Latest / Bleacher Report / Kahleah Copper Talks Winning Olympic Gold, Growth of WNBA with Candace Parker | Trophy Room, Ep. 2

Transcript

Kahleah Copper Talks Winning Olympic Gold, Growth of WNBA with Candace Parker | Trophy Room, Ep. 2 · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hey, please report it's Cannas Parker.
• 0:01
  Speaker 2: Welcome into the Trophy Room, a space to celebrate the
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: excellence of athletes who have won at the highest level.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: So there's only one rule. In order to step into
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: the Trophy Room, you have to be the proud owner
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: of at least one of the same pieces of hardware
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: on my personal shelf to join me for today's episode.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: We've got someone who meets that criteria in more than
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: one way. WNBA Champion McDonald's All American, four time WNBA
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: All Star, Olympic Gold medalists, and my favorite WNBA Finals MVP,
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: among many other accomplishments. Khalia Copper, Welcome to the Trophy Room.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: I was gonna say your whole full name. Oh, in fact,
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna do it. Khalia Lafisa Copper, Welcome to the
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Trophy Ye welcome to the Trophy Room.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: So great to have you, man, I'm excited.
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: I think this is probably like the coolest idea ever
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: to have to even be able to step onto your show. Okay,
• 1:05
  Speaker 3: I'm qualified, y'all hear this. I'm qualified to get on this.
• 1:08
  Speaker 4: Okay, thank you. I appreciate this. It's so pleasure.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: We're gonna start, you know, with the number three. The
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: number three is close to my heart, right, so my
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: jersey number was number three. I'm a three time champion
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: on three different teams. My big three in life are food, wine,
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: and sports. So in this segment, I've got three things
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: I want.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: To ask you about. Okay, so you don't go anywhere
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: without hot.
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: Sauce crystals to be exact.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: Oh wow, Okay, so it's like a specific brand. How
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: did that come about?
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: I need to know.
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: I think like growing up, we always had like the
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: big crystals.
• 1:48
  Speaker 4: If you know, you know, it's a little bottle, but
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: it's the big bottle, the big bottle you never run
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: out of.
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: And then sometimes it changes color, but it's still good.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: It might be a little I'm telling you, might be a.
• 2:01
  Speaker 4: Little old, but it's good.
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: But crystals, it tastes different, Like it's like Tabasco is
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: like hot pepper sauce. Franks is like wing sauce, and
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: crystals is like the perfect like vinegar and like hot sauce.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm gonna have to call your agent.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: We have to get this working because you sound like
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: this is like you are hot sauce, kind of sore.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: I am okay, I see that. You love a good
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: hot dog, GLIZZI yeah, you love a good hot dog.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: That's hot dog brand.
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: I haven't had a hot dog in a while. I'm
• 2:37
  Speaker 4: trying to stay away from.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Them, but m proud.
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, great dog. They don't cellos anymore. But
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: like now they have Francs. They might have transitioned into Franks.
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: But so Franks is cool. But great dog, the chicken
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: hot dog?
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: What do you put on the hot dog?
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: I'm not I'm not.
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: Like a Chicago Gurly Portillo's y'all, y'all, okay.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Portillo's is oh, okay, okay, get off my show. Okay,
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: get off my show.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: Fortillo's is okay, is okay, But like just catch up
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: and mustard, like I don't have to overdo it.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: You don't like chili cheese on your hot dog?
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: Okay, come on, that's like okay, moving on.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: You're from North North Philly. Uh you go in Chicago
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: hot dog or Philly chees stake Philly cheese steak. Oh
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: you said that like it was like will as wow, Okay,
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: we'll keep it moving. Obviously, you've got a laundry list
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: of accomplishments you put together for yourself.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: But like, what's next for Kyle?
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: Like what do you wake up in the morning and say, like,
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: this is what I want to accomplish next.
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: I think, for sure, I want to win another championship
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: in the WNBA. I think you get one and it's
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: like okay, Like but can you do it again? I
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: think that's where you kind of get this separation. And
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: I don't really I think the personal stuff, personal eccolades,
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: will come with the winning. But I do want to
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: challenge myself to be on a all defensive team. Yeah,
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: and I think I'm very much capable.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: So how do you go about Because I've known you
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: for now five years, it seems like it's been longer
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: than that, But how do you go about Because I
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: think you're very deliberate with how you want to achieve things,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: and you're very goal oriented and you set a goal
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: and then you work towards it. So how do you
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: go about that, you know, setting your goals, how do
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: you go about making sure that you're holding yourself accountable
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: for actually doing the things necessary to accomplish those goals.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: So I think it's important for me to write it
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: down writing it down helps me, you know, I see
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: it every day.
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: But like, off seasons are big for me.
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: I think I have so much more discipline in the
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: off season than in season. But like I talk about
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: last off season a lot, because it was so hard
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: between the transition from Chicago to Phoenix and then you know, just.
• 5:08
  Speaker 4: You have to wake up every day and you have
• 5:10
  Speaker 4: to figure it out.
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: Like if I'm home, I have to figure out which
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: gym I'm working out, where I'm going to lift. Then
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: I have to go maybe across town to get a
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: gym basketball Who's going to work me out?
• 5:21
  Speaker 4: And that's something that I have to figure out every day.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: So I think for me, I love that I'm so disciplined,
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: and I'm disciplined with what I want to be disciplined with,
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: which is.
• 5:34
  Speaker 4: Basketball and what I love to do.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: But just every time I look back on the things
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: I've accomplished, I couldn't have done it without the discipline
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: in the offseason.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: What do you do on those days where you're not motivated?
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: Everybody has New Year's resolutions, You check back Sometimes you
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: forget in December what your New Year's resolutions.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Were from that previous year.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: I find it interesting in people that have a com
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: a great deal. How do you stay disciplined and motivated
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: when that emotion and that that like anger has subsided.
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: And it's gone, and that's the off season.
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: I am like the days where I really don't want
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: to go, I go. The days where I'm like, yeah,
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: like I'm excited to get up, I'm ready, I feel great,
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: my legs don't hurt, my feet don't hurt, and you know,
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: it's really easy on those days. So for me, the
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: days where I'm like, I really like it's a dragon,
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: I really don't want to go, I always go because
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: I know those are the days where I'm testing my
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: mental those are the days where I'm being more disciplined
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: than anything, and those are the days that I'm actually
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: getting better. So I think that's that's a major one
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: for me. But staying motivated, I mean it's really I
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: mean it's probably a little cliche, but I'm just always
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: just like I just want so much more. But sitting
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: here and hearing you, like read my accolades, it's kind
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: of like, did I really do that?
