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Speaker 1: We start off with a classic whatso proby we have?

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Speaker 2: I was gonna do more like proud lay Way. Hey,

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Speaker 2: what about like the peak of the song.

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Speaker 3: Spangle banda and.

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Speaker 2: Okay, and were you planning on doing a big riff

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Speaker 2: on the end? Okay? I mean we're out of time,

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Speaker 2: so get out there.

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Speaker 4: Hey, and welcome to No Dunks on Basketball Podcast on

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Speaker 4: the Athletic Podcast Network. I'm your host for today, Trey Kirby,

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Speaker 4: joined here by Tass Mellice in the classic Factory. We

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Speaker 4: got JD behind the boards making the magic happen. No

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Speaker 4: skeets today, but we do have a special guest. She's

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Speaker 4: a women's basketball staff writer and co host of the

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Speaker 4: Athletic Women's Basketball Show, Sabrina Merchant. Sabrina, thanks for coming

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Speaker 4: back on No Dunks and talking to us about the w.

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Speaker 3: For a little bit here.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 3: Guys.

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Speaker 4: We'll get into the nitty gritty here in a little bit.

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Speaker 4: But I mean we're halfway through the season. Good one

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Speaker 4: so far. It feels like it to me, pretty good,

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Speaker 4: pretty good. I think I think everyone's paying attention. We're

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Speaker 4: just one. Yeah, yeah, definitely, everybody's paying to attention, paying attention.

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Speaker 4: We'll get into that in a little bit as well.

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Speaker 4: But there was a big, big time game in the

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Speaker 4: w last night between the first place New York Liberty

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Speaker 4: second place Connecticut Son tied going into the fourth quarter,

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Speaker 4: but the Liberty were just a little bit too much.

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Speaker 4: Really great defense, I thought from New York, even without

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Speaker 4: reigning MVP Brianna Stewart, another starter bet Naija Laney Hamilton

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Speaker 4: missing as well. Thirty points though from Sabrina Ynescut, do

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Speaker 4: you have any takeaways from.

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Speaker 3: The Liberty beating the Sun for the third time this season.

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Speaker 2: I thought it was really strange that Elisa Thomas was

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Speaker 2: on a minister restruction. I understand the Olympics are coming up,

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Speaker 2: but this is a team that you have based in

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Speaker 2: the playoffs before that you haven't managed to beat since

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Speaker 2: facing in the playoffs, and to just give up a

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Speaker 2: chance to potentially beat them when Brianda Stewart was out,

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Speaker 2: when benigelni Hamilton was out, just super super strange that

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Speaker 2: Alyssa Thomas wasn't in the game for the last thirteen

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Speaker 2: minutes of the game and kind of just took the

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Speaker 2: air out of that one by the end of it.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it's an odd time of year because we got

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Speaker 4: the All Star break coming up, but like you're saying,

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Speaker 4: it's also the Olympic break for all of the w players,

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Speaker 4: So Stuart's out resting to be ready for the Olympics.

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Speaker 4: Exact same for Alyssa Thomas. This isn't the kind of

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Speaker 4: thing you encounter most years and the w having to

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Speaker 4: actually rest up and load manage for a complete other

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Speaker 4: tournament on.

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Speaker 3: The other side of the world.

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Speaker 4: But that's how it went down last night, and to me,

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Speaker 4: it just kind of looked like the way things go

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Speaker 4: for the Liberty and the Sun played out the exact

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Speaker 4: same way. The Liberty they make a ton of three pointers.

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Speaker 4: The Sun they're not a great three point shooting team,

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Speaker 4: and when it comes down to it, you got to

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Speaker 4: be able to shoot.

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Speaker 3: In twenty twenty.

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Speaker 1: Four, Yeah, yeah, I'm back to the threes. Sereno's hot

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Speaker 1: six and eleven from three, Although she hinted this past

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Speaker 1: weekend that she wasn't going to be in the WNBA

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Speaker 1: Three Point Contest, which happens on Friday. We still don't

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Speaker 1: have the names, Serena, but I wanted to have it.

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Speaker 5: Ask you a two park question.

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Speaker 1: Number one, do you think Sabrina will take part on

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Speaker 1: Friday in the three point Contest. And two you mentioned

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Speaker 1: on WNBA Show How watching her last year in the

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Speaker 1: three point Contest, and that performance was one of the

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Speaker 1: wildest things you've seen in person, So please give us

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Speaker 1: a little taste, little memory of what happened there.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so I think, first of all, she has to

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Speaker 2: be in this year's three points. She got she set

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Speaker 2: a record last year at thirty seven points in that

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Speaker 2: shootout out of a possible forty, and she obviously goes

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Speaker 2: on to the NBA All Star Weekend where she has

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Speaker 2: the shootout against Steph which is this massive event on

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Speaker 2: NBA All Star Saturday night, and for her not to

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Speaker 2: defend her title would just be a travesty, frankly, especially

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Speaker 2: when and one rookie Kaylyn Clark is right there potentially

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Speaker 2: waiting to take it from her. So I think it

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Speaker 2: would just be a huge miss for Sabrina not to

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Speaker 2: be in it. And it's you know, it's just like

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Speaker 2: a minute of shooting, just didn't practice all that much.

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Speaker 2: Like clearly, clearly things have been working for Sabrina in

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty four. But yeah, going back to twenty twenty

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Speaker 2: three was so funny because, uh, you know the michelob

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Speaker 2: Alter Arena where the all starking was in Las Vegas

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Speaker 2: last year. They were like practicing their graphics ahead of

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Speaker 2: time just to make sure everything was ready to go

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Speaker 2: for the skills challenge and the shootout, and they had

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Speaker 2: Sabrina's name plastered as the winner ahead of time in

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Speaker 2: case this happens, we want to be ready to go.

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Speaker 2: And then not only does Sabrina you know, what did

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Speaker 2: she do any because.

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Speaker 1: There's sure you just you just saw it for a second,

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Speaker 1: so I had to ask, so go ahead and keep

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Speaker 1: on going.

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Speaker 2: You kind of forgot how many she had made in

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Speaker 2: a row because I think she missed her second shot,

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Speaker 2: and so it wasn't like, oh, she like hasn't missed yet.

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Speaker 2: But then like you get to the third rack and

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Speaker 2: it's like, wait, she made all of those and she

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Speaker 2: made the starry ball. Is that what it's called? I

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Speaker 2: don't know. Oh yeah, it is the very bright colored

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Speaker 2: green ball. You know, that's a little bit deeper, that's

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Speaker 2: very much in Sabrina's range. But it's I mean, anytime

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Speaker 2: you can get three point legend Ali quickly to say

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Speaker 2: like you are the New three point Queen. I will

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Speaker 2: not come back to try to challenge you, like, you know,

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Speaker 2: you've done something very very cool.

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Speaker 1: She has to, she has to this weekend. She said,

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Speaker 1: I'm not shooting. Well, maybe it's just not going to

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Speaker 1: be for me this year. But then she goes six

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Speaker 1: of eleven from three. That's why I included that set

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Speaker 1: because now she can't say no, she has to.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly, she's on a hot streak right now. But

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Speaker 4: thirty seven for forty man, that was, Yeah, that was incredible.

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Speaker 3: Last year.

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Speaker 4: It was so special that they're like, we got to

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Speaker 4: get you in the NBA Three Point Contest and then

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Speaker 4: it was the best part of NBA All Star Weekend.

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Speaker 4: So hopefully she says yes, Hopefully she defends her title,

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Speaker 4: and hopefully.

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Speaker 3: Caitlyn Clark goes in it as well, because I think

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Speaker 3: everybody would be tuned in to see that.

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Speaker 4: I don't know if you saw this from the game

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Speaker 4: last night in New York, Sabrina.

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Speaker 3: It's the New York Liberty.

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Speaker 4: It's an in game, a little bit of entertainment they

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Speaker 4: do on the JumboTron and they're talking about how they

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Speaker 4: like to put their toilet paper on the whole. Let's

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Speaker 4: take a look.

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Speaker 5: Because it's driving me crazy.

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Speaker 2: It definitely if anyone.

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Speaker 4: Puts a favorite own a pray, oh my gosh, over

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Speaker 4: come on anything you know under you need to.

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Speaker 2: Check in with yourself and see what's going to stop right.

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Speaker 4: Probably, Yeah, we're all at ask question because I'm like, hey,

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Speaker 4: she's basic to me.

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Speaker 2: So he's forty Oh I am me for sure? Yeah,

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Speaker 2: and I have no reason for it, and it's oh

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Speaker 2: be sure anybody that does it's like any because then

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Speaker 2: we take it out play. Yeah, so you just got

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Speaker 2: it down because why do you watch your hands on

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Speaker 2: the toilet paper and they need why?

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Speaker 6: Me?

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Speaker 2: So you just pulled out what you need.

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Speaker 5: Wow, I can't believe. I can't believe there's so many

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Speaker 5: a's exactly.

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Speaker 4: I couldn't believe this was so even actually, So two

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Speaker 4: questions for you, Sabrina.

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Speaker 3: Number one, obviously A or B.

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Speaker 4: And number two, is this the kind of division that

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Speaker 4: could tear apart the New York liberty? The infighting about

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Speaker 4: how people are rolling their toilet paper?

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Speaker 2: I think I find myself in the Courtney Vanderslute range

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Speaker 2: of its B. But I'm not entirely sure why. It

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Speaker 2: just sort of had that that's the way it goes.

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Speaker 2: But no, oh my god, Team Chemistry or the New

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Speaker 2: York Liberty is just fantastic. I'm surprised I didn't have

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Speaker 2: La chime in and with her preferred choice of toilet

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Speaker 2: paper arrangement like that seems like a Romsted opportunity to me.

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Speaker 4: Okay, So that's a great question because there are some

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Speaker 4: serious stars on the New York Liberty and Brianna Stewart,

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Speaker 4: a two time MVP, Sabrina Ynescu, one of the biggest

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Speaker 4: names in the WNBA, great player John Quell Jones has

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Speaker 4: an MVP as well. She's been playing great. But is

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Speaker 4: Ellie the biggest star on the team. This is like

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Speaker 4: one of the top mascots in sports right now.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's kind of incredible, right, I Mean, she comes

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Speaker 2: out with the head sprung music and the fourth Core

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Speaker 2: like does the Ellie Stomp. Everybody's talking about her, even

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Speaker 2: people I know who are NBA fans who are only

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Speaker 2: really familiar with the Nixon the Nets in New York.

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Speaker 2: They know about Ellie. And if I were Stewie or

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Speaker 2: sab I would be a little a little wary of

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Speaker 2: how much tension now setting Apparently Ellie's doing some some

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Speaker 2: clutch babysitting for Brandon Stewart while her kid is running

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Speaker 2: out of the court during postgame interviews. So I guess

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Speaker 2: that's enough to endear herself to the basketball superstars on

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Speaker 2: the New York Liberty.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, that's the real big three right there, Stewie, Sab

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Speaker 4: and Ellie the elephant unbeatable combo. And it's working well

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Speaker 4: for the Liberty right now. They're twenty one and four,

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Speaker 4: first place in the WNBA. Like I said, Connecticut Sonner

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Speaker 4: right behind them in the standings. Then go Seattle Storm,

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Speaker 4: Las Vegas, Aces, and Minnesota Links. These are the top

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Speaker 4: five teams in the league right now. Realistically, who has

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Speaker 4: a chance at the title this year?

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Speaker 2: I think there's an inner three. I would say New York,

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Speaker 2: Las Vegas and Minnesota. And I say Minnesota because they're

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Speaker 2: the only team to have actually beaten Vegas in New

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Speaker 2: York this season. When the FISA Collier has played, they've

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Speaker 2: been absolutely outstanding. Like we saw them in the Commissioner's Cup,

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Speaker 2: you know, convincingly take down New York. They did it

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Speaker 2: earlier in the season against the Liberty as well. Just

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Speaker 2: the way Collier has been playing like very much MVP level.

