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Speaker 1: Levels To.

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Speaker 2: This is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with

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Speaker 2: Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on

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Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Speaker 3: What's up, everybody, it's your girl. To Rika Foster Brasby.

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Speaker 2: What's up, y'all, it's your girls, Cheryl swooped.

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Speaker 3: So we have Salma breaking news, and that is that

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Speaker 3: the Connecticut Sun franchise.

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Speaker 4: Is being sold to the Houston Rockets.

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Speaker 3: That's right, the Connecticut Son will be moving and relocating

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Speaker 3: to Houston.

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Speaker 4: And now I'm going to be out of a job.

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Speaker 4: I did not deep straight pase. Oh my god.

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Speaker 2: I didn't know to laugh or I didn't know what

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Speaker 2: to do there, Tea, It's just please laugh, please laugh,

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Speaker 2: please laugh. It's okay, it's all right. No, you know

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Speaker 2: what's funny. I see you got that jersey on. I

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Speaker 2: literally almost put all my comments jersey. But in a way,

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Speaker 2: in a way, it would have worked.

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Speaker 4: Too soon. I was like, too soon, too soon.

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Speaker 3: This is a very very special edition of Levels To

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Speaker 3: this podcast because we have a very special guest that

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Speaker 3: is going to take us through some news that was

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Speaker 3: just recently released from the Connecticut Sun and the Mohegan Tribe,

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Speaker 3: and so joining us today is none other than Connecticut

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Speaker 3: Son team president, former w NBA player, two time WNBA

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Speaker 3: champion Jen Rossotti.

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Speaker 4: So, hijen, thank you for joining us.

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Speaker 5: Good morning everybody, Hi Jen Hawhi Cheryl. Yeah, I'm doing

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Speaker 5: all right, hanging in there.

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Speaker 4: Gen. Last time you were on.

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Speaker 2: Here, Tarka asked you for some dirt on me, and

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Speaker 2: so I'm gonna say, Tea, there's still no dirt on me.

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Speaker 4: I was like, there's still I beat you to it.

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Speaker 1: I beat you to it in my head.

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Speaker 3: In my head, I was like, for confessing stuff today,

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Speaker 3: it's still time.

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Speaker 5: Oh no, it's there's no dirt that I can say

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Speaker 5: publicly on Sheryl. So but you know, maybe you know

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Speaker 5: some some other time over cocktail, Tarrico, we can talk about.

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Speaker 1: As long as I'm having a cocktail with me.

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Speaker 2: Okay, fair, Fair, you remember and did talk about us

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Speaker 2: going shopping, talking about.

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Speaker 4: And I've never forgotten and now I can't see.

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Speaker 5: Bags and bags, bags.

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Speaker 4: So on brand, so on brand.

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Speaker 3: Well, those memories took place when both of you were

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Speaker 3: members of the Houston Comments, and here it is today

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Speaker 3: that we've learned that the Connecticut Sun has been sold

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Speaker 3: to the Houston Rockets and we'll be relocating.

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Speaker 4: To Houston after this season. And so.

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Speaker 3: Let's just you know, first, I know there are some

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Speaker 3: who will be incredibly excited, but I know there will

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Speaker 3: also be some who are incredibly heartbroken, and so I

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Speaker 3: just want to start, you know, with from your seed

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Speaker 3: as team president, what was your initial reaction when this

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Speaker 3: deal came together and were you at all involved in

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Speaker 3: the process.

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Speaker 5: You know, this didn't start yesterday. This is something that

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Speaker 5: started a long time ago. The catalyst of it was

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Speaker 5: just the idea that everybody's building practice facilities and investing

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Speaker 5: in teams at a higher level. And you know, the

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Speaker 5: Mohegan leadership deciding that they needed to investigate some pass

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Speaker 5: forward and explore all opportunities for investment in the team,

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Speaker 5: and that included keeping the team in Connecticut. I think

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Speaker 5: ultimately they made this strategic decision to sell the team,

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Speaker 5: and this is the path that they chose to sell

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Speaker 5: to Houston. And so I was involved at certain points

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Speaker 5: along the way, and I have mixed emotions about it,

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Speaker 5: but I think ultimately it's a test to where the

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Speaker 5: WNBA is right now, and this period of growth that

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Speaker 5: we're seeing that there's a lot of people interested in

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Speaker 5: investing in WNBA franchises and on the heels of a

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Speaker 5: transformational collective bargaining agreement. You know, we're in a whole,

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Speaker 5: entirely different error than we've ever been before, and especially

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Speaker 5: a different error than when Cheryl and I.

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Speaker 1: Played a long time ago. All good, all good things. Yes, yes,

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Speaker 1: of course, so listen.

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Speaker 2: Yes, there is a part of me that is ecstatic

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Speaker 2: that this is happening because you played here, we played together.

