October 9, 2024 • 41 mins
The WNBA Finals are here, and the 3 on 3 crew—Chris Williamson, Terrika Foster-Brasby, and Sharí Nycole—stayed up late on the East Coast to react to the Minnesota Lynx eliminating the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 of the semifinals. Terrika might’ve shed a tear as her Sun saw their season end.
Sharí didn't hold back on Aces’ star Jackie Young, questioning her disappearance when her team needed her most against the Liberty. Chris wasn’t having it though, jumping in to defend Jackie and the Aces’ season. Terrika played mediator by pointing out how the Aces’ back-to-back titles put a target on their back all year.
Then Chris and Sharí are standing 10 toes down on their Finals prediction, backing one team all the way. Tune in to find out who they’re riding with!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Well, well, well, it's been a long, long, exhausting season
for so many reasons and we're not even the ones plane,
but we have finally reached a w NBA Finals matchup
because the Lynx just handled the Connecticut Son in a
(00:28):
game five do or die. And I'll tell you what,
I'm so glad that we have my co host Erika
Foster Brady and Serina cole Seren don't like listen we
recording this lateter night. We usually don't do this for
people that I don't know, So we're gonna We're gonna
be very succinct but punctual, right and for me, I'm
(00:51):
gonna I'm gonna be honest. Rika, you know the son better.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Tarika looks like she just got done crime. Does anybody care?
She looks like she just wept and camera.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
First of all, first of all, I want you to
know that if my eyes look watery, it's because I
just got these last yes done. And I ain't. I ain't,
I ain't got I'm batting my eyes. I got to,
I got to get these together. So y'all, y'all gonna
let me get bad with my new last years. Okay,
And there may be a drop or two for the
(01:26):
fact that I just watched my squad get spanked for
the majority of this matchup.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Spank I didn't. I didn't have this on my Bengo card.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You give me what I'm saying, Like, when I looked
at the ways that this could have played out, obviously
you have a fifty to fifty chance of winning. But
I just didn't quite see Courtney Williams going off in
the first quarter for fifteen points. I didn't quite see,
you know, an eighteen to thirty one finish to the
(02:04):
first quarter. I didn't quite see Minnesota shooting forty nine
percent from the field in Connecticut shooting thirty eight percent
from the field with nineteen turnovers.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
I ain't see it.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So you got this excuse me if maybe Jesus did
weep a little bit over what it was preparing us.
I wasn't prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
This is my thing. As Chris you mentioned, I'm not
really the night out, but the least that you all
could have done, and you all be in the sun.
You could have just made a game out of it,
you know, you made a series out of it. But
you didn't make a game out of tonight. So that
was most disappointed for me, like.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Keep me up.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
If you lose, lose in a tight match, make it entertaining.
I mean literally before halftime. Let's be clear, we knew
it was more than likely going to be a rap,
So I was just I was just disappointed. And I think,
like a lot of us, wanted it for the sun.
I think all three of us to a degree, wanted
to see them really potentially take it all, just because
(03:05):
it just seemed like it was prime time for them
to reach that apex. But the reality is they've always
been that team that we've pulled for. But in my opinion,
it's something missing, and I think tonight showed that they're
missing something. It may not be an additional piece. It
may be, you know, from a mental standpoint, there may
be some rebuilding or restructuring that needs to happen. Maybe
some people need to use this off season and get
(03:25):
their minds together, similar to how I feel about the Aces.
But something's not there, and I think this was an
indication of that. But I do think they're gonna make
the correction and come back stronger next year. But the
links also show that their championship team. Do I think
they're gonna beat the liberty. We'll talk about that a
little bit later, but they just showed their dominance a
(03:45):
way that said to me, they knew, oh, this is
our game. We are supposed to be in the finals,
and so it was interesting to see that from them.
Not surprising, but interesting. So shout out to the Sun
on a great sun, on a great year. And Harrington
play to me like the only person that third quarter
pushed the entire game and played like she wanted to
win and like there was a chance. Yeah, but everybody else,
(04:09):
I don't know where you all win. I don't know
what your pregame meal included. Don't do that again before
a game, and learn from your mistakes and do better
next year. I think it's difficult to I think what
makes it difficult is to understand like the dynamic around
this team and also understanding how the team came into
the season. This is a team that started the season
thirteen and one, right, so all joke aside. When you
(04:31):
started season thirteen and one, the expectation is finals or bust, right.
So it's a little surprising that somewhere over the last
couple of weeks, the things that had worked so well
for this team early on kind of seemed to phase out.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Tonight's matchup reminded me a lot of Game Three. In
Game three, I had even tweeted, I don't recognize who
this team is because the one thing that you had
been able to hold your hat on was defense. And
so for the majority of Game three and the majority
of tonight up until that third quarter, that was the
one thing that was lacking. I mean, the Links were
(05:07):
finding their way to penetrate the paint often. I mean
you could see Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, the feast of
Collier and that's a conversation, we'll talk about it one second.
But they were just getting inside doing whatever it is
they wanted. I don't know what was said at the half,
but the way Djnate Carrington came out at halftime and
it was like, if I got to bring this energy
(05:27):
and bring this spark on the defensive end to get
us going, then that's what I'm gonna do. And she
absolutely did that. I know she ended the game with
a double double on uit remember her exact stats. But
I feel like the defense is where they got away
too often. Because we knew that this wasn't a team
that had shot the ball incredibly well for majority of
the season. They would tell you there was time and
(05:48):
time again that Steph White would say, hey, listen, we
can't trade to twos for thre's. We can't do it
because we're not a three point shooting team. We're not
a team that's going to outscore you in that way.
So we've got to defend and we've got to cash
in when the opportunities were there. So I think that's
what probably makes me the most confused and disappointed, is
because I know that this team has that grit, and
(06:11):
when you start off thirteen and one, when you have
players like Dewana Bonner and Alyssa Thomas who you know
are free agents after this year and most likely could
very well not be returning adding in the expansion Draft
that's going to happen in December, so every team has
to protect six players. You don't know what six players
that those teams will decide to protect or anything. It
(06:31):
feels like this was the window and now it feels
like that win though, is gone.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You know, it really just speaks to how hard it is,
you know, to get to the w NBA Finals, even
with all the experience that you have and for me
it quickly we'll move on to feating a little bit.
It just shocked me that the way the links came out,
you would think that they had all the championship experience, right.
(06:58):
The FEASTA Collier has not experienced a w NBA finals, okay,
and Alyssa Thomas has the Wanna Bonner has right, So
when you look at this.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Squad, m hm, well well wait, but go back go
Chris though, because even though the FISA Collier has not,
they have championship experience on that team. Maisha anes Allen
has a ship. Court Williams played in this ship. Kaylen
McBride when she was in San Antonio played.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
For a ship, right, And that's my point. You can
this collective championship experience. But with the Son it was
like these ladies know each other and they've been through
the fire before in the championship games. So it was
just very startling to see how they started out. And
then they showed some fight, especially with DJ Carrington in
the third quarter, but they were never they were never
(07:51):
never in a rhythm, right. They just looked stagnant and
out of sink. The body language wasn't great. Of course,
their nerves in the you know, eliminated game, but that
was something that I did not expect. But let's talk
about in the FISA Collier for a second. She's on
a mission, Cherie. This woman is so graceful as a
(08:12):
basketball player. When you look at her footwork, the way
she's rarely sped up, it's it's beautiful to me. And listen,
all I know is Liberty. We're gonna talk about later,
but Liberty better not getting their way because she coming
for some things.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, her footwork is insane, her step through is and
it's fascinating. I'm saying this. I'm not sure it's guardable
because I've watched her do he repeatedly and no one
can seem to defend it, which I think is quite fascinating.
She's so crafty. She gives you the finesse. She obviously
gives you the grit and the grind on the defensive end.
(08:53):
And like you said, no one can slower down. She can.
She can hurt you from a lot of different angles,
and I don't I'm interested to see how she fears
in the finals, but I'm only interested to see how
dominant she'll be because I don't foresee her being contained much.
I think she's one of those players. It's like, Okay,
let her get hers, letting the FISA get hers, We'll
(09:14):
deal with everybody else. That's the way that I think
they'll probably approach her in the finals, because I'm watching
and I'm just like, Yeah, she's unstoppable to me, and
I think this game gave her and the Links a
lot of confidence, so I anticipate her taking that into
the finals and she excites me. And I don't know why.