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Speaker 2: It's a real shame that she is yet another Olympian

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Speaker 2: who has missed some games coming into this break. But yeah,

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Speaker 2: I think I think it's those three obviously, you know,

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Speaker 2: Liberty and Aces coming off of that epic finals meeting

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Speaker 2: a year ago, and the other six times they met

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Speaker 2: during the regular season and Commissioners Cup were all just

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Speaker 2: great games and they were clearly a class of themselves

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Speaker 2: ahead of the rest of the league. And I think

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Speaker 2: I think Minnesota has entered that circle just with the

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Speaker 2: way they've played defense this year, and Collier just you know,

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Speaker 2: taking another step where I think she's formally on that

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Speaker 2: Stewie level this year.

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Speaker 1: Actually, you mentioned the finals from last year. The two

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Speaker 1: powerhouses got there at the Liberty and the Aces and

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Speaker 1: Trey went through some of the standings of the records

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Speaker 1: because it's a little different this year. How yes, the

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Speaker 1: Liberty are managing to run the East, but the center

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Speaker 1: too far back, and then the Aces are right up there, right,

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Speaker 1: very very close with the Storm and the Links. My

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Speaker 1: question is we saw both powerhouses get there in the

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Speaker 1: end last year, not really an issue. Both got there

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Speaker 1: no problem. This year it feels a little different. You

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Speaker 1: mentioned those Links and how good they are defensively defending

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Speaker 1: the three point ball, one of the best ever. And

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Speaker 1: then I heard you talk about Kaylin Clark being in

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Speaker 1: Minnesota and it was almost a road game for the Fever,

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Speaker 1: And I just mentioned that because I just am curious.

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Speaker 1: All the eyeballs are on the WNBA this year. There's

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Speaker 1: so many out there. I just wonder is it better

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Speaker 1: for the league to go back to to feel like

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Speaker 1: what it was last year with the powerhouses getting there,

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Speaker 1: or is it the parody being better where the Minnesota

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Speaker 1: Links are damn good and they should have more fans

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Speaker 1: out there with all the eyeballs out there, is it

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Speaker 1: better for the league to go a little parody or

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Speaker 1: is it more of the powerhouses they get the eyeballs. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I go back and forth with this a lot because

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Speaker 2: I think super teams make it really easy to zone

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Speaker 2: in on a couple places, and then like that's a

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Speaker 2: very natural entry point for everybody. So I think like

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Speaker 2: casual fans find it a lot easier, just like find

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Speaker 2: out Goliath and that's like the team I'm going to

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Speaker 2: check in and root for the team that's playing against them.

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Speaker 2: Or you know, whatever that happens to be. But this

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Speaker 2: rookie class has kind of upended everything. Like it's not

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Speaker 2: so much that parody has inserted itself into the w

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Speaker 2: It's more like, oh, there's all these players like we

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Speaker 2: know really really well, and we just want to check

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Speaker 2: in on their teams. Like I think if Cameron Brink

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Speaker 2: had been healthy, then people would be talking more about

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Speaker 2: the Los Angeles Sparks and obviously Caitlin and Indiana and

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Speaker 2: Angel in Chicago. We are drawing a lot of interest.

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Speaker 2: And I don't know that they're lending like parody to

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Speaker 2: the league so much because I still think those teams

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Speaker 2: are very much like six seven eight, not really going

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Speaker 2: to contend to win a playoff series. So I think

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Speaker 2: I think super teams are still very good in terms

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Speaker 2: of people like watching greatness and they like watching you know,

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Speaker 2: David take down great teams. But yeah, I kind of like,

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Speaker 2: I kind of like the concentration talent, especially in the

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Speaker 2: league that it's the small with twelve teams, like you

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Speaker 2: can get some just absurd collections of talent like we're

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Speaker 2: seeing in New York, like we're seeing in Las Vegas,

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Speaker 2: And I think that's really fun to check in on.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely, New York has been dominant all year. They

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Speaker 4: had a chance last season. The Aces slow start for them, though,

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Speaker 4: six and six, I think that was as many games.

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Speaker 4: Six losses was as many as they lost the entirety

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Speaker 4: of last regular season. They're ten and two since eight

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Speaker 4: and two, I suppose with Chelsea Gray returning to the lineup.

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Speaker 4: What did you make of the Aces slow start? Was

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Speaker 4: it just kind of a complacency mixed with injury.

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Speaker 3: We'll turn it on when it really matters sort of deal.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting because they didn't have any complacency coming

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Speaker 2: off of the twenty two title. And you know, there's

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Speaker 2: this thing with great teams that they constantly find ways

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Speaker 2: that people are theoretically disrespecting them and using that as

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Speaker 2: like chips on their shoulders to motivate them going forward.

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Speaker 2: And I think there was a lot of that. Oh,

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Speaker 2: nobody respected us in twenty twenty two. We're going to

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Speaker 2: show you what we're actually made of in twenty twenty

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Speaker 2: three for the Las Vegas Aces. But they can't really

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Speaker 2: use that to rely on in twenty twenty four. It's like, Okay, well,

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Speaker 2: you not only won the title, you set a regular

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Speaker 2: season wins record and one game four without two of

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Speaker 2: your starters. So like, clearly there's a lot of respect

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Speaker 2: for what Las Vegas is doing. And the only person

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Speaker 2: on that team that seems to have a giant ship

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Speaker 2: on her shoulder is Asia Wilson because of the way

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Speaker 2: the MVP vote transpired in twenty twenty three, where she

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Speaker 2: finished third and obviously got the one anomalists fourth place

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Speaker 2: vote that presumably that voter will take that vote to

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Speaker 2: their grave before explaining what happened in that situation. So

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Speaker 2: I think I think it's really just like kind of

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Speaker 2: like a we did this, like we're not going to

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Speaker 2: really year up again until October, you know, when it

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Speaker 2: really counts. And I think, honestly, the Olympics will a

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Speaker 2: big part of this, Like Chelsea and Jackie and Kelsey Plumb,

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Speaker 2: you know, like they're all gearing up for Paris, and

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Speaker 2: it takes a lot of effort, you know, to go

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Speaker 2: win a GOO medal and they want to be big

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Speaker 2: participants in Team USA, and it's kind of hard to balance,

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Speaker 2: you know, going all out in a WNBA season while

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Speaker 2: still trying to make sure that you're ready to go

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Speaker 2: with this time of year for the Olympics, and obviously

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Speaker 2: Chelsea Gray had the injury that she was coming back from,

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Speaker 2: and frankly, I don't know that she would even even

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Speaker 2: come back when she did were it not for the

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Speaker 2: Ace's poor record in the fact that they kind of

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Speaker 2: just needed to bank some wins. So I wouldn't be

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Speaker 2: too concerned with the Aces, like I think, you get

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Speaker 2: them into the postseason, they'll be just fine. But it

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Speaker 2: is a little disappointing that we saw like such the

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Speaker 2: sustained run from greatness from them last year and now

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Speaker 2: it's like, all right, well, we know we can do it.

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Speaker 2: We're going to become one of those like flip the

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Speaker 2: switch teams which are just significantly less interesting to me.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it's never fun to wait and see when you

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Speaker 4: know how great a team can be. But like you mentioned,

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Speaker 4: one person who hasn't had any complacency so far, Asia Wilson,

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Speaker 4: averaging twenty seven points a game twelve rebounds alongside two

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Speaker 4: steals and three blocks. Last year, we had an incredible

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Speaker 4: MVP race in the w Like you said, basically three

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Speaker 4: players were coming down to it and Brianna Stewart, Alyssa

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Speaker 4: Thomas and then Asia Wilson. Of course, from what I

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Speaker 4: can tell at this point halfway through the season, Asia

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Speaker 4: Wilson is your choice as MVP.

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Speaker 3: She seems to be the front runner.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's pretty clear that it's Asia Wolson.

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Speaker 2: Just like you mentioned the numbers that she's putting up,

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Speaker 2: and you know, I kind of think like it gets

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Speaker 2: lost when you have a forty minute game that she's

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Speaker 2: averaging twenty seven points in twelve rebounds per game, but

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Speaker 2: that's also you know, if you've extrapolated to a forty

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Speaker 2: minute game that's like thirty three and sixteen rebounds or

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Speaker 2: something of that nature. So just the ridiculous numbers that

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Speaker 2: she's putting up are absolutely insane. And the level of

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Speaker 2: dominance that she's playing with, like defensively, offensively, there's so

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Speaker 2: many things that she's doing on to the court, like

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Speaker 2: the blocks, the way she's protecting the paint without kandas

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Speaker 2: Parker this year, I mean, I've just really never seen

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Speaker 2: a season like this. I mean, you can look into

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Speaker 2: the advanced stats and all of that, but it's just

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Speaker 2: unbelievable what's happening with Age Wolson this year.

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Speaker 4: Is there anybody else you think who could maybe knock

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Speaker 4: her out of the top spot or at least give

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Speaker 4: us a close race down the stretch here this season.

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Speaker 2: I think the problem with New York is that there's

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Speaker 2: too many good players, Like I don't really know who

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Speaker 2: their MVP even is, Like Stewie is the defending MVP,

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Speaker 2: but John Quell Jones was really really good to start

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Speaker 2: the season, and Sabrina has come on incredibly well in

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Speaker 2: like the last fifteen games or show. So it'd be

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Speaker 2: really hard for me to pin one of the Liberty

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Speaker 2: as the potential MVP. And I think that like cannibalizing

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Speaker 2: of votes is going to work against them. But you know,

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Speaker 2: and if Fisa Collier I mentioned her earlier earlier had

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Speaker 2: a really great stretch, and if she comes out of

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Speaker 2: the Olympics similar to the way she was playing back

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Speaker 2: in May and June, I think is a you know,

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Speaker 2: at least a first team All WNBA candidate, if not

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Speaker 2: an MVP candidate. Well it's Thomas. Like the numbers are

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Speaker 2: down a little bit this year, and I think part

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Speaker 2: of the magic of her case last year was that

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Speaker 2: Connecticut loses a starter and they're still just as good

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Speaker 2: during the regular season and having a fully healthy lineup

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Speaker 2: kind of dims like the story with Elissa Thomas, So

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Speaker 2: I think it would really just have to be Collier

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Speaker 2: going on as super sick run for Minnesota coming out

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Speaker 2: of the break to give Asia any competition. But like

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Speaker 2: I mean, we're kind of heading towards like unanimous territory

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Speaker 2: for asuals and which is absolutely insane.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, that's the coolest thing that can happen in an

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Speaker 4: MVP race outside of like a legendarily close MVP race

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Speaker 4: as somebody being the unanimous choice. But the Sun are

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Speaker 4: interesting to me because when we talked about teams who

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Speaker 4: could realistically win the title, you left them out, even

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Speaker 4: though they are second in the league right now. Played

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Speaker 4: the Liberty pretty well last night. Connecticut has made the

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Speaker 4: finals or the semi finals in each of the last

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Speaker 4: five seasons. They've been one of the final four for

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Speaker 4: five straight years. They've got an MVP candidate and Alyssa Thomas.

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Speaker 4: But I'm kind of with you, it just feels like

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Speaker 4: it's never going to happen for the Sun.

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Speaker 3: How are they ever going to get over the hump?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I mentioned like Minnesota being the team

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Speaker 2: that has beaten Vegas in New York this year, Like,

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Speaker 2: not only has Connecticut not beaten Vegas, they have also

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Speaker 2: not beaten New York. So you had a breakthrough that

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Speaker 2: duopoly at some point for me to take this team

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Speaker 2: seriously as a title contender. And you know you mentioned

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Speaker 2: the threes, Like they just don't get a lot of

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Speaker 2: volume from their three point shooters. It's kind of what

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Speaker 2: happens when you're starting DJ Carrington, who's like more of

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Speaker 2: a defensive player at point guard. And Ty Harris's shooting

395
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Speaker 2: percentage has gone down significantly from last year when she

396
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Speaker 2: was admittedly the number one three point percentage in the WNBA.