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: Like I always have these.
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: Moments where I'm like shesh, Like I was a kid,
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: like with you on my wall with Irelata Simone Augustus.
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: I'm watching YouTube WNBA games and then I'm on your
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: team like you, leading me and helping me win my
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: first WNBA championship. So I think that a lot of
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: the motivation comes from watching you guys.
• 7:38
  Speaker 4: Watching you guys paved the way and.
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: Create a platform where I feel like I can go
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: out there and be myself and be passionate.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: So shout out to y'all.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Actually well, shout out to you for continuing to be
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: the same person throughout whatever. I think that's what I've
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: been most impressed with you is that you are from Northfield,
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: you went to Rutgers, and you are literally the same
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: mentality regardless of whether we're up twenty or we're down twenty.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: And I can only imagine how that carries off and
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: over into the off season. You said something that I
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: didn't really learn until later in my career. But you're
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: doing it, and you've done it from the beginning. It's
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: like you just got to start. Sometimes, like when you
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: don't want to do something, sometimes it's just literally putting
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: one foot in front of the other and just going
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: and sitting in the gym and then you're like, well,
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: I'm here, I might as well do something, you know.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: And I think it's like you take for granted how
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: much better you can get in those moments because you're
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: not only training your shot and you know you're working
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: out and all that, but you're training like mentally in
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: a game when you want to quit, or when you
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: pull up in the gym and you don't want to
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: be there. I think more kids need to hear about that,
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: because when the cameras and the lights and everything is on,
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: that's easy to go out there WBA Finals in the
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: front of the city of Chicago. It was easy, right,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: But it's the days that people don't know about that
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: are the tough ones.
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: I think probably like my toughest days is like you
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: have those stretches where like if I don't go overseas
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: and I'm not playing, uh, and it's just routine, you know,
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: It's it's every day me working.
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: Out by myself. You know, it gets old.
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  Speaker 3: Last off season, I'm like, I got to the gym
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: one morning and I just sat there and I'm like,
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: I don't feel like it. Like I don't feel like it.
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: But like you said, like you have these you have
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: games where you you can go seven, you know, the
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: first half, and it's like, mentally, that's very hard.
• 9:45
  Speaker 4: You know.
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  Speaker 3: It's like I put in all this work in the
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: off season. I put up so many stots this week,
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: Why am I o for seven?
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: But here I here I am.
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: You know, just like in the off season when I
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: didn't want to go to the gym and I was there,
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: and I ment I wasn't there, but I was still
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: able to get done when I needed to get done,
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: and it's like I got it, Like I could.
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: Do this well.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: All of that work and that mentality led you to
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: another dream, which was to play in the Olympics, these
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: past Olympics, and to probably suit up with some players
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: that you watched growing up you also have played against
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: a number of times. So can you just put it
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: into words? When you got that call and they were
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: like Copper is going to be a bat on the
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: back of an Olympic jersey, I mean, what did that feel? Like?
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: I was coming in the gym, we were getting ready
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: to play Minnesota and my GM meets me in the
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: tunnel weird and he's like, yeah, we had been having
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: a lot of like transactions as far as like our team.
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: So I'm like, okay, what's next.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: You think you got traded?
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: Got So he's like, oh, I want to just talk
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: to you. So we're going in the locker rooms here
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: and we go there. Okay, We're walking and I'm like, okay,
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: this walker is getting a little long, like get to it,
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: Like I'm a little anxious, and so he's like, all right,
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: we're just gonna go on this shom it's nothing major.
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: And I walk in and uh Bree is there like
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: and I'm just like shook.
• 11:23
  Speaker 4: Like I'm like, oh, like I've been waiting and I.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: Felt like they took so long to announce, so I'm like.
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: This is it? Like this is this is it?
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: So just like hearing her say that, because I've heard
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: Bride tell me that and I've heard Breede tell me
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: like no.
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: So I've heard both. So it was like I couldn't
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: I couldn't believe it.
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: And when you work your entire life for something as
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: big as this, because for me to be able to
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: represent my country and to be one of those players
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: on on that roster, I'm like like, this is this
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: is the dream, Like this is this is why you
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: go you get up on them days when you don't
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: want to because you you get to represent your country.
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: So I think that's that was like, that was super
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: big time. Then I hit a game winner on Minnesota.
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: So yeah, you.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Had a lot of game winners. Was it going left?
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: I said the back screen and then came up.
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: Now I actually had and it was a three.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but you were coming left? Yeah, oh im sure
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: report I know you.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: I know you very well. The gold medal game, because
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: the Olympics are a dream. You're there, You're in Paris
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: representing the country. This was a tough Olympics in terms
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: of one, the world I feel like has gotten better, right,
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: I think Two, when you're on a great team, all
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: of these players are used to playing a lot of
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: minutes and are used to having the ball in their hands,
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: and there is a rotation that happens within every coach.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: I mean that's got to be the hardest job too,
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: of deciding who plays, who doesn't, who gets minutes whatever. Well, listen,
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: you didn't play a lot, okay, just being candid, got
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: a DMP you did, And I text you and I
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: was like, Yoka, you are still a hooper, Like, do
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: not let that. And I knew as soon as I
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: sent that text, I'm like, she doesn't even need this,
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: because your mentality is that you know, you deserve to
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: be there and you're gonna be ready because you're always ready.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: And you were and in the gold medal game, you
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: scored ten points in the fourth quarter, including game winning
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: free throws. All the kids out there that are struggling
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: on the bench because their coach isn't given the minutes
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: or they're not getting the opportunity, like, tell them what
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: your mentality was to be ready when you was called
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: on one of the biggest stages after not after getting
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: a DMP and not playing, Like, what did you tell yourself?
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: I think it was so crazy because it was literally
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: my career in a nutshell and I am this player.
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: I get traded to Chicago and you know, I grow
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: into this franchise player. But throughout that time I was like,
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: like I deserve to play, Like I want to play,
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: I'm prepared, I'm ready, And how many times do you
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: see people you know I deserve to play. I want
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: to play, whether it's one minute, two minutes, or twenty minutes,
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: make an impact, whatever that looks like. So for me,
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: my career has always been preparation, meeting opportunity, and then
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: me just taking off from there. So I had no
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: problem with that, Like it didn't shake me having a DMP.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: I knew I deserve to be there, and I I
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: knew that when my name was called, I was always
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: going to be ready because I've been there, done that,
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: and I love that I've been able to be on
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: both sides of that.
• 15:10
  Speaker 4: I've been I've.
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: Been the player who played twenty minutes. I've been a
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: very great role player, and I've been a franchise player.
