Latest / THE BEST DAMN W SHOW / CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE WNBA | EP87

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CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE WNBA | EP87 · THE BEST DAMN W SHOW

0:14
yo what's good everybody we are back for
0:17
another episode of the best damn w show
0:21
episode yeah i'm i'm not jay y'all i'm
0:27
i'm not jay i am his evil twin
0:29
though i am producer wally i am producer
0:33
wally i am i will be hosting for
0:35
tonight uh
0:37
But I do have my,
0:39
I got my good sister Lo with me.
0:40
You know what the fuck going on.
0:46
And I got my good brother Nick Andre
0:49
in the building.
0:50
Respectfully.
0:51
Respectfully.
0:54
That's funny,
0:55
you can hear Jay laughing in the
0:56
background.
0:56
Yes, that's the part that got me.
1:00
That's the part that got me, man,
1:02
because I fucking went through that shit.
1:05
I was like, yo,
1:05
Jay is fucking crying in this shit.
1:08
That's hilarious.
1:12
But of course,
1:13
we got a great episode for y'all.
1:15
But of course, before we get started,
1:19
how we been today?
1:21
How's our day been?
1:23
Ladies first.
1:25
Um, I'm black and I'm blessed.
1:26
The day has been a long day.
1:28
As y'all can still see,
1:29
I have my scrubs on from work.
1:31
Um, so yeah, but we, we,
1:34
we getting right to it.
1:35
Uh, you know,
1:36
I'm blessed to be above ground.
1:37
So another day is a good day.
1:39
Absolutely.
1:40
Absolutely.
1:42
Same here, man.
1:43
Blessing black.
1:44
I'm honestly ready for the weekend.
1:45
I ain't gonna hold you.
1:46
It's already been a week.
1:48
It's only Tuesday.
1:50
I know.
1:53
I'm ready.
1:53
Okay.
1:56
I am here.
1:57
I'm definitely here.
1:59
I feel,
1:59
I think we all feel the same way.
2:01
Like I don't know what to,
2:03
what was with today, but yeah,
2:05
today felt long as shit.
2:07
Uh, you know,
2:09
I already have a long week with, uh,
2:12
when my girl's birthday,
2:13
my girl's birthday is tomorrow.
2:15
We're doing, she'll be.
2:17
Then we're throwing her a party on Friday,
2:20
which means I have to leave work early.
2:22
I have to cook.
2:22
I have to pick up food.
2:23
I have to do everything.
2:25
come friday by friday so yeah it's about
2:29
to be an interesting week oh yeah just
2:32
real quick how's everybody's juneteenth to
2:34
be on the topic of being black
2:38
My Juneteenth was great.
2:40
I had a Juneteenth party.
2:44
Y'all know what to expect from me,
2:46
so my Juneteenth was great.
2:49
We had the Blackest Gathering.
2:52
I was drinking D'Ussé,
2:54
the Blackest drink that I have in my
2:56
house.
2:57
It was just a Black-ass time,
2:59
and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
3:01
Don't get my back into that.
3:04
Right.
3:05
If I know anybody that's going to
3:06
celebrate Juneteenth hard,
3:07
it's going to be low.
3:08
I'm going to celebrate that shit.
3:12
And me and my baby have matching shirts.
3:14
Or not matching, but Juneteenth shirts.
3:17
I saw that.
3:18
I love it.
3:22
One, I had to work.
3:24
Let's start there.
3:27
But...
3:28
for, as far as the weekend goes,
3:30
I ain't shit typical weekend for me,
3:32
except we went, uh,
3:33
went on a good dispensary run on Sunday.
3:36
So like I said,
3:39
like I told y'all shout out to being
3:40
the first time at a dispensary boy.
3:43
Woo.
3:44
Racked up.
3:45
They give you all type of discounts.
3:47
What?
3:48
First store, first store,
3:52
fifty percent off.
3:53
I was like, yes, let's do it.
3:56
Fifty percent off.
3:58
Low, you muted.
4:01
I was saying fifty percent is crazy.
4:03
That is mad.
4:05
What you get,
4:06
flour or edibles or something?
4:08
Pretty much flours and pre-rolls.
4:11
Yeah.
4:13
So...
4:14
Pre-rolls are for them quick nights.
4:15
Where did y'all go?
4:16
Because it's not legal where you are,
4:18
is it?
4:19
No, we went to Michigan.
4:20
So they do it in Ohio too.
4:24
They do it in Ohio too,
4:25
but I think it's a limit.
4:28
I think it's like Chicago where you have
4:30
like a limit.
4:31
So we went to Michigan.
4:32
I mean, shit, four hours up,
4:33
four hours back, quick turn of burn.
4:35
So when y'all go,
4:36
y'all just literally get as much as you
4:40
can because it's such a far commute.
4:44
Yeah.
4:44
See, you don't mind driving though.
4:46
He said four hours there, four hours back.
4:47
Good.
4:49
But Wiley don't mind driving, so.
4:51
I don't mind driving at all.
4:53
Y'all know me.
4:54
I will hit the road in a heartbeat.
4:56
The closest is within,
4:58
I'm not going to lie to you,
4:59
within five minutes of my house is three
5:02
dispensaries.
5:03
Okay.
5:04
within five minutes it's three
5:06
dispensaries within five minutes of my
5:07
house oh wow yeah it's a lot here
5:11
okay look nick finally back because nick
5:13
was right nick you was breaking up a
5:14
little bit bro yeah i was i was
5:17
yeah it was i don't know what was
5:18
going on you know this internet be shaking
5:19
but i'm back right but yeah the in
5:23
the area that we went it was it's
5:26
pretty much a
5:27
pretty much an empty shopping plaza,
5:29
but all the, it's like three,
5:31
it's like three or four dispensaries right
5:34
next to each other.
5:34
We just went dispensary to dispensary.
5:37
Then of course you got, you got your,
5:40
as you drive through,
5:41
like that little area that we went,
5:43
it's like,
5:45
it's at least like eight to ten
5:49
dispensaries,
5:49
like right in that little area.
5:51
Like you drive up the street,
5:52
it's like three or four more.
5:53
You drive the other way,
5:54
it's another like two more, so.
5:58
We was like, look,
5:58
we just going to go to each one.
6:00
Every time we go back,
6:01
we just going to go to all the
6:02
other ones and see what first-timer
6:07
discounts we can get.
6:09
Yeah.
6:09
But Wally be driving with his highest gas,
6:11
boy.
6:11
Who you telling?
6:13
I be right in the house when we
6:17
dance.
6:17
Right.
6:17
Hey, my car do well on the road,
6:18
so shit, one fill up, I'm good.
6:22
Man, I fill up twice a week,
6:23
so I be in the house.
6:25
i've been saying but you you drive yeah
6:27
you drive yeah you be driving your ass
6:30
off it ain't no like just go to
6:33
work and then get back in the car
6:35
like like i'm driving a couple hundred
6:38
miles a week damn jesus yeah pretty sure
6:45
but
6:47
With all that being said,
6:48
shout out to everybody that's rocking with
6:50
us at the moment.
6:51
Shout out J-Lens, J-Dub.
6:52
Yes,
6:53
we are early because Liberty and Aces play
6:57
in an hour.
6:58
So we about to give y'all what y'all
7:01
need and get up out of here.
7:05
that being said we are celebrating of
7:08
course this is the thirtieth anniversary
7:10
of the uh of the wnba hey y'all
7:13
real quick while you want to um promote
7:15
or um what's it called oh yeah my
7:17
bad yes my bad thank you sir um
7:23
qr code is up hit the link tree
7:24
for for all the socials the sub stack
7:29
Go on, follow us on social media.
7:32
Follow, you know,
7:33
subscribe to the Substack.
7:35
Subscribe to the YouTube page.
7:36
Please like, share, subscribe.
7:38
As Jay always say,
7:39
get us in the algorithm.
7:43
Yes, appreciate you, my good brother.
7:45
No problem.
7:48
Just FYI,
7:49
we might be like probably the most hated
7:50
podcast in the land, but hey,
7:51
we still here.
7:53
Hey, we, man.
7:54
Dog.
7:59
We got motion.
8:00
That's all that is.
8:01
It's crazy because that clip of Izzy
8:05
versus Angel,
8:06
I muted it so I didn't see it,
8:07
but my stepmom actually texted me two days
8:11
ago and was like, you're viral.
8:13
I see it on Facebook.
8:14
I'm like, it made it to Facebook?
8:15
I forgot to tell y'all that.
8:19
Wow.
8:20
He texted me a screenshot of it.
8:22
It was like, you're viral.
8:23
I was like, yeah,
8:23
people was mad as shit at this.
8:24
And she was like, why?
8:25
And I tried to explain this to her
8:26
and I was like, you know what?
8:27
Nevermind.
8:28
Just nevermind.
8:31
It's crazy to start on one platform and
8:36
make it to a completely different platform
8:38
that you did not post on.
8:40
Correct.
8:41
Like do we even have a Facebook?
8:44
No, no.
8:46
No.
8:47
Insane.
8:48
When she sent it to me,
8:49
I forgot all about it because I think
8:51
Jay or one of y'all posted it on
8:52
the main page.
8:53
I wasn't directly getting the stuff.
8:57
When she said it, I'm like, wow.
8:59
That's kind of crazy.
9:00
That's nuts.
9:03
That's crazy.
9:03
Motherfuckers was tagging me.
9:04
I'm like, I didn't even say nothing.
9:09
What the hell?
9:09
Once I got tagged, I was like, oh,
9:11
this is why they so mad.
9:13
Got it.
9:14
Got it.
9:16
yeah it is what it is i love
9:18
angel i love izzy i don't like angel
9:20
fans that are stands and it's just clear
9:22
right we we've made that clear um but
9:27
yes thirtieth anniversary of the wmba uh
9:31
before we even get to the actual game
9:35
uh which great game great game uh
9:42
With it being thirty years, Lo,
9:44
I will start with you.
9:45
What does this mean to you when it
9:48
comes to the WNBA?
9:51
I mean, it means a lot to me,
9:52
especially remembering as a little girl
9:55
watching the tip between the Sparks and
9:57
New York.
9:59
So it just means everything to me because
10:02
I've been steadily watching this league
10:04
for thirty years, essentially.
10:07
And it's been through a lot of ups
10:09
and downs.
10:10
And I remember times where I would talk
10:12
to WNBA and people would tell me to
10:14
shut up or nobody watches that shit.
10:16
to now being at the level it is
10:18
again.
10:18
And I say again,
10:19
because people forget that when the WNBA
10:21
first started,
10:22
it was popping like David Stern had the,
10:25
and Val had the WNBA popping.
10:27
I mean, it was sold out.
10:28
The stadiums were sold out.
10:30
The games weren't NBC.
10:31
So it was glad to see it kind
10:33
of come full circle.
10:34
And it's glad to see the,
10:36
the league essentially survived through,
10:39
you know,
10:39
years that when they had a drought and
10:41
years where people weren't as engaged in
10:43
years where the,
10:44
the media dollars weren't really put
10:46
behind it as much.
10:47
So I'm happy at the place where the
10:49
league is at.
10:50
Of course,
10:50
it's a few things that I would like
10:52
to fine tune.