397
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Speaker 2: But there's just not enough spacing. I think, like you

398
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Speaker 2: can kind of congest in on Alyssa Thomas and Bree

399
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Speaker 2: Jones and unless to want of Bonner's having like a

400
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Speaker 2: spectacular night, it's really hard for me to see Connecticut

401
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Speaker 2: having the type of offense to really keep up with

402
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Speaker 2: a Las Vegas or New York. Yeah, it's it's a

403
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Speaker 2: bummer because, like there's such an interesting style of play,

404
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Speaker 2: and like Aelissa Thomas is unlike almost anyone you will

405
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Speaker 2: watch on the basketball court, you know, mainly because she

406
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Speaker 2: has no working shoulders. But it's just like a unique

407
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Speaker 2: specimen and I would really love for something like that

408
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Speaker 2: to manifest itself in you know, ultimate glory.

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Speaker 5: But I don't know.

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Speaker 2: I just I don't see enough perimeter help in Connecticut.

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Speaker 2: And it's it's just a bummer because like that's the

412
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Speaker 2: Aces and the Liberty. You're just bursting with guards who

413
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Speaker 2: can just diice you up, and Connecticut hasn't proven have

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Speaker 2: an answer for that yet.

415
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Speaker 3: Yeah, that seems to be the problem.

416
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Speaker 4: Is that the Aces and the Liberty are great defensively

417
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Speaker 4: just like Connecticut is. But then the Aces and Liberty

418
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Speaker 4: are also great offensively, whereas Connecticut is a meager third

419
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Speaker 4: on offense behind all of their offensive rebounding and physicality.

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Speaker 4: I don't know, we made it twenty minutes without doing

421
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Speaker 4: a big time Caitlin Clark discussion. But what's it been

422
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Speaker 4: like covering the w this year with Caitlin Clark in

423
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Speaker 4: the league. One of the biggest like indicators to me

424
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Speaker 4: was the All Star voting. Asia Wilson went from ninety

425
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Speaker 4: five thousand All Star votes leading the league last year

426
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Speaker 4: to over six hundred thousand All Star votes this year,

427
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Speaker 4: and I was like, what six times as many people

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Speaker 4: are watching the w right now.

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Speaker 3: It kind of feels like that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it absolutely feels like that. I mean, you know

431
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Speaker 2: this is like very inside basebally, but like when I

432
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Speaker 2: go to cover practices for teams that are visiting Los Angeles,

433
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Speaker 2: it's usually like just me going to hang out, you know,

434
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Speaker 2: if there's not a lot of interest in road teams

435
00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,640
Speaker 2: from the usual Sparks crew, And when like the Fever

436
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,679
Speaker 2: were in town, they were like the thirteen people just

437
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,280
Speaker 2: there ready to go. It's like, oh, yeah, like this

438
00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:06,919
Speaker 2: this is the thing that happens now, Like people are

439
00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,120
Speaker 2: interested in watching Caitlyn Clark even if that's a practice.

440
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,080
Speaker 2: And you know, you've seen the attended summers just rock

441
00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,360
Speaker 2: it up across the country. I mean, they fit more

442
00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:18,480
Speaker 2: people in Crypto dot com Arena to see the Indiana

443
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,360
Speaker 2: Fever play the Sparks than they do during a normal

444
00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,639
Speaker 2: Lakers game, which is just astounding. And it's not just Caitlin.

445
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,440
Speaker 2: It's like Angel and Kate Martin gets louder cheers on

446
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,600
Speaker 2: the road for three pointers than just about anybody I've

447
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,800
Speaker 2: ever heard. You know, the Iowa effect is very real.

448
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,360
Speaker 2: It's been really really fun just seeing more people come

449
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,720
Speaker 2: in more people have like a vested interest in wanting

450
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:41,800
Speaker 2: to see Indiana do well or wanting to see Chicago

451
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,600
Speaker 2: do well, and making their way to games and having

452
00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:46,439
Speaker 2: things to talk about. Like I've had so many of

453
00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,000
Speaker 2: my NBA friends who just randomly text me with questions about, like, well,

454
00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,520
Speaker 2: why is in Indiana running this? At the end of

455
00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:52,760
Speaker 2: the game, I'm like, there's not even a game on

456
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:54,679
Speaker 2: right now, like are we watching a replay? Like what's happening?

457
00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,040
Speaker 2: But it's it's been great, you know, just more people involve,

458
00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,880
Speaker 2: more people interested, and it's been it's been really really fun.

459
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 1: It was great because I always saw those votes as well,

460
00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:06,959
Speaker 1: they increased by six times, and I wondered, is this

461
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,680
Speaker 1: a social media thing? Are we just increasing everything by

462
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,440
Speaker 1: four x now? Because that happened in the NBA All

463
00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,240
Speaker 1: Star voting as well. But then you see the attendance

464
00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,199
Speaker 1: numbers and those are real here being in Atlanta, the

465
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,360
Speaker 1: dream went from the Gateway Center Arena to State Farm

466
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,240
Speaker 1: Arena for both Indiana Fever games because people were coming

467
00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,160
Speaker 1: out to washing them, so that is obviously what is happening,

468
00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,480
Speaker 1: and just the conversations around I mentioned social media how

469
00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,360
Speaker 1: much it is happening. It did suck to see can

470
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,240
Speaker 1: Brink get hurt, But there's because there are so many

471
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:43,320
Speaker 1: fans that are people are just behind these stars.

472
00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,040
Speaker 4: Now, Yeah, a lot of stars came into the WNBA

473
00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:49,160
Speaker 4: this year, Sabrina, are you has the rookie class been

474
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,560
Speaker 4: like as good as you expected? Because everybody was talking

475
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,720
Speaker 4: this class up. Obviously Caitlin Clark at the top. Cameron

476
00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,040
Speaker 4: Brink came in as a great defensive prospect as well

477
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,160
Speaker 4: as playing great until she got hurt. Angel Reese uh

478
00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,879
Speaker 4: had won of Angel Reese was a big time player.

479
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,879
Speaker 4: Kamila Cardozo big time player as well, a lot of

480
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,920
Speaker 4: known rookies were coming into the league gonna be stars.

481
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,200
Speaker 4: Have they been as impressive as you thought they would? Yeah,

482
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:15,240
Speaker 4: it's kind of wild that they've lived up to expectation.

483
00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,399
Speaker 2: I mean, Caitlin, you know, obviously the tough start to

484
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,040
Speaker 2: the season with the schedule that the Indiana Fever were handed,

485
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,520
Speaker 2: like did them no favors. But you put a little

486
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:25,520
Speaker 2: practice time in, she gets to like learn a lea

487
00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,880
Speaker 2: of Boston's middle Dane Like, good things have happened in

488
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,880
Speaker 2: Indiana since that toward like eleven game stretch to start

489
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,399
Speaker 2: the season, and I think people are seeing just what

490
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,959
Speaker 2: kind of playmaker she is and how exciting that can

491
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,520
Speaker 2: be at the professional level. Angel Rees has been honestly

492
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,680
Speaker 2: much better than I expected. I didn't really think that

493
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,800
Speaker 2: her her rebounding would translate to the WNBA because she

494
00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 2: is a bit smaller than most of the four she's

495
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,399
Speaker 2: gone up against, but like that motor is unbelievable. I

496
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 2: rarely seen a player play as hard as angel Resa

497
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,080
Speaker 2: is on a possession of possession basis, and she's been

498
00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:56,199
Speaker 2: really good for Chicago Sky team that I expected to

499
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,600
Speaker 2: be out of the playoffs and is probably going to

500
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,480
Speaker 2: end up at least in like a seven seed this season.

501
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,360
Speaker 2: So just really impressive from her. Eliah Edwards and Washington

502
00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,400
Speaker 2: I think has been really good. Obviously. Injuries have kind

503
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,000
Speaker 2: of kept her in and out of the lineup, and

504
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,960
Speaker 2: pretty much everybody who's going to the Olympics has been

505
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,840
Speaker 2: in like some measure bubble wrap for the last two weeks,

506
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,080
Speaker 2: so I haven't seen a ton out of Edwards recently,

507
00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,280
Speaker 2: but she was great during that month of June. Rakia

508
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:21,639
Speaker 2: Jackson in LA just like a boocket all the time.

509
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,200
Speaker 2: The Sparks are running their offense through Rakia Jackson down

510
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,320
Speaker 2: the stretch against the Las Vegas Aces, like not once

511
00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,600
Speaker 2: but twice this regular season, which is just an astounding

512
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,040
Speaker 2: thing to think about. So, yeah, you're just seeing so

513
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,200
Speaker 2: many rookies who have the potential to be real franchise

514
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,159
Speaker 2: defining players down the line, like true all stars. And

515
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,560
Speaker 2: we've seen classes like this before. I think twenty nineteen

516
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,280
Speaker 2: really stands out. That was the year that and Ifisa

517
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,720
Speaker 2: Collie or Arique Goumbalwalle Jackie Young came out and they've

518
00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,960
Speaker 2: obviously all been really great for their respective teams. But

519
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,200
Speaker 2: for these players to have the star power coming into

520
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,040
Speaker 2: the WNBA, to have all of the expectation and to

521
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,119
Speaker 2: live up to it, I think is just like remarkable

522
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,560
Speaker 2: and exactly what the league needed to take the next

523
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,320
Speaker 2: step forward and build finally, you know, carry that college

524
00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:04,440
Speaker 2: momentum into the pro Sason.

525
00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's hard not to be an Angel Rees fan.

526
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 1: After watching her against Kaitlin Clark the last time they

527
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,920
Speaker 1: played the postgame interview and said, I've got some dog

528
00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,040
Speaker 1: in me in this obvious like you just said, she

529
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,960
Speaker 1: may be a little undersized against fours, but she is

530
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:23,040
Speaker 1: out there working extremely hard against Kaitlin Clark's team, but

531
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:27,960
Speaker 1: they play far different positions, And everybody talking about this,

532
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,800
Speaker 1: these two teams being a rivalry. Do you see that

533
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,399
Speaker 1: happening in the future for the Sky and the Fever.

534
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,240
Speaker 2: I think the geography really helps, you know, anytime two

535
00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,879
Speaker 2: teams are that close to each other, you know, it's

536
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,119
Speaker 2: easier to create a rivalry. Like conferences don't really mean

537
00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,960
Speaker 2: anything in the WNBA other than Commissioner's Cup groups, And

538
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,600
Speaker 2: like that's a five game starts during a forty game

539
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:50,439
Speaker 2: regular season, So I can't imagine that's going to be

540
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,080
Speaker 2: like the main impetus for the rivalry. But like just

541
00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,560
Speaker 2: the level of intensity in the three games thus far.

542
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,600
Speaker 2: You know, we've seen like just incredible crowds, a little

543
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,200
Speaker 2: extra intensity during the course of the game. Obviously the

544
00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:04,880
Speaker 2: flag are files which I don't really want to get into,

545
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,480
Speaker 2: but like just a little you know, extra oomph in

546
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,119
Speaker 2: the matchup between the two of them, Like they clearly

547
00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:11,919
Speaker 2: don't want to talk about each other, like at a

548
00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,359
Speaker 2: really extended level, which is always a good sign that

549
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,639
Speaker 2: there's some animosity there. That great comeback that Chicago had

550
00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,639
Speaker 2: against Indiana in the last game, I think you know,

551
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,200
Speaker 2: Angel and Caitlin have just been placed on stages where

552
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:25,679
Speaker 2: they had to compete for in really big stages before,

553
00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,240
Speaker 2: and you know, for it to be a rivalry, I

554
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:29,639
Speaker 2: think they like have to meet in the playoffs at

555
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 2: some point, or at the very least, Like I don't know,

556
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,520
Speaker 2: they'd have to bee in the playoffs, because there's the

557
00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,159
Speaker 2: only way that you're going to really really build some

558
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,840
Speaker 2: stakes between the two of them. But I do think

559
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,760
Speaker 2: that just them coming in, like having such fastly different

560
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,040
Speaker 2: fan bases out of college. You know, the way they

561
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:45,840
Speaker 2: play is so different, it's very easy to latch onto

562
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,040
Speaker 2: one or the other. And the fact that both of

563
00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:49,960
Speaker 2: the teams have like really good young talent that you

564
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,639
Speaker 2: can still grow along with, like the fact that Kennedy

565
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:53,960
Speaker 2: Carter is there and Aleah Boston is there and Kimilla Cardoso.