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: So it was nothing for me. I'm like.
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: Me, it's my turn. Okay, I'm ready. Yeah, I'm picking
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: up ninety four feet right now.
• 15:26
  Speaker 4: I'm ready. Yeah, I'm fourth quarter. I'm good. We good. Yeah.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: But I mean, listen, the gold medals around your neck,
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: and to me, there's nothing like when the national anthem's
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: playing the gold medals around your neck.
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: You're on the podium.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: But there's a little bit extra when you play well
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: in the gold medal game. Because I had a little
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: redemption in twenty twelve, play well in the gold medal game,
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: and there's a little like turn of your mouth when
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: you're listening to the anthem because you know that you
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: contributed in a big way team you will say only
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: one by one point against France because Gabby Williams's foot
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: was on the line, but you had a big part
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: in that and at in a pivotal moment. So like
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: what was that like standing on the Olympic podium. You
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: realize your dream, but you've done it how you've always
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: done it, like the hard way.
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: It was like this crazy adrenaline, like feeling like even
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: looking up and like seeing my family, like.
• 16:34
  Speaker 4: I could actually cry right now, but I'm not going
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: to cry them for like crying. I mean, you know
• 16:37
  Speaker 4: this could be.
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: But I was like like damn, Like everything wasn't for nothing,
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: Like it was.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: For this, like all the like whoof the not playing,
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: the playing the fucking my games, Like oh that shit
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: was worth it. Shit cut it.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: All.
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: It was worth it. Like I wouldn't trade my journey
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: for nothing.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: Because there's so many people out there that don't get
• 17:18
  Speaker 3: it the easy way. And I never had somebody down
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: looked at and was like like.
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: Damn. They had to get it out the mud.
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: They had to like really work, like really like work
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: to be a franchise player, and like it's possible.
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: So like now people see.
• 17:40
  Speaker 5: Like like it's possible, Like I could do that, Like
• 17:43
  Speaker 5: I ain't playing right now, like it's rookies now that's
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: like looking at me, like damn, Like Kyle wasn't playing
• 17:50
  Speaker 5: and like now she's an All Star like I played
• 17:54
  Speaker 5: with I played with ghandis Parker y'all?
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: I played with Gannons Parker. I want a championship with
• 17:58
  Speaker 4: it and I gotta find out some VP. It's like no,
• 18:01
  Speaker 4: but she got a few, but like you did.
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: And that's the thing, Like if we asked anybody to
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: begin the season, if they thought like I was gonna
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: get finals MVP, they wasn't gonna say that. And she
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: could have still got finals MVP. Sloop could have got
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: finals VP.
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: Ali had a big game, like everybody played their part.
• 18:17
  Speaker 4: But like.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: It's just like, yeah, it's possible.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: Well from the outside, and I've had like an inside
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: view of your career and from the outside, I just
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: seem more in awe of you every single day just
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: because I see the work and the mentality and it's
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: not just when the lights are on, like it's not
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: for fake, it's not whatever. And so when I was
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: watching the Olympic game and your number was called. It
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: was like there was like a confidence, do you know.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: Like when we were on the court in Chicago and
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: we were down to Phoenix, down to Phoenix by fourteen,
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: huddle ud like everybody can I'm like, everybody, calm down,
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: like we're gonna be just fine. And I saw you
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: in that moment like instead of being like here we
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: go taking off your pants, You're like, here we go,
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: Like this is what I've been working to prepare for.
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: And that's why I'm the most proud of you is
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: because I feel like you rise to the occasion whether
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: things are going great, because it's easy to ride those
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: waves and to serve as yeah, somebody that people can
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: look up at and say, I don't have to be
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: the best player on my team every since I picked
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: up a basketball to be a franchise player. And with
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: that being said, you just had career high numbers and
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: points twenty one point one points per game. You were
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: third in the league in scoring. You had nine to
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: thirty point damn you had nine nine thirty point games,
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: only second behind Asia Wilson, all WBA second team first
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: player in WNBA history. With back to back thirty seven
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: point games, and a lot of people don't know that
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: the reason why you did kind of slow down was
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: because you did hurt your back a little bit. So
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: I would like to say that when healthy, you are
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: one of the best in the league.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: How was it taking that challenge going to Phoenix.
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: This is your second time getting traded, but you wanted this,
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: You wanted to go to Phoenix and you wanted to
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: start a new chapter. How was that taking the reins
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: a little bit and being that go to player.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: I think it was.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: It was really hard for me to leave Chicago.
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: I think throughout my career.
• 20:42
  Speaker 3: Like becoming a free agent, I've always been like, oh,
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: West Coast, don't even bother, Like it's never gonna happen, Like,
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: don't don't call me. I told you, like, don't shout
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: out to Adidas because my pe says, never say never,
• 20:53
  Speaker 3: because never say never. And you know, just like trying
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: to figure out what moved to make and then you know,
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: Phoenix being a great like a great fit for me.
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: I don't know, Like I don't it was just crazy.
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: I think it was.
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: It was the perfect choice as far as fit and
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: then as far as like feeling like a professional having all.
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: The things that I need in order to be successful.
• 21:25
  Speaker 4: When you only have to.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: Worry about playing basketball. Playing basketball, it's wild. It's like
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: a crazy concept.
• 21:33
  Speaker 4: I mean, and this it shows.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: It shows like I'm having my career best at thirty
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: and I am in a situation where I have everything
• 21:44
  Speaker 3: that I need. So just I mean, like I said,
• 21:47
  Speaker 3: that off season was tough.
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: It was like very disciplined.
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: But from the off season and then carrying on to
• 21:56
  Speaker 3: having everything that I need in Phoenix, that is why
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: I was able to have this success.
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Well, we see the the videos of you and Natasha
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: Cloud recruiting free agents. Free agents, Yeah, with your breakfast and.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: Sheef Carlos shout to Stef Carlos.
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: Oh lord, we're giving chef shouts. That's what we're doing.
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: Uh, saunas and the practice facility and things like that.
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: You talk, I mean, you talk about just playing basketball.
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: But for people that don't realize what the early years
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: in the WNBA have been like, especially for some franchises,
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: where did you come from to be able to be there?
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: Like you have a one hundred million dollar practice facility
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: that you call home. Now you have a locker sauna,
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: I can leave my stuff, you can leave your stuff
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: there and not can't. There's no exactly pool, there's no
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: showering next to the old lady from the old lady
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: from the yeah, from pickle ball.
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: So how is that like having your own space?
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: Honestly, it's a blessing, like.
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: Shout out to the people who paved the way you huh,
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: who have experienced you. You've done it, You've done it,
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: you won championships, and I'm glad you got to experience that.
