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The Fever Report with John Robertson & Michelle Garmon (2.229.1) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:00
  [UNKNOWN]: Thanks for watching!
• 0:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome, fever fans to the Central Indian sports report for the fever report with John Robertson and Michelle Garmin and our plan today was to preview the WNBA draft, but I think that's been put a bit on the back burner with the news that's happened in the last few days, including a couple of big signings.
• 0:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome, John and Michelle and John, uh, I love the direction the fever seem to be headed.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's really happy today, just sitting around, seeing all the news roll in that the major pieces are getting locked in.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got, we knew Caitlin Clark and we knew Alia Boston were secured.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good to see the signings of Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hall, and Monique Billings.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, personally, I'm the happiest about Lexie Hall.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was a little nervous that one wasn't gonna get done, but happy to see that one done.
• 0:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think Kelsey Mitchell getting the first super max and fever history is a big deal.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: She was so good last year, and she's been so good for so long that she deserves everything she's getting.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's gonna keep her at a one year.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know the thing, keep her much past one year, but happy to have her for this upcoming season.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm happy too, and she does deserve it.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's been with the fever the whole time, and through the highs, through the lows, and the hot kind of the high of last year with, but the injuries made it not quite the season that the fever had hoped, but still a really good season.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And she was a major reason for that.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I was glad to see her get rewarded.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know it'll be interesting to see,
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: give her the super max this year and maybe they can work out a longer term deal with a good salary just not the max salary.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: For after this year we'll have to wait and see because they have some more key signings that are going to come up for them the next couple years.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm also pleased with the billings.
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a good move.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Her and Caitlin played together for the United States.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: and feed, but here just a couple months ago.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's good.
• 2:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've had some experience working together.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: She played with Kelsey in Unrivaled.
• 2:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So she's going to come in kind of knowing how to have her teammates play.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's, and they're going to know how her game, which I think is always a plus.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I was happy to see the front office give Lexi so much love saying,
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: of the mentality of the team like she's a core piece of like what gives the fever there their identity I've been saying that for a long time like Lexie hustle Lexie toughness that's what the whole team's going to have to bring but I think she's just the see them give her the the respect on what she brings even though it may not always be the most numbers wise she's a core part of the team.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's what these last couple of
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: days have really shown that the direction is this core group and they think it's a championship core for sure.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, Alexie is a huge piece too, John.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't mean to gloss over that.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think she is in terrible because she definitely sets the tone for them on the defensive end of the floor.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: She sets the tone for them in toughness.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: She plays the black eye and she plays the black eye
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's the like I said the tone set her on the defensive end of the floor.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's that nitty gritty gutty You know what I I'm gonna I can take whatever you dish out and dish it right back to you type of player and I like that it's gonna hurt my wall because I'm gonna have to buy a bunch more lexie gear now So there's that
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, I heard you said it's a championship run.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they got a good chance.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think New York is looking really strong with their recent signings.
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: New York's making some moves.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: A Los Angeles actually looks fairly strong.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: It'll want to see what happens in the draft and everything.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't think the fever are definitely like the clear runaway favorite at this point.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I like what they're doing.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they have a good shot.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're a top three roster so far.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it's still going to be a tough season.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it is.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Liberty, they're they're locking in their core pieces and he had to do it.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said she's not going anywhere.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they signed and asked you to her supermax and then they bring it up.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: They picked up.
• 4:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they picked up.
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'll see you.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that was huge for them.
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And another team, I don't know depth wise if we'll have it, but, you know, the aces have kept their starting five together too.
• 4:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know, I know John, you don't really like the aces, but they're not going to go anywhere.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: We almost beat the aces with like our third string roster, so I'm not worried about the aces.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just saying there's still going to be in the hunt, and it will be interesting, I know this is not fever related, but do you saw where Skylar Dickens is going to play for the Chicago Sky?
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I did, I saw that one, but I think they made a addition by subtraction up there, but I do think that Atlanta will have
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: As long as I don't like Angel Reese's personality and I think that she can be a detriment to the locker room, but with the talent that the roster has, like if she can play well and spread the love to everyone, they have potential to be a strong team.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's Brittany Griner traded Brittany Griner almost traded or just left to Connecticut time with the Connecticut sun our favorite team.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, J.C. Sheldon went to Chicago, actually, too.