566
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,399
Speaker 2: I mean, there's just so much that could keep getting

567
00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,240
Speaker 2: better with both of these teams, and I think as

568
00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,520
Speaker 2: Indiana reaches its potential in Chicago becomes even better than

569
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,960
Speaker 2: they thought they could be. I really hope that this

570
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,720
Speaker 2: is a great robbery because you know, Indiana hasn't been

571
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,000
Speaker 2: the playoffs since twenty sixteen. Chicago obviously won the title

572
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty one, but like ownership group is a

573
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,920
Speaker 2: little weird and like we don't know if free agents

574
00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:17,159
Speaker 2: want to go there, So for them to have like

575
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,480
Speaker 2: this built in core of Cardos so recent Carter is

576
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,720
Speaker 2: just it's great. And I do think that we're going

577
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,119
Speaker 2: to get like some real enmity between the two. And

578
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,600
Speaker 2: I'm just so pumped for their fourth regular season game

579
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 2: because like that thing is just going to be a massive, massive.

580
00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,560
Speaker 4: Viewership every Yeah, it's going to be awesome, and both

581
00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,120
Speaker 4: teams are like playing a lot better.

582
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,560
Speaker 3: I'm with you. I'm surprised that the Sky are this good.

583
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,399
Speaker 4: I thought after James Wade left the team to go

584
00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,040
Speaker 4: coach the Toronto Raptors that it was going to be

585
00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:47,200
Speaker 4: a long time before Chicago was even sniffing the playoffs.

586
00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:48,439
Speaker 3: But the fever.

587
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,000
Speaker 4: They started out zero and five, bottomed out at one

588
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,440
Speaker 4: and eight. They're ten and six since playing Caitlin Clark

589
00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,399
Speaker 4: style basketball a little faster, I think, And then the

590
00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,400
Speaker 4: Sky are like an Angel Rees team. They play hard,

591
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,320
Speaker 4: they're really physical, they rebound, they played defense. Maybe there'll

592
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,400
Speaker 4: be a kinetic Sun in a few years, but who cares.

593
00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,800
Speaker 4: We'll worry about that later. It feels like both of

594
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:14,480
Speaker 4: these teams are made immediately in their franchise players' images.

595
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,960
Speaker 4: So who's the rookie of the year, I think is

596
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,679
Speaker 4: going to be the question a lot of people are

597
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,719
Speaker 4: asking during the second half of the season, because they

598
00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,360
Speaker 4: both have really solid cases and are huge reasons why

599
00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:26,640
Speaker 4: their teams are having these surprisingly good seasons.

600
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:30,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's gonna be quite the decision to have to

601
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,840
Speaker 2: make down the line, It's already been quite the decision

602
00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,200
Speaker 2: to have to make this far. I mean Ben Pickman,

603
00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,320
Speaker 2: our fellow WNBA writer at The Athletic and I have

604
00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,200
Speaker 2: had this discussion so many times already if you want

605
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,159
Speaker 2: to listen to the podcast or readar debate like it's

606
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,520
Speaker 2: all there for you at the Athletics dot com. But

607
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,840
Speaker 2: I mean, I've kind of leaned Caitlin thus far, just

608
00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:49,840
Speaker 2: because I think the degree of difficulty for being a

609
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 2: point guard as a rookie and the WNBA is really challenging,

610
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,320
Speaker 2: and for every defense to be keened on her as

611
00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,080
Speaker 2: the number one item want the scouting report, when like

612
00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,040
Speaker 2: Elia Buston exists and Elissa Smith ex sas just shows

613
00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,960
Speaker 2: how important she is to what Indiana is doing, and

614
00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,240
Speaker 2: you know, the last ten games or so, she's been,

615
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,040
Speaker 2: you know, maybe the second best point guard in the WNBA,

616
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,280
Speaker 2: which is like a crazy thing to think as a

617
00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:15,960
Speaker 2: rookie in this league when it's so veteran heavy. But

618
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,119
Speaker 2: I mean, I wouldn't be grudge anyone voting for Angel

619
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,720
Speaker 2: like the sky or just like you said, so much

620
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,560
Speaker 2: better than we expected heading into the season, and Angels

621
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,640
Speaker 2: on off numbers, like really paint that picture. She has

622
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,840
Speaker 2: been a genuine source of like positive impact for Chicago

623
00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,320
Speaker 2: all season. It's just so hard to compare because stylistically

624
00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:35,520
Speaker 2: they're so different, right, Like what Angel is doing versus

625
00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,080
Speaker 2: what Caitlin's doing, the amount of responsibility that Caitlin has

626
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,400
Speaker 2: to direct the offense versus what Angel's doing defensively, they're

627
00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:47,160
Speaker 2: just completely different cases. And honestly, like at this point,

628
00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:48,719
Speaker 2: I wouldn't care who won. It's gonna be a good

629
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 2: story either way. But I think it's so cool that

630
00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,200
Speaker 2: we actually have this discussion because Rookie of the Year

631
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,760
Speaker 2: hasn't been contested like this since maybe twenty seventeen, and

632
00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,720
Speaker 2: even then, like Alicia Gray versus Britney Sykes was not like,

633
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,400
Speaker 2: you know, everybody's talking about this kind of race.

634
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a little bit different.

635
00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,520
Speaker 4: It's exciting to have like two of the biggest names

636
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 4: actually playing well and up against each other.

637
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,560
Speaker 3: It just feels like, with the way.

638
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 4: Their careers ended in college, the way they came into

639
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,880
Speaker 4: the WNBA, the fact that they're in Illinois and Indiana,

640
00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:22,280
Speaker 4: it's just perfect for them to continually smash into each other. So, Brina,

641
00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 4: what you think about Angel Reese chasing the double double

642
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,560
Speaker 4: streak set a WNBA record with fifteen consecutive double doubles,

643
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,320
Speaker 4: though it did end just recently against the New York

644
00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,320
Speaker 4: Liberty when they were quadruple teaming her in the post

645
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:36,960
Speaker 4: to keep her to eight points.

646
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 2: It got a bit much for me, honestly, I thought

647
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,520
Speaker 2: we were going in the stat patting direction, you know,

648
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 2: like there was definitely some hey, one and a half

649
00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:48,400
Speaker 2: minutes left, Angel still in single figures points or single

650
00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,160
Speaker 2: fiegars rebounds, we need to address this. I think it

651
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 2: really hit like a peak for me when they were

652
00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:57,840
Speaker 2: playing Atlanta last week and they're up by seven points

653
00:29:57,880 --> 00:29:59,720
Speaker 2: with like a position to go. I think there's like

654
00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 2: fifty seconds left on the clock, and like this is

655
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,480
Speaker 2: traditionally a dribble out the clock situation, and Angel calls

656
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,040
Speaker 2: for the ball on the post because she only has

657
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,840
Speaker 2: nine points, and that's why I lost it. I was like, no,

658
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 2: I'm out on the streak. But we have jumped the

659
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 2: shark here. And kudos to the New York Liberty for

660
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,160
Speaker 2: throwing the quadruple team at her and just ending this discussion,

661
00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,760
Speaker 2: because it is very cool obviously that she had set

662
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,760
Speaker 2: a mark that was originally held by Candice Parker, probably

663
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,560
Speaker 2: one that no one's gonna chase for a little while now.

664
00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,720
Speaker 2: So we have the record, we don't need to, you know,

665
00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,360
Speaker 2: inflate it to any degree. And I'm glad that someone

666
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,280
Speaker 2: you know gave her a little taste for rown medicine

667
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,520
Speaker 2: at the stat adding because it's just not basketball.

668
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,560
Speaker 3: Come on, guys, no, not at all.

669
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,920
Speaker 1: Serena, I have an odd question for you, because you're

670
00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:45,840
Speaker 1: so close to the WNBA. Is there a reason that

671
00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,360
Speaker 1: players like Asia Wilson and Angel Reese wear just one

672
00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,600
Speaker 1: like sleeve? Is it a medical issue? Is it something

673
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,719
Speaker 1: that they're doing just for style? I need to know

674
00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,720
Speaker 1: the second part. Why do they call a like cover

675
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:01,920
Speaker 1: le like sleeve a sleep? I mean that's just a

676
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,560
Speaker 1: weird word. Don't you think will they change that.

677
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,280
Speaker 5: It is right sleeve? Anyways?

678
00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:12,120
Speaker 2: Do they do call it like a pant? Like call it?

679
00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was totally thinking that as soon as I said,

680
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,040
Speaker 1: as soon as I wondered that, what would you call

681
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:19,960
Speaker 1: something that covers one leg?

682
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:21,840
Speaker 5: Yeah, pant? I don't know.

683
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,680
Speaker 1: There isn't a really good one to rival sleeve. I

684
00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,720
Speaker 1: was cover is what I say when I say it.

685
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,280
Speaker 1: But I don't know even even what an NBA player

686
00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,520
Speaker 1: wears on just one arm. I guess it's called a sleeve,

687
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,560
Speaker 1: but what it's just like it's even that word.

688
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,320
Speaker 2: Well, I don't understand why you object to an arm

689
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 2: sleeve when sleeps literally a sleep. I think a leg

690
00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,320
Speaker 2: sleeve pretty adequately describes what we're talking about. Like you

691
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,520
Speaker 2: can just, you know, pick somebody out of a crowd

692
00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,120
Speaker 2: who doesn't even know Jah Wilson and say that she

693
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:55,840
Speaker 2: wears a leg sleeve and they would be able to

694
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,720
Speaker 2: envision what it is you're referring to. Yes, yeah, but yeah,

695
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,280
Speaker 2: I think I think Asia is the first one to

696
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:03,120
Speaker 2: do it, and it is purely style related. Asia's got

697
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 2: a lot of style quirks, like the shorts come up

698
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:09,840
Speaker 2: really high, the shoulders get a little twisted in, and

699
00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:12,840
Speaker 2: the people who have worn leg sleaves have followed Asia,

700
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,440
Speaker 2: like Deja Kelly is one of the prominent ones in college.

701
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,120
Speaker 2: She's been playing Oregon next year. Angel Reese obviously one

702
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:22,040
Speaker 2: of them. Tea Cooper another SEC guard. So I think

703
00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,920
Speaker 2: this is an Asia just like look situation, and because

704
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:30,360
Speaker 2: Asia is the greatness that is Asia Wilson, other people

705
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,640
Speaker 2: have followed in her her steady.

706
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:34,720
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's going to happen in the NBA

707
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:35,160
Speaker 5: as well.

708
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,800
Speaker 4: I saw Lebron in practice was wearing one one single

709
00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:39,880
Speaker 4: leg sleeve like going through Lakers.

710
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 2: Why isn't san Attabayo doing it?

711
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:46,360
Speaker 4: Yes, yeah, exactly. People need to get on this nothing man,

712
00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:48,720
Speaker 4: Now that you mentioned it, I think we should call

713
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,280
Speaker 4: pant legs pant slaves because you don't call it. You

714
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,400
Speaker 4: don't call your shirt slaves. You don't call them shirt arms.

715
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,840
Speaker 4: Doesn't make sense. We got a standardized things here. I

716
00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,240
Speaker 4: saw a report today I'm the Athletic from Mike vorkanoff

717
00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,320
Speaker 4: Sabrina that to WNBA media rights deal is wrapped up

718
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,640
Speaker 4: in the NBA's media rights deal, so the league is

719
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,040
Speaker 4: going to be receiving up to two point two billion

720
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:12,440
Speaker 4: dollars over the next eleven years since their rights deal

721
00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,240
Speaker 4: is done. Alongside the NBA's rights deal, they'll be partnering

722
00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:20,920
Speaker 4: with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon. Still obviously waiting to see

723
00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,160
Speaker 4: what Warner does in this whole thing, and I guess

724
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 4: it's actually possible for the w to get some more

725
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,400
Speaker 4: partners as well, up to six they're eligible for. What

726
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,600
Speaker 4: kind of impact is all of this money coming into

727
00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:34,040
Speaker 4: the w NBA going to have.