• 23:21
  Speaker 4: Girl.
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: They made charter flights.
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: The day I retired, I said, this literally bullshit.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: This has gotta be on some bullshit. They said chartered flight.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: Like literally, I press send on the little retirement post.
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: Shut a little tear, and then Kathy Ngelberg want to
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: come out and be like charter flights for the whole league.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: I said, yeah, it's any hid, but I'm happy for y'all.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: I am happy, No, but it shows. And that's the
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: thing is, like the player experience means something.
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: It means so much because when you are taken care
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: of and all you have to think of is this,
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: and it's just easier you play better because that's all
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: you have.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: To think of.
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: How many times have you previously in your career? Before
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: games you have to time up. Okay, I need to
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: either order some food or I need to pick up
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: some food on the way, or okay, after the game,
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: it's very late and I'm gonna have bar food or
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: I'm going to go through a drive through or what
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: is open if we play at eight, you know, after
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: the game, after you shower, after media, after all of that.
• 24:27
  Speaker 3: So it's just some things that you just you don't
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: have to work. I can wake up from my nap
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: and I can just get to the gym in there's food.
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: If I'm not feeling great, up, I can get in
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: this good cold tough.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: I'm just laughing because you said you ordered food. Can
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: we talk about the food that you used to order?
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: I'm thirty now.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: I'm so proud of you now because can you tell
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: them your your order?
• 24:51
  Speaker 3: Yes, shout out to Chili's or yeah, Chili's or Applebee's
• 24:56
  Speaker 3: one of them. I love them both, actually, but Fiesta
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: Lime Chicken I like, Aha, I like the to to
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: I went.
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: I went to Chili's one time to pick up a
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: meal with Ka, and they acted like Ka.
• 25:09
  Speaker 3: I was like, we got your ticket we held the
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: mango sausae.
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: And then for breakfast. Can we talk about breakfast real quick?
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: What did you order for breakfast?
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: I I love.
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: And there's no problem. But before a game, you're eating
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: a stack of pancakes.
• 25:30
  Speaker 4: Short.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: I got to Chicago and was just like, no, absolutely not.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: So we're not doing this. You gonna learn. You gonna
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: learn to eat some good food before games.
• 25:40
  Speaker 4: But we had some. We had a really great meal
• 25:42
  Speaker 4: last night.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: We had a fantastic meal.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: There's more we'll we'll talk about that in a little bit.
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: But I do want to talk about the transition of
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: your career because I did mention this is your second
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: time getting traded. Your first time was after your rookie
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: year to Chicago. You were in the Deledon trade right, yes,
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: and you went from the East coast where you played
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: at Rutgers not far.
• 26:11
  Speaker 4: To DC.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Got drafted in a good situation there. Coach Tiba, I mean,
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: great program gonna develop you. I remember watching you as
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: a rookie, saying like she is unbelievably athletic and can
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: get to her spots, and if they develop her right,
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: she is gonna be a great player.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: Boom traded and this was a trade that you didn't.
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: Expect, not at all. I was in Belgium. I will
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: never forget.
• 26:36
  Speaker 3: I was playing overseas in Belgium, and you know, scrolling
• 26:40
  Speaker 3: through social media, you see everyone's predictions. But I don't
• 26:44
  Speaker 3: know how trades work. I'm like, I'm a rookie, like
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: nobody wants me. Like I'm not gonna be in that trade.
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: It's no way. So having conversations with some people who understood,
• 26:54
  Speaker 3: like okay, like some people have a little worth. So
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, it's not me, Like it can't be me.
• 26:59
  Speaker 3: I'm seeing in the trades and everything. And then I
• 27:02
  Speaker 3: look at my phone and coach t is calling and
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, this is it. Answer he explains everything,
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: and next thing you know, I'm in Chicago and I'm
• 27:14
  Speaker 3: like my first year, I'm like, what is this? Slute
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: said you didn't talk the first year.
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: I'm like, I didn't. I didn't know, Like my head
• 27:22
  Speaker 4: was like on the spin.
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: But that was I think probably something good for me
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: early in my career.
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: Just good adversity.
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: Like just smacking right on top of the head right there.
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, but it's good worked out.
• 27:39
  Speaker 4: We both got championship.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: When did you start talking the next year? I want
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: to know the next year? So you just were trying
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: to figure out your environment. I was because you were
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: kind of like that a little bit. When I met you.
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: I was, you didn't really talk that much.
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: Okay, we'll get there too. M hm.
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: When I got there, I was like trying to figure out.
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: Like what my little niche would be.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: So I think like the first year, I was trying
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: to fill everything out and it was like a lot.
• 28:07
  Speaker 4: And then second year, I was like, you.
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: Know what I'm gonna do handshakes like because it was
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: like dry birthday cake.
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: So then I start my own like broke my own
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: little like tradition to the team.
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: And you're a surveyor. You kind of sit back figure
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: out what you need to do and bring to the situation. Yes,
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: you talk, but you can't come in talking.
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: So if you ever see me, if I ever meet
• 28:27
  Speaker 3: you and we're like all together and I'm not talking,
• 28:29
  Speaker 3: don't Can I just tell you about when I first
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: met Cale, We didn't talk like the first month.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: No, I'm talking about even before I was in Chicago.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: She came over to my house with a teammate, so
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: you know this. She came over to the house with
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: the teammate. She fell asleep on my couch and did
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: not talk to me. And she's in my house.
• 28:47
  Speaker 4: I did not know her.
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: So I was like, but she fell asleep on my couch.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: I walked through my living room because we were having
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: a little barbecue.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: Like, who is that is that kalea copper on my couch? Okay,
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: she wakes up, gets a plate, doesn't say anything, goes back,
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: sits on the couch.
• 29:05
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it was a lot like it was a lot
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: like that, y'all. Don't think that's a lot.
• 29:09
  Speaker 3: Somebody bring you to Candice Parker house and then like
• 29:11
  Speaker 3: everybody's just there.
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: I'm like, you know what, I'm going to sleep. I'm
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: gonna go to sleep. One thing about me. I'm gonna
• 29:17
  Speaker 4: go to sleep.
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: That is a given.
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: You're gonna eat and you're gonna go to sleep. All right, Chicago,
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: this is where we meet. This is where we come together.
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: I had talked to Slute, I had talked to Ali,
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: talked to coaches and all that stuff. I hadn't talked
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: to you when I had decided that I was coming
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: to Chicago. So the first day I remember I showed
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: up and you brought me a birthday cake because my
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: birthday was pretty close to when training camp started. And
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: I was like, okay, like maybe not talking to her.