It's something about her. I just I just want her
(09:34):
to do well. It's just certain players for me that
just stick. The FISA. Collie is one of them. So whoever,
you know, JJ's do your thing on the step through.
I don't know. Good luck. She's got the milkshake mold,
can shoot, she can shoot the jump shot, like she
can do everything. So I think it's crazy and I think,
you know, the biggest bet that I think the Liberty
(09:56):
have with her is trying to get her in foul trouble.
I think that's the best way you canet to because defensively,
I think she's gonna she's gonna be a problem for
them on a lot of different levels.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I think I certainly agree with you that the FISA
Collier is is.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Her right, Like, what are you gonna There's nothing you
can do? Like legitimately, I.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Have and I have, I have not seen a player
give Alyssa Thomas fits the way I saw the FESA
give Alyssa Thomas fits in this series. I mean, and
that says a lot, because this is one of the
most elite defenders in this league. This team is the
best defending team in this league. And there was no answer.
(10:42):
And there was a moment in Game one where they
did a great job of switching on her, and they
did a great job of switching defenders between At and
Dewana Bonner and Carrington got a little bit on it
and it confused her a little bit. But this is
what great players do. Great players figure out what you're doing.
They make adjustments. And the Visa Collier made the kind
(11:04):
of adjustments that Connecticut's physical play doesn't bother her. The
way that she's able to get in and make moves
in the paint and draw contact doesn't bother her. Funny story,
I'm watching the game against Connecticut and in Game four
and Marina and Nefisa get into it, right on the court,
(11:28):
not you know, not nothing real, but just really funny.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
And Nefisa gave this look.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
And you know how usually when players are talking crap
and they going back and forth to each other, you
can kind of see a player getting frustrated. But Fi
was like, don't play with me, and the face, the
face was calm. It was one of those like like
I'm like, I'm don't play yeah, And it was first
(11:59):
of all, I ain't over people. It was really said
on the court between these players, because what's on the
court is on the court. But the point that I
make it is she knows who she is. She knows
that she's unstoppable, and she projects that even in moments
where people are trying to comfort her neck and bring
her beef on the court. She knows what she brings
(12:21):
to the table. And I think the team follows suit
in that they don't get easily rattled by that. Because
in this third quarter, in this game, there was a
moment when Connecticut was surging back. It was because Minnesota
looked a little disjointed. They didn't seem like they understood
what was going on on the court. They were turning
the ball over, the ball wasn't really moving. I think
(12:42):
they just kind of got in their own heads a
little bit. But Nafisa ramainn Calm and the team followed suit.
And it is very difficult to lose when you've got
that kind of leadership and you've got that kind of
person that leads by example. So I mean, you know,
of course I want to see the Connecticut Sun win
because I'm a Sun fan, I work for the team,
(13:05):
I live in Connecticut. It makes sense, right, But all
in all, as a women's basketball fan, I'm so excited
for this Minnesota team. They have looked really good and
I know they're gonna get.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
With New York. Speaking about New York, we're gonna talk
about what they did to the Aces, something that perhaps
a lot of people saw and perhaps others didn't see
because you thought the Aces would just be invincible when
playoff playoff time came, but that was not the result.
We're gonna get into that after the break. So the
(13:38):
New York Liberty made it their mission after they lost
to the Las Vegas Aces last year in the finals,
to reload and get better and make sure they don't
experience that same heartbreak that happened on their floor when
the Ages had two starters down, and man did they
whooped the Aces ass in that fourth quarter. It was
(14:00):
a two point game, two point game, and in a
matter a few minutes, Deliberty up by double digits. Sabrina's
hidden threes, John Quell, they're getting off in the fast
break lay only Foebish Aces can't hit shit. And now
they are heading back to the w NBA Finals too,
(14:21):
hopefully for their fans sake and for their mentals, win
the team's first ever w NBA title. Cherie, what you
got to say about the way the Liberty responded after
how lasting, after how last season ended for them.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
To me, they did exactly what they were supposed to do.
And I know we had some conversations very early on
this season, like preseason esque, about concerns whether we were
overreacting about just how they were playing, and come to
find out, we had a pretty fair assessment. Most of
us said, Oh, they're going to get it together. I
gotta work the kinks out. And when they got it together,
(15:02):
it stayed together. It's still together, and there's a lot
to be said about that. They have been consistent and
to me, when you get whooped, you regroup, you come back,
and you avenge, and they did exactly what they're supposed
to do. Sabrina and Nescu has been playing incredible. You know,
Stewie's gonna be Stewie, But you know Sabrina sometimes it's like,
(15:22):
hey girl, where you at? We need to scoring what
you're doing. She's from the inside and the outside. She
to me, she was the X factor in that particular series,
and it was great to see her, not even just
on the offensive end, but on the defensive end, really
get it, go after it, and get after it. I
was very impressed overall with her performance, and I think
she's gonna be a real problem in the finals because
(15:43):
I think she's working on a wave of confidence. It's
gonna be very difficult to.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Break.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I will say this, And yes, the Liberty went out right,
the Aces didn't beat themselves. But I'm sorry to say,
Jackie Young, where were you? Where did you go?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Did you where?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Did where did your where? Did where were you? I
just she got I hate to say this. She got
on my nerves most of that series because I'm like,
she almost disappeared, and they needed her, They needed her scoring,
they needed just what she brings to the table and
in the guard spot, I felt like Kelsey was just
having to do way too much at a certain point
(16:24):
in time. I think that was also game What was
that Game three? I think it was Game three. She
put the team on her back, which is fine, you
have to do that. Asia is gonna be Asia. But
I just felt like, with all the weaponry that the
Aces have, they didn't showcase that consistently, and for that
reason alone, they did not deserve to win. But I'm
(16:45):
very impressed with Obviously John cool Jones is doing her thing.
I'm very impressed with the Liberty. They look like this
is their year. They are playing like this is their year.
Are the Links going to give him a run for
their money? Absolutely? But if I'm a betting woman, I'm
betting on the Liberty. I think it's gonna be competitive series.
But the way that they're playing that, I'm sorry, I
(17:06):
just I think that they've already decided that this is
their year. And I love when a team has a
chip on their shoulder and comes in the next season.
It says, all right, we made some mistakes, we didn't
have it together over here, we're together now. And I
also like the way that they're winning. It's not a
lot of talk. It's not a lot of all this
gibber jabber. It's not like leave that on the court.
But when the game is over, in the press room, conference,
(17:28):
conference interviews, I really just appreciate like they're just they're
just focused, and I think I think this is their year,
to be quite frank with you. So if if the
Links can contain Sabrina in particular, they got a good chance.
I think she's gonna be She's she's going to be
the person that either makes or breaks this series. And
(17:49):
because Stuie's gonna do what she's gonna do.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
She she was injured, injured, that's what that's what she told.
She didn't want to tell the specific I get it.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I don't I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Then I don't care, I don't.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
I don't want to hear it. Then go sat down,
go say you can't say that now, Oh it was injured,
you were you were quiet, and they needed they needed
your output. So if you're hurt that bad where you
can't produce, you probably shouldn't be playing.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I know you can't play it. I didn't want to
say a free game, right, that she had an injury
that she suffered in the gold medal game against France,
but she didn't want her to reveal the specifics. Right, No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no all of a sudden, no no. What I'm saying
(18:40):
is what I'm saying is because rarely so much better
before second half. I think she had one game where
she went off. I think that was against the Links
where they lost. Right, I think she had twenty twenty plus.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Chris, I know I've seen her. This is the worst
I wanted her season, Jack was.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Ris, I get you. I get your point. Chris, you're trying.
You're basically saying, whatever the injury was, it definitely hindered
her performance from before the Olympics but after. But I
also understand what Sharia is saying, because your your team
is fighting for a championship, and if there's any time
that you need to pull whatever that is that you
have out, it's during the semi finals. If you just
(19:27):
whatever reason can't pull that out, or if your injury
is bothering you that bad to where you can't pay
your normal self, then it probably what Shari. What I
believe Sharia is saying is that it's better that you
just sit down on the bench and heel then to
come out and just be ineffective when your team needs you, right.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
I don't think it was Charika to Tarika. Maybe the
team too was not as responsible with her rehabilitation plan.