10:53
But overall,
10:54
like the women are getting the shine that
10:57
they deserve.
10:57
And I'm appreciative for that.
10:58
Absolutely.
11:02
Yeah, I think it's great, honestly.
11:04
I mean,
11:05
to see the league celebrate thirty years,
11:07
you know,
11:07
just being able to still be successful and
11:09
also elevate throughout the time,
11:10
you know, it's been really great to see.
11:12
It was really great to, you know,
11:13
see all the legends get honored on both
11:16
the Sparks side and the Liberty side,
11:18
like whether it was Lisa Leslie,
11:19
Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo,
11:22
and then other players that you may not
11:24
even know.
11:24
I'm sure a lot of people may have
11:25
not heard of the name Kim Hampton or
11:28
other players as well who really played
11:30
well throughout those early days in the W.
11:33
It was really big, honestly.
11:34
We've seen the league just continue to
11:37
flourish.
11:37
There was a time where,
11:39
even for me as well,
11:40
when I got into the W,
11:41
you try to talk about the WNBA,
11:44
people weren't really interested or really
11:45
in tune to what was going on until
11:46
now you see
11:48
Now,
11:48
a lot of people are more into the
11:50
W. And even though, you know,
11:51
there's a lot of crazy stands and
11:53
everything,
11:53
but there are some people who do want
11:55
to go back in time and, you know,
11:56
revisit the history of the W from the
11:58
first game in ninety seven to, you know,
12:00
Washington, like other great players,
12:01
you know, over time,
12:02
whether it's Diana Taurasi,
12:04
Candace Parker, Maya Moore, whoever,
12:06
you know,
12:06
who have also been able to pave the
12:09
way on their own.
12:09
Right.
12:09
So it's just good to see, you know,
12:11
the league be able to celebrate thirty
12:12
years, you know,
12:13
and just see how much the league has
12:14
evolved over time.
12:16
And I just want to say this really
12:17
quickly.
12:18
Me and Kate,
12:19
I kind of talked about it on the
12:20
ninety four fifty,
12:20
but I think that the league in general
12:23
has kind of done a piss poor job
12:25
with celebrating the overall thirty years.
12:27
Like,
12:27
I feel like it should be more like
12:32
heavily marketed,
12:33
like it should be more out there that
12:34
this is thirty years of the WNBA.
12:36
And I feel like, yes,
12:38
it was nice that they had this experience
12:40
in terms of the Sparks versus New York.
12:42
which was the first game, you know, ever.
12:44
Like, I love that,
12:45
but I think that league-wide, like,
12:47
it needs to be more emphasis placed on
12:51
this league surviving for thirty years
12:52
because this shit was about to fold
12:54
low-key.
12:54
So, you know what I'm saying?
12:56
Like, it just needs to me, like,
12:59
and especially because of the monumental
13:00
moment that we're at right now,
13:02
it's just lacking a little bit for the
13:04
thirtieth year celebration.
13:05
Like,
13:05
Bring the legends out,
13:07
educate the new fans,
13:08
the influx of fans that came in twenty
13:10
twenty four,
13:10
educate them on the pillars of the game.
13:13
The people that allow these women to make
13:15
millions of dollars now, you know,
13:17
like they are the forefront or they are
13:19
the foundational pieces of the league.
13:21
And I think that.
13:22
they're not getting enough shine as they
13:24
deserve because you know,
13:26
they were in the trenches for real in
13:27
the trenches.
13:28
Um,
13:28
so that would be my only issue really
13:31
with celebrating the overall thirtieth,
13:32
like independent media like us and other
13:35
podcasts, you know, we talk about it,
13:38
but from a media,
13:39
like a mainstream media standpoint,
13:41
I just feel like they haven't really
13:42
talked about it as much as they should.
13:46
No, I agree with you.
13:47
Yeah.
13:48
I agree with you.
13:48
Uh, yeah.
13:49
Um,
13:53
Folks being confused.
13:54
Sorry.
13:54
Folks being confused about how the W is
13:57
celebrating thirty years and the first
13:59
game was twenty nine years ago.
14:01
They spent the first year.
14:02
Well, it's it's the thirtieth season.
14:04
Like, that's what we're not understanding.
14:05
I get it.
14:06
Yes.
14:06
Like, technically,
14:07
it is twenty nine years,
14:08
but it's the thirtieth season.
14:09
Like.
14:10
Like, you got to realize, like,
14:11
the NBA and WNBA are totally different.
14:13
Like, there's, like – like, it's really,
14:15
like, solely in, like, one year,
14:16
one summer.
14:17
Like, an NBA, like, you're going from,
14:19
like, the fall of, like, late one year,
14:21
then going into the winter.
14:22
Exactly.
14:23
So it's a little bit different.
14:24
So, yeah,
14:25
it is technically twenty-nine years,
14:26
but it's the third season of the W.
14:28
So that's why they're celebrating thirty
14:29
years.
14:30
Yeah.
14:32
And then also, like, with –
14:36
Just like Lo,
14:37
watching this from the birth of it,
14:42
it's been dope to see just on the
14:44
strength that you watch these players
14:47
throughout college and then you finally
14:49
get a lead.
14:51
The entire time it's like, man,
14:52
it'll be dope to watch these women have
14:54
their own league.
14:56
And that's not...
14:58
And that's not saying that they already
15:00
didn't have one because there was a
15:02
women's basketball league.
15:07
ABL, yeah.
15:07
But for the WNBA to form the way
15:09
they marketed, hell, they were on, hell,
15:13
Rebecca Lobo, Don Staley,
15:16
and Lisa Leslie was on an episode of
15:19
Martin.
15:20
That's how far they went to help promote
15:22
this.
15:24
And for it to flourish,
15:26
and like you said,
15:27
even though it was damn near dead in
15:28
the water,
15:29
but for it to pretty much rise out
15:34
of those ashes and to become what it
15:36
is today, it's been dope to see.
15:38
And to see the players that we now
15:41
have and then look forward to the players
15:45
that are coming in, that'll be coming in.
15:49
You couldn't ask for a better product.
15:51
You couldn't ask for a better product.
15:53
I'm glad you brought that up because
15:54
people would just be acting like women's
15:57
basketball just wasn't lit until more
15:58
recently.
15:59
You talked about like
16:00
like all those players being on an episode
16:02
of Martin.
16:02
Hell,
16:02
I remember it might be like maybe a
16:04
year ago.
16:04
I was watching an episode of a one-on-one
16:07
and I forgot Lisa Leslie was on there.
16:08
I'm like, I mean, hell, like, I mean,
16:15
like we've seen players being at the
16:17
forefront.
16:17
I mean, now I'll be real.
16:18
Like, yes,
16:19
the game is elevated as more recently,
16:20
but these players have been out here like
16:22
that.
16:22
You know what I'm saying?
16:23
Like,
16:23
it's just a lot of people just weren't
16:24
paying attention.
16:25
But I also think it's context to it
16:27
because we live in a social media era.
16:29
They didn't have that back then.
16:30
We had newspaper magazines and TV.
16:32
That's it.
16:33
You know what I'm saying?
16:34
And so that's why a lot of people
16:35
don't remember or know this,
16:37
but that's why that Olympic team was
16:39
literally going around on tours throughout
16:41
the country.
16:42
to spark interest before the WNBA started
16:46
so that they could see what cities were
16:49
more, you know,
16:51
acceptable to it or what cities really
16:53
came out and showed out for it.
16:54
And so they had to really,
16:56
it was really boots on the ground.
16:57
Like it wasn't as easy as just putting
16:59
a clip on social media and be done
17:00
with it.
17:01
Like these women had to travel the
17:02
country, you know what I'm saying?
17:04
Right.
17:04
And I think honestly,
17:05
like we definitely have to give Cheryl
17:07
Swoops a lot more praise.
17:08
Like, I mean,
17:09
obviously we know that she was the first
17:10
player to sign with the W, but,
17:12
I don't think people realize even at the
17:13
time like how risky it might have been
17:15
because at the time the WNBA and the
17:17
ABL were starting around like the same
17:18
time.
17:19
And a lot of people were going more
17:20
so towards the ABL,
17:21
which I want to say was probably more
17:22
money or whatever it is.
17:23
But Cheryl Swoops was the one that
17:26
actually took a chance on the W.
17:27
She was the first one to actually sign.
17:28
And then when Cheryl Swoops signed,
17:31
that became a trickle effect.
17:32
And obviously Rebecca Lobo joined.
17:35
Lisa Leslie and then you know obviously
17:36
they had a draft they had like Tina
17:38
Thompson as the first pick so like it
17:40
was really Cheryl Swoops honestly that
17:41
really you know set the tone honestly for
17:43
the league if you ask me because once
17:45
she signed I think that's when everybody
17:46
started to see because obviously Cheryl
17:47
Swoops was on fire like she won a
17:49
national championship with Texas Tech she
17:50
won the gold medal with Team USA so
17:53
when you look at one of the faces
17:54
of women's basketball at that time signed
17:55
with this league you know that's what
17:56
became the trickle effect so I think that
17:58
we definitely have to give her a lot
17:59
more praise and more respect when it comes
18:01
to that
18:02
And then on top of that, being pregnant,
18:04
like within that first, you know,
18:06
within that first year and feeling that
18:08
pressure, like, oh my gosh,
18:09
like they just put all this money behind
18:12
me to support this league.
18:13
And, you know,
18:14
I'm supposed to be getting it off the
18:15
ground and now I'm pregnant.
18:17
Literally.
18:18
Yeah.
18:19
But also if you really want to,
18:21
if you really want to get a,
18:24
get a good feel about it,
18:25
Nick wrote an article about this.
18:26
I did.
18:27
Yeah.
18:28
Yeah.
18:29
It's a series I got going on right
18:30
now.
18:30
Make sure y'all tap in.
18:32
with that i mean it's it's actually really
18:34
dope because i really like wanted to dive
18:36
into like a lot of um there's a
18:38
lot of stories about like the early w
18:39
days like i wanted to touch on like
18:41
Like, the article's not out yet,
18:43
but I wanted to touch on, like,
18:44
Shemequa Holesclaw because Shemequa is one
18:46
that doesn't really get her just due.
18:48
There's, like,
18:48
a lot of other teams and stuff that
18:50
don't get their just due.
18:51
Like, just really, like, celebrating,
18:53
like, the early years of the W because,
18:54
like, you hear about, like,
18:56
the main stories, like,
18:56
the Comets winning four titles,
18:58
the Sparks and whoever.
19:00
But, like,
19:00
there's a lot of stories that don't get
19:01
talked about in the early days of the
19:02
W. So, I'll tap in with that.
19:04
Absolutely.
19:04
But...
19:11
We'll move on to the game that happened.
19:14
We had the Sparks and the Liberty.
19:17
Sparks won.
19:19
Ninety-eight to ninety-seven.
19:21
Amazing.
19:22
Again, amazing game.
19:23
Shout out to Nneka Ogumike with that
19:26
knockdown three for the game winner.
19:29
The Liberty start out like they normally
19:36
do.
19:37
They had a good start.
19:40
They were up ten in the first quarter,
19:43
and then the Sparks kind of got it
19:46
together, tightened up on defense.