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: This whole time, or her welcomed me to Chicago. Yeah,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: in the least been away, Maybe that's not a bad sign.
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: But immediately that first day in practice, I could tell
• 29:58
  Speaker 2: your energy is just like electric, Like you give so
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: much energy to the team and to just practice and
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: to intention and film and passion and all that stuff.
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: Like was that a role that you grew into or
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: was that something that after you decided to start talking
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: the first year you went Chicago, that's what you saw
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: that you could bring to the franchise.
• 30:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 30:22
  Speaker 3: I think I could always bring energy. I knew that,
• 30:29
  Speaker 3: but I had to grow in order to be consistent,
• 30:34
  Speaker 3: in order to be a leader in my own way,
• 30:38
  Speaker 3: and in order to have success. Like you can't, like
• 30:43
  Speaker 3: I said, consistent, You can't do it one day and
• 30:45
  Speaker 3: then tomorrow you having a bad day, so then you
• 30:47
  Speaker 3: don't want to know. It doesn't work like that. I
• 30:50
  Speaker 3: think like your teammates and your coaches.
• 30:54
  Speaker 4: Depend on that.
• 30:55
  Speaker 3: And I think that year also I was coaching at
• 31:00
  Speaker 3: a division too, and I could see like my players
• 31:06
  Speaker 3: and I'm like, oh no, she's a little like me, okay.
• 31:10
  Speaker 3: And I see like as a coach, like if I'm
• 31:13
  Speaker 3: not having a my normal day, how it affects my
• 31:16
  Speaker 3: team and how it affects my coaches because it's as
• 31:19
  Speaker 3: a coach is annoying because it's like, you know what
• 31:22
  Speaker 3: you need to bring to this team every single day
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: in order for us to have success.
• 31:25
  Speaker 4: So I think a lot of that, A lot of
• 31:28
  Speaker 4: my growth.
• 31:29
  Speaker 3: That year especially was from my coach and seeing it
• 31:33
  Speaker 3: at a different perspective.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: That perspective is is crazy because I think once you
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: start doing stuff outside of your sport, you start coaching,
• 31:43
  Speaker 2: you start seeing yourself and other things, then it changes
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: how you your responsibility. H you know, And I remember
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: Coach Summit would always talk about how you're responsible for
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: your own energy, right in the energy vamp hires versus energy,
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: Like you can go into all of the different things
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: that coaches say, but in Chicago, it was clear you
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: were the energy driver. And I say that in even
• 32:13
  Speaker 2: big plays, like the biggest thing I can remember is
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: against the Connecticut Sun when you came down and you
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: got an one and our picture where you were, I mean,
• 32:23
  Speaker 2: just going crazy, and the fans feel it. And it's
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: something that's like it's not a tangible thing that you
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: can touch. It's intangible, but everybody sees it. Have you
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: always been like that? Because I don't remember at Rutgers
• 32:40
  Speaker 2: you being that. When did you develop that energy? Because
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: I mean you could talk about yeah, like doing it
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: and seeing yourself and the coaches or whatever, but there's
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: just like when you walk into a room, you can
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: honestly feel your energy and your passion, and it's like,
• 32:57
  Speaker 2: that's what I love about you the most.
• 33:00
  Speaker 3: I don't think I've always been like that, you know,
• 33:03
  Speaker 3: at Rutgers. I think I feel like I've always had
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: this like like this dog.
• 33:08
  Speaker 4: In me, but like Chelsea Newton was my assistant.
• 33:11
  Speaker 3: Coach at Rutgers, and Chelsea Newton put a different kind
• 33:17
  Speaker 3: of like dog in me, like had me like nothing
• 33:21
  Speaker 3: could like Coach Stringer, we know, like nothing could shake
• 33:24
  Speaker 3: me because I played for coach s Jinger, But I
• 33:27
  Speaker 3: think she was so intentional in our staff and what
• 33:31
  Speaker 3: Chelsea Newton and Tasha Pointer like the things that they
• 33:36
  Speaker 3: had instilled in me like crazy. So I think that
• 33:42
  Speaker 3: just having that experience in college and then you know,
• 33:44
  Speaker 3: finding myself and like I said, just watching the WNBA
• 33:49
  Speaker 3: and seeing players like just completely be themselves. Like myself
• 33:54
  Speaker 3: is when I when I'm in North Philly and I'm
• 33:56
  Speaker 3: playing outside, I'm talking a little shit, I'm I'm I
• 34:00
  Speaker 3: might bump you a little.
• 34:01
  Speaker 4: Here and there, Like that's me.
• 34:02
  Speaker 3: So seeing players in the WNBA completely be themselves and
• 34:07
  Speaker 3: me grow into who I am. I'm like, oh, I
• 34:10
  Speaker 3: could bring this every night, and I know what it.
• 34:13
  Speaker 4: Could do for my teammates, like I had.
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: Sleut, Like yeah, like ALI like it.
• 34:21
  Speaker 4: What Like I love that.
• 34:23
  Speaker 3: I love to see my teammates like give that energy
• 34:26
  Speaker 3: and like it's it's different.
• 34:29
  Speaker 4: Like it's so different.
• 34:30
  Speaker 3: And like you said, crowd coaches players topped the bottom
• 34:35
  Speaker 3: like everybody, everybody feels it, and it's hard to match that.
• 34:39
  Speaker 2: Your three years coming off the bench in Chicago, then
• 34:42
  Speaker 2: you grew into the starting role your fourth year. I
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: remember seeing you in the bubble and you went baseline
• 34:51
  Speaker 2: like a blur, and I was like, somehow Ky got
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: more athletic in.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: The off season.
• 34:57
  Speaker 2: I don't understand how you know you was going if
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: baseline because you'd like to reject the screen to then
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: be in center stage and the whole city watching all
• 35:09
  Speaker 2: that you put into it. What was that like being
• 35:13
  Speaker 2: in that finals situation where it was a Game four,
• 35:16
  Speaker 2: we could clinch on our home court, we could win
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: at home in Chicago.
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: I mean, you got a chance. The rapper in.
• 35:23
  Speaker 2: Your jersey, a ton of little kids just running around
• 35:28
  Speaker 2: in number two copper jerseys. Explain that experience, because to me,
• 35:31
  Speaker 2: that was your first real playing for a championship moment,
• 35:37
  Speaker 2: and I was able to watch it, and it was
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: just amazing to see how you stayed focused and stayed
• 35:42
  Speaker 2: true to like everything that got you there.
• 35:44
  Speaker 4: That was it right there. I think nothing changes.
