL Championship win. We talk about the rivalry 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:29.840 between the Talons and the Chicago Bandits, why she thinks 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:32.280 catchers have to be a little bit crazy, how she 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:34.479 found her confidence on the field, and the one thing 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:38.440 she'd change about the league for next season. Plus homeward bound. 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:41.520 So much for a break, and come on, Barbie, let's 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:51.040 go party. It's all coming up right after this Welcome 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:55.520 back slices. Here's what you need to know today, starting 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.680 with Soccer Got Them FC announced Tuesday that veteran defender 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:02.160 Emily Sonnet underwent surgery this week after leaving the pitch 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.640 on a stretcher early in Friday's match against the Portland 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:07.800 Thorns at Providence Park. In a press conference acting Got 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:10.400 Them FC head coach Sean Harris didn't say exactly what 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:12.759 the surgery was for, but he said quote, we're really 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:15.399 gutted and devastated that we're losing such a key player 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.480 at this moment in the season, but we wish her 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:20.119 all the best end quote. We'll keep you posted as 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:22.959 more details come out. The injury comes just one month 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:25.560 after Sonnet signed a contract extension with the club through 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:28.560 the twenty twenty eight season. Sonnet also, of course, a 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:30.960 key piece for the US women's national team, who ff 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:34.400 qualifiers this fall ahead of next year's World Cup. More 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:38.400 nwsl BFC announced on Wednesday the club is activated defender 0:01:38.440 --> 0:01:41.800 Abby Dalkemper from maternity leave. The Bay Area native was 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:44.440 available for selection for Wednesday's match against Got Them, but 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:46.800 we're recording this before kickoff, so you'll have to see 0:01:46.800 --> 0:01:49.480 if dal Kemper got any minutes. She welcomed her baby, 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:54.360 little Eli James, this past February. Welcome back, Abby. More Soccer. 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:57.280 The Women's Africa Cup of Nations is underway and we've 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:01.480 already seen one of the biggest upsets in tournamenty debutants 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:04.960 Malawi beat ten time champion Nigeria three to two Tuesday 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.680 night in Morocco on the strength of three goals from 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.120 a family we know all too well here in the States. 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:13.919 The Shawingas Kansas City current striker and two time NWSL 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:16.760 MVP ten Wheweinga opened the scoring for Malawi in the 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:20.440 seventy third minute, and six minutes later, sister Tabitha, who 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:22.880 plays professionally for leone, found the back of the net 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:25.680 as well. Then temw was sealed the deal with her 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:30.160 second goal of the night. Meantime, another NWSL star, Barbara Banda, 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:34.160 scored an outstanding four goals for Zambia, who beat Egypt 0:02:34.200 --> 0:02:37.040 six nil in their tournament opener on Tuesday. The Orlando 0:02:37.080 --> 0:02:39.480 Pride Strikers that after the game, there's no time to relax. 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:44.639 The team's already focused on the next game champion mentality. Meantime, 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:47.400 as the games get underway, players continue to criticize the 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.399 lack of television coverage and fanfare for the event, which 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:53.919 was originally scheduled for March before being rescheduled less than 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.720 two weeks before its first match. You can read about 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:59.760 the fallout from last minute TV deals to low attendance 0:02:59.800 --> 0:03:03.200 and lack of player preparedness in stories from ESPN and 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:05.280 sport Cow that will link to win the show notes. 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.240 The tournament continues for the next few weeks, ending on 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:12.480 August sixteenth. One more piece of Waftcon news, some breaking 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:15.960 footy and gay shit news. In fact. On Monday, South 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:20.280 Africa's Robin Mudali Salgado and Gabriella Mudali Selgado made tournament 0:03:20.360 --> 0:03:23.280 history by becoming the first married couple to play together 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:26.160 in the same Waftcon match. South Africa lost the match 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:29.560 to Tanzania two to one, but love always wins. And 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:31.400 if you just heard me say Tanzania and you're like, 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:34.200 it's Tanzania, Well, when I was in Tanzania, they said 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:37.000 it was Tanzania, but we say Tanzania in the States. 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:41.680 So pick your fighter either way. Footy and gaishit expanding 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.360 to new continents and tournaments, y'all. We love to see 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:47.840 it to the WNBA. The Indiana Fever bested the Seattle 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.400 Storm one oh five ninety five Tuesday Night, behind thirty 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:53.320 two points from Caitlin Clark and twenty eight from Kelsey Mitchell. 