Maybe there was some games where she shouldn't have played
as many minutes so she should have sat out longer.
We don't. No, I'm not just even blaming her, like
maybe they had to know.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I don't even know if I can make that case,
only because I don't know what the injury is, right, Like,
I don't know if it's internal. I don't know if
it's something physical. Like, I don't know what the injury is,
and at this point, I guess it doesn't really matter.
But I just think overall the reason that they're not
in this series is just because overall, the Aces just
were not the same offensive weapon they were in twenty
(20:30):
twenty three or twenty twenty two. I mean, you got
a team that's trying to come to you know, you
got a team that's literally trying to win a triple threat,
a three P championships, but they just were not as
efficient offensively as they were last season.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
They were out of that's out.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And the second part really, like to me, it boiled
down to two things. One, it just were not officially
offensively efficient in two. Two ain't even that hard. The
liberty was just better. And why was the liberty better?
Because the whole league has gotten better, and it's the
asist fault that the league has gotten better. The league
has tried to contend with y'all. Y'all put them out
(21:10):
in twenty twenty three. You put out Connecticut in twenty
twenty two. You did it both times in four games.
And when you did it against New York you ain't
even have Canvas or Chelsea like. So you was really
out here being big bag your excellence on the court.
And I said this in a tweet, your standard of
excellence on the court. I'm not talking about off the
court stuff. I'm not talking about the de Erica handby stuff.
(21:32):
I'm not talking about the one hundred thousand dollars investigation.
All of that is aside. What you've produced on the
court over these last two seasons has forced every other
team in the league to step up their game because
they were gunning for you. So while everyone else was
getting better, y'all could not afford any margin of error
(21:56):
to get worse. And you all were shooting thirty two
percent from the field offensively set in this semi finals.
That's not gonna do it against a New York team
that has a rested stewie, that has a more healthier
John Quo Jones that hasn't improved Sabrina you Net Schuul
(22:17):
and all. By the way, let's add a rookie name
Leoni Phoebis who coming off the bench giving you twenty
one to twenty two points. Nuts. It's just it's just
the Liberty was just a better team. And that's okay
to say, like, it's not gonna be your year every year.
And I think most of us really felt because they
were the two time defended champions who didn't want to
be disrespectful and say, oh, it's just done for them.
(22:39):
You feel like they could give you the benefit of
the doubt. You feel like they could be the team
to put themselves back up and get this done. So
you didn't ever want to say they were out of it.
But if we're looking at the play on the court,
we're looking at the numbers and the stat sheet, and
we're just looking at overall, how the last couple of
weeks were for this seat, for this team versus the Liberty.
(23:01):
The Liberty was just simply.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Better and that's just the bottom line. And the better
team won, And.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
I got no issue with that. You know, you never
count on the chance. But if you watch the season,
the Liberty were the better team. The Aces could not
beat them with or without Asia Wilson, with or without
Chelsea Gray and the Liberty.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Yeah, And I don't have nothing to do with Asia season.
Asia was absolutely still the best player I have ever
seen play. Had a phenomenal season and earned every bit
And sometimes.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
I just want to hit on that really quickly. I
feel like maybe the amount of mileage that she had
to play this season and the output that was required
of her because her teammates were not up to the
standards that were expecting them to uphold that she was
a little bit gassed towards the end, because it was
(23:56):
very weird in that fourth quarter where I don't think
she had a shot and tip until like the last
couple of minutes or something, And that's a product that's
I took that on her teammates not getting in the
ball because they just want to shoot threes, try to
get the try to trim the deficit all in one possession.
But also she needs to be more aggressive. And we've
seen her be a killer before, right, And for whatever reason,
(24:21):
physical fatigue, mental fatigue, she just did not have the
fourth quarter that you would expect from from her. But,
like Tarka said, still a phenomenal season. She was the
best player for the Aces, the most valuable player, and
nobody will be able to take away. Nobody can take
away from what she did because even when she didn't
(24:41):
have all of her juice, she still was Hella effective.
Like that three on one break where she was it
was one on three and she was the one on
the defensive possession and she blocks Stewie. That right there
showed her her greatness. But yeah, the season is over
for the Aces and now it's New York Liberty and
(25:02):
the Minnesota Links. We're going to dive into that and
just a bit after the break.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
All right, y'all, I want y'all to pay attention to
just a couple of these things, a couple of dates
and times.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
I want you guys to.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Take a look back to Saturday, May twenty fifth.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
That day was the day that the Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Lynx put a hurting from the New York Liberty eighty
four to sixty seven. They don't want you to fast
forward again to July second. That was the day New
York got they look back, seventy six to sixty seven
against the Minnesota Lynx.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
But Minnesota felt away, Minnesota felt a way, and so.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
On September fifteenth in New York, by the way, Minnesota
put their foot down eighty eight to seventy nine. And
somewhere in there, oh, June twenty fifth, because this wasn't,
you know, a regular season game, but it was the
(26:11):
Commissioner's Cup, Minnesota once again served an l on a platter,
ninety four to eighty nine. Now, if I'm doing my
math correctly, that means in the four times that Minnesota saw.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
New York, New York one once.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Now, of course, there are folks who will say, well,
the regular season doesn't matter in the postseason. It's different play,
different mentality, different teams. You are absolutely correct. But if
you're going to say that the New York Liberty got
better over the course of this time, that also means
(26:52):
that the Minnesota Lynks have gotten better over the course
of this time. And so if a not better Minnesota
the team gave you trouble in the regular season, then
a much better MINNESOTAA team could probably give you some
more trouble in the postseason. So I say all that
to say, I think anyone who thinks that this is
(27:15):
just going to be a roll over situation between the
Links and the New York Liberty and this w n
b A Finals you probably haven't paid attention because this game.
I believe this series is going to be a close one.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
But I'm throwing out there for you guys. Shari will
start with you. Where do you what?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You what you think? I agree with you. I think
to go to seven games. Excuse me, it's late sleepy, y'all.
Y'all the ones that wanted me to get on here
at midnight, y'all the ones want me to get on
here at midnight. I will say this, Liberty, The Liberty
(27:56):
have their have their work cut out for them. Defensively.
Number one we already talked about in the Feasta Collier
good luck. I'm just gonna wish you luck. I don't
I don't really know what else to tell you, and
I can't even say, oh, you need to you need
to play off off of the feasta a little bit,
or you need to, you need to punch in like
I have no advice for you. Just do the pray
(28:17):
and do the best you can. But I will say
from the guard position, they need to be mindful of
how well and they play defense off ball screens. I
saw Courtney Williams in particular in this last game. She
would even fake the ball screen and go right. She'd
had an open, wide, open layup. So different things like
(28:39):
that they're gonna and again I like Courtney's game, but
I was shocked, not shocked, but I was she really
she came out of a bag today. And if she
continues in that way, I mean, there was no hesitation
with her shooting. I've seen her hesitate to take open
shots many times. She's coming off of screens, off the ball,
(29:02):
catching the ball, shooting and it's going in. She's shooting
off the dribble, she's faking off the ball screen and
going to the basket and facilitating. So if she continues
in this way, the links are going to be a problem.
So I think their guard defense on the on the
liberty side has to be very very strong, especially off
(29:22):
ball screens. I'll be interested to see what Sabrina is
able to do in particular on defense. On the defensive end,
in that regard, if Kaylen McBride gets a real if
she catches fire at all, because you got to think
about how well the Links are playing, and her shooting
percentage from three in particular isn't all that great at all.
She's still shooting, can shoot her shoot, but if that
(29:43):
evens itself out at any point, that's also going to
be a problem for the Liberty. So I'm interested to
see how she shows up, especially in game In game one,
I still have the Liberty winning. I know, you know,
Terka presented us with all those beautiful statistics. I love
a good statician and she's one of the best. But
I'm going to air on the side of yes, this
(30:03):
is this is a different ballgame, and I think that
the Liberty winning in the way that they did versus
the Aces gave them an air of confidence. I think
that it's going to carry them over the finish line.