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Speaker 1: You know, Houston's a great sports city.

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Speaker 2: The Comets fans back in the day were, in opinions,

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Speaker 2: some of the best, the best around the league. And

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Speaker 2: then there's a part of me that's sad for Connecticut,

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Speaker 2: for you guys, right, for staff, for players, and in

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Speaker 2: thinking about the players in your staff. As leader of

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Speaker 2: the organization, how are you communicating this transition to the

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Speaker 2: players and staff.

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Speaker 5: My goal through all of this has just been to

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Speaker 5: be as honest and transparent as I can at the

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Speaker 5: appropriate times.

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Speaker 4: Right.

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Speaker 5: I think there's a lot of news that had been

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Speaker 5: swirling throughout even the middle of last summer about the

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Speaker 5: team getting potentially sold and a lot of rumors around

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Speaker 5: what was going on, and I feel like just being

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Speaker 5: able to tell my staff and team like, this is

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Speaker 5: what I do know, right, and you'll be the first

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Speaker 5: to know as soon as I can share more with you,

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Speaker 5: and then ultimately feeling very responsible for the transition, right,

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Speaker 5: we want this season to mean something in twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 5: There's a lot of people that want to stay and

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Speaker 5: be a part of this unique opportunity and special opportunity.

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Speaker 5: But at the same time, you know, there's a lot

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Speaker 5: of people whose lives are going to be affected by

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Speaker 5: this transition and this decision. And so I've been honest

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Speaker 5: that I will do what I can to make sure

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Speaker 5: that conversations are being had that are fair and will

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Speaker 5: ease some of that anxiety and stress so that our

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Speaker 5: team and our players and our staff can focus on

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Speaker 5: this last season in Connecticut, because we do want to

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Speaker 5: make it memorable. We do want to showcase and highlight

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Speaker 5: everything that the Connecticut Sun has meant to the WNBA

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Speaker 5: while still in the same breath, you know, being excited,

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Speaker 5: because as you said, Cheryl, I think we were spoiled

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Speaker 5: right in those early days of the WNBA. When I

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Speaker 5: think about even some of the crowds that I saw

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Speaker 5: five years ago when I started this job. I think

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Speaker 5: back to the Houston comments and I'm like, we sold

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Speaker 5: out that place even on the road, Like we sold

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Speaker 5: out arenas when we traveled because people wanted to see

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Speaker 5: you play and see Tina and Cynthia play and see

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Speaker 5: this WNBA championship level team. So we were spoiled and

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Speaker 5: so I know what that market will do to embrace

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Speaker 5: this franchise.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, there's some sadness, and I know it's hard for.

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Speaker 5: A lot of people here in New England to know

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Speaker 5: that they're going to be losing a team that they've

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Speaker 5: loved for so long.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I it's it's interesting because you want to be

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Speaker 3: happy for the growth of the WA. I want to

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Speaker 3: see more teams expand I'd love for you to expand

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Speaker 3: more if you could. About what do you think this

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Speaker 3: means for the WA or what does this say about

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Speaker 3: the WNBA going forward? There are a lot of NBA

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Speaker 3: teams now that it feels like has interest in either

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Speaker 3: acquiring or starting to expand your WNBA presence.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's funny.

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Speaker 5: It's like we've come full circle, right the league started

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Speaker 5: with all NBA what I want to make sure I

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Speaker 5: highlight is that the Mohegan Tribe was the first independently

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Speaker 5: owned WNBA teams. So when the franchise in Orlando was fledgling, floundering,

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Speaker 5: the WNBA called the Tribe and asked them to purchase it.

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Speaker 5: And so this league owes a lot to individuals who

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Speaker 5: decided to purchase teams like Michael Alter in Chicago and

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Speaker 5: Jenny Gilder in Seattle and the Tribe here in Connecticut.

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Speaker 1: They're the reason that the WNBA has continued to.

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Speaker 5: Exist for thirty years going on our thirtieth anniversary here,

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Speaker 5: and they deserve a lot of credit because they were

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Speaker 5: at the forefront of making sure that they invested in

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Speaker 5: these teams for the right reasons. Right they did that

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Speaker 5: twenty five to thirty years ago because it was important

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Speaker 5: to them to have a professional women's basketball league in

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Speaker 5: the United States. And so I would be remiss if

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Speaker 5: I didn't highlight the fact that the Tribe was at

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Speaker 5: They were at the forefront of investing, They were at

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Speaker 5: the forefront of building facilities and having a professional arena

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Speaker 5: for these women to play in and building a fan

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Speaker 5: base that became a model for WNBA franchises across the country,

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Speaker 5: so we owe a lot to these individuals that have

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Speaker 5: invested over decades for the team. At the same time,

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Speaker 5: I think there's more alignment now to going back to