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:56.040 Mitchell has scored at least twenty points in a franchise 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:59.280 record twelve straight games. That's tied for the third longest 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.000 streak in w history. The Storms Statisha hide him and 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.240 also scored a career had thirty three points in the loss, 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:07.120 presumably having gotten her first good night of rest. On 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:10.880 Monday after that studbud seventy two hour live stream, Aliah 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:13.000 Boston took a hard fall in that game. She left 0:04:13.040 --> 0:04:15.360 in the second quarter and didn't return. In a press 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:17.680 conference after the win, head coach Stephanie White seemed to 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:20.320 suggest that Boston didn't return to the court out of caution. 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:21.279 Take a listen. 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:24.440 No update other than you know, it wasn't really worth 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:25.919 the risk for us in the second half. 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:28.120 Just want to be very conservative and make sure that 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.839 she's good to go. We'll keep you updated on boston 0:04:30.920 --> 0:04:33.960 status when we get more news. One more note about 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:36.840 that Fever game. Before tip off in Seattle, there were 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:39.279 reports of a crowd of a few dozen gathered outside 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:42.840 Climate Pledgerina to both support Sophie Cunningham and promote two 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:46.119 initiatives that would bar transgender students from participating in girls 0:04:46.160 --> 0:04:49.880 athletics at schools throughout the state. This follows Cunningham's comments 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:52.599 in an ESPN profile last week in which she voiced 0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.120 support for excluding trans girls and women from girls and 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:58.400 women's sports. According to the AP, media members asked to 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.359 speak to Cunningham postgame, but she was not made available. 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:03.800 When head coach White was asked about the rally and 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:07.479 Cunningham's recent comments, a Fever public relations rep stepped in 0:05:07.520 --> 0:05:09.240 to read a statement, take a listen. 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:12.360 So neither our organization nor SOPHY had any knowledge of 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:15.280 this demonstration and no contact with its organizers. Ar On 0:05:15.360 --> 0:05:17.320 Nicole is a team whether at Homer ways to win 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:20.120 basketball games and make Fever fancial life and reunited on 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.760 that mission to have more basketball questions. 0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:26.520 As for comment from the Seattle Storm, nothing from team PR, 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:29.799 but Storm center Stephanie Dolson made her stance known showing 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:31.680 up to the game in a tank top, reading trans 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:35.800 rights are human rights. More basketball. The Portland Fire, who 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.080 fell to the Las Vegas Aces ninety eight eighty three 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:41.720 Tuesday night, are adjusting to life without guard Sarah Ashley Barker. 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:44.120 She tore her acl in a loss to the Dallas 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.960 Wings just before the All Star break. The sometimes starter 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:50.760 was averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists. Per game, 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.680 and head coach Alex Sarrama called Barker quote the heart 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:56.560 and soul of this team end quote. Barker was in 0:05:56.600 --> 0:05:58.880 good spirits Tuesday night. She was in street clothes taking 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:01.680 pics with Tom Brady at the game. That game also 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.720 featured a fun alt cast with podcast host Trista Crik 0:06:04.800 --> 0:06:09.320 and musician, actress and Portlandia legend Carrie Brownstein. There were 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:11.960 five WNBA games Tuesday night, and you might have been 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:14.599 surprised to see teams across the league already back in 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:17.880 action after the All Star break, which wasn't much of 0:06:17.880 --> 0:06:21.720 a break at all, but rather a slew of media obligations, parties, travel, 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.279 and of course, the game itself. Players including Caitlin Clark, 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:28.440 neko Ogumaky, and Brienna Stewart voiced their concerns about the 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:33.080 quick turnaround, and WNBPA executive director Terry Carmikle Jackson told 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.880 Front Office Sports that the All Star weekend scheduling issue 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:39.640 was raised in the last two CBA negotiation cycles, but 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.600 that the league wasn't receptive to any change in the 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:45.320 MNBA players have been given more than a week between 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:47.799 regular season games around the All Stars since the twenty 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.200 fourteen to fifteen season. This is just another issue the 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:54.400 w will have to address as expansion adds more games 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:58.360 and makes for longer seasons. One more w note, Mattel 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.320 has released a new signature bar Arbi doll, honoring Atlanta 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:05.080 Dreamstar Angel Reese, dropping the collectible during All Star Weekend. 