728
00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:37,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, So just to set the table real quick, I

729
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,840
Speaker 2: think the baselines for this deal were the NWSL just

730
00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,080
Speaker 2: signed a deal that was four years, two hundred and

731
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,680
Speaker 2: forty million, so that's about sixty million annually. So the

732
00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,640
Speaker 2: WNBA deal is, you know, within three or four times that,

733
00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,560
Speaker 2: And the MLS signed a deal a couple of years

734
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,880
Speaker 2: ago that was two point five billion over ten years

735
00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,400
Speaker 2: and heading into this season, and the WNBA had very

736
00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,480
Speaker 2: comparable levels of viewership, and you know, for the MLS

737
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:08,000
Speaker 2: to get that number and WNBA to still be living

738
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,000
Speaker 2: in it's like fifty million dollars total didn't make sense.

739
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,040
Speaker 2: So for them to get closer to that number is

740
00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:17,200
Speaker 2: a lot better. Obviously for their financials. I think the

741
00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,680
Speaker 2: big thing here is the WNBA has the opportunity to

742
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,160
Speaker 2: opt out of its current collective bargaining agreement at the

743
00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,000
Speaker 2: end of this season and then write a new one

744
00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,160
Speaker 2: that would go into effect starting in twenty twenty six.

745
00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,440
Speaker 2: And you know, one of the main factors in terms

746
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,759
Speaker 2: of WNBA players not getting as much money is the

747
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:34,640
Speaker 2: revenue in the league hasn't been as high, and so

748
00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:38,560
Speaker 2: for revenue on the TV deal to jump six times,

749
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:40,359
Speaker 2: you know, over the average life of this yal to

750
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,439
Speaker 2: what it currently is obviously puts a lot more money

751
00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:44,960
Speaker 2: into the player's pockets. It gives them an opportunity to

752
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,880
Speaker 2: potentially ask for greater share of the basketball revenue. I

753
00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,000
Speaker 2: think they get around like ten percent of the br

754
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,520
Speaker 2: at this point, which is you think about the NBA

755
00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,680
Speaker 2: they get fifty percent, So it's a big difference, and

756
00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,080
Speaker 2: I think this just gives the league the opportunity to

757
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,839
Speaker 2: improve player experience across the board. Like you know, there's

758
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:05,840
Speaker 2: been a big talk about charter flights in WNBA, and

759
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,359
Speaker 2: this is the first year that every team has had

760
00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:10,200
Speaker 2: charters around the country. And part of the reason for

761
00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:11,680
Speaker 2: that is that the league didn't have enough revenue to

762
00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 2: sustain it. And now you look at all of this

763
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,000
Speaker 2: money coming in from TV deals and if the price

764
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,719
Speaker 2: of charter flights is twenty five million dollars a year,

765
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,799
Speaker 2: that can easily be sustained by the extra money that's

766
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 2: coming in from media rights. And just think about all

767
00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,960
Speaker 2: the other levels of player experience like housing and practice

768
00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,879
Speaker 2: facilities and all these things that could be augmented by

769
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,920
Speaker 2: extra revenue coming in. It. It's really exciting for what

770
00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,080
Speaker 2: is possible for the players. It just gives them more options,

771
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,120
Speaker 2: like when you're talking about what you can ask for

772
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,120
Speaker 2: in the next CBA, because the league can't say that

773
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:42,440
Speaker 2: they're cash poor anymore.

774
00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,360
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was pretty eye opening for a lot of people.

775
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,200
Speaker 4: I think when Caitlin Clark went from planned in college

776
00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:50,480
Speaker 4: to join in the WNBA, you saw all the graphics

777
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,480
Speaker 4: about what her salary was going to be as a

778
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,600
Speaker 4: first year player.

779
00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:54,440
Speaker 3: But all this.

780
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:58,760
Speaker 4: Money coming in expansion teams joining as well. The business

781
00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,359
Speaker 4: side of the w seems to be going pretty well.

782
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,800
Speaker 4: We got a couple of teams coming into the league soon.

783
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,719
Speaker 4: Do you think that this additional this new media rights

784
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,200
Speaker 4: deal means that outside of the couple of teams. We

785
00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:14,279
Speaker 4: already know that there will be more expansion coming to

786
00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,360
Speaker 4: the WNBA, or is that still like five years.

787
00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:17,800
Speaker 3: Down the line.

788
00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,960
Speaker 2: I think Commissioner Kathy Ingelbert has said that she wants

789
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,880
Speaker 2: two more teams in place by twenty twenty eight. Okay,

790
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,680
Speaker 2: so we get up to sixteen teams by twenty twenty eight,

791
00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:29,319
Speaker 2: and I think that's a good number just because there's

792
00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,080
Speaker 2: only so much you can expand the league scheduling to

793
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,480
Speaker 2: keep it in that summer window, you know, between college

794
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:38,240
Speaker 2: basketball seasons. So I think sixteen is probably the right number.

795
00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,480
Speaker 2: You know, any more expansion and you turn into like

796
00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,600
Speaker 2: MLS territory for lack of better word. But I think

797
00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,640
Speaker 2: that's probably a good place that they're going to stop,

798
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,080
Speaker 2: unless there's just like this insane demand for teams, you know,

799
00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:52,719
Speaker 2: to want to get into the league, which you know,

800
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 2: I'm still not sure is exactly the case.

801
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:57,880
Speaker 4: Wow, interesting to know one of the teams near the

802
00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:59,759
Speaker 4: bottom of the standings. I got to ask because they're

803
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 4: to my heart, close to my home here, the Atlanta Dream.

804
00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:04,680
Speaker 4: Last year they made the playoffs for the first time

805
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,800
Speaker 4: in five seasons. They added a future Hall of Famer

806
00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,879
Speaker 4: and Tina Charles. They started four and two, they beat

807
00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,480
Speaker 4: the Aces. Since then three and fourteen, they've lost seven

808
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,120
Speaker 4: straight heading into a matchup with a great Minnesota team tonight.

809
00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:20,640
Speaker 4: What is going on with the Atlanta Dream this season?

810
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:23,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm the wrong person to ask that, because I

811
00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:27,360
Speaker 2: just truly hate the style of basketball just does nothing

812
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,919
Speaker 2: for me. I'm I'm sorry to be the one.

813
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,200
Speaker 3: Okay, Okay, it hasn't been a great season to watch.

814
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:36,239
Speaker 2: You know. I mean a lot of it is Ryan

815
00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,600
Speaker 2: Howard is out. She is like the primary source of

816
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,240
Speaker 2: spacing on this team in one on one shot creation,

817
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,840
Speaker 2: Like Alicia Grace had quite a good year. But I think,

818
00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:45,919
Speaker 2: you know, Ryan is comfortably the best player on this team,

819
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:47,480
Speaker 2: and to be missing her for such a long stretch

820
00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,000
Speaker 2: another Olympian going into Paris with some tough injury issues

821
00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,640
Speaker 2: just really bums me out. You know, they tried to

822
00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,360
Speaker 2: address the point guard issue from last season because this

823
00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:58,760
Speaker 2: was a team that was just like always getting sped

824
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,360
Speaker 2: up and not being very disciplined when they had leads.

825
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,319
Speaker 2: And then of course Jordan Canada gets hurt immediately and

826
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,480
Speaker 2: has played like just a couple of games this season.

827
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,359
Speaker 2: Eryl Powers recently has been out. Hayley Jones not really

828
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,240
Speaker 2: a point guard despite what Atlanta's trying to pigeonhole her into.

829
00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,319
Speaker 2: So it just is really hard to address any of

830
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,520
Speaker 2: the you know, the issues that they had last season

831
00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,560
Speaker 2: in terms of, you know, their offense, and then defensively,

832
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:22,080
Speaker 2: they just they just give up so many threes. Like

833
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,839
Speaker 2: I don't understand why the system hasn't changed yet. It's

834
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:28,239
Speaker 2: it's a really weird theory, like we're just going to

835
00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,080
Speaker 2: pack the pain as much as possible and let you shoot,

836
00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,719
Speaker 2: and I guess against Connecticut.

837
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:33,680
Speaker 3: It could work.

838
00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:35,600
Speaker 2: But like most teams in the W like that seems

839
00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:37,880
Speaker 2: like an invitation to have a really good offensive night. So,

840
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,520
Speaker 2: uh yeah, a lot of a lot of weird things

841
00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:43,680
Speaker 2: happening out. They don't even know their draft pick for

842
00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 2: this upcoming season, which is a real problem if you're

843
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:48,600
Speaker 2: the Atlanta dream Like, you really have to get into

844
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,759
Speaker 2: the playoffs. So you know, best of luck for Ryan

845
00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:54,080
Speaker 2: Howard's health in Jordan Canada's health, because that's what you're

846
00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:55,440
Speaker 2: going to need in the second part of the season.

847
00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:59,120
Speaker 4: So you're saying to start prepping for the next season already,

848
00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:00,240
Speaker 4: get healthy.

849
00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:01,640
Speaker 2: You really got to get into the eight seed. You

850
00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:03,440
Speaker 2: don't want to give up a lottery pick. That's just embarrassing.

851
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:07,239
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a that's a great point. We got the

852
00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,560
Speaker 4: w NBA All Star Game coming up this weekend. It's

853
00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,120
Speaker 4: in Saturday, or it's on Saturday in Phoenix. We've got

854
00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:17,680
Speaker 4: events prior to that this year because we've got the

855
00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,600
Speaker 4: Olympics going. It's going to be Team USA versus the

856
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:23,560
Speaker 4: w NBA All Stars, led by Caitlyn Clark and Angel

857
00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:27,080
Speaker 4: Race amongst many other players. What are you watching for

858
00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:28,840
Speaker 4: on Saturday, Sabrina.

859
00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:33,919
Speaker 2: So many things. I'm excited for dear Cahanby to get

860
00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:35,960
Speaker 2: to play against fur members of the Las Vegas Aces,

861
00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:40,800
Speaker 2: because dear Camby loves playing against Las Vegas. I'm excited

862
00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:42,960
Speaker 2: for want of Honor and was Thomas fiance Is to

863
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,680
Speaker 2: have to guard one another in that game since they've

864
00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:46,920
Speaker 2: been teammates for the last four years in the entirety

865
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:50,799
Speaker 2: of their relationship. I'm excited for Caitlin Reece and Angel Clark,

866
00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:53,000
Speaker 2: sorry Kaitlynd Clark and Angel Reaes to share the court

867
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,720
Speaker 2: together and potentially Clark to throw some you know, assist

868
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,759
Speaker 2: Angel inside. But you know, I kind of just want

869
00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,400
Speaker 2: to see like Team USA healthy. I feel like it's

870
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 2: been a theme that I've brought up a lot over

871
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:04,560
Speaker 2: the last half an hour or so. It's just a

872
00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,440
Speaker 2: lot of these Olympians have not been a great place physically,

873
00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,479
Speaker 2: and I just want to see what that team looks

874
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,879
Speaker 2: like altogether as twelve players. And I worry that it's

875
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,200
Speaker 2: not going to happen by Saturday. But you know, I'm

876
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:18,120
Speaker 2: a huge homer when it comes to international basketball, and

877
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,800
Speaker 2: I just want them to look as overwhelming and dominating

878
00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:22,680
Speaker 2: as possible. And it'd be nice if that started out

879
00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:24,440
Speaker 2: with a win against the WNBA All Stars.

880
00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,759
Speaker 4: Yeah, everybody says we when it comes to international basketball,

881
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,239
Speaker 4: and nobody has a problem with it.

882
00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:29,560
Speaker 3: That's we.

883
00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:35,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, going into Saturday, I mentioned the Olympians injuries and

884
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,799
Speaker 1: so many of them across the board, and wondering how

885
00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 1: they're going to go about it. Will they just kind

886
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,759
Speaker 1: of make sure that they're healthy through it, or are

887
00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,439
Speaker 1: they going to take down Team WNBA the way they

888
00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:49,759
Speaker 1: weren't able to do in twenty twenty one, the last

889
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:55,080
Speaker 1: time this happened the Team WNBA one. Obviously, I can

890
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:59,200
Speaker 1: say we now had no problem winning the.

891
00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 5: Olympics at the end of the day.

892
00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,759
Speaker 1: But how do you see that playing out in terms

893
00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,160
Speaker 1: of the Team WA versus the Olympic team.