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Speaker 5: a model where we're potentially sharing those resources again and

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Speaker 5: those facilities and those investment opportunities with NBA owners, and

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Speaker 5: I think that's only can be a positive thing. So again,

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Speaker 5: you can highlight the importance of these individual owned teams

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Speaker 5: while at the same time understanding that this can be

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Speaker 5: a positive sign moving forward. And what it means is

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Speaker 5: that we are in a growth period at the WNBA

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Speaker 5: and that we are We're seeing more and more not

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Speaker 5: just NBA owners, but owners in general that want to invest,

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Speaker 5: that want to be a part of this, that want

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Speaker 5: to take advantage of this momentum. And that's why we're

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Speaker 5: able to move into this period where players can get

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Speaker 5: paid more, where there's minimum standards for facilities, and we

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Speaker 5: can start talking about players getting what they deserve. And

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Speaker 5: that's a good thing, right, So you can look at

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Speaker 5: both of those things in parallel ways and say this

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Speaker 5: is good for the league, while it's also sad, but

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Speaker 5: let's celebrate. Let's celebrate the tribe and make sure that

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Speaker 5: they get their due when it comes to the fact

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Speaker 5: that they were there when nobody else wanted a team

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Speaker 5: and it wasn't popular. It wasn't popular, and teams were

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Speaker 5: folding like the Comets and like the Cleveland Rockers when

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Speaker 5: I was playing for them, and there was the Tribe

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Speaker 5: picking up a franchise, lifting it up and making sure

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Speaker 5: that it was here for this moment thirty years later

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Speaker 5: to be able to be sold back to an NBA franchise.

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Speaker 2: I think that is so important, Jim, that you mentioned that.

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Speaker 2: I will say this as a former player who got

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Speaker 2: an opportunity to play in Connecticut.

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Speaker 4: Like just to be there in the facility.

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Speaker 2: I loved everything about Mohegan Sun, and I think it's

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Speaker 2: important that people hear that from you and understand that

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Speaker 2: the Tribe did a phenomenal job of just supporting not

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Speaker 2: only the team, but supporting the league and to your point,

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Speaker 2: stepping up when nobody else thought it was right when

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Speaker 2: people didn't want anything to do with the WNBA because

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Speaker 2: it was women's basketball, and the Tribe was like, oh, no,

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Speaker 2: we see it, we get it. So I want to

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Speaker 2: say thank you, and I know it's a bittersweet moment,

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Speaker 2: but I also think it does just credit far we've

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Speaker 2: come and where this league is right now and where

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Speaker 2: we're headed. So when you think about the transition of

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Speaker 2: the sun come into Houston in free agency? Right, yeah,

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Speaker 2: how does this move impact like your approach to free

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Speaker 2: agency in.

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Speaker 1: Is there any conversation.

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Speaker 2: Or talk at all with Houston whoever that person when

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Speaker 2: it comes to free agency?

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Speaker 5: I mean, this obviously is super fresh, so we'll know

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Speaker 5: a lot more as these weeks go by, and as

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Speaker 5: you all both know, like free agency, it's going to

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Speaker 5: be like speed dating this year right onto the next.

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Speaker 4: Right.

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Speaker 5: You know what I will say is I do think

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Speaker 5: that this news it was important to have happened before

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Speaker 5: free agency because no matter what Morgan Tuck my GM

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Speaker 5: decides to do, that being able to communicate to anybody

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Speaker 5: that signs multi year contracts that this would be the

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Speaker 5: last year they play in Connecticut before moving to a

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Speaker 5: new city, that's important, Right.

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Speaker 1: We don't want to start.

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Speaker 5: This new chapter with any without the ability to be honest.

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Speaker 5: And I think that like for any player, like location

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Speaker 5: could move the needle. We've had players that have wanted

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Speaker 5: to come to Connecticut for particular reasons. We've had players

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Speaker 5: not want to come to Connecticut because it's a small market.

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Speaker 5: So we've seen both sides of that, Like we've built

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Speaker 5: MVPs here, you know, we've built Olympians here in Connecticut.

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Speaker 5: So there's a lot of players that have appreciated being

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Speaker 5: in this market and being able to build their career

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Speaker 5: at Connecticut. At the same time, there's players that want

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Speaker 5: to be in bigger markets or players that want to

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Speaker 5: be in a market that's associated with an NBA team.

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Speaker 5: So I think we'll see like the gamut of that, right,

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Speaker 5: we'll see that there'll be more interest in some ways

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Speaker 5: and maybe less interest in other ways, but it will

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Speaker 5: be a factor, is my guess. I think most importantly

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Speaker 5: what Morgan has done is just built a really solid foundation.