0:07:05.360 --> 0:07:08.000 The doll wears a bright pink basketball uniform with Reese's 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.280 jersey number five, plus her signature headband and legs leave 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:14.280 and her rebox shoe in Barbie pink. The doll is 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:16.840 available now and you can buy the Barbie colorway of 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:21.080 the shoe on August third. Finally to the AUSL, where 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.120 end of season awards have been announced. The champion Utah 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:26.800 Talents saw Bree Ellis win Comeback Player of the Year 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:29.800 and Montana Fouts win Pitcher of the Year. Players from 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:32.080 the runners up, the Chicago Bandits, also picked up a 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:34.760 few awards, with Sammy Williams taking home Hitter of the 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:38.560 Year and Odyssey Alexander Bennett winning the AUSL Impact Award 0:07:38.760 --> 0:07:41.520 and honor voted on by the league's players. Lastly, a 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:43.640 Rookie of the Year went to Reese Atwood of the 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.920 Carolina Blaze, who was the number seven overall selection in 0:07:46.960 --> 0:07:49.920 the twenty twenty six college draft. As we wrap up 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:52.080 the season, a quick shout out to the AUSL on 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:56.000 an incredibly successful sophomore season. It's on average of one 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:59.080 hundred ninety eight thousand viewers up to the championship series. 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:02.559 That's up one hundred eighty three percent versus last year, 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.760 and that's before the first ever broadcast television game last 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:12.240 Saturday on ABC. Lots more AUSL talk with Charlie's Pelasios 0:08:12.280 --> 0:08:14.120 in just a minute, but first we got to take 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:25.280 a break. Stick here joining us now fresh off helping 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:28.520 the Utah Talents to their second straight AUSL championship. She's 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:30.640 a catcher in her third season with AU Softball and 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:33.600 second season of the AUSL, and that's not her only 0:08:33.679 --> 0:08:36.440 title this year. She also led Sultanas Femenil to the 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:40.440 twenty twenty six Mexican Softball League title at Chulavista, California native, 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:42.880 she started her college softball career at Arizona and finished 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:45.440 at UCLA. A member of the US national team pool, 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:47.320 she works with young athletes to help them improve their 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:51.040 fundamentals and their mentals too, with camps and online training sessions. 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:54.000 It's Charlie's pelasios. Hi, Charlie's Hi. 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:55.720 Thank you so much for having me on. I'm so 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:56.560 excited to be here. 0:08:56.880 --> 0:08:59.600 Yeah, so excited to have you on. Congrats twenty twenty 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:03.760 six AUSL Championship Series winner. And it was a rematch 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:05.480 of last year, which means for a second straight year, 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:09.360 you have defeated my Chicago Bandits. So I'm happy for 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:12.560 you and I'm angry with you. It did require an 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:16.000 eleven inning play in game from Chicago over the Portland Cascade, 0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:18.839 So were you secretly hoping to face one team or 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:19.200 the other? 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.120 You know what. We were watching the game and just 0:09:22.160 --> 0:09:24.679 both teams are so elite, Like, I mean, this league 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:28.120 has just elevated ever since we added two new teams 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:31.480 and expanded. I feel like it's just brought in way 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:34.720 more athletes, like just so much more competition. Like we 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.880 had an expansion draft, so kind of like the talent 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:41.120 got distributed a bit. So we were coming into this 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:43.079 year kind of knowing that it's going to be a 0:09:43.120 --> 0:09:45.680 different look. There's gonna be different girls on our team, 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:49.000 and we're gonna really just have to, you know, find 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:51.400 a different identity. But keep the same culture, if that 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.760 made sense. So yeah, I feel like those two teams, 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:58.320 Cascade being a brand new team, they're fairly young other 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.920 than like veterans like Tory Vidalas and Cis Bates that 0:10:01.640 --> 0:10:03.320 I mean, they were just not afraid to swing it. 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:05.880 I feel like they didn't look at our pitching staff 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:07.679 as if it was like a I call them the 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:10.160 stallions because they're all like over six feet tall and 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:12.679 they're just like there are horses, So I call them 0:10:12.679 --> 0:10:13.360 the stallions. 