19:48
Ray Burrell comes in as a good spark,
19:52
and they kept it close enough to where
19:57
they can get back in the game and
19:58
eventually win it.
19:59
But, Lo, I'll start with you.
20:01
What are your thoughts with this game and
20:05
how everything went?
20:07
I mean,
20:07
I think like kind of like you said,
20:09
the Liberty got out to a hot start.
20:11
You know,
20:11
I was scoring the Sparks by ten in
20:12
the first quarter.
20:14
But I think I was most impressed with
20:16
the Sparks resiliency, to be honest,
20:18
because they were down seventeen points in
20:20
the third quarter and coming back to win
20:23
on a buzzer beater by NECA on that
20:25
specific day with the specific energy that
20:29
was going throughout.
20:32
I'm not going to call it.
20:33
What is it?
20:33
I was about to call it crypto,
20:34
but I don't I never call it that.
20:37
But the arena, you know, NECA was staples.
20:41
So NECA was super emotional after winning
20:45
the game.
20:45
And honestly, for me,
20:47
that was a special moment just because
20:51
NECA is the epitome of just...
20:54
excellence in all that she does and I
20:56
talked about it a little bit on social
20:57
media but she wears many hats and lead
21:00
with such grace like she's just
21:03
intellectually brilliant she's gotten
21:05
better at her craft every single year um
21:08
she leads by example being the president
21:10
of the WNBA PA she's averaged fifty
21:14
percent shooting from the field her entire
21:16
career the last fifteen years like
21:18
I believe she's the only player to ever
21:20
do that in the WNBA,
21:21
but Nneka is just like a gem.
21:23
She seems to be,
21:23
I don't know her personally,
21:24
but she seems to be an even better
21:26
person than she is player.
21:28
And for her to hit that buzzer beater,
21:30
wearing the number thirty in, you know,
21:33
at a home Sparks game was just poetic
21:35
to me.
21:36
But to be honest,
21:37
both teams have been inconsistent all
21:39
year.
21:40
I don't expect a lot from the Sparks
21:42
just because I don't believe in what
21:44
they're doing offensively.
21:44
over there but New York I hold them
21:46
to a higher standard and I get it
21:48
they're not fully healthy they're getting
21:50
people back Sabrina just came back from
21:54
you know back injury has been out most
21:55
of the season but to have sixteen
21:58
turnovers and allow sixty points in the
22:01
paint
22:01
Like,
22:02
that's how you lost the game right there.
22:04
I think it's just very shocking
22:06
considering that the Liberty sit at the
22:10
second best defense in the league right
22:12
now.
22:13
So the fact that they were just letting
22:14
layup after layup and post move after post
22:16
move, it just was very interesting.
22:19
Overall, though, Stewie played well,
22:20
eighteen points, ten boards.
22:22
Sabrina only had two points in twenty one
22:24
minutes.
22:25
And I'm going to give her grace because
22:26
she's coming back from back surgery.
22:31
And I think this game,
22:33
like game number five for her.
22:34
Right.
22:34
Four or five.
22:35
It's going to take time.
22:36
It's going to be weeks before she gets
22:37
back to, you know,
22:39
who we have seen her be.
22:40
I've been seeing comments on social media
22:43
talking about how we really need to have
22:46
a conversation about Sabrina.
22:47
And it's like when Sabrina was healthy in
22:49
the off season and came back that next
22:51
year, she was hooping.
22:53
Like she was hooping at like an all
22:55
WNBA level.
22:55
So I don't know what the hell y'all
22:57
talking about.
22:57
Like,
22:58
She just came back from a major injury
23:01
and it's going to take her time to
23:03
get her legs back under her.
23:04
She's also learning to play with newer
23:06
players in terms of Satu still stepping in
23:09
and, you know, other things like that.
23:10
So I'm impressed with the Sparks overall,
23:14
especially when your best player in KP had
23:16
a stinker.
23:16
She only had twelve points,
23:18
shot five for fourteen from the field.
23:21
When she has a stinker like that and
23:22
you're still able to get away with a
23:23
win.
23:24
That's a that's a good day for me.
23:26
That's a good day for me.
23:27
What you got, Nick?
23:28
Yeah,
23:29
I feel like Nneka hitting that game-winner
23:31
was the perfect story, honestly.
23:35
You talk about one of the greatest players
23:36
in Sparks' history.
23:38
It's the third-year anniversary of the
23:40
first-ever W game between the Sparks and
23:41
the Liberty.
23:43
Just for her to be able to hit
23:44
that game-winner.
23:45
It's like you said,
23:46
they were down early on in that game,
23:48
and it really took them time to really
23:49
find a way to climb back.
23:50
Luckily, they outscored the Liberty,
23:52
fifty-five of the forty-two in the second
23:54
half,
23:54
and just really found a way to come
23:55
together and be able to close the contest.
23:59
Nneka being able to hit that game winner
24:00
was huge for them and I mean it's
24:01
like you said though I mean it's like
24:03
Nneka does wear a lot of hats and
24:05
I don't know if we give her it's
24:06
like I think we acknowledge it but I
24:08
don't know if we really understand like
24:09
how impactful she is to this league like
24:12
being able to you know what is she
24:14
like the WNBA president or something like
24:15
that like being able to be that exactly
24:18
and then of course you know still
24:19
continuing to play at the high level that
24:21
she's playing at like her longevity has
24:22
just been amazing like
24:24
And it really stood out to me when
24:26
she was in Seattle these past couple
24:27
years,
24:27
like just continuing to play at a high
24:29
level.
24:30
I honestly kind of feel like in a
24:31
way,
24:31
like her career kind of rejuvenated in a
24:33
way out there, honestly,
24:33
because even before she even got to
24:35
Seattle, you know, the Sparks,
24:36
they were kind of like on a downhill
24:38
side.
24:38
You know,
24:38
they were really trying to figure out what
24:40
was next for them.
24:40
She ends up leaving, goes to Seattle,
24:43
plays next to Skyler,
24:45
Jewel for a year and then other players
24:47
and just found a way to just thrive
24:48
playing next to him and then just playing
24:50
about playing at a high level on both
24:51
ends.
24:52
And now coming back to the Sparks team,
24:53
I mean,
24:54
I know that they've been
24:55
inconsistent but you know necka necka is
24:58
just such a great player honestly i think
25:00
that she deserves way more flowers than
25:02
what a lot of people give her honestly
25:04
but overall great game from the sparkles
25:05
like you said i mean they didn't really
25:06
play particularly well kp didn't play the
25:08
play particularly well but when you look
25:10
at it from the liberty side like the
25:11
liberty have it in ways struggled to like
25:14
close out games like you look at this
25:16
game against the sparks you look at the
25:18
game against the mix the mystics which i
25:20
mean we'll definitely dive into a little
25:21
bit later
25:22
Like,
25:22
they've got to find a way to close
25:23
these games, especially as a veteran team,
25:26
a championship team.
25:27
Like,
25:27
you've got to be able to put the
25:28
kids to bed, honestly.
25:29
Like, just like y'all said, I mean,
25:30
they were up seventeen points in the
25:31
second half.
25:32
Like,
25:32
y'all need to find a way to keep
25:34
your foot in the gas and just be
25:36
able to find a way to close that
25:37
game out, if you ask me.
25:39
Um, and I get it, you know,
25:40
I know that, you know,
25:40
there's a lot of new changes.
25:41
Obviously Sabrina's Sabrina's now back.
25:43
I believe they're two and three now with
25:45
her in the lineup.
25:46
Um, and it's,
25:47
and it honestly sucks in a way,
25:48
because I mean,
25:48
even though now Sabrina's back,
25:49
but now you put, um, what's her name?
25:51
Pauline the steer.
25:52
I think that's how you pronounce her name.
25:53
Um, now she's,
25:54
now she's coming off the bench without
25:55
beer.
25:55
She actually played a really good game in
25:57
that game against the Sparks coming off
25:58
the bench.
25:58
But now it's like the lineup has to
26:00
change now, especially, you know,
26:01
when New York was kind of finding the
26:03
rhythm because like the early season was
26:05
kind of a struggle.
26:06
But then you started to see them,
26:07
you know, kind of slowly progress.
26:08
I think at one point they won like
26:09
six,
26:09
seven in a row or something like that.
26:11
So now with Sabrina coming back and then,
26:14
of course,
26:14
now you add Satu to the starting lineup.
26:16
Like now there's a lot of changes and
26:17
now everybody has to now adjust and adapt
26:19
to what's going on.
26:20
So I guess you can give them some
26:22
type of grace,
26:22
but they got to find a way to
26:24
find some type of consistency.
26:26
And I think.
26:27
that's like,
26:28
I feel like injuries have kind of been
26:29
one of their biggest issues over the past
26:30
couple of years.
26:31
Like whether Sabrina out, um,
26:33
even last year,
26:33
like Stewie had missed some time,
26:35
John Quayle had missed some time.
26:36
So being healthy and finding consistency
26:39
is definitely, you know,
26:40
one of the biggest keys for them,
26:41
but overall great win for the Sparks, man.
26:43
You know, it's like I said, I mean,
26:44
NECA just hitting that game where like,
26:45
that was like the perfect,
26:46
I feel like that was like the perfect
26:47
ending to that story.
26:50
Absolutely.
26:51
Absolutely.
26:52
Right.
26:54
I was about to say,
26:57
shout-out to the Sparks.
27:03
Jalen said DeMarco got to go.
27:05
Already?
27:07
Right.
27:07
I'm not going to go that far.
27:08
Honestly, I like DeMarco.
27:10
I like where he's going, too.
27:11
Exactly.
27:12
I think he's still trying to – because
27:13
I want to say this is probably his
27:14
first year covering coaching women,
27:16
I want to say.
27:17
So I think he's trying to adjust from
27:19
that aspect.
27:19
But I like what he's doing out there.
27:21
I think it's just taking some time.
27:22
finna say y'all know who y'all know my
27:24
who my problem is when it comes to
27:26
the liberty so i i who is it
27:31
who is it not a lot absolutely she's
27:34
been better now she's been better she has
27:37
been better you know you know me i'll
27:39
be like yo you are too you are
27:41
way too tall to be standing out here
27:46
we go
27:49
I will say, though.
27:50
I will say.
27:51
The unicorn is getting back in shape and
27:53
she's getting better too.
27:54
She is.
27:54
But I will say, boy,
27:56
she is going to let that thing fly.
27:58
I'm telling you.
28:00
She gets the ball.
28:01
She's going to let that thing fly, boy.
28:02
She was jacking it up over.
28:04
But they had such a good start, though.
28:07
So I get it.
28:08
I get it.
28:09
I get it because of the way that
28:11
the game started and the fact that they
28:14
–
28:14
They caught lightning in the bottle early.
28:17
So I get it, but also it's like,
28:19
hey, y'all are definitely... Absolutely.
28:24
Y'all are taller than them.
28:25
Go down there and fucking move them out
28:27
the way and get you an easy bucket.
28:30
I'm not gonna lie to you.
28:32
When everyone's healthy...
28:34
They're going to be a good team because
28:38
they're very lengthy and they can switch
28:40
on everything.
28:41
They can.
28:43
You know,
28:44
and a lot of the centers are having
28:46
a hard time guarding JJ because she's
28:49
actually been more on the perimeter this
28:52
year than I've.