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Speaker 5: She's hired the right people, She's drafted the right people

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Speaker 5: in prior years. We've built a strong foundation and a

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Speaker 5: young core to build off of, and so we just

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Speaker 5: want we just more importantly want people who will will

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Speaker 5: fit around that core right and be able to build

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Speaker 5: for the future. You know, like championship teams aren't built

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Speaker 5: overnight unless you're the Houston Comments and you get to

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Speaker 5: like you know, get Cheryl swoops the center team and

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Speaker 5: then Thompson drafted. You know, they're built overnight in that case,

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Speaker 5: but nowadays it takes some time, and I think we're building.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we're building the right way.

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Speaker 5: And I'm proud that Morgan's had a lot of adversity

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Speaker 5: in her time as the gym here with our entire

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Speaker 5: roster you know, overturned last year, and now she's got

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Speaker 5: to deal with this move, and there's no better person

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Speaker 5: to handle it than her. So I have full confidence

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Speaker 5: that she's going to have a great couple of weeks

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Speaker 5: and and we'll make the right moves to set us

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Speaker 5: up to be successful here in the last year.

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Speaker 1: But also in the future.

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Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, Yeah.

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Speaker 3: The CBA be announced earlier this month, does that play

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Speaker 3: a role or did that play a role in when

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Speaker 3: this announcement of the team sale would happen?

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Speaker 5: You know, those are a little bit above my pay,

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Speaker 5: great kind of question, you know, like, I'm sure there

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Speaker 5: was some consideration to the fact that there was a

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Speaker 5: lot going on at the league level. These transactions don't

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Speaker 5: happen in a silo. Obviously, there needs to be bored

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Speaker 5: approval on terms and whatnot, and lawyer and involvement, and

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Speaker 5: there's obviously been a lot of busyness at the league

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Speaker 5: level for obvious reasons. I'm sure that the conversations have

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Speaker 5: been going on for a while. I don't know what

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Speaker 5: prompted the timing of this, other than that they knew

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Speaker 5: it had to happen prior to the start of the season.

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Speaker 1: As big a news as.

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Speaker 5: This is, it allows us to turn our attention to

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Speaker 5: what I think is most important, and that is the

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Speaker 5: twenty twenty sixth season. And we've been told now for

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Speaker 5: a while that we will be playing our season here,

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Speaker 5: and so we didn't know what was happening, but we

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Speaker 5: knew that we had to make the season special, whether

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Speaker 5: we were staying or we were going to be leaving.

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Speaker 5: And so for us, the focus is how do we

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Speaker 5: make sure we celebrate our fans, how do we honor

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Speaker 5: our history, how do we create a legacy so that

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Speaker 5: when this final chapter closes, nobody will forget the impact

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Speaker 5: that the Connecticut Sun has made in this community.

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Speaker 3: Connecticut fans are some of the most loyal fans in sports,

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Speaker 3: and again I know that some of them are going

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Speaker 3: to be incredibly heartbroken. I come across season ticket holders

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Speaker 3: in Walmart that want to stop and talk to me

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Speaker 3: about sun Basketball in the middle of the aisle. But

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Speaker 3: as now you mentioned being the faith, Like, how do

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Speaker 3: you acknowledge to the fans this loss, because that's what

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Speaker 3: it feels like to them.

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Speaker 4: What should the message be to them?

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Speaker 5: The message is just about gratitude more than anything, and

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Speaker 5: that this season does matter. I think that's where, like

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Speaker 5: I tend to get emotional, right when you ask about

302
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Speaker 5: my staff, right, and how both the behind the scenes

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Speaker 5: staff and the fans have poured into it, and not just

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Speaker 5: my current staff, but staff's for twenty three years, right,

305
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Speaker 5: the people who built this organization behind the scenes. When

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Speaker 5: you think about the fact that for them it is

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Speaker 5: a loss, right, that's where the emotions come in, that

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Speaker 5: mixed emotions where you can still be excited for the

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Speaker 5: future of the WNBA well having empathy for the people

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Speaker 5: who have poured into this. And I want our fans

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Speaker 5: to know that they matter. I want the fans to

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Speaker 5: know that the season matters, that they're the reason they

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Speaker 5: have lifted up this franchise for twenty three years, and

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Speaker 5: we're going to make sure we honor that in our

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Speaker 5: twenty fourth season. We'll have to accelerate maybe some of

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Speaker 5: our celebrations when it comes to honoring legends of the

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Speaker 5: Connecticut Sun because we won't have this arena to do

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Speaker 5: that in in years to come. We will be making

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Speaker 5: sure we're inviting all Connecticut samalum back to be a

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Speaker 5: part of this and culminating into a homecoming game at

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Speaker 5: the end of the season. We're going to have special

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Speaker 5: season ticket member events and fan activations so that our

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Speaker 5: fans can make sure that they get to celebrate the

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Speaker 5: way that they deserve while also feeling emotional about the

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Speaker 5: team leaving after the season. So I just want again,

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Speaker 5: I just want to say thank you. I want to

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Speaker 5: say thank you to the people who have made the

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Speaker 5: special organization that it is that have I think people

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Speaker 5: don't realize the level of excellence when I start to

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Speaker 5: go back and look at these teams that competed back

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Speaker 5: in two thousand and five and six in the NWNBA Championship,

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Speaker 5: I don't think people realize this sustained level of excellence

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Speaker 5: that this team has brought to not just on the court,

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Speaker 5: but off the court endeavors throughout the history of this league.