• 35:50
  Speaker 3: I think you work for something and you get there
• 35:55
  Speaker 3: and I will not let it slip. You understand, and
• 36:01
  Speaker 3: every little thing matters. And then you have people who
• 36:04
  Speaker 3: have the blueprint there to guide you and you listen,
• 36:10
  Speaker 3: you soaking every single thing that they have to give,
• 36:15
  Speaker 3: and like seeing people kids in my jersey and autographs
• 36:22
  Speaker 3: and like it's like I was that kid.
• 36:26
  Speaker 4: I was, I was, I was that kid.
• 36:32
  Speaker 3: I just it's it's honestly, it's such a blessing to
• 36:36
  Speaker 3: have experienced that.
• 36:37
  Speaker 4: And like that was, like you said, my.
• 36:40
  Speaker 3: First real Like I've been to the playoffs, you know,
• 36:42
  Speaker 3: the first round.
• 36:43
  Speaker 4: I don't think I made it past that.
• 36:44
  Speaker 3: So moving on, I'm like, oh, like we we're here
• 36:49
  Speaker 3: and it's and it's no way I let this opportunity
• 36:52
  Speaker 3: slip because when I haven't been back since, and like,
• 36:58
  Speaker 3: while you're there, you you relish in it, but you take.
• 37:00
  Speaker 4: Advantage of the opportunity.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: Everybody sees.
• 37:05
  Speaker 2: The championship rings and the banners and the champagne and
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: the celebration and all that stuff. What is the behind grind?
• 37:15
  Speaker 2: Because we weren't good that year? I think we were.
• 37:19
  Speaker 2: We finished sixth six syed, Yes, we were a six seed.
• 37:23
  Speaker 2: We had to play two single elimination. Like the season
• 37:26
  Speaker 2: was not perfect, but I think it just speaks to
• 37:31
  Speaker 2: continuing to stick with it and you know, the confidence
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: that I think we gave each other. Like I saw
• 37:39
  Speaker 2: something in you. I think we were in the locker
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: room time and it was like we had lost five
• 37:44
  Speaker 2: straight and your focus was not in anger. It was
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: like we're going to turn this around. And it was
• 37:52
  Speaker 2: different than a lot of different stares in that room.
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: And so I remember that was kind of like our
• 37:58
  Speaker 2: first where we started talking and you know, I would
• 38:02
  Speaker 2: always say, it's not it's not based off of like
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: wins or loot losses. It's about like what we're doing
• 38:08
  Speaker 2: to do it. So if we suck at rebounding but
• 38:11
  Speaker 2: we're winning, we gotta still fix rebounding and it doesn't
• 38:14
  Speaker 2: come down like just because we lost by one point
• 38:17
  Speaker 2: or two points in a regular season game, now everybody's mad.
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: So I saw in you.
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: Like that belief and that ability and things like that
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: to kind of like not just basically focus on like
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: the results of right now.
• 38:31
  Speaker 4: I think a lot of that was the leadership.
• 38:35
  Speaker 3: I think we had leaders in their own Everybody led
• 38:41
  Speaker 3: in a different a different way. And I think the
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: thing that I respected the most about you is, like
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: I said, like you brought it every single day, hurt, sore,
• 38:54
  Speaker 3: just got off a flight, was there, let like it
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: didn't matter. So I was able to see what I
• 39:01
  Speaker 3: needed to do to have success. You know, that stretch
• 39:04
  Speaker 3: we lost seventh straight and they were like one possession games.
• 39:08
  Speaker 3: So I think that seeing the leadership from you never
• 39:13
  Speaker 3: like Waiver, it's like we're fine. Like it was like
• 39:17
  Speaker 3: you were always saying we're fine, and sometimes we felt
• 39:19
  Speaker 3: like no, we're not fine, but we were always fine,
• 39:23
  Speaker 3: Like it was literally always one.
• 39:25
  Speaker 4: It was one possession.
• 39:27
  Speaker 3: So when it finally clicked, you know, we lost seven
• 39:29
  Speaker 3: straight and then we won seventh straight, and we peaked
• 39:31
  Speaker 3: at the right time and we felt great going into
• 39:33
  Speaker 3: the playoffs. So I think our leadership was just was
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: great that year, and it was very collaborative, and we
• 39:44
  Speaker 3: that single elimination was.
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: It was great, wasn't it? It was fantastic? Fantastic?
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: How do you bring how do you bring teammates along
• 39:55
  Speaker 2: that maybe don't match your energy or your focus or
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: aren't there because now you're a vet, you're thirty, okay,
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: thirty Ali, life comes at you fast. You're thirty, and
• 40:08
  Speaker 2: there's a challenge in leading. There's an ability to lead
• 40:11
  Speaker 2: people that want to be led. I think that's everybody
• 40:14
  Speaker 2: hopes for that, Like good people in the locker room
• 40:16
  Speaker 2: that lead and da da da da, and they follow
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: and do what you say and buy in and all
• 40:20
  Speaker 2: that stuff.
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: How do you reach the people.
• 40:23
  Speaker 2: That aren't buy in, that aren't bringing it every day,
• 40:28
  Speaker 2: that aren't doing what they say they're going to do?
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: How do you reach those teammates?
• 40:34
  Speaker 6: So I took a leadership class in college, there's something
• 40:37
  Speaker 6: new about you every day, and it just it really
• 40:41
  Speaker 6: broke down leadership. And I think the most important thing
• 40:45
  Speaker 6: that I learned was everyone is so different, and I'm
• 40:49
  Speaker 6: such a competitor that like in the moment, like sometimes
• 40:54
  Speaker 6: I know I can yell at you, but you I
• 40:59
  Speaker 6: might have to like poke you a little bit, like,
• 41:02
  Speaker 6: oh yeah, she cooking you, Like I gotta challenge you
• 41:06
  Speaker 6: a little. I gotta I know what I gotta do
• 41:08
  Speaker 6: for you, and it for you, I gotta be like,
• 41:09
  Speaker 6: come on, like you got it, Like give you a
• 41:11
  Speaker 6: little more confidence, because I know how it feels for
• 41:14
  Speaker 6: someone to of your caliber to like really pour into
• 41:19
  Speaker 6: you and be like, I believe in you.
• 41:21
  Speaker 4: And when you give that to somebody.
• 41:24
  Speaker 3: Whether they're bringing it or not, if you love the
• 41:28
  Speaker 3: game and somebody who is here pours into you and
• 41:34
  Speaker 3: is like giving you the time of day. If it
• 41:38
  Speaker 3: don't spark for you, you don't deserve it.
• 41:40
  Speaker 4: But it always does.