28:54
And she was on there a lot last
28:55
year.
28:55
But that girl,
28:57
that lady is just camped out there.
29:00
And so it's forcing the centers to,
29:02
to step out a little further than they
29:04
would like.
29:05
And then JJ so skilled that she can
29:07
put the ball on the floor and take
29:09
you to the cup.
29:09
She can step back and shoot the three.
29:11
Like she can do it all as if
29:12
she's a guard when she wants to play.
29:14
So I think that when they get everyone
29:17
back healthy,
29:17
because bet Naja has been in and out
29:19
of the lineup as well.
29:20
So when they get everyone back healthy,
29:22
I think that after the all-star break,
29:25
they should be clicking and they'll be
29:26
playing a lot better.
29:28
The other thing about JJ being on the
29:30
perimeter a lot, it's like,
29:31
I get it because she is so skilled,
29:33
but in a way,
29:34
I'm not really a big fan of it,
29:36
too, because it's like,
29:36
I don't want her to be camped out
29:38
there way too much, honestly,
29:39
because like you said,
29:40
it'd be John Quill can literally play
29:41
anywhere on the floor whenever she's
29:42
assertive.
29:43
So, like,
29:44
I wouldn't mind having moments where,
29:45
okay, cool, she can spot up,
29:47
she can space the floor, but then also...
29:49
you know,
29:49
have moments where she is and pulls her,
29:50
her will down low.
29:51
So it's just all about just showing more
29:53
of the versatility.
29:54
It's like, like I said, I mean,
29:55
I get it, you know what I'm saying?
29:56
Especially when you have somebody of that
29:57
caliber, but I don't know.
29:59
It's like, to me, like, yes,
30:01
she can space the floor,
30:02
but let's be real.
30:02
She's not that big of a threat as
30:04
far as a shooter, respectfully.
30:07
Like, I mean, don't be wrong.
30:08
I mean, she, she can shoot the ball,
30:09
but like not at a high clip like
30:10
that.
30:12
jaylen's you're correct it does turn into
30:13
i don't know i mean i would like
30:15
to see her in the paint more like
30:17
you as well but i think that this
30:19
is just how the game is changing and
30:21
i hate it like i hate it like
30:23
i literally hate it uh it's changing it
30:26
to the nba like even yesterday i think
30:29
it was the indiana game within like the
30:31
first quarter they had already put up and
30:34
i'm like what the that's crazy
30:37
and now they got maisha hines i was
30:38
shooting threes and that's like i'm like
30:39
yo or the i'm sorry the first half
30:42
but still it used to be fourteen threes
30:44
a whole game you know what i'm saying
30:45
or less so i think it'd be different
30:48
if you was hitting them moving in go
30:49
ahead i'll say it would be different if
30:52
they were hitting them like y'all not even
30:55
y'all not even making yeah i mean this
30:57
is unfortunately the way that the game is
30:59
is trending so yeah unfortunately
31:02
uh but again shout out shout out to
31:04
the sparks for for that uh for that
31:06
great comeback and win uh we'll move on
31:09
to hey y'all just real quick let me
31:11
ask lo this real quick we're talking about
31:13
i mean just real quick i mean since
31:14
we're talking about the history of w who
31:17
do you think are like the top five
31:19
players in sparks history i got i got
31:21
a list but i want to know what
31:23
you think the top five i'll say if
31:26
you want me to go first i'll go
31:27
first but
31:31
The top five.
31:31
That's hard, but just off the top,
31:34
just off the top and just like, nah,
31:36
I'm going to miss somebody.
31:37
I know that already, but of course, Lisa,
31:39
I'm going NECA.
31:40
I'm going Candace.
31:44
I'm going, I'm going, um,
31:49
why can I think of her name?
31:50
Uh, um, she was just there too.
31:55
Um,
31:58
They used to call her D-Nasty.
31:59
Delisha.
31:59
I'm going with Delisha.
32:02
And I need one more.
32:03
I'm going to go Point Guard.
32:06
We pretty much got the same list almost.
32:08
I'm going to go Point Guard.
32:10
I'm going to go Tamika.
32:12
See, that's the thing.
32:14
I got the first four.
32:14
I got Candice, Lisa, Nneka, Delisha,
32:18
but that's the thing.
32:19
I don't know.
32:21
I'm still trying to choose between either
32:22
Tamika or Mwadi Mbika.
32:26
Okay, that's fair.
32:27
I mean, that's tough, honestly.
32:28
I mean, that's the thing.
32:28
Like,
32:28
I don't know who I want to choose
32:29
between those two,
32:30
but people forget how good Tamika Dixon
32:32
was.
32:32
Like, she was there.
32:33
Was a dog.
32:34
Exactly.
32:34
Like, she was there during, I mean, hell,
32:35
I mean,
32:36
she was there for the first game ever,
32:37
so.
32:37
Yeah.
32:38
And she was able to help them win
32:39
titles, so shout out to her.
32:40
Yeah.
32:42
Yeah.
32:43
That's crazy.
32:43
We got basically the same list.
32:46
And that was,
32:47
that's off the top of the dome for
32:48
you.
32:50
That was off the top, yeah.
32:52
Nick done put me on the spot, y'all.
32:55
Man.
32:57
But to the next set of games,
33:01
and actually they doubled up on us.
33:04
So we had the Dream and the Fever,
33:08
had a good double up.
33:09
And the Dream came out on top both
33:13
games.
33:15
First game was on June, June, June, June,
33:18
June, June, June, June, June, June, June,
33:21
June, June, June, June, June, June, June.
33:27
set a record franchise record in scoring
33:29
one, thirteen to ninety six.
33:34
Both games seem to kind of have the
33:36
same feel where fever go up,
33:40
fever go up early and then somewhere they
33:45
they forget how to play defense.
33:47
They forget exactly what they were doing
33:49
on the court.
33:50
So, Nick, I will start with you.
33:56
As far as when it comes to the
33:58
Atlanta and the Dream, like I said,
34:00
we had two games.
34:01
I will let you give your take on
34:03
both games.
34:04
Go ahead.
34:08
Yeah,
34:09
I'm going to give a lot of credit
34:10
to Angel Reese because I think she played
34:12
phenomenal in those two games.
34:14
I mean,
34:14
she averaged nineteen and a half points,
34:16
nine and a half rebounds,
34:17
shot fifty three and a half percent from
34:19
the floor.
34:21
Like and I think one thing that I
34:22
loved is that
34:23
And I get it, you know,
34:24
especially being with this new team.
34:25
You know,
34:25
Atlanta is a team that also wants to
34:27
space the floor and really, you know,
34:29
beat you from the perimeter at all five
34:30
positions.
34:31
And, I mean,
34:32
obviously Angel's been able to do that on
34:34
occasion,
34:34
but we all know that's not necessarily her
34:36
game.
34:36
But I think one thing that I saw
34:39
from these past couple games is that Carl
34:40
is allowing her to just kind of play
34:42
her style of game, which is, you know,
34:43
impose her will inside,
34:44
rebound at a high level,
34:45
score at a high level inside.
34:47
And just her hustle and her energy and
34:49
her motive was really,
34:50
It's really one of the bigger reasons why
34:51
they were able to win both of those
34:52
games.
34:52
I mean, like you said,
34:53
while you're meeting both of those games,
34:54
you know,
34:55
Indiana had the momentum on their side.
34:58
You know,
34:58
they had the lead in the first half.
34:59
But, you know, luckily, you know,
35:01
Atlanta was able to make those adjustments
35:02
in the second half of both games and
35:03
just find a way to come out on
35:04
top.
35:05
Honestly,
35:05
I think Andrew Reese played a huge role
35:06
in that.
35:07
If you ask me, I mean, I think.
35:09
Angel Reese pretty much outplayed
35:10
Indiana's front goal players like Aaliyah
35:12
Boston.
35:13
Oh, absolutely.
35:15
Uh,
35:15
Monique Billings or whoever else you want
35:17
to throw out there.
35:18
Like just being able to just like,
35:20
just bring that energy and that hustle
35:21
really played a role, honestly.
35:22
But, uh, I mean, and also, I mean,
35:24
I'll give credit to another play as well.
35:25
Like,
35:26
Jordan Canada had twelve points and twelve
35:27
assists in a second game in Atlanta.
35:30
Ryan had a really strong game as well.
35:32
You know, both matches.
35:33
Same thing with Alicia.
35:34
Nas Hillman as well.
35:36
And also, I mean,
35:36
back back to the whole Jordan Canada
35:38
thing, because I mean,
35:38
I know that I touched on a couple
35:39
of weeks back with all the hate and
35:41
everything.
35:41
It's like.
35:42
I understand in a way because, you know,
35:45
this is Jordan's third year with the team.
35:47
And, you know, her first couple years,
35:48
she hasn't really been healthy.
35:49
You know,
35:49
she's been in and out of the lineup.
35:51
So I get it from that perspective.
35:52
But if you know Jordan Canada,
35:54
you know the value that Jordan Canada
35:56
brings to that team.
35:57
Like, Jordan Canada is an elite scorer.
35:59
She's an elite playmaker.
36:01
You know,
36:01
obviously setting the table for others.
36:04
Probably one of the best perimeter
36:05
defenders in the league, if you ask me.
36:07
Hello.
36:08
So, like,
36:09
there's a lot of tangibles that Jordan
36:10
Canada brings to that team.
36:13
That should not be swept under the rug
36:15
if you ask me.
36:16
And I think,
36:17
especially with her being healthy to start
36:18
the season,
36:19
I think that we've been really able to
36:20
see that at a high level.
36:21
So I give her a lot of credit.
36:22
So a lot of people that have been
36:24
hating on Jordan Canada,
36:25
y'all gotta chill with that because she
36:27
brings a lot of value to that team.
36:29
And I think that we've seen it throughout
36:30
this early season.
36:32
But as far as Indiana side,
36:34
this is the thing about Indiana.
36:37
When it comes to the offense,
36:40
It's like, yes, they can be better,
36:42
but I'm not really too concerned with the
36:44
offense because they have a lot of high
36:45
IQ players.
36:46
They've shown whenever they are
36:48
disciplined and they are running the
36:49
half-court sets,
36:50
they can get a lot of quality buckets,
36:51
especially when you have great playmakers
36:53
like
36:54
caitlyn clark like alia boston like um you
36:57
know raven johnson as well which is coming
36:58
into the game in the second unit like
37:00
even in that game in the second game
37:02
um in the second game that was in
37:03
atlanta like they ran the ball through
37:05
alia boston a lot and with them running
37:07
the ball through alia boston like yes it
37:08
does slow down the pace but you're also
37:10
able to get quality looks like kelsey
37:12
mitchell was able to cut back door for
37:13
buckets same thing with sophie cunningham
37:15
was able to get quality looks on the
37:16
perimeter same thing with caitlyn clark so
37:18
yes it does slow the game down but
37:19
you're able to get high percentage shots
37:21
just playing like that
37:22
And I think in the second half of
37:23
that game, they shot away from that.
37:25
And that's why Atlanta came back.
37:27
And that's what they ended up, you know,
37:28
blowing the game open.