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Speaker 5: And we're going to make sure that we don't forget

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Speaker 5: to honor all of that in our last season here

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Speaker 5: in Connecticut.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I love that.

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Speaker 2: I didn't play for the Sun, but I play against

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Speaker 2: the Sun.

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Speaker 1: I need an invitation to a game this season.

342
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Speaker 4: I'm coming.

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Speaker 1: Don't be wearing your don't be wearing your Houston jersey

344
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Speaker 1: up here. I'm going to go get all my shit

345
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Speaker 1: ready right now.

346
00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,399
Speaker 5: No better be buying a Connecticut Sun jersey and making

347
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Speaker 5: sure you represent us here. Okay, then you can bring

348
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Speaker 5: then you can bring all that other stuff.

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Speaker 4: I am.

350
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Speaker 2: You know, there's a part of me again that's like, damn,

351
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Speaker 2: I really hate this for the community.

352
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Speaker 4: But I'm going to be very honest with you.

353
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Speaker 1: I am ecstatic.

354
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Speaker 2: I'm like, if any team deserves an their WNBA team,

355
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Speaker 2: it's Houston. And I couldn't be more excited about the move.

356
00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:11,640
Speaker 2: I mean, you played here wan a championship here, You

357
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:17,520
Speaker 2: understand the city, the community, You were a foundational player

358
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Speaker 2: in building the league in the history here with the comments.

359
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,960
Speaker 2: When you think about the move, right the team moving

360
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:32,080
Speaker 2: to Houston and understanding like the standards and everything that

361
00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:36,560
Speaker 2: we did here, how does this move resonate with you?

362
00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:42,119
Speaker 2: And if you had to sit with the players and say, listen,

363
00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,800
Speaker 2: let me tell you what Houston's about. Like, what would

364
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:50,880
Speaker 2: you say to the players.

365
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Speaker 5: Well, I would tell them that they're really lucky that

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Speaker 5: they got to play in a state that adores women's basketball.

367
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Speaker 5: For some of them, they started their career in Connecticut,

368
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Speaker 5: who has a fan base that is knowledgeable and passionate

369
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,639
Speaker 5: and pours into their players right, and that they're also

370
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Speaker 5: lucky that they get to move to a market where

371
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Speaker 5: they're going to experience the same thing. I think that

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Speaker 5: that's important for them to again appreciate and have gratitude

373
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Speaker 5: for their present and past situation while also having excitement

374
00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,359
Speaker 5: for their future situation. I think our players have enough

375
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Speaker 5: emotional intelligence to know that our fans are going to

376
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Speaker 5: be heartbroken, and they're they're going to give back to

377
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,439
Speaker 5: them every day they step on that court with how

378
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,199
Speaker 5: they play and how they engage and the product that

379
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Speaker 5: they put on the floor. And I think they're also

380
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Speaker 5: going to be excited for a new chapter. I mean,

381
00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,879
Speaker 5: these women have earned the honor of being on a roster,

382
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,919
Speaker 5: which is hard. You know how hard it is to

383
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,760
Speaker 5: make a WNBA team, So the fact that they get

384
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,439
Speaker 5: to do it in a special market here in Connecticut

385
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:56,280
Speaker 5: and get to move to an additional special market in Houston.

386
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Speaker 5: I think not everybody gets a chance to experience that.

387
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Speaker 5: You know, also say that I would hope the Houston

388
00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,280
Speaker 5: fans would be a little patient, right. They're also used

389
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,399
Speaker 5: to a level at the beginning of the Commets tenure

390
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,199
Speaker 5: there of WNBA championships, and it's hard to win a

391
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:11,359
Speaker 5: WNBA championship.

392
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Speaker 1: I don't think they.

393
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Speaker 5: Realize how hard it is to do what you did,

394
00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,040
Speaker 5: shayl Right, to win four in a row.

395
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:18,080
Speaker 4: But I will.

396
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Speaker 1: I know, but I think that exactly.