0:10:13.360 --> 0:10:14.320 But yeah, I feel like. 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:16.640 They just come out and swing. So to me as 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:18.960 a pitch caller and as a catcher, I was like, ooh, 0:10:18.960 --> 0:10:19.959 the cas kid kind of. 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.520 Uh huh, Well Megan Grant doesn't seem to be afraid 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:23.360 of anything. 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:26.120 Anything at all. Yeah, So I like they give me 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:27.800 a little bit of like, Okay, I have to sit back, 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:29.840 I really have to think. But the Bandits, I feel 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:33.520 like we've created like a rivalry just because of the 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:35.719 past year and just always playing them. I feel like 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.600 the games are always good. Actually, if we go back 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:41.079 to the inaugural season, they played us and they run 0:10:41.160 --> 0:10:43.920 rolled us our first game. Wow, first two games, I believe, 0:10:43.960 --> 0:10:46.520 so they were like dominant over US for a really 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:49.760 long time. But I just feel like it's always fun 0:10:49.800 --> 0:10:51.760 to see them in there, and I love playing them. 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:53.959 I feel like it's good softball to watch and it's 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:55.280 also fun softball to play. 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:59.080 So yeah, great Stallion pitching against the best offense in 0:10:59.120 --> 0:11:01.160 the league is always a good matchup. By the way, 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:03.720 for those who don't know, run ruled is in AUSL 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:05.640 It's what we used to call slaughter rule, and then 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:07.679 we started calling mercy rule and now we call it 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.080 run rule, where basically the game ends a little bit 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.760 early if one team is ahead by a certain inning. Yeah. 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:14.640 I mean, it feels like the Bandits had an up 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:16.400 and down season. They struggled for a while, then they 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.240 hit their groove and they were basically unstoppable as far 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:21.840 as hitting goes. So what was the scouting report for 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.160 them ahead of the championship series? Having faced them a 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:25.560 couple times in the regular season. 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.959 It's kind of a strange time in our league because 0:11:28.960 --> 0:11:31.000 there's certain there's other leagues that are going on. You 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:33.280 brought up the league a Mahikana that I played in, 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:36.400 so that's kind of a little bit earlier in the year. 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:40.040 But the Japanese League is right before our season, so 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:42.440 a lot of players are still playing in that and 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:44.840 come in a little later. So I feel like, like 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:46.960 you said, they kind of had to get their groove, 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:49.360 they still had to get their pitching, Like Lexi and 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.000 Kat and Skyler was coming in, so they just had 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:55.720 some pieces missing, and I feel like they were waiting 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.400 for them to show up. And what we saw were 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:02.520 just obviously offensive numbers and categories that like they were 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.840 leading the league in. So that was something that always 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:08.080 kind of peaked our radar. But I feel like it 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:11.440 got the stallions. We're talking about our pitchers ready for 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:15.440 facing them and like wanting to go against them. I 0:12:15.440 --> 0:12:17.400 feel like it almost like made them just have that 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:20.800 extra little ooph against the Bandits, just knowing that they 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:22.079 have such strong hitters. 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:25.120 Yeah, well let's talk about the two games. So Saturday's game, 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:28.760 just like last year, pitcher Georgina Kork put on a 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:32.520 show absolutely quieting those bats from the Bandits, complete game, 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:35.080 one run on four hits, bunch of k's. What stands 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:36.280 out to from that game. 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:39.880 Just watching Georgina pitch, Like the one word that I 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.520 can say is like poise. She has so much poise 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:47.120 and she's very relaxed chill. I saw her that game 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:49.880 and she was like had a little grit and a 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:51.839 little edge to her. I was like, Oh, she wants 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.680 this game. And in softball, it's a series of best 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.520 two out of three, so getting the first one, like 0:12:58.600 --> 0:12:59.920 you you want to put that one in your pot, 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:04.000 like that sets the tone for the series. So we 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:06.559 knew as an offense we had to come out sharp 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:09.600 against Lexi because they give us our probable starters. So 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:11.800 we knew that we were going to face Lexi, and 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.520 I think George just wanted to put up something that 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:16.640 the offense could work with, Like she didn't want to 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:18.560 have any runs put up against her. I think she 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:20.959 was like coming out just with a lot of conviction 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:23.000 on her pitches and she knew what she wanted to throw. 