37:29
Because Indiana was up like double digits
37:31
in that second game, I want to say,
37:32
like in the first half of that second
37:33
game.
37:33
And, you know,
37:35
with them just not being able to play
37:37
with that same style in the second half,
37:38
I think that's what cost them, honestly.
37:41
Now, I will say...
37:42
I will give Kaylin Clark credit because
37:44
she did have a really good performance in
37:45
that second game,
37:46
even despite the turnovers.
37:47
But when you look at that game,
37:48
or at least in the two games,
37:49
so Kaylin Clark, Aaliyah Boston,
37:51
and Kelsey Mitchell,
37:52
they combined for seventy five points in
37:54
the first matchup.
37:56
And then the second matchup,
37:56
they only had fifty five points.
37:57
So that's a twenty point difference.
37:59
And I want to say they lost the
37:59
game by like twenty points,
38:00
something like that.
38:01
So, you know, like obviously those three,
38:04
those are like those are the players that
38:05
have to bring it on a nightly basis.
38:07
I mean, I'm talking about collectively.
38:09
I think like Aaliyah Balls had like
38:10
fifteen points in the second matchup.
38:13
And even A.B.
38:13
honestly hasn't really been at her best.
38:15
I mean, she's had moments here and there,
38:18
but.
38:19
It's not the Aaliyah Boston that we know
38:20
her to be.
38:21
It's not the same Aaliyah Boston that we
38:22
saw in our rivals.
38:24
Obviously, she has to step up her game.
38:26
Obviously,
38:26
Kelsey Mitchell has to find a way to
38:27
be more consistent.
38:29
I give a lot of credit to Atlanta
38:30
because I think that these two wins were
38:32
very impressive if you ask me,
38:33
especially considering that in the first
38:35
matchup that they played a couple weeks
38:36
back, Indiana outplayed them.
38:38
I give credit to Atlanta.
38:39
I think that
38:44
I think Atlanta has stuff to work on,
38:45
but I think they're contenders.
38:46
I'm going to just say it.
38:48
I think that their defense is only going
38:49
to get better when Bree Jones gets back.
38:53
They are starting to click defensively,
38:56
and I think that's the biggest thing for
38:57
them because they have an array of talent
39:02
on the offensive end.
39:03
And I also want to give credit to
39:06
Angel because within these last two weeks,
39:09
I would say two weeks or so,
39:11
Within these last two weeks,
39:12
you could see her game literally growing
39:15
and you can see her literally developing
39:17
in real time.
39:18
Offensively,
39:19
we already know what she can do on
39:20
a defensive end and what she does on
39:21
the boards.
39:22
But offensively, like last game,
39:25
she was aggressively looking for her shot.
39:27
She was decisive in her moves.
39:29
She was patient before making her moves,
39:31
reading the defense and knowing how to
39:32
react.
39:33
And I think
39:34
that's been one of the biggest things with
39:35
Angel.
39:35
She tries to play bully ball and kind
39:38
of just, you know,
39:39
puts her shoulder and you throws it up
39:40
and hopes for a foul.
39:41
But this time she was actually, you know,
39:44
giving you some footwork,
39:45
taking her time and seeing if the double
39:47
team was coming or who was open.
39:49
You know what I'm saying?
39:49
Very underrated passer.
39:51
So I think that we are seeing her
39:54
improve in real time.
39:55
And I respect that.
39:56
And I just wanted to shout her out
39:58
for that.
39:59
And just in general,
40:00
like kind of like what Nick said,
40:01
piggybacking off of what he said about
40:03
Jordan Canada.
40:03
Yeah.
40:06
Like I told y'all, shut y'all asses up.
40:09
Like,
40:10
how many point guards can give you a
40:12
double-double?
40:13
She has the most double-doubles for point
40:15
guards this year.
40:16
Twelve and twelve.
40:16
Not to mention, she had no turnovers, too.
40:18
Hello?
40:20
Twelve and twelve.
40:21
Jordan Canada is responsible for
40:24
thirty-three percent of the dream scoring.
40:26
Like, in terms of setting the players up.
40:29
And again, I'm rarely wrong.
40:31
Just early sometimes.
40:32
But I told y'all,
40:33
Jordan Canada was going to be fine running
40:35
the offense.
40:35
Like,
40:36
I just don't understand where all this
40:38
unwanted hate came from.
40:40
Like, she's organizing the offense.
40:42
She's getting her teammates involved.
40:43
She's a menace on the defensive end.
40:45
She calls her number when it's needed.
40:47
Like,
40:48
she's one of the best point guards in
40:49
the league.
40:49
So I really just don't understand the
40:53
overrated or the, oh,
40:56
we need a better point guard, you know.
41:00
because I just don't get it.
41:02
Like,
41:02
I don't get exactly what people want over
41:04
Jordan.
41:04
Like,
41:05
she's giving you everything that you can
41:07
ask for a point guard to do, period.
41:08
Exactly.
41:10
And then also protecting the ball well
41:11
while doing that.
41:13
You know what I'm saying?
41:14
Hell,
41:14
Kaitlyn had five turnovers herself like a
41:16
couple games ago.
41:18
So, you know,
41:18
she had five in the third quarter in
41:20
that second game.
41:23
Oh, yeah, that's what it was.
41:24
That's what it was.
41:25
It was five in the third quarter.
41:26
So, she had seven turnovers,
41:26
but you have five.
41:27
Yeah.
41:27
Five in one quarter?
41:28
Five in one quarter is crazy.
41:30
It is crazy.
41:33
Look, most players get yanked.
41:36
That's what I'm saying.
41:36
That's her average this season in a game.
41:38
You did that in a quarter.
41:40
But most players get yanked after the
41:42
second or third turnover.
41:43
Like, all right, come sit down.
41:45
Exactly.
41:46
Get your bearings together.
41:47
And especially at that time, because,
41:48
I mean, at that time,
41:49
Atlanta already got control of the game
41:51
and they're going up double digits.
41:52
Right.
41:52
And that's that's literally when they
41:54
start taking over.
41:56
But, yeah, just overall,
41:57
I think I just also wanted to shout
41:58
out Rye and Alicia Gray just because,
42:02
you know,
42:02
they've been playing well the last week or
42:04
so.
42:05
And I know I spoke about their
42:06
inconsistency about two or three weeks ago
42:08
or probably two weeks ago.
42:11
But they've played well in the last couple
42:13
of games.
42:14
They shot the ball decent.
42:15
Everyone, it's really a win by committee.
42:17
Like all the starters had double digits
42:20
over there in Atlanta.
42:21
So they're just playing good basketball.
42:23
Of course, they have things to work on.
42:25
Like sometimes they come out a little slow
42:26
like they did in this game.
42:28
but they have showed me a lot of
42:30
resilience throughout the season.
42:31
And again,
42:32
this is a team that has their core
42:35
still together,
42:36
but Angel's a big piece that came in
42:37
and they're still trying to get her
42:38
acclimated.
42:39
And then they still have to add Bree
42:41
Jones into the mix.
42:42
And I think it'll be helpful because that
42:43
puts Nas back on the bench.
42:45
So that gives that score and punch that
42:46
you need off of the bench when Bree
42:48
Jones gets back, you know, back playing.
42:51
So I think overall Atlanta is looking
42:53
great on the Indiana side.
42:54
I mean, it starts on a defensive end.
42:57
That's really all I got for them.
42:58
Like it starts on a defensive end.
43:01
Caitlin has to do more off ball.
43:03
She just stands around.
43:05
And does nothing out there.
43:06
Like, literally just standing around.
43:07
And I think that they're actually – I
43:10
won't say they're better when she's off
43:11
ball, but they're better.
43:12
And we've talked about it ad nauseum on
43:14
this podcast.
43:15
They're better when Aaliyah Boston is
43:16
running the charge,
43:17
when she's getting the ball in the high
43:18
post and making decisions from there.
43:20
Whether it's, you know,
43:22
in the pick and roll with Kaitlyn.
43:23
Whether it's, you know –
43:26
a high low to whoever that's in the
43:27
paint.
43:28
I think that a big thing that people
43:30
aren't talking about is that four spot
43:32
that Natasha Howard had last year.
43:35
Indiana is really lacking that this year.
43:38
Like they're trying to figure out who's
43:40
the best, you know,
43:42
the best person to put there between Mo
43:44
Billings and Myisha Hines.
43:47
And like,
43:50
it's just not working.
43:51
They're not consistent.
43:52
Neither of them are consistent enough.
43:54
My should knock down a few threes the
43:55
other day, but like,
43:56
she's just not consistent enough.
43:58
And I think they're really missing that
43:59
four position because right now they're
44:01
really just relying on Caitlin,
44:03
Kelsey and AB.
44:04
Right.
44:04
Yeah.
44:07
Cause I mean, that's, that's,
44:08
that's just not their style of game is,
44:09
I mean, I mean, I get it.
44:10
I know that my Shahan is knocked down
44:12
a couple of threes more recently,
44:13
but that's, that's not her game.
44:14
Like,
44:15
You know what I'm saying?
44:16
Like,
44:16
you talk about a player like Natasha
44:17
Howard who really provides that,
44:18
who's been that throughout her career.
44:20
Like, you know,
44:20
being able to be an elite three-level
44:22
scorer, but then also, you know,
44:23
be able to bring some type of effort
44:25
on the defensive end with a length and
44:26
a size.
44:27
So, I mean, and I get it.
44:28
I mean,
44:28
I know that Myesha Hines-Allen is a very
44:30
impactful player whenever she's assertive.
44:32
Same thing with Monique Billings.
44:33
But they just don't bring to the table
44:35
what Natasha Howard brings.
44:36
And, I mean, hell,
44:37
you're seeing her right now with Minnesota
44:38
playing next to Olivia Miles and other
44:40
players.
44:40
So, yeah, they're definitely missing that.
44:42
But also another thing, too, because,
44:44
you know,
44:44
people are –
44:45
continuously trying to like call out
44:48
stephanie white and everything you know
44:49
saying she's a bad coach she said this
44:51
and this and that and i think to
44:53
myself i'm like do y'all not realize like
44:56
with stephanie white at the helm like they
44:58
were one win away from the wmba finals
45:01
They were literally pushing the Las Vegas.
45:03
I mean, hell,
45:04
they weren't even healthy last year.
45:05
You know what I'm saying?
45:05
They weren't even healthy last year.
45:07
You know what I'm saying?
45:08
Their starters were like Odyssey Sims,
45:11
obviously Leah Boston, Natasha Howard.
45:13
Kelsey Mitchell also went down in that
45:15
game five with the cramps.
45:17
And they were still pushing the Aces.
45:20
So if that doesn't show you good coaching,
45:22
then I don't know what does, honestly.
45:23
And I get it.
45:24
Obviously, not a fully healthy team.
45:25
You do have to adjust.
45:26
And I'm not going to say that Stephanie
45:27
White has been perfect throughout this
45:29
season,
45:29
but she's still a better option than
45:32
what's out there, if you ask me.
45:33
I don't know who else is out there.
45:35
For instance,
45:35
if they were to fire Stephanie White,
45:37
there's nobody else out there,
45:38
in my opinion,
45:38
that would really turn the team around.
45:41
The same energy they give to Stephanie
45:43
White is the same energy that Lynn Roberts
45:45
deserves.