• 41:41
  Speaker 3: And I think for those people I like to like,
• 41:45
  Speaker 3: I get to know you because like I said, for like,
• 41:48
  Speaker 3: for instance, for my team, I've been in everybody's position.
• 41:52
  Speaker 3: So that's where I have success in being a leader because.
• 41:55
  Speaker 4: I understand it's hard. Like it's hard.
• 41:59
  Speaker 3: So for somebody who at the end of the bench
• 42:00
  Speaker 3: and yeah, they don't want to get up extra shots
• 42:02
  Speaker 3: because they don't believe that they're gonna get in. But
• 42:04
  Speaker 3: your time will come, and when it comes, you need
• 42:07
  Speaker 3: to be prepared for the opportunity so then you can
• 42:10
  Speaker 3: do something with that. But I think because I have
• 42:14
  Speaker 3: the experience of being at every phase of that in
• 42:17
  Speaker 3: my career, I'm able to like give that to somebody
• 42:20
  Speaker 3: and they're like, you know what, okay, like okay, and
• 42:25
  Speaker 3: challenging them but also feeding them the confidence, but also
• 42:28
  Speaker 3: finding the balance with like I'm holding you accountable, Like
• 42:31
  Speaker 3: you don't want to.
• 42:32
  Speaker 4: Get in a gym, I'm come, come work out with me.
• 42:34
  Speaker 4: Let's just let's just get up shots.
• 42:35
  Speaker 2: And the accountability I think as a VAT as you
• 42:37
  Speaker 2: learn and it just comes naturally you because you do
• 42:41
  Speaker 2: what you say. You're not pushing, you're pulling. You're there already.
• 42:45
  Speaker 2: You're pulling people to where you want them to be.
• 42:48
  Speaker 2: But you're already there as a VAT. Now in this
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: league because you are thirty, I'm gonna keep saying that
• 42:53
  Speaker 2: because you made fun of me and called me old
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: my entire time in Chicago.
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: So I'm gonna do the same for you. And what
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: young player you.
• 43:01
  Speaker 2: Most excited about that's either in college or in the
• 43:04
  Speaker 2: league already that you see that has the potential to
• 43:08
  Speaker 2: be a star.
• 43:12
  Speaker 3: There are like a few few players, but specifically I
• 43:20
  Speaker 3: could see Marquisha Davis in New York. She's playing on
• 43:26
  Speaker 3: a championship team right not getting a lot of minutes
• 43:29
  Speaker 3: right now, great size, great body, athletic, like can probably
• 43:35
  Speaker 3: score at every level. Reminds me a lot of myself.
• 43:38
  Speaker 3: You know, she's a rookie now not seeing the floor
• 43:41
  Speaker 3: and it's hard.
• 43:42
  Speaker 4: I've had a few conversations with.
• 43:44
  Speaker 3: Her about it, just about like you're with oll Off,
• 43:47
  Speaker 3: like really work with workout, like really really soaking all
• 43:52
  Speaker 3: that you have great players there with you. I think
• 43:55
  Speaker 3: she's going to be as she continued to grow and
• 43:59
  Speaker 3: continue to embrace embrace the hard right now, Like once
• 44:04
  Speaker 3: you get past that and you got to you gotta
• 44:07
  Speaker 3: chip in your first year.
• 44:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think there's when stuff comes early. I
• 44:12
  Speaker 2: think at some times it's taken for granted, you know,
• 44:15
  Speaker 2: like when you are a rookie and everything comes at
• 44:19
  Speaker 2: the beginning and comes natural and just happens. You tend
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: to think that that's what happens, like next year, we're
• 44:26
  Speaker 2: gonna just get back to the finals.
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: And it didn't happen in twenty twenty two.
• 44:31
  Speaker 2: And I think it's understanding, like as you get older
• 44:34
  Speaker 2: that those things don't just happen.
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: And let's talk about.
• 44:38
  Speaker 2: Some things that are happening right now though, And with
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: those things that are happening is women's basketball. You talk
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: about the tremendous growth in these last few years of
• 44:48
  Speaker 2: where the game is now and why we're even sitting here,
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: the popularity, the rise in attendance, the rise in notoriety.
• 44:58
  Speaker 2: I mean, I see you on commerce sALS, you know
• 45:01
  Speaker 2: fast twitch because you're real fast, uh rocking the three stripes?
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: What is that like now? To see the game and
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: be a part of the growth of the game.
• 45:13
  Speaker 4: That part, for me is amazing.
• 45:18
  Speaker 3: You see you go from seeing like being a kid
• 45:21
  Speaker 3: and not seeing so many women women that's playing in
• 45:27
  Speaker 3: the WNBA like commercials, and but you're seeing these stands full,
• 45:32
  Speaker 3: You're seeing people talking about it. As much as we
• 45:35
  Speaker 3: hate the fact that people are like cursing us out
• 45:38
  Speaker 3: about them parlays, they watching they watching it. They like it,
• 45:43
  Speaker 3: they enjoying it, But like just to see the growth,
• 45:46
  Speaker 3: you know, even with nil, I mean you you missed
• 45:50
  Speaker 3: out a lot.
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: You would thank thank you.
• 45:53
  Speaker 3: Yeah, but I love to see the growth. I think
• 45:58
  Speaker 3: when we were at the Olympics, you're seeing people with
• 46:01
  Speaker 3: our shirts and our jerseys, and it's not just here growing,
• 46:05
  Speaker 3: it's growing like globally. So I'm excited to be a
• 46:09
  Speaker 3: part of this wave of it, but just excited for
• 46:12
  Speaker 3: it to continue to grow.
• 46:15
  Speaker 2: Part of growth is we are sitting here about to
• 46:18
  Speaker 2: kick off the inaugural season of Unrivaled. We are not overseas.
• 46:25
  Speaker 2: You've played a number of years overseas and you understand
• 46:30
  Speaker 2: the challenge of that. How grateful are you to be
• 46:32
  Speaker 2: able to play in Miami in the States.
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: You don't have to.
• 46:36
  Speaker 2: Travel thousands of miles overseas, and you know, eat different cuisine.
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: There's an I Hoop here in Miami, So you're cool.
• 46:45
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Like, what was your first reaction when you heard
• 46:47
  Speaker 2: about this league and are you looking forward to? What
• 46:50
  Speaker 2: are you most looking forward to and playing in this league.