I just again, I feel like they feel like it's
theirs and it's not even there to lose, it's just
theirs to get, Like, let's just go take care of
the business that we know we need to take care of,
(30:24):
so we get what we know we deserve. So it's
a swag about the liberty that I think is going
to get them to hold that trophy when it's all
said and done. So I got the liberty, but it's
going to be competitive. I think these two teams match
up very well. I'm always excited to see John Quell
Jones go go at it down low. We'll see how
that happens, how that goes, and we'll see who's able
(30:46):
to stay out of foul trouble. That's going to be
another big thing, like it could be JJ could be
in the FISA. Like both of them have to play
smart down there, and there's instances where they don't. Sometimes
they're coming down and swatting when it's like just put giant,
like just just keep your hands up. What are you doing?
So I think they're gonna have to be very mindful
about being the very mindful about being disciplined on defense.
(31:08):
So I got the liberty, but it's gonna be a
close one and I'm actually excited to see both these
teams go at it. So we'll see.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I just got a notification that the Liberty are opening
this series.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
As a huge favorite.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I don't agree with that. With that, I don't agree
with that.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I do know people, the people know something we don't.
I'm just telling you, throw your stats in the garbage,
j Rika, throw them.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Listen, I'm in Vegas odds.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
If you think.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
That, youspect disrespect here for Minnesota, Okay, Like, have we
not watched them coast Olympic break? I mean they had
two losses after the Olympics, right, and they have one
law or two losses in the postseason. Uh So my
(32:06):
thing is like, what, yeah, what is Vegas thinking? First
of all, because they were the best team outside of
Indiana post Olympic break. Of course, the Liberty are playing well.
They have the momentum. But when I look at Minnesota
and all the pieces that they have, they're very interchangeable
(32:28):
because everybody, for the most part, can take the ball
and drive it to the basket, but they also can
step back, kick it out for a three. They can
knock down shots. Bridget Carlton, she was listen, she should
have been the MVP of the Commissioner's Cup game. Okay,
And for being honest, I know Ifisa Collier won it
and she was great, but when you watch that game,
she was the MVP. You got chio Zana Lassini. Alanta
(32:52):
Smith is one of the best versatile defenders again Courtney
Williams with her mid range, So that is total disrespont
back to me, but I am interested to see how
the links handle, you know, the length in this series
with Leoni Phoebish, because she brings so much tenacity and
(33:12):
she does a lot of the little things that don't
always show up on the statue. She was a plus
twenty eight in that game to close out the aces.
I think she had eleven points, but it was her
presence on both sides that really impacted the game. So
we talk about Sabrina being an X factor and I
think that's fair. But to me, if Leoni Phoebish can
(33:34):
have a positive impact on both sides of the ball,
I think Liberty the Liberty have a great shot. And
then John Quell, Yeah, just stop stop making Sometimes she
gets so frustrated in her own head and she she
checks out of games, and we've seen that before from her,
So I need her to be locked in. Nafisa and Stewie,
(33:56):
they're probably going to cancel each other out Stewie's on
a mission. But look, yep, this series will go five
games in my opinion, and I just think the Links
are the best prepared team, the best suited team to
take down the Liberty, because.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
M take down. So are you saying that you have
then you have the winning at all?
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah? Five? Yeah, I have the Links.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Oh the Links at five? Okay, Okay, how many games
do you have the Liberty in?
Speaker 2 (34:38):
I got them in five. It's going to go It's
going to go five. I don't see anybody's talking about
what she brought to break.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Okay. That's another thing that I'm curious to see how
the Liberty will attack that. All these pieces are so instrumental,
and the Links have the best, one of the best
benches in the league. So that means you don't have
opposite of the aces, you don't have to rely on
your starters as much, because you know, we haven't we.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Haven't talked about the teacher Hydeman, right, yeah, But I
mean I think you can also make that argument for
the Liberty too.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, the the Liberty has definitely extended their bench
with Kennedy Burke, Jalen Sharad like they have my guy,
like so I think you can. I think that's at
the bench is interesting as well. So I think like
that's probably the one thing. Like there are so many
(35:37):
elements to both of these teams. I think that you
can compare to each other that that make this such
a difficult matchup because again, bench play is what it is,
but also from a shooting percentage, I mean, Minnesota is
one of the better three point shooting teams in the
league at this point, and for them to defend the
(35:57):
way that they defend, they've got snipers for the most
part of the series that they were just did that
was one of the key differences is they could shoot
Connecticut connot right, And so if you are able to
take out two of New York's big three, you got
a shot, right, and they don't have to be the
same two every night.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
If you can find a way to put John Quill
on a bench and get her and foul trouble and
neutralize Sabrina Unescu, then let Stewie have it, because you've
already canceled out two of the three. If Stewie and
Fie are knocking each other down defensively and Sabrina's hitting threes,
then take JJ out the game, take her out the game. Mentally,
(36:35):
you've got to find a way to at least take
two of the three out, force somebody from the bench
or another one of their starting five to step up.
But Nigelani Hamilton is another one who is a dangerous
two way player, right, So it's possible, It's possible, But
I just find I think that the way that the
Liberty have stepped up, Like again, I said it when
(36:57):
we started this segment, they have both really stepped up
their game from the Olympic break. But I just think
there's maybe that one or two different of consistency that
you'll get from one of the big three in New
York that you might not get from somebody from the Liberty. So,
you know, she remade the point of if Kayla gets
(37:18):
in her gets in her bag, if Kayla finds her stride,
because there have been a couple of games throughout this
postseason where Kayla has not been able well. She's hit
some big shots and she's played well like she's been
good to support. But what sticks in my mind specifically
is in Game two against Connecticut in the last season,
when the FISA was not on the court, Kayla just
(37:39):
kind of couldn't figure out her way. She didn't really
have like that leadership, that punch that you needed without
Phoebing on the court. You can't afford to have that
against this New York team, right because this New York team,
they didn't played together before two, not this year two
for them, So that whole ain't got no chemistry.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
That whole.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
They don't know each other. That's bullshit. At this point,
they know each other well. So I say that to
say that as much as I look, I mean, I
I love Katie Smith, absolutely love Rebecca Brunson on the
coaching staff, all of my I got these good friends
of mine's that that played for Minnesota, and I know
they gonna be hype. Lindsay Whaling gonna be on my
(38:17):
dad on twitter feed. I'm sorry, Way, don't come for me,
dog daf don't come for me. There'll be a file.
Don't come for me.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
I promise.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I love y'all, I really do. And I'm gonna celebrate
with y'all at the end if y'all win it what.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
I think I also have to.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Take all right, I don't listen.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Sorry, Chris, Sorry, it's okay. You're you're out there on
that limb by yourself taking the.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Liberty, Chris, I would have took the links just so
that we could have somebody, so that file will lets
you know that I'm not committed to this answer whatsoever,
like I'm gonna take the liberty and five, But I
just wanted to be very clear that I'm not committed
to this to this PI and I promise you that you.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Need to stand on the switch. In our society we
got we got people who want to be on a
spinch on the fence.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
You cannot be wayward and this I am way word
I am. I cannot be wayward you that is not platform.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Remember what you said.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
I can't do is raw.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
My ass is raw. What happened on.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
That exactly correct? You had to say, need that conviction
how you got however correct correct state. I haven't said
stand ten toes down.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
I have the strong conviction that now that my team
is out, it kind of is what it is. So go,
liberty go.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You can allow your apathy on, you can allow you
cannot allow your apathy put you in a situation where
you cannot stand with a particular team. We won't allow it.
We're not allow it.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
So whoever, Courtney, I will come Courtney.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
We chest bump girl, We cool.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I got you, dog you. But then you know then
I gotta like, oh JJ and my girl. You know
what I'm saying, Like, I don't have allegiance to nobody
at this point. Everybody just get you get it.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
The game with the half Las Jersey, half Liberty Jersey.
That's what you would do. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
My god, my god, my god, oh my god. She
will come in there with a Son jersey on and
tell something. Dare somebody to say something I say.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I'm gonna just focus on my Tigers. Okay, we got
post season baseball.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Not shifting to the Tigers. What is this show?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Oh my god? It is as always, the Shenanigant just
gets worse the latter that we keep recording this damn show.
So let's go ahead wrap this thing up. It's your
girl to Rica Foster Brasby, of course, Charen Nicole, Chris Williamson.
Make sure you're continuing to check us out. Listen to us,
have the three on three podcasts on iHeartRadio, app or
(41:13):
wherever you get your pod. Follow us on Twitter at
the three on three Pod, follow us on Instagram three
on three Pod, respond to us when we are out
here in these social media streets because we love when
we all come and talk to us and engage with us.