397
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Speaker 5: But the expectation, you know, of the Rockets franchise and

398
00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,359
Speaker 5: my expectation of what will be for the new Houston

399
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,399
Speaker 5: WNBA franchise is, Hey, we're building for a championship. This

400
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:33,960
Speaker 5: is a championship level city and this is the expectation,

401
00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,040
Speaker 5: just like it is here. And maybe we never hung

402
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,720
Speaker 5: that banner in Connecticut, but the expectation was always to

403
00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,840
Speaker 5: be the best. When we measure our level of success,

404
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,119
Speaker 5: I would say, you know what, we checked off all

405
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,080
Speaker 5: the boxes. We played the right way, we appreciated our fans,

406
00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,959
Speaker 5: we gave back to our community, and not winning a

407
00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 5: WNBA championship does not define this era of basketball because

408
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,960
Speaker 5: it was a sixths by every definition of the word.

409
00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:06,159
Speaker 4: Well absolutely well said, very well said the way that

410
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:07,360
Speaker 4: we're seeing the league row.

411
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Speaker 3: Do you think at some point New England fans will

412
00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:12,840
Speaker 3: once again have women's basketball professionally?

413
00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,800
Speaker 4: And I don't mean you because they play Afion.

414
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Speaker 5: It's hard because I don't know if I can answer

415
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,560
Speaker 5: like whether it will, but I can tell you they

416
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,600
Speaker 5: deserve it, right. If there's any fan base that deserves

417
00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,080
Speaker 5: a WNBA team, it's the New England fan base. And

418
00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:31,560
Speaker 5: we prove that by selling out TD Garden two consecutive

419
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,040
Speaker 5: years and hopefully again this year. We prove that that

420
00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,720
Speaker 5: this region, that the state, this New England region, can

421
00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,600
Speaker 5: stand up a WNBA franchise. And there's a lot of

422
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,679
Speaker 5: markets that deserve WNBA teams, and so it's exciting to

423
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,080
Speaker 5: know that we're expanding from twelve back in twenty twenty

424
00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,600
Speaker 5: three to now and by twenty thirty we're gonna have

425
00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,000
Speaker 5: eighteen teams. And I hope that what that's proving is

426
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,119
Speaker 5: that we can continue to expand in the future and

427
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,280
Speaker 5: that one day there will be a franchise back here

428
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,960
Speaker 5: in the New England region right to think, to think

429
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,840
Speaker 5: that we started with eight I know, I know here

430
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:06,560
Speaker 5: we are.

431
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:11,360
Speaker 4: It's crazy grown. Yeah, well, thank you so much for

432
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 4: sharing this with this ship.

433
00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:17,800
Speaker 3: Also, if y'all got jobs for your girl LinkedIn because

434
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,240
Speaker 3: believing me, I'm an unflement lad is well not till

435
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,320
Speaker 3: after a October though she's under contract until October.

436
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,360
Speaker 1: Girls, so don't even try to be sailing you put

437
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,080
Speaker 1: that in that I'm under contract.

438
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,040
Speaker 5: Thank you, Thank you, jam you share the story and

439
00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,120
Speaker 5: show my appreciation for everybody that's been involved in this franchise.

440
00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,560
Speaker 5: It means a lot that that we get to make

441
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,480
Speaker 5: sure we celebrate and do this the right way for sure.

442
00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:43,440
Speaker 4: Thank you for sharing.

443
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,760
Speaker 5: And I am coming to a game all right, all right,

444
00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:47,280
Speaker 5: anytime you got it?

445
00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:48,800
Speaker 1: Thank you Jay, thank you.

446
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000
Speaker 4: Well, guys, it's been fun. It's been real.

447
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 3: I don't know, like a part of me is very

448
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,919
Speaker 3: happy that the wa continues to move and expand, but

449
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,000
Speaker 3: the other part of me is like, wow, you know,

450
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,000
Speaker 3: I grew up a Detroit Shock fan, but being in Connecticut,

451
00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:21,560
Speaker 3: I really came to love this Connecticut Son team, the players,

452
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,400
Speaker 3: the staff, the people who work in Mohican Sun arena,

453
00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:26,880
Speaker 3: just the front office.

454
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,000
Speaker 4: I mean the Connecticut son was.

455
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:33,639
Speaker 3: Where I got my first sideline Wow, Like I have

456
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,600
Speaker 3: been wanting, wanting, wanting me to be a sideline reporter

457
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:41,000
Speaker 3: forever and doing little things here and there. And Amy

458
00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:45,000
Speaker 3: Sheer was the vice president at the time, and she said, Tarika,

459
00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:46,240
Speaker 3: you do so much for us.

460
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,240
Speaker 4: You in arena, host for us, You show up for

461
00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:49,159
Speaker 4: us when we need you to.

462
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,240
Speaker 3: We have a sideline reporter position, and I want to

463
00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,240
Speaker 3: elevate young women who want to be in this business.

464
00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,639
Speaker 4: Would you be open to be an our sideline reporter?