894
00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:10,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there's just a lot more motivation on

895
00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,239
Speaker 2: the WNBA side than there is on the Team USA side, because,

896
00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,759
Speaker 2: as you mentioned in twenty twenty one, not only did

897
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:18,480
Speaker 2: the Olympic team lose to Team WNBA, they then lost

898
00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:22,120
Speaker 2: an exhibition and the next came to Australia before going

899
00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:26,120
Speaker 2: on to you know, win the gold medal in Tokyo.

900
00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:28,759
Speaker 2: So it's not like they really need this tune up

901
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:30,719
Speaker 2: to prove that they're ready to go, you know, for

902
00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:34,120
Speaker 2: Paris next in a couple of weeks. Whereas everybody on

903
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:37,120
Speaker 2: the WNBA, like you have somebody like Arique Goumbawale, who

904
00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,520
Speaker 2: has talked about the politics of Team USA and her

905
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:41,759
Speaker 2: not being able to be on the Olympic team, and Nkokumaka,

906
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:45,000
Speaker 2: who is famously snubbed multiple times for the Olympic team

907
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:46,839
Speaker 2: and probably has a little bit of an extra grind

908
00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,799
Speaker 2: with the Olympic committee. And then you have players like

909
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:52,080
Speaker 2: you know, Caitlin Clark and Angel Rees who would love

910
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:53,400
Speaker 2: to be on the Olympic team at some point. And

911
00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,200
Speaker 2: this is sort of their like audition and also like

912
00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:58,919
Speaker 2: why didn't you select me this year type of things.

913
00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:01,760
Speaker 2: So I think the motivation is just so much higher

914
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,080
Speaker 2: on the WNBA side, and the fact that they can

915
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:05,840
Speaker 2: afford to play really hard and if they get a

916
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,080
Speaker 2: little nicked up, it's fine because they're off for four weeks,

917
00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,640
Speaker 2: Whereas you get a little nicked up on Team USA

918
00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:13,400
Speaker 2: that could, you know, be potentially problematic when you get

919
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,160
Speaker 2: to Paris. So I think just like the stakes are

920
00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:19,520
Speaker 2: so much clearer for Team WNBA, other than like Diana's

921
00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:21,759
Speaker 2: Rossi and Kalia Copper and Britney Griner who probably want

922
00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:23,360
Speaker 2: to put on a good show for their home crowd

923
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,000
Speaker 2: in Phoenix. I just don't think the motivation is there

924
00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:30,160
Speaker 2: for Team USA. So rather than try very hard and

925
00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,239
Speaker 2: potentially get embarrassed store potentially get hurt, I think the

926
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,640
Speaker 2: key is just to take it easy, you know, try

927
00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:37,960
Speaker 2: to put on a little show for the fans and

928
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,040
Speaker 2: get started with your meaningful prep on Sunday.

929
00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,680
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's such a unique situation where you're named an

930
00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:48,120
Speaker 4: All Star but you're somehow still a snub. So the

931
00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:52,160
Speaker 4: motivation for the WNBA All Stars is just built.

932
00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:55,839
Speaker 3: In right there. Here's a dumb take.

933
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,360
Speaker 4: I think that the WNBA All Stars will win every

934
00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:00,640
Speaker 4: time they play versus tam Usa, just because they care

935
00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,240
Speaker 4: a little bit more, and like you're saying, Sabrina, they can.

936
00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:04,960
Speaker 3: Go all out because they got four weeks.

937
00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:09,239
Speaker 4: Afterwards, you mentioned some of the Phoenix players wanting to

938
00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:11,200
Speaker 4: put on a show. One guy who is going to

939
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:15,680
Speaker 4: be putting on a show, Pitbull, announces that halftime act

940
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:20,200
Speaker 4: for the WNBA All Star Game this weekend. In his tweet,

941
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:22,400
Speaker 4: Pitbull said, I was raised by a woman, and a

942
00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:25,800
Speaker 4: woman made me a man. You excited for Pitbull, Sabrina.

943
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,520
Speaker 2: I was more excited before the tweet, but now generally

944
00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:30,720
Speaker 2: very excited for pitball.

945
00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:36,560
Speaker 4: Dalle should be fun. That is Saturday. But then the

946
00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:38,600
Speaker 4: league has taken a big break. You said four weeks

947
00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:42,560
Speaker 4: for the Olympics. The regular season will resume August fifteenth.

948
00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:45,239
Speaker 4: What should we be watching for in the second half

949
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:45,840
Speaker 4: of this season?

950
00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:51,000
Speaker 2: A few things. I think if Vegas finally decides it's

951
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,400
Speaker 2: time to play like a real basketball team, you know,

952
00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:56,600
Speaker 2: they haven't played really good defense for the majority of

953
00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:59,360
Speaker 2: this regular season, so I think if they recognized it,

954
00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:01,759
Speaker 2: these last week team games are meaningful to them like,

955
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:04,319
Speaker 2: you know, you mentioned the top five teams I think

956
00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:07,160
Speaker 2: are all realistic contenders. You don't want to be number

957
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,120
Speaker 2: five because then you don't get home court advantage in

958
00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,520
Speaker 2: the first round of the playoffs, and you could potentially

959
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:13,680
Speaker 2: have to go to the number four seed and like

960
00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:15,360
Speaker 2: play two home games there and not even get to

961
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:17,920
Speaker 2: come back to your own arena, you know, in that

962
00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:19,759
Speaker 2: first round, which is the best of three. So I

963
00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:22,480
Speaker 2: think seeding is gonna be really important for those top

964
00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:25,239
Speaker 2: five teams. Can Vegas turn it on, Can Connecticut like

965
00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:29,000
Speaker 2: get a good win against Las Vegas or New York

966
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,680
Speaker 2: in those upcoming games, and then you know, obviously I

967
00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:34,600
Speaker 2: always have my own the lottery because Page Becker's coming

968
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:38,040
Speaker 2: out in the twenty twenty five draft. You've got Dallas

969
00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:40,320
Speaker 2: who probably didn't want to be here at this point,

970
00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:43,680
Speaker 2: but they're they've fallen pretty far back. And do they

971
00:44:43,719 --> 00:44:45,759
Speaker 2: still try to pack it in with Sathusavali or do

972
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:47,279
Speaker 2: they try to win some games and maybe get an

973
00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:50,000
Speaker 2: eight seed and realize, like is there that big of

974
00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,000
Speaker 2: a difference between a lottery pick and the number five pick?

975
00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:55,560
Speaker 2: Who knows? And then that race, you know, for the

976
00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:59,040
Speaker 2: final playoff spots with Indiana and Chicago and Atlanta, I

977
00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,440
Speaker 2: think it's going to be really good. So yeah, i'd

978
00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:02,880
Speaker 2: say the number one thing I have an eye on

979
00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:05,440
Speaker 2: is like, what do the Aces look like after the break?

980
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,799
Speaker 2: Just because on paper that's another championship team, but like

981
00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:12,400
Speaker 2: the way they've looked against Chicago last night or you know,

982
00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:15,759
Speaker 2: in some of their recent games doesn't exactly scream three

983
00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:19,000
Speaker 2: pet So yeah, those are probably the top items on

984
00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:19,439
Speaker 2: my list.

985
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:21,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm looking forward to the ACE as it feels

986
00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,399
Speaker 1: old school NBA ish where teams are just like, all right,

987
00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:26,280
Speaker 1: flip that switch.

988
00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:28,440
Speaker 5: We can do it. You know, we've seen it, We've

989
00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:29,000
Speaker 5: done it before.

990
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:31,759
Speaker 1: Although I like, speaking of the NBA, the tray that

991
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:34,920
Speaker 1: you mentioned the WNBA team and how motivated they are,

992
00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:37,759
Speaker 1: I'm very much looking forward to that because, yeah, you're

993
00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:40,280
Speaker 1: totally right, going up against the Olympic team.

994
00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:42,520
Speaker 5: That should be something that the NBA does at All

995
00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:43,160
Speaker 5: Star weekend.

996
00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:46,680
Speaker 1: We're trying to find some motivation for this as West

997
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,279
Speaker 1: it does not happen so some way, somehow. I mean,

998
00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:52,839
Speaker 1: we've got we used to see Pitbull. I mean that's

999
00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:56,279
Speaker 1: they're crossing over. We're seeing this crossover. Yeah, you're getting

1000
00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:59,279
Speaker 1: flow right of next year. I can already tell Yeah,

1001
00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,680
Speaker 1: I saw how excited you were for Pitbull Serena. It's

1002
00:46:03,719 --> 00:46:05,200
Speaker 1: got to be big for nothing.

1003
00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:07,279
Speaker 2: Screams high level basketball to me, like Pitbull. I hear

1004
00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,359
Speaker 2: his voice when I think NBA playoffs. Exactly, I'm here

1005
00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:10,680
Speaker 2: for it.

1006
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:12,840
Speaker 3: What are you going to do this month?

1007
00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:15,560
Speaker 4: Four weeks until the w comes back, Like you mentioned

1008
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,080
Speaker 4: that other stuff will be going on obviously with the Olympics,

1009
00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:20,280
Speaker 4: But how do you plan to spend these four weeks.

1010
00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:23,440
Speaker 2: Well, I'm really excited to watch the Olympics, first and foremost.

1011
00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:26,960
Speaker 2: I mean, I love handball and like canoeing and all

1012
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,040
Speaker 2: these random things that come into my life once every

1013
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,239
Speaker 2: four years that I will you put on the back

1014
00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:34,160
Speaker 2: burner again until Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight. But

1015
00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:36,560
Speaker 2: now I'm spending some time on the beach, you know,

1016
00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:38,600
Speaker 2: kind of check in with some college friends. It'll be

1017
00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:39,080
Speaker 2: a good time.

1018
00:46:39,719 --> 00:46:41,479
Speaker 4: Yeah, you want to talk about things that the NBA

1019
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:43,760
Speaker 4: should steal four weeks off in the middle of the season.

1020
00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:47,920
Speaker 3: That's incredible, like the bubble all over. Yeah, exactly right.

1021
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:50,839
Speaker 4: We'll just take a break here, everybody get healthy, come back,

1022
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:54,120
Speaker 4: and we'll have an awesome stretch run. I can't wait

1023
00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:56,560
Speaker 4: to see what happens. We'll keep reading your work, Sabrina.

1024
00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:58,799
Speaker 4: Can you tell people where they can find you and

1025
00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:01,120
Speaker 4: what you got I'm an out or anything else you

1026
00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:01,600
Speaker 4: want to plug?

1027
00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:04,520
Speaker 2: Yeah. So at the Athletic dot Com is all of

1028
00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:07,799
Speaker 2: our women's basketball stuff during the WNBA season. I've got

1029
00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:10,279
Speaker 2: like a weekly wrap up power ranking thing that comes

1030
00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,359
Speaker 2: out every Monday, where, incidentally, I also talked about Angel

1031
00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:16,120
Speaker 2: Ray's stat padding this week, so that's a fun little

1032
00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:18,920
Speaker 2: way to get into every week of the season. And

1033
00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,399
Speaker 2: Ben and I have a debate that comes out every

1034
00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:24,160
Speaker 2: Thursday where we pick one topic and just get at

1035
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:26,439
Speaker 2: each other about why the other one's wrong, so that's

1036
00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:29,440
Speaker 2: always really fun. And we have the Athletic Women's Basketball

1037
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:32,680
Speaker 2: Show that releases every Tuesday, so that's I think the

1038
00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:34,759
Speaker 2: best women's basketball podcast out there, so you should listen

1039
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:34,960
Speaker 2: to it.

1040
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:37,279
Speaker 4: I think so too. I'd love the debate you and

1041
00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:39,560
Speaker 4: Ben had about the Rookie of the Year. We linked

1042
00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,759
Speaker 4: it in the chat here, so people go and check

1043
00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:43,759
Speaker 4: that one out. Sabrina, Thank you so much. We'll have

1044
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,000
Speaker 4: to talk to you soon once we get the w

1045
00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,120
Speaker 4: back at our Lives and get a little bit closer

1046
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:50,440
Speaker 4: to playoff times.

1047
00:47:50,480 --> 00:47:53,319
Speaker 2: Thank you so Marina, Yeah, thank you so much. I'll

1048
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:55,359
Speaker 2: have to bring my own WNBA jersey to wear next time.