And you can definitely check us out on YouTube at
the Inflection Network. So until next time, when I'm out
(41:37):
my feelings and ready to stand ten tones down on
an actions prediction, I will highly at y'all
Well, well, well, it's been a long, long, exhausting season
for so many reasons and we're not even the ones plane,
but we have finally reached a w NBA Finals matchup
because the Lynx just handled the Connecticut Son in a
(00:28):
game five do or die. And I'll tell you what,
I'm so glad that we have my co host Erika
Foster Brady and Serina cole Seren don't like listen we
recording this lateter night. We usually don't do this for
people that I don't know, So we're gonna We're gonna
be very succinct but punctual, right and for me, I'm
(00:51):
gonna I'm gonna be honest. Rika, you know the son better.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Tarika looks like she just got done crime. Does anybody care?
She looks like she just wept and camera.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
First of all, first of all, I want you to
know that if my eyes look watery, it's because I
just got these last yes done. And I ain't. I ain't,
I ain't got I'm batting my eyes. I got to,
I got to get these together. So y'all, y'all gonna
let me get bad with my new last years. Okay,
And there may be a drop or two for the
(01:26):
fact that I just watched my squad get spanked for
the majority of this matchup.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Spank I didn't. I didn't have this on my Bengo card.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You give me what I'm saying, Like, when I looked
at the ways that this could have played out, obviously
you have a fifty to fifty chance of winning. But
I just didn't quite see Courtney Williams going off in
the first quarter for fifteen points. I didn't quite see,
you know, an eighteen to thirty one finish to the
(02:04):
first quarter. I didn't quite see Minnesota shooting forty nine
percent from the field in Connecticut shooting thirty eight percent
from the field with nineteen turnovers.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
I ain't see it.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So you got this excuse me if maybe Jesus did
weep a little bit over what it was preparing us.
I wasn't prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
This is my thing. As Chris you mentioned, I'm not
really the night out, but the least that you all
could have done, and you all be in the sun.
You could have just made a game out of it,
you know, you made a series out of it. But
you didn't make a game out of tonight. So that
was most disappointed for me, like.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Keep me up.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
If you lose, lose in a tight match, make it entertaining.
I mean literally before halftime. Let's be clear, we knew
it was more than likely going to be a rap,
So I was just I was just disappointed. And I think,
like a lot of us, wanted it for the sun.
I think all three of us to a degree, wanted
to see them really potentially take it all, just because
(03:05):
it just seemed like it was prime time for them
to reach that apex. But the reality is they've always
been that team that we've pulled for. But in my opinion,
it's something missing, and I think tonight showed that they're
missing something. It may not be an additional piece. It
may be, you know, from a mental standpoint, there may
be some rebuilding or restructuring that needs to happen. Maybe
some people need to use this off season and get
(03:25):
their minds together, similar to how I feel about the Aces.
But something's not there, and I think this was an
indication of that. But I do think they're gonna make
the correction and come back stronger next year. But the
links also show that their championship team. Do I think
they're gonna beat the liberty. We'll talk about that a
little bit later, but they just showed their dominance a
(03:45):
way that said to me, they knew, oh, this is
our game. We are supposed to be in the finals,
and so it was interesting to see that from them.
Not surprising, but interesting. So shout out to the Sun
on a great sun, on a great year. And Harrington
play to me like the only person that third quarter
pushed the entire game and played like she wanted to
win and like there was a chance. Yeah, but everybody else,
(04:09):
I don't know where you all win. I don't know
what your pregame meal included. Don't do that again before
a game, and learn from your mistakes and do better
next year. I think it's difficult to I think what
makes it difficult is to understand like the dynamic around
this team and also understanding how the team came into
the season. This is a team that started the season
thirteen and one, right, so all joke aside. When you
(04:31):
started season thirteen and one, the expectation is finals or bust, right.
So it's a little surprising that somewhere over the last
couple of weeks, the things that had worked so well
for this team early on kind of seemed to phase out.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Tonight's matchup reminded me a lot of Game Three. In
Game three, I had even tweeted, I don't recognize who
this team is because the one thing that you had
been able to hold your hat on was defense. And
so for the majority of Game three and the majority
of tonight up until that third quarter, that was the
one thing that was lacking. I mean, the Links were
(05:07):
finding their way to penetrate the paint often. I mean
you could see Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, the feast of
Collier and that's a conversation, we'll talk about it one second.
But they were just getting inside doing whatever it is
they wanted. I don't know what was said at the half,
but the way Djnate Carrington came out at halftime and
it was like, if I got to bring this energy
(05:27):
and bring this spark on the defensive end to get
us going, then that's what I'm gonna do. And she
absolutely did that. I know she ended the game with
a double double on uit remember her exact stats. But
I feel like the defense is where they got away
too often. Because we knew that this wasn't a team
that had shot the ball incredibly well for majority of
the season. They would tell you there was time and
(05:48):
time again that Steph White would say, hey, listen, we
can't trade to twos for thre's. We can't do it
because we're not a three point shooting team. We're not
a team that's going to outscore you in that way.
So we've got to defend and we've got to cash
in when the opportunities were there. So I think that's
what probably makes me the most confused and disappointed, is
because I know that this team has that grit, and
(06:11):
when you start off thirteen and one, when you have
players like Dewana Bonner and Alyssa Thomas who you know
are free agents after this year and most likely could
very well not be returning adding in the expansion Draft
that's going to happen in December, so every team has
to protect six players. You don't know what six players
that those teams will decide to protect or anything. It
(06:31):
feels like this was the window and now it feels
like that win though, is gone.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
You know, it really just speaks to how hard it is,
you know, to get to the w NBA Finals, even
with all the experience that you have and for me
it quickly we'll move on to feating a little bit.
It just shocked me that the way the links came out,
you would think that they had all the championship experience, right.
(06:58):
The FEASTA Collier has not experienced a w NBA finals, okay,
and Alyssa Thomas has the Wanna Bonner has right, So
when you look at this.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Squad, m hm, well well wait, but go back go
Chris though, because even though the FISA Collier has not,
they have championship experience on that team. Maisha anes Allen
has a ship. Court Williams played in this ship. Kaylen
McBride when she was in San Antonio played.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
For a ship, right, And that's my point. You can
this collective championship experience. But with the Son it was
like these ladies know each other and they've been through
the fire before in the championship games. So it was
just very startling to see how they started out. And
then they showed some fight, especially with DJ Carrington in
the third quarter, but they were never they were never
(07:51):
never in a rhythm, right. They just looked stagnant and
out of sink. The body language wasn't great. Of course,
their nerves in the you know, eliminated game, but that
was something that I did not expect. But let's talk
about in the FISA Collier for a second. She's on
a mission, Cherie. This woman is so graceful as a
(08:12):
basketball player. When you look at her footwork, the way
she's rarely sped up, it's it's beautiful to me. And listen,
all I know is Liberty. We're gonna talk about later,
but Liberty better not getting their way because she coming
for some things.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, her footwork is insane, her step through is and
it's fascinating. I'm saying this. I'm not sure it's guardable
because I've watched her do he repeatedly and no one
can seem to defend it, which I think is quite fascinating.
She's so crafty. She gives you the finesse. She obviously
gives you the grit and the grind on the defensive end.
(08:53):
And like you said, no one can slower down. She can.
She can hurt you from a lot of different angles,
and I don't I'm interested to see how she fears
in the finals, but I'm only interested to see how
dominant she'll be because I don't foresee her being contained much.
I think she's one of those players. It's like, Okay,
let her get hers, letting the FISA get hers, We'll
(09:14):
deal with everybody else. That's the way that I think
they'll probably approach her in the finals, because I'm watching
and I'm just like, Yeah, she's unstoppable to me, and
I think this game gave her and the Links a
lot of confidence, so I anticipate her taking that into
the finals and she excites me. And I don't know why.
It's something about her. I just I just want her
(09:34):
to do well. It's just certain players for me that
just stick. The FISA. Collie is one of them. So whoever,
you know, JJ's do your thing on the step through.