465
00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,960
Speaker 4: And that was like wow, wow, what? So this really

466
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,199
Speaker 4: does mean a lot to me.

467
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,040
Speaker 3: To this season is really going to mean a lot

468
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,159
Speaker 3: to me because I too have been a part of

469
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,719
Speaker 3: this Connecticut family and it does feel like we're losing

470
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,280
Speaker 3: a really, really.

471
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,920
Speaker 4: Good thing here. And you know, people hate Connecticut.

472
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,639
Speaker 3: They think it's boring, they think it's small, and I

473
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,400
Speaker 3: say all the time, it's cause y'all be out there

474
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,640
Speaker 3: in the boonie y'all, not here like in the city.

475
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,639
Speaker 3: But I'm excited that there will be some WNBA games

476
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,639
Speaker 3: played in the city of Hartford this year, just to

477
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:36,240
Speaker 3: show appreciation to the fans that are here and maybe

478
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 3: never get an opportunity or had an opportunity to get

479
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:40,960
Speaker 3: out to Mohegan because of the distance.

480
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:42,880
Speaker 4: So oh, for sure, it is what it is.

481
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,400
Speaker 2: But you know, my hopes are that people will come

482
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:51,320
Speaker 2: out and support and more than that, like I really

483
00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,880
Speaker 2: want the players to just leave everything out there, right

484
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 2: every time you step on the floor, just think about,

485
00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,280
Speaker 2: this is my last time play in front of these

486
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 2: fans here in Connecticut, and it should be a special season.

487
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,119
Speaker 2: And like Jen said, they're gonna celebrate, They're gonna make

488
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 2: sure it's special. It's bittersweet any time you have to

489
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:19,400
Speaker 2: say we're no longer existing here, right, like the Connecticut Son,

490
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,399
Speaker 2: because I remember I was retired, and I remember when

491
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,239
Speaker 2: I heard the news that the comments were folding. I

492
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:30,440
Speaker 2: was devastated, Like of all the franchises, right, I was devastated.

493
00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,800
Speaker 2: So it is bittersweet for me from that standpoint. But

494
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,320
Speaker 2: I gotta be honest with you when I say, I

495
00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,840
Speaker 2: don't know how I would have felt if if the

496
00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:47,159
Speaker 2: Connecticut Sun was moving somewhere else, Because I really do

497
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,240
Speaker 2: believe Houston deserves.

498
00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:51,960
Speaker 1: Another WNBA team.

499
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,399
Speaker 2: The city is ready for it, the fans are ready

500
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,760
Speaker 2: for it. I'm ready for it. I just I think

501
00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:02,320
Speaker 2: it's going to bring just more energy excitement to the city.

502
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,360
Speaker 2: And I couldn't be happier right now. I hate it

503
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,720
Speaker 2: for you, for a lot of people who've been attached

504
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,399
Speaker 2: and involved with the Connecticut Son from day one, Like

505
00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:12,480
Speaker 2: I understand that.

506
00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:18,520
Speaker 1: So I definitely don't want you to be like this bitch, you.

507
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:19,000
Speaker 4: Know what I mean?

508
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:33,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, why you gotta come and take ours, don't get y'all, Oh.

509
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:30,679
Speaker 4: Oh my gosh.

510
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,399
Speaker 2: I am about the mass around and make a right look, Connecticut.

511
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,840
Speaker 2: When this happens in twenty twenty seven, New England fans

512
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:38,560
Speaker 2: are going.

513
00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 4: To hate Houston.

514
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,560
Speaker 2: They are going to be You're going to be like, damn,

515
00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,399
Speaker 2: why y'all don't want to play to hate.

516
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,679
Speaker 4: This is the making of a rivalry. This is the

517
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,760
Speaker 4: making of a rivalry. I know it. I know it.

518
00:26:48,840 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 3: I could see it didn't though, Okay.

519
00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:02,239
Speaker 4: Not really, not really, not really, It's all right, It's

520
00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:02,640
Speaker 4: all right.

521
00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,760
Speaker 3: Look the Lord gibbth he taken away, right, he took

522
00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 3: away my shot, gave me the son and now I'm

523
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:08,880
Speaker 3: getting the shock back.

524
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 4: So there we go.

525
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:15,480
Speaker 3: I can't have say, just one dang greedy, greedy, just

526
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,359
Speaker 3: one anyway, I need you to make me feel better, chiryls.

527
00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,399
Speaker 3: So what type of positive affirmation do you have for

528
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:22,960
Speaker 3: us today?

529
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:29,359
Speaker 2: Because clearly I need it all right, So, Sis, I

530
00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:33,360
Speaker 2: don't know. This one just kind of popped up. And

531
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,960
Speaker 2: this can apply to so many things. And you've had

532
00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,399
Speaker 2: you and I have had a lot of conversations about

533
00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,560
Speaker 2: friends and different categories that we put them in now

534
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,080
Speaker 2: and checking on your strong friends and all the things.