45:46
I agree.
45:48
Nobody ever talks about her.
45:50
She just skates on by, being mid, mid,
45:52
mid, mid, mid, just skates on by.
45:56
Nate Tibbets, too.
45:57
We're going to be real, buddy.
45:58
Yep.
46:00
So...
46:02
One player I wanted to call out on
46:05
the fever, and that's Lexi Hall.
46:08
Because, sweetheart,
46:11
what have we been doing here?
46:12
Because you have not been productive.
46:16
And you're in the starting lineup,
46:18
which you're hindering the team because
46:21
you're not being productive enough to help
46:25
create for everybody else on the squad.
46:28
But the thing is, they need her defense.
46:30
I wanted to call that one out.
46:31
That's the thing.
46:31
She's one of the only...
46:32
I had something pinned in my head.
46:34
Can you hear me, Wiley?
46:35
I should have wrote it down just so
46:38
I could remember.
46:38
I don't think they hear you.
46:39
Just yapping.
46:40
I don't think they hear you.
46:48
Yeah, we can hear you now.
46:50
He was talking all over the low.
46:51
No,
46:51
we were asking you to hear us because
46:53
we was talking and you was just going.
46:55
Oh,
46:55
my bad because my phone was ringing and
46:58
so I had my earbuds was just going.
47:04
It's all good.
47:05
I was just saying that with Lexi,
47:11
you know,
47:12
they have to keep her on the floor
47:13
because she's one of their best defenders
47:15
and they can't defend.
47:17
And the thing is,
47:18
she's not even playing great defense,
47:20
but that's what they have.
47:21
You know what I'm saying?
47:23
That's what they have.
47:24
So they have to kind of keep her
47:25
on the floor,
47:26
even though she's not really contributing
47:27
offensively,
47:28
just simply because they don't have a lot
47:30
of defensive players out there.
47:32
Yeah, and that's the thing.
47:33
They're kind of juggling with that wing
47:34
position because it's like Lexi Hull's
47:36
bringing the defense,
47:37
but also Sophie Cunningham's bringing the
47:39
offense,
47:40
especially with her shooting at a high
47:42
level.
47:43
But it's like you said,
47:44
you would think a player like Lexi Hull
47:46
could thrive being able to shoot the ball
47:49
at a high level,
47:49
playing next to both Kayla Clark,
47:51
Aaliyah Balls, and even Raven Johnson,
47:53
too, with certain liners,
47:54
but
47:54
I don't know.
47:55
Like,
47:55
that's honestly always been her thing,
47:56
though,
47:56
is that it's her inconsistency from the
47:58
perimeter.
47:59
Like, she has, like,
48:00
she's had seasons where she actually shot
48:01
the ball well.
48:02
But then she's also had seasons where she
48:03
can't buy a basket.
48:04
And I just don't understand why.
48:05
Like, I mean,
48:06
I feel like she could get a lot
48:07
of quality looks.
48:08
But I don't know.
48:09
It's just, you know,
48:10
I think her trying to find that
48:12
consistency shooting the basketball is
48:14
going to really help Indiana,
48:15
especially offensively,
48:16
if she can knock down shots.
48:17
But, you know,
48:17
we'll just have to see if she can
48:18
be able to find her shot.
48:20
Yeah,
48:20
I'm actually looking at the numbers now
48:22
because Aaliyah Boston,
48:26
like from the eye test,
48:28
it doesn't look good.
48:31
Just based on how she's been playing the
48:32
last couple of games.
48:33
But I mean, according to the stats,
48:37
I mean, she's playing pretty good.
48:38
Sixteen point six points, eight points.
48:41
eight point six rebounds and two point six
48:43
assists per game.
48:45
I'm looking now just to compare it to
48:48
what it was last year.
48:51
She's averaging less minutes this year,
48:54
but she's averaging more points,
48:55
more about a little bit more rebounds.
49:01
Her shooting percentage is down.
49:02
That's why.
49:03
Okay.
49:04
She's shooting a three better,
49:05
forty two percent.
49:06
But her shooting percentage,
49:07
she's usually at fifty plus percent.
49:09
She's at forty eight right now.
49:10
So, yeah, I guess it's like for us,
49:14
like for us,
49:15
we had higher expectations just because we
49:18
saw this past year in arrival.
49:20
Exactly.
49:20
I mean,
49:20
like you look at what you look at
49:21
what she did in arrival.
49:22
She was one of the top players in
49:23
the league and she was killing it,
49:25
honestly.
49:26
And now it's like it's like you said,
49:27
I mean, the numbers don't look bad.
49:30
Like,
49:30
but when you look at it on the
49:31
floor, like, yes,
49:32
she is still making an impact.
49:34
I'm not going to say that she's been
49:34
bad, but I don't know.
49:37
Like to me,
49:37
like we expected more dominance from a
49:39
player like Aaliyah Boston.
49:40
Like, you know what I'm saying?
49:42
Like, like, I mean,
49:42
I think you said this before, too.
49:43
Like, I think like you said,
49:45
she was like one of the best post
49:46
players in the league besides Asia or
49:47
something like that.
49:48
Yeah.
49:48
So the best back to the back.
49:50
Yeah.
49:51
Exactly.
49:51
So it was like I said to me,
49:52
I don't think she's been playing horrible,
49:54
but it's just not up to the standards
49:56
or expectations that we had on her because
49:59
of how well she's like she's continued to
50:01
progress over the years.
50:02
Absolutely.
50:03
I think it's because we're used to seeing
50:04
her improve each year.
50:07
And granted,
50:08
we see her step out and shoot the
50:09
three a lot more this year.
50:11
So she has improved in that aspect.
50:13
But like,
50:14
I think I was just expecting to feel
50:16
her impact a little bit more this year.
50:17
And again, it's only what,
50:21
We still got half a season, you know,
50:23
left essentially.
50:24
So she could turn it up.
50:25
You know,
50:26
some teams turn it up after all-star
50:27
break.
50:28
She could turn it up.
50:29
I mean,
50:29
I think Indiana is a playoff team
50:31
regardless.
50:32
I think they'll get their act together.
50:34
But, I mean,
50:37
they got some things to work on for
50:38
sure.
50:39
Cause you also say that,
50:42
cause I know that she was hurt like
50:43
towards the end of arrival season.
50:44
Do you think that that might be still
50:45
lingering?
50:46
That's what people were saying that it
50:47
could be, you know,
50:48
her leg injury could still be kind of
50:50
lingering.
50:53
But she's missing a lot of chippies too.
50:55
Like that's that we,
50:57
that we're used to her making.
50:59
So I'm not sure,
51:00
but we all know that Aaliyah Boston is
51:02
the hardest critic on herself, you know,
51:04
harder than anyone could ever be on her.
51:06
So I'm sure she also wants to play
51:08
a little bit better than when she's
51:09
playing.
51:10
not a hundred percent honestly i mean it's
51:11
like you said i mean you know we're
51:13
still early in the season there's still a
51:14
lot more basketball to be played um and
51:17
it means like you said i mean especially
51:18
like you know coming back from also
51:20
breaking me you start seeing teams and
51:21
players turn things up a notch so maybe
51:23
that might be the case for alia boston
51:24
but it's like i said i mean she's
51:26
not playing horrible but to me like
51:28
especially like with how skilled and how
51:30
excellent she is at playing basketball
51:32
like i i just i just expect more
51:34
from her that's just me right yeah but
51:37
But, I mean,
51:38
we can dive into this next team since
51:40
you're the homer here.
51:42
The Washington Mystics have actually been
51:43
playing really good basketball as of
51:45
recently.
51:45
I think they're ranked eighth right now.
51:47
I think they're the AC right now,
51:49
I want to say, in the WNBA.
51:51
But grabbed two really big wins.
51:53
First one was against the Liberty on the
51:55
road.
51:55
And then on Sunday,
51:56
they were able to grab a win against
51:58
the Lynx.
52:00
That's actually probably the more
52:01
impressive thing is that they're finding
52:02
ways to win on the road, honestly.
52:04
And obviously Sonya Citroen has been,
52:06
you know, one of the,
52:07
one of the focal points behind their
52:08
success so far.
52:09
Same thing with Kiki Iria Finn,
52:10
Shakira Austin and others.
52:11
So I'll go and give it to you
52:13
though.
52:13
Like what has been your thoughts on the
52:14
Mystics as of recent?
52:17
I don't think it's a coincidence that the
52:20
Mystics have beaten two tough opponents
52:24
because in their last five games,
52:26
they've been locked in defensively,
52:27
and I think that's been the biggest
52:28
difference.
52:29
When I looked it up in the last
52:31
five games,
52:31
they've been ranked third in overall
52:33
defensive rating.
52:34
So they went from like eight or nine
52:36
to like third.
52:37
And I think that's really been the biggest
52:39
difference.
52:40
We're also seeing bench scoring in one of
52:43
the last games.
52:43
I think it was against Minnesota,
52:45
actually,
52:45
where Cody McMahon came off the bench and
52:47
scored, I think,
52:48
fifteen points or something like that.
52:50
She's looked pretty good.
52:52
And it's really just I'll call them the
52:56
big three.
52:56
But I'm even leave Shakira out of this
52:58
respectfully.
53:00
What do they call them?
53:01
Kitron, Kiki.
53:02
Yeah, something like that, yeah.
53:04
Yeah, like Kiki and Sonya.
53:07
I mean, they have just showed out.
53:09
They have played better than I anticipated
53:12
them playing this early in their career.
53:15
Sonya is a superstar,
53:17
and she's going to be good in this
53:18
league for a very long time.
53:19
Kiki is a superstar,
53:21
and she's going to be good in this
53:22
league for a very long time.
53:23
When you're talking about Kiki,
53:25
you can see the improvement from last
53:26
year.
53:27
She's stretching the floor more this year.
53:29
She's already taken more threes so far
53:31
this year than she did all of last
53:32
year,
53:33
which is just creating more space for
53:34
Sonia and Shakira to operate.
53:38
She's reading defenses coverages better,
53:40
and I think that's been one of the
53:42
biggest things.
53:42
She's not holding on to the ball as
53:44
long.
53:44
She's adjusting based on what the defense
53:46
is giving her.
53:47
She's decisive in her moves.
53:48
And I think another big thing about Kiki
53:50
in general is just her late-game
53:52
confidence.
53:53
In several games that the Mystics have
53:55
won,
53:55
Kiki has hit very big shots or grabbed
54:00
a big rebound to kind of seal the
54:02
deal for them.
54:03
And I think just with time and her
54:06
just maturing and just, you know,
54:08
the game essentially slowing down for her,
54:10
we can just see her growth, like,
54:12
And this is all I ever asked for,
54:13
like with these players,
54:15
like with Kiki and even Sonya, right?
54:18
You can literally see their improvement
54:20
from the previous year.
54:21
Like you can tell that they work on
54:23
their craft.
54:24
And it's just nice to see because the
54:27
Mystics have a very, very, very,
54:29
very young core.
54:30
And I think Sonya is showing everyone that
54:32
she can be that go-to player.
54:34
She can be the star of the team.
54:36
And again, this isn't a contender.
54:38
Do I think that they'll beat some teams
54:40
and shake shit up?