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:26.280 That's something that makes a catcher's life super easy, is 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:30.120 like she is convicted and knows exactly what she wants, 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:32.560 and it makes the pitches better when you're convicted. So 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:35.520 I feel like that's just kind of what I saw. 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.360 I was super pumped for her to get that start 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:40.760 because I knew that we're going to have a really 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:42.760 good chance to go up against Lexi, and it was 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:44.600 going to give the offense the time that we needed 0:13:44.600 --> 0:13:46.160 to like pick up that puzzle. You know. 0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:49.360 Yeah, I want to ask about that because you know, 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.120 when you're working with Georgiana in particular, how often are 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:54.079 you on the same page? How often is she very 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:56.720 convicted and you disagree with how to approach a batter? 0:13:57.040 --> 0:14:01.440 Yeah, so approaching different batters, I feel like it's like 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:03.920 it's tough to just put it in one little category. 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:06.679 But I like to pitch call the way that I 0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:09.480 wouldn't want to be called against hitting wise, Like that's 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:12.040 kind of the perspective I take on it. And I 0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:15.040 also know these pitchers very very well. I've always taken 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.440 the time to like get to know my battery. I 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:19.400 always want to make sure that I know what they're 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:22.160 comfortable with. I want to like be able to know 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:24.560 how they're going to react or know what they want 0:14:24.720 --> 0:14:27.520 before they even know it. So I tell them I'm like, hey, 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:30.600 during this like preseason time, I'm going to be hanging 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:32.880 out with you, taking you to coffee, doing all this stuff. 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:35.120 Like they're my work wives, So I have to really 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.000 get to know them, and I have to know them 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:39.240 like the back of their hands, So I feel like 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:42.440 that helps me a lot. Yeah, just being like hive mind. 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:43.920 I like to call it, like we have the same 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:45.840 exact brain and it's just with two people. 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.200 Catchers are like point guards in that way. They're coaches 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.600 on the field, and they do a lot of work 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:53.880 outside of just playing the game. It's so much of 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:55.840 it is the mental side of things. And you know, 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:59.000 we've asked this question to soccer goalies and hockey goalies, 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:01.760 and I feel like catchers are the closest equivalent in softball, 0:15:02.160 --> 0:15:05.320 those players often are a little bit different. They have 0:15:05.360 --> 0:15:07.480 to have nerves of steel to be in their position. 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:09.520 They have to be kind of okay with being a 0:15:09.520 --> 0:15:11.360 little bit on the outside and not quite the same 0:15:11.360 --> 0:15:14.280 as everyone else. Catchers, do you think they're a little 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:15.640 bit different than everybody else? 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:18.640 I say, we're a little crazy. You have to be 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:22.000 a little bit crazy to be back there and just 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:25.520 put your body on theline. Also like it, Like you said, 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:27.680 we are point guards, but I feel like at the 0:15:27.720 --> 0:15:30.280 same time, we're like a player coach in a sense, 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.680 like you are an extension of the staff and you 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.000 have to know how your team works, the dynamic of 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:39.960 it you see everything, so you're calling the plays, you're 0:15:40.040 --> 0:15:43.200 the quarterback. Like, I feel like that's just something that 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:45.320 I take a lot of pride in. I know that 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:49.440 catchers it's like a selfless, thinkless job. Yeah, but I 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:52.280 love it because I know that my best friends that 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:54.240 I get to know so well are the pitchers, and 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:56.800 they're the ones that get to shine. So I've always 0:15:57.040 --> 0:15:59.600 loved that. Part of my position is that it's a 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:04.320 very servant leadership type of role, and I have gotten 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:06.600 so used to catching. I always say this story about 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:09.880 putting on my sister's shins, her like hand me down shins, 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:12.320 and I haven't taken them off since I've always loved it. 