I don't know. Good luck. She's got the milkshake mold,
can shoot, she can shoot the jump shot, like she
can do everything. So I think it's crazy and I think,
you know, the biggest bet that I think the Liberty
(09:56):
have with her is trying to get her in foul trouble.
I think that's the best way you canet to because defensively,
I think she's gonna she's gonna be a problem for
them on a lot of different levels.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
I think I certainly agree with you that the FISA
Collier is is.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Her right, Like, what are you gonna There's nothing you
can do? Like legitimately, I.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Have and I have, I have not seen a player
give Alyssa Thomas fits the way I saw the FESA
give Alyssa Thomas fits in this series. I mean, and
that says a lot, because this is one of the
most elite defenders in this league. This team is the
best defending team in this league. And there was no answer.
(10:42):
And there was a moment in Game one where they
did a great job of switching on her, and they
did a great job of switching defenders between At and
Dewana Bonner and Carrington got a little bit on it
and it confused her a little bit. But this is
what great players do. Great players figure out what you're doing.
They make adjustments. And the Visa Collier made the kind
(11:04):
of adjustments that Connecticut's physical play doesn't bother her. The
way that she's able to get in and make moves
in the paint and draw contact doesn't bother her. Funny story,
I'm watching the game against Connecticut and in Game four
and Marina and Nefisa get into it, right on the court,
(11:28):
not you know, not nothing real, but just really funny.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
And Nefisa gave this look.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
And you know how usually when players are talking crap
and they going back and forth to each other, you
can kind of see a player getting frustrated. But Fi
was like, don't play with me, and the face, the
face was calm. It was one of those like like
I'm like, I'm don't play yeah, And it was first
(11:59):
of all, I ain't over people. It was really said
on the court between these players, because what's on the
court is on the court. But the point that I
make it is she knows who she is. She knows
that she's unstoppable, and she projects that even in moments
where people are trying to comfort her neck and bring
her beef on the court. She knows what she brings
(12:21):
to the table. And I think the team follows suit
in that they don't get easily rattled by that. Because
in this third quarter, in this game, there was a
moment when Connecticut was surging back. It was because Minnesota
looked a little disjointed. They didn't seem like they understood
what was going on on the court. They were turning
the ball over, the ball wasn't really moving. I think
(12:42):
they just kind of got in their own heads a
little bit. But Nafisa ramainn Calm and the team followed suit.
And it is very difficult to lose when you've got
that kind of leadership and you've got that kind of
person that leads by example. So I mean, you know,
of course I want to see the Connecticut Sun win
because I'm a Sun fan, I work for the team,
(13:05):
I live in Connecticut. It makes sense, right, But all
in all, as a women's basketball fan, I'm so excited
for this Minnesota team. They have looked really good and
I know they're gonna get.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
With New York. Speaking about New York, we're gonna talk
about what they did to the Aces, something that perhaps
a lot of people saw and perhaps others didn't see
because you thought the Aces would just be invincible when
playoff playoff time came, but that was not the result.
We're gonna get into that after the break. So the
(13:38):
New York Liberty made it their mission after they lost
to the Las Vegas Aces last year in the finals,
to reload and get better and make sure they don't
experience that same heartbreak that happened on their floor when
the Ages had two starters down, and man did they
whooped the Aces ass in that fourth quarter. It was
(14:00):
a two point game, two point game, and in a
matter a few minutes, Deliberty up by double digits. Sabrina's
hidden threes, John Quell, they're getting off in the fast
break lay only Foebish Aces can't hit shit. And now
they are heading back to the w NBA Finals too,
(14:21):
hopefully for their fans sake and for their mentals, win
the team's first ever w NBA title. Cherie, what you
got to say about the way the Liberty responded after
how lasting, after how last season ended for them.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
To me, they did exactly what they were supposed to do.
And I know we had some conversations very early on
this season, like preseason esque, about concerns whether we were
overreacting about just how they were playing, and come to
find out, we had a pretty fair assessment. Most of
us said, Oh, they're going to get it together. I
gotta work the kinks out. And when they got it together,
(15:02):
it stayed together. It's still together, and there's a lot
to be said about that. They have been consistent and
to me, when you get whooped, you regroup, you come back,
and you avenge, and they did exactly what they're supposed
to do. Sabrina and Nescu has been playing incredible. You know,
Stewie's gonna be Stewie, But you know Sabrina sometimes it's like,
(15:22):
hey girl, where you at? We need to scoring what
you're doing. She's from the inside and the outside. She
to me, she was the X factor in that particular series,
and it was great to see her, not even just
on the offensive end, but on the defensive end, really
get it, go after it, and get after it. I
was very impressed overall with her performance, and I think
she's gonna be a real problem in the finals because
(15:43):
I think she's working on a wave of confidence. It's
gonna be very difficult to.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Break.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I will say this, And yes, the Liberty went out right,
the Aces didn't beat themselves. But I'm sorry to say,
Jackie Young, where were you? Where did you go?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Did you where?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Did where did your where? Did where were you? I
just she got I hate to say this. She got
on my nerves most of that series because I'm like,
she almost disappeared, and they needed her, They needed her scoring,
they needed just what she brings to the table and
in the guard spot, I felt like Kelsey was just
having to do way too much at a certain point
(16:24):
in time. I think that was also game What was
that Game three? I think it was Game three. She
put the team on her back, which is fine, you
have to do that. Asia is gonna be Asia. But
I just felt like, with all the weaponry that the
Aces have, they didn't showcase that consistently, and for that
reason alone, they did not deserve to win. But I'm
(16:45):
very impressed with Obviously John cool Jones is doing her thing.
I'm very impressed with the Liberty. They look like this
is their year. They are playing like this is their year.
Are the Links going to give him a run for
their money? Absolutely? But if I'm a betting woman, I'm
betting on the Liberty. I think it's gonna be competitive series.
But the way that they're playing that, I'm sorry, I
(17:06):
just I think that they've already decided that this is
their year. And I love when a team has a
chip on their shoulder and comes in the next season.
It says, all right, we made some mistakes, we didn't
have it together over here, we're together now. And I
also like the way that they're winning. It's not a
lot of talk. It's not a lot of all this
gibber jabber. It's not like leave that on the court.
But when the game is over, in the press room, conference,
(17:28):
conference interviews, I really just appreciate like they're just they're
just focused, and I think I think this is their year,
to be quite frank with you. So if if the
Links can contain Sabrina in particular, they got a good chance.
I think she's gonna be She's she's going to be
the person that either makes or breaks this series. And
(17:49):
because Stuie's gonna do what she's gonna do.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
She she was injured, injured, that's what that's what she told.
She didn't want to tell the specific I get it.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I don't I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Then I don't care, I don't.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
I don't want to hear it. Then go sat down,
go say you can't say that now, Oh it was injured,
you were you were quiet, and they needed they needed
your output. So if you're hurt that bad where you
can't produce, you probably shouldn't be playing.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I know you can't play it. I didn't want to
say a free game, right, that she had an injury
that she suffered in the gold medal game against France,
but she didn't want her to reveal the specifics. Right, No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no all of a sudden, no no. What I'm saying
(18:40):
is what I'm saying is because rarely so much better
before second half. I think she had one game where
she went off. I think that was against the Links
where they lost. Right, I think she had twenty twenty plus.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Chris, I know I've seen her. This is the worst
I wanted her season, Jack was.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
Ris, I get you. I get your point. Chris, you're trying.
You're basically saying, whatever the injury was, it definitely hindered
her performance from before the Olympics but after. But I
also understand what Sharia is saying, because your your team
is fighting for a championship, and if there's any time
that you need to pull whatever that is that you
have out, it's during the semi finals. If you just
(19:27):
whatever reason can't pull that out, or if your injury
is bothering you that bad to where you can't pay
your normal self, then it probably what Shari. What I
believe Sharia is saying is that it's better that you
just sit down on the bench and heel then to
come out and just be ineffective when your team needs you, right.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
I don't think it was Charika to Tarika. Maybe the
team too was not as responsible with her rehabilitation plan.
Maybe there was some games where she shouldn't have played
as many minutes so she should have sat out longer.
We don't. No, I'm not just even blaming her, like
maybe they had to know.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I don't even know if I can make that case,
only because I don't know what the injury is, right, Like,
I don't know if it's internal. I don't know if
it's something physical. Like, I don't know what the injury is,
and at this point, I guess it doesn't really matter.