54:41
Absolutely.
54:42
But I think they have a great foundation.
54:45
And like I said, Sonya,
54:46
one of my favorite things about Sonya is
54:48
just her shot selection.
54:49
She rarely takes bad shots.
54:51
Like she gets to her spot.
54:53
She knows how to go downhill.
54:54
She can catch and shoot.
54:56
She finishes with contact at the rim.
54:58
Like it's really not a lot of negatives
55:02
in Sonya's game, to be honest with you.
55:04
And I think right now that big three
55:06
with Shakira added in there,
55:08
they're just clicking on the right
55:09
cylinder.
55:10
I'm not too happy about the point guard
55:12
position.
55:12
I've been very adamant about that.
55:14
I've been very vocal about that.
55:17
even going back to last year getting
55:19
Georgia Amor I just wasn't sold because I
55:23
thought she was overrated at Kentucky I
55:26
think she played well within her system
55:28
but I didn't see her game translating to
55:31
the WNBA much so to get her as
55:35
high as they did was head scratching and
55:36
then to turn around and draft Rory Harmon
55:40
and this is no disrespect because I think
55:42
Rory's a feisty player I think that
55:45
you know, she works hard, she plays hard,
55:47
but the league is changing where guards
55:52
are five, ten now and five,
55:55
eleven and six feet, six, one.
55:57
And so where we see smaller guards being
56:00
able to dominate or smaller guards being
56:03
able to
56:05
fit into WNBA systems I think that's going
56:07
to quickly change because everyone's just
56:09
getting taller hell you see Dom six six
56:15
you know bringing the ball down now and
56:16
you so we were seeing the the change
56:19
of the guard as they say where it's
56:21
no longer going to be little guards you
56:23
know what I'm saying I think the last
56:24
little guard we're probably going to have
56:26
is Hannah and after that
56:28
I don't know.
56:29
But I'm just not a fan of small
56:31
guards in the WNBA anymore just because of
56:34
how big everyone is in general.
56:35
And so I think that in the offseason,
56:38
they're really going to have to take a
56:39
long look at the point guard situation and
56:43
figure that out so that Sonya can focus
56:46
on, you know,
56:46
being that go-to player and main player.
56:49
So I'm happy with what they're doing now.
56:51
and um it's good foundational pieces i
56:53
still wanted you to come there but you
56:55
know it is that's funny um i'll say
57:02
this like sky fans i told y'all
57:05
Like, you know what I'm saying?
57:06
Because they wanted to be on my ass
57:07
whenever they traded the third overall
57:10
pick.
57:10
They were saying, oh, well,
57:11
this draft is not going to be that
57:13
great and everything.
57:13
And now, look,
57:14
Sonya Citron is hooping in D.C.
57:17
And Chicago could have had that.
57:19
Did you think she was going to be
57:20
this good this quick?
57:22
i did not gonna lie i did and
57:24
i think honestly i mean we we just
57:26
didn't really see like her full like her
57:29
full potential at notre dame especially
57:31
when you're playing next to olivia miles
57:32
and hannah hidalgo like she was the third
57:33
option on the team like she was more
57:35
of a spot of shooter now look she
57:36
did have some golden moments like i
57:38
remember there was a game that they played
57:39
against um nc state she hit like a
57:40
clutch bucket the fourth overtime so you
57:43
know we like we've obviously seen the
57:44
confidence in sonja citron but we just
57:46
weren't able to really see her as like
57:48
the real focal point on the offensive end.
57:49
And I think now over the past couple
57:51
of years,
57:51
we've seen that with the mystics and she's
57:53
really taken advantage of it.
57:54
Honestly.
57:55
I mean, her and Kiki together, like,
57:57
like that's a bright future for them.
57:59
Honestly.
57:59
I mean,
57:59
I know that Shakira has played well as
58:00
a recent, but just don't just,
58:03
just really those two in particular,
58:04
honestly,
58:05
like they just play with a lot of
58:06
confidence.
58:07
Like they both came out the gates from
58:08
the rookie year on and just, you know,
58:09
shown that they can compete in this league
58:11
and they're not slowing down anytime soon.
58:13
Honestly, I mean, hell, I mean,
58:14
Sonya hit that game where I think it
58:15
was like a week or two ago.
58:17
So one player a week.
58:18
Oh yeah.
58:19
Yeah.
58:20
As well.
58:20
One player a week as well.
58:21
So I really liked the missings.
58:23
And I mean,
58:23
and I definitely agree with you when you
58:24
talk about the point guard position,
58:25
because I mean,
58:26
I even talked about it too.
58:27
Like they wanted to put Georgia a more
58:29
as the starting point guard, but I'm like,
58:31
to me, when you look at the Mystics,
58:34
your best players is your winging,
58:35
your post players.
58:36
So it's like you're going to need a
58:37
guard that's going to really initiate the
58:39
half court.
58:40
And Georgia Amor is good,
58:41
don't get me wrong,
58:42
but we've always known her to be a
58:44
scoring point guard,
58:45
whether she was at Virginia Tech or even
58:47
a couple years ago when she was at
58:49
Kentucky.
58:50
So I knew that that wasn't really going
58:52
to fit out really well.
58:53
And then even Rory Harmon as well.
58:55
I love Rory Harmon.
58:56
I love the competitiveness that she brings
58:57
to the table,
58:58
but she's just not that type of point
58:59
guard, honestly.
59:00
So
59:00
That's going to be one of the bigs.
59:01
I think they have another point guard.
59:04
I don't remember her name off the top
59:05
of my head,
59:05
but I know that she's been playing well
59:07
as a reason.
59:07
I can't remember her name exactly,
59:10
but that's going to be like one of
59:12
the biggest.
59:12
The girl from overseas?
59:13
I think so, yeah.
59:14
I can't remember her name off the top
59:15
of my head,
59:16
but that's going to be probably one of
59:17
the biggest things is, you know,
59:19
finding a quality point guard who can
59:20
really run that team, honestly,
59:22
because like I said, I mean,
59:23
You're going to have a lot of times
59:24
where you're running the game through your
59:25
post players, especially with Kiki,
59:28
Shakira, all sitting there.
59:29
Of course,
59:30
you put in Lauren Betts into the system.
59:32
So, you know,
59:33
you're going to have the need.
59:34
You're going to need a solid point guard.
59:35
Now, look, like,
59:36
I will give credit to other players as
59:37
well.
59:38
Like,
59:38
I think Cody McMahon had a really strong
59:39
showing against the Lynx the other night
59:41
as well.
59:42
Like,
59:42
I really love the confidence that she's
59:44
brought to this team.
59:45
Career high.
59:46
Yeah, career high, so.
59:47
It's really only a matter of time before
59:49
the Mystics really show us that they're
59:51
one of the top teams in the league.
59:52
Honestly, yes,
59:52
it's going to still take some time.
59:53
They're going to go through some learning
59:55
curves,
59:55
but what I've been seeing so far has
59:58
been really incredible from the Mystics,
59:59
man.
59:59
Don't start it, Steph.
1:00:04
I told you to come with your homework.
1:00:06
If you're coming, come with your homework.
1:00:07
I'm staying out of that.
1:00:10
I'm staying out of it.
1:00:14
Nick,
1:00:15
I think you were talking about Felicia
1:00:17
Lopez
1:00:18
I think that is, yeah.
1:00:19
Flores, Flores, Flores.
1:00:20
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
1:00:20
Alicia Flores.
1:00:23
I'm with y'all when it comes to George
1:00:24
A. Moore.
1:00:26
Like you're just from a short one,
1:00:30
one short person to another.
1:00:32
you're you're a little vertically
1:00:33
challenged for the position especially
1:00:35
like you said the way this game is
1:00:37
starting to transition where your point
1:00:39
she also can't defend no she cannot no
1:00:44
she cannot and she picks the ball up
1:00:46
a lot i'm like as a point guard
1:00:48
you have to keep your dribble ma'am like
1:00:50
you and you pick it she picks it
1:00:52
up in the bed the most terrible spots
1:00:56
um
1:00:58
I feel like Lauren Betts needs more time
1:01:02
on the floor.
1:01:03
That's just me.
1:01:08
and probably because I've,
1:01:10
I've got to see her.
1:01:11
I got to see her quite a bit,
1:01:14
you know, within the last few months.
1:01:16
So, and I think she, she's a,
1:01:18
she's a pretty good center.
1:01:20
She's some, again, I,
1:01:22
especially with this young core,
1:01:23
I think that she,
1:01:25
she's a good piece to,
1:01:26
to incorporate in to,
1:01:28
to play alongside Kiki and, and Sonia.
1:01:33
But again, I'm not the head coach.
1:01:36
Here we go.
1:01:39
I just think they just upgrade over
1:01:41
Georgia a more,
1:01:42
or do I need to give more grace,
1:01:43
especially with her coming back from a
1:01:45
knee injury?
1:01:46
I mean, listen, that's true.
1:01:48
We do have to consider her coming back
1:01:50
from a knee injury.
1:01:51
However, comma, I just don't see it.
1:01:54
Yeah.
1:01:55
For either of those players, to be honest,
1:01:56
I don't think,
1:02:00
You're not trying to build a contender or
1:02:03
a team.
1:02:04
You're not even trying to get foundational
1:02:06
pieces and then bring Deja in.
1:02:07
I'm just so sorry.
1:02:08
Like another small guard that's like,
1:02:12
I mean, yeah,
1:02:15
stay in the league that you're in.
1:02:17
I think it's best suited.
1:02:20
respectfully i'm not saying the thing is
1:02:24
i'm not i don't think she's a bad
1:02:25
player i think that she's i think that
1:02:27
she can hoop i just think that i
1:02:30
just think that it's levels to it the
1:02:33
wmba project b upshot whatever whatever
1:02:37
the league like it's levels to it and
1:02:38
it's just at in terms of a wmba
1:02:41
level god bless
1:02:44
I mean,
1:02:45
and we've talked about this before.
1:02:47
So the thing is,
1:02:49
if Deja was good enough,
1:02:51
she would be in the W. Like,
1:02:53
let's just keep it a buck.
1:02:55
If she was good enough... I mean,
1:02:57
we'll see in the next couple of years.
1:02:58
Maybe she'll make one of the expansion
1:02:59
teams.
1:03:00
As long as it's not on my team.
1:03:01
I'm trying to win,
1:03:06
not do high girl hoops.
1:03:07
Right.
1:03:09
But I'm...
1:03:13
Like I said,
1:03:14
I was high on the Mystics just from
1:03:18
the look at the roster,
1:03:19
how young they are,
1:03:20
and just on the strength that I felt
1:03:23
like they would be a fun team to
1:03:25
watch.
1:03:27
And they have started to hit their stride
1:03:30
a little bit, three-game winning streak.
1:03:32
So, hey.
1:03:35
I'm all for it in whatever,
1:03:37
however they look moving forward.
1:03:38
Hopefully they can continue this trend
1:03:42
moving forward throughout the season.
1:03:43
Again, still a lot of season left,
1:03:45
so we'll see how that goes.
1:03:48
Before we go to Fit Check,
1:03:50
I need them to shop Shakira around and
1:03:53
see what they can get for that contract.
1:03:55
I was going to ask you about that.