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.560 I never pitched, I never played any other position. I 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:17.520 just loved catching. So I feel like me and my 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.640 family were meant for it. So yeah, I giggle at 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:22.520 the people that think that they would want to catch. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.720 Oh hell no. Also, you have to be willing to 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:27.640 completely trash your knees, and you have to be willing 0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:30.000 to face those seventy mile an hour pitches from like 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:32.600 a foot away, like the mound is so close, and 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.360 your reaction time and the bat swinging in your face. 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:36.920 I mean there's so much going on. There's so much 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:39.480 pressure to know exactly where to go at every turn 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:41.960 if you're trying to like throw someone out where the 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:43.600 play is like all that stuff, So you really have 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.040 to be smart in the game. Did you ever have 0:16:46.120 --> 0:16:48.520 to talk yourself into having the confidence to play that 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:50.800 role or was it always kind of natural, like this 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:51.640 is where I should be. 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:55.080 Yeah, I think that there's always moments like we talk about, 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.560 like imposture syndrome and like just those mental health aspects. 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:01.880 I found myself in calling doubting a little bit of 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.280 my skill behind the play. I always felt super confident hitting. 0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:07.720 I love hitting like that, if I could play seven 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.360 innings of offense, I'd do it. I love it. 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:13.120 She wants the DH rule, Yes, give me DH. 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:16.800 But I actually started really falling in love with catching. 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.080 It was like a subtle art, Like I love when 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.119 people don't even notice I'm back there because I know 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.440 I'm doing my job. Like it's so quiet, so subtle, 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:29.240 so like silent assassin type stuff, you know. So I 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:32.720 fell in love with it. And it's like my sister. 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.359 She she's five years older than me, so I always 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.119 got to watch her when I was in high school. 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:39.360 I got to watch her in college, and I fell 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:42.199 in love with how she caught and I wanted to 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.840 replicate it. So that was kind of my thought process 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:48.399 on everything. I was like always trying to do what 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.560 Sechelle did or asking her like hey, like how do 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:53.720 you call a game? So then when I got to college, 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:56.320 obviously a freshman catcher, don't know any of the pitchers, 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:58.920 don't know any of my teammates. I have to lead 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:02.160 a team, and it was a very highly decorated team. 0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:04.440 It was u of a coach Andrea. Is there so 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:07.840 a lot of pressure situations that you're put in. And 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:11.199 I remember Coach Andrea telling me like you're built for it, 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:15.160 like don't be afraid to be yourself vocalized. If you're wrong, 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:19.280 you'll learn from it. And I remember that season making calls. 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:22.320 Maybe they were wrong, but I learned from it. And 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:25.520 I still remember those plays like they established how I 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.119 know how to call games today. So I feel like 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:31.240 that's something that has really changed for me, just my 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.640 thought process going through college and having to have those 0:18:34.680 --> 0:18:37.359 airs and those missed calls now have led me to 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:38.920 make good calls in the games now. 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:41.000 Well, if I remember correctly, you didn't have a single 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:45.200 actual error your senior season at UCLA's, so that's pretty good. 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.000 Saturday was also a special moment for the league because 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.280 that game was on ABC. It was the first ever 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:53.440 pro softball game to be televised on broadcast television. How 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:55.720 special to be a part of that, to be a 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:57.960 part of history forever. There's only one first. 0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:00.720 Yeah, there's only one first. And like what I'll say 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:04.520 about softball is there's a lot of players that have 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:06.920 given back to the game to let that moment happen. 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:11.120