But I just think overall the reason that they're not
in this series is just because overall, the Aces just
were not the same offensive weapon they were in twenty
(20:30):
twenty three or twenty twenty two. I mean, you got
a team that's trying to come to you know, you
got a team that's literally trying to win a triple threat,
a three P championships, but they just were not as
efficient offensively as they were last season.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
They were out of that's out.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
And the second part really, like to me, it boiled
down to two things. One, it just were not officially
offensively efficient in two. Two ain't even that hard. The
liberty was just better. And why was the liberty better?
Because the whole league has gotten better, and it's the
asist fault that the league has gotten better. The league
has tried to contend with y'all. Y'all put them out
(21:10):
in twenty twenty three. You put out Connecticut in twenty
twenty two. You did it both times in four games.
And when you did it against New York you ain't
even have Canvas or Chelsea like. So you was really
out here being big bag your excellence on the court.
And I said this in a tweet, your standard of
excellence on the court. I'm not talking about off the
court stuff. I'm not talking about the de Erica handby stuff.
(21:32):
I'm not talking about the one hundred thousand dollars investigation.
All of that is aside. What you've produced on the
court over these last two seasons has forced every other
team in the league to step up their game because
they were gunning for you. So while everyone else was
getting better, y'all could not afford any margin of error
(21:56):
to get worse. And you all were shooting thirty two
percent from the field offensively set in this semi finals.
That's not gonna do it against a New York team
that has a rested stewie, that has a more healthier
John Quo Jones that hasn't improved Sabrina you Net Schuul
(22:17):
and all. By the way, let's add a rookie name
Leoni Phoebis who coming off the bench giving you twenty
one to twenty two points. Nuts. It's just it's just
the Liberty was just a better team. And that's okay
to say, like, it's not gonna be your year every year.
And I think most of us really felt because they
were the two time defended champions who didn't want to
be disrespectful and say, oh, it's just done for them.
(22:39):
You feel like they could give you the benefit of
the doubt. You feel like they could be the team
to put themselves back up and get this done. So
you didn't ever want to say they were out of it.
But if we're looking at the play on the court,
we're looking at the numbers and the stat sheet, and
we're just looking at overall, how the last couple of
weeks were for this seat, for this team versus the Liberty.
(23:01):
The Liberty was just simply.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Better and that's just the bottom line. And the better
team won, And.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
I got no issue with that. You know, you never
count on the chance. But if you watch the season,
the Liberty were the better team. The Aces could not
beat them with or without Asia Wilson, with or without
Chelsea Gray and the Liberty.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
Yeah, And I don't have nothing to do with Asia season.
Asia was absolutely still the best player I have ever
seen play. Had a phenomenal season and earned every bit
And sometimes.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
I just want to hit on that really quickly. I
feel like maybe the amount of mileage that she had
to play this season and the output that was required
of her because her teammates were not up to the
standards that were expecting them to uphold that she was
a little bit gassed towards the end, because it was
(23:56):
very weird in that fourth quarter where I don't think
she had a shot and tip until like the last
couple of minutes or something, And that's a product that's
I took that on her teammates not getting in the
ball because they just want to shoot threes, try to
get the try to trim the deficit all in one possession.
But also she needs to be more aggressive. And we've
seen her be a killer before, right, And for whatever reason,
(24:21):
physical fatigue, mental fatigue, she just did not have the
fourth quarter that you would expect from from her. But,
like Tarka said, still a phenomenal season. She was the
best player for the Aces, the most valuable player, and
nobody will be able to take away. Nobody can take
away from what she did because even when she didn't
(24:41):
have all of her juice, she still was Hella effective.
Like that three on one break where she was it
was one on three and she was the one on
the defensive possession and she blocks Stewie. That right there
showed her her greatness. But yeah, the season is over
for the Aces and now it's New York Liberty and
(25:02):
the Minnesota Links. We're going to dive into that and
just a bit after the break.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
All right, y'all, I want y'all to pay attention to
just a couple of these things, a couple of dates
and times.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
I want you guys to.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Take a look back to Saturday, May twenty fifth.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
That day was the day that the Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
Lynx put a hurting from the New York Liberty eighty
four to sixty seven. They don't want you to fast
forward again to July second. That was the day New
York got they look back, seventy six to sixty seven
against the Minnesota Lynx.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
But Minnesota felt away, Minnesota felt a way, and so.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
On September fifteenth in New York, by the way, Minnesota
put their foot down eighty eight to seventy nine. And
somewhere in there, oh, June twenty fifth, because this wasn't,
you know, a regular season game, but it was the
(26:11):
Commissioner's Cup, Minnesota once again served an l on a platter,
ninety four to eighty nine. Now, if I'm doing my
math correctly, that means in the four times that Minnesota saw.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
New York, New York one once.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
Now, of course, there are folks who will say, well,
the regular season doesn't matter in the postseason. It's different play,
different mentality, different teams. You are absolutely correct. But if
you're going to say that the New York Liberty got
better over the course of this time, that also means
(26:52):
that the Minnesota Lynks have gotten better over the course
of this time. And so if a not better Minnesota
the team gave you trouble in the regular season, then
a much better MINNESOTAA team could probably give you some
more trouble in the postseason. So I say all that
to say, I think anyone who thinks that this is
(27:15):
just going to be a roll over situation between the
Links and the New York Liberty and this w n
b A Finals you probably haven't paid attention because this game.
I believe this series is going to be a close one.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
But I'm throwing out there for you guys. Shari will
start with you. Where do you what?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You what you think? I agree with you. I think
to go to seven games. Excuse me, it's late sleepy, y'all.
Y'all the ones that wanted me to get on here
at midnight, y'all the ones want me to get on
here at midnight. I will say this, Liberty, The Liberty
(27:56):
have their have their work cut out for them. Defensively.
Number one we already talked about in the Feasta Collier
good luck. I'm just gonna wish you luck. I don't
I don't really know what else to tell you, and
I can't even say, oh, you need to you need
to play off off of the feasta a little bit,
or you need to, you need to punch in like
I have no advice for you. Just do the pray
(28:17):
and do the best you can. But I will say
from the guard position, they need to be mindful of
how well and they play defense off ball screens. I
saw Courtney Williams in particular in this last game. She
would even fake the ball screen and go right. She'd
had an open, wide, open layup. So different things like
(28:39):
that they're gonna and again I like Courtney's game, but
I was shocked, not shocked, but I was she really
she came out of a bag today. And if she
continues in that way, I mean, there was no hesitation
with her shooting. I've seen her hesitate to take open
shots many times. She's coming off of screens, off the ball,
(29:02):
catching the ball, shooting and it's going in. She's shooting
off the dribble, she's faking off the ball screen and
going to the basket and facilitating. So if she continues
in this way, the links are going to be a problem.
So I think their guard defense on the on the
liberty side has to be very very strong, especially off
(29:22):
ball screens. I'll be interested to see what Sabrina is
able to do in particular on defense. On the defensive end,
in that regard, if Kaylen McBride gets a real if
she catches fire at all, because you got to think
about how well the Links are playing, and her shooting
percentage from three in particular isn't all that great at all.
She's still shooting, can shoot her shoot, but if that
(29:43):
evens itself out at any point, that's also going to
be a problem for the Liberty. So I'm interested to
see how she shows up, especially in game In game one,
I still have the Liberty winning. I know, you know,
Terka presented us with all those beautiful statistics. I love
a good statician and she's one of the best. But
I'm going to air on the side of yes, this
(30:03):
is this is a different ballgame, and I think that
the Liberty winning in the way that they did versus
the Aces gave them an air of confidence. I think
that it's going to carry them over the finish line.
I just again, I feel like they feel like it's
theirs and it's not even there to lose, it's just
theirs to get, Like, let's just go take care of
the business that we know we need to take care of,
(30:24):
so we get what we know we deserve. So it's
a swag about the liberty that I think is going
to get them to hold that trophy when it's all
said and done. So I got the liberty, but it's
going to be competitive. I think these two teams match
up very well. I'm always excited to see John Quell
Jones go go at it down low. We'll see how
that happens, how that goes, and we'll see who's able
(30:46):
to stay out of foul trouble. That's going to be
another big thing, like it could be JJ could be
in the FISA. Like both of them have to play
smart down there, and there's instances where they don't. Sometimes
they're coming down and swatting when it's like just put giant,
like just just keep your hands up. What are you doing?