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, she did.
• 6:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: So like Chicago is trying to keep that fever rivalry alive by bringing Sheldon in.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that it will be interesting to see how goes in Chicago because I do think I think they have maybe got a long range planned in mind, meaning something over what they're trying to do over the next three to five years.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: can't be any worse than it was.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like you had one player who wanted to make it her show and then care about the team really as a whole and then the rest of them were just tired of that.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So maybe they'll be even better.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean honestly, I don't know.
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I didn't see it officially, I can get it in a group text if the fever have acquired Tia Shahiris bringing her back to ending, graduated, played a heritage Christian, I got to see your play.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's an outstanding young woman.
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's smart and I'll tell you, I was one of my better interviews I've done with a high school player that I'm not familiar that I didn't have a working relationship with after
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: they be tipped in the section that one year at Hamilton Heights.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: My only concern with her is, she missed most of the last year with an injury.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: She had her durability, they stay as a plosper.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: she's a tough knit.
• 7:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: She fits as far as the greeting is she's played through some ankle and wrist injuries and I just I don't know and she's also been used to being one a high-minute player so it'll be interesting to see how she fits in with a fever and maybe some of that's going to have to do with whether Sophie Kent and Ham is back and for me that's the one I'm really waiting on is to see if Sophie ends up back with the fever.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's the one, the one remaining that everybody, he really wants to know what's going to happen.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think so.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's going anywhere.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're going to find a way to make it work.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll be shocked if she ends up somewhere else.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think she wants to be an indie.
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: The report I saw said, it looked like they were, she wants a more than one year deal.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that was kind of what was the struggle.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I have nothing to back up.
• 8:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've verified that as accurate as just the reports that I saw.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I, you know, I can understand that for her in some ways, um, wanting, she's still kind of young and, you know, if you kind of know where you're going to be.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, she's already what's a USA network going to provide when she's not playing or whatever some insight to them or work for them, but you kind of want to have no.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: when you're lining up out off your gigs off the court, where you're going to be base for the next, you know, two to three years.
• 8:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I really think that it's starting to come together and I'm just looking forward to the season.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm ready to start.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: All right, the WME draft is on Monday and the fever have the tense pick and the draft.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: A lot of potential options out there and a lot of them played in the final four last weekend.
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: A lot of those are from UCLA Michelle.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Raven Johnson from South Carolina has been the choice in some mock drafts, but also Kiki Rice, Gabrielle Hawkeyes from UCLA.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: What are you looking at?
• 9:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've said all along.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I personally like Hodges, because I just think her style of watching rings is the way she can contribute as a rugby and make good contributions, is just her defense because she can guard a guard as she can guard a post.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I mean, you're not going to put her on a five, but I mean, she can guard it for her, she and her energy and her instincts for being around the ball and keeping rebounds alive and everything.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: She just, she's a lot like Lexi Hall and probably a better finisher at the rim than Lexi.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: three point shot, but I think Hake has brings you that ability and I'm this match.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: She can beat you, take you off the dribble and get to the rim and finish well and she's just
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: her brother plays in the NBA for the heat and I just like it.
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I like her background.
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know some people a mock draft.
• 10:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I saw had them taking napkins, the shooting guard that played came in, transferred in from Washington, she transformed into UCLA and she's got a really nice outside shop, but I really hotcasters the one I like because I think her game is a lot.
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: like Lexi as far as that toughness and I think she would fit in, I think she would fit in with all of them and I think she can play maybe a little bit more positions, size wise.
• 11:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: After that, if they don't, if she's not there, which her draft stock, we don't really know all these people out there doing the monks, they don't really know they're just kind of determining, but her final four performance, especially in the championship game may elevate her draft stock just a little bit.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Raven Johnson is okay with me if that's who they take, because again, I just want them to take a player that is good defensively.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: They can come in and contribute on the defensive end because I really believe the fever have enough offensive firepower.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I want to play or they can come in, be a great defender when needed, can rebound and can feel, can shoot when provided, but you know, or score and has the ability to score.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I just want that, I want that tough, nose, gritty, gutty player like Lexi Halls, what
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just want them to get somebody who comes in fits with the locker room and plays the role that they're asked to play without complaining about it.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's what made the fever so good last year even with the random pieces they had to pick up here and there was just that everybody had bought into, do what you're supposed to do and fill that role that we're asking you to fill and no one was bigger than the team and no one was upset about it.