1049
00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:57,320
Speaker 2: That was an error on my part. O.

1050
00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,560
Speaker 4: There we go, Candice Parker the goat. I'm sure you agree.

1051
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:02,960
Speaker 4: We're going to take a look at tweet of the night,

1052
00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:03,719
Speaker 4: real quick.

1053
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:07,200
Speaker 5: Tweet o the night.

1054
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:15,359
Speaker 1: Wow, this was making the way around tweeter yesterday. It's

1055
00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:20,640
Speaker 1: Jalen Brown and Kaiser Gonzerjig at the game a summer

1056
00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:24,320
Speaker 1: league where the best mouth reading, the best lip reading

1057
00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:28,520
Speaker 1: happened with Jalen Brown and Kaiser Because Jalen Brown, as

1058
00:48:28,320 --> 00:48:32,920
Speaker 1: it's being quoted everywhere, comments about Bronnie not being a pro,

1059
00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,400
Speaker 1: and then they have this discussion. So it is Jalen

1060
00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:40,360
Speaker 1: Brown saying, I don't think Bronnie is going to be

1061
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:43,520
Speaker 1: a pro, and con Drick says, I think he'll be

1062
00:48:43,600 --> 00:48:47,080
Speaker 1: on the G League team for sure, and Jalen says,

1063
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:48,759
Speaker 1: I don't think so, I think because of his name

1064
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:51,879
Speaker 1: he'll be on the Lakers. So he literally doesn't think

1065
00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:53,759
Speaker 1: he'll be a pro, doesn't he can't be a pro.

1066
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:55,880
Speaker 1: And you could see Angel Reese, who is also there,

1067
00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,200
Speaker 1: listening to Jalen Brown when he says I don't think

1068
00:48:58,200 --> 00:48:59,040
Speaker 1: Bronnie is a pro.

1069
00:48:59,440 --> 00:48:59,759
Speaker 3: She not.

1070
00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:01,840
Speaker 1: She gets a little not although she says, I'm not

1071
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:05,120
Speaker 1: taking part of this. But the next part with Jalen

1072
00:49:05,160 --> 00:49:08,759
Speaker 1: Brown actually commenting on this suite was really interesting. He

1073
00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:13,360
Speaker 1: said on a retweet on a re x whatever you

1074
00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,759
Speaker 1: call it, it's a flex to have your son alongside

1075
00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:20,040
Speaker 1: you in the NBA. It reflects greatness and longevity. Bronni

1076
00:49:20,080 --> 00:49:21,920
Speaker 1: has all the tools around him to be successful. I

1077
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,880
Speaker 1: look forward to watching his growth. So he did not

1078
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,040
Speaker 1: take back his statement whatsoever, and I like that about him.

1079
00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:30,359
Speaker 1: He's basically saying this is how I feel, and I

1080
00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:34,200
Speaker 1: can say that because people watching Bronnie James definitely felt

1081
00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:36,200
Speaker 1: that way. I know we had this discussion in Vegas.

1082
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:38,360
Speaker 1: I think it's good for him to go to the

1083
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:41,480
Speaker 1: G League. That's where he belongs. He needs to get better.

1084
00:49:41,600 --> 00:49:45,120
Speaker 1: I think his defense is solid, but obviously his offensive

1085
00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:47,520
Speaker 1: skills can improve a lot, and so that's where he

1086
00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:50,160
Speaker 1: should play. As Kaiser said, I think he's going to

1087
00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:52,640
Speaker 1: be in the CHI League, although Jalen says, nah, I

1088
00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:54,520
Speaker 1: don't know about that. I think his name just makes

1089
00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:56,640
Speaker 1: him a Laker for life. That being said, he can

1090
00:49:56,719 --> 00:49:59,160
Speaker 1: do both. He can play for a few games or

1091
00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:01,719
Speaker 1: be on the band for the Lakers and basically not

1092
00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:06,160
Speaker 1: play and come out with Dad at times like rare situations.

1093
00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:09,120
Speaker 1: I think that's that's what should happen. Anyways.

1094
00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:11,440
Speaker 5: I like how Gellen's defending himself and not just.

1095
00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:15,839
Speaker 1: Saying that that saying yeah, yeah, yeah, I said that.

1096
00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:17,960
Speaker 3: Yeah I said that.

1097
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,400
Speaker 4: And it's hard to argue when you can literally see

1098
00:50:20,560 --> 00:50:22,959
Speaker 4: my lips moving and people are able to read the lips.

1099
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:23,319
Speaker 5: I don't know.

1100
00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:26,000
Speaker 4: You're a pretty good lip reader, actually, and much better

1101
00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:28,360
Speaker 4: than me. I'm always impressed when people are able to

1102
00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:29,600
Speaker 4: figure out what they're saying.

1103
00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:30,800
Speaker 3: But I think you nailed that.

1104
00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:35,280
Speaker 4: They're both right because I think that Bronni will probably

1105
00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:37,839
Speaker 4: start the season with the Lakers. There's already been talk

1106
00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:41,080
Speaker 4: about him playing alongside Lebron during the first week of

1107
00:50:41,120 --> 00:50:43,080
Speaker 4: the season, and then he goes down to the G

1108
00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:48,320
Speaker 4: League to work on his game and hopefully for the Lakers,

1109
00:50:48,400 --> 00:50:53,040
Speaker 4: become a piece that can actually stick around and maybe

1110
00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:56,520
Speaker 4: even get into the rotation in the next couple of years.

1111
00:50:56,560 --> 00:50:58,880
Speaker 4: Because the Lakers are still a team trying to win

1112
00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:01,279
Speaker 4: a championship, right. That means they don't want to rely

1113
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:03,200
Speaker 4: on any second round pick. They don't want to rely

1114
00:51:03,280 --> 00:51:06,839
Speaker 4: on any fifty fifth pick, and clearly Bronni just isn't

1115
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:10,000
Speaker 4: quite ready to be contributing to a team like the Lakers. So,

1116
00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:12,400
Speaker 4: like Kaiser Gondrachek said on Twitter, though I think she

1117
00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:14,120
Speaker 4: may have deleted it already, the G League is a

1118
00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:16,720
Speaker 4: great place to work on your game. You'll get more touches,

1119
00:51:16,719 --> 00:51:19,840
Speaker 4: you'll get more opportunity, You'll have to play defense because

1120
00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:22,280
Speaker 4: that's why coaches are going to put you on the floor.

1121
00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:25,680
Speaker 4: It's a chance for Bronnie to prove that he actually

1122
00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:27,320
Speaker 4: deserves to be in the NBA.

1123
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:30,040
Speaker 3: So, I mean, nobody.

1124
00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,160
Speaker 4: Wants to get sent to the G League, I don't think,

1125
00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:34,360
Speaker 4: but a lot of second round draft picks do.

1126
00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:36,839
Speaker 3: And it's nothing that's a big deal.

1127
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:39,160
Speaker 4: Just go down there, prove that you're good enough to play,

1128
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:40,759
Speaker 4: then come up and be a part of the real team.

1129
00:51:40,960 --> 00:51:43,520
Speaker 1: It is great to go down there and try and

1130
00:51:43,520 --> 00:51:47,880
Speaker 1: make yourselves better. That's exactly what Kaiser Gondrizi was implying,

1131
00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:51,520
Speaker 1: for sure. But they don't have that luxury like NBA

1132
00:51:51,560 --> 00:51:53,279
Speaker 1: players do to be able to go down to a

1133
00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:55,960
Speaker 1: G League team. It is good for them. It was

1134
00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:59,600
Speaker 1: interesting just following along the Summer League in this conversation

1135
00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:03,919
Speaker 1: because it is automatically thought of as a four year

1136
00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:05,759
Speaker 1: contract and Brian James is going to be there for

1137
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:06,320
Speaker 1: four years.

1138
00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:10,120
Speaker 5: It's not all guaranteed. I was surprised to see.

1139
00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:12,320
Speaker 1: That actually after a while that it is only a

1140
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:16,960
Speaker 1: couple of years guaranteed, and so who knows what happens

1141
00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:21,920
Speaker 1: beyond that that it's basically matching. No, it isn't past matching.

1142
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:24,279
Speaker 1: It it lines up with your senior a little bit. Yeah,

1143
00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:28,520
Speaker 1: not completely, but yeah, it's a good thing for Rich

1144
00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:30,800
Speaker 1: Paul to have him signed this type of contract. This

1145
00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:34,680
Speaker 1: is a second round number fifty five pick to get

1146
00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:38,320
Speaker 1: money number one and to get to get this type

1147
00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:43,359
Speaker 1: of G League reps. Beside me, that's that's the important thing.

1148
00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:47,520
Speaker 1: But as you said, late second round picks don't usually

1149
00:52:47,560 --> 00:52:48,200
Speaker 1: help teams.

1150
00:52:48,320 --> 00:52:49,080
Speaker 5: They just do not.

1151
00:52:49,400 --> 00:52:52,640
Speaker 1: Second round picks don't usually help teams. Now, they drafted

1152
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:55,280
Speaker 1: an old connect in the first line in the first

1153
00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:58,759
Speaker 1: rounds as their pick, and he looked good and Summerly's

1154
00:52:59,200 --> 00:53:02,839
Speaker 1: he's just looked solid period. He just looks like he's

1155
00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:05,640
Speaker 1: going to be part of the rotation, so they went

1156
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:08,640
Speaker 1: Old there to help him out. But it is an

1157
00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:12,799
Speaker 1: interesting team because you see guys like Gary Trent. I'm

1158
00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,520
Speaker 1: sure you'll talk about it on Friday's drop, but guys

1159
00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:17,960
Speaker 1: that could have helped the Lakers, yeah in some way,

1160
00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:22,799
Speaker 1: shape or form getting signed somewhere else. So all in all, yeah,

1161
00:53:22,920 --> 00:53:24,960
Speaker 1: I bet it's some sad times, But really I don't

1162
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:26,200
Speaker 1: think Barnie James is gonna be.

1163
00:53:26,239 --> 00:53:28,560
Speaker 5: He ain't starting, he ain't playing a.

1164
00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:30,560
Speaker 1: Ton of minutes on this team. So really it's it's

1165
00:53:30,560 --> 00:53:33,279
Speaker 1: not all that bad anyways. When it all comes down to,

1166
00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:36,040
Speaker 1: is Jalen Brown just comfortable saying stuff like he said

1167
00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:39,080
Speaker 1: about not being on the Olympic team And he said, Nike,

1168
00:53:39,200 --> 00:53:39,600
Speaker 1: what do you do?

1169
00:53:39,640 --> 00:53:40,960
Speaker 5: And I deserve to be on the Olympic team.

1170
00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:42,560
Speaker 1: And he backed that up as well, saying I think

1171
00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:45,480
Speaker 1: Nikki has something to do with it. Anyways, Winning Finals

1172
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:48,600
Speaker 1: MVP gives you lets you do whatever you want.

1173
00:53:48,719 --> 00:53:49,919
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's living his life.

1174
00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:52,560
Speaker 4: He just signed a three hundred million dollar contract in

1175
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:55,919
Speaker 4: one Finals MVP. But my guess is that we don't

1176
00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:58,440
Speaker 4: see a lot of uncovered lips from Jalen Brown when

1177
00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:01,320
Speaker 4: he's sitting courtside anymore. After the way this sput down,

1178
00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:03,839
Speaker 4: I think if I'm the Lakers or a Lakers fan,

1179
00:54:04,239 --> 00:54:07,200
Speaker 4: the only thing I'm really feeling any type of way

1180
00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:09,440
Speaker 4: with Bronnie is that he does take up a roster spot.

1181
00:54:09,600 --> 00:54:11,720
Speaker 3: Gary Trent Junior just went for a veteran minimum.

1182
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:13,879
Speaker 4: He would help a team like the Lakers a lot

1183
00:54:13,920 --> 00:54:15,760
Speaker 4: more than Bronnie is going to help them.

1184
00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:18,520
Speaker 5: Does take a roster spot. That is that is true.

1185
00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:21,279
Speaker 1: It's not a two way contract, which Rich Paula's agent

1186
00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:23,439
Speaker 1: said that ain't happen and we're not doing that.

