Latest / Bleacher Report / WNBA 1st Round Pick Aziaha James Breaks Down Film with Candace Parker | Film Study, Ep. 2
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Canis Parker and this is film study presented
- 0:03Speaker 1: by Salesforce.
- 0:04Speaker 2: I am here.
- 0:05Speaker 1: I want you to look at that camera introduce yourself.
- 0:07Speaker 1: I want you to introduce yourself to the people in
- 0:09Speaker 1: the back because they're about to get a front row
- 0:11Speaker 1: seat of what they're going to see in the league
- 0:13Speaker 1: next year.
- 0:14Speaker 3: I'm Aziah James. I'm from Virginia, Beacht, Virginia. You know,
- 0:17Speaker 3: youngest of three. You know I'm a dog, and you
- 0:19Speaker 3: know I'm ready to go.
- 0:20Speaker 2: She says she was a dog. Listen.
- 0:23Speaker 1: I've had so much fun watching you play, and the
- 0:26Speaker 1: thing that I have been super impressed with has been
- 0:30Speaker 1: your development. You went from averaging four points per game
- 0:35Speaker 1: as a freshman to leading your team in scoring with seventeen.
- 0:38Speaker 2: Points per game this year.
- 0:41Speaker 1: Every single season you seem like you added to your game,
- 0:44Speaker 1: you improved. What can you say about your development? Obviously
- 0:49Speaker 1: on the court, but also like mentally.
- 0:52Speaker 2: Definitely the first two years, you know that mental block.
- 0:55Speaker 3: It hit me because you know, I came from high
- 0:56Speaker 3: school being a four state champion and stuff like that,
- 1:00Speaker 3: so like just coming to college and you know, having
- 1:02Speaker 3: that humble this I feel like I love that so
- 1:05Speaker 3: much because it made me into the dog I am today,
- 1:08Speaker 3: and you know, I'm just so grateful and you know,
- 1:10Speaker 3: I'm glad that God put me in this position and
- 1:12Speaker 3: you know I'm ready to take over.
- 1:14Speaker 1: What can you say about your mental toughness to get
- 1:19Speaker 1: to this point again, because we talk about you weren't
- 1:21Speaker 1: on the board two years ago. No, you weren't starting
- 1:25Speaker 1: for your team two years ago. You led your team
- 1:27Speaker 1: to a final four last year with them in scoring
- 1:30Speaker 1: this year.
- 1:31Speaker 2: So what can you.
- 1:32Speaker 1: Say about how proud you are of yourself but also
- 1:35Speaker 1: the people that helped you get here?
- 1:37Speaker 2: Definitely? You know, just up to my mom.
- 1:39Speaker 3: You know, she's been here since since forever, you know,
- 1:43Speaker 3: she's her daughter has made it and you know I
- 1:45Speaker 3: can't wait to, you know, experience that with her. I'm
- 1:48Speaker 3: a on the state of course player. You know I
- 1:51Speaker 3: stayed the course, didn't leave, didn't give up. You know,
- 1:53Speaker 3: I just I fought through it all and you know,
- 1:56Speaker 3: all through adversity. You know, it made me the player
- 1:58Speaker 3: I am today. You know, I'm so glad to be
- 2:00Speaker 3: in that moment tomorrow.
- 2:02Speaker 1: And we were just sharing that we both grew up
- 2:05Speaker 1: with older brothers that pushed us and made us tough
- 2:10Speaker 1: and didn't give us anything, but have been the biggest supporters.
- 2:14Speaker 1: So what can you say about that? And how proud
- 2:17Speaker 1: they must.
- 2:17Speaker 2: Be of you? Yes, without them too, you know, I
- 2:19Speaker 2: wouldn't be myself.
- 2:20Speaker 3: You know they pushed me day and day and out,
- 2:22Speaker 3: and you know without them, man, I won't be the doll.
- 2:26Speaker 3: You know, long live my brother, you know the twenty
- 2:28Speaker 3: twenty past, So you know he's He's definitely my strength
- 2:32Speaker 3: and my inspiration.
- 2:32Speaker 2: You know why I keep going.
- 2:33Speaker 3: You know, as you can see, I put it under
- 2:35Speaker 3: my every post and you know he gives my strength
- 2:38Speaker 3: every day.