• 12:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So whoever we get, I just want someone that fits that category.
• 12:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'll tell you what, that's the one thing, all of those UCLA players, but that's their kind of thing.
• 12:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: They will tell you, that's a tight knit group.
• 12:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's seniors that stayed committed, they won the national championship, and made it to the final four last year.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: They did, it was a group that didn't care who got what recognition.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: They just played very much, and that's why I wouldn't be, I guess I wouldn't be disappointed if we ended up with a UCLA player because they're gonna fit in the locker room.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just think that's become the brand of basketball.
• 12:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're getting a professional basketball in Indiana.
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when the pace was made, their finals run.
• 12:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was with a bunch of people that like, I mean, no one really thought was a superstar.
• 13:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are they asking questions about whether Hally was a superstar at the time and everybody else around them?
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: and then fever takes all the injuries and brings in a bunch of randoms and makes a deep deep run without a real super star because I mean, Ellie was there and Kelsey was there at the best of course.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I'm saying, I think we gotta get somebody who realizes the team is bigger than them, buys in the does their part and we go deep deep deep deep.
• 13:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they got shot to win.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they do no matter who they get.
• 13:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think the draft person's gonna be a star to regardless.
• 13:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're gonna be coming off the bench no matter who we take.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 13:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to be season changing, but like future changing, maybe.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Greg, you were reading, you do want to read off.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, the top pick, they've got going where?
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Top pick right now, according to ESPNs.
• 13:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: By the way, it's been easy for the entire time, but now it's apparently not Michael Vapel.
• 14:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: It says,
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: It is Olivia Miles from TCU, be the number one pick followed by Ava Fam to the links she is from Spain, then AZ-Fud to Seattle, then Lauren Bets to Washington, Flaus J. Johnson from LSU to the Sky, then a French player, and then a Spanish player, and then Neepkins
• 14:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: McMahon from Ole Miss 9th.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: In the fever, it has Raven Johnson from South Carolina, followed by Gabrielle Hawke as to Washington.
• 14:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: Kiki Rice also from UCLA to Connecticut, and then another South Carolina player to Naya Latson from South Carolina.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So those are probably your options there for the fever.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, what's interesting is,
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: ESPans says miles to Dallas, I keep seeing from CBS sports and I think even one on WNBA, I keep seeing fam to Dallas.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: That will be a net that first picks going to be interesting.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've seen a couple of different places report like it's all the same players that you just listed.
• 15:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're just in different orders and the first and second has flipped a couple of times and then like five and six has flipped a couple of like so it's just going to be who's the best fit for who.
• 15:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I will say this, I'm not sure, Olivia Miles won't be wrong, she's really good, but I'm not sure that she likes to have the ball in her hands a lot, and Dallas, they've got that player.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I know she doesn't really play guard, but they've got the player, they want the ball in her hands most of the time, and that's Paige Becker's, and I used to sit there and I wonder how well those two, when their styles will mesh.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we'll find out what happens on Monday, and we'll talk about it next Sunday on the fever report.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we'll talk about it on my podcast, Greg and his friend's talksports.
• 16:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: John Michelle, thanks so much.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much to John and Michelle.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: Again, please check out both of them on my new podcast.
• 16:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: Greg, give his friend's talk sports every week day after noon.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: My friends and I are talking about whatever sinful Indiana sports fans are talking about.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: whether it's the pace of fever, colds, IU, Purdue, IndyCard, National Sports Local Colleges, or High School Sports.
• 16:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: If Central Indian sports fans are talking about it, that's what we're talking about on Pragenis Friends Talk Sports.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Again, every week afternoon.
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks so much for listening.
• 16:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Central Indiana Sports Report is a product of ITG Media, and I love Susie.
• 17:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Central Indiana Sports Report is a product of ITG Media, and I love Susie.