So I think they're gonna have to be very mindful
about being the very mindful about being disciplined on defense.
(31:08):
So I got the liberty, but it's gonna be a
close one and I'm actually excited to see both these
teams go at it. So we'll see.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I just got a notification that the Liberty are opening
this series.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
As a huge favorite.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I don't agree with that. With that, I don't agree
with that.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I do know people, the people know something we don't.
I'm just telling you, throw your stats in the garbage,
j Rika, throw them.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Listen, I'm in Vegas odds.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
If you think.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
That, youspect disrespect here for Minnesota, Okay, Like, have we
not watched them coast Olympic break? I mean they had
two losses after the Olympics, right, and they have one
law or two losses in the postseason. Uh So my
(32:06):
thing is like, what, yeah, what is Vegas thinking? First
of all, because they were the best team outside of
Indiana post Olympic break. Of course, the Liberty are playing well.
They have the momentum. But when I look at Minnesota
and all the pieces that they have, they're very interchangeable
(32:28):
because everybody, for the most part, can take the ball
and drive it to the basket, but they also can
step back, kick it out for a three. They can
knock down shots. Bridget Carlton, she was listen, she should
have been the MVP of the Commissioner's Cup game. Okay,
And for being honest, I know Ifisa Collier won it
and she was great, but when you watch that game,
she was the MVP. You got chio Zana Lassini. Alanta
(32:52):
Smith is one of the best versatile defenders again Courtney
Williams with her mid range, So that is total disrespont
back to me, but I am interested to see how
the links handle, you know, the length in this series
with Leoni Phoebish, because she brings so much tenacity and
(33:12):
she does a lot of the little things that don't
always show up on the statue. She was a plus
twenty eight in that game to close out the aces.
I think she had eleven points, but it was her
presence on both sides that really impacted the game. So
we talk about Sabrina being an X factor and I
think that's fair. But to me, if Leoni Phoebish can
(33:34):
have a positive impact on both sides of the ball,
I think Liberty the Liberty have a great shot. And
then John Quell, Yeah, just stop stop making Sometimes she
gets so frustrated in her own head and she she
checks out of games, and we've seen that before from her,
So I need her to be locked in. Nafisa and Stewie,
(33:56):
they're probably going to cancel each other out Stewie's on
a mission. But look, yep, this series will go five
games in my opinion, and I just think the Links
are the best prepared team, the best suited team to
take down the Liberty, because.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
M take down. So are you saying that you have
then you have the winning at all?
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah? Five? Yeah, I have the Links.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Oh the Links at five? Okay, Okay, how many games
do you have the Liberty in?
Speaker 2 (34:38):
I got them in five. It's going to go It's
going to go five. I don't see anybody's talking about
what she brought to break.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Okay. That's another thing that I'm curious to see how
the Liberty will attack that. All these pieces are so instrumental,
and the Links have the best, one of the best
benches in the league. So that means you don't have
opposite of the aces, you don't have to rely on
your starters as much, because you know, we haven't we.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Haven't talked about the teacher Hydeman, right, yeah, But I
mean I think you can also make that argument for
the Liberty too.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, the the Liberty has definitely extended their bench
with Kennedy Burke, Jalen Sharad like they have my guy,
like so I think you can. I think that's at
the bench is interesting as well. So I think like
that's probably the one thing. Like there are so many
(35:37):
elements to both of these teams. I think that you
can compare to each other that that make this such
a difficult matchup because again, bench play is what it is,
but also from a shooting percentage, I mean, Minnesota is
one of the better three point shooting teams in the
league at this point, and for them to defend the
(35:57):
way that they defend, they've got snipers for the most
part of the series that they were just did that
was one of the key differences is they could shoot
Connecticut connot right, And so if you are able to
take out two of New York's big three, you got
a shot, right, and they don't have to be the
same two every night.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
If you can find a way to put John Quill
on a bench and get her and foul trouble and
neutralize Sabrina Unescu, then let Stewie have it, because you've
already canceled out two of the three. If Stewie and
Fie are knocking each other down defensively and Sabrina's hitting threes,
then take JJ out the game, take her out the game. Mentally,
(36:35):
you've got to find a way to at least take
two of the three out, force somebody from the bench
or another one of their starting five to step up.
But Nigelani Hamilton is another one who is a dangerous
two way player, right, So it's possible, It's possible, But
I just find I think that the way that the
Liberty have stepped up, Like again, I said it when
(36:57):
we started this segment, they have both really stepped up
their game from the Olympic break. But I just think
there's maybe that one or two different of consistency that
you'll get from one of the big three in New
York that you might not get from somebody from the Liberty. So,
you know, she remade the point of if Kayla gets
(37:18):
in her gets in her bag, if Kayla finds her stride,
because there have been a couple of games throughout this
postseason where Kayla has not been able well. She's hit
some big shots and she's played well like she's been
good to support. But what sticks in my mind specifically
is in Game two against Connecticut in the last season,
when the FISA was not on the court, Kayla just
(37:39):
kind of couldn't figure out her way. She didn't really
have like that leadership, that punch that you needed without
Phoebing on the court. You can't afford to have that
against this New York team, right because this New York team,
they didn't played together before two, not this year two
for them, So that whole ain't got no chemistry.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
That whole.
Speaker 3 (37:56):
They don't know each other. That's bullshit. At this point,
they know each other well. So I say that to
say that as much as I look, I mean, I
I love Katie Smith, absolutely love Rebecca Brunson on the
coaching staff, all of my I got these good friends
of mine's that that played for Minnesota, and I know
they gonna be hype. Lindsay Whaling gonna be on my
(38:17):
dad on twitter feed. I'm sorry, Way, don't come for me,
dog daf don't come for me. There'll be a file.
Don't come for me.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
I promise.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I love y'all, I really do. And I'm gonna celebrate
with y'all at the end if y'all win it what.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
I think I also have to.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
Take all right, I don't listen.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Sorry, Chris, Sorry, it's okay. You're you're out there on
that limb by yourself taking the.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Liberty, Chris, I would have took the links just so
that we could have somebody, so that file will lets
you know that I'm not committed to this answer whatsoever,
like I'm gonna take the liberty and five, But I
just wanted to be very clear that I'm not committed
to this to this PI and I promise you that you.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
Need to stand on the switch. In our society we
got we got people who want to be on a
spinch on the fence.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
You cannot be wayward and this I am way word
I am. I cannot be wayward you that is not platform.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Remember what you said.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
I can't do is raw.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
My ass is raw. What happened on.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
That exactly correct? You had to say, need that conviction
how you got however correct correct state. I haven't said
stand ten toes down.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
I have the strong conviction that now that my team
is out, it kind of is what it is. So go,
liberty go.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You can allow your apathy on, you can allow you
cannot allow your apathy put you in a situation where
you cannot stand with a particular team. We won't allow it.
We're not allow it.
Speaker 3 (40:07):
So whoever, Courtney, I will come Courtney.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
We chest bump girl, We cool.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
I got you, dog you. But then you know then
I gotta like, oh JJ and my girl. You know
what I'm saying, Like, I don't have allegiance to nobody
at this point. Everybody just get you get it.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
The game with the half Las Jersey, half Liberty Jersey.
That's what you would do. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
My god, my god, my god, oh my god. She
will come in there with a Son jersey on and
tell something. Dare somebody to say something I say.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
I'm gonna just focus on my Tigers. Okay, we got
post season baseball.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Not shifting to the Tigers. What is this show?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Oh my god? It is as always, the Shenanigant just
gets worse the latter that we keep recording this damn show.
So let's go ahead wrap this thing up. It's your
girl to Rica Foster Brasby, of course, Charen Nicole, Chris Williamson.
Make sure you're continuing to check us out. Listen to us,
have the three on three podcasts on iHeartRadio, app or
(41:13):
wherever you get your pod. Follow us on Twitter at
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here in these social media streets because we love when
we all come and talk to us and engage with us.
And you can definitely check us out on YouTube at
the Inflection Network. So until next time, when I'm out
(41:37):
my feelings and ready to stand ten tones down on
an actions prediction, I will highly at y'all
Hosts And Creators
Shari Nycole
Terrika Foster-Brasby
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