535
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:51,280
Speaker 2: But changes is hard, Transitioning is hard, the unknown is hard.

536
00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:54,920
Speaker 2: And sometimes we tend to go quiet at times when

537
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:59,480
Speaker 2: we're going through things. Okay, And so this is what.

538
00:27:59,440 --> 00:27:59,959
Speaker 4: I got for you.

539
00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 2: Only the people who truly care about you can hear

540
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,680
Speaker 2: you when you're quiet.

541
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,159
Speaker 4: Do you know what's so funny?

542
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,679
Speaker 3: No, never mind, I can't say it on here, but

543
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,879
Speaker 3: you know why that is a very very interesting I

544
00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,879
Speaker 3: do know that right there is the word.

545
00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:27,199
Speaker 4: I do know. I do know that's a word. That

546
00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:32,080
Speaker 4: is a word. And also I felt it.

547
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,720
Speaker 2: Anyway, this will be a whole different conversation, but I'm

548
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,800
Speaker 2: gonna say I felt it because, as you know, my

549
00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 2: birthday was a few weeks ago, right, and there were

550
00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:46,680
Speaker 2: a couple of people I thought I would have.

551
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,720
Speaker 1: Heard from just a simple.

552
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 3: Happy birthday text that I didn't hear from.

553
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,479
Speaker 2: I ain't getting mad. I just said thank you for

554
00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:02,040
Speaker 2: showing me who you really are and where and where

555
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:03,480
Speaker 2: we really and where.

556
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:09,560
Speaker 3: We really stand. So yeah, yeah, it'd be like that.

557
00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:11,480
Speaker 3: That'd beat That's how it That's how it is. That's

558
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:12,200
Speaker 3: how it is.

559
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,720
Speaker 2: But to everybody, I'm sorry because I got off track

560
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:17,160
Speaker 2: for a minute, but I do want to take this

561
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,680
Speaker 2: opportunity to say this. For everybody else that did hit

562
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:26,000
Speaker 2: me on Facebook, ig, Twitter, DMS wherever and wished me

563
00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,080
Speaker 2: a happy birthday, please know how much that really truly

564
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:31,160
Speaker 2: means to me because you did not have to take

565
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 2: the time to do it. I have not gotten around

566
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,320
Speaker 2: to thanking everybody, because y'all, it's about a million folks

567
00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,120
Speaker 2: that reached out to me. But I do want to

568
00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:39,960
Speaker 2: say thank you from the bottom of my heart to

569
00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:40,480
Speaker 2: all of you.

570
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,680
Speaker 3: Including you Sissy, and you know there I was gonna say,

571
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:48,800
Speaker 3: she ain't talking about me because.

572
00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,920
Speaker 1: I hit her right, Oh you did.

573
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,080
Speaker 4: You did a whole lot. You did. You almost did

574
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:53,560
Speaker 4: too much.

575
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:55,200
Speaker 2: I did.

576
00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:55,600
Speaker 4: I did.

577
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:57,280
Speaker 2: I did the most that I could do because I

578
00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,280
Speaker 2: couldn't be in person doing the most, so I gotta

579
00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:00,960
Speaker 2: do the most birth Truly, I gotta do the most

580
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:02,160
Speaker 2: of the social media.

581
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,560
Speaker 4: You know you did. I'll tag Sharland every platform you did.

582
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:12,200
Speaker 4: Freem this bitch, y'all, my dog everybody.

583
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,479
Speaker 2: I love it.

584
00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,240
Speaker 3: I love you, bag, and I love all of you,

585
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 3: and thank you all for listening. Please please please keep listening,

586
00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:27,320
Speaker 3: keep showing us love, and keep supporting Levels to This podcast.

587
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:32,080
Speaker 3: Please follow us on Instagram at ltt pod. Please follow

588
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,240
Speaker 3: us on Apple Podcast, where you can leave us a review.

589
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,560
Speaker 3: We'd love to know what you guys think about the

590
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,160
Speaker 3: latest episodes, including this very special. We didn't know we

591
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,600
Speaker 3: was recording it, but we did record an episode because

592
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,280
Speaker 3: when breaking news happened. Levels to This needs to be

593
00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,040
Speaker 3: the place where you can come and share your thoughts,

594
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,240
Speaker 3: So shoot us an email at Levels to This Podcast

595
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,640
Speaker 3: at gmail dot com. We definitely love to read those emails,

596
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,160
Speaker 3: but in the meantime, keep your mentals ground level and

597
00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:58,520
Speaker 3: we'll be back next week.

598
00:30:59,360 --> 00:30:59,920
Speaker 1: Please, y'all,