1:03:56
I never understood why they signed her for
1:04:01
a three-year deal or why they even matched
1:04:02
Toronto.
1:04:03
They should have just let her go to
1:04:04
Toronto.
1:04:05
They should have just let her go to
1:04:05
Toronto.
1:04:06
I'm sorry.
1:04:07
Yeah.
1:04:08
Worst case scenario,
1:04:10
they could have quartered her and saw how
1:04:12
Lauren Betts did off the bench just to
1:04:16
see if they needed to give her a...
1:04:20
an extension or a full contract after
1:04:22
that.
1:04:22
But when Lauren Betts actually gets
1:04:24
minted, she's producing.
1:04:27
I hate that they don't play her as
1:04:29
much as I would like because they are
1:04:30
so heavy in the front court.
1:04:33
But I think that before the trade
1:04:35
deadline,
1:04:36
they should look to see what they can
1:04:37
get for Shakira.
1:04:39
And whether that's a point guard,
1:04:41
whether that's somebody else that can
1:04:42
shoot, they should see.
1:04:44
And this is no knock to her because
1:04:46
she's playing great.
1:04:47
but they should see what they can get
1:04:49
from her for her i should say i
1:04:51
would honestly love to see shakira on a
1:04:54
playoff contender now to see like how she
1:04:57
could produce i mean not like being like
1:04:59
a top two or three option honestly i
1:05:00
mean just being a solid role player for
1:05:02
them like i don't know like i would
1:05:05
love to see her on like a playoff
1:05:06
contender right now who could possibly use
1:05:08
her i don't know so like who
1:05:11
damn it i didn't want you to ask
1:05:12
me that but uh oh let me see
1:05:16
i'm trying to think too yeah i don't
1:05:18
i don't i mean atlanta like she would
1:05:19
have been perfect she would have been
1:05:21
perfect in um for dallas she would have
1:05:25
been perfect that was yeah that was lana
1:05:26
smith out she would have been perfect
1:05:28
there she could still be perfect there now
1:05:30
honestly oh we don't want lana i'm so
1:05:32
sorry
1:05:34
I'm talking about like a trade.
1:05:36
I'm talking about like,
1:05:36
maybe like if it was like free agency
1:05:38
or something.
1:05:39
God, that look like, nah, nah, nah.
1:05:42
But that would have been,
1:05:42
that would have been literally perfect
1:05:43
because they paying Alana probably.
1:05:46
She made, she, she,
1:05:47
I think she was signed a million dollar
1:05:49
deal.
1:05:50
I think, I think she's at them.
1:05:51
They making about the same amount anyway.
1:05:53
So that would have been perfect.
1:05:56
I'm trying to think who else.
1:05:59
Phoenix is in the dumpster right now.
1:06:01
Phoenix, yeah.
1:06:01
We're not going to even go there.
1:06:06
The Spartans already got too many post
1:06:07
players anyways.
1:06:10
I would say Toronto,
1:06:12
even though they're not a contender right
1:06:14
now,
1:06:14
but she probably should have signed there.
1:06:16
They're competitive.
1:06:18
Yeah,
1:06:18
that would have been an interesting
1:06:19
dynamic.
1:06:19
I think, honestly,
1:06:20
her and Yara could have played well
1:06:21
together.
1:06:22
I agree.
1:06:25
I agree.
1:06:26
I know that they're running things.
1:06:27
I know they got Timmy starting, but
1:06:36
all these million dollar players out here
1:06:41
but yeah yeah we about to wrap this
1:06:43
up so we can get to this game
1:06:44
y'all but time for you look at so
1:06:46
i can shower oh yeah uh of course
1:06:52
time for you for everybody's favorite
1:06:54
segment best damn fit check
1:07:09
Oh, boy.
1:07:11
What are you in for today?
1:07:15
I'm trying to gather myself because off
1:07:18
the rip.
1:07:19
That's how you know some of this.
1:07:21
Oh, hell no.
1:07:23
Yo, why did Satu do this?
1:07:26
Why are we in Matilda's closet?
1:07:28
Bro, it is.
1:07:29
It's summertime, dog.
1:07:31
I know it's too hot.
1:07:31
Why are we in Matilda's closet?
1:07:34
I know Germany is out here flourishing in
1:07:37
the World Cup and all this stuff,
1:07:40
but why are we doing this?
1:07:44
What is going on here?
1:07:46
Like, there's a lot going on.
1:07:48
Like...
1:07:50
I don't understand.
1:07:52
That is such a German fit.
1:07:55
Like straight up.
1:07:57
It's a zero for me, dog.
1:07:58
Yeah, it's a zero.
1:07:59
I'm sorry.
1:08:02
This is nasty.
1:08:03
She's going to rack up all the zeros.
1:08:06
Yeah, it's bad.
1:08:10
I mean, now... Hold up.
1:08:13
And you followed this from last week's
1:08:15
fit.
1:08:15
Last week's fit, you...
1:08:17
Was nice, it was perfect, wasn't too much.
1:08:21
And then you, all right.
1:08:24
I don't get it.
1:08:26
I don't hate it.
1:08:29
I don't hate it either.
1:08:32
I'll give it like a six.
1:08:36
Yeah, I'm with you, six.
1:08:38
It's simple.
1:08:40
I'll give it.
1:08:42
Not too out the way.
1:08:45
Yeah.
1:08:45
I'll give it six, seven.
1:08:49
We got seven, seven.
1:08:53
Felicia, we're not doing this.
1:08:56
We're not doing this.
1:08:57
You said negative zero, I'm crying.
1:08:58
Very German.
1:09:00
We're not doing this.
1:09:09
Good old Jackie.
1:09:10
I felt like she's done this before.
1:09:11
Jackie always gonna have that stomach out.
1:09:13
That's one thing I know about her.
1:09:14
She always gonna have a crappiano on.
1:09:17
I'm over the school girl look,
1:09:19
but I'll give it a six.
1:09:23
I'll give it a six as well.
1:09:25
I don't hate it, but...
1:09:26
I don't hate it either.
1:09:27
And she tried to do a little pose.
1:09:30
Okay, Jackie.
1:09:32
Y'all know how I feel about school girl
1:09:34
look.
1:09:36
Why is it such a trend of the
1:09:37
W, though?
1:09:37
Like, everybody's doing it.
1:09:38
Like, not everybody,
1:09:40
but a lot of players are doing it.
1:09:42
I don't know.
1:09:43
I'm with BB, man.
1:09:44
I'm going to give it a five.
1:09:46
The bust down, bust down, though.
1:09:48
That wig on that scalp tight, baby.
1:09:51
Tight.
1:09:52
It is.
1:09:53
That thing laid, boy.
1:09:55
Clean part.
1:09:57
If you're going to wear it,
1:09:58
make sure that shit laid.
1:09:59
I love it.
1:10:02
I'm sick of looking at Jack.
1:10:03
Hey, it's summertime, Felicia.
1:10:07
It's hot out there in Vegas, man.
1:10:09
She look like she going to work.
1:10:10
Look, you said.
1:10:11
She is.
1:10:13
Very clean look.
1:10:15
I'm not mad at it.
1:10:16
Why does she kind of look like Caitlyn
1:10:17
here?
1:10:18
Kind of.
1:10:19
She kind of does.
1:10:20
Whoa.
1:10:21
It's the dark hair.
1:10:22
Yeah.
1:10:22
And then like the head shape too.
1:10:25
Sorry.
1:10:25
Yes.
1:10:25
Yeah.
1:10:28
I'm going.
1:10:28
I'm not a fan of the shoes,
1:10:30
so I'm going six.
1:10:32
I give a solid seven.
1:10:34
I'll go six as well.
1:10:35
You got a lot of sixes today.
1:10:38
It is.
1:10:38
A lot of sixes.
1:10:39
Cuz I mean, some fits ain't been bad,
1:10:41
but they ain't been great either.
1:10:43
You're right.
1:10:47
No.
1:10:48
Last but not least, Alicia Clark.
1:10:50
I'm going four.
1:10:53
I give her five.
1:10:55
It's not bad.
1:10:58
It's simple.
1:10:59
It's a simple look.
1:11:02
I think those are,
1:11:03
she got on some heels, Felicia.
1:11:05
I can tell you that.
1:11:06
I think with those wide type of pants
1:11:08
to wear open toe heels is kind of
1:11:10
insane.
1:11:14
Like the pants are too wide for open
1:11:16
toe heels.
1:11:17
They are.
1:11:17
I'll go five as well.
1:11:21
I mean, again, simple, not too crazy.
1:11:27
That tattoo must be of her dad.
1:11:30
I've never seen that before.
1:11:31
It must be newish.
1:11:32
Might be, yeah.
1:11:34
Ain't nobody get an eight or nothing.
1:11:37
Six, five, six.
1:11:38
Everybody's mid on the road.
1:11:43
That's funny.
1:11:43
Everybody's mid on the road.
1:11:46
But that's all I got for the best
1:11:47
damn fit check.
1:11:50
As we close this thing out,
1:11:51
I will leave it to y'all.
1:11:53
Do y'all have anything for the people
1:11:55
before we shut it down?
1:12:00
Man, subscribe everywhere.
1:12:03
YouTube, Substack.
1:12:04
We're working constantly.
1:12:08
Recovering a lot of hoops.
1:12:09
It's not too disappointing.
1:12:12
We've had enough.
1:12:18
Listen, dog.
1:12:20
I couldn't pass that one up.
1:12:21
I'm sorry.
1:12:23
Actually, you know what?
1:12:25
We're going to put that one on Felicia
1:12:29
because she's the one that sent it to
1:12:31
me.
1:12:32
Now Felicia's sending stuff.
1:12:37
I'm crying.
1:12:39
She hit me up immediately.
1:12:43
Felicia's setting that girl up.
1:12:44
I see what you're doing, Felicia.
1:12:47
Felicia got ulterior motives.
1:12:48
I'm crying.
1:12:50
Felicia, I appreciate it.
1:12:56
The Liberty Up.
1:12:59
You want to get this thing a bow?
1:13:01
but yes sir as always please like share
1:13:04
subscribe tell a friend tell a friend tell
1:13:06
a grandma and them to pull up hit
1:13:08
the QR code hit the QR code like
1:13:12
excuse me like Nick said get all the
1:13:16
socials YouTube please go and like the
1:13:18
page share this episode put us in the
1:13:21
algorithm as Jay always say hey y'all real
1:13:24
quick everybody make sure y'all pull up to
1:13:26
Chicago next month man it's gonna be a
1:13:28
time
1:13:30
It's going to be a time, man.
1:13:34
It's going to be a time.
1:13:35
W ain't stopping us, man.
1:13:37
It's going to be a fucking time.
1:13:41
It's going to be fun.
1:13:44
Damn, you threw me off.
1:13:45
Oh, yeah.
1:13:47
Yeah.
1:13:47
Linktree.
1:13:48
Hit the QR code.
1:13:52
I don't have anything else.
1:13:53
We love y'all.
1:13:54
We appreciate y'all.
1:13:56
We will be back next week.
1:13:59
And hopefully Jay will be back next week.
1:14:01
Yes, Erski.
1:14:03
But we'll highlight y'all.
1:14:04
Y'all be safe.
1:14:07
Be Black.