- 2:38Speaker 2: You know my older brother as well.
- 2:39Speaker 3: You know he talks to me all the time, give
- 2:41Speaker 3: me motivation before and after the game. So just the
- 2:44Speaker 3: love that they bring me, it just inspires me so much.
- 2:47Speaker 1: And you have your brother tattooed yes on your left shoulder, Yes,
- 2:51Speaker 1: your left shoulders, and just being where you're at today,
- 2:58Speaker 1: understanding the journey that it took to get here. Yes,
- 3:02Speaker 1: I followed you and for you to be able to
- 3:05Speaker 1: not only just have a path that definitely wasn't easy
- 3:09Speaker 1: in terms of coming off the bench and figuring out
- 3:12Speaker 1: your role and playing a different role and learning how
- 3:14Speaker 1: to catch and shoot and do it and improving your
- 3:16Speaker 1: skills on the court, but also dropping forty one in
- 3:21Speaker 1: your state championship just days after your brother passing, and
- 3:27Speaker 1: then now being able to carry that story and to
- 3:30Speaker 1: carry that pride and the honor that your family has.
- 3:34Speaker 2: What do you say to your younger self?
- 3:36Speaker 1: Like, what can you say back to that younger, younger
- 3:40Speaker 1: version of yourself?
- 3:41Speaker 3: Definitely, I tell her, like, don't give up. You know
- 3:44Speaker 3: your time is coming, staying in the gym, being that
- 3:46Speaker 3: gym brat. You know your family got you got a
- 3:49Speaker 3: village behind you, so just do it for them. You
- 3:51Speaker 3: know the reason why I got that tattoo on my
- 3:53Speaker 3: back just to remind me every day, you know, my
- 3:55Speaker 3: brother always got my back, no matter if he's here
- 3:57Speaker 3: or not.
- 3:57Speaker 2: Man, I love it.
- 3:59Speaker 1: And here's a thing that I love even more is
- 4:01Speaker 1: watching the joy that you play with. So I would
- 4:03Speaker 1: love if you would take me through this film study
- 4:06Speaker 1: you're about to got you.
- 4:08Speaker 2: We're gonna start with a goodie though. Oh look, yeah,
- 4:11Speaker 2: we're gonna start with a goodie.
- 4:12Speaker 1: We're not easing our way into this right here.
- 4:14Speaker 2: Yes, oh my goodness.
- 4:16Speaker 1: Okay, So I had Olivia earlier and on her way out,
- 4:21Speaker 1: she just saw this clip right here. She didn't even
- 4:23Speaker 1: see where it was going, and she shrugged, and it's like, oh,
- 4:26Speaker 1: that's what we're doing today, So just take me through
- 4:30Speaker 1: this because you're at your best when you're playing free. Yes,
- 4:33Speaker 1: you're in transition and you have space, So can you
- 4:38Speaker 1: take me through this play right here?
- 4:39Speaker 3: Yeah, So as you can see, I got her one
- 4:41Speaker 3: on one.
- 4:42Speaker 2: I believe she had four files.
- 4:43Speaker 3: So it was my only way, in my smart decision,
- 4:46Speaker 3: you know, to go behind my back. You know, I
- 4:48Speaker 3: worked on it a lot of times, you know, so
- 4:50Speaker 3: it does matter of me just doing it in my
- 4:51Speaker 3: big moment and doing in front of the lights.
- 4:54Speaker 2: And I did it right there, yes.
- 4:57Speaker 1: Man, and everybody going crazy crazy this feeling right right here.
- 5:01Speaker 3: Like I didn't mean like was I wasn't even celebrating,
- 5:05Speaker 3: you know. I was really focused on getting back because
- 5:07Speaker 3: if you can see my coach right there, not the
- 5:09Speaker 3: one that's sitting down, but she was telling me, I
- 5:11Speaker 3: can hear her in my ear like.
- 5:12Speaker 2: Get back, get back.
- 5:14Speaker 3: So I didn't even care about what that shot was.
- 5:16Speaker 3: I was just matter nim not scoring, because that shot.
- 5:19Speaker 2: Really took us over the game.
- 5:21Speaker 1: M M, yeah, I remember watching this play right here.