• 46:54
  Speaker 3: When I first heard about this league, I was super
• 46:57
  Speaker 3: excited because, yeah, I love for ID. I didn't enjoy
• 47:04
  Speaker 3: going overseas at first because I'm like super I'm super
• 47:07
  Speaker 3: big on my family. I don't like missing holidays and
• 47:10
  Speaker 3: I just don't like missing like that time. It's like
• 47:13
  Speaker 3: you're always missing something. And then also they couldn't see
• 47:17
  Speaker 3: me play, so it was just it was like a
• 47:19
  Speaker 3: lot so between like you know, cultural differences and everything,
• 47:26
  Speaker 3: just hearing about this league being here Miami in the
• 47:30
  Speaker 3: winter this like it was like twenty degrees in Philly.
• 47:34
  Speaker 4: It was cold.
• 47:35
  Speaker 3: So I'm able to get everything that I want and
• 47:41
  Speaker 3: I'm here and I can.
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: Make some mon I can make some thankes, some good
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: money too, So it was a no brainer. It was essentially.
• 47:48
  Speaker 2: And then my next question is like what are you
• 47:51
  Speaker 2: most looking forward to. It's a little different, different styles,
• 47:53
  Speaker 2: three on three. It's a shorter court, but it's still
• 47:56
  Speaker 2: full court. You're known for transition. I used to throw
• 48:00
  Speaker 2: ball up and see where you would catch it, because
• 48:03
  Speaker 2: you're just ridiculous. Sometimes I would make a bad pass
• 48:07
  Speaker 2: to see how athletic you would be in catching it.
• 48:12
  Speaker 2: So you got to be excited that it's three on three,
• 48:13
  Speaker 2: full court and it's not gonna be as much help side.
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: That's the thing I think.
• 48:17
  Speaker 3: Yes, get rid of the help side. I'm so grateful
• 48:20
  Speaker 3: for this, Like you're gonna be on this island now,
• 48:25
  Speaker 3: come on, come get on this island and I can guard.
• 48:28
  Speaker 3: So I'm cool, Like I'm so excited for the space,
• 48:35
  Speaker 3: like to see myself, like play in space and like
• 48:40
  Speaker 3: make some reads and it's gonna be so fun.
• 48:43
  Speaker 2: You're on roseby c not with any of your Mercury teammates.
• 48:47
  Speaker 2: Who are you most excited to play with?
• 48:50
  Speaker 3: I'm most excited to play with Chelsea Gray.
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: She gonna be throwing that thing up too.
• 48:55
  Speaker 3: I know I love a good point guard. I mean
• 49:00
  Speaker 3: I love a good point forward too, But I'm yeah,
• 49:03
  Speaker 3: I'm excited to play with her.
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: Like you haven't no athletic roster.
• 49:09
  Speaker 4: Yes, play off the ball. We can guard.
• 49:12
  Speaker 3: Me and Britney Sykes. We in college. We wanted to
• 49:15
  Speaker 3: go to college together. You know, it never worked out.
• 49:19
  Speaker 3: And then for us to be able to play together
• 49:21
  Speaker 3: now the athleticism insane, insane.
• 49:25
  Speaker 4: Andrew Reese.
• 49:28
  Speaker 3: Dog rebound, Like, I'm I'm so excited, like for this roster.
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: All right, Queen of the Court. There's a little one
• 49:36
  Speaker 2: on one battle that's gonna be happening in March. Give
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: me your predictions and don't be humble.
• 49:45
  Speaker 4: Wow, I really like playing one on one. So I'm
• 49:55
  Speaker 4: gonna just say me. I like that.
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: I like I like that.
• 50:00
  Speaker 2: I have one thing I want to know, what can't
• 50:02
  Speaker 2: you do? So we've said a lot about your accomplishments
• 50:06
  Speaker 2: in this episode, but now we need to know one
• 50:09
  Speaker 2: thing that you can't do.
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: It can be funny, it.
• 50:15
  Speaker 2: Could be something that is a lack of talent, or
• 50:19
  Speaker 2: it can be something that you just can't do.
• 50:22
  Speaker 4: This is a great question.
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: See, this is what I'm talking about.
• 50:26
  Speaker 2: This is when you have all the accolades and you know,
• 50:28
  Speaker 2: you North Philly and all that stuff.
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: Can't think of something you can't do? Wow, that's crazy.
• 50:34
  Speaker 4: Can I do? I can't? I'm sorry. I don't know
• 50:43
  Speaker 4: what I can do?
• 50:43
  Speaker 2: You can't pick a good bottle of wine? I mean,
• 50:47
  Speaker 2: do you want me to start?
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: I just can't ever order Uber eats for me? Like,
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: I don't know. Think it's something funny that you can't do?
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: What can't you do?
• 50:56
  Speaker 4: What can I do? I can't.
• 50:59
  Speaker 3: I can do everything like I could break I could,
• 51:03
  Speaker 3: I could do hair.
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: Can you sing?
• 51:06
  Speaker 4: Like that's boring?
• 51:07
  Speaker 3: I can't say you can't sing either, but that's something
• 51:09
  Speaker 3: you can't do.
• 51:10
  Speaker 2: Woo.
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: I can't sing, first of all, don't tell me what
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: I can't do.
• 51:14
  Speaker 2: I'll be over here like Whitney Houston. All Right, we're
• 51:17
  Speaker 2: gonna rap because you're busy and you know, accomplishing stuff
• 51:22
  Speaker 2: with who said that? Okay, so you have to guess
• 51:26
  Speaker 2: who said this? She love her a glizzy bro.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Tash Okay, yeah that's Tosh good. Yeah wow, so you
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: remember that? Can you explain? Because I don't. I don't
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: personally know what a glizzy is.
• 51:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you do the face. I don't know what a
• 51:44
  Speaker 2: glizzy is. And I'm a mom and I feel like
• 51:48
  Speaker 2: with Leyla, I gotta go home and and use this,
• 51:51
  Speaker 2: but I need to know in what contexts I need
• 51:53
  Speaker 2: to use it in.
• 51:55
  Speaker 4: Trent lightly.
• 52:00
  Speaker 3: However, Glizzy is. It's a hot dog. It's like a
• 52:05
  Speaker 3: hot dog sausage. Anything that going at bun hang off
• 52:08
  Speaker 3: the side. You ever had an exile glizzy excel hit
• 52:12
  Speaker 3: a little different, y'all?
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: And with that rap, God, thank you so much for
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: catch out mustard.
• 52:21
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 52:22
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, You're either gonna make me real cool
• 52:25
  Speaker 2: or look crazy with Laila.
• 52:27
  Speaker 4: Laila's be like, huh, you know, like Glizzy. No, that
• 52:31
  Speaker 4: said decorated Gizzy.
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us.
• 52:33
  Speaker 2: I've had an amazing chat with one that's gonna accomplish
• 52:37
  Speaker 2: so much, I think in these next couple of years,