1187
00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:26,280
Speaker 5: He got a contract, which which is true.

1188
00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:29,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, I wonder if Gary Trent would have been comfortable

1189
00:54:29,719 --> 00:54:33,160
Speaker 1: going to the Lakers or I mean it took for

1190
00:54:33,239 --> 00:54:35,560
Speaker 1: it took a long time here mid July for Gary

1191
00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:37,920
Speaker 1: Trent to be signed, So I wonder, ye what the

1192
00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:38,920
Speaker 1: situation was with the.

1193
00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:40,200
Speaker 3: Lakers there we shall see.

1194
00:54:40,239 --> 00:54:41,719
Speaker 4: I would go down to the Gateway Center arena to

1195
00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:44,560
Speaker 4: see Bronnie playing good point Bronni.

1196
00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:46,200
Speaker 3: Versus Kobe Buffkin.

1197
00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:51,239
Speaker 4: Yeah, exciting times in the A TuS yesterday you talked

1198
00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:54,759
Speaker 4: to Joel about the MLB season, Yeah, about the All

1199
00:54:54,760 --> 00:54:55,239
Speaker 4: Star Game?

1200
00:54:55,480 --> 00:54:56,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, who won?

1201
00:54:56,160 --> 00:54:57,600
Speaker 3: It the Golden Glizzies.

1202
00:54:57,960 --> 00:55:00,960
Speaker 1: That's the Golden Glizzies were absolutely fun to hand out

1203
00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:05,000
Speaker 1: for the first half of MLB because it was it was.

1204
00:55:05,320 --> 00:55:08,799
Speaker 1: It was a legitimately fun first half and it was

1205
00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:10,960
Speaker 1: great to see show I hit a dinger in the

1206
00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:15,080
Speaker 1: All Star Game. Totally fun, it was. It was a

1207
00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:18,359
Speaker 1: good one. The discussion actually after the All Star Game

1208
00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:22,480
Speaker 1: was who has the worst All Star Game? Because it

1209
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,840
Speaker 1: just feels like every like, every every league.

1210
00:55:25,640 --> 00:55:28,799
Speaker 4: Which ta like, which league is the least interesting to

1211
00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:29,200
Speaker 4: watch them?

1212
00:55:29,239 --> 00:55:33,680
Speaker 1: I guess yeah, because league wide, just sports wide. Yeah,

1213
00:55:33,719 --> 00:55:36,480
Speaker 1: whether it's NFL the most popular or in North America

1214
00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:39,359
Speaker 1: for sure, or whether it's the NBA or whether it's

1215
00:55:39,600 --> 00:55:43,680
Speaker 1: MLB or NHL. I love the Skills Contest, but you know,

1216
00:55:44,040 --> 00:55:47,200
Speaker 1: it's the same goes for NBA. I love the Saturday

1217
00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:50,439
Speaker 1: Night not the skills Contest, but the Dunk contest, Dunk

1218
00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:53,160
Speaker 1: Contest and the three point Contest. I like the surrounding

1219
00:55:53,160 --> 00:55:58,840
Speaker 1: events the NFL. I mean, they play like dodgeball or something.

1220
00:55:58,880 --> 00:56:01,080
Speaker 1: They play some weird stuff, and those are those are

1221
00:56:01,120 --> 00:56:04,040
Speaker 1: the more fun things when it comes to these sports.

1222
00:56:04,080 --> 00:56:06,719
Speaker 1: But I still to think MLB is is running it

1223
00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:10,040
Speaker 1: just because you have to play similarly, they don't play

1224
00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:14,080
Speaker 1: I guess as hard like they're not stealing bases, but

1225
00:56:14,160 --> 00:56:16,239
Speaker 1: I don't know. I like I like the uniforms. There's

1226
00:56:16,239 --> 00:56:18,160
Speaker 1: also debate about that. People are saying, oh, you like

1227
00:56:18,200 --> 00:56:18,600
Speaker 1: those ones.

1228
00:56:18,640 --> 00:56:19,239
Speaker 5: Yeah, I like them.

1229
00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:22,080
Speaker 3: Loud, kind of old timey looking brownies.

1230
00:56:22,320 --> 00:56:24,400
Speaker 5: I think you throw the hat on. It's a combo.

1231
00:56:24,520 --> 00:56:25,480
Speaker 5: It's a combo of the hat.

1232
00:56:25,560 --> 00:56:30,120
Speaker 1: Hat looks fairly new, Jersey's fairly old. So it's like

1233
00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:33,799
Speaker 1: old guy, young guy, the old guy down low, young

1234
00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:37,000
Speaker 1: guy up top. That's what they should have called them.

1235
00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:41,320
Speaker 1: They would have sold. No, I'm not I'm not getting

1236
00:56:41,320 --> 00:56:42,880
Speaker 1: physical here. We're not talking.

1237
00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:51,360
Speaker 6: About just do it. Funny what you decided NFL worst

1238
00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:53,880
Speaker 6: All Star game. They don't even play their sport anymore.

1239
00:56:54,480 --> 00:56:56,280
Speaker 6: They play whatever they play flag football?

1240
00:56:56,320 --> 00:56:56,719
Speaker 5: Is that right?

1241
00:56:56,960 --> 00:56:59,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, they played flag football exactly. There's they don't want

1242
00:56:59,960 --> 00:57:01,600
Speaker 1: to get injured, is what it comes down to. The

1243
00:57:01,719 --> 00:57:04,080
Speaker 1: NFL says, hey, we're popular enough, we don't need to

1244
00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:06,319
Speaker 1: have an All Star game, an actual also game.

1245
00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:07,880
Speaker 3: It's after the season.

1246
00:57:08,200 --> 00:57:09,000
Speaker 5: Yeah, weird.

1247
00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:12,160
Speaker 3: I guess in between the end of the season.

1248
00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:17,560
Speaker 5: Right, it's in between the super Bowl and all the playoffs. Yeah,

1249
00:57:17,080 --> 00:57:18,560
Speaker 5: that's weird.

1250
00:57:19,360 --> 00:57:21,320
Speaker 4: Making me feel good about the NBA though we have

1251
00:57:21,440 --> 00:57:24,360
Speaker 4: it during the season, were so exciting.

1252
00:57:24,120 --> 00:57:28,960
Speaker 5: And we sure do. Yeah, we can all improve. I

1253
00:57:29,000 --> 00:57:30,320
Speaker 5: mean we brought it up here.

1254
00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:34,200
Speaker 1: We're talking about Sabrina with Sabrina about the team w

1255
00:57:34,400 --> 00:57:37,800
Speaker 1: NBA versus the Olympians. Now, it doesn't work for every season.

1256
00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:40,480
Speaker 1: They don't do that in a w NBA every season.

1257
00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:43,880
Speaker 1: They do it every four years. Now when it lines up,

1258
00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:49,400
Speaker 1: I wonder if the NBA can capitalize on that somehow, somehow.

1259
00:57:49,800 --> 00:57:50,720
Speaker 5: It just it's tough.

1260
00:57:50,760 --> 00:57:55,360
Speaker 1: But even the discussion we've had before about North America

1261
00:57:55,440 --> 00:58:00,680
Speaker 1: versus the world or US versus the world, Yeah, it's

1262
00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:02,360
Speaker 1: US versus the world because Canda would be on the

1263
00:58:02,400 --> 00:58:04,520
Speaker 1: opposing team and would be freaking awesome.

1264
00:58:04,680 --> 00:58:04,919
Speaker 3: Yeah.

1265
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:07,200
Speaker 1: That seems to be the way we can make the

1266
00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:09,360
Speaker 1: NBA All Star Game good again.

1267
00:58:10,160 --> 00:58:13,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe that would work. Paul Skenes, that guy's pretty good.

1268
00:58:13,560 --> 00:58:14,040
Speaker 5: He's awesome.

1269
00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:17,600
Speaker 4: Flame thrower. Flame thrower al won the All Star Game. Yeah,

1270
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:20,960
Speaker 4: I saw so great stuff for the Chicago White Sox.

1271
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:25,400
Speaker 1: They keep running Itales. The ale is good. Yeah, the

1272
00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:26,960
Speaker 1: White Sox don't. Well, have got a lot of good things.

1273
00:58:27,040 --> 00:58:28,560
Speaker 4: You don't think they're going to the World Series. Ill

1274
00:58:28,600 --> 00:58:30,080
Speaker 4: at home a little advantage.

1275
00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:31,680
Speaker 5: You never know what could happen in the second half.

1276
00:58:32,080 --> 00:58:32,480
Speaker 3: Turn it on.

1277
00:58:32,680 --> 00:58:34,800
Speaker 1: Yeah they're bad, They're very, very bad. But the AL

1278
00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:38,840
Speaker 1: is just running the show that keep winning. Although yeah,

1279
00:58:38,880 --> 00:58:42,479
Speaker 1: I think it is funny. Yeah, the All Star Game

1280
00:58:42,520 --> 00:58:44,800
Speaker 1: in every sport is just not like it's just name

1281
00:58:44,880 --> 00:58:47,040
Speaker 1: what it used to be. The show hay thing, show

1282
00:58:47,080 --> 00:58:49,560
Speaker 1: hay thing in from the National League, even though they

1283
00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:51,520
Speaker 1: didn't win, was the thing that stood out to me.

1284
00:58:52,040 --> 00:58:52,720
Speaker 5: Hitting a dinger.

1285
00:58:52,800 --> 00:58:56,400
Speaker 4: That's fun, hitting the ding dong. Yeah, so that's no

1286
00:58:56,560 --> 00:59:00,360
Speaker 4: bunch yesterday. Yes, talk with Sabrina today, great stuff. Thank

1287
00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:02,919
Speaker 4: you so much to her for coming on. We will

1288
00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:06,080
Speaker 4: be back on Friday with the drop to talk about

1289
00:59:06,240 --> 00:59:09,520
Speaker 4: some NBA stuff. Ain't a lot going on right now,

1290
00:59:09,600 --> 00:59:12,160
Speaker 4: Tess Matas Buzzellis is dominating Summer League.

1291
00:59:12,160 --> 00:59:13,840
Speaker 3: Love to see that, but otherwise it's.

1292
00:59:13,640 --> 00:59:16,000
Speaker 4: Like we might be doing forty five minutes on Gary

1293
00:59:16,040 --> 00:59:17,840
Speaker 4: Trent Junior going to the Bucks.

1294
00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:19,240
Speaker 3: Is he's the new Malik Beasley.

1295
00:59:19,280 --> 00:59:24,240
Speaker 4: People are saying tune in Friday to find out Brus

1296
00:59:24,520 --> 00:59:25,480
Speaker 4: you heard it here first.

1297
00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:29,000
Speaker 2: Have a great time, turn up, Love you guys, awesome.

1298
00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:29,880
Speaker 5: Thanks for joining us.

1299
00:59:29,920 --> 00:59:34,280
Speaker 1: And remember the thing that Asia Wilson and Angel Rees

1300
00:59:34,360 --> 00:59:40,360
Speaker 1: were on their legs. It's called a leg sleeve, but

1301
00:59:40,600 --> 00:59:46,000
Speaker 1: I like your suggestion a pant leg pant or what.

1302
00:59:45,920 --> 00:59:47,520
Speaker 5: Do you wear? What are you wear on your arm?

1303
00:59:47,680 --> 00:59:49,760
Speaker 1: I guess it's a sleep that's so so. That's weird

1304
00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:52,680
Speaker 1: too too, because it's like a tight It's like it

1305
00:59:52,720 --> 00:59:55,760
Speaker 1: goes back to Allan Iverson, like what does that think?

1306
00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:57,560
Speaker 3: It's just a guess.

1307
00:59:57,600 --> 01:00:00,480
Speaker 4: He's a fabric on your Yeah, the panel that doesn't

1308
01:00:00,520 --> 01:00:03,160
Speaker 4: scratch you. That's why Ray Allen said he wore one.

1309
01:00:03,200 --> 01:00:03,640
Speaker 5: At least.

1310
01:00:05,560 --> 01:00:07,720
Speaker 3: Embrace the leg sleeves. Embrace the w