- 5:24Speaker 1: That's nice get back on defense after making a play
- 5:26Speaker 1: like this.
- 5:28Speaker 2: I love your change of pace, Thank you.
- 5:30Speaker 1: And I think that's what's going to allow you to
- 5:32Speaker 1: be really successful at the next level, is your change
- 5:35Speaker 1: of pace. You have the ability to score in bunches,
- 5:38Speaker 1: and there's people that go fast, and there's people that
- 5:42Speaker 1: change their speed, and that's greatness right there.
- 5:45Speaker 2: You mastered it at the college level.
- 5:47Speaker 1: I think being able to master it at the next level, yeah,
- 5:50Speaker 1: is gonna take you to the next next step. Definitely
- 5:53Speaker 1: here right here again in this secondary action, the spacing. Now,
- 5:58Speaker 1: if I'm critiquing a little bit and I'm gonna say,
- 5:59Speaker 1: get to the corner, that's what I'm gonna say.
- 6:02Speaker 2: Yeah.
- 6:02Speaker 1: I know your coach probably says that you make great plays,
- 6:05Speaker 1: so we're gonna you know, but in the league, you're
- 6:07Speaker 1: gonna have to get to that corner right there.
- 6:09Speaker 2: Man.
- 6:09Speaker 1: But right here, you understand the ability and the gravitational
- 6:13Speaker 1: pull that you have when the ball is in your
- 6:15Speaker 1: hands a delayed screen and roll.
- 6:18Speaker 2: What are your reads right here? You what are you
- 6:20Speaker 2: thinking as you're coming off of pick and roll?
- 6:22Speaker 3: So I'm reading I'm not reading my Man anymore because
- 6:25Speaker 3: obviously she's gonna get hit by screen. So I'm reading
- 6:27Speaker 3: Madison Man. So Madison Man has to make a decision.
- 6:30Speaker 3: Is Madison Rowland is she gonna take Madison or is
- 6:33Speaker 3: she gonna take me?
- 6:34Speaker 2: So I'm either reading if I can pass the Madison.
- 6:36Speaker 3: Also, I'm also reading Zoe Man because Zoli Man helped,
- 6:39Speaker 3: so it's going to be open as well as I
- 6:41Speaker 3: think that's tiled on the opposite side. So it's a
- 6:44Speaker 3: matter of you know, those three guards right there in
- 6:46Speaker 3: that triangle, it's matter what they're doing.
- 6:49Speaker 1: And right here when you're coming off. Now, if I'm
- 6:51Speaker 1: a critique, Sanaia need to get her butt a little
- 6:53Speaker 1: bit farther over. Yell at your teammate a little bit, Sanaya,
- 6:57Speaker 1: get your butt over there to give.
- 6:59Speaker 2: You a little bit more space.
- 7:02Speaker 1: Okay, so your post player rolls out, you have the advantage,
- 7:05Speaker 1: You're going left.
- 7:07Speaker 2: You disengage right here. Yes, I saw help coming, so
- 7:10Speaker 2: you know that's my favorite.
- 7:11Speaker 1: Disengaged before the help all the way came, so that
- 7:14Speaker 1: you didn't get in trouble.
- 7:16Speaker 3: Yes, okay, so I call her again, so yes, she
- 7:19Speaker 3: got on level.
- 7:20Speaker 2: You see how her feet shifted, so it's.
- 7:22Speaker 3: Hard for a defender to get back to that same
- 7:25Speaker 3: that same momentum they had. So it does a matter
- 7:27Speaker 3: of me just attacking that that right foot.
- 7:31Speaker 2: That's nice. Yes, that's really nice. Thank you, really nice?
- 7:36Speaker 1: All right, this delayed pick and roll right here, coming
- 7:40Speaker 1: off that pen down.
- 7:41Speaker 2: This is what you love to do.
- 7:42Speaker 1: Yes, I love this play, and I'm gonna stop it
- 7:45Speaker 1: right here because right now you are literally playing chess,
- 7:52Speaker 1: and everybody else is playing checker, playing checker. You are
- 7:55Speaker 1: playing chess right now because you know what you're trying
- 7:58Speaker 1: to do. She's either gonna give up up. You're gonna
- 8:01Speaker 1: get a layup if the post player goes back. You're
- 8:03Speaker 1: gonna get a pull up if the post player goes back.
- 8:05Speaker 2: Because you've already beat your man. Your man's out of
- 8:07Speaker 2: the picture. Nice, Definitely, she's out of the picture.
- 8:10Speaker 3: So that post player would have helped tilto It definitely
- 8:12Speaker 3: would have been open for that layup.
- 8:14Speaker 2: And I think she helped on Tilda. So I got
- 8:16Speaker 2: that jumper right there right, No, look at this, watch this.
- 8:22Speaker 2: You go downhill.
- 8:23Speaker 1: You hold the big you right that, yes, yes, you
- 8:27Speaker 1: hold the big Another play, which is what I love
- 8:30Speaker 1: your patience. So you're coming off, you know what you're
- 8:34Speaker 1: gonna do. You know you're about to get your big layup, yes,
- 8:37Speaker 1: or you're gonna get somebody a jump shot. Oh yeah,
- 8:41Speaker 1: looking at her read right, yes, ma'am. And so you
- 8:44Speaker 1: looked at her read you held it, and then you
- 8:46Speaker 1: end up getting your post player amazing easy layup this
- 8:53Speaker 1: right here, this step up screen, it's iced a little bit.
- 8:57Speaker 2: Again you hold because there's three yep and this right here.
- 9:04Speaker 1: So I want to give you the key to success
- 9:09Speaker 1: in the WNBA, and I'll just give.
- 9:10Speaker 2: It to you.
- 9:11Speaker 1: If you can do this and you throw this pocket pass,
- 9:16Speaker 1: you throw pocket past the post players and you get
- 9:18Speaker 1: really good at that, You're gonna be really great, Okay,
- 9:22Speaker 1: Asia Wilson, Dereka Hanby, Brianna Stewart, the FISA Collier. You
- 9:28Speaker 1: think of any four in the WNBA.
- 9:30Speaker 2: This is what we love. Yes, So you need to.
- 9:34Speaker 1: Do repetition after repetition of this right here.
- 9:38Speaker 2: You do this all day. Post players are gonna love you.
- 9:41Speaker 1: And guess what. Post players are gonna set better screens
- 9:43Speaker 1: for you, and it's gonna get you open. And your
- 9:45Speaker 1: willingness to throw this allows now you to heavy, they
- 9:49Speaker 1: go with it and you get that nice jump shot
- 9:51Speaker 1: or get that.
- 9:52Speaker 2: Floater or you get that whatever.
- 9:54Speaker 1: So this right here, that was phenomenal, Yes, great lup phenomenal.
- 9:59Speaker 2: Yes.
- 10:00Speaker 1: And I think some of the things you do naturally,
- 10:01Speaker 1: you don't even realize what you're doing sometimes.
- 10:04Speaker 3: I really like some people be like, like, what are
- 10:06Speaker 3: you thinking when you're in games? I'm like, I just
- 10:08Speaker 3: play ball, like you, just free my set, like I
- 10:10Speaker 3: don't think too much.
- 10:11Speaker 2: Just got to go out there and be a dog.
- 10:13Speaker 2: And I agree with you.
- 10:14Speaker 1: But the next step is gonna be watching film, yeah,
- 10:17Speaker 1: and figuring out how you can make people around you better.
- 10:20Speaker 1: You know what I mean, Because you do it so
- 10:23Speaker 1: naturally that to be able to put in the time
- 10:25Speaker 1: to do this is gonna make you that much better.
- 10:29Speaker 2: Right here, go screen.
- 10:33Speaker 1: And this is something your coach talked a lot about
- 10:37Speaker 1: you catching and making threes. So are you just trying
- 10:43Speaker 1: to get your feet set? What you're doing right here?
- 10:45Speaker 3: I got two left feet, so I kind of little stumbled.
- 10:48Speaker 2: I did a little stumble, but.
- 10:50Speaker 3: You know, I, like you said repetition in the gym,
- 10:53Speaker 3: always be ready catching, you be ready no matter what's
- 10:56Speaker 3: going on So you know, I just let it go
- 11:00Speaker 3: like yeah, like.
- 11:00Speaker 1: The high arc follow through. Yes, it's nice you do that.
- 11:06Speaker 1: It creates more space for everybody on the court, you know.
- 11:09Speaker 2: Yes. So what are things that you're looking.
- 11:11Speaker 1: At in your game that you're gonna come in and
- 11:16Speaker 1: try to do in a training camp scenario or in
- 11:19Speaker 1: the first part of the season, Like, what is something
- 11:22Speaker 1: that you're gonna be like, this is what I do.
- 11:24Speaker 1: This is what I'm gonna bring to whatever situation I'm in.
- 11:27Speaker 3: Definitely, I feel like just like I score on three levels,
- 11:31Speaker 3: you know, get into that bucket or you know, catching
- 11:33Speaker 3: and shooting or even just creating my own shot.
- 11:36Speaker 1: Now it's time for a custom segment presented by Agent
- 11:39Speaker 1: Force from Salesforce. It's what AI was meant to be.
- 11:43Speaker 1: They're going to break down a little play action here. Okay,
- 11:46Speaker 1: so you are gonna draw your go to play. Okay,
- 11:51Speaker 1: So whether it's in the quarter, in the game, in
- 11:53Speaker 1: the half, going into coming out of a timeout to
- 11:56Speaker 1: stop a run. I want to see what you would
- 11:58Speaker 1: want from a set. I'm a space standpoint on the floor.
- 12:02Speaker 3: Okay, So this player can work in game, I mean
- 12:05Speaker 3: like coming down the court or it can work on
- 12:07Speaker 3: the sidebounds play.
- 12:09Speaker 2: I usually it give or take where the game is at.
- 12:13Speaker 3: Okay, so it's called let me say the play you
- 12:16Speaker 3: can do it's okay.
- 12:18Speaker 2: Yeah, it's called.
- 12:20Speaker 1: Yeah.
- 12:20Speaker 3: So it's like you gotta say okay. So it's called loot.
- 12:23Speaker 3: So the point guard starts are here, right, I will
- 12:25Speaker 3: be it. Don't matter what hand it is. I really
- 12:29Speaker 3: don't care. So I'll start right here. Four players starts
- 12:32Speaker 3: are here, five players starts to hear other guards start here.
- 12:36Speaker 3: So the point guard woul dribber right here. I will
- 12:39Speaker 3: go right here. Four player will set me a screen.
- 12:42Speaker 3: I will come up. Five players being ready up here. Yeah,
- 12:46Speaker 3: I get the ball. No point guard passed me right here.
- 12:48Speaker 3: I set this screen. I either attack this like I
- 12:51Speaker 3: always do, or I can dish it or whatever.
- 12:53Speaker 2: You just make plays. Yeah, that's my goal to Okay, Yeah,
- 12:56Speaker 2: that's my goal to. I like that. Yes, I like
- 12:58Speaker 2: that a lot.
- 12:58Speaker 1: I think we actually had you had that on this
- 13:00Speaker 1: We had one of them where you held the big
- 13:03Speaker 1: and you hit the roller.
- 13:04Speaker 2: Yes. I think operating off.
- 13:06Speaker 1: Of that is going to be huge for you, definitely.
- 13:09Speaker 1: I also think your change of pace, we talked about
- 13:11Speaker 1: that change of pace, change of speed, but also using
- 13:14Speaker 1: your eyes. So at the next level, you got to
- 13:17Speaker 1: use your eyes to be deceptive. So whether it's looking
- 13:20Speaker 1: at like for me as a post player, the way
- 13:22Speaker 1: I use my eyes was I would look at the
- 13:24Speaker 1: help okay, because You're not going to come if I'm
- 13:26Speaker 1: looking at as you right, or the ball fake like
- 13:29Speaker 1: something subtle like that. You got to put in your
- 13:33Speaker 1: repertoire to be able to free up and be able
- 13:36Speaker 1: to get you space and you.
- 13:38Speaker 2: Know all that stuff.
- 13:39Speaker 1: So I think it's figuring out what you want to do,
- 13:41Speaker 1: how you want to attack it.
- 13:43Speaker 2: But listen, I.
- 13:45Speaker 1: Am super super excited about watching you this year. We
- 13:50Speaker 1: got a message for you.
- 13:51Speaker 2: Okay, okay, Zaiah.
- 13:55Speaker 4: Coach war here, so proud of this day. It's going
- 13:59Speaker 4: to be an unbelief experience. So excited and proud to
- 14:04Speaker 4: be a part of it. What you've done at NC
- 14:07Speaker 4: State is truly amazing. Your journey. I know your first
- 14:11Speaker 4: year or so, you started out you know, more of
- 14:14Speaker 4: a role player, and now you've worked your way into
- 14:17Speaker 4: one of the greatest players in the country. The way
- 14:20Speaker 4: you can score at all three levels. You talk about
- 14:24Speaker 4: a walking bucket out there, being able to You've improved
- 14:28Speaker 4: your three point shooting so much off the bounce, the
- 14:31Speaker 4: beautiful pull up jumper. So I'm so excited. I know
- 14:35Speaker 4: how much work you've put into this, I know how
- 14:37Speaker 4: much you've overcome to reach this pinnacle. And again all
- 14:42Speaker 4: of us at in C State are so excited and
- 14:44Speaker 4: so proud. I know, whoever's fortunate enough to get you
- 14:49Speaker 4: in this draft is getting an unbelievable person. You'll always
- 14:53Speaker 4: have a soft spot with me because of how you
- 14:56Speaker 4: stuck it out, how you kept working. You didn't cry,
- 14:59Speaker 4: you didn't complain, you just kept grinding, and just again
- 15:04Speaker 4: so excited that you can be rewarded on this big
- 15:07Speaker 4: stage like this. So we're all again proud of you.
- 15:13Speaker 4: Know how much you've worked, how much you've put into this,
- 15:16Speaker 4: and I know again you're gonna have an unbelievable journey
- 15:19Speaker 4: ahead of you now this next level, and we couldn't
- 15:22Speaker 4: be prouder of you.
- 15:23Speaker 3: Go Pack, Oh my god, he's a he's like a
- 15:29Speaker 3: second that to me.
- 15:30Speaker 2: You know, like he's very family orient.
- 15:32Speaker 3: You know, he taught me so much, Like without him,
- 15:35Speaker 3: I feel like I wouldn't be here.
- 15:37Speaker 2: You know, he humbled me, he pushed me.
- 15:39Speaker 3: You know, I give all appreciation to Chach Moore.
- 15:43Speaker 2: You know I love that man so much.
- 15:44Speaker 1: Well, he loves you too, from what he said and
- 15:49Speaker 1: how he feels about you. And obviously I watched your
- 15:51Speaker 1: last home game at NC State, and I see everybody
- 15:54Speaker 1: there loves you, love what you've developed to be, and
- 15:59Speaker 1: loves what you're capable of and the potential that you
- 16:01Speaker 1: have at the next level. I think my word of
- 16:04Speaker 1: advice is to keep that same mentality because things are
- 16:07Speaker 1: gonna get tough, and there's gonna be times where you
- 16:10Speaker 1: want to quit or you want to take the shortcut.
- 16:12Speaker 1: Don't because look how far it's gotten you and not
- 16:15Speaker 1: doing that, Look how far it's gotten you, and not
- 16:17Speaker 1: deciding to leave or to quit, or to not improve
- 16:21Speaker 1: or to not stay in the gym. Like you have
- 16:24Speaker 1: the ability to be great in this league. And I
- 16:27Speaker 1: think you have to remember that even on the tough days.
- 16:29Speaker 1: You know when you want to quit. So I think
- 16:32Speaker 1: you enjoy this moment. I'm so so happy for you.
- 16:35Speaker 2: Thank you, and yeah, I'm excited for the shove. I
- 16:40Speaker 2: wanna come.
- 16:41Speaker 1: I'm gonna come watch you when you're out in lay
- 16:43Speaker 1: out in LA I'll I'll come and check you out.
- 16:46Speaker 1: But this is Canas Parker with film study presented by Salesforce.
- 16:52Speaker 1: Had an amazing time sitting down with you.
- 16:54Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you.
- 16:55Speaker 3: This is like an honor like you wouldn't imagine what
- 16:58Speaker 3: I'm thinking.
- 17:00